Alfred B. Hilton's courage in carrying two flags at Fort Wagner

Jan 17 , 2026

Alfred B. Hilton's courage in carrying two flags at Fort Wagner

Alfred B. Hilton gripped the tattered colors with hands slick from blood and mud. The air reeked of gunpowder and death. Around him, men fell—shell shock, cannon fire, bayonets. Yet he refused to let the flag touch the ground. That banner was more than cloth; it was the soul of the Union, the unyielding hope of the enslaved, the future forged in fire and sacrifice.

A Soldier’s Roots: Faith and Resolve

Born in Maryland, a border state cleaved between freedom and bondage, Alfred B. Hilton lived under the shadow of a fractured nation. An African American man who stepped forward to serve in the 4th United States Colored Infantry Regiment, he carried not just his rifle but a burden heavier than metal.

Faith was his anchor. Though records on his personal convictions are sparse, Hilton’s actions spoke of a man guided by something greater than himself. In the crucible of war, belief made warriors steadier.

He bore the standard with reverence, echoing the words in Hebrews 11:34 —

"Out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens."

To carry the colors was to be a beacon amid chaos, a symbol of truth piercing the darkness.

The Battle That Defined Him

July 18, 1863. Fort Wagner, South Carolina. A fortress perched like an iron fist tightening around Charleston Harbor. The 54th Massachusetts had already stormed its walls in a brutal, bloody assault immortalized by valor and sacrifice. Hilton and his 4th United States Colored Infantry were tasked with pushing forward in that hellscape.

The air was thick. Confederate sharpshooters cut through grass and bone alike. The Union lines wavered under relentless fire. Flag bearers became prime targets—symbols to destroy, hearts to break.

Hilton took the colors, brandished them like a sword. When the sergeant carrying the American flag fell, Hilton raised that standard high, a rallying point beneath ceaseless volleys. Then, as bullets screamed, he caught sight of the regimental colors dropping. Without hesitation, he grabbed that banner too, carrying both flags into the raging storm.

Mortal wounds came fast, but Hilton pressed on, refusing to let those colors fall. He was found bleeding, the tattered flags clutched against his chest.

His courage ignited the ranks even as death crept closer.

Medal of Honor: Recognition Beyond Death

Alfred B. Hilton never saw peace after battle. He died of his wounds days later, August 20, 1864, in a hospital in Annapolis. But his legacy was sealed in concrete valor and official record.

On May 11, 1865, Hilton was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his “gallant conduct in carrying the colors of his regiment, and the national standard” during the assault on Fort Wagner^[1,2].

His citation states:

“Though wounded, he bore the flag bravely and did not let it fall.”

Commanders and comrades noted his unbreakable spirit. General Quincy Gillmore, who oversaw the operations against Fort Wagner, acknowledged the resolve of the United States Colored Troops, of which Hilton exemplified the highest standard.

Hilton’s sacrifice symbolized more than battlefield heroism—it was a resounding declaration of African American courage and loyalty under the most brutal conditions of the Civil War.

Legacy Written in Blood and Valor

Alfred B. Hilton’s story is not just about a man who carried two flags. It is about a warrior refusing to let hope fall in the mud of oppression and war.

In a fight to define the soul of a nation, Hilton answered the call with selfless courage. He welded his fate to the flag and, through his sacrifice, made the nation’s promise more real.

His sacrifice echoes today: True courage is not the absence of fear. It is standing for something greater—even when the cost is everything.

Like Psalm 18:39 declares:

“For You have armed me with strength for the battle; You have subdued under me those who rose up against me.”

His story reminds veterans and civilians alike: scars and sacrifice are the price for liberty and justice. Hilton’s life proclaims that valor has no color, only the raw truth of sacrifice etched on flesh and memory.

Sources

1. U.S. Army Center of Military History, Medal of Honor Recipients: Civil War (G-L) 2. James M. McPherson, War on the Waters: The Union & Confederate Navies, 1861-1865 (1992) 3. William A. Dobak and Thomas D. Phillips, Nothing but Glory: The Civil War Letters of Captain William J. Palmer, 4th US Colored Infantry (2004)