Civil War Re-enactment thru July 21st on Morris Island

Press Release from 54th Massachusetts Vol. Infantry, Co. "I" Inc.

Civil War Re-enactors to Commemorate the Sesquicentennial of the Historic Assault on Battery Wagner:  Morris Island, South Carolina

                                                                                               

                        Charleston, SC, July 5, 2013— Sunday, July 14 through Sunday, July 21, 2013, Civil War re-enactors will commemorate the 150^th anniversary of the Assault on Battery Wagner.  Volunteer re-enactors from Company I, 54^th Massachusetts Reenactment Regiment, along with volunteer Confederate and Union reenactors from across the nation will honor the men that participated in that historic battle on July 18, 1863.  The events of the week will also be supported by Fort Sumter National Monument, City of Charleston, Fort Sumter - Fort Moultrie Trust and Seashore Farmers Lodge. 

            The Assault on Battery Wagner at Morris Island brought the men of the 54^th Massachusetts and the Confederate forces together in combat. The 54^th Massachusetts, an experimental black army regiment of free men from the North whose heroic conduct and bravery persuaded the Union that African-American men could and would fight for their freedom, waged a lengthy battle on this historic day. Before the 54^th, most African Americans employed by the Union Army were relegated to positions as laborers, hostlers and cooks. The Confederate forces fiercely defended the Fort. The 54^th regiment lost the fight and a third of its 600 soldiers that day, but gained the respect of both Union and Confederate armies. The Unit and the July 18^th assault were featured in the Oscar nominated movie Glory, which stars Denzel Washington, Morgan Freeman and Matthew Broderick.

            Also important is the ability to see Morris Island, the site of the Assault. While portions of Morris Island still survive, some of the island eroded away after the war and most of the site of the Fort is today underwater.

            Details of the events can be found at www.massachusetts54charlestonsc.com. The event is sponsored by Company I, 54^th Massachusetts Reenactment Regiment.

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The Fifty-forth Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, Co. "I", Inc. is an African American reenactment unit of the American Civil War (1863-1865). It is a non profit charitable corporation dedicated to the education of the public and preservation of the memory of the soldiers of the Civil War, particularly those African Americans serving the Union in the State of South Carolina. Members of the unit participate in battle reenactments, visit schools and participate in public events as fully equipped and trained reenactors of the period.