Here are some ruins somewhere in South Carolina. What can you tell us about this picture? Send your guess to feedback@statehousereport.com — and remember to include your name, home city and contact information.
Last week’s mystery, “What’s this painting all about?,” should have been pretty easy since there was a news brief that was a clue the size of Nebraska (the story about the portrait of Civil War hero and Reconstruction state Sen. Stephen Swails that finally got put on a wall in the Senate chamber).
The mystery photo showed an image of part of a 1999 painting by Rick Reeves called “The Old Flag Never Touched the Ground,” which showed a Civil War battle at Morris Island. The battle, depicted in the movie Glory, included fighting by then-new Black Union soldiers, including Swails.
Congratulations to several readers to pinpointed the painting: Steve Willis of Lancaster; Bill Segars of Hartsville; George Graf of Palmyra, Va.; Elaine Huff-Lowe of Inman; Elizabeth Jones, Jay Altman and Donna McGreevy, all of Columbia; Allan Peel of San Antonio, Texas; Barry Wingard of Florence; David Lupo of Mount Pleasant; Frank Bouknight of Summerville; and Kevin Mertens of Greenville.
Huff-Lowe described the painting: “[It] depicts the 54th Massachusetts Infantry which was the first African American regiment and they fought for the Union in the War Between the States. The Battle is on Morris Island in the Charleston Harbor against Fort Wagoner. Sergeant William Carrey never let the flag touch the ground and was awarded the Medal of Honor. Although there were many casualties and the battle was lost, the bravery of the 54th opened the door for African Americans to serve in the Armed Forces. The movie “Glory” is a superb depiction of the story,
Graf offered a description of the action: “On July 16, 1863, the 54th Massachusetts saw its first action as part of a diversionary attack on James Island, across the Ashley River from Charleston, S.C. The first casualties totaled 45 men. Two days later, 600 men of the Regiment led a brigade-sized assault on Fort Wagner, located on Morris Island at the mouth of Charleston Harbor.
“The fort, constructed with a ditch and earthworks, was located on a thin spit of land, where the only approach was bordered by the ocean and a marsh. The 54th had no choice but to charge straight ahead into the fortifications. The attack was gallant, but disastrous. The unit was able to scale a single wall of the fort, but Confederate counterattacks forced the men in blue to retreat, suffering 116 killed in action, including its commander, Col. Robert Gould Shaw, and 156 wounded or captured. The unit gained recognition for its valor and showed that black Soldiers would indeed fight if given the chance.”
- Send us a mystery. If you have a photo that you believe will stump readers, send it along (but make sure to tell us what it is because it may stump us too!) Send to: feedback@statehousereport.com and mark it as a photo submission. Thanks.
ORDER NOW: Copies are in Lowcountry-area bookstores now, but if you can’t swing by, you can order a copy online today.
We Can Do Better, South Carolina!