They didn't volunteer for the Fort Wagner assault! They were ordered to be the spearhead. See, before the Union had colored troops, the Irish troops always went in first. Because they would be first to die. But now the Union had colored troops, the Irish could stand with the other white men, and the colored troops would be sent in to die first.
I guess Denzel really wanted an Oscar so much it didn't matter.
The history channel had a civil war journal special on the 54th, the real battle of Fort Wagner was not even close to how events unfolded in this movie. The details sent chills down my spine AND the mass burial did happen but union bombardment on the fort opened up their graves which fouled the air in the fort and the decaying bodies poisoned their well.
share... the real battle of Fort Wagner was not even close to how events unfolded in this movie.The movie only depicts events in what is sometimes known as The Second Battle of Fort Wagner. There were actually three battles spread over about 7 weeks. But I thought the events of the second battle were pretty accurately depicted.
...the mass burial did happen but union bombardment on the fort opened up their graves which fouled the air in the fort and the decaying bodies poisoned their well.True, but this all happened later and were clearly not part of the movie's focus. đ share
See, before the Union had colored troops, the Irish troops always went in first. Because they would be first to die.
It's hollywood. Duh
shareEil:
UH. "colored people"? We call ourselves called black people,FYI.
Maybe you should mention that to the NAACP.
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Choocheechoo choocheechoo choocheechoo ya ya pow!
You do know the NAACP was founded by, funded by, and still controlled by white New England people , right?
shareNot exactly. The NAACP began as the "Niagara Movement," that was formed by a group of 32 prominent Black Americans (or African Americans, whatever works best for you). They were joined by white supporters. A few years later they reformed as the NAACP, still largely led by African Americans with more white supporters.
Many of the Whites were from New England.
The best diplomat I know is a fully charged phaser bank.
The only connection to the Niagra Movement was W.E.B. Dubois who supported a Democrat when Booker T was still staunchly Republican. The Niagra Movement broke in 1909 the same year the NAACP chartered.
They were not ordered to be the spearhead -- Cornel Shaw requested it. And that is in keeping with history.
As noted in the film, white officers in the Army did not think that blacks would make good soldiers. So at first, most black regiments (the 54th was not the first and was not the only) were given old flint locks and sent to act as what today we would call "service troops" (supply, rear area security etc). There was a battle about a month before Vicksburg fell at Milken's Bend, where black supply troops with old weapons and little training held off a Confederate assault.
As the Secretary of War Ed Stanton said "Many persons believed, or pretended to believe, and confidently asserted, that freed slaves would not make good soldiers; they would lack courage, and could not be subjected to military discipline. Facts have shown how groundless were these apprehensions. The slave has proved his manhood, and his capacity as an infantry soldier, at Milliken's Bend, at the assault upon Port Hudson, and the storming of Fort Wagner."
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