54th Massachusetts
Morgan Freeman rocks. He is one of my favorite actors, and he has been in so many awesome movies that they are too numerous to mention. Another favorite actor of mine is Matthew Broderick. What do these two have in common, you might ask? They starred together in a film entitled “Glory.” This movie depicted the story of the 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment, which consisted primarily of African American soldiers. It was one of the first official black units of the Union Army during the Civil War, and has gone down in history.
Tomorrow is the 149th anniversary of the 54th’s famous attack on Ft. Wagner near Charleston, South Carolina. The battle ended in tragedy, as most of the 54th was destroyed by Confederate defenders. Their commander, Colonel Robert Gould Shaw, was also killed, and was buried in a mass grave along with his comrades. Two hundred and seventy two soldiers were casualties of the battle. Regardless of the high number of casualties, the battle inspired many more African Americans to enlist and fight for preservation of the Union.
“Glory” was released in 1989 (a very good year), and is still one of my favorite movies. It also features Denzel Washington, who was a newbie at the time. In my opinion, Matthew Broderick bears a striking resemblance to Colonel Shaw, and the performances of every actor are phenomenal. It is an inspiring depiction of a profound and controversial time in American history. If you haven’t yet seen it, I encourage you to do so.
