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Leaving Boston
By most accounts the 54th left Boston with very high morale despite the fact that Jefferson Davis' proclamation of December 23, 1862 effectively put both African-American enlisted men and white officers under a death sentence if captured. -
Confederate Congress Confirmed
The proclamation was affirmed by the Confederate Congress in January 1863 and turned both enlisted soldiers and their white officers over to the states from which the enlisted soldiers had been slaves. -
Authorization
The regiment was authorized in March 1863 by the Governor of Massachusetts, John A. Andrew. -
Gaining Recognition
The regiment gained recognition on July 18, 1863, when it spearheaded an assault on Fort Wagner near Charleston, South Carolina and in this battle, Colonel Shaw was killed, along with 29 of his men. -
Retreat
The 54th fought a rear-guard action covering the Union retreat at the Battle of Olustee. As part of an all-black brigade under Col. Alfred S. Hartwell, they unsuccessfully attacked entrenched Confederate militia at the November 1864 Battle of Honey Hill. -
Boykin's Mill
In mid-April 1865, the 54th fought at the Battle of Boykin's Mill, a small affair in South Carolina that proved to be one of the last engagements of the war.