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Overview
马萨诸塞志愿步兵团第五十四团是南北战争期间在北方组建的第一支由黑人士兵组成的军队. 在1863年之前，并没有齐心协力地招募黑人士兵作为联邦士兵. 1862年12月《og体育官网》的通过为招募自由黑人士兵提供了动力, 当时，各州的州长负责为联邦服务征集军团, 马萨诸塞州第一个作出回应，成立了第五十四团.
该团的组建从一开始就引起了争议和公众的关注. 人们对黑人在“白人的战争”中作战的能力提出了质疑." Although Massachusetts governor John A. Andrew believed that Black men were capable of leadership, others felt that commissioning them as officers was simply too controversial; Andrew needed all the support he could get. 军官是白人，士兵是黑人. 任何黑人军官直到中尉的军衔都是未授衔的，他们是通过军衔晋升到他们的位置的. On 28 May 1863, 州长颁发了该部队的颜色，并举行了波士顿街头的游行, 观众站在街道两旁，希望能看到这个实验装置. The regiment then departed Boston on the transport De Molay for the coast of South Carolina.
Selected Portraits
除了下面一幅肖像画(罗伯特·古尔德·肖的平版画)之外，其他肖像画都是由罗伯特·古尔德·肖上尉收藏的. Luis F. Emilio, commander of Company E of the regiment. 这些摄影肖像大约拍摄于1860年至1880年，其中包括tintype, one ambrotype, 以及描绘该团非裔美国人和白人成员的蛋白照片. 整个108张照片的收藏在一个收藏指南中进行了描述，并附有数字化图像的链接, 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry Regiment photographs (Photo. Coll. 72). 另外43张志愿者的照片可以在网站上找到 马萨诸塞州志愿步兵团第54团随选相册 (Photo. Coll. 103).
Recruiting and Enlisting Soldiers
1863年2月中旬，马萨诸塞州第五十四团的招募工作正在进行中. 报纸广告和招募海报(见下文)鼓励黑人入伍. Twenty-five men responded promptly, 在入伍的第一个星期结束时，在里德维尔(现在的海德公园)的梅格斯营地有72名新兵。, Massachusetts. However, 由于需要更多的士兵，征兵人员将注意力转向了南北各州和加拿大，以寻找足够的合格黑人来填补该团的空缺. By 14 May 1863, the regiment was comprised of 1000 enlisted men, and a full complement of white officers. In May 1863, Captain John W. M. 阿普尔顿捐赠了马萨诸塞州第54步兵团A连的入伍名册. 剩下的新兵成为马萨诸塞第55步兵团的核心.
Now in Camp at Readville! 54th Regiment!
To Colored Men. 54th Regiment! Massachusetts Volunteers, Of African Descent
Fort Wagner
On 16 July 1863, serving as a diversion for the intended attack on Morris Island, South Carolina, the Fifty-fourth Regiment saw its first action on James Island, losing forty-five men. On 18 July, after several days with little sleep, food or water, 该团受命领导进攻莫里斯岛上的瓦格纳堡(参见1863年亨利·韦伯在瓦格纳堡绘制的莫里斯岛水彩画). In the disastrous assault led by Colonel Shaw, the 54th suffered very heavy losses, including the loss of their commander, and nearly half of the men present were killed, wounded, or missing. Despite this, the unit showed exceptional bravery and honor, 他们在等待永远不会到来的援军时从不撤退.
而第五十四团在瓦格纳堡损失惨重, 没有证据表明选择这个单位只是因为他们被认为是炮灰. When the news of the attack reached home, the unit which had been the target of so much attention, publicity, and skepticism finally earned the respect it deserved. Despite the defeat at Fort Wagner, 54团招募黑人士兵的行动被认为是成功的，这也为后来联邦军中众多黑人部队的加入开辟了道路.
"Interior Fort Wagner, Morris Island"
"Dress Parade in Fort Wagner, Morris Island"
Sources for Further Research
该协会还持有与马萨诸塞州第五十四团有关的其他手稿和照片. 其中包括纳撒尼尔·鲍迪奇(Nathaniel Bowditch)的相册，里面有瓦格纳堡的肖像和场景; papers of Governor John A. Andrew 有关该团的招募和入伍事宜(包括 the letter Andrew sent to Francis Shaw, in which Andrew explains why he has offered the command of the 54th to Shaw's son, Robert); the personal papers of Norwood P. Hallowell of the 54th and 55th regiments; and a small collection of letters from Robert Gould Shaw to his friend Charles F. Morse这些信件是在袭击瓦格纳堡之前从波士顿、里德维尔和南卡罗来纳写的. 该协会还收藏了一些与其他马萨诸塞州黑人团有关的藏品，包括 马萨诸塞州第55志愿步兵团军官协会的记录 the personal papers of Colonel Charles B. Fox, whose diary was used for the regimental history of the 55th Infantry; and a photograph album (carte de visite) of the 5th Massachusetts Cavalry.
这个场地最初是作为展览的伙伴而创建的 骄傲地说:马萨诸塞第54团和奥古斯都·圣高登斯·肖纪念馆, which ran in 2014.