At first the 54th regimen refuses but they eventually burn down and destroy the Georgia town. Shaw convinces his superiors to let his men fight and they eventually let him and he ends up making Rawlings's sergeant major. After Rawlins is granted the position of sergeant major he tries very hard to earn the respect from the white and black soldiers. Shaw uses the evidence he found of Harker stealing, smuggling, lying, and being politically corrupt to get his men from the 54th regiment into combat instead doing more manual labor. The 54th regiment of Massachusetts’s first battle takes place in South Carolina on James Island. They are successful but the battle is brutal and they are accompanied by many unfortunate casualties. The Confederates get beat and are forced to retreat. Trip finally earns a respect for Thomas during battle after Thomas gets wounded and still saves Trip. Thomas also refuses to go home to recover and chooses to keep …show more content…
Sergeant Major Rawlins and Trip also give very deep speeches to help bring courage into the hearts of the soldiers before war. The next day the 54th regiment of Massachusetts charges the fortress Battery Wagner on Morris Island. Upon their first entry and charge heavy artillery fire causes many casualties among the brave soldiers. As the day passes and the night time falls the brutality of the war continues and there is no progress being made at all, so Shaw tries to have his men move forward the fortress but it results in him being shot at many times and dying. The soldiers are very shocked at what they had witnessed and decide to stay where they were until Trip decides to lift up the flag and leads them on until he is eventually shot and killed. After Trip is shot down and killed Forbes decided to take lead of the 54th regiment of Massachusetts and finally break through the outside defense of the Battery Wagner