welcomed not, <<-- why not "unwelcome"?
they joined the ranks
of the blue, seeking
freedom and respect,
a heavy expectation,
for the blacks, to become
as regular men,
soldiers, who had first <<-- why not "to become reular soldiers,
to muster and defeat, the ire, <<--no comma after defeat
and hate amongst their fellows,<<-- full stop and break to a new verse
in order to belong, they walked,
shoeless, bedraggled, and forlorn
to prove they could tolerate
and learn, turn, cheek, might,  <<-- no comma after cheek
musket,
fist and sword,
against enslavement, as ignorance,
then the whole belief of the South,
the 54th Massachusetts, withstood, standing tall,
under Colonel Shaw, they met adversity,
from the very start, largely   <<--maybe me but I stumbled with the flow and meaning from "as ingnorance" to denied"
and denied as they battled
to be reborn,
risen rose from farm hands, and far less,  <<--why "and far less"?
they gained recognition, by giving their all,
they followed in the footstep, behind and beside
a leader who refused to see them fail,
he rose the flag among them
waving them to glory, in a battle,
presumed[s], would be [/s]lost,
as they fought, they fell, together
and together
were commited to the ground,  <<--full stop, new verse
as in history, their memory
continues to march on <<--good ending but needs a pause