e　think　it　will；　I　shall　thank　God　a　thousand　times　that　I　was　led　to　take　my　share　in　it。
  He　had；　indeed；　taken　his　share　in　striking　one　of　the　most　fatal　blows　to　the　barbarism　of　slavery　which　had　yet　been　struck。　The　formation　of　the　black　regiments　did　more　for　the　emancipation　of　the　negro　and　the　recognition　of　his　rights；　than　almost　anything　else。　It　was　impossible；　after　that；　to　say　that　men　who　fought　and　gave　their　lives　for　the　Union　and　for　their　own　freedom　were　not　entitled　to　be　free。　The　acceptance　of　the　command　of　a　black　regiment　by　such　men　as　Shaw　and　his　fellow…officers　was　the　great　act　which　made　all　this　possible。
  After　reaching　South　Carolina；　Colonel　Shaw　was　with　his　regiment　at　Port　Royal　and　on　the　islands　of　that　coast　for　rather　more　than　a　month；　and　on　July　18　he　was　offered　the　post　of　honor　in　an　assault　upon　Fort　Wagner；　which　was　ordered　for　that　night。　He　had　proved　that　the　negroes　could　be　made　into　a　good　regiment；　and　now　the　second　great　opportunity　had　come；　to　prove　their　fighting　quality。　He　wanted　to　demonstrate　that　his　men　could　fight　side　by　side　with　white　soldiers；　and　show　to　somebody　beside　their　officers　what　stuff　they　were　made　of。　He；　therefore；　accepted　the　dangerous　duty　with　gladness。　Late　in　the　day　the　troops　were　marched　across　Folly　and　Morris　islands　and　formed　in　line　of　battle　within　six　hundred　yards　of　Fort　Wagner。　At　half…past　seven　the　order　for　the　charge　was　given；　and　the　regiment　advanced。　When　they　were　within　a　hundred　yards　of　the　fort；　the　rebel　fire　opened　with　such　effect　that　the　first　battalion　hesitated　and　wavered。　Colonel　Shaw　sprang　to　the　front；　and　waving　his　sword；　shouted：　〃Forward；　54th！〃　With　another　cheer；　the　men　rushed　through　the　ditch；　and　gained　a　parapet　on　the　right。　Colonel　Shaw　was　one　of　the　first　to　scale　the　walls。　As　he　stood　erect；　a　noble　figure；　ordering　his　men　forward　and　shouting　to　them　to　press　on；　he　was　shot　dead　and　fell　into　the　fort。　After　his　fall；　the　assault　was　repulsed。
  General　Haywood；　commanding　the　rebel　forces；　said　to　a　Union　prisoner：　〃I　knew　Colonel　Shaw　before　the　war；　and　then　esteemed　him。　Had　he　been　in　command　of　white　troops；　I　should　have　given　him　an　honorable　burial。　As　it　is；　I　shall　bury　him　in　the　common　trench；　with　the　negroes　that　fell　with　him。〃　He　little　knew　that　he　was　giving　the　dead　soldier　the　most　honorable　burial　that　man　could　have　devised；　for　the　savage　words　told　unmistakably　that　Robert　Shaw's　work　had　not　been　in　vain。　The　order　to　bury　him　with　his　〃niggers；〃　which　ran　through　the　North　and　remained　fixed　in　our　history；　showed；　in　a　flash　of　light；　the　hideous　barbarism　of　a　system　which　made　such　things　and　such　feelings　possible。　It　also　showed　that　slavery　was　wounded　to　the　death；　and　that　the　brutal　phrase　was　the　angry　snarl　of　a　dying　tiger。　Such　words　rank　with　the　action　of　Charles　Stuart；　when　he　had　the　bones　of　Oliver　Cromwell　and　Robert　Blake　torn　from　their　graves　and　flung　on　dunghills　or　fixed　on　Temple　Bar。
  Robert　Shaw　fell　in　battle　at　the　head　of　his　men；　giving　his　life　to　his　country；　as　did　many　another　gallant　man　during　those　four　years　of　conflict。　But　he　did　something　more　than　this。　He　faced　prejudice　and　hostility　in　the　North；　and　confronted　the　blind　and　savage　rage　of　the　South；　in　order　to　demonstrate　to　the　world　that　the　human　beings　who　were　held　in　bondage　could　vindicate　their　right　to　freedom　by　fighting　and　dying　for　it。　He　helped　mightily　in　the　great　task　of　destroying　human　slavery；　and　in　uplifting　an　oppressed　and　down…trodden　race。　He　brought　to　this　work　the　qualities　which　were　particularly　essential　for　his　success。　He　had　all　that　birth　and　wealth；　breeding；　education；　and　tradition　could　give。　He　offered　up；　in　full　measure；　all　those　things　which　make　life　most　worth　living。　He　was　handsome　and　beloved。　He　had　a　serene　and　beautiful　nature；　and　was　at　once　brave　and　simple。　Above　all　things；　he　was　fitted　for　the　task　which　he　performed　and　for　the　sacrifice　which　he　made。　The　call　of　the　country　and　of　the　time　came　to　him；　and　he　was　ready。　He　has　been　singled　out　for　remembrance　from　among　many　others　of　equal　sacrifice；　and　a　monument　is　rising　to　his　memory　in　Boston；　because　it　was　his　peculiar　fortune　to　live　and　die　for　a　great　principle　of　humanity；　and　to　stand　forth　as　an　ideal　and　beautiful　figure　in　a　struggle　where　the　onward　march　of　civilization　was　at　stake。　He　lived　in　those　few　and　crowded　years　a　heroic　life；　and　he　met　a　heroic　death。　When　he　fell；　sword　in　hand；　on　the　parapet　of　Wagner；　leading　his　black　troops　in　a　desperate　assault；　we　can　only　say　of　him　as　Bunyan　said　of　〃Valiant　for　Truth〃：　〃And　then　he　passed　over；　and　all　the　trumpets　sounded　for　him　on　the　other　side。〃
  CHARLES　RUSSELL　LOWELL
  Wut's　wurds　to　them　whose　faith　an'　truth　　On　war's　red　techstone　rang　true　metal；　Who　ventered　life　an'　love　an；　youth　　For　the　gret　prize　o'　death　in　battle？
  To　him　who；　deadly　hurt；　agen　　Flashed　on　afore　the　charge's　thunder；　Tippin'　with　fire　the　bolt　of　men　　Thet　rived　the　rebel　line　asunder？　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Lowell。
  CHARLES　RUSSELL　LOWELL
  Charles　Russell　Lowell　was　born　in　Boston；　January　2；　1835。　He　was　the　eldest　son　of　Charles　Russell　and　Anna　Cabot　（Jackson）　Lowell；　and　the　nephew　of　James　Russell　Lowell。　He　bore　the　name；　distinguished　in　many　branches；　of　a　family　which　was　of　the　best　New　England　stock。　Educated　in　the　Boston　public　schools；　he　entered　Harvard　College　in　1850。　Although　one　of　the　youngest　members　of　his　class；　he　went　rapidly　to　the　front；　and　graduated　not　only　the　first　scholar　of　his　year；　but　the　foremost　man　of　his　class。　He　was；　however；　much　more　than　a　fine　scholar；　for　even　then　he　showed　unusual　intellectual　qualities。　He　read　widely　and　loved　letters。　He　was　a　student　of　philosophy　and　religion；　a　thinker；　and；　best　of　all；　a　man　of　ideals〃the　glory　of　youth；〃　as　he　called　them　in　his　valedictory　oration。　But　he　was　something　still　better　and　finer　than　a　mere　idealist；　he　was　a　man　of　action；　eager　to　put　his　ideals　into　practice　and　bring　them　to　the　test　of　daily　life。　With　his　mind　full　of　plans　for　raising　the　condition　of　workingmen　while　he　made　his　own　career；　he　entered　the　iron　mills　of　the　Ames　Company；　at　Chicopee。　Here　he　remained　as　a　workingman　for　six　months；　and　then　received　an　important　post　in　the　Trenton　Iron　Works　of　New　Jersey。　There　his　health　broke　down。　Consumption　threatened　him；　and　all　his　bright　hopes　and　ambitions　were　overcast　and　checked。　He　was　obliged　to　leave　his　business　and　go　to　Europe；　where　he　traveled　for　two　years；　fighting　the　dread　disease　that　was　upon　him。　In　1858　he　returned；　and　took　a　position　on　a　Western　railroad。　Although　the　work　was　new　to　him；　he　manifested　the　same　capacity　that　he　had　always　shown；　and　more　especially　his　power　over　other　men　and　his　ability　in　organization。　In　two　years　his　health　was　reestablished；　and　in　1860　he　took　charge　of　the　Mount　Savage　Iron　Works；　at　Cumberland；　Maryland。　He　was　there　when　news　came　of　the　attack　made　by　the　mob　upon　the　6th　Massachusetts　Regiment；　in　Baltimore。　Two　days　later　he　had　made　his　way　to　Washington；　one　of　the　first　comers　from　the　North；　and　at　once　applied　for　a　commission　in　the　regular　army。　While　he　was　waiting；　he　employed　himself　in　looking　after　the　Massachusetts　troops；　and　also；　it　is　understood；　as　a　scout　for　the　Government；　dangerous　work　which　suited　his　bold　and　adventurous　nature。
  In　May　he　received　his　commission　as　captain　in　the　United　States　cavalry。　Employed　at　first　in　recruiting　and　then　in　drill；　he　gave　himself　up　to　the　study　of　tactics　and　the　science　of　war。　The　career　above　all　others　to　which　he　was　suited　had　come　to　him。　The　field；　at　last；　lay　open　before　him；　where　all　his　great　qualities　of　mind　and　hearthis　high　courage；　his　power　of　leadership　and　of　organization；　and　his　intellectual　powers　could　find　full　play。　He　moved　rapidly　forward；　just　as　he　had　already　done　in　college　and　in　business。　His　regiment；　in　1862；　was　under　Stoneman　in　the　Peninsula；　and　was　engaged　in　many　actions；　where　Lowell's　cool　bravery　made　him　constantly　conspicuous。　At　the　close　of　the　campaign　he　was　brevetted　major；　for　distinguished　services　at　Williamsburg　and　Slatersville。
  In　July；　Lowell　was　detailed　for　duty　as　an　aid　to　General　McClellan。　At　Malvern　Hill　and　South　Mountain　his　gallantry　and　efficiency　were　strongly　shown；　but　it　was　at　Antietam　that　he　distinguished　himself　most。　Sent　with　orders　to　General　Sedgwick's　division；　he　found　it　retreating　in　confusion；　under　a　hot　fire。　He　did　not　stop　to　think　of　orders；　but　rode　rapidly　from　point　to　point　of　the　line；　rallying　company　after　company　by　the　mere　force　and　power　of　his　word　and　look；　checking　the　rout；　while　the　storm　of　bullets　swept　all　round　him。　His　horse　was　shot　under　him；　a　ball　passed　through　his　coat；　another　broke　his　sword…hilt；　but　he　came　off　unscathed；　and　his　service　was　recognized　by　his　being　sent　to　Washington　with　the　captured　flags　of　the　enemy。
  The　following　winter　he　was　ordered　to　Boston；　to　recruit　a　regiment　of　cavalry；　of　which　he　was　appointed　colonel。　While　the　recruiting　was　going　on；　a　serious　m