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While the whereabouts of Shaw's original letters to his wife are unknown, most of his letters to the rest of his family are held by Harvard University's Houghton Library.
The bulk of the collection consists of letters by Robert Gould Shaw to his family, including 98 letters to his mother, 31 to his father, and some to his sisters and brothers-in-law. Most were written during the Civil War, though some to his parents are from his pre-war days when he traveled in Europe and was a student at Harvard.
Robert Gould Shaw (October 10, 1837 – July 18, 1863) was an American military officer in the Union Army during the American Civil War. As Colonel, he commanded the all-black 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment. The 54th was created under the order of Massachusetts Governor John Andrew in 1863.
The most remarkable item in the collection is the officer’s sword carried by Colonel Robert Gould Shaw, 54 th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment – the first Northern regiment composed of free black volunteers. One hundred fifty-four years ago, Shaw carried the weapon during the failed assault on Fort Wagner, Morris Island, South Carolina.
Colonel Shaw was the Commander of the Massachusetts 54th Infantry regiment, the first official African American regiments to be formed in the United States. Colonel Shaw was killed at the battle for Fort Wagner, near Charleston South Carolina on July 18, 1963. Creator: Shaw, Robert Gould, 1837-1863 Date: April 27, 1863 Format: Letters ...
17 mar 2011 · Posted March 29, 2011 by Colonel Robert Gould Shaw in Official Record Correspondence pertaining to Shaw's movements and outside events, The Letters: 1861-1863 WOODSTOCK, VA., April 6, 1862. Department of War an immediate and full statement of the forces, position, and condition of the Fifth Army Corps.
July 18, 1863: Robert Gould Shaw's final letter to his wife Annie Robert Gould Shaw began this letter to his wife on July 15, 1863, just after the 54th Massachusetts had fought its first engagement against Confederate troops on James Island.
