Black History Month
Born on February 29, 1840 at Norfolk Virginia, William Carney was a slave to a Major Carney. Following President Lincoln issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863 William moved to Bedford Massachusetts. Once there he began preparing for a future in the ministry. Later that same year William set aside his plans and enlisted in the US Army. He later stated, “I felt I could best serve my God by serving my Country and my oppressed brothers.” He was assigned to the newly formed 54th Massachusetts Colored Infantry Regiment.
Most people may recognize the name of the 54th Massachusetts from the movies “Glory” which highlights the unit’s actions during the civil war. Of course there is always much more to the story than a movie can depict. For most the 1863 the 54th was regulated to support roles like clearing roadways and building bridges. It wasn’t until July of 1863 that the 54th got their chance to prove that they were worthy of combat. The assault of Fort Wagner would prove to be a true test for not only the 54th but the US Army as a whole. In the days leading up to the assault one by one the other Regimental Commanders present refused to have their units lead the assault on the heavily fortified position.
As the day wore on the men of the 54th lay in sand and waited for the order to charge. When the order came the 54th jumped to their feet and charged up the sandy embankment towards their place in history. The Confederate Army had the advantage of the high ground and began picking off the advancing soldiers one at a time. When Sergeant John Wall, the color bearer, fell it was William Carney that threw aside his rifle and picked up the colors before they could hit the ground. Another rifle slug sliced through the air, this one hitting Carney in leg. With soldiers falling all around him he mustered the strength to ignore the pain in his leg, hoist the colors high in the air, and continue to lead the charge.
In the midst of the cannon and rifle fire William Carney somehow made it into the fort, but when he looked around he was alone. Everyone else had either been killed or wounded. For over a half hour he pressed himself against the wall as the battle raged. Carney then noticed a group of soldiers moving toward him and mistakenly raised the colors to signal them. His mistake, these were Confederate soldiers. In that moment of danger Carney remembered the flag that represented all he held dear and was fighting to protect that day. He wrapped the flag around its staff and ran down the embankment. It was then he received he additional wounds. A bullet struck him in the chest, another in the right arm, then another in his right leg. Alone he continued his struggle, determined not to let his flag fall to the enemy.
As he retreated a soldier from the 100th New York passed Carney and, seeing the severity of his wounds said,”Let me carry that flag for you.” With indomitable courage Carney replied, “No one but a member of the 54th should carry the colors.” As he continued on another bullet found its mark, grazing his head. Of course he would not and could not stop. Before collapsing among his fellow 54th soldiers his only words were, “Boys, I only did my duty. The flag never touched the ground.” In 1864 Sergeant William Carney was discharged from the Army for the wounds he received in battle at Fort Wagner. He returned to Massachusetts and worked for several years as a mail carrier and as a messenger for in the Massachusetts State House. His dream of being a minister was never realized.
On May 23, 1900 Sergeant William Carney was awarded his Nation’s highest honor, The Congressional Medal of Honor. Though by that time several other black American had already received the award for heroism during the Civil War and the Indian Campaigns, Sergeant Carney’s action at Fort Wagner on July 18, 1863 was the first to merit the award. William Carney dies at his home in New Bedford Massachusetts on December 9, 1908 and is buried in the Oak Grove Cemetery there. His final resting place bears a distinctive stone, one claimed by less than 3500 Americans. Engraved on the white marble is a gold image of the Medal of Honor, a tribute to a courageous soldier and the flag he loved so dearly.
