Thunder at the Gates: The Black Civil War Regiments That Redeemed America

by Douglas R Egerton

Overview

An intimate, authoritative history of the first black soldiers to fight in the Union Army during the Civil War

Soon after Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, abolitionists began to call for the creation of black regiments. At first, the South and most of the North responded with outrage-southerners promised to execute any black soldiers captured in battle, while many northerners claimed that blacks lacked the necessary courage. Meanwhile, Massachusetts, long the center of abolitionist fervor, launched one of the greatest experiments in American history.

In Thunder at the Gates, Douglas Egerton chronicles the formation and battlefield triumphs of the 54th and 55th Massachusetts Infantry and the 5th Massachusetts Cavalry-regiments led by whites but composed of black men born free or into slavery. He argues that the most important battles of all were won on the field of public opinion, for in fighting with distinction the regiments realized the long-derided idea of full and equal citizenship for blacks.

A stirring evocation of this transformative episode, Thunder at the Gates offers a riveting new perspective on the Civil War and its legacy.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780465096640
Publisher:	Basic Books
Publication date:	11/01/2016
Pages:	448
Sales rank:	545,337
Product dimensions:	6.30(w) x 9.40(h) x 1.80(d)

About the Author

Douglas R. Egerton is a professor of history at Le Moyne College. The award-winning author of eight previous books, including Thunder at the Gates and The Wars of Reconstruction, he lives in Fayetteville, New York.

Table of Contents

Prologue 1

Chapter 1 The Travelers 11

Chapter 2 The Brahmins 29

Chapter 3 Readville 63

Chapter 4 The Sea Islands 97

Chapter 5 Battery Wagner 121

Chapter 6 Hospitals and Home Fronts 149

Chapter 7 The Siege 179

Chapter 8 Florida 213

Chapter 9 Liberation 251

Chapter 10 Occupation 279

Chapter 11 The Veterans 305

Epilogue: The Legacy of the Regiments 335

Acknowledgments 351

Notes 355

Index 411

Editorial Reviews

09/12/2016
In this solid addition to the Civil War literature, Egerton (The Wars of Reconstruction), professor of history at Le Moyne College, revisits the story of the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry Division, one of the state’s three African-American regiments, and expands on it in important ways. He pushes the standard narrative of the 54th beyond the 1863 battle at Fort Wagner to the bloody fight at Olustee, Fla., and into the postwar period. Providing a fuller picture of black men’s involvement in the war, Egerton weaves in the activities of the two other Massachusetts black regiments, the 55th Volunteer Infantry Division and the Fifth Cavalry. He emphasizes the ways race affected the men’s military experiences, looking as much at individual black soldiers as white officers. The first part of the book sets up the assault on Fort Wagner, providing a smooth account of the creation of the 54th and the recruitment of Robert Gould Shaw, its best-known white officer. The second part provides additional documentation of pervasive racism. Despite their demonstrated bravery at Fort Wagner, black troops endured disproportionate assignment to “fatigue duty,” pay disparity, and unequal treatment under military law. Egerton’s fine work pays respect to the black soldiers who fought and died for black liberation. Illus. Agent: Daniel Greenberg, Levine Greenberg Rostan Literary. (Nov.)

Publishers Weekly

Co-winner of the 2017 Gilder Lehrman Lincoln Prize



"Egerton brings the stories of three black regiments together, exploring their origins, their wartime service, and the post-war lives of their soldiers and officers... This is a deeply and impeccably researched work....Egerton's is a brisk and personable narrative history that will reach a wide audience, with its vivid portraits of lives both on and off the battlefield."—2017 Gilder Lehrman Lincoln Prize committee

"Thunder at the Gates is the first book to provide a full account of the three black regiments raised by Massachusetts in the Civil War. The 54th's famous assault on Fort Wagner is here, but so also are many other campaigns and battles fought by that regiment, the 55th, and the 5th Cavalry. The narrative is enriched by the stories of more than a dozen individual soldiers and officers, which gives a human and personal dimension to this important work."—James M. McPherson

"Gracefully written and well-researched, Thunder at the Gates is an indispensable chronicle of the triumphs and tribulations of three regiments of black soldiers who fought to destroy legalized slavery and helped preserve the American Union. Egerton's powerful narrative allows the men, and the families who supported them, to live in our imaginations just as they should."—Annette Gordon-Reed, winner of the Pulitzer Prize and author, with Peter S. Onuf, of "MostBlessed of the Patriarchs": Thomas Jefferson and the Empire of theImagination

"[M]asterful.... Some of the best military writing I have encountered."—Joseph C. Gouldon, Washington Times

"The magic in this story...comes from the author's ability to build empathy for the soldiers...In Thunder at the Gates, Egerton has memorialized these brave patriot soldiers and the legacy they left for their ancestors—a legacy for us all to treasure as a part of our collective heritage."—Michael Ramsey, Roanoke Times

"Egerton presents a captivating narrative.... [His] study of the individuals and attention to their lives after the war is extremely well researched and well documented. This is an important addition to the shelves of Civil War books."—Library Journal, starred review

"Gracefully written and well-researched, Thunder at the Gates is an indispensable chronicle of the triumphs and tribulations of three regiments of black soldiers who fought to destroy legalized slavery and helped preserve the American Union. Egerton's powerful narrative allows the men, and the families who supported them, to live in our imaginations just as they should."—Annette Gordon-Reed, winner of the Pulitzer Prize and author, with Peter S. Onuf, of "Most Blessed of the Patriarchs": Thomas Jefferson and the Empire of the Imagination

"Poignant... artfully told and wonderfully detailed."—Paul Jablow, Philadelphia Inquirer

"Fascinating.... Reading this book will help you understand why, even in 2016, there is a Black Lives Matter movement."—Donald D. Breed, Providence Journal

"[Thunder at the Gates] is a brutally honest, comprehensive account of [the African American regiments'] contributions and an excellent addition to Civil War collections."—Booklist, starred review

"[A] solid addition to the Civil War literature...Providing a fuller picture of black men's involvement in the war, Egerton weaves in the activities of the [54th and] 55th Volunteer Infantry Division and the Fifth Cavalry. He emphasizes the way race affected the men's military experiences, looking as much at individual black soldiers as white officers.... Egerton's fine work pays respect to the black soldiers who fought and died black liberation."—Publishers Weekly

From the Publisher

★ 09/15/2016
Egerton (Merrill Family Visiting Professor in History, Cornell Univ.; The Wars of Reconstruction) presents a captivating narrative of 14 men who served with the 54th and 55th Massachusetts infantry and the 5th Massachusetts cavalry. Four white officers commanded the regiments, all wealthy and well-educated men, including Robert Gould Shaw and Charles Francis Adams Jr. At the center of this volume's biographical portrait are African Americans from a variety of backgrounds who sought to end slavery: escaped slave William Carney, former schoolteachers Nicolas Said and James Trotter, and seamen Henry Jarvis and James Gooding. Egerton details the regiments' training and their participation in battles at Fort Wagner, SC, and their participation in the occupation of Charleston, SC, at the conclusion of the Civil War. The men proved their worth as disciplined soldiers and helped focus the nation's attention on freedom and equal rights for African Americans. VERDICT Egerton's study of the individuals and attention to their lives after the war is extremely well researched and well documented. This is an important addition to the shelves of Civil War books.—Patricia Ann Owens, formerly with Illinois Eastern Community Colls., Mt. Carmel

Library Journal

2016-08-24
The story of the black men, slaves and free, of the 54th and 55th Massachusetts Infantry, some of the greatest fighters of the Civil War.Egerton (History/Le Moyne Coll.; The Wars of Reconstruction: The Brief, Violent History of America's Most Progressive Era, 2014, etc.) understands that these men fought more for nationality and citizenship than to preserve the union. Their success in 1863 at Battery Wagner in Charleston, South Carolina, showed the world their mettle. Overcoming the racism just as inherent in the North as the South was an even bigger battle. After the Emancipation Proclamation took effect, Massachusetts Gov. John Andrew was permitted to form the first black regiment. Congress would not, however, allow black officers, doctors, or ministers. Consequently, Robert Gould Shaw and Ned and Pen Hallowell, Philadelphia Quakers, became the leaders of the 54th and the 55th regiments, and Charles Adams Jr. led the 5th Cavalry. Adams’ regiment formed late in the war, and his leadership did not allow room for respect for his black men. Also included in the forces were two sons of Frederick Douglass: Lewis, whose wounds at Wagner ended his fighting days, and Charles, whose literacy led him to become the camp clerk. The Confederacy ruled that any blacks caught would be turned over to the state—no doubt to be reduced to slaves, no matter their background. The policy toward white leaders was that they were to be executed. The men saw how the Rebels treated blacks who tried to surrender; they were shot. After a battle, Rebel soldiers systematically walked among the wounded, executing any black soldiers. In this welcome addition to Civil War literature, Egerton gives readers a greater appreciation for their courage. A thoroughly researched, comprehensive look at the Civil War regiments who took the first step in the struggle to make their countrymen see them as intelligent, capable men.

Kirkus Reviews