146th Anniversary of the Assault on Battery Wagner
07/17/2009
Location: Charleston Maritime Center
Phone: 843-408-7727
On Friday, July 17, 2009, Civil War reenactors will commemorate the 146th anniversary of the Assault on Battery Wagner. Volunteer reenactors from Company I, 54th Massachusetts Reenactment Regiment will honor the men that participated in that historic battle on July 18, 1863. The event will occur on Morris Island, SC and the public is invited to attend.
The Assault on Battery Wagner at Morris Island brought the men of the 54th Massachusetts and the Confederate forces together in combat. The 54th 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 54th, 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 54th 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 18th assault were featured in the Oscar nominated movie Glory, which stars Denzel Washington, Morgan Freeman and Matthew Broderick.
The boat for the one-hour event will leave from the Charleston Maritime Center (10 Wharfside Street, downtown Charleston) at 3:00 pm, and return at 5:00 pm. Make your reservations by calling Joseph McGill at (843) 408-7727. Participants should arrive thirty minutes before their reserved time. The cost of the boat ride and visit to the island is $25.00.
The event is sponsored by Company I, 54th Massachusetts Reenactment Regiment.
07/17/2009
