Now or Never!: Fifty-Fourth Massachusetts Infantry's War to End Slavery

by Ray Anthony Shepard

Overview

Kirkus Reviews Best Children's Book

Here is the riveting dual biography of two little-known but extraordinary African-American Union soldiers in Civil War history—George E. Stephens and James Henry Gooding.

Stephens and Gooding not only served in the Massachusetts 54th Infantry, the well-known black regiment, but were also war correspondents who published eyewitness reports of the battlefields. Their dispatches told the truth of their lives at camp, their intense training, and the dangers and tragedies on the battlefield. Like the other thousands of black soldiers in the regiment, they not only fought against the Confederacy and the inhumanity of slavery, but also against injustice in their own army. The regiment’s protest against unfair pay resulted in America’s first major civil rights victory—equal pay for African American soldiers. This fresh perspective on the Civil War includes an author’s note, timeline, bibliography, index and source notes.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781629793405
Publisher:	Astra Publishing House
Publication date:	10/10/2017
Pages:	144
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 9.30(h) x 0.70(d)
Lexile:	1140L (what's this?)
Age Range:	10 - 17 Years

About the Author

Ray Anthony Shepard is the grandson of a slave and was the first African American editor-in-chief of a major educational publishing house. He holds an MAT from Harvard Graduate School of Education, where he received a Martin Luther King Jr. Fellowship from the Woodrow Wilson Foundation. He has taught at Phillips Andover Academy and Brandeis University. He lives in Lincoln, Massachusetts. rayanthonyshepard.com

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 George E. Stephens 11

Chapter 2 Watch Night 21

Chapter 3 James Henry Gooding 27

Chapter 4 Call to Courage 37

Chapter 5 Hope And Glory 45

Chapter 6 I Shall Burn This Town 51

Chapter 7 Paymaster's Wagon 59

Chapter 8 Dark Heroes 63

Chapter 9 A Grand Chance 69

Chapter 10 Dear Old Flag 75

Chapter 11 Are We Soldiers? 81

Chapter 12 Three Cheers 89

Chapter 13 Andersonville 95

Chapter 14 Mutiny and Honor 101

Chapter 15 The Other War 107

Chapter 16 A Final Fight and Mustering Out 113

Chapter 17 Forward, March! 119

Slavery and Civil War 122

Timeline 123

Source Notes 128

Bibliography 136

For More Information 139

Acknowledgments 140

Index 141

Picture Credits 144

Editorial Reviews

★ "Two black Civil War soldiers and writers offer unique perspectives about how they fought on and off the battlefield... both showing a different side of the war to blacks and abolitionists. Author Shepard does a great job using the dispatches from these men to form the basis for this narrative. The most impressive contribution is how the individual voices of (the soldiers) are in the forefront with their similarities and distinctions. This is a powerful use of primary resources, one that illuminates the lives of its subjects but never gets in the way of their remarkable stories. Rich backmatter provides useful information. Absolutely stellar." —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

★ "Written from the points of view of...the first African American war correspondents—fascinating, often brutal details from their experiences as soldiers in the 54th Infantry make up the backbone of this meticulously researched and highly readable history. This book will greatly enhance Civil War studies, leading to a deeper understanding of the African American plight throughout history and the racial prejudice that continues to this day. Teachers can also use this text to show how primary documents are critical to unbiased historical accounts. Documents and photographs add much interest and authenticity to the text." —School Library Connection, starred review

"The author will captivate readers with masterfully built suspense...The context of the war and the political climate of the country are interjected along with the complexity of sentiments about African Americans...The inclusion of a time line, maps, drawings, and photographs...further enriches the narrative...this is an excellent addition to the history."—School Library Journal

This well-researched volume is recommended for students who want to dig a little deeper into the history of the 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment." —Booklist

“This timely and important book…gives readers a unique and honest look at the Civil War, different from what is traditionally taught in classrooms (and) packs an impressive amount of detailed information, as well as emotional punch….perfect for both junior high and senior high school research, as well as for any reader interested in African American history and Civil War history. This is a highly recommended purchase for libraries serving young adults.—VOYA

From the Publisher

08/01/2017
Gr 6 Up—George Stephens and James Henry Gooding, two African American writers and soldiers, answered and extended Frederick Douglass's "Now or Never" call to arms to help mobilize troops for the 54th Massachusetts. The disparity between the pay, conditions, and perceptions of African American Civil War soldiers is delineated well throughout the narrative, and Shepard realistically presents Stephens's and Gooding's reactions to the inequalities. The author will captivate readers with masterfully built suspense, exemplified in the regiment's march through the streets of Boston and the battle for Fort Wagner, and with phrases like, "proud Charleston fell with an earth-rattling boom." The context of the war and the political climate of the country are interjected along with the complexity of sentiments about African Americans, whether through the discussion of the riots in Philadelphia and New York City, or through excerpts from letters that reveal individual prejudices. The inclusion of a time line, maps, drawings, and photographs (none of Stephens or Gooding exist) further enriches the narrative, and Shepard explains his inclusion of epithets and the capitalization of the words black and white when referencing groups of people. VERDICT While books, such as Clinton Cox's Undying Glory: The Story of the Massachusetts 54th Regiment have been published on the subject, this is an excellent addition to the history.—Hilary Writt, Sullivan University, Lexington, KY

School Library Journal

★ 2017-07-02
Two black Civil War soldiers and writers offer unique perspectives about how they fought on and off the battlefield.George E. Stephens and James Henry Gooding were both Union soldiers. The fact that they were African-Americans meant that the trajectory of their service and the weight they carried in battle were unusual. In their minds, they were fighting not just to preserve the Union, but to end slavery and secure their rights as full American citizens. The Quaker-educated men both joined the 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment, and both also wrote about what they saw, Stephens for the Anglo-American, a black Northern weekly, and Gooding for the New Bedford, Massachusetts, Mercury, both showing a different side of the war to blacks and abolitionists. They were skilled at sharing compelling details of the battles they fought in combat and against the racism that, among other things, denied them equal pay for their service. Author Shepard does a great job using the dispatches from these men to form the basis for this narrative. The most impressive contribution is how the individual voices of Stephens and Gooding are in the forefront with their similarities and distinctions. This is a powerful use of primary resources, one that illuminates the lives of its subjects but never gets in the way of their remarkable stories. Rich backmatter provides useful information. Absolutely stellar. (timeline, source notes, bibliography, further reading, index, picture credits) (Nonfiction. 12-18)

Kirkus Reviews