CHAPTER X.
OPERATIONS IN SOUTH CAROLINA, SPRING OF 1863—CAPTURE OF THE ISAAC SMITH—INGRAHAM'S DEFEAT OF THE BLOCKADING SQUADRON—NAVAL ATTACK ON FORT SUMTER—HUNTER'S RAIDS.
The operations of the Federal naval and land forces on the coast of South Carolina at the beginning of the year 1863, pointed to an attack upon either Charleston or Savannah. General Beauregard, commanding the department of South Carolina, Georgia and Florida, with the active co-operation of the Confederate government and the governors of the States, was making every preparation for the defense of both cities.
In South Carolina, on January 1, 1863, Gen. Joseph H. Trapier commanded from the North Carolina line to the South Santee; Gen. R. S. Ripley from the South Santee to the Stono and Rantowles creek; Gen. Johnson Hagood from Rantowles to the Ashepoo, and Gen. W. S. Walker from the Ashepoo to the Savannah. These officers had under their command a force of 14,500 of all arms, present for duty; more than half this force being stationed in the forts and on the immediate approaches to Charleston. The district, commanded by General Ripley, embraced the harbor defenses, Christ Church and St. Andrew's parishes, and the islands surrounding the harbor. Each island constituted a separate subdivision of the district, the parish of St. Andrew's being attached to James island.
Col. L. M. Keitt, Twentieth South Carolina, commanded on Sullivan's island; Col. William Butler, Fort Moultrie and the batteries outside. On Morris island Col. R. F. Graham, of the Twenty-first, was in charge. Gen. States R. Gist, on his return from Wilmington, commanded on James island and in St. Andrew's. Fort Sumter, garrisoned by the First artillery, was in charge of Col. Alfred Rhett, and Forts Ripley and Castle Pinckney were commanded by Capt. H. S. Farley.
The following South Carolina troops were at this time on duty in the State:
Infantry: First regiment regulars, Col. William Butler, Fort Moultrie; Third volunteers, Col. C. J. Colcock, Third district; Eleventh, Colonel Heyward, Third district; Sixteenth, Col. James McCullough, Second district; Twentieth, Col. L. M. Keitt, Sullivan's island; Twenty-first, Col. R. F. Graham, Morris island; Twenty-fourth, Col. C. H. Stevens, Third district; Twenty-fifth, Col. C. H. Simonton, James island; Twenty-sixth, Col. A. D. Smith, Second district; Charleston battalion, Lieut.-Col. P. C. Gaillard, city; Seventh battalion, Lieut.-Col. P. H. Nelson, Second district; First battalion sharpshooters, Maj. Joseph Abney, Third district.
Artillery: First regiment regulars, Col. Alfred Rhett, Fort Sumter and batteries; Second regiment volunteers, Colonel Lamar, James island; Lucas' battalion, Maj. J. J. Lucas, James island; Palmetto battalion, Maj. E. B. White, James island; siege train, Maj. Charles Alston, city. Batteries: German, Company A, Capt. D. Werner, Sullivan's island; German, Company B, Capt. F. Melchers, James island; Ferguson's, Capt. T. B. Ferguson, Christ Church; Santee, Capt. C. Gaillard, Christ Church; Gist Guards, Capt. C. E. Chichester, Morris island; Mathewes', Capt P. N. Bonneau, Morris island; Ward's, Capt. J. Ward, Georgetown; Parker's, Capt. E. L. Parker, Second district; Washington, Capt. G. H. Walter, Second district; Horse artillery, Capt. W. L. Trenholm, Third district; Beaufort, Capt. S. Elliott, Third district; Lafayette, Capt. J. T. Kanapaux, Third district; Palmetto, Capt. W. E. Earle, Third district.
Cavalry: Ferguson's regiment, Colonel Ferguson; Third regiment, Col. C. J. Colcock; Sixth regiment, Colonel Aiken; Rutledge cavalry, Col. B. H. Rutledge; Company, Capt. J. H. Tucker; Stono scouts, Capt. J. B. L. Walpole; rangers, Capt. M. J. Kirk.
In aggregate the South Carolina commands were nine regiments and three battalions of infantry; two regiments and three battalions of heavy artillery; thirteen light batteries; four regiments and three independent companies of cavalry. Besides the South Carolina commands, General Beauregard had under his command in the State the North Carolina brigades of Generals Clingman and Cooke, and several regiments and batteries from Georgia. His total effective force of all arms, in February, was about 15,500 for the defense of the State, with 10,000 near Savannah and on the coast of Georgia.
It will be recalled that when General Beauregard assumed command in South Carolina, October 1, 1862, General Pemberton, at his request, estimated the troops necessary for the defense of the State against a probable force which might be sent to attack Charleston, at 30,000 infantry, cavalry and heavy artillery, and fifteen light batteries, an estimate which General Beauregard approved as the minimum required. It was with great concern, therefore, that he contemplated the attack which was evidently pending in January, 1863, when his total of all arms in South Carolina was but a little over 15,000, with about 10,000 in Georgia. But with the war raging in Virginia and in the West, and a Federal army threatening North Carolina, the military resources of the Confederate government were taxed to the utmost. South Carolina had put all her fighting material in the field, and thousands of her noblest sons had fallen in Virginia, in Tennessee, and on her own soil. Meanwhile every preparation was being made to defend Charleston and the line of railroad connecting it with Savannah. January closed with two brilliant incidents in the history of this defense.
The Federal gunboats had control of the Stono river up to the range of Fort Pemberton. This strong work, mounting fifteen heavy guns, commanded the Stono and flanked the defensive line on James island to the west. John's island, on the west side of the Stono, was occupied only by a cavalry picket, and gunboats ran up and down the river with impunity. It was arranged by Generals Beauregard and Ripley to surprise and capture one or more of them. These arrangements were most successfully carried out on the 30th of January. Maj. J. J. Lucas, commanding at Fort Pemberton, sent Capt. John H. Gary with three rifled 24-pounders to put them in battery, and under cover, at Thomas Grimball's place on James island. This was done in the night, and the guns carefully secreted from the enemy's view. They were commanded by Lieuts. W. G. Ogier, E. B. Colhoun and Capt. T. B. Hayne respectively, officers of Companies A, B and C, of Lucas' command. In the same way, lower down the Stono, at Battery island, Maj. J. W. Brown, Second artillery, concealed two rifled 24-pounders in the woods, at night, built platforms for them in the old battery, and kept in hiding for the event. Brown's guns were commanded by Lieuts. John A. Bellinger, Company B, and F. Lake, Company K. Fifty men of the Eighth Georgia battalion, under Lieuts. R. Hays and George Johnson, were detailed as sharpshooters. Lieut.-Col. Joseph A. Yates, First regulars, made a secret disposition of a larger force, on John's island, between the guns of Gary and Brown. He took two companies of Major Alston's siege train, A and B, commanded by Capt. B. C. Webb and Lieut. S. W. Willson, Jr.; Company F, Palmetto battalion, Capt. F. C. Schulz; a light battery, commanded by Capt. F. H. Harleston; one Parrott gun, in charge of Lieut. T. E. Gregg; Capt. John C. Mitchel's company, I, First artillery, and Companies H and I of the Twentieth infantry, Capt. S. M. Roof and Lieut. M. Gunter. Yates masked his guns at Grimball's and Legaré's points, on John's island, and awaited his opportunity.