The abolitionist Colonel Robert G. Shaw failed to lead the Union forces to capture Fort Wagner in 1863.

Sergeant William H. Carney became the first African American to receive the Congressional Medal of Honor for his role in this battle.

African American men who enlisted in the Union Army fought valiantly against the Confederacy.

The Confederates showed grit and determination as they overtook Colonel Shaw’s forces at the Battle of Fort Wagner in 1863.