AJR206

A Joint Resolution designating July 18 of each year as “Sergeant William Harvey Carney Day” in New Jersey.

Whereas, William Harvey Carney was born into slavery on February 29, 1840 in Virginia, but was granted freedom after his father, who had escaped through the Underground Railroad, was able to buy his family’s freedom and move them all to Massachusetts; and

Whereas, Wishing to fight in the American Civil War, Mr. Carney joined the 54thMassachusetts Volunteer Infantry in 1863; and

Whereas, The 54thMassachusetts Volunteer Infantry was one of the first African-American regiments in the United States Army during the Civil War and was the first official unit made up of black enlisted men to fight for the Union; and

Whereas, Though initially promised the same rate of pay as their white counterparts in other regiments, the soldiers of the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry were paid markedly less and this injustice was only corrected when Congress passed a bill to equalize pay for black Union soldiers on June 15, 1864; and

Whereas, During the July 18, 1863 attack on Fort Wagner in South Carolina, with the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry leading the attack in their first major combat mission, Mr. Carney witnessed his unit’s color guard shot and killed; and

Whereas, Upon seeing the color guard fall, Mr. Carney grasped the flag, led the way to the parapet, and planted the colors until the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry was forced to fall back, but even then he continued to carry the flag leading him to become severely wounded; and

Whereas, Despite his severe wounds, Mr. Carney guarded the symbol of America with his life and kept it flying high throughout the battle, refusing to relinquish it to anyone other than a fellow 54th solider upon return to the Union barracks; and

Whereas, Despite their contributions to the Union war efforts, with the bravery and valor of the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry noted to have convinced many politicians and Army officers of the value of black soldiers and prompting the further enlistment of black soldiers, the regiment faced discrimination from their inception; and

Whereas, In recognition of his bravery, Mr. Carney was promoted to the rank of sergeant and was awarded a Congressional Medal of Honor in 1900; and

Whereas, Mr. Carney was not only one of the few recipients to earn a Congressional Medal of Honor while fighting on American soil, but was also the first African-American to be awarded this honor; and

Whereas, The bravery of the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, along with its individual soldiers like Mr. Carney, have been immortalized in various mediums, including the song “Boys the Old Flag Never Touched the Ground” and the 1989 film Glory; and

Whereas, The bravery of the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry and William Harvey Carney should be memorialized by a day that recognizes their triumphs not only on the battlefield, but also over racial discrimination and biases; now, therefore,

Be It Resolved by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

1. July 18 of each year shall be designated as “Sergeant William Harvey Carney Day” in New Jersey to recognize and commemorate the heroic actions of William Harvey Carney the first black soldier to earn the Medal of Honor.

2. The Governor is respectfully requested to issue a proclamation calling upon public officials and the citizens of this State to observe “Sergeant William Harvey Carney Day” with appropriate activities and programs each year.

3. This joint resolution shall take effect immediately.

STATEMENT

This resolution designates July 18 of each year as “Sergeant William Harvey Carney Day” in New Jersey.

William Harvey Carney was born into slavery on February 29, 1840 in Virginia, but was granted freedom after his father, who had escaped through the Underground Railroad, was able to buy his family’s freedom and move them all to Massachusetts. Upon the outbreak of the American Civil War, Mr. Carney joined the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry in 1863, which was one of the first African-American regiments in the United States organized during the Civil War and was the first official black unit recruited to fight for the Union.

During the July 18, 1863 attack on Fort Wagner in South Carolina, with the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry leading the attack in their first major combat mission, Mr. Carney witnessed his unit’s color guard shot and killed. Upon seeing this, Mr. Carney grasped the flag, led the way to the parapet, and planted the colors until the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry was forced to fall back, but even then he continued to carry the flag leading him to become severely wounded. Despite his severe wounds, Mr. Carney guarded the symbol of a united America with his life and kept it flying high throughout the battle, refusing to relinquish it to anyone other than a fellow 54th solider upon return to the Union barracks.

Despite their contributions to the Union war efforts, with the bravery and valor of the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry noted to have convinced many politicians and Army officers of the value of black soldiers and prompting the further enlistment of black soldiers, the regiment faced discrimination from their inception. In recognition of his bravery, Mr. Carney was promoted to the rank of sergeant and was awarded a Congressional Medal of Honor in 1900. Mr. Carney was not only one of the few recipients to earn a Congressional Medal of Honor while fighting on American soil, but was also the first African-American to be awarded this honor.

The bravery of the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, along with its individual soldiers like Mr. Carney, have been immortalized in various mediums, including the song “Boys the Old Flag Never Touched the Ground” and the 1989 film Glory. The bravery of the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry and Mr. Carney should be memorialized by a day that recognizes their triumphs not only on the battlefield, but also over racial discrimination and biases.