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"Forward, 54th!"
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Historic Officer’s Battle and Dress Swords, Scabbards, and Accessories of Brigadier General John W.M. Appleton of the Famous 54th Massachusetts Infantry of the Civil War Immortalized in the Movie “Glory” - John Whittier Messer Appleton (1832-1913) was one of the white officers of the legendary 54th Massachusetts Infantry, the historic second regiment of African-American soldiers raised during the Civil War and commanded by Colonel Robert Gould Shaw. They are most famous for their brave frontal night assault at the Second Battle of Fort Wagner in July of 1863 where Shaw and many of the men were killed and many others wounded. The unit proved
the valor of the African-American soldiers to the nation. Their story was captured in the popular Civil War film “Glory” starring Matthew Broderick, Denzel Washington, Morgan Freeman, and others which ends shortly after the battle. However, Appleton and the other survivors continued to fight on, including at the Battle of Olustee in Florida.
Appleton first served in the war as a private in the Independent Corps of Cadets/
Boston Cadets prior to being discharged in July 1862. He actively sought out an appointment to a unit with African-American soldiers to help them win their freedom and prove their abilities. After lobbying to join, he became a second lieutenant of the 54th Massachusetts Infantry on February 7, 1863, and helped recruit the unit. He was promoted to Captain of Company A on April 14, 1863, and led them during the Second Battle of Fort Wagner in the attack on the left. Per “The Boston Globe” on May 30, 1897, in an extensive article on the 54th and Fort Wagner, “Capt J. W. M. Appleton distinguished himself before the curtain. He crawled into an embrasure and with his pistol prevented two artillery men from serving the gun...Capt Appleton was finally badly wounded and made his way out with great difficulty, to report the situation in the bastion.” Appleton was wounded twice during the attack (hurt in the hand while firing his revolver and struck by a piece of a shell in the chest fracturing his ribs) but appears to have killed
and wounded several Confederate soldiers using his revolver during the battle. He was sent home to recover and then returned to the regiment well-enough to serve in South
Carolina and Florida before being resigning and returning home to recover from heat stroke in July 1864. He returned to service before the end of the war as a major with the 1st Battalion of Massachusetts Heavy Artillery and the commander of Fort Warren. He resigned on August 5, 1865. During Reconstruction, he moved to Charleston, West Virginia, where he was living when he received the second presentation sword.
He worked as a manager for the Mill Creek Cannel Coal & Oil Co., the operator of the Salt Sulphur Springs Resort, had his own farm, was active in local civic life, and also served as adjutant general for the West Virginia National Guard during the Spanish-American War. During the latter is when he would have been presented the
dress sword. He also helped organize the Kanawha Rifles and served as a captain and then a major for the battalion before being discharged in 1887. In 1897, he was promoted to brigadier general and appointed adjutant general for West Virginia and held the position for four years. The Wheeling Daily Intelligencer on March 2, 1897, noted that he was “an expert swordsman.” He provided testimony in support of William Carney’s Medal of Honor nomination. Carney became the first African-American Medal of Honor recipient in 1900. Carney was with Appleton at the Battle of Fort Wagner and grabbed the flag as the flag bearer fell mortally wounded and planted it at the base of the fort and then carried
it back to the Union barracks. Appleton later served as quartermaster general of the West Virginia National Guard until 1905. He was killed by a
bull at his farm at Salt Sulphur Springs when
it charged him while he was attempting to get control of the animal. It threw him into the air and trampled him.
- Col. Robert Gould at the Second Battle of Fort Wagner