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Events on Saturday 18 July 1863 2
1837 – 1863Robert Gould Shaw (1837-1863)Died 18 July 1863, aged 26Shaw commanded the 54th Massachusetts Infantry, one of the first Black regiments raised in the North during the Civil War. He was killed leading the regiment's assault on Fort Wagner, South Carolina.
1863Second Battle of Fort WagnerFamed assault by the 54th Massachusetts InfantryUnion forces, spearheaded by the Black 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment, assaulted the Confederate-held Fort Wagner in South Carolina on 18 July 1863. Though the attack failed, the regiment's valor helped demonstrate the effectiveness of Black soldiers in the Union Army.