On this day in 1900, William Carney received his Medal of Honor.
William Carney was born a slave in Virginia. He used the Underground Railroad to reach relatives in Massachusetts. In 1863, he enlisted in the famous 54th Massachusetts Regiment. (The unit depicted in the movie “Glory”.) The 54th was the most famous black unit in the Civil War. He participated in its assault on Fort Wagner. During the battle, he grabbed the unit’s flag when the flagbearer went down. He fought holding the flag for over an hour. He planted the flag on the parapet of the fort to inspire his comrades. When the attack failed and the men retreated, he continued to bear the colors. He was wounded seriously twice and staggered into the hospital with the flag still clutched in his hands. “The old flag never touched the ground, boys.” He was promoted to sergeant. In 1900, he was awarded the Medal of Honor. He wasn’t the first African-American to receive the decoration, but his action on July 18, 1863 was the earliest Medal of Honor action by a black soldier.
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