Gunfire blasts and booming cannons surrounded Union Army Private, William Carney. His regiment’s objective: to capture Fort Wagner near Charleston, South, Carolina.
The 54th Regiment of Massachusetts at the Civil War battle for Ft. Wagner, July 18, 1863.
Jerking movement nearby caught Carney’s eye. The color guard had been shot. As the dying man fell, the U.S. flag he carried began billowing toward the ground. Carney scrambled to rescue the flag from desecration and took a bullet himself.
Carney continued to crawl toward the fort, holding the flag high and calling encouragement for his fellow soldiers to follow. He was hit at least three more times, but made it to the walls of Fort Wagner, planting the flag into the sandy soil and holding it upright “until his near-lifeless body was rescued” [1] .
Even then Carney refused to let go of the flag until he was returned to his regiment’s camp. His heroism that day inspired a vital victory for the Union Army.
W. H. Carney with the flag he carried that day.
Years later Carney explained his motivation for joining the Union cause: “I had a strong inclination to prepare myself for the ministry; but when the country called for all persons, I could best serve my God by serving my country and my oppressed brothers. The sequel is short – I enlisted for the war” [2] .
Yes, Carney had been an oppressed brother himself, born into slavery in 1840. But during the 1850s he arrived in Massachusetts, either through the Underground Railroad, or perhaps his father—already a freed slave—was able to purchase his son.
Either way, Carney began to enjoy the freedoms that Blacks of the South were denied—freedoms like traveling, assembling, learning to read and write, and receiving pay for work. He passionately desired other slaves to experience the same.
That God-given passion for his fellow man surely inspired Carney that day at Fort Wagner, to give the fight his all no matter what duty fell to him. And for his tenacity and courage, William Carney received the Medal of Honor in 1900. He was the first Black soldier to do so.
Someone might ask, how was William Carney able to stay so strong?
Undoubtedly his firm stance was the result of:
- Strong attention toward his God
- Strong determination to live by God’s ways
- Strong faith in God’s promises, confident that whether he lived or died, all would be well
We too can stand firm in what we face by applying the same.
Strong attention toward God includes not allowing our emotions to control us. For example, sorrow, fear, and exhaustion will insist we can’t go on, but God tells us he gives strength to the weary and increases power for the weak [3] .
Strong attention toward God includes being in relationship with him, through prayer, Bible reading, worship, and more. We can’t expect to sense his peace and strengthening presence if we never spend time with him.
Security is not the absence of danger
but the presence of God
no matter what the danger.
Unknown
Strong determination to follow God means choosing to live by his truth. Scripture is full of examples of men and women shaped by their faith and obedience in God, becoming as strong as steel: Huldah, Jeremiah, Daniel, Mary (Mother of Jesus), Peter, and Paul are among them.
We see such Bible heroes as extraordinary, but I’m sure they’d tell us they were just ordinary people who trusted in their extra-ordinary God.
Strong faith in God’s promises means we can hold on to hope with confidence and courage.
I wonder if scripture-promises echoed in William Carney’s mind as he held that flag high and emboldened his comrades–promises such as these?
- “The Lord gives strength to his people; the Lord blesses his people with peace” (Psalm 29:11).
- “With your help I can advance against a troop; with my God I can scale a wall. It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect” (2 Samuel 22:30, 33).
- “If I live, it will be for Christ, and if I die, I will gain even more.” (Philippians 1:21 CEV).
You and I may never fight in battle, but these same promises can echo in our minds as we confront such enemies of our souls as discouragement, anxiety, stress, guilt, and temptation.
Like William Carney WE can stand steadfast and strong [4] .
What helps you to stand strong? Please share your experience in the comment section!
[1]https://www.army.mil/article/181896/meet_sgt_william_carney_the_first_african_american_medal_of_honor_recipient
[2] https://www.nps.gov/articles/william-h-carney.htm
[3] Isaiah 40:29
[4] 1 Corinthians 15:58
Photo credits: http://www.picryl.com (2); http://www.nypl.getarchive.net; http://www.dir.es/album/hiking-in-wales-2019; http://www.wallpaperflare.com.
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This is a great article and a needed call for courage in the spiritual battles around us. Thanks for sharing!
And thank you, Pastor Pete, for your comment of encouragement!
Thanks, Nancy, for sharing another story of courage, commitment and faith in God and His promises. William Carney is such an inspiration to me, and should be to all of us. When we trust completely in God, He will empower us to stand boldly and bravely in the face of fear.
Blessings!
Your last statement offers such reassurance, Martha. We CAN stand boldly and bravely in the face of fear, thanks to God’s empowerment. Hallelujah!
What an inspirational story, Nancy! I agree with you on the reasons why he took a firm stance. Thanks for pointing those out so we too can be reminded of what we need to do when we need to stand firm. Another thing that helps me is when I remember his faithfulness in past trials. He never leaves us.
Oh yes, we CAN gain strength as we remember the wonderful works he’s done and his miracles (Psalm 105:5a). I’m so thankful that years ago I began a journal to record the Lord’s faithfulness to our family–his provision and blessing. / YOU, dear Mary, are a sublime example of one who has stood firm through great trial. I commend you for your faith, perseverance, and courage!
Thank you, Nancy. I wish I had journaled more. Bill did a whole chapter for his book on how God made provision in so many areas of our life during his illness. It was funny because I remembered some but Bill didn’t and vice versa. That’s why we should journal. Now, I’m going to go journal. 🙂
Thanks for this wonderful history lesson, Nancy! Carney truly was a great man with s strong resolve to be honorable to his God and his country.
I’m glad you enjoyed the history lesson, Nancy. Carney was a new hero for me too.
Such an encouraging post! Thank you, Nancy!
Praise God you found encouragement here, Bridget!
You have given us another great story from the past, one that gives us an example of being strong for God and in God. When you talked about giving strong attention to God, it made me think of my grandparent verse that I shared in my blog yesterday – I Timothy 4:10 – …I have fixed my hope on the living God… You have described that so well when you talked about giving strong attention to God. Fixing my eyes and my hope on God help me to be strong. Thank you, Nancy, for reminding me of that tonight. Blessings!
You are so right, Patty. Fixing our eyes and our hope on God help us to be strong! He IS our only hope! And he offers so many benefits as we fix our attention on him (Psalm 103:1-13).
Thanks for sharing William Carney’s story, one I had never heard. His faith in God and his courage to not give up are so inspirational!
I had never heard of Carney either until I started researching for this post. His story inspired me too, Pam!
We fly the American flag on our house every day, advertising our pride in the leading symbol of freedom. I wish more of today’s young people would know William Carney’s story. Maybe then they’d give our flag – and our country by association – unconditional honor. And I love how a faith-based life goes hand-in-hand with the concept.
Thank you, Dave, for your thoughtful comments concerning respect for our country and its flag. You’ve got me thinking: The founding of our country was faith-based, beginning with the Mayflower Compact. That faith in God then influenced the values by which our nation was established, and by which most Americans have lived for nearly 250 years, following the Golden Rule that Jesus taught (even if they never professed faith in him). It’s one reason why we became a great nation, willing and able to help other nations, yet never seeking to colonize or expand our borders. But many of our schools no longer teach history accurately (based on primary sources), or require proficiency for what they do teach, and civics has been dropped from the curriculum. As a result, many of today’s students have no background for respecting their country and its flag. I pray this trend can be reversed!
I had to reread the Mayflower Compact to remember its details, Nancy. Four references to God, one “Advancement of the Christian Faith”, and a restatement of the Golden Rule, in one short paragraph. These pilgrims were remarkably aligned in their beliefs. Perhaps a good future blog topic for you!
As a matter of fact, I already wrote about the Pilgrims and the Mayflower Compact! You can access it here:https://nancyaruegg.com/2014/11/24/in-the-name-of-god-the-mayflower-compact/
you are such a great story teller. So inspirational!
Thank you, Jean. I love researching such heroes of the faith as William Carney–those that aren’t so well known. They inspire me too!
Thanks Nancy. I’d never heard of him before, and I’m glad to know about him.
I’m glad that YOU’RE glad, Colleen! 😁 I hadn’t heard of Carney either until I started researching for this post. He’s a worthy hero to know, all right!
I enjoyed reading about William Carney, Nancy. His story reminds me of another story of a war hero that I draw a lot of inspiration from. It is the story of WWII Master Sargent Roddie Edmonds. I recently reread the book “No Surrender” by his son Chris Edmonds. It is the story Roddie’s service and heroic acts during WWII told by Chris as he learned of them trough others who had served with Roddie. I am inspired by Roddie’s faith and courage but also by his humility (he never told anyone of his experiences during the war).
So many veterans prefer not to talk much about their war experiences. My dad was among them. How wonderful that Chris was able to gather the threads of his father’s story that speak of his faith, courage, and humility.
To stand firm in light of the challenge of the battle, to not be swayed by what you are or aren’t to do what God calls you to do–William Carney was a picture of faith and faithfulness. Courage is a remarkable gift from the Lord that He doesn’t require us to use by ourselves. Thanks for this wonderful story, my friend.
You are so right, Dayle: “Courage is a remarkable gift from the Lord that He doesn’t require us to use by ourselves.” Thank you for adding that truth to the discussion. He does indeed supply courage when circumstances call for it, as countless heroes of the faith have testified. Such a comforting reality!
Often the challenges God allow are designed to teach us the art of war and strengthen us in the inner man.
Excellent point, RH. A life of ease tends to make us lazy and soft–not worth much in the kingdom of God!
I love reading these historical accounts. They are inspiring without a doubt. Not meaning to be negative, but when I read stories like this I have a real problem that freedom of speech includes the ‘right’ to burn the American flag. Back to your post, I think I am most able to stand strong when the Lord blesses me with a verse or event that corresponds exactly to my needs exactly when I need it. It confirms that He is so very patient with my ongoing battle to fight my feelings and fears. I was reminded this week to pay less attention to the ongoing evil happenings in our country and instead, to keep looking up because our redemption is near! We have the full armor of God to enable us to stand strong!
Well done, Cheri–training your focus on God so discouragement can’t pull you down! As for freedom of speech, including the ‘right’ to burn the American flag: It seems these days certain voices are allowed to ‘speak’ freely (through word and action) while others are silenced. Perhaps the pendulum will swing as lies are exposed and truth shines with irrefutable clarity. That’s my prayer!
Inspiring.
Praise God you found inspiration here, Anna!
Great story of hope and focus placed on the Lord! Thank you for sharing, Nancy! Your encouragement through your writing is such a blessing!!
I’m praising God that you find blessing here, Alicia. That warms my heart!
Hi Nancy,
I love that no race or color of skin keeps one out of God’s kingdom. Broken holy people are welcome. Thank you, Gary
Couldn’t agree more, Gary!