The Battle of Anderson was a minor skirmish during the American Civil War, fought in Anderson County, South Carolina, on May 1, 1865. The battle was one of the final conflicts of the war, taking place three weeks after

Robert E. Lee Robert Edward Lee (January 19, 1807 – October 12, 1870) was a Confederate general during the American Civil War, towards the end of which he was appointed the overall commander of the Confederate States Army. He led the Army of Nort ...

surrendered to

Ulysses S. Grant Ulysses S. Grant (born Hiram Ulysses Grant ; April 27, 1822July 23, 1885) was an American military officer and politician who served as the 18th president of the United States from 1869 to 1877. As Commanding General, he led the Union Ar ...

Appomattox Court House Appomattox Court House could refer to: * The village of Appomattox Court House, now the Appomattox Court House National Historical Park, in central Virginia (U.S.), where Confederate army commander Robert E. Lee surrendered to Union commander Ulyss ...

. The exact location of the battle is unknown, but it definitely took place in Anderson. Some historians believe the battle took place near the now-

I-85 Interstate 85 (I-85) is a major Interstate Highway in the Southeastern United States. Its southern terminus is at an interchange with Interstate 65, I-65 in Montgomery, Alabama; its northern terminus is an interchange with Interstate 95, I ...

and the

Shiloh Methodist Church Shiloh Methodist Church is a historic church in Inman, South Carolina. It was built in 1825 and added to the National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's of ...

in the Piedmont area. The battle is reenacted every April. By 2020, it has been re-enacted 17 times.

Battle

Prelude

On April 27, Union General George Stoneman ordered three brigades, totaling 3,700 men, to march from Asheville down the Saluda River to Belton or Anderson, and finally to head to Augusta in search of

Jefferson Davis Jefferson F. Davis (June 3, 1808December 6, 1889) was an American politician who served as the president of the Confederate States from 1861 to 1865. He represented Mississippi in the United States Senate and the House of Representatives as a ...

, the only president of the Confederacy. After Stoneman gave those orders, he left to return to his headquarters in Knoxville. He left behind some units under the command of Simeon B. Brown.

Fighting

On May 1, the Union forces arrived in Anderson County. After the Union army arrived, they looted homes and businesses from

Pendleton Pendleton may refer to: Places ;United Kingdom *Pendleton, Lancashire, England *Pendleton, Greater Manchester, England ;United States *Pendleton, Indiana * Pendleton, Missouri *Pendleton, New York *Pendleton, Oregon *Pendleton, South Carolina *Pe ...

to Anderson. They even looted and disposed of 300 bottles of wine. While in Anderson, Union soldiers killed a teenager named William McKenzie Parker after he pointed his gun at the soldiers. The Union army also hung two men: Henry Winthrop and A.P Carter. Later that day, a group of Confederate cadets from the South Carolina Military Academy attacked the Union forces. The Confederates repulsed a small group of Union soldiers who were intending to burn down a railroad bridge on the Saluda River. Meanwhile, some

Union cavalry The American Civil War saw cavalry tactics move largely away from the offensive towards the defensive, with the emphasis on screening, raiding, and reconnaissance. Development of the rifled musket had also rendered the cavalry charge both ...

were attacked by a group of Confederate soldiers from Pendleton. Due to the Confederate victory, a man named Daniel Brown, who was being executed by the Union army, was rescued.

Aftermath

On May 2, the Union army publicly tortured three men, hoping that they could reveal the location of rumored Confederate gold. Also on May 2, another group of 2,050 Union soldiers arrived. However, the Union Army in Anderson was unable to capture Jefferson Davis. Davis had surrendered earlier, and was captured in Georgia on May 10. The same unit who had begun the war on January 1, 1861,by opening fire at the USS ''Star of the West'' to prevent the ship from reinforcing and resupplying Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor considers this to be the final action east of the Mississippi River.

References

External links

Battle of Anderson
{{DEFAULTSORT:Anderson, Battle of Anderson, South Carolina 1865 in South Carolina Battles of the American Civil War in South Carolina Battles of the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War Inconclusive battles of the American Civil War 1865 in the American Civil War May 1865 events