In a thread on the Tennessee forum another poster proposed the idea that the burial of the officers and men of the 54th Massuchusetts at Fort Wagner was no different than any other burials of other Union officers and men KIA anywhere else in the south where the rebel forces held the field.
However, the poster then goes on to say that the men of the 54th Massachusetts were considered nothing but common criminals to the defenders of Fort Wagner who buried them, that they were "traitors" to the south, even if they were freemen citizens of northern states.
I made the point that soldiers being buried as common criminals was a burial of disgrace, and that having white officers from Massachusetts thrown into the same pit were being deliberately buried with dishonor with these so-called criminals, and thus they too were deliberately disgraced, at least in the southern eyes of the burial parties of Fort Wagner.
I say it cannot be both ways. Either the burial was meant to be one of criminals, or meant to be one of soldiers, to the southern burial parties.
If the burials of the 54th at Fort Wagner were NO DIFFERENT than any other burial of Union soldiers KIA in the south, as the other poster contends, then one of two things must then be said of ALL burials of Union soldiers by southern burial parties:
Either
1) ALL Union men and officers KIA in the south were buried considered as criminals without honor by the southern burial parties
or
2) ALL Union soldiers and officers were buried as soldiers considered worthy of honors by southern burial parties
So, which is it?
If the men of the 54th Massachusetts were considered as and buried as criminals, but also thought no different than any other Union burial by southern men, is he saying all Union soldiers and officers were deserving no honor and all were buried in equal disgrace by the south?
or,
Is he saying, since he feels there is no difference between the burials at Fort Wagner of the 54th and any other places, that the southern defenders of Fort Wagner recognized that these soldiers and officers of the 54th were honorable soldiers, and they buried them as such?
It cannot be both ways. Either Fort Wagner's treatment of the men and officers of 54th Massacusetts was the same as everywhere else, or it was different.
So which is it?
Did the southern defenders of Fort Wagner consider the dead soldiers and officers of the 54th Massacusetts to be common criminals worthy of no respect, or as manly soldiers worthy of honor?