The black Bermudian who fought in the American Civil War with the first coloured regiment in the United States has been revealed as Robert John Simmons, who is thought to have been from St. George's.

The Royal Gazette reported on Wednesday that a newspaper article from 1863 mentioning the legendary 54th Massachusetts Regiment stated a black Bermudian was among those wounded and captured by Confederate troops.

The 54th Massachusetts was the first black regiment in America and was made up of free Northern blacks. It was part of Abraham Lincoln's Union Army which fought to free southern slaves and it was immortalised in the Denzel Washington film "Glory". A book about the 54th Massachusetts published in 1891 - "A Brave Black Regiment" - reveals that Sergeant Simmons died in prison after his arm was amputated in Charleston in August 1863, one month after Union troops unsuccessfully tried to seize Fort Wagner, South Carolina. But Sgt Simmons would not, as we reported on Wednesday, have been a former slave. Slavery was abolished in Bermuda in 1834, but Sgt Simmons, who died aged 26, would have been born three years after slavery ended on the Island.

A Royal Gazette reader gave us the book, written by Captain Luis J Emilio, after reading our story that American historian Mark Mitchell this week presented the Bermuda government with a copy of the Weekly Columbus Enquirer of Georgia from July 28, 1863, which mentions the black Bermudian in the regiment.The reader, who asked not to be named, said Sgt Simmons was originally from St. George's.

Continued on Page 6

He said he died before the Congressional Medal of Honour was created, and that Sgt Simmons was given a private medal instead for his role in the battle to capture Fort Wagner.

The roster of the 54th Massachusetts Regiment reveals Sgt Simmons was single, a clerk from Bermuda, who appears to have joined on March 12, 1863. He died in prison in Charleston in August 1863.

The Bermudian, who was unnamed in the Weekly Columbus Enquirer article, clearly impressed his Confederate captors, who said he was educated and a "remarkably sprightly fellow" - in contrast to the other black Northern troops whom the newspaper described as a "mongrel set of trash".

Mr. Mitchell, an American historian, said he was astonished to read the newspaper report saying the Bermudian said he fought in the war for "glory" - the name of the Denzel Washington film.

What was more remarkable, said Mr. Mitchell, was that the film-makers would not have had access to the newspaper report when they made the movie in 1989.

In "A Brave Black Regiment," Sgt Simmons is described by Cpt Emilio as "the finest looking soldier in the fiftyfourth - a brave man and of good education. He was wounded and captured. Taken to Charleston, his bearing impressed even his captors. After suffering amputation of the arm, he died there".

The colonel commanding the 54th, Edward Hallowell, wrote of the battle: "The assault was made upon the south face of the fort. So many of the officers behaved with marked bravery and coolness. I cannot mention any above the others.

"It is due, however to the following named enlisted men that they may be recorded above their fellows for special merit: - Sgt Robt. J. Simmons, Sgt William H Carney, Corp Henry F Peal, Pvt Geo Wilson".