The
Combahee River is a short
blackwater riverA blackwater river is a river with a deep, slow-moving channel that flows through forested swamps and wetlands. As vegetation decays in the water, tannins are leached out, resulting in transparent, acidic water that is darkly stained, resembling tea or coffee...
in the
Southern Lowcountry regionThe South Carolina Lowcountry is a term used to describe South Carolina's coastal counties, generally south of and including, Charleston. The region includes the South Carolina Sea Islands...
of
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...
formed at the confluence of the
SalkehatchieThe Salkehatchie River originates near the City of Barnwell, South Carolina and accepts drainage from Turkey Creek and Whippy Swamp before merging with the Little Salkehatchie River to form the Combahee River Basin, which empties into Saint Helena Sound and the Atlantic Ocean...
and
Little SalkehatchieThe Little Salkehatchie River originates in the Town of Blackville, South Carolina and accepts drainage fromLake Cynthia, Guess Pond, Brooker Pond, Ghants Branch, Halfmoon Branch, and Long Gall Branch....
rivers near the Islandton community of
Colleton County, South CarolinaColleton County is a county located in the U.S. state of South Carolina. In 2000, its population was 38,264 . Its county seat is Walterboro...
. Part of its lower
drainage basinA drainage basin is an extent of land where water from rain or snow melt drains downhill into a body of water, such as a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, sea or ocean...
combines with the
Ashepoo RiverAshepoo River is a short blackwater river in South Carolina. It rises in a confluence of swamps south of Walterboro, flows in southeast direction and then empties into Saint Helena Sound at . The entire course of the river lies within the boundaries of Colleton County...
and the
Edisto RiverThe Edisto River is the longest completely undammed / unleveed blackwater river in North America, flowing 206 meandering miles from its sources in Saluda and Edgefield counties, to its Atlantic Ocean mouth at Edisto Beach, SC...
to form the ACE Basin see
ACE Basin National Wildlife RefugeThe Ernest F. Hollings ACE Basin National Wildlife Refuge was created in 1990 as part of a joint effort with federal and state government agencies, private conservation groups and local landowners to preserve and protect the ACE Basin area...
. The ACE Basin refers to the area of South Carolina made up of the river areas of the Ashepoo, Combahee and Edisto Rivers.
The
Combahee River is a short
blackwater riverA blackwater river is a river with a deep, slow-moving channel that flows through forested swamps and wetlands. As vegetation decays in the water, tannins are leached out, resulting in transparent, acidic water that is darkly stained, resembling tea or coffee...
in the
Southern Lowcountry regionThe South Carolina Lowcountry is a term used to describe South Carolina's coastal counties, generally south of and including, Charleston. The region includes the South Carolina Sea Islands...
of
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...
formed at the confluence of the
SalkehatchieThe Salkehatchie River originates near the City of Barnwell, South Carolina and accepts drainage from Turkey Creek and Whippy Swamp before merging with the Little Salkehatchie River to form the Combahee River Basin, which empties into Saint Helena Sound and the Atlantic Ocean...
and
Little SalkehatchieThe Little Salkehatchie River originates in the Town of Blackville, South Carolina and accepts drainage fromLake Cynthia, Guess Pond, Brooker Pond, Ghants Branch, Halfmoon Branch, and Long Gall Branch....
rivers near the Islandton community of
Colleton County, South CarolinaColleton County is a county located in the U.S. state of South Carolina. In 2000, its population was 38,264 . Its county seat is Walterboro...
. Part of its lower
drainage basinA drainage basin is an extent of land where water from rain or snow melt drains downhill into a body of water, such as a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, sea or ocean...
combines with the
Ashepoo RiverAshepoo River is a short blackwater river in South Carolina. It rises in a confluence of swamps south of Walterboro, flows in southeast direction and then empties into Saint Helena Sound at . The entire course of the river lies within the boundaries of Colleton County...
and the
Edisto RiverThe Edisto River is the longest completely undammed / unleveed blackwater river in North America, flowing 206 meandering miles from its sources in Saluda and Edgefield counties, to its Atlantic Ocean mouth at Edisto Beach, SC...
to form the ACE Basin see
ACE Basin National Wildlife RefugeThe Ernest F. Hollings ACE Basin National Wildlife Refuge was created in 1990 as part of a joint effort with federal and state government agencies, private conservation groups and local landowners to preserve and protect the ACE Basin area...
. The ACE Basin refers to the area of South Carolina made up of the river areas of the Ashepoo, Combahee and Edisto Rivers. The Combahee empties into
Saint Helena SoundSaint Helena Sound is a coastal inlet in Beaufort and Colleton counties, South Carolina. The inlet is located East of Beaufort, between Edisto Island. and Hunting Island. Saint Helena Sound is 7.5 mi/12.1 km wide. The Combahee River empties from the Northwest and the Edisto River and Ashepoo River...
near
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...
, which in turn empties into the
Atlantic OceanThe Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about 106.4 million square kilometres , it covers approximately one-fifth of the Earth's surface and about one-quarter of its water surface area. The first part of its name refers to the Atlas of Greek...
.
History
The Combahee River was made famous as the location of the
Harriet TubmanHarriet Tubman was an African-American abolitionist, humanitarian, and Union spy during the American Civil War. After escaping from slavery, into which she was born, she made thirteen missions to rescue over seventy slaves using the network of antislavery activists and safe houses known as the...
Combahee River RaidThe 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...
, a Union raid into the interior of South Carolina June 2, 1863 which freed over 750 slaves. The bridge across the Combahee on US Highway 17 is the location today.
The Combahee River bordered and supplied the water for some of the largest, most productive rice plantations prior to the Civil War. It was also the scene of skirmishes during the
Yamasee WarThe Yamasee were a Native American tribe that lived in the coastal region of present-day northern coastal Georgia near the Savannah River and later in northeastern Florida. Starting in the late 16th century, the Spanish established missions among the Guale. The Yamasee were later included in the...
and the Revolutionary War. It was during the Revolutionary War that the British made an attempt at foraging which the Americans headed by General Gist and Colonel
John LaurensJohn Laurens was an American soldier and statesman from South Carolina during the Revolutionary War.-Early life:...
opposed, causing the loss of John Laurens' life.
The Combahee area was first settled in the 1680s. Before the Yamasee War of 1715, land was set aside for the
YamaseeThe Yamasee were a Native American tribe that lived in the coastal region of present-day northern coastal Georgia near the Savannah River and later in northeastern Florida. Starting in the late 16th century, the Spanish established missions among the Guale. The Yamasee were later included in the...
along several rivers including the Combahee.