"Robert Gould Shaw, the son of wealthy Boston abolitionists, was 23 years old when he enlisted to fight in the War bet…"

"The 54th Massachusetts Brigade lost over half its number in the assault on Ft. Wagner. The supporting white brigades …"

"[first lines, in a letter] Dear Mother, I hope you are keeping well and not worrying too much about me. You mustn't t…"

"Good morning gentlemen, I am Colonel Robert Gould Shaw. I am your commanding officer. It is a great pleasure to see y…"

"Dear Mother, the men learn very quickly; faster than white troops, it seems to me. They are almost grave and sedate u…"

"It is my job to get these men ready. And I will. They have risked their lives to be here, they have given up their fr…"

"If you men will take no pay, then none of us will! [holds up his own paycheck and tears it in half]"

"Dear Father, I need your help. Despite my many requests, it has become clear that we are to be used only for manual l…"

"There's more to fighting than rest, sir. There's character. There's strength of heart. You should have seen us in act…"

"Morgan Freeman - Sgt. Maj. John Rawlins"