The
2nd Regiment South Carolina Volunteer Infantry (African Descent) was an African-American
infantryInfantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of the Combat Arms they are the backbone of armies...
regimentA regiment is a military unit, composed of variable numbers of battalions, commanded by a Colonel. A regiment can be broken into two distinct categories, one being an administrative unit which is responsible for non-operational management of battalions , while the other being a deployable combat...
that served in the
Union ArmyThe Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
during the
American Civil WarThe American Civil War , also known as the War Between the States and several other names, was a civil war in the United States of America. Eleven Southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America...
. It was among the scores of units raised starting in the middle of the war to augment Federal troop strength by tapping into the large
SouthernThe Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, Down South, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive region in the southeastern and south-central United States...
population of former
slavesSlavery is a form of forced labor in which people are considered to be the property of others. Slaves can be held against their will from the time of their capture, purchase or birth, and deprived of the right to leave, to refuse to work, or to receive compensation...
. The regiment and its white commander gained notoriety for its actions during the controversial looting and burning of the
pro-ConfederateThe Confederate States of America was a separatist political entity existing between 1861 to 1865, established by eleven southern slave states of the United States of America, each of which had previously declared their secession from the United States...
town of
Darien, GeorgiaDarien is a city in McIntosh County, Georgia, United States. It is part of the 'Brunswick, Georgia Metropolitan Statistical Area'. The population was 1,719 at the 2000 census. The city is the county seat of McIntosh County...
.
Service
In January 1863, Col.
James MontgomeryJames Montgomery was a Jayhawker during the Bleeding Kansas Affair and a controversial Union colonel during the American Civil War...
of
KansasKansas is a state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa tribe, who inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south wind," although this was...
was authorized to raise a regiment of troops comprised entirely of free blacks and refugee former slaves, which were to serve under white officers. While many men readily agreed to military service, dozens were compelled by the Army to obey
conscriptionConscription is a general term for involuntary labor demanded by an established authority. It is most often used in the specific sense of requiring citizens to serve in the armed forces...
notices.
Montgomery organized the 2nd South Carolina Volunteer Infantry at
BeaufortBeaufort is a city and county seat in Beaufort County, South Carolina, United States. Chartered in 1711, it is the second-oldest city in South Carolina, behind Charleston. The city's population was 12,950 in the 2000 census...
and Hilton Head,
South CarolinaSouth Carolina is a U.S. state that borders Georgia to the south and North Carolina to the north. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence from the British Crown during the American Revolution. The colony was...
. The new recruits were mustered into Federal service on May 22, 1863. Under Montgomery, discipline was initially lacking, and the regiment was destined to see little actual formal combat. The 2nd was attached initially to the Districts of Hilton Head and Beaufort, S.C.,
Tenth Army CorpsX Corps was a corps of the Union Army during the American Civil War. It served during operations in South Carolina in the Department of the South, and later in Benjamin Butler's Army of the James, during the Bermuda Hundred and Petersburg Campaigns.-History:...
, Department of the South.
Throughout 1863 and part of 1864, Montgomery practiced his
JayhawkerJayhawkers is a term that came to prominence just before the Civil War in Bleeding Kansas, where it was adopted by militant abolitionist groups. These groups, known as "Jayhawkers", were guerrilla fighters who often clashed with pro-slavery partisans, as well as Missouri militia units...
brand of irregular warfare in South Carolina,
GeorgiaGeorgia is a state in the United States. One of the original Thirteen Colonies that revolted against British rule in the American Revolution, it had been the last of the Thirteen Colonies to be established, in 1733. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January...
, and
FloridaFlorida is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the north. It was the 27th state admitted to the United States...
. In June 1863, Montgomery's brigade, including the 2nd South Carolina and the 54th Massachusetts Infantry under Col.
Robert Gould ShawRobert Gould Shaw was the colonel in command of the all-black 54th Regiment, which entered the American Civil War in 1863. He is the principal subject of the 1989 film Glory. He was killed in a failed attempt to capture Fort Wagner.-Early life and career:Shaw was born in Boston, Massachusetts, to...
, participated in operations along the
Atlantic CoastThe Atlantic Coast is any coast fronting the Atlantic Ocean. The term differentiates the coasts of countries or continents with coastlines on more than one body of water, such as North America, South America, Africa and Europe.-See also:*Indian Ocean...
resembling his earlier Jayhawking raids in Kansas and
MissouriMissouri is a state in the Midwest region of the United States bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. Missouri is the 18th most populous state with a 2008 estimated population of 5,911,605. It comprises 114 counties and one independent city....
. The 2nd South Carolina was a part of the
Raid at Combahee FerryThe Raid at Combahee Ferry was a military operation conducted on June 1 and June 2, 1863, by elements of the Union Army along the Combahee River in Beaufort and Colleton counties in southeast South Carolina during the American Civil War...
in which 800 slaves were freed. The regiment later helped loot and burn the coastal town of Darien, Georgia, despite the fact that it was undefended and offered no resistance.
In July 1863, the 2nd and the rest of Montgomery's brigade moved to
Morris IslandMorris Island is an 840 acre uninhabited island in Charleston Harbor in South Carolina, accessible only by boat. The island lies in the outer reaches of the harbor, and was thus a strategic location in the American Civil War....
off the South Carolina coast. They took part in the expedition to
James IslandJames Island is one of South Carolina's most urban Sea Islands and is one of the six distinct areas of the city proper of Charleston, South Carolina. The island is separated from peninsular downtown Charleston by the Ashley River, from the mainland by Wappoo Creek and the Wappoo Cut, from Johns...
from July 7-17, and skirmished with Confederates at Grimball's Landing on July 16. The 2nd participated in the
siegeA siege is a military blockade of a city or fortress with the intent of conquering by attrition or assault. The term derives from sedere, Latin for "to sit"....
operations on Morris Island against Forts
WagnerFort Wagner was a fortification on Morris Island, South Carolina, that covered the southern approach to Charleston harbor. It was the site of two American Civil War battles in the campaign known as Operations Against the Defenses of Charleston in 1863.-Construction:Named for deceased Lt. Col....
and Gregg from July 18 until September 7, when the Confederate defenders abandoned the two forts and withdrew.
The 2nd South Carolina was involved in the subsequent operations against
Fort SumterFort Sumter is a Third System masonry coastal fortification located in Charleston harbor, South Carolina. The fort is best known as the site upon which the shots initiating the American Civil War were fired, at the Battle of Fort Sumter.- Construction :...
and the defenses of
CharlestonCharleston is a city in Charleston County, South Carolina in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It is the largest city and county seat of Charleston County. The city was founded as Charlestown or Charles Towne, Carolina in 1670, and moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of...
until January 29, 1864. It moved to Hilton Head, and then to
Jacksonville, FloridaJacksonville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Florida, and is the county seat of Duval County. Since 1968, as a result of the consolidation of the city and county government, and a corresponding expansion of the city limits to include almost the entire county, Jacksonville became the...
, on February 5-7.
While in
FloridaFlorida is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the north. It was the 27th state admitted to the United States...
, the regiment was disbanded and subsequently reorganized as the 34th Infantry Regiment,
U.S. Colored TroopsThe United States Colored Troops were regiments of the United States Army during the American Civil War that were composed of African-American soldiers. The men of the USCT were the forerunners of the famous Buffalo Soldiers.-History:The U.S...
on February 8, 1864. Many of the men from the old 2nd South Carolina later participated in the
Battle of Honey HillThe Battle of Honey Hill was the third battle of Sherman's March to the Sea, fought November 30, 1864, during the American Civil War. It did not involve Major General William T. Sherman's main force, marching from Atlanta, Georgia, to Savannah, but was a failed Union Army expedition under Maj. Gen....
. They were mustered out of the army on February 28, 1866.
See also