06/15/2026
On this day, in 1863, Edward Leonard (buried in McPherson Cemetery) enlisted for service in the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry Regiment, which was one of the first all-African-American regiments in the Civil War.
He would have fought in the famed Second Battle of Fort Wagner (Charleston, South Carolina), which occurred on July 18, 1863.
He served with Company A, 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry Regiment. He enlisted on June 15, 1863, and was discharged on February 20, 1866. At the time of his discharge, he had attained the rank of Corporal.
This regiment bravely led the assault on Fort Wagner and sadly lost many of its soldiers as well as its commander, Col. Robert Gould Shaw, during the assault.
It was the second African-American regiment organized during the Civil War. The regiment fought in five engagements: the Battle of Grimball's Landing, the Second Battle of Fort Wagner, the Battle of Olustee, the Battle of Honey Hill, and the Battle of Boykin's Mill.
This regiment became well known during the 1990s because a Hollywood movie was made to honor its brave and courageous accomplishments. The movie was "Glory," starring Matthew Broderick, Morgan Freeman, Denzel Washington, and Cary Elwes.
He moved to Clyde, Ohio, in ca. 1870 and spent the rest of his life in this community. He passed away in the early 1930s.
His name is misspelled on his headstone. The actual spelling of his name is "Leonard," but it is spelled "Leanard" on his headstone.
