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Sgt. William H. Carney, Union Soldier
Military
ca. 1864
The 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment was one of the first Black Union Army regiments of the Civil War.
On July 18, 1863, Sgt. William H. Carney (1840–1908) helped lead an assault on Fort Wagner, a Confederate stronghold near Charleston, South Carolina. During the battle, Carney, a member of the African American 54th Massachusetts Infantry, dropped his rifle to raise the regiment’s flag after their color guard was killed. Despite being wounded, Carney carried the flag forward under heavy gunfire, rallying his fellow soldiers. When Union troops were forced to retreat, Carney carried the flag again through heavy gunfire and kept the colors from touching the ground.
In 1900, Sergeant Carney was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions at Fort Wagner.
