Provides a vivid picture of black soldiers on and off the battlefield, the obstacles they faced, the determiantion with which they fought, and their status in the aftermath of the war.

Describes the Civil War battle of Morris Island, South Carolina, during which Sargeant William H. Carney became the first African American to earn a Congressional Medal of Honor by preserving the flag. In July 1863, a significantbattle in the Civil War was fought. Sergeant William H. Carney, an officer of the newly formed Massachusetts Fifty-fourth Regiment - comprised entirely of African Americans - led his soldiers over the ramparts of Fort Wagner,...