The 54th Leads the Second Assault of Fort Wagner, July 18, 1863
The 54th earned their chance to fight. Their mission assigned them the lead position on the second attack on Fort Wagner. The fort had already been fired upon, but that first attack didn’t substantially damage the fort. The 54th finally had their chance to prove itself in greater battle, having only experienced their first combat two days before.
Glory is widely praised for accurately depicting the battle, one the 54th knew would result in heavy losses given the exposed terrain and the fort’s defenses. From the weapons to the timing to the terrain the regiment had to traverse, the Fort Wagner attack left heavy losses in both the fictional and the factual 54th Massachusetts Regiment. While Glory is hailed as one of the most accurate war films in its depiction of battle (aside from the overuse of explosions) there is just one small error Civil War historians may spot.
