Medal of Honor Recipient William Harvey Carney of Fort Wagner

Sep 29 , 2025

Medal of Honor Recipient William Harvey Carney of Fort Wagner

Blood and flame swallowed the field. The colors dropped. Men fell. Yet the flag clung to his hands—gripped like a lifeline. William Harvey Carney’s voice was silent but his courage screamed across the smoke. He carried the weight of that flag deep into hell and didn’t let it touch the dirt.

Born Into Chains, Raised for Battle

William Harvey Carney was born into slavery in Norfolk, Virginia, around 1840. The chains of bondage marked his early years, but freedom’s call whispered louder. Early on, faith anchored him—a steady river beneath chaos. Spiritual conviction held Carney’s soul steady, a foundation built on hope and survival.

When the Civil War broke, Carney found his place in the 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment—the first official African American unit in the Union Army. These men fought not just for territory, but for dignity and recognition. Their cause was holy—proof that valor transcended skin and shackles.

Carney’s belief in honor, courage, and the righteousness of his fight was ironclad. As the Bible would later echo through his life, “Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go” (Jos 1:9).

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

The shot rang out—the 54th Massachusetts charged up the bluffs of Fort Wagner, South Carolina. Confederate batteries tore through the ranks with merciless precision. Carney clutched the regimental colors as bullets tore flesh and blood from comrades around him.

When the color bearer fell, Carney seized the flag. The weight was more than cloth and staff; it was the symbol of hope for every black soldier fighting for freedom.

Wounded early—reports record at least a gunshot through the chest—but Carney refused to drop the flag or retreat. Twice more his body was hit, but he pressed onward through the crushing hail of lead.

“I was nearly shot to death; I was wounded in the face, in the head...I never thought of giving up the flag,” Carney would testify[1].

Carney saved the flag from capture, carrying it back to Union lines despite his injuries. His feat was not just survival—it was a defiant stand against despair and defeat.

Honors Earned in Blood and Fire

Years after the battle, Carney was awarded the Medal of Honor on May 23, 1900, becoming the first African American to receive the nation’s highest military award for valor. The citation recognized his “gallantry in saving the colors” despite wounds received during the assault at Fort Wagner[2].

His Medal of Honor was more than a badge; it was a testament to a black man defying the violent prejudice of his era. It recognized the blood debt paid by the 54th Massachusetts and countless others who dared to carry hope under fire.

Union Army Colonel Robert Gould Shaw, who commanded the 54th, said of his regiment:

“I have never seen such bravery in uniform,” a simple line that underscored the extraordinary courage shown by Carney and his brothers in arms.

Legacy Carved in Sacrifice and Redemption

William Harvey Carney died in 1908, his scars unseen but deep. His legacy endures as a beacon—proof that heroism recognizes no color.

In the darkest crucibles, it is character and conviction that shine. Carney showed the world that honor lives in those who carry burdens greater than fear, who straighten their backs in the face of any storm, and who run toward the fire when commanded.

His story reminds veterans and civilians alike: sacrifice is not just a battlefield currency—it is a sacred trust, passed down through generations. There is redemption in the scars borne quietly; purpose in the fight waged silently.

As Psalm 34:18 declares: “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.” Carney’s spirit, crushed but unbroken, carried that flag to safety. So must we carry the memory of our fallen and fight for what that flag symbolizes—freedom, dignity, and hope.

William Harvey Carney did not simply save a piece of fabric that day. He preserved a vision of equality birthed in blood. Honor his name by never letting that flag fall again.

Sources

1. U.S. War Department Medal of Honor files, William Harvey Carney Citation (1900) 2. Smithsonian Institution, 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment Records 3. The Life and Letters of Robert Gould Shaw, edited by Mrs. Sallie S. Shaw, 1902