USCTMassachusetts

54th Massachusetts Infantry

United States Colored Troops · Formed 1863-02-09 · Mustered out 1865-08-20
Raised From
Massachusetts (and free Black men from across the North)
Initial Strength
1,007
Formed
1863-02-09
Mustered Out
1865-08-20

Service Summary

The 54th Massachusetts Infantry was a United States Colored Troops regiment raised in Massachusetts during the American Civil War. The regiment was recruited from Massachusetts (and free Black men from across the North). It mustered into service with an initial strength of approximately 1,007 soldiers. The regiment was formed on February 9, 1863. It was mustered out on August 20, 1865.

Key Engagements

Battles and campaigns in which the 54th Massachusetts Infantry served. Linked entries open the engagement's full record.

Distinctive Record

The first Black regiment raised in the North, commanded by Col. Robert Gould Shaw. Their assault on Fort Wagner, South Carolina on July 18, 1863, became the defining image of African American service in the Civil War.

Civil War context

The American Civil War (1861–1865) was the deadliest conflict in American history, killing an estimated 620,000 to 750,000 soldiers and an unknown number of civilians. The Confederate States of America, formed by eleven seceding Southern states, faced the Union in four years of warfare across 23 states and territories. Major engagements included First and Second Bull Run, Antietam (the bloodiest single day in American history, September 17, 1862), Chancellorsville, Gettysburg (July 1–3, 1863), Vicksburg (surrendered July 4, 1863), and Sherman's March through Georgia and the Carolinas (1864–1865). President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, transforming the war's stated purpose to include the abolition of slavery and enabling the enlistment of approximately 180,000 Black men in the United States Colored Troops. Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered to Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Court House on April 9, 1865. The war resolved the question of secession and ended American slavery, though Reconstruction would face sustained resistance in its attempt to secure civil rights for formerly enslaved people.

Source

Regimental data from the Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System, National Park Service (public domain). Reference: National Park Service.

Questions about this regiment

What was the 54th Massachusetts Infantry?
The 54th Massachusetts Infantry was a United States Colored Troops regiment raised in Massachusetts during the American Civil War. It was formed on February 9, 1863.
Where was the 54th Massachusetts Infantry raised?
The regiment was raised in Massachusetts (and free Black men from across the North).
What battles did the 54th Massachusetts Infantry fight in?
The 54th Massachusetts Infantry saw action at Fort Wagner (July 18, 1863), Olustee (1864), Honey Hill (1864).
How large was the 54th Massachusetts Infantry?
The regiment mustered in with an initial strength of approximately 1,007 soldiers.
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