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1,104 pages of letters written by, and papers related to Colonel Robert G. Shaw, commander of the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, one of the first official African-American units in the United States during the Civil War, copied from material held by the Houghton Library.
All letters are in the Robert G. Shaw II collection with three. exceptions: to Elizabeth "Mimi" Russell Lyman, February 20, 1863 (Lyman Family Papers); to Amos A. Lawrence, March 25, 1863 (Amos A. Lawrence Papers); and to Gov. John A. Andrew, April 6, 1863 (draft, Miscellaneous Bound).
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.
A letter from Colonel Robert Gould Shaw to the Adjutant General of Massachusetts written on April 27, 1863. The letter suggests that the recruiting center for the Massachusetts 54th infantry regiment in Springfield Massachusetts should be closed.
9 maj 2012 · Cover title: Glory, one gallant rush. Includes bibliographical references (pages 161-164) and index. Story of Shaw's life and his heroic command of the 54th Massachusetts Regiment, the first Negro unit raised in the North in the Civil War. Access-restricted-item.
8 maj 2019 · 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.
Robert Gould Shaw’s letters are part of the “Robert Gould Shaw letters to his family and other papers” collection (call number: MS Am 1910). The entirety of the archival collection has been digitized and is available for use through the finding aid in HOLLIS for Archival Discovery.
