Alfred B. Hilton and the 4th U.S. Colored Infantry at Fort Wagner

Jan 17 , 2026

Alfred B. Hilton and the 4th U.S. Colored Infantry at Fort Wagner

Alfred B. Hilton gripped the colors—star-spangled and blood-soaked—while chaos raged. The air thick with gun smoke and dying men, he stumbled forward, waving the flag through a hail of bullets. Twice, the banner bearer beside him fell. Twice, Hilton caught the flag. The third time, a bullet tore into his side. Still, he held it high until he collapsed.

No man carries a flag without carrying the weight of every soul behind it.

From Maryland Soil to Soldier's Faith

Born in 1842 in Baltimore, Alfred B. Hilton was a free Black man raising his family in a nation tearing itself apart. Faith was his backbone—a quiet conviction drawn from the well-worn Bible verses shared in the small church pews of his youth.

“For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control,” he might have held close, even as bullets sang overhead.

Hilton enlisted in the 4th U.S. Colored Infantry Regiment in 1863. His reasons were no different from any other volunteer: freedom, duty, and the belief that his people could claim their rightful place in the American promise.

His resolve was ironclad, his honor unshakeable. The flag was more than cloth—it was a beacon for every Black soldier swearing to fight for a country that still doubted their worth.

The Battle That Defined Him: Fort Wagner, July 18, 1863

Fort Wagner was a crucible. The Union assault on Morris Island was a desperate gambit to choke the Confederate hold on Charleston Harbor. The 54th Massachusetts is remembered, but the 4th U.S. Colored Infantry—Hilton’s regiment—was also in the trenches, the vanguard and the backbone.

As the 54th surged forward, Hilton carried the regimental colors of his own unit. The flag was a target painted on him. Under relentless Confederate fire, the standard-bearers around him fell. He caught their flags, one, then two, refusing to let the colors touch dirt.

Wounded in the leg and side, he pressed on. His hands, blistered and bloody, still gripped the staff as he stumbled and fell. Before losing consciousness, he passed the flags to a fellow soldier with these commanding words:

“Tell my people to hold up the flag, and he ain’t dying.”

He did not live to see the Union claim Fort Wagner, but his actions galvanized his regiment and the entire United States Colored Troops.

The Medal and a Comrade’s Tribute

Posthumous Medal of Honor awarded on December 2, 1864, recognized Hilton’s sacrifice and extraordinary heroism. A citation less ornate than its meaning:

“Although wounded, he carried the colors forward and refused to give them up until he fell.”

Colonel Robert Shaw, commander of the 54th Massachusetts, reportedly said of the flag bearers like Hilton, "Their courage speaks louder than all the guns.”

African American newspapers and abolitionist press hailed Hilton as a symbol of Black valor. The weight of his sacrifice echoed beyond the battlefield, challenging America’s conscience during its darkest hour.

The Enduring Legacy of Alfred B. Hilton

Hilton’s life and death are carved into the slate of American history for one reason: courage not born from glory or fame—but from purpose. He carried more than flags. He carried the hope of a people denied freedom, the promise of a future redeemed from the ashes of slavery.

His scars—a bullet in the side, wounds that claimed his life—are invisible now but no less real than the pain borne by veterans today who stand for a cause larger than themselves.

“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” — John 15:13

Today, when flags ripple in the wind, remember the bearer bloodied and broken. Alfred B. Hilton bled for more than territory or a single battle—he bled for the soul of a nation still fighting to live up to its creed.

We owe him this: to carry forward the fight for dignity, honor, and redemption.

Sources:

1. Smithsonian Institution — Alfred B. Hilton and the 4th U.S. Colored Infantry 2. U.S. Army Center of Military History — Medal of Honor Recipients: Civil War (G-L) 3. National Park Service — Battle of Fort Wagner, 1863