Civil War Journal - The 54th Massachusetts

Exploring the truth behind one of the first black regiments before and after the infamous battle at Ft. Wagner. Basis of the film GLORY. Commanded by white officers, the 54th Regiment of Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry was the first black fighting unit to be raised in the North following the Emancipation Proclamation. In 1863, they led a heroic, virtually suicidal assault on Ft. Wagner, South Carolina. Though Ft. Wagner was never taken, the famous charge convinced the North of the worth of the black fighting man.