First Black Receives Congressional Medal of Honor

On July 18, 1863, the first African-American received the Congressional Medal of Honor. Sergeant William H. Carney was the recipient because of his bravery in action during the Civil War. Carney, a member of the 54th Massachusetts Colored Infantry, was wounded twice during the charge on Fort Wagner, South Carolina, while rescuing the Union Flag. After making it through the barrage of bullets and delivering the flag, he shouted, “The Old Flag never touched the ground!” Reference: The African-American Desk Reference Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture Copyright 1999, The Stonesong Press, Inc., and The New York Public Library, John Wiley & Sons, Inc.