Glory: History or Hype?

The motion picture Glory is based on the letters of Colonel Robert Gould Shaw. Born into one of the nation’s wealthiest families on 10 October 1837, Robert was the only son of staunch abolitionist parents Francis George Shaw and Sarah Blake Sturgis Shaw. Glory points out that, because of their wealth and political convictions, the Shaw's associated with such people as Ralph Waldo Emerson, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Harriet Beecher Stowe and famed orator Frederick Douglass who helped form the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Regiment which Robert Shaw would come to command.

As characterized by Matthew Broderick, who portrayed Robert Shaw, Robert was well educated. What Glory failed to show was that Robert Shaw possibly learned the necessity of discipline through a Jesuit education. The motion picture also failed to demonstrate that Robert was well traveled and his scholarly travels took him to schools in Switzerland, Italy, and Germany, where he developed a strong sense of national patriotism.

The election of Abraham Lincoln and subsequent secession from the Union of southern states in 1860 incited Robert's enlistment with the 7th New York National Guard, an exclusive military regiment comprised of northern society's elite. Following a 30-day term with the National Guard, Robert, now 22 years old, extended his service and obtained an officer's commission with the 2nd Massachusetts Infantry. It is with this newly formed unit that Shaw had his first encounter with men of other social classes and began to value the effectiveness of discipline.

Glory starts out with the wounding of Robert Shaw at the Battle of Antietam in Maryland on 17 September 1862. Although the motion picture dialog acknowledges this as "a horrible day and a great day,"(Zwick, 1989) it fails to put this into context. The Battle of Antietam (or Sharpsburg for Southerners), with 23,000 casualties, was the bloodiest single-day battle in American history. With no desire to detract from the significance of such great sacrifice of human life, the battle, although tactically inconclusive, had a unique significance as a partial victory that gave President Abraham Lincoln the confidence to announce his Emancipation Proclamation. Although the Emancipation Proclamation did not immediately free a single slave, it fundamentally transformed the character of the war and after 1 January 1863, every advance of Federal troops expanded the domain of freedom.

After accepting his appointment as colonel of the 54th Massachusetts Regiment, his decision not being as cut and dried as the motion picture makes out, Glory moves more toward the blacks who joined the regiment and the formation and training of the regiment itself. From February through March 1863 Colonel Shaw trained his undisciplined black volunteers at Camp Meigs outside of Boston. Here Glory demonstrates the bigotry and prejudice toward blacks at the time of the Civil War, even within the Federal Army. For example, supplies and equipment, including shoes, were withheld from the black troops and even the pay for black enlistees was lower (ten dollars per month for blacks compared to thirteen dollars per month for whites).

Through the rigors of training, Shaw became better acquainted with his men and developed a better understanding for their upbringings. He promised his soldiers better nourishment and equipment and, on numerous occasions, as demonstrated in the motion picture, Col. Shaw fought for the 54th Regiment to be treated as equal to other Union soldiers. Glory demonstrated Shaw's dedication to his soldiers but failed to demonstrate just how far Col. Shaw was willing to go to get just treatment for the soldiers of his command. For example, he risked his reputation and his job by writing to Massachusetts Governor Andrew and emphatically stated that if his men were not going to be paid their "just amount then they would no longer serve for the Union." (Blatt & Yacovone, 2001)

Glory reiterates prejudices against black soldiers as being inferior to white soldiers through out the motion picture. Soldiers of the 54th, despite numerous efforts by Col. Shaw to have the regiment assigned combat duty, were assigned menial labor details. The black soldiers were also thought to be mentally inferior, almost child-like and often treated as such. Degrading comments by whites to blacks in the motion picture, such as; "play your banjo" and "they're like a bunch of monkeys" accurately demonstrate the mindset of whites during this time period (Glory, 1989).

On 16 July 1863 the 54th Massachusetts Regiment at last had the opportunity to show their metal in their first real battle at James Island, South Carolina, proving that they, a regiment of blacks, were both capable and fierce. Glory concludes with the 54th Regiment's attack on Fort Wagner, South Carolina two days later on 18 July 1863. This failed assault resulted in the death of Col. Robert Shaw and over one-half of his regiment, and Fort Wagner was never captured.

Easily one of the best Civil War movies ever produced, Glory, like The Red Badge of Courage, has a deeper story to tell. Glory brings the issues of the time - slavery, freedom and sacrifice - down to human scale. We can understand why the men of the 54th were willing to take up arms, and how tragic it was that they had to sacrifice their lives in order to be considered men.

Unfortunately, the motion picture, terminating with the dramatic attack on Fort Wagner, gives one the impression that from that time on, blacks may have been considered more equal to whites. This is belied by the fact that Sergeant William H. Carney, the first black to receive the Congressional Medal of Honor, for his actions during the attack on Fort Wagner while a member of Company C of the 54th Massachusetts Regiment, was not awarded his medal until May 1900, thirty-seven years after his heroic actions.

Reference

Fields, F., Brugge, P.J. (Producers), & Zwick, E. (Director). (1989). Glory [Motion picture]. Hollywood, CA: TriStar Pictures.

Blatt, M.H., Brown, T.J., & Yacovone, D. (2001). Hope & Glory. Amherst: University of Massachusetts Press.

Burchard, P. (1965). One Gallant Rush. New York: St. Martin’s Press.

Kirsten, L., & Benson, R. (2001). Lay This Laurel. New York: Eakin Press.