As Major General John M. Schofield said, during his address to the Corps of Cadets at the U.S. Military Academy in 1879, “The discipline which makes the soldiers of a free country reliable in battle is not to be gained by harsh or tyrannical treatment.” In the movie “Glory,” Colonel Shaw struggles to lead his regiment– the first “colored” regiment of the Civil War. Right off the bat, Colonel Shaw has little experience as a leader. Growing up in a wealthy, abolitionist family in Boston, Shaw had minimal experience with hardships anything similar to the recently freed slaves to enlist in his regiment. When presented with the opportunity to lead the first all- black regiment, Shaw and his family rejoiced in the idea. However, just as Schofield stated, Colonel Shaw had to “feels the respect” of his men, have a “voice to inspire in [his] soldier[s],” and thus, create an “intense desire to obey.”
Initially, Colonel Shaw began to train his men using harsh tactics that caused the regiment to resent him. The conditions the soldiers endured were horrible. If they were lucky enough to have shoes, they did not fit and created painful blisters and bruising. One of the men, Trip, traveled out of camp in search of better shoes until he was caught and returned to Colonel Shaw in handcuffs. As penance for leaving camp, he was to be “flogged,” or whipped, a popular punishment by slave masters. This insensitive and unjust punishment immediately created a divide between the regiment and Colonel Shaw after told Sergeant Mulcahey that he “may commence.” Riots and disobedience continued, and Colonel Shaw had little control over his men. Just has Schofield said, harsh and tyrannical treatment is not the correct way to discipline soldiers. Instead of teaching them to serve, they grew to resent Colonel Shaw.
After the riots and disobedience, Colonel Shaw witnessed due to the tough love by him and Sargent Mulcahey, and thus, Colonel Shaw decided he would need to change his tactics. The tough love from Colonel Shaw and Sargent Mulcahey– hired by Shaw to help train the soldiers– was creating a divide between the men and their superiors. Thus, they would not be able to work together, nor effectively, on a battlefield. Colonel Shaw took it upon himself to change the narrative. As the day for paychecks came around, Colonel Shaw received news that his men would be making ten dollars a month, compared to the thirteen dollars every white soldier made. As each man took their paycheck, their faces filled with disappointment. Every paycheck began to vanish out of anger. Ripped in half or thrown in the air, the men would not accept yet another form of oppression. Thus, Colonel Shaw held his paycheck high and tall and stated, “if you men will take no pay, then none of us will.” Finally, there something connecting Colonel Shaw with his regiment. By tearing his paycheck, he acknowledged their struggle–the prejudice and oppression, slavery and manual labor, and the chance to make something of themselves finally. The men had great respect for Colonel Shaw’s stunt and his willingness to fight, not just the Civil War, the oppression against them together. After this moment, circumstances begin to change. The rioting ends, and the men are more eager than ever to commence their battle training. Even Forbes notes that the fifty-fourth regiment is better prepared than many they have seen. The respect the men acquired for Colonel Shaw is essential in his success as a leader and their success in battle.
The men had shoes, blue suits, and guns. All that the regiment needed was the ability to fight. No longer would Colonel Shaw allow for his men to do, and only do, manual labor. They were there to fight for the Union that gave them their freedom. Colonel Shaw planned on making sure that they would. With such confidence in his regiment, Colonel Shaw goes to Quartermaster and demands that he “give [him] and his regiment a transfer to combat command.” However, the Quartermaster is far too interested in using regiment fifty-four for his jobs. The manual labor included burning down homes, stealing cotton, and smuggling goods all for the Quartermaster’s taking. Using this information as blackmail, Colonel Shaw ensured a position in combat command for his men. Just the next day the men met a Confederate regiment and won. Apart from losing forty-two men, the regiment fought with everything they had. Finally, their training and passion paid off. They were inspired by Colonel Shaw’s bravery to face his superiors to get them new shoes, blue suits, guns, and the opportunity to fight and be treated like men. This inspiration ignited a passion that made the men proud to be part of the Union and proud to be fighting under Colonel Shaw. After their win against one of the Confederate regiments, the men were on an extraordinary high. Not only were they finally being treated as men, they now had a successful track record under Colonel Shaw’s guidance. The regiment returned to camp with pride and high spirits. Colonel Shaw’s confrontation with the Quartermaster inspired the men to fight for Colonel Shaw as he did for them.
After finishing “Glory,” and watching Colonel Shaw’s relationship flourish, and his leadership better, it is clear that Schofield is right. One cannot discipline with harsh and tyrannical tactics like when Colonel Shaw had Sargeant Mulcahey whip one of his men. Instead, a leader must gain the respect of their people as Colonel Shaw did when he, too, ripped his
paycheck with his regiment in opposition to the racial pay gap. In addition, for a regiment to run smoothly, a leader must inspire their men to act and aspire to obey similarly to how Colonel Shaw bravely persisted in getting what his men needed. Overall, based on the movie, “Glory,” Schofield’s quote rings true. To discipline soldiers and train them well, one must refrain from cruel punishments and instead work for respect and to inspire them to work. In turn, a good leader must learn how to respect their followers and have a voice and spirit that catalyze a passionate and eager group of soldiers– as Colonel Shaw did.