Video
Robert Gould Shaw and Massachusetts 54th Regiment Memorial
Transcript
This sculpture is 11 by 14 feet with the actual memorial starting about two feet above the ground atop a solid granite platform. It is framed by two flat concrete columns connected by a stylized concrete arch.
A 3-dimensional figure of Colonel Robert Gould Shaw sits with a straight back on a horse at the center of the memorial. Both Shaw and the horse have their heads high as they walk on the side of rows of African American soldiers marching in unison to their right. A young man at the front of the group plays a drum strapped around his neck while the others rest their guns on their shoulders. They carry packs and rolled blankets on their back. A strap crosses their bodies to secure a water canteen at their hips. The solders appear to emerge out of the vertical plan of bronze. The individuals closest to the viewer are almost entirely three dimensional. There are about 20 visible faces in the sculpture. Each is different. One has a complete beard and appears older than the rest. They all look resolutely ahead. Glimpses of more shoes, pant legs, and rifles give the appearance of additional soldiers beyond the visible faces.
A woman floats above the heads of Colonel Shaw and the soldiers. Her eyes cast down on the men with a sympathetic gaze. One arm is outstretched while the other holds an olive branch. Poppies line the upper half of her body. The entire sculpture produces the effect of forward movement from left to right. To mimic the stance of the soldiers, take a step forward with your left foot. Shift your upper body over the left leg. Allow the heel of your right foot to come off the ground. Lean your entire body forward a couple more inches. This is the stance of the soldiers marching forward. The drapery of the angelic figure flows to the left as if she too appears to be moving forward with the mass of troops.
Archibald Grimke was an African American activist, lawyer, and orator. This is how he described the soldiers in the memorial at an event in 1901: “They are not afraid. A high courage looks from their stern faces, lives in the martial motion of their supple bodies, flashes from the barrels of their guns. Whilst gazing at the heroic group, one is almost able to catch the firm and regular beat of their iron heels on the stones of the street, almost able to see the cloud of fine dust rising and whirling backward in their swift tracks.”
Description
A detailed audio description of the Robert Gould Shaw and Massachusetts 54th Regiment Memorial by Augustus Saint-Gaudens, located on the grounds of Saint-Gaudens National Historical Park.
Duration
2 minutes, 18 seconds
Credit
NPS
Date Created
06/30/2026
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