How did the 54th regiment surmount the challenges that confronted them?
They received outside encouragement and help before they entered the conflict: The 54th trained at Camp Meigs in Readville near Boston. While there they received considerable moral support from abolitionists in Massachusetts including Ralph Waldo Emerson. Material support included warm clothing items, battle flags and $500 contributed for the equipping and training of a regimental band. As it became evident that many more recruits were coming forward than were needed the medical exam for the 54th was described as “rigid and thorough” by the Massachusetts Surgeon-General. This resulted in what he described as the most “robust, strong and healthy set of men” ever mustered into service in the United States. They received acclaim for their valor and didn’t let their color interfere with their fighting skills: The regiment gained international fame on July 18, 1863, when it spearheaded an assault on Fort Wagner near Charleston, South Carolina. Although the Union was not able to take and hol
