Hold the Flag High - Hardcover

Clinton, Catherine

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0060504285 ISBN 13: 9780060504281

Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books, 2005

Synopsis

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, where Union soldiers charged the Confederates. As the soldiers fought, they gained strength from the stars and stripes of the American flag, Old Glory. It was Carney's vow to never let Old Glory touch the ground, and despite several gunshot wounds, he was able to rescue the flag from the fallen bearer. Carney held the flag high as a symbol that his regiment would never submit to the Confederacy. The battle of Fort Wagner decimated the Fifty-fourth Regiment, but Carney's heroism that night inspired all who survived.

Catherine Clinton's historically precise text paired with Shane Evans's rich illustrations creates a remarkable account of one of the most memorable battles in Civil War history.

About this title

About the Author:

Catherine Clinton is the author of Harriet Tubman: The Road to Freedom and Fanny Kemble's Civil Wars. Educated at Harvard, Sussex, and Princeton, she is a member of the advisory committee to the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission, and holds a chair in U.S. history at Queen's University Belfast.

From School Library Journal:

Grade 3-6-The Massachusetts Fifty-fourth regiment, famously depicted in the movie Glory, was unique in the Civil War because it was made up entirely of African-American soldiers (with the exception of its commanding officer, Colonel Robert Gould Shaw). This picture book focuses on Sergeant William Carney, the first African-American soldier to be awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor. When Shaw arrives to tell the troops that they have been selected to lead the charge, they are proud and ready. The actual fighting is depicted realistically but appropriately for a young audience. The illustrations convey pain and confusion but not graphic violence or injuries. Evans's expressive oil paintings capture the mood and action of the battle in a powerful and effective manner. Carney watches as the soldier who is carrying the flag is shot and killed. Although he, too, has been hit by a bullet, he valiantly catches the flag before it can touch the ground and gets it to safety before collapsing. A period photograph of Carney holding the American flag and a historical time line add realism to the portrayal of events. Although the book contains factual information and sources are listed, dialogue and feelings attributed to the characters put it more in the realm of historical fiction. It is an excellent resource to humanize textbook studies of the Civil War and would work well with Patricia Polacco's Pink and Say (Penguin, 1994), George Ella Lyon's Cecil's Story (Scholastic, 1995), Ann Turner's Drummer Boy (HarperCollins, 1998), and Romare Bearden's Li'l Dan, the Drummer Boy (S & S, 2003).-Lucinda Snyder Whitehurst, St. Christopher's School, Richmond, VA
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About this edition

• Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
• Publication date: 2005
• ISBN 10: 0060504285
• ISBN 13: 9780060504281
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 32
• Illustrator: Evans Shane W.