South Carolina 7th (Ward's) Infantry Battalion Reserves

Historical Notes:
=== Florence Stockade ===

Sept - Dec, 1864

12 Sep - Gen. Sam Jones sends an officer to Florence to construct a stockade. OR II-7-817

15 Sept - The first prisoners arrived at Florence as the stockade was getting under construction. These men were "herded together in an open field and guarded by just over 100 troops of the 3rd Battalion Senior Reserves, 4th Battalion Senior Reserves, 5th Battalion Senior Reserves, and 7th Battalion Senior Reserves, composed of boys from 15 to 18 and men from 45 to 60." Scrapbook

27 Oct - "... 16,000 men in a stockade at Florence, S. C. ... The stockade at Florence, S. C., is in a field near the junction of the railroads, and separated from the junction by a skirt of woods, as seen in the marginal sketch. Our men are permitted to build huts and brush shelters with materials obtained from the adjacent wood. They are treated very kindly by Colonel Harrison, who commands the depot and guard of 1,000 men. They are, however, destitute of blankets and proper clothing. Generally their condition is much better than at Andersonville. No military defenses are as yet erected at this depot. It is expected that all the officers and men now at Columbia, S.C., and vicinity will very soon be brought to Florence, increasing the whole number at that place to 25,000 men and officers." (See OR II-7-1097 for detailed description of the Florence stockade.)

"The ration issued to the prisoners at Florence consists of one pound corn meal, one-half pound of fresh meat, or one-quarter pound bacon daily. Sometimes a little molasses or vinegar is added. To check the prevalence of scurvy issues have been made of chopped sweet potatoes soaked in vinegar. The capability of the country to furnish supplies to the army and the people seems from reports to be adequate to the absolute necessities of both. There is a sufficiency of corn and meat; of other supplies they have a limited amount, and of luxuries none." OR v35p318: Report of Major-General J. G. Foster (USA) to Major General H. W. Halleck (USA)

Oct 1864 - Battalion assigned to Post of Florence, SC, Department of SC, GA and FL. Sifakis

20 Nov - Battalion is stationed at Florence, SC under Maj. James W. Ward, Col. George P. Harrison, Jr., and Lt. Gen. W. J. Hardee. OR I-44-875, 876

Nov/Dec 1864 - Battalion stationed at Georgetown. CSR-RoE\C

=== Carolinas campaign - 1865 ===

[See R&R; v8 p393 about the 7th Battalion Reserves during this time.]

2 Jan - The first of Gen. Sherman's troops enter South Carolina.

Jan - Battalion assigned to Trapier's Brigade, Department of SC, GA and FL. Sifakis

Feb - Battalion assigned to Mercer's Brigade, Department of SC, GA and FL. Sifakis

15 Feb - Arrangements are made to move prisoners from Florence to Saulsberry, NC. Evans Amos E. Stearns, a Yankee prisoner at Florence, wrote "About the middle of February, or soon after Sherman marched from Atlanta to Savannah, the Rebs commenced to move us away from Florence, first to Wilmington, then to Goldsboro, back again to Wilmington, and from there to a place about thirteen miles out in the woods, where we remained a day and a night, then back to Goldsboro..." Stearns p113 The POWS received their paroles at Goldsboro and the Confederate guards just went home.

Mar - Battalion assigned to Chesnut's Brigade, Wright's Division, Department of SC, GA and FL. Sifakis

Mar - Battalion assigned to Blanchard's Brigade, McLaw's Division, Hardee's Corps. Sifakis

19-21 Mar - Battalion in Battle of Bentonville. Sifakis I can find no evidence to indicate that the battalion was assigned to a brigade that was there. Considering the dispatch of March 25th, it would appear that the brigade was not at Bentonville but was still in SC.

24 Mar - Blanchard's Brigade report made "near Smithfield [NC]" by Albert G. Blanchard, Brigadier-general, Commanding Seventh Brigade: battalion strength is 66 aggregate. OR v47 p1462

25 Mar - Battalion under Blanchard's Brigade, McLaw's Division. An undated letter from Gen. Johnston to Gen. Chesnut at "Chester or Charlotte" says to send the 7th Battalion SC Reserves to join Blanchard's Brigade. OR I-47/3-692, 694

31 Mar - Battalion listed under Hardee's Corps, McLaw's Division, Blanchard's Brigade, Ward's Battalion. Report made near Smithfield, NC. OR I-47/3-732.

10 Apr - Blanchard's Brigade reports 50 officers and 279 men. OR I-47/3-786

CSR - National Archives. Compiled Service Records of Confederate Soldiers Who Served in Organizations from the State of South Carolina, 1861-1865. (SCDAH)

Evans, Gen. Clement A. Confederate Military History, vol. V - SC.

Lawrimore, Willard L. Lowrimore Lawrimore 1989.

OR - United States War Department. Official Records of the War of the Rebellion

Pension 1888 - Confederate Pension Applications 1888-1906 (SCDAH)

Pension 1901 - Holcomb, Brent H. (ed.) South Carolina's Confederate Pensioners in 1901. 2001.

Pension 1919 - Confederate Pension Applications, 1919-1926 SCDAH

Pension AR - South Carolina Comptroller General. Annual Pension Reports, 1903-1908, 1918-1925 (SCDAH)

There is only one Lowrimore in Georgetown and Williamsburg counties.

* J. M. Lowrimore, Georgetown, 7 Reg't Co. F, age 68, Class C-2 in 1901. C-2 is age 60 with income not greater than $75. [CSR index lists a James M. Lowrimore in 9th Inf'y Battalion Co. A.]

R&R-; SC UDC (ed.). Recollections and Reminiscences, Vol's 1 - 10

Scrapbook - (SCDAH) Boxed file includes records relating to the Florence Military Prison.

* No records mentioning William J. Lowrimore. Inclosed article by Tracy Power uses James DuPre papers at University of South Carolinia "Caroliniana Library" titled Wartime Reminisces at Florence Military Prison. DuPree said the guards wore their "home cloths". Powers says that on 15 Sept 1864 the first prisoners arrived at Florence as the stockade was just getting under construction. These men were "herded together in an open field and guarded by just over 100 troops of the 3rd, 4th, 5th and 7th Battalions of SC Reserves, composed of boys from 15 to 18 and men from 45 to 60."

Sifakis, Stewart. Compendium of the Confederate Armies / SC &GA;, 1995.

Smith, Danny H. (ed.). The Call to Arms. 1980.

* William J. Lawrimore (1846-1934). Pvt Co. A 10 Reg't. & Co. E 7 Battalion. Wounded at Atlanta 1864, surrendered Greensboro NC 1865. [This is William H. J. Lowrimore.]

* William J. Lawrimore married Mary, b. 1851

* William James Lawrimore applied for CS pension.

Stearns, Amos E. The Civil War Diary of Amos E. Stearns a Prisoner at Andersonville, Leon Basile (ed.) Officers:

Ward, A. W. - Major

Rogers, W. A. - Adjutant

Assignments:
Department of South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida Battles:

Carolinas Campaign

Bentonville, N.C. (March 19 thru 21)

Roster:
The roster of this unit contains the names of 63 men.

Field Staff and Band

Company A

Company B

Company C

Company D

Company E

Company F

Bibliography for Research:
U. S. Government Printing Office. Official Records of the American Civil War Davenport, IA. Eastern Digital Resources.

U. S. Government Printing Office. Official Records of the American Civil War - Naval Subset Davenport, IA Eastern Digital Resources.

Rigdon, John C. - Editor Civil War Soldiers Service Records - South Carolina. 2012. Davenport, IA Eastern Digital Resources.

Rigdon, John C. - Editor South Carolina Civil War Soldiers Index. 1996. Davenport, IA Eastern Digital Resources.