If the award-winning movie, Glory, is on your "must see whenever it's on" list, then you are no doubt moved every time you hear the line "If this man should fall, who will lift the flag and carry it on?". And that final scene when Private Trip, who had expressed no desire to "carry your flag" minutes earlier, dies while holding the flag during the famed Civil War assault on Fort Wagner probably fills you with some sense of wonderment, pride, and even patriotism.

Both a great line and scene in an extremely memorable movie depicting an extraordinary moment in American history, it is quite probable that both were truly inspired by actuveal events. According to Luis F. Emilio, author of A Brave Black Regiment: the History of the history of the Fifty-fourth Regiment of Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, 1863-1865 and highest ranking survivor of the Fort Wagner assault, it was General George Crockett Strong who actually uttered the words "If this man should fall, who will lift the flag and carry it on?". And it was, according to Emilio, Colonel Shaw who answered in the affirmative.

But, as we know from history (or the movie) Shaw was killed during the battle; and we know, as Emilio tells us that the man carrying the flag was also killed. So, who "lifted the flag" to carry it on?


Born a slave in in 1840, William H. Carney was a free man on February 17, 1863 when he enlisted in the 54th Regiment, Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry. In a recount of the Battle of Fort Wagner on July 18, 1863, Bethanne Kelly Patrick of Military.Com states:

...The siege at Fort Wagner was one of the war's bloodiest, and 1,500 African-American troops died in their country's service. Col. Shaw, who had led his troops into battle, was shot down just as he reached the summit. ...wounded in head, leg, and hip and lying in agony near the fallen Shaw when he [Carney] saw the soldier bearing the American flag falter. Gathering his strength, Carney seized the colors: "In less than 20 minutes I found myself alone struggling upon the ramparts, while the dead and wounded were all around me ... I knew my position was a critical one, and I began to watch to see if I would be left alone." Confronted by a battalion of enemies, Carney wound the flag around its staff and held it aloft while running through a volley of Confederate grapeshot. ...When he reached friendly lines, Carney refused to surrender the flag to anyone save a member of his own regiment. Handing it over as his comrades cheered, Carney cried, "Boys, the old flag never touched the ground!" and fell to the ground in a dead faint.

No! That old flag never touched the ground! Much obliged, Sgt. Carney! Very Much Obliged!

SjP