Robert Gould Shaw | |
|---|---|
 Shaw in May 1863 | |
| Born | October 10, 1837 Dartmouth, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Died | July 18, 1863 (aged 25) Charleston County, South Carolina, U.S. |
| Place of burial | |
| Allegiance |  United States of America |
| Service |  U.S. Army (Union Army) |
| Years of service | 1861–1863 |
| Rank |  Colonel |
| Unit | 7th New York Militia 2nd Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry |
| Commands | 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment |
| Battles / wars | American Civil War: |
Robert Gould Shaw (October 10, 1837 – July 18, 1863) was an American officer in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Born into a abolitionist family from the Boston upper class, he accepted command of the first all-black regiment (the 54th Massachusetts) in the Northeast. Supporting the promised equal treatment for his troops, he encouraged the men to refuse their pay until it was equal to that of white troops' wage.
He led his regiment at the Second Battle of Fort Wagner in July 1863. They attacked a beachhead near Charleston, South Carolina, and Shaw was shot and killed while leading his men to the parapet of the Confederate-held fort. Although the regiment was overwhelmed by firing from the defenses and driven back, suffering many casualties, Shaw's leadership and the regiment became legendary. They inspired hundreds of thousands more African Americans to enlist for the Union, helping to turn the tide of the war to its ultimate victory. Shaw's efforts and that of the 54th Massachusetts regiment were dramatized in the 1989 Oscar-winning film Glory.