Submitted by Eugene, Dec 4, 2006 09:25

Congratulations to Mr. Gitell for his accuracy (perhaps unintentional) in _not_ describing Robert Gould Shaw as the commander of the first black regiment to serve in combat in the Civil War. That honor is correctly attributed to Colonel Thomas Wentworth Higginson - a most amazing 19th century intellectual man of action who today is largely unknown to his countrymen. Colonel Higginson led a brigade of freed slaves, the First South Carolina Volunteers, into combat on the Sea Islands of South Carolina some 4-6 months before Saw's regiment was formed. (In fact, Higginson [of Massachusetts] was consulted by Shaw during the formation of the latter's unit.)

Regarding Lt. Samuel Storrow & Harvard Memorial Hall: there were, in fact, five individuals of that name extant in the 19th century. Lt. Samuel Storrow was the 4th to bear the name; his cousin, Surgeon Major Samuel Storrow was the 3rd, and also served in the Civil War. Although all serving Storrows were in the Union Army, they had extended kin (by marriage) who served in the opposition, including Major General William Smith, CSA - AKA the War Governor of Virginia.

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