Civil War

This Week in the Civil War

00000174-b11b-ddc3-a1fc-bfdbb1a20000The Schreiner University Department of History is honoring the sesquicentennial of the American Civil War with a series of short vignettes focusing on events from 1861 through 1865. The Civil War was the most destructive conflict in American history, but it was also one of our most defining moments as a people and as a nation. Let us know what you think about "This Week in the Civil War." E-mail your comments to Dr. John Huddleston at jhuddles@schreiner.edu.Airs: Weekdays at 5:19 a.m., 8:19 a.m., 4:19 p.m. on KTXI and 4:49 a.m., 9:29 p.m. on KSTX.

This Week in the Civil War - 506

Texas Public Radio | By Texas Public Radio

Published February 14, 2013 at 12:37 PM CST

On February 15, 1863, Captain Robert Gould Shaw arrived in Boston to assume command of the 54^th Massachusetts Infantry. Memorialized in the film Glory, the 54^th Massachusetts Infantry consisted of free black men recruited mostly from the North.

The son of a prominent abolitionist, Shaw joined the 7^th New York Infantry Regiment in April of 1861. He later fought with the 2^nd Massachusetts Infantry at the pivotal battle of Antietam.

Approached by his father to lead an all-black regiment, Shaw was initially skeptical, but he eventually warmed to his troops and was impressed by their courage and dedication. Shaw was killed leading the ill-fated invasion of Ft. Wagner, South Carolina, on July 18, 1863. Because he was in the command of black troops, he was refused a proper burial.