The South Carolina Secessionist - week of May 9th<br>

The South Carolina Secessionist
Dateline Week of May 9th

News from the Front

1861

Col. Gregg reports that there are ongoing discussions regarding transferring his brigade, The First South Carolina Volunteers, aka Gregg's Brigade to Virginia. Currently the men are stationed in and around Charleston on picket duty where they have been since their engagement at Fort Sumter. Letters may be posted to the members of the brigade as before - they will be forwarded to Virginia should the men be transferred there.

1862

Our troops which have been involved in the siege of Yorktown, evacuated that town on the night of May 3rd in the face of overwelming Federal artilley which had been placed outside the city and were about to open fire. A line of battle was set in the town of Williamsburg, away from the Federal artillery. On May 4th and 5th, nine South Carolina regiments were involved in a battle at Williamsburg. The regiments involved were:

Hampton Legion Cavalry Battalion
2d Infantry Regiment
3d Infantry Regiment
4th Infantry Battalion
5th Infantry Regiment
6th Infantry Regiment
7th Infantry Regiment
8th Infantry Regiment
Palmetto Sharp Shooters (Jenkins Infantry Regiment)

This was the first open battle for most of these men. Previously they have faced only sniper fire while on picket duty. Fighting continued throughout the two days in the streets of the town and the college grounds of William and Mary College. Jacob Freeman of Company A, 5th Inf. Regiment is listed as missing in action. Our men evacuated Williamsburg on May, 5th "through rain and mud and bottomless roads, as one said, 'neither by land nor by water, but by a mixture of half and half.'"

There was a minor engagement at Eltham's Landing on May 7th involving Hampton Legion (Infantry Regiment only) as the Cavalry was assigned to the battle at Williamsburg.

1863

Another big battle involving the men of South Carolina this week at Chancellorsville (1-4 MAY 1863). The fight opened on Friday, and continued into Monday. The following regiments were involved:

Capt. Ficklin's Co. Artillery (Brooks Light Artillery)
Capt. Zimmerman's Co., Artillery (Pee Dee Artillery)
Washington Artillery Battery
1st (McCreary's) Infantry Regiment (1st Provisional Army)
1st (Orr's Rifles) Infantry Regiment Rifles
2d Infantry Regiment
3d Infantry Battalion (Lawmen's and James')
3d Infantry Regiment
7th Infantry Regiment
8th Infantry Regiment
12th Infantry Regiment
13th Infantry Regiment
14th Infantry Regiment
15th Infantry Regiment

The battle of Chancellorsville was fought, where the well appointed, and so much boasted of "Grand Army of the Potomac," met with a most crushing, overwhelming defeat that had ever befallen the army of the Federal Government. Many consider the Battle of Chancelorsville as one the most brilliant battles fought by Lee and Jackson. Though the Confederates were heavily outnumbered, they forced the Union army to retreat and prevented a possible seige of Richmond and the occupation of central Virginia. The Union suffered approximately 17,000 casualties while the Confederates suffered 13,000. Exact numbers are unknown at this time, but South Carolina may have suffered as many as 2,500 casualties. Partial reports have come from the field. The 1st Infantry regiment lost 12 killed, 88 wounded, none missing, for a total of 100 casualties. The 13th regiment lost 6 killed, 84 wounded, 1 missing for a total of 91 casualties. The 14th regiment lost 8 killed, 137 wounded, none missing for a total of 145 casualties. Orr's Rifles lost 20 killed, 91 wounded, 3 missing for a total of 114 casualties.

Here is a partial list of the known casualties among the officers:

Seabrook, C. P.
Miller, A. F.
Haskell, A. C.
Dubose, E. D.
Smith. D. A.
McIntyre, G. A.
Sweeney, John
Pool, J. F.
Edwards, O. E.
McGowan, Gen.
Fuller, H. L.
Copeland, J. D.
Hunter, T. F.
Weir, S. L.
Proctor, J. T.
Pean, J. P.
Leitzsey, D. M.
Robinson, W. J.
Bowers, M.
Andrews, J. H.
Trewitt, J. M
Dorrah, S. L.
Stevens, W. L.
Leroy, A. A.
Perrin, James M.
Chapman, B. B.
Bryan, B. B.
Fricks, J. H.
Campbell, A.
Miller, G. M.
Sloan, J. P.

There was also a skirmish at Murray's Inlet on Monday, the 4th, involving the 12th Cavalry Battalion (4th Squadron Cavalry).

1864

There was fighting all around Dalton, Georgia this week as Gen. Sherman began a push out of Chattanooga towards Atlanta. The following South Carolina regiments are involved there:

16th and 24th (Consolidated) Infantry
24th Infantry Regiment

A much bigger news item however, is the terrible battle which occurred on the 5th and 6th on the penninsula area in Virginia, known as the Wilderness. The following South Carolina regiments were engaged:

Capt. Ficklin's Co. Artillery (Brooks Light Artillery)
Capt. Garden's Co. Light Artillery (Palmetto Light Battery)
Capt. Zimmerman's Co., Artillery (Pee Dee Artillery)
Washington Artillery Battery
4th Cavalry Regiment
5th Cavalry Regiment
6th Cavalry Regiment
1st (Hagood's) Infantry Regiment
1st (McCreary's) Infantry Regiment (1st Provisional Army)
1st (Orr's Rifles) Infantry Regiment Rifles
2d Infantry Regiment
2d Infantry Regiment Rifles
3d Infantry Battalion (Lawmen's and James')
3d Infantry Regiment
5th Infantry Regiment
6th Infantry Regiment
7th Infantry Regiment
8th Infantry Regiment
12th Infantry Regiment
13th Infantry Regiment
14th Infantry Regiment
15th Infantry Regiment
Palmetto Sharp Shooters (Jenkins Infantry Regiment)

Once again, the men of South Carolina suffered severe loss - maybe as many as 1,500 casualties, of the 6,000 Confederate casualties. Federal losses however were listed at 27,310.

For South Carolina, the two losses which will be most widely lamented are the death of Gen. Micah Jenkins of SC and the severe wounding of Gen. Longstreet, also a native South Carolinian. Both were hit in the same volley. Gen. Jenkins was killed immediately, and Gen. Longstreet was wounded through the throat and right shoulder.

Other casualties from South Carolina:

J. Cox
J. G. Barnwell
W. A. Kelly
B. S. Howard
L. G. Bellott
H. C. Heise
John L. Miller
J. R. McKnight
J. A. Garvin
E. F. Bookter
J. A. Watson
J. A. Beard
S. L. Weir
A. Copeland
J. C. Anderson
H. H. Harper
H. P. Griffeth
J. J. McCarley
B. J. Watkins
J. H. Tolar
R. Junkin
Jas. Pratt
J. H. Robins
J. R. Saddler
J. B. Means

Some casualties from the battle of the Wilderness have been removed to hospitals at Macon, GA, but owing to the threatening of Sherman's troops around Atlanta, they are being transported to Orangeburg, SC.

TERRILL L. HAMPTON who was wounded at the Wilderness on 6 May 1864 was one of those transferred to Macon, GA for treatment and removed ahead of Sherman's March and died in a hosptial at Orangeburg, SC. His burial place is unknown. He was a PVT, Co. H, 5th Texas Infantry, Hood's Brigade ...

A minor skirmish was also reported at Port Walthall Junction (6 MAY 1864). The following regiments were engaged.

21st Infantry Regiment
25th Infantry Regiment (Eutaw Regiment)
27th Infantry (Gaillard's Regiment)

On 7 MAY, Holcombe's Infantry Legion was involved in action at Stony Creek Station and again on the 8th at Nottoway Bridge and Jarratt's Station.

The same men who were involved in the Wilderness battle were also engaged on the 8th at Spotsylvania Court House. Losses were heavy - comparable to those lost at the Wilderness, but due to space constraints, and the fact that the battle is on-going, and reports incomplete, we will give a detailed account of that battle at a later time.

Today (9 MAY, 1864), the following South Carolina troops were involved in an action at Swift Creek.

7th Infantry Battalion (Nelson's Battalion) (Enfield Rifles)
11th Infantry Battalion (9th Volunteers)
21st Infantry Regiment
25th Infantry Regiment (Eutaw Regiment)
27th Infantry (Gaillard's Regiment)

REFERENCES:

EMAIL from gene@argohouston.com (Betty & Gene Shuffield)

The Civil War in South Carolina
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