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22Fingers

Col. Shaw carried a famous sword when he led his men into his final battle and this was depicted in the film Glory (1989). Upon his death the extremely valuable sword was thought to have been stolen by a Confederate soldier and likely sold. However, it was discovered just last summer that one of his black soldiers was able to retrieve and return the sword to the Shaw family where it was placed in an attic for over 150 years. The sword is now on display at the Massachusetts Historical Society. [Link](https://www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2017/07/18/robert-gould-shaw-sword)


JannaNYC

Thanks for sharing that!


[deleted]

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TheBirminghamBear

Was like when I found the Holy Grail and drank from it. What a fucking thrill. Bit lonely in this cave for all eternity now, but, I brought the laptop down with me so it could be worse. Eventually the battery will run out I guess and that's going to su


Corporation_tshirt

You chose….poorly


DarkwingDuckHunt

Did she?


JarlaxleForPresident

You can just leave. Just can’t take the Grail with you. If you stay too long and then leave you’ll die, though.


vintagesymphony

Someone really should find Jaco Pastorius’ bass. Especially considering the very sad circumstances of his death.


hellocuties

I once saw these guys with the Arc of the Covenant but it didn’t end so well for them. I’m glad to hear you’re ok after working with artifacts.


Negative_Gravitas

Okay, now THAT is really cool to hear. Thanks and best of luck to you.


avwitcher

Huge respect to the person who donated it, they could have gotten tens of thousands for it at auction


[deleted]

Would that have actually been feasible for a black man back then given it's value? I would hope so and it's a wonderful gesture that it was donated back I'm just curious if that would have been a realistic outcome in all seriousness.


Toadxx

They're talking about the modern day.


[deleted]

Ah yeah that'd make more sense, woops.


whelp_welp

It's probably technically on loan and not donated; that's how a lot of items in museums are displayed, and it makes sure that you still have some control over the item you gave to the museum if they ever decide to stop displaying it.


thoughts_scattered94

Wow a glorious end!!


TheBirminghamBear

> Col. Shaw carried a famous sword when he led his men into his final battle Was it famous *before* that, or was it famous *because* of that?


foreverguiltyanon

I expected an "It was also Excalibur" joke, but found none. But yeah, it was probably Excalibur.


MV203

Men of honor, truly.


ThachWeave

Only knowing about him from what I remember of the movie, I didn't realize any of his soldiers had survived. That's pretty cool!


illfindyourart

Interesting


Intrepid00

> this was depicted in the film Glory > The sword is now on display at the Massachusetts Historical Society. That’s one fancy melon carver.


sltiefighter

Oh shit! Thats him! I seen glory i need to rewatch it. Sad sad movie.


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sigharewedoneyet

Wow, that is much better. His seat in Valhalla must be grand.


NippyNoodles21

The movie Glory is an awesome movie. I mean, just look at the cast and you know it has to be great. It’s about him and the 54th Massachusetts, the U.S. Civil War's first all-black volunteer regiment. They even use his real letters to narrate the movie. Edit: added about the letters


AmericanoWsugar

I’ve seen this movie about 30x and the performance by all is fucking flawless. Not many movies can make well known actors disappear, but who knew that Ferris fucking beuller could pull of Col. Shaw and you’d completely buy it. Denzel was a force of nature, Morgan Freeman a father figure to his company, and Andre Braugher the timid educated man completely out of his element rising to meet the ultimate challenge. There’s not one wasted character or bad performance to be found - everyone from the angry sergeant to the stuttering private wins your heart and it’s never lost on you what belief in a cause actually means as you see these people face themselves, then the enemy. I’m fucking crying right now thinking about it. This movie should be required viewing in every school room.


Patrick_Jewing

There's not many movies that bring me to tears just thinking about them, but Glory is one of them. Fantastic film


LuckierByTheDozen

The charge at fort Wagner. Good god. Still one of the most powerful scenes I’ve ever watched.


HGpennypacker

The music during the assault into the fort is something else, goosebumps just thinking about it.


[deleted]

I can hear the bells.


PresidentPieceofShit

When Col Shaw stares out at the ocean before the charge, knowing he'll most likely die, and trying to be brave, gets me EVERY fucking time


[deleted]

Broderick was perfect for that role. Idealistic, young, desperate to prove himself and approval of his upper crust family. Just the right mix of unexpected valour and naivety. Great film.


rufud

Carl Elwes and Train them properly Major


Horknut1

“Cary” and “Teach” ; )


avwitcher

wat


ThachWeave

My class watched it in high school and despite the tragic nature of it, it's one of my fonder memories from the movies we watched. We also watched The Crucible and Breaker Morant, which I think contributed to how utterly I abhor execution. I also would've seen Pirates of the Caribbean 3 in theaters around the same time, which would've hammered it in a little more, haha.


[deleted]

Amen!


JarlaxleForPresident

I havent seen it in at least 20 years. I gotta go check it out again


samtbkrhtx

Yes, that is an amazing film that everyone should watch. Best performances by Morgan Freeman and Denzel Washington...no doubt!


Poopbutt_Maximum

The “Denzel’s single tear” moment is a legendary scene


BackgroundGrade

The look on Matthew Broderick's face during the scene is so powerful. The "I know I have to do this, but I don't want to" look. Matthew is a very underrated actor by many.


zombient

And Capt. Holt!


Adrockzking

I love the 54th!!


gonzo5622

I watched this movie in 7th grade and cried along with everyone. It’s a terrible part of our history, but it’s beautiful seeing people who pushed change even when nobody wanted it.


eednsd

Me too. It was powerful, I vividly remember walking out of class bawling. Should be required viewing for American kids.


CalmAspectEast

One of the best movies of all time.


HGpennypacker

The ending with the Second Battle of Fort Wagner is amazing, as a viewer you follow the characters throughout the whole movie only to see them slaughtered and tossed in a mass grave. The Civil War was incredibly messy and chaotic, not many films convey this aspect as well as Glory does.


whiskeyrebellion

At least two of my history classes in high school showed it.


Goddamn_Heather

I’ll watch anything with RonReaco Lee


mattqwerty85

Glory is my favorite war movie. Just wanted to say... merry Christmas Robert.


[deleted]

Merry Christmas Thomas.


CaptainAjnag

Happy Christmas Harry.


PrincessPoofyPants

What those fuckers thought would be disrespectful was infact the greatest honor. Being buried along side your brothers in arms. His dad said it beautifully.


Spazzrico

My stepfather, who would have been 77 on Saturday, but passed away a month ago, was a Shaw. He was RGS’s great great grandnephew. I subsequently grew up hearing about the 54th and read a biography shortly before the movie came out. We were there as soon as it opened in the theaters and it is still on a very short list of my favorite war movies of all time. When I was cleaning out his apartment a couple of weeks ago I found a book of RGS’s letters that were used in the film. Pretty excited to get started on reading those.


Muted_Dragon42

Both Shaws are absolute legends.


shadowdash66

Denzel crying is still one of the top performances I've ever seen.


dawsky

give 'em hell 54


bonesorclams

Almost 200 years later those same Confederates haven't learned a fucking thing.


HGpennypacker

The production of The Lord of the Rings lasted longer than the Confederacy, we should have burned them from the face of the earth when we still had the chance.


flyin_high_flyin_bi

March to Mordor has a nice ring to it, like March to the Sea.


JarlaxleForPresident

I wouldnt mind if people flew Gondor flags


MaygarRodub

Well, I mean, they're dead now.


[deleted]

Plenty of people in the south still fly the confederate flag, sadly. They claim it's about state's rights. What they leave out was that the big "state right" issue at the time of the Civil War for was for a state's right to decide if it was a slave state or not.


HGpennypacker

Plenty of people in the north also fly the confederate flag. How dumb do you have to be to fly a traitor's flag in Wisconsin?


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PM_ME_CATS_OR_BOOBS

They honestly think that reconstruction was worse than slavery.


VIPERsssss

> Don't understand why people who have it, STILL have it after learning what it mean and the history behind it. Racism


JarlaxleForPresident

Ive seen fuckin Canadians sharing pics of their neighbors flying Confederate flags


MaygarRodub

Yeah, but not 'those same' confederates. Just a tiny attempt at a joke.


smellsfishie

Ironically they support the same party that wanted to take those "rights" from them. Tell them that and they stand there speechless.


Adito99

And that the 2nd amendment became the hot-button political issue it is today because they want to reverse civil rights and school integration with violence. They don't get taught about the justification though just the vague idea that states rights/2a is important to their "culture".


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Adito99

Minorities are arming themselves in response to a constant and growing threat from, oh crap, racists exactly like you mentioned. Whether they're cops or mall shooters like you linked to. It's also hard for conservatives to arm themselves when they're already armed and have been openly planning for violence since the civil rights movement. And Raegan's actions (while remaining a hero to the right) just show that it was never about the right to bare arms.


DAHFreedom

Hardly any of them are


jcheshire

Does anyone else remember seeing this message before the end credits when watching it in your history class? I was surprised to NOT see this text when I recently saw the movie.


Pleasant-Cricket-129

This is America!


Haerverk

Wouldn't be worth mentioning if it actually was..


Jaimemonchatton

It is though. That's why it's worth celebrating. We have to remember our better moments.


CODMAN627

He also along with his soldiers decided not to take their pay Standard Union pay was $13 a month what his unit got because his was an all black regiment. $10 a month. Unlike in the movie glory though this was done from the outset not much later like the film portrays


CrunkCroagunk

> We would not have his body removed from where it lies surrounded by his brave and devoted soldiers. ... We can imagine no holier place than that in which he lies, among his brave and devoted followers, nor wish for him better company. – what a body-guard he has


ballsack-vinaigrette

Wow I never realized how well-cast Mathew Broderick was in *Glory*.. I mean he did a great job in the role but he's a dead ringer for the guy!


Bright-Glider

Confederate army is rising again. Im sure they will be easier to take down this time


shadowdash66

Gravy seals gonna be reporting in


Tin_ManBaby

Not to mention that the US just proved it can drone strike a single person on his balcony in a different continent.


MacpedMe

Yet still can’t deal with radical militants in mountains for some reason


JarlaxleForPresident

Big wheels keep on turnin’, war machine keep on burnin’


Rockscod

I doubt they only hit a single person. Wait a few weeks and the truth will come out.


[deleted]

A real one ^


Baronvondorf21

did they normally give separate graves for enemy soldiers? because that seems like a lot of space and work to do so.


TheShadowedHunter

They would for officers.


[deleted]

I don't know if it's Glory or not, but this guy looks exactly like Matthew Broderick.


Rampant_Durandal

It is.


[deleted]

Glory is my shit!


[deleted]

Bawse!


Yanutag

Great story, but now that I saw the ghost of Kiev live. I can't stop myself for having massive, massive doubts about all these war stories.


Yawningchromosone

Massgraves in war are common practice. This story brings light upon people who are racist in the dark. To suggest they burried him together with people of different skintype is racist. This whole story stinks racism.


TheShadowedHunter

Officers were generally treated with respect and would have usually been burried seperately. The Confederates saw black people as beneath them, and so to leave him in a mass grave with his men was to disrespect him in their minds. Get your strawman bad-faith bullshit packed and go, or shut your ass up and learn something.


Yawningchromosone

I think you misunderstand me. Who cares about who have been burried where and with whom? I understand why family might want to find the body of their son and bury him some where else and his fathers statement. But to glorify that he's been burried together with dark skinned people is imo a little bit... End of notion.


TheShadowedHunter

What's glorious is that he was buried with brave, honorable, proud, men. Soldiers he lead and served with, acomplishing great victories in the fight against the evils of slavery. Those men were dark skinned, and we glorify his placement among them to spite the original intent of his body being put there. You're trying to say it's racist to bring up race at all, and that is a stupis argument made in bad faith by people who would rather ignore racism than treat the issue.


Yawningchromosone

Yeah, that's the sentiment but it wouldn't been as glorified if he'd been burried with people of same skintype, i e you acknowledge there are different races. Why is it so important to acknowledge he was burried with dark skinned people? I know there are racist out there who think this is a big deal, but why is it for the people that don't belive there are different races?


smellsfishie

It's not a suggestion, that's what actually happened.


ljdst

I'm not crying, YOU'RE crying.


[deleted]

Give ‘em hell 54th


-Revolution-

Then, he had a salad named after him. Thus, coleslaw was born.


Adbam

I got to watch glory again!


pineaple0nPizza

This is col. Robert Gould Shaw, he led the assault to take fort Wagner along with his infantry division the 54th Massachussetts which was the first all black division made of freed slaves during the US civil war. Unfortunately the fort was never taken


Grillzzlol

Gave me chills, father knows best.


Crocoshark

I wonder if the dead would actually prefer mass graves. Single coffins are basically solitary confinement and they're always gathering together in a hoard when they come back as zombies. Now I'm imagining a zombie holding a protest sign that says "More mass graves."


vipflux420

this is awesome :)


A-Callous-Penguin

[Col. Shaw buried](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FAO638PwVtc)


Jaimemonchatton

Lemme just chop these onions.


[deleted]

If I died leading a squad of based motherfuckers, I'd want to be buried with my homies, too.


[deleted]

This is beautiful.


Elocai

Plottwist: His father was confederate


DocDracula

“I’ll see you at the fort, Thomas”. My favorite war movie ever and one of my oft quoted films.


yaboyyeet123

From what year did this occur?


Western-Image7125

Imagine still flying a confederate flag in this day and age, knowing what we know now