John Hoard (Union Soldier)

The headstone of John Hoard is unique because he is listed as a member of Company D of the 54th Massachusetts Regiment. What is a guy from Massachusetts doing in Noblesville, Indiana? Most likely, John Hoard had never stepped foot in Massachusetts prior to enlisting to fight. The 54th Massachusetts was made up of African American freemen and was the first colored unit in the Federal Army.

Most people know about Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation. This executive order declared that any slaves in states that were part of the rebellion were declared free. This took effect on January 1, 1863, and is seen as a key turning point in the war. What many people don’t realize is that Lincoln’s proclamation also allowed African Americans to take up arms and join the Union cause.

Here is how the Proclamation states it:

“And I further declare and make known, that such persons of suitable condition, will be received into the armed service of the United States to garrison forts, positions, stations, and other places, and to man vessels of all sorts in said service.”

This caused quite a stir throughout the Confederacy. Not only was Lincoln taking away their slaves, he was also arming them to fight against the boys of the South. The leaders of the Confederacy sent a message to Lincoln that they intended to execute any black man captured in service of the Union army. Lincoln sent a message back that for every such execution, he would order a captured Confederate prisoner to be executed. These strong words were cause for concern, but Lincoln was being pushed by northern abolitionists to form a new unit of the federal army – the U.S. Colored Troops. Among those abolitionists was Frederick Douglass.

Another of these abolitionists was the governor of Massachusetts, John Andrew. Andrew stepped up and declared he would raise the first colored regiment – the Massachusetts 54th. However, Massachusetts did not have enough freemen to fill the ranks, so national recruitment began and reached as far as Noblesville, Indiana. Douglass led the recruitment.

There was a concern in the north about sending black soldiers into battle. Given the strongly worded intentions of southern leaders, would black soldiers wilt during the heat of battle? All eyes were on the Massachusetts 54th as they were sent to South Carolina. In their most celebrated action, they led a charge against Fort Wagner in Charleston Harbor on July 18, 1863. The 54th successfully breached the fort, but under heavy fire and tremendous casualties, were eventually turned back. However, the men fought valiantly, and their bravery was the spark needed for Lincoln to establish the U.S. Colored Troops. One hundred eighty thousand African American men volunteered as soldiers to fill these ranks.

That brings us back, once again, to John Hoard, a volunteer soldier in Company D of the Massachusetts 54th. He was a member of that first regiment that opened the door for so many others. He died 21 years after the Massachusetts 54th led the charge on Fort Wagner and was laid to rest at Riverside Cemetery.
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This information was provided by Kevin Yaney. For more details, visit: http://www.civilwarveteranswalkingtour.com/