Waging War for Freedom with the 54th Massachusetts: The Civil War Memoir of John W. M. Appleton

Late in 1862, amid the horrors of the U.S. Civil War, Secretary of War Edwin Stanton, with President Lincoln’s approval, authorized the recruitment of Black soldiers for the Union cause. In January of 1863, the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry was born. On February 7, 1863, Massachusetts governor John Andrew commissioned Boston-bred John W. M. Appleton the first of the white officers in the most famous Civil War regiment of Black soldiers. Appleton immediately began recruiting enlisted soldiers for the company he would command, Company A.

Waging War for Freedom with the 54th Massachusetts is a fresh look at the service of this famed regiment as told through Appleton’s memoir-the most complete first-person account available about the service of the men in the 54th Massachusetts regiment. Appleton wrote candidly about his own experiences and the men who served with and under him, including troop punishments, combat, and combat injuries, including his own. He also described in detail the weather, climate, southern geography, and his interaction with civilians. Appleton served with the regiment from February 1863 through August 1864, when severe injuries forced him home a second time. Taking Appleton’s memoir as their foundation, the editors thoroughly contextualize the service of the 54th through its disbanding in 1865, providing a fresh perspective on the men and the regiment as they fought to abolish slavery in the United States.

About the Author :
James Robbins Jewell is a professor of history at North Idaho College. He is the author of Agents of Empire: The First Oregon Cavalry and the Opening of the Interior Pacific Northwest during the Civil War (Nebraska, 2023) and the editor of On Duty in the Pacific Northwest during the Civil War: Correspondence and Reminiscences of the First Oregon Cavalry Regiment. Eugene S. Van Sickle is a professor of history at the University of North Georgia.
 
 

Review :
"This volume certainly looks to be a must-have for anyone interested in exploring the 54th's history through the eyes of one of its officers."-Civil War Books and Authors “John Appleton’s memoir takes readers inside one of the most famous Civil War regiments, the 54th Massachusetts. With meticulous editorial work by James Robbins Jewell and Eugene S. Van Sickle, including a thorough introduction and helpful maps and images, this outstanding book finally brings Appleton’s writing to the public’s attention. It is a must-read for anyone interested in emancipation and the American Civil War.”-Jason Phillips, Eberly Family Professor of Civil War Studies at West Virginia University “John W. M. Appleton knew he was making history as an officer of the 54th Massachusetts Volunteers, and he wrote a steady stream of alert, perceptive, candid letters that provided the basis for a gripping day-to-day chronicle of the regiment’s experience. James Robbins Jewell and Eugene S. Van Sickle perform a great service to Civil War readers by making this fascinating document accessible with an expert editorial framework.”-Thomas J. Brown, professor of history at the University of South Carolina “Though many people may be familiar with the story of the 54th Massachusetts and its fight at Fort Wagner in July 1863, Captain John Appleton’s memoir-as edited by historians James Robbins Jewell and Eugene S. Van Sickle-takes readers beyond that single battle to a better understanding of activities of the regiment from its inception to its campaigns of 1864. The book captures the spirit of the 54th, documents its struggles during fatigue and siege duty, and provides eyewitness accounts of its battlefield exploits. It also explores the memoir of a man, Captain John Appleton, reflecting on his role in a cause he came to recognize as bigger than himself.”-Doug Dammann, curator and site coordinator for the Civil War Museum in Kenosha, Wisconsin