Robert Gould Shaw leads the U.S. Civil War's first all-black volunteer company, fighting prejudices from both his own Union Army, and the Confederates.
Shaw was an officer in the Federal Army during the American Civil War who volunteered to lead the first company of black soldiers. Shaw was forced to deal with the prejudices of both the enemy (who had orders to kill commanding officers of blacks), and of his own fellow officers.—Murray Chapman <[email protected]>
Following the Battle of Antietam, Col. Robert Gould Shaw is offered command of the United States' first all-African-American regiment, the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry. With junior officer Cabot Forbes, Shaw puts together a strong and proud unit, including the escaped slave Trip and the wise gravedigger John Rawlins. At first limited to menial manual tasks, the regiment fights to be placed in the heat of battle.—Jwelch5742
The story of the 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment, told mostly through the eyes of their commander, Colonel Robert Gould Shaw (played by Matthew Broderick). Formed during the American Civil War, the 54th Massachusetts was the first African-American unit in the US Army. We see the formation of the regiment, its first volunteers, their training, disputes with administrators, their first operations in South Carolina and, finally, their moment of glory - the attack on Fort Wagner.—grantss
During the American Civil War, the Massachusetts Infantry Regiment engages Confederate forces in the bloody Battle of Antietam. Captain Robert Gould Shaw (Matthew Broderick) is injured in the battle and assumed lost, but is found alive by a gravedigger named John Rawlins (Morgan Freeman) and sent to a field hospital. While on medical leave in Boston, Shaw visits his family, and is introduced to former slave and abolitionist, Frederick Douglass (Raymond St. Jacques). Shaw is offered a promotion to the rank of Colonel, and command of the first all-black regiment, the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, which will consist solely of black soldiers. He accepts the responsibility, and asks his childhood friend, Major Cabot Forbes (Cary Elwes) to serve as his second-in-command. Their first volunteer soldier is another one of Shaw's friends, a bookish freeman named Thomas Searles (Andre Braugher). Other recruits soon follow, including Rawlins, timid freeman Jupiter Sharts (Jihmi Kennedy), and Silas Trip (Denzel Washington), an escaped slave who is mistrustful of Shaw. Trip instantly clashes with Thomas, and Rawlins must keep the peace.
When the Confederacy issues an order that all black soldiers found in Union uniform will be summarily executed as will their white officers, the opportunity is given to all men in the 54th to take a honorable discharge, but none do. The black soldiers undergo a Draconian training regimen under the harsh supervision of Sgt. Mulcahy (John Finn). Mulcahy comes down particularly hard on Thomas, who has had a relatively easier life than most of squad-mates and is consequently more out of shape. Shaw initially protests the treatment of his friend, but Mulcahy reminds him that this is the same training that all soldiers go through - and as a commander, Shaw has to treat all his men equally. Knowing how badly his men want to fight, Shaw concedes Mulcahy's point. But this causes some tension between him and Forbes, who is skeptical that the 54th will ever be given the opportunity to enter active combat.
When Trip goes AWOL and is caught, Shaw orders him flogged in front of the troops. The scars of his previous beatings as a slave are exposed, presenting a real dilemma for the abolitionist Shaw. While talking to Rawlins, Shaw finds out that Trip had left merely to find suitable shoes to replace his own worn ones. Rawlins shows Shaw how many of the men have horribly infected feet because of their rotting footwear. Shaw realizes that supplies are being denied to his soldiers because of their race. He belligerently confronts the quartermaster, Kendric (Richard Riehle), whom Shaw outranks, and finds out that indeed shoes and socks were in stock but had not been given to the black soldiers. His advocacy on behalf of his soldiers continues through a pay dispute during which the Federal government decided to pay black soldiers less than white soldiers. Trip leads a large protest against the unequal pay and even Shaw himself joins in. The men also receive their Union army uniforms and a new sense of pride is instilled in the regiment.
Once the 54th completes its training, they are transferred under the command of General Charles Garrison Harker (Bob Gunton). Harker pairs the 54th with the 2nd South Carolina Volunteer Infantry Regiment - comprised mostly of freed slaves - commanded by Colonel James Montgomery (Cliff De Young). During their voyage Rawlins is promoted to Sergeant Major. On the way to the main front in South Carolina, the 54th passes through the town of Darien, Georgia, where Montgomery allows his mostly undisciplined unit to loot and destroy the town. When one of Montgomery's men molests a slave servant, Montgomery coldly shoots his own man, blaming the slave's owner as a "secessionist". He then commands Shaw to order his men to burn the town. Shaw initially refuses, citing the order as illegal, but relents under the threat of having his command taken away and his men conscripted to Montgomery. Shaw continues to lobby his superiors to allow his men to join the fight. All their duties since being activated involved building and manual labor.
Shaw confronts Harker and Montgomery and threatens to report the smuggling, looting he has discovered unless Harker orders the 54th into combat. In their first battle on James Island, South Carolina, early success is followed by a bloody confrontation with many casualties. However, due to the fierce fighting of the 54th, the Confederates are beaten and retreat. During the battle, Thomas is wounded but saves Trip, finally earning the respect of the former slave. Shaw extends Thomas an offer to return home for medical leave, but he refuses.
Some time after, General George Strong (Jay O. Sanders) informs Shaw and his superiors of a major campaign to secure a foothold in Charleston Harbor. This will involve assaulting the nearby Morris Island and capturing its impenetrable fortress, Battery Wagner. The fort's only landward approach is via a small strip of beach with little cover, and the first regiment to charge is sure to suffer extremely heavy casualties. Shaw volunteers to have the 54th lead the charge. The night before the battle, the black soldiers conduct a religious service where individual soldiers offer their prayers amid singing hymns. Rawlins and Trip make emotional speeches to inspire the troops and to ask for God's help.
The 54th leads the charge on the fort and heavy casualties ensue on the beach as artillery fire smashes through the ranks. As night falls the bombardment continues and no progress can be made. Shaw attempts to urge the men forward, but is shot several times and killed. Stunned, the soldiers stay where they are until Trip lifts up the flag and rallies the soldiers to continue on. He is shot several times while doing so, but holds up the flag to his last breath. Forbes takes charge of the regiment, and they are able to break through the fort's outer defenses, but find themselves greatly outnumbered once they are inside. Enemy cannons fire at the group of men killing them all (off-camera). The morning after the battle, we see the beach littered with bodies as the Confederate flag is raised over the fort. As the corpses are buried in a mass grave, Shaw and Trip's bodies fall next to each other.
The closing narration reveals that Battery Wagner was never taken by Union forces. However, the sacrifice of the 54th, which lost nearly half its men in the battle, was not in vain, as their bravery inspired the Union to recruit thousands more black men for combat. Their participation would be credited by President Abraham Lincoln as an important factor that enabled the Union to achieve final victory over the Confederacy.
