Confederate defenders killed, wounded, or made prisoners of half the regiment. Robert gould shaw, soldier, was born in boston, massachusetts, october 10, 1837, son of francis george and sarah blake sturgis shaw, and grandson of robert gould shaw of gouldsborough, maine. Robert gould shawborn october 10, 1837 boston, massachusetts died july 18, 1863 morris island, south carolina union colonel of the allblack fiftyfourth massachusetts regiment led the assault on fort wagner in south carolina that proved the courage of black soldiers in combat source for information on robert gould shaw. Colonel robert gould shaw and the 54th massachusetts infantry. Born into a prominent boston abolitionist family, he accepted command of the first allblack regiment the 54th massachusetts in the northeast. But after a few days he reconsidered and accepted the position. All robert gould shaw photographs ship within 48 hours and include a 30day moneyback guarantee.
He was the principal subject of the 1989 film glory in which he was depicted by actor matthew broderick. Robert gould shaw robert shaws family moved to staten island, new york. Robert gould shaw 18371863 son of a prominent boston abolitionist family, robert shaw was serving as a captain in the 2nd massachusetts when he was tapped by massachusetts governor john andrew for a special assignment. Robert gould shaw author of blueeyed child of fortune. Robert gould shaw iii 1898 1970 was the only son of nancy langhorne later nancy astor and her first husband robert gould shaw ii, who was a cousin of robert gould shaw of fort wagner fame. When i first came across this letter as i was writing a blog post for the gratz civil war blog in december 20 about christmas in the civil war.
The robert gould shaw and massachusetts 54 th regiment memorial, located across beacon street from the state house, serves as a reminder of the heavy cost paid by individuals and families during the civil war. Sep 28, 2015 the completed robert gould shaw documentary. Robert gould shaw civil war battle sword mowbray publishing. Supporting the promised equal treatment for his troops, he encouraged the men to refuse their pay until it was. She received formal instruction in sculpture and opened her studio at tremont and bromfield streets. Born into a prominent boston abolitionist family, he accepted command of the first allblack regiment 54th massachusetts in the northeast. The letters of robert gould shaw, immortalized in the film glory. The story of shaw and the 54th were depicted in the 1989 film, glory which was based upon the peter burchard book, one gallant rush. He was killed in the second battle of fort wagner on morris island in charleston harbor.
He was born in goldsboro, maine to francis and sarah shaw. Robert gould shaw and his regiment of hope and glory uu. Heres how a famed civil war sword was lost and found. Leadership and legacy of robert gould shaw duration. He was a widower, a merchant, a resident of boston, and was 70y old. Shaw was to raise and command the first regiment of black troops organized in a northern state. Massachusetts 54 cannon fodder 18371863 was the young white civil war union army officer who commanded black union troops during the american civil war, he rode at the head of his men. Washington a speech at the unveiling of the robert gould shaw monument. This was not to be an ordinary assignment, not by a long shot. Letters from robert gould shaw of the seventh regiment the new. Robert gould shaw famously wrote more than two hundred letters to. A speech at the unveiling of the robert gould shaw monument. Shaw had been pushing for his soldiers to lead the charge and informed general strong.
In this presence, and on this sacred and memorable day, in the deeds and death of our hero, we recall the old, old story, ever old, yet ever new, that when it was the will of the father to lift humanity out of wretchedness and. Shop amongst our popular books, including 23, blueeyed child of fortune, where death and glory meet and more from robert gould shaw. The son of prominent boston abolitionists, robert gould shaw was born october 10, 1837, to francis and sara shaw. Robert gould shaw biography birthday, trivia american. Shaw was a prizewinning literary novelist of some note, but his reputation as a writer which at one time far outstripped his fame as an actor has faded into obscurity, not least because all his books are out of print, and have been for years. The civil war letters of colonel robert gould shaw, and history of the boston stage from 1791 to 1825, and more on. Robert gould shaw american soldier born on october 10, 1837, died on july 18, 1863 robert gould shaw was an american soldier in the union army during the u. Shaw was born into one of the wealthiest families in the country, linked by marriage to boston merchant dynasties such as the cabots and russells. Robert gould shaw was born the only son, with four sisters. Robert gould shaw was born in boston in october 1837. Dec 27, 2014 search for titles containing or beginning with. Robert gould shaw was just 25 years old when he was killed leading a regiment of black soldiers into battle during the american civil war. Robert gould shaw simple english wikipedia, the free.
Robert gould shaws courageous decision bill of rights. Online shopping from a great selection at books store. Aug 17, 2017 robert gould shaw already owned a sword, but it wasnt appropriate for the rank of colonel, so this new english sword is the one he carried into combat. Robert gould shaw and the men of the 54th massachusetts volunteer infantry. Nov 07, 2011 he asked robert gould shaw 18371863, a young white captain in the army, to serve as the regiments colonel. American union colonel who was killed leading his regiment of africanamerican soldiers in the assault on fort wagner in south carolina. Robert gould shaw october 10, 1837 in boston, massachusetts july 18, 1863 in morris island, south carolina was a colonel during the american civil war. The first allblack, all volunteer unit from all of new england was about to be mustered. It depicts colonel robert gould shaw leading members of the 54th regiment massachusetts volunteer infantry as it marched down beacon street on. Robert gould shaw is the author of blueeyed child of fortune 4. The heir to a large fortune, francis shaw advocated for a variety of causes and robert was raised in an environment that included notable personalities such as william lloyd garrison, charles sumner, nathaniel hawthorne, and ralph waldo. In the same year a serialized version of the book the reminis cences of augustus. Jan 18, 2014 the same can be said, sadly, for shaws novels.
It celebrates the first black regiment recruited in the north to fight in the civil war. Sculptor edmonia lewis attended oberlin college and moved to boston in 1863. He was one of the prominent figures of the boom years at the turn of the. Robert gould shaw was an american soldier in the union army during the american civil war. Shaw was born a child of privalege, and raised to be an abolitionist and a devout christian. He was the only son of a wealthy mercantile family who possessed radical abolitionist views. Jan 30, 2019 robert gould shaw, 2nd was a first cousin to the famous col robert gould shaw who lead the all black regiment at fort wagner.
Shaws birth father had a limited role in his life at best. Robert archibald shaw 9 august 1927 28 august 1978 was an english actor, novelist, and playwright. We use cookies to give you the best possible experience. Born into a prominent abolitionist family, he accepted command of the first allblack regiment in the northeast and encouraged the men to refuse their pay until it. Robert gould shaw served as a captain in the us 2nd massachusetts regiment, he was tapped to become the commander of a particular regiment. See all 6 formats and editions hide other formats and editions. The bulk of the collection consists of letters by robert gould shaw to his family, including 98 letters to his mother, 31 to his father, and some to his sisters and brothersinlaw. Feb 23, 2015 robert gould shaw was colonel in the 54 regiment in massachusetts of all african soldiers in the civil war. When the war started, he saw it as his duty to enlist, first serving in the ranks of a new york regiment, and later securing appointment as a captain in the 2nd massachusetts infantry. Although robert gould shaw was only 25 years old when he died, leading the 54th massachusetts infantry in a futile assault on fort wagner, he has become an object of interest in the past dozen years, especially since the release of the movie glory, which gave a somewhat fictionalized account of the 54th. Ix and socialite of the leisure class in the greater boston area of massachusetts. This article is about the american civil war colonel. Born into a prominent abolitionist family, he accepted command of the first allblack regiment 54th massachusetts and encouraged the men to refuse their pay until it was.
The book and play present a complex and morally ambiguous tale of a man who, at various times in the story, is either a. Shaw s birth father had a limited role in his life at best. At the time he took command of the 54th in 1863, shaw was 25 years old and had already taken part in several battles with his old regiment, the 2nd. Nehgs massachusetts vital death records, 18411910, death 1853 boston ma vol 77 page 31 line 81. Robert gould shaw memorial, sculpture of the soldier. Robert gould shaw, born october 10, 1837, boston, massachusetts, u. Shaw then embarked on a trilogy of novels the flag 1965, the man in the glass booth 1967 and a card from morocco 1969. Robert gould shaw, 2nd was a first cousin to the famous col robert gould shaw who lead the all black regiment at fort wagner. Robert gould shaw 18371863 was a union army soldier in the american civil war. Glory is still one of my favorite movies, but like all hollywood productions, there are places where it falls short in explaining the history or providing the proper historical context.
Gaudens in boston common colonel robert gould shaw. Only hours later, the body of colonel robert gould shaw, the regiments white commander, was thrown into a. Thanks to heather cole, assistant curator of modern books and. I am rereading lorien footes the gentlemen and the roughs. Robert gould shaw and the 54th regiment boston african. He was nominated for an oscar and a golden globe for his role as henry viii in the drama film a man for all seasons 1966. Robert gould shaw, iii 18981970 find a grave memorial. An album on the saintgaudens memorial on boston common, honoring black and white men together, who served the union cause with robert gould shaw and died with him july 18, 1863. She joins the 54th regiment as his errand runner, and they develope an instant dislike. On july 18, 1863, the african american soldiers of the fiftyfourth massachusetts infantry led a courageous but illfated charge on fort wagner, a key bastion guarding charleston harbor.
Robert gould shaw and the civil war timeline timetoast. He led the all african american 54th massachusetts infantry regiment. The civil war letters of colonel robert gould shaw shaw, robert gould, duncan, russell, mcfeely, william on. Korea the forgotten war in colour outbreak fad june 25 2010 230am ch61 wned may 30 2012 wed duration. Dec 26, 2017 a couple of books have been very helpful in thinking about shaw as company commander. The heir to a large fortune, francis shaw advocated for a variety of causes and robert was raised in an environment that included notable personalities such as william lloyd garrison, charles sumner, nathaniel hawthorne, and ralph waldo emerson. Robert gould shaw and the civil war timeline created by samagraber. Robert gould shaw, leader of the allblack regiment depicted in the film glory, was stolen the night he died. See more ideas about robert gould shaw, american civil war and civil war photos. Robert gould shaw ii sometimes referred to as rgs ii june 16, 1872 march 29, 1930 was a wealthy landowner, international polo player of the myopia hunt club biographical history of massachusetts, eliot, vol. Violence, honor, and manhood in the union army, to better understand the challenges that shaw faced interacting and commanding men from very different social and cultural backgrounds. In this july 14, 2017 photo taken at the massachusetts historical society in boston, a detail of the sword that belonged to col.
Edmonia lewis witnessed the departure of the 54th massachusetts regiment, led. The soontobemartyr, robert gould shaw, wrote this letter to his mother while sitting in his guard tent three miles east of frederick, maryland in the early morning hours of christmas day 1861. Robert gould shaw, the commanding officer of the first allblack. Robert gould shaw and his brave black regiment paperback december 1, 1989 by peter burchard author 4. Sep 30, 1992 a fascinating look at the letters of robert gould shaw. See more ideas about robert gould shaw, american civil war and war. Supporting the promised equal treatment for his troops, he encouraged the men to refuse their pay until it was equal to that. In particular, it serves as a memorial to the group of men who were among the first african. Shaw was born into a wealthy boston family and attended harvard university before enlisting in the u. In a family of four sisters with robert being the only son. Few hollywood movies have had more of an influence on how we remember the civil war and, specifically, the story of the 54th massachusetts volunteer infantry, along with its young. Robert gould shaw wikisource, the free online library. Allison discusses the life and accomplishments of robert gould shaw, a civil war hero from boston. Robert gould shaw celebrity biography, zodiac sign and.
Discover book depositorys huge selection of robert shaw books online. For his first cousin, the massachusetts landowner, see robert gould shaw ii. Johns college roman catholic school, despite being unitarian. Robert gould shaw was buried in a mass burial pit grave along with the other members of the 54th massachusettss volunteer infantry killed during the assault on. Gaudens, stands on the boston common, across the street from the massachusetts state house and the unitarian universalist association. Robert gould shaw, 2nd graduated from harvard university and then managed the family business at calumet and hecla mines. Robert gould shaw october 10, 1837 july 18, 1863 was the colonel in command of the allblack 54th massachusetts volunteer infantry, which entered the american civil war in 1863. For other persons with a similar name, see robert shaw. Robert gould shaw was a famous american army officer, who was born on october 10, 1837. Robert gould shaw, and the black soldiers of the 54th massachusetts.
Nascido em uma proeminente familia abolicionista, ele aceitou o comando do primeiro regimento do norte inteiramente formado por soldados negros o 54. Robert gould shaw iii 18981970, socialite, son of the landowner. This is particularly interesting as it spends more time during the almost two years shaw spent with the 7th ny militia and 2nd mass vol inf, rather than the admittedly more significant six months he spent with the 54th mass vol inf. Shaw initially refused the offer, fearing that he was the wrong man for the job and doubting the ultimate success of an allblack regiment. Shaws collected letters were published in 1992 in blueeyed child of fortune. Choose your favorite robert gould shaw photographs from millions of available designs. He found the worlds of college and business to be boring and longed for more. Despite his image in the 1989 film glory, robert gould shaw was a reluctant leader of the famous 54th massachusetts infantry, one of the first african american regiments in the civil war. Most were written during the civil war, though some to his parents are from his presoldier days when he traveled in europe and was a student at harvard. Saintgaudens expended 14 years of his life developing the work, longer than any other of his career. Robert gould shaw october 10, 1837 july 18, 1863 was an american officer in the union army during.
This is a print on demand version from the original book shaw, robert gould jan 1, 1914. Robert gould shaw books list of books by author robert. Shaw was a rebellious youth who often tested the patience of his parents and teachers. The robert gould shaw memorial remains one of sculptor augustus saintgaudens most stirring and celebrated masterpieces and is considered by some to be americas greatest public monument. A girl failing history from the future is dropped into the past, the civil war era, where she meets the dashing robert shaw. He played the conned mobster doyle lonnegan in the sting 1973 and the shark hunter quint in jaws 1975 shaws other notable film roles include. Sep 25, 2010 robert gould shaw s missing civil war sword found duration. To lead the 54th, robert gould shaws name was proposed. Shaw robert gould definition of shaw robert gould by the. The civil war letters of colonel robert gould shaw. See all books authored by robert gould shaw, including blueeyed child of fortune. This book highlights shaw as the man he really was.
After shaw was shot to death while storming fort wagner with this sword in his hand, it was stripped from his body along with his other possessions and all his clothing, except for his underwear. Robert gould shaw was born to francis gould and sarah sturgis shaw. Houghtons large collection of shaws letters to his family and other papers has now been fully digitized with funding provided by the ruth miller memorial philanthropic fund, and is available to view through the collections finding aid. According to the historical society, this is wilkinsons sword number 12506, a regulation infantry sword with the initials r. Andrew appointed robert gould shaw, the son of boston abolitionists, to command the regiment as colonel. Quotations by robert gould shaw, american soldier, born october 10, 1837.
Robert gould shaw october 10, 1837 july 18, 1863 was an american officer in the union army during the american civil war. The book, however, is largely a biography of robert gould shaw. His merchant father retired from business to take up translating literature and moved. Grass systematics by gould, frank w shaw, robert b. Shaw was born into an immensely wealthy boston family. The bronze statue, colonel robert gould shaw and the 54th regiment memorial, designed by augustus st. Christmas 1861 robert gould shaws holiday letter from. Robert gould shaw was the commander of the all black 54th massachusetts volunteer infantry during the civil war. The memorial to robert gould shaw and the massachusetts fiftyfourth regiment is a bronze relief sculpture by augustus saintgaudens opposite 24 beacon street, boston at the edge of the boston common. In 1862, boston native and union army officer robert gould shaw took command of the 54th massachusetts volunteer infantry regiment, the nations first allblack regiment. Robert gould shaw letters to his family and other papers. Enjoy the best robert gould shaw quotes at brainyquote. Discount prices on books by robert shaw, including titles like kramers ergot 10. Glory resurrected robert gould shaw as a dramatic figure.
While leading the regiment, shaw wrote several hundred letters to his parents, sisters, and wife, which constitute one of the main sources of information on the regiment. Robert gould shaws gruesome task the new york times. The 54th regiment massachusetts volunteer infantry was an infantry regiment that saw. The very flower of grace and chivalry, he seemed to me beautiful and awful, as an angel of god. As a person born on this date, robert gould shaw is listed in our database as the 49th most popular celebrity for the day october 10 and the 6th most popular for the year 1837. Shaw robert gould synonyms, shaw robert gould pronunciation, shaw robert gould translation, english dictionary definition of shaw robert gould. She boldly embraced her black and native american ojibwa chippewa heritage in her work and marketing. Much like joshua chamberlain, robert gould shaw has attained nearlegendary status in the pantheon of civil war heroes, yet the striking monument to shaw and his men on boston common portrays a. May 22, 2018 the son of prominent boston abolitionists, robert gould shaw was born october 10, 1837, to francis and sara shaw. Shaw, robert gould 10 october 183718 july 1863, soldier, was born in boston, massachusetts, the son of francis george shaw, a merchant and social reformer, and sarah blake sturgis, an abolitionist. If an article link referred you here, please consider editing it to point directly to the intended page.
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