Robert Gould Shaw Memorial. The Memorial to Robert Gould Shaw and the Massachusetts Fifty-Fourth Regiment is a bronze relief sculpture by Augustus Saint-Gaudens opposite 24 Beacon Street, Boston.
It depicts Colonel Robert Gould Shaw leading members of the 54th Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry as it marched down Beacon Street on May 28, 1863 to depart the city to fight in the South. The sculpture was unveiled May 31, 1897.
According to The Monument to Robert Gould Shaw: Its Inception, Completion, and Unveiling, 1865-1897, Joshua Bowen Smith, a Massachusetts state legislator, was the prime mover in gaining authorization for the monument; others participating in its early planning included Governor John Albion Andrew, who had urged Shaw to take command of the 54th Regiment, Samuel Gridley Howe, and Senator Charles Sumner. Their goal was not only to mark the public gratitude to the fallen hero, who at a critical moment assumed a perilous responsibility, but also to commemorate that great event, wherein he was a leader, by which the title of colored men as citizen-soldiers was fixed beyond recall.
In such a work all who honor youthful dedication to a noble cause and who rejoice in the triumph of freedom should have an opportunity to contribute. Gaudens provided distinct features to each of the African-American soldiers, distinguishing them as individuals, along with their commanding officer.
The work
It depicts Colonel Robert Gould Shaw leading members of the 54th Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry as it marched down Beacon Street on May 28, 1863 to depart the city to fight in the South. The sculpture was unveiled May 31, 1897.
According to The Monument to Robert Gould Shaw: Its Inception, Completion, and Unveiling, 1865-1897, Joshua Bowen Smith, a Massachusetts state legislator, was the prime mover in gaining authorization for the monument; others participating in its early planning included Governor John Albion Andrew, who had urged Shaw to take command of the 54th Regiment, Samuel Gridley Howe, and Senator Charles Sumner. Their goal was not only to mark the public gratitude to the fallen hero, who at a critical moment assumed a perilous responsibility, but also to commemorate that great event, wherein he was a leader, by which the title of colored men as citizen-soldiers was fixed beyond recall.
In such a work all who honor youthful dedication to a noble cause and who rejoice in the triumph of freedom should have an opportunity to contribute. Gaudens provided distinct features to each of the African-American soldiers, distinguishing them as individuals, along with their commanding officer.
The work
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