1. The 54th, led by Robert Gould Shaw, son of prominent (white) abolitionists, consisted largely of former slaves. False.

Glory leads viewers to believe that most (though not all) of the men who served under Shaw (pictured here) were former slaves. Although this conceit adds to the impact of the film—making the 54th's struggle for recognition and an equal place in the war a mirror of the general African American struggle for freedom and equality—it veers far from historical fact. Most of the men who volunteered for the 54th were born freemen from middle-class backgrounds. In fact, two soldiers in the 54th were sons of the abolitionist Frederick Douglass.

2. The unsuccessful but heroic attack on Fort Wagner, SC, in which the Confederates killed or captured approximately 50% of the regiment, was the last battle in which the 54th served. False.

Glory ends with the 54th's attack on Fort Wagner, and the losses its men suffered. This gives the impression that the regiment dissolved after the Fort Wagner assault. In reality, the 54th went on to fight in several more battles and skirmishes, including the Battle of Olustee (in Florida) the Battle of Honey Hill (in South Carolina), and the Battle of Boykin's Mill (also in South Carolina).

3. The bravery of the 54th at Fort Wagner inspired Congress to authorize raising other African American troops for the Union army. False.

The ending caption in Glory—"As word of their bravery spread, Congress at last authorized the raising of black troops throughout the Union"—is inaccurate. According to historian James M. McPherson, Congress had authorized the mustering of further African American troops "months earlier."

Further, though it might be easy to believe otherwise while watching the film, the 54th was not the first African American regiment—the U.S. government began enlisting African Americans as early as 1862, almost a year before the 54th's formation in March 1863.

4. A member of the regiment was flogged for desertion, in keeping with standard military punishments at the time. False.

One of the most often described moments in the film, when former slave Trip reveals his scarred back before receiving a flogging for desertion, is unlikely to have ever happened in life. Leaving aside the character's fictional nature (like many of Glory's characters, except Shaw, Trip was created for the film), a soldier would not have been flogged as punishment in 1863—according to historian Joseph T. Glatthar, flogging was outlawed in the U.S. military in 1861.

Turkey

Difficult. Beef, pork, and lamb were rationed, except for organ meats (which could not be easily preserved and shipped to the troops). Poultry was not rationed because it, too, was difficult to preserve and ship, but turkey shortages were widespread during the holiday season of 1943. This was partly because farmers were obliged to offer their turkeys first to the government before selling them on the open market. Cooks who were not prepared to hunt wild turkeys were encouraged to roast a duck or a chicken for Thanksgiving.

Dressing

Not difficult. Flour and bread were not rationed. Nor were fresh vegetables—onions and celery, for example, or chestnuts. Fresh fish was not rationed either, so adding oysters would have been no problem, depending on one's proximity to the coast.

Cranberry sauce

Difficult. Fresh fruit was not rationed, so cranberries could be found in the market, but sugar was rationed (two lbs. per person per month). You could use rationed sugar to make cranberry sauce, but that would not leave much for the rest of the month. Having several people pool their ration was a possible solution. Canned cranberry sauce was available, but the government rationed almost all processed and canned, bottled, or frozen food, so it would cost precious points. Consumers were strongly urged to recycle metal cans for the war effort.

Green beans with cheese sauce

Difficult. Green beans (and other fresh vegetables) were not rationed (unless in cans), and milk for the cheese sauce was available. Hard cheese, however, was rationed because it was easy to ship overseas.

Mashed potatoes

Not difficult. Fresh vegetables were not rationed.

Rolls

Not difficult. Flour was not rationed; neither were fresh eggs.

Butter

Difficult. Butter was rationed, along with all other oils and fats. Margarine was somewhat easier to get than butter. Factories and farms focused on supplying the military first. Factories used oils and fats to manufacture soap and munitions (using glycerin). Whiskey distilleries turned to making industrial alcohol.

Fresh tropical fruit salad with cottage cheese

Difficult. Cottage cheese and other soft cheeses were not rationed, and fresh fruit was not rationed (although canned fruit was); however, fresh tropical fruit, such as bananas, was almost unavailable due to the disruption in Caribbean shipping by naval warfare. In addition, railroads and trucks were detailed to move military supplies. A Waldorf salad would have been a better choice.

Pumpkin pie

Difficult. Sugar and shortening were both rationed (some people used fat rendered from their rationed meat for shortening). Fresh pumpkin was freely available, but canned pumpkin was rationed because of the can.

Coffee

Difficult. Coffee was rationed until 1943, but even after that, it was scarce, as was tea. Other scarce products on the home front included chocolate and cigarettes, both of which were shipped overseas to the army.

The public was encouraged to grow produce in "Victory Gardens" and to conserve and collect metal, paper, and rubber. They were also encouraged to carpool whenever possible. Besides gasoline and automobiles, other rationed non-food items included clothing, shoes, typewriters, stoves, refrigerators, bicycles, tires, fuel oil, farm equipment, and wire fencing.

1. This was a popular Civil War song sung by Union and Confederate soldiers. Regimental bands typically ended evening camp concerts by playing this song and bands of opposing armies sometimes performed the song together across battle lines:

Home Sweet Home. John Howard Payne, a traveling actor who wrote the lyrics, lived his entire life in hotel rooms and boarding houses, never having an actual home.

2. After battle, while preparing casualties from the opposing army for burial, a captain discovered his own son among the dead soldiers. On his son’s body, he found the music for this song written on a scrap of paper:

Taps. Captain Robert Ellicombe asked his company bugler to play the music at his son's burial. The next day, Division Commander Gen. Daniel Butterfield, asked his bugler, Oliver Morton, to arrange the piece for a new bugle call, which was soon played throughout the entire Union Army.

3. The melody to this song was originally a popular drinking tune:

Star Spangled Banner. John Stafford Smith composed the melody for a London social club in the late 1700s, and the music was used for a religious hymn and later for a popular drinking song in London and America.

4. Originally a religious song, this music, with new lyrics, became a famous marching song:

Battle Hymn of the Republic. Southerner William Steffe composed the music for a religious hymn, and Union soldiers marched to the song, singing the words of "John Brown's Body." When Julia Ward Howe saw troops marching to the tune, she was so inspired by its pageantry that the words to "Battle Hymn" came to her in the middle of the night.

5. A man from Ohio wrote this song while sitting in a New York City hotel room:

Dixie. Northerner Dan D. Emett did not write the song with personal memories of old cotton fields back home. The song became a popular tune before the Civil War, and Confederate soldiers soon adopted it as their own. Ironically, the song was a favorite of Abraham Lincoln.

6. The author of this song never witnessed a battle or a baseball game before writing this piece:

Take Me Out to the Ball Game. Albert von Tilzer performed this song on vaudeville stages twenty years before he actually saw his first baseball game.