The story of the 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment, told mostly through the eyes of their commander, Colonel Robert Gould Shaw (played by Matthew Broderick). Formed during the American Civil War, the 54th Massachusetts was the first African-American unit in the US Army. We see the formation of the regiment, its first volunteers, their training, disputes with administrators, their first operations in South Carolina and, finally, their moment of glory - the attack on Fort Wagner.—grantss