Out of the 3,498 recipients of the Medal of Honor, 88 have been African American. The very first black recipient was an Army Sgt. who fought in the Civil War.
William H. Carney
Carney was a slave in Norfolk, Virginia. When his family was freed, they went to Massachusetts. Though laws prohibited black people from going to school, Carney desperately wanted to learn to read and write and began to learn in secret.
He wanted to work in the church, but the Civil War started. In Carney's mind helping serve in the military would also be serving God by freeing the slaves in the south.
Carney joined the Union Army in 1863 and was a member of the first black unit Company C, 54th Massachusetts Colored Infantry Regiment. He was enlisted with 40 black men, including two of Frederick Douglass' sons.
First Battle
Carney's regiment fought at Fort Wagner on July 18, 1863. While they were fighting, the color guard was shot. As he fell, Carney ran to catch the flag that was falling from the dying man's hands.
Carney himself was shot, but he kept the Union flag held up high, motivating his unit to keep moving forward. He even stuck the flag in the ground at the foot of the fort, holding it there even as he was barely holding on to consciousness.
He was rescued but would not let go of the flag. He did not let go until his rescuers got him back to the Union's barracks.
Honored For His Work
Even though Carney was barely hanging on, he made it his mission to ensure that the flag never touched the ground. He was an inspiration to his regiment and helped the Union win at Fort Wagner.
For his dedication, he was promoted to sergeant. On May 23, 1900, he was given the Medal of Honor for his bravery in the face of danger.
Carney held onto a deep sense of national pride, no matter what was going on in the nation at the time, and fought for what was right. Though the 54th Massachusetts Colored Infantry Regiment was disbanded, it was brought back in 2008. They are now a ceremonial unit serving at functions and honorary funerals.
The National Guard ceremonial unit also marched at President Barack Obama's inaugural parade.
Meg… the Civil War was NOT fought to freed slavery! It was fought over the North not buying the South’s main crop Cotton, as well other crops. The North only did business with Europe. The South grew poor and even the black men fought for the South. I grew up in WV and it was at Point Pleasant, WV where the first shots were fired. Please get your story straight.
Also, and most important, they were fed up with the high tariffs the North was imposing on them(South)
Lochliann Seabrook and Thomas DiLirenzo have written books that explain how and why Lincoln started the War Between the states.
Docustory fodder alone
Sergeant Carney, a true hero! SALUTE!
God bless his soul.
Funny, no matter how you tell the truth some people only believe what they want to believe. This gentleman was a true hero to his people and that truth should be told every February, as well as the truth about why the Civil War was even fought. The truth about the North and the South ever really comes out. It was not just about slavery, but that's all everyone ever remembers.
That's the narrative. That, & Lincoln fighting to save the Republic, neither of which is true. Lincoln needed (read wanted) the revenues of southern cotten to finance the northern industries & other programs, for which the European mills would pay dearly, & the cycle of the trades included rum & sugar. States' rights, in general, was motivating the southern states, & greed those in the north; slavery was a back burner issue to both sides, & during that conflict, Lincoln repeatedly violated the Constitution, while claiming "to preserve the Union". The whole "Civil War" myth is just that. A civil war is an internal war for governance of a single nation; the war here, between 1861 & 1865 was between 2 nations: the united States for America & the Confederate States of America, the latter having separated from the former & established their own gov't.
A true hero.Bless him him for bravery and service