South Carolina in the War of the Rebellion
"South Carolina is to small to be a nation, and too big to be an insane asylum."Judge James L. Pettigru, Charleston, S.C., December 1860
While South Carolina's Role in the War of the Rebellion (American Civil War, War Between the States, etc... they were even debating the name of the War while it was still going on) is well known in regards to it's Confederate Volunteers. Not as much is known or published about those men from the State that served in the Army, Navy, and Marine Corps of the United States of America. The following is some pieces of information regarding the men of South Carolina who remained loyal to the United States during the years 1860 to 1866.
South Carolina Volunteers, 1861 to 1866
While the State had no white Companies, Battalions, or Regiments in the United States Army during the War, but only individual volunteers, there were several Colored Regiment's raised in the State, or with Colored men of South Carolina. The following is a listing of those Volunteers from 1860 to 1866.
| So. Carolina Volunteers in the U.S. Army |
21st United States Colored Troop Regiment |
| So. Carolina Volunteers in the U.S. Navy & Marine Corps |
33rd United States Colored Troop Regiment |
| 1st South Carolina Colored Infantry Regiment (33rd USCT) |
34th United States Colored Troop Regiment |
| 2nd South Carolina Colored Infantry Regiment (34th USCT) |
103rd United States Colored Troop Regiment |
| 3rd South Carolina Colored Infantry Regiment (21st USCT) |
104th United States Colored Troop Regiment |
| 4th South Carolina Colored Infantry Regiment (21st USCT) |
128th United States Colored Troop Regiment |
| 5th South Carolina Colored Infantry Regiment (21st USCT) |
135th United States Colored Troop Regiment |
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Battery G, 2nd United States Colored Troop Light Artillery |
The 1st South Carolina (Colored) Volunteer Infantry Regiment at Beaufort, South Carolina, ca. 1862-1863.
Actions & Engagements in South Carolina, 1861 to 1866
During the course of the War South Carolina was, early on, one of the first battlefields with the firing on Fort Sumter. As a result of the symbolic importance of Fort Sumter the State, and particularly the Charleston area, became a focal point for the Union’s War effort on the Eastern Seaboard, and a large part of the actions from the Carolina’s down to the Florida coast were designed in one way or the other to draw troops away from South Carolina to accomplish this goal. With the entrance of Major General William T. Sherman’s Army into South Carolina in January of 1865 there came with the advance a series of running actions in the path of the army. The following is a listing of the Battles, Skirmishes, Actions, and various other engagements and expeditions that were fought from 1861 to 1865 throughout the State of South Carolina.
Post War South Carolina, 1866 to Present
At the conclusion of the War the members of both the Northern and Southern Armies began the long process of resuming their normal lives; some returned to their respective homes, others chose to go North, South, East, and West in the hope of finding new opportunities.
Of these Veterans a number came to the State of South Carolina, each for their own reasons, some good intentioned and some not so good intentioned. With the passing of the years the Veterans rebuilt their lives and raised their families. Eventually they began to form Veteran's Organizations for the purpose of coming together with others who had shared their experiences and to remember their fallen comrades. For the Union Veterans the largest of the groups would be the Grand Army of the Republic, which had posts established throughout the country and abroad, including posts in South Carolina.
The following pages contain information about the post war activities of the Union Veterans in the State of South Carolina.
A Group of Union Veterans of the Department of Georgia & South Carolina at Fitzgerald, Georgia, ca. 1896.
Resources
- “A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion.” Frederick H. Dyer, The Dyer Publishing Company, Des Moines, Iowa, 1908.
- “Official Army Register of the Volunteer Force of the United States Army for the years 1861, ’62, ’63, ’65, ’65.” Adjutant Generals Office, Washington, D.C., July 16th, 1867.
- "Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion." United States Naval War Records Office, Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C., 1894 to 1922.
- "The War of the Rebellion: a Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies." United States War Department, Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C., 1880 to 1901.
- Compiled Records Showing Service of Military Units in Volunteer Union Organizations; The National Archives Microfilm Publications.
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