The true story of the first Black Medal of Freedom winner--a
remarkable account of one of the most memorable battles in Civil War
history.
Sergeant William H. Carney was one of the few Black officers of the
newly formed Massachusetts Fifty-fourth Regiment--composed entirely of
Black soldiers. In an important Civil War battle, Carney led his men
over the ramparts of Fort Wagner, where Union soldiers charged the
Confederates. As they fought, they gained strength from the stars and
stripes of the American flag, Old Glory.
It was Carney's vow to never let Old Glory touch the ground, and despite
several gunshot wounds, he was able to rescue the flag from the fallen
bearer.
Carney held the flag high as a symbol that his regiment would never
submit to the Confederacy. The battle of Fort Wagner decimated the
Fifty-fourth Regiment, but Carney's heroism that night inspired all who
survived.
This nonfiction picture book is authored by Catherine Clinton, the
Denman Chair of American History at the University of Texas in San
Antonio, and beautifully illustrated by Coretta Scott King Illustrator
Award winner Shane W. Evans.
"Captures the fear and horror of battle as well as the bravery of the
soldiers."--Booklist
"An excellent resource to humanize textbook studies of the Civil War."
--*School Library Journal
*