Colonel and the 54th Regiment

Early Life

The son of prominent Boston abolitionists, Robert Gould Shaw was born October 10, 1837, to Francis and Sara Shaw. The heir to a large fortune, Francis Shaw advocated for a variety of causes and Robert was raised in an environment that included notable personalities such as William Lloyd Garrison, Charles Sumner, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and Ralph Waldo Emerson. In 1846, the family moved to Staten Island, NY and, despite being Unitarian, Robert was enrolled in St. John's College Roman Catholic School. Five years later, the Shaws traveled to Europe and Robert continued his studies abroad.

Young Adult

Returning home in 1855, he enrolled at Harvard the following year. After three years of university, Shaw withdrew from Harvard in order to take a position in his uncle's, Henry P. Sturgis, mercantile firm in New York. Though he was fond of the city, he found that he was ill-suited for business. While his interest in his work waned, he developed a passion for politics. A supporter of Abraham Lincoln, Shaw hoped that the ensuing secession crisis would see the Southern states brought back by force or cut loose from the United States (Glatthar, pp. 475).

Early Civil War

With the secession crisis peaking, Shaw enlisted in the 7th New York State Militia with the hope that he would see action if war broke out. Following the attack on Fort Sumter, the 7th NYS responded to Lincoln's call for 75,000 volunteers to put down the rebellion. Traveling to Washington, the regiment was quartered in the Capitol. While in the city, Shaw had the opportunity to meet both Secretary of State William Seward and President Lincoln. As the 7th NYS was only a short-term regiment, Shaw, who wished to remain in the service, applied for a permanent commission in a Massachusetts regiment.

On May 11, 1861, his request was granted and he was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the 2nd Massachusetts Infantry. Returning north, Shaw joined the regiment at Camp Andrew in West Roxbury for training. In July, the regiment was sent to Martinsburg, VA, and soon joined Major General Nathaniel Banks' corps. Over the next year, Shaw served in western Maryland and Virginia, with the regiment taking part in attempts to stop Major General Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson's campaign in the Shenandoah Valley. During the Battle of Winchester, Shaw luckily avoided being wounded when a bullet hit his pocket watch (Kassabian, pp. 121).

A short time later, Shaw was offered a position on Brigadier General George H. Gordon's staff which he accepted. After taking part in the Battle of Cedar Mountain on August 9, 1862, Shaw was promoted to captain. While the 2nd Massachusetts' brigade was present at the Battle of Second Manassas later that month, it was held in reserve and did not see action. On September 17, Gordon's brigade saw heavy combat in the East Woods during the Battle of Antietam.

This discrimination in pay led to anger and disappointment both by the soldiers themselves and by Gov. Andrew, who had promised the men equal ...