_Its Organization.--Its Appearance.--Col. Shaw.--Presentation of
Colors.--Its Dress-Parade.--Its Departure from Boston._
The Fifty-fourth Regiment of Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry was
called into the service of the United States by the President, under an
act of Congress, passed July 21, 1861, entitled “An Act to authorize the
Employment of Volunteers to aid in enforcing the Laws and protecting’
Public Property.” Recruiting began Feb. 9, 1863, in Boston. A camp of
rendezvous was opened at “Camp Meigs,” Readville, Mass., on the 21st of
February, with a squad of twenty-seven men; and, by the end of March,
five companies were recruited, comprising four hundred and fourteen
men. This number was doubled during April; and, on the 12th of May, the
regiment was full.
Orders being received for it to proceed to the Department of the South,
the regiment broke camp on the 28th of May, and took cars for Boston.
After passing through the principal streets, and reaching the Common,
they prepared to receive the colors which were to be presented by the
Governor.
The regiment was formed in a hollow square, the distinguished persons
present occupying the centre. The flags were four in number, comprising
a national flag, presented by young colored ladies of Boston; a national
ensign, presented by the “Colored Ladies’ Relief Society;” an emblematic
banner, presented by ladies and gentlemen of Boston, friends of the
regiment; and a flag presented by relatives and friends of the late
Lieut. Putnam. The emblematic banner was of white silk, handsomely
embroidered, having on one side a figure of the Goddess of Justice, with
the words, “Liberty, Loyalty, and Unity,” around it. The fourth flag
bore a cross with a blue field, surmounted with the motto, “_In hoc
signo vinces._” All were of the finest texture and workmanship.
Prayer having been offered by the Rev. Mr. Grimes, Gov. Andrew presented
the various flags, with the following speech:--
PRESENTATION SPEECH OF GOV. ANDREW.
“Col. Shaw,--As the official representative of the Commonwealth, and by
favor of various ladies and gentlemen, citizens of the Commonwealth, and
friends of the Fifty-fourth Regiment of Massachusetts Volunteers, I
have the honor and the satisfaction of being permitted to join you this
morning for the purpose of presenting to your regiment the national
flag, the State colors of Massachusetts, and the emblematic banner which
the cordial, generous, and patriotic friendship of its patrons has seen
fit to present to you.
“Two years of experience in all the trials and vicissitudes of war,
attended with the repeated exhibition of Massachusetts regiments
marching from home to the scenes of strife, have left little to be said
or suggested which could give the interest of novelty to an occasion
like this. But, Mr. Commander, one circumstance pertaining to the
composition of the Fifty-fourth Regiment, exceptional in its character
when compared with any thing we have seen before, gives to this hour
an interest and importance, solemn and yet grand, because the occasion
marks an era in the history of the war, of the Commonwealth, of the
country, and of humanity. I need not dwell upon the fact that the
enlisted men constituting the rank and file of the Fifty-fourth Regiment
of Massachusetts Volunteers are drawn from a race not hitherto connected
with the fortunes of the war. And yet I cannot forbear to allude to the
circumstance, because I can but contemplate it for a brief moment, since
it is uppermost in your thoughts, and since this regiment, which for
many months has been the desire of my own heart, is present now before
this vast assembly of friendly citizens of Massachusetts, prepared to
vindicate by its future, as it has already begun to do by its brief
history of camp-life here, to vindicate in its own person and in the
presence, I trust, of all who belong to it, the character, the manly
character, the zeal, the manly zeal, of the colored citizens of
Massachusetts and of those other States which have cast their lot with
ours. (Applause.)
“I owe to you, Mr. Commander, and to the officers who, associated with
you, have assisted in the formation of this noble corps, composed of men
selected from among their fellows for fine qualities of manhood,--I owe
to you, sir, and to those of your associates who united with me in the
original organization of this body, the heartiest and most emphatic
expression of my cordial thanks. I shall follow you, Mr. Commander, your
officers, and your men, with a friendly and personal solicitude, to say
nothing of official care, which can hardly be said of any other corps
which has marched from Massachusetts. My own personal honor, if I
have any, is identified with yours. I stand or fall, as a man and a
magistrate, with the rise or fall in the history of the Fifty-fourth
Massachusetts Regiment. (Applause.) I pledge not only in behalf of
myself, but of all those whom I have the honor to represent to-day, the
utmost generosity, the utmost kindness, the utmost devotion of hearty
love, not only for the cause, but for you that represent it. We will
follow your fortunes in the camp and in the field with the anxious eyes
of brethren and the proud hearts of citizens.
“To those men of Massachusetts, and of surrounding States who have now
made themselves citizens of Massachusetts, I have no word to utter fit
to express the emotions of my heart. These men, sir, have now, in the
Providence of God, given to them an opportunity which, while it is
personal to themselves, is still an opportunity for a whole race of men.
(Applause.) With arms possessed of might to strike a blow, they have
found breathed into their hearts an inspiration of devoted patriotism,
and regard for their brethren of their own color, which has inspired
them with a purpose to nerve that arm, that it may strike a blow
which, while it shall help to raise aloft their country’s flag--_their_
country’s flag, now as well as ours--by striking down the foes which
oppose it, strikes also the last blow, I trust, needful to rend the
last shackle which binds the limb of the bondman in the rebel States.
(Applause.)
“I know not, Mr. Commander, when, in all human history, to any given
thousand men in arms there has been given a work so proud, so precious,
so full of hope and glory, as the work committed to you. (Applause.) And
may the infinite mercy of Almighty God attend you every hour of every
day, through all the experiences and vicissitude of that dangerous life
in which you have embarked! may the God of our fathers cover your heads
in the day of battle! may he shield you with the arms of everlasting
power! may he hold you always most of all, first of all, and last of
all, up to the highest and holiest conception of duty; so that if, on
the field of stricken fight, your souls shall be delivered from the
thraldom of the flesh, your spirits shall go home to God, bearing aloft
the exulting thought of duty well performed, of glory and reward won
even at the hands of the angels who shall watch over you from above!
“Mr. Commander, you, sir, and most of your officers, have been carefully
selected from among the most intelligent and experienced officers who
have already performed illustrious service upon the field during the
last two years of our national conflict. I need not say, sir, with how
much confidence and with how much pride we contemplate the leadership
which we know this regiment will receive at your hands. In yourself,
sir, your staff and line officers, we are enabled to declare a
confidence which knows no hesitation and no doubt. Whatever fortune may
betide you, we know from the past that all will be done for the honor of
the cause, for the protection of the flag, for the defence of the right,
for the glory of your country, and for the safety and the honor of these
men whom we commit to you, that shall lie either in the human heart or
brain or arm. (Applause.)
“And now, Mr. Commander, it is my most agreeable duty and high honor
to hand to you, as the representative of the Fifty-fourth Regiment of
Massachusetts Volunteers, the American flag, the star-spangled banner
of the Republic. Wherever its folds shall be unfurled, it will mark
the path of glory. Let its stars be the inspiration of yourselves, your
officers, and your men. As the gift of the young ladies of the city
of Boston to their brethren in arms, they will cherish it as the lover
cherishes the recollection and fondness of his mistress; and the white
stripes of its field will be red with their blood before it shall be
surrendered to the foe. (Applause.)
“I have also the honor, Mr. Commander, to present to you the State
colors of Massachusetts,--the State colors of the old Bay State, borne
already by fifty-three regiments of Massachusetts soldiers, white men
thus far, now to be borne by the Fifty-fourth Regiment of soldiers,
not less of Massachusetts than the others. Whatever maybe said, Mr.
Commander, of any other flag which has ever kissed the sunlight, or been
borne on any field, I have the pride and honor to be able to declare
before you, your regiment, and these witnesses, that, from the
beginning up till now, the State colors of Massachusetts have never
been surrendered to any foe. (Cheers.) The Fifty-fourth now holds in
possession this sacred charge in the performance of their duties as
citizen-soldiers. You will never part with that flag so long as a
splinter of the staff, or a thread of its web, remains within your
grasp. (Applause.) The State colors are presented to the Fifty-fourth by
the Relief Society, composed of colored ladies of Boston.
“And now let me commit to you this splendid emblematic banner. It
is prepared for your acceptance by a large and patriotic committee,
representing many others beside ladies and gentlemen of Boston, to whose
hearty sympathy, and powerful co-operation and aid, much of the success
which has hitherto attended the organization of this regiment is due.
The Goddess of Liberty, erect in beautiful guise and form (liberty,
loyalty, and unity are the emblems it bears),--the Goddess of Liberty
shall be the lady-love whose fair presence shall inspire your hearts;
liberty, loyalty, unity, the watchwords in the fight.
“And now, Mr. Commander, the sacred, holy cross, representing passion,
the highest heroism, I scarcely dare to trust myself to present to you.
It is the emblem of Christianity. I have parted with the emblems of
the State, of the nation,--heroic, patriotic emblems they are, dear,
inexpressibly dear, to all our hearts; but now, _In hoc signo vinces_,
the cross which represents the passion of our Lord, I dare to pass into
your soldier hands; for we are fighting now a battle not merely for
country, not merely for humanity, not only for civilization, but for the
religion of our Lord itself. When this cause shall ultimately fall, if
ever failure at the last shall be possible, it will only fail when the
last patriot, the last philanthropist, and the last Christian shall
have tasted death, and left no descendants behind them upon the soil of
Massachusetts. (Applause.)
“This flag, Mr. Commander, has connected with its history the most
touching and sacred memory. It comes to your regiment from the mother,
sister, friends, family relatives, of one of the dearest and noblest
soldier-boys of Massachusetts. I need not utter the name of Lieut.
Putnam in order to excite in every heart the tenderest emotions of fond
regard, or the strongest feeling of patriotic fire. May you, sir, and
these, follow not only on the field of battle, but in all the walks and
ways of life, in camp, and hereafter, when, on returning peace, you
shall resume the more quiet and peaceful duties of citizens,--may you
but follow the splendid example, the sweet devotion mingled with manly,
heroic character, of which the life, character, and death of Lieut.
Putnam was one example! How many more there are we know not: the record
is not yet complete; but, oh! how many there are of these Massachusetts
sons, who, like him, have tasted death for this immortal cause! Inspired
by such examples, fired by the heat and light of love and faith which
illumined and warmed these heroic and noble hearts, may you, sir, and
these, march on to glory, to victory, and to every honor! This flag I
present to you, Mr. Commander, and your regiment. _In hoc signo vinces_
RESPONSE OF COL. SHAW.
“_Your Excellency_,--We accept these flags with feelings of deep
gratitude. They will remind us not only of the cause we are fighting
for, and of our country, but of the friends we have left behind us, who
have thus far taken so much interest in this regiment, and who, we know,
will follow us in our career. Though the greater number of men in this
regiment are not Massachusetts men, I know there is not one who will not
be proud to fight and serve under our flag. May we have an opportunity
to show that you have not made a mistake in intrusting the honor of the
State to a colored regiment!--the first State that has sent one to the
war.
“I am very glad to have this opportunity to thank the officers and men
of the regiment for their untiring fidelity and devotion to their work
from the very beginning. They have shown that sense of the importance of
our undertaking, without which we should hardly have attained our end.
(Applause)”
At the conclusion of Col. Shaw’s remarks, the colors were borne to their
place in the line by the guard, and the regiment was reviewed by the
Governor. Thence they marched out of the Common, down Tremont Street,
down Court Street, by the Court House, chained hardly a decade ago to
save slavery and the Union. Thence down State Street, trampling on
the very pavement over which Sims and Burns marched to their fate,
encompassed by soldiers of the United States.
“Their sisters, sweethearts, and wives”--a familiar quotation in the
notices of previous departing regiments, but looking a little odd
in this new place--ran along beside “the boys,” giving their parting
benediction of smiles and tears, telling them to be brave, and to show
their blood.
They marched in good time, and wheeled with a readiness which showed
that they had a clear idea of what was required, and only needed a
little more practice to equal the best regiments that left the State.
The regiment marched down State Street at a quarter past twelve o’clock
to the tune of “John Brown,” and was vociferously cheered by the vast
crowds that covered the sidewalks and filled the windows. Nowhere was
the reception of the regiment more hearty.
All attempts to express the feeling of the crowd or the soldiers seem to
read stale and flat. Yet, as Goldsmith said that the weakest jokes were
received as wit by the circle of the happy vicar, so these attempts
were treated as successes by the happy crowd. One man said it was a
verification of Shakspeare:--
“Know you not _Pompey?_
You have climbed up to the walls and battlements
To see _Great Pompey_ pass the streets of Rome.”
One fact should be chronicled. Their regimental banner, of superb white
silk had on one side the coat-of-anns of Massachusetts, and on the other
a golden cross on a golden star, with _In hoc Signo Vinces_ beneath.
_This is the first Christian banner that has gone into our war_. By a
strange, and yet not strange, providence, God has made this despised
race the bearers of his standard. They are thus the real leaders of the
nation.
On reaching the wharf at a quarter before one, every thing had been
placed on board through the efforts of Capt. McKim; the guns were placed
in boxes, the horses put aboard, and the men began to embark. At four
o’clock, the vessel steamed down the harbor, bound for Port Royal, S.C.
THE COMPLETE ROSTER OF THE REGIMENT.
Colonel.--Robert G. Shaw.
Lieut.-Colonel.--Norwood P. Hallowell.
Major.--Edward N. Hallowed.
Surgeon.--Lincoln R. Stone.
Assistant Surgeon.--C. B. Brigham.
Captains.--Alfred S. Hartwell, David A. Partridge, Samuel Willard, John
W. M. Appleton, Watson W. Bridge, George Pope, William II. Simpkins,
Cabot J. Russell, Edward L. Jones, and Louis F. Emilo.
1st. Lieutenants.--John Ritchie, Garth W. James, William H. Hemans, Grin
E. Smith, Erik Wulff, Walter H. Wild, Francis L. Higginson, James M.
Walton, James M. Grace, R. K. L. Jewett.
2d Lieutenants.--Thomas L. Appleton, Benjamin F. Dexter, J. Albert
Pratt, Charles F. Smith, Henry W. Littlefield, William Nutt, David Reid,
Charles E. Tucker, and William Howard.
Many of the men in the Fifty-Fourth had once been slaves at the South;
some had enjoyed freedom for years; others had escaped after the
breaking out of the Rebellion. Most of them had relatives still there,
and had a double object in joining the regiment. They were willing to
risk their lives for the freedom of those left behind; and, if they
failed in that, they might, at least, have an opportunity of settling
with the “ole boss” for a long score of cruelty.
“From many a Southern field they trembling came,
Fled from the lash, the fetter, and the chain”;
Return they now, not at base Slavery’s claim,
To meet the oppressor on the battle-plain.”
“The following song was written by a private in Company A, Fifty-Fourth
(colored) Regiment, Massachusetts Volunteers, and has been sent to us
for publication by a friend of the regiment.”--Boston Transcript.
“Air.--‘Hoist up the Flag.’
“Fremont told them, when the war it first begun,
How to save the Union, and the way it should be done;
But Kentucky swore so hard, and old Abe he had his fears,
Till every hope was lost but the colored volunteers.
Chorus.--Oh! give us a flag all free without a slave,
We’ll fight to defend it as our fathers did so brave:
The gallant Comp’ny A will make the rebels dance;
And we’ll stand by the Union, if we only have a chance.
McClellan went to Richmond with two hundred thousand brave:
He said, ‘keep back the niggers,’ and the Union he would save.
Little Mac he had his way, still the Union is in tears:
Now they call for the help of the colored volunteers.
Chor.--Oh! give us a flag, &c.
Old Jeff says he’ll hang us if we dare to meet him armed:
A very big thing, but we are not at all alarmed;
For he first has got to catch us before the way is clear,
And ‘that’s what’s the matter’ with the colored volunteer.
Chor.--Oh! give us a flag, &c.
So rally, boys, rally, let us never mind the past:
We had a hard road to travel, but our day is coming fast;
For God is for the right, and we have no need to fear:
The Union must be saved by the colored volunteer.
Chor.--Oh! give us a flag, &c.”