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Commonwealth Museum   Secretary of the Commonwealth William Francis Galvin
Commonwealth Museum Secretary of the Commonwealth William Francis Galvin

Fire and Thunder: The Soldiers of the 55th


The men of the 55th Infantry Regiment were a diverse mix of soldiers from all parts of the country and all corners of the globe


Photograph of Sergeant Andrew Jackson Smith, 55th Massachusetts Infantry. Andrew Jackson Smith was one of only two soldiers in the African-American regiments from Massachusetts to be awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor. Courtesy State Library of Massachusetts, Special Collections.
Photograph of Sergeant Andrew Jackson Smith, 55th Massachusetts Infantry Andrew Jackson Smith was one of only two soldiers in the African-American regiments fromMassachusetts to be awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor.
- Courtesy State Library of Massachusetts, Special Collections

An escaped slave living in Illinois, twenty year-old Andrew Jackson Smith enlisted in the 55th Massachusett s Infantry early in 1863. During fierce fighting at Honey Hill, South Carolina, in 1864, Smith took up the regimental colors after the bearer was killed by enemy fire. Even though a third of the regiment was killed and wounded in the fighting, Smith continued to wave the flag defiantly in the face of enemy fire. His heroism would go unrecognized until 2001, when President Clinton posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor to Andrew Jackson Smith for his bravery under fire. The medal was presented to Sergeant Smith’s descendents who had worked tirelessly for the recognition of their ancestor’s heroic achievements. 


A newspaper article describing Nicholas Saib, a soldier in the 55th Massachusetts Infantry. Nicholas Saib, born Mohammed Ali Ben Saib in the Sudan, was a subject of fascination for many authors. He was featured in an article in the Atlantic Monthly in 1867, and in 1873 he published his autobiography. Courtesy of Massachusetts Archives. Document conserved through the generosity of the Military Historical Society of Massachusetts.

News article

A black-and-white photograph of Private Nicholas Saib, a soldier in the 55th Massachusetts Infantry during the Civil War. He is dressed in a Union Army uniform, standing with a serious expression. Born Mohammed Ali Ben Saib in the Sudan, he experienced slavery across Africa, Asia, and Europe before gaining his freedom and moving to the United States. Fluent in five languages, he later worked as a teacher after the war. Courtesy of Massachusetts Historical Society.

Private Nicholas Saib