The Battle of James Island (also known as the Skirmish at James Island) was a minor
skirmish
Skirmishers are light infantry or light cavalry soldiers deployed as a vanguard, flank guard or rearguard to screen a tactical position or a larger body of friendly troops from enemy advances. They are usually deployed in a skirmish line, an i ...
near the end of the
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...
. It was known as the "Last fight for Charleston".
Background
Since the
fall of Morris Island in 1863 no major offensive had been carried out against Charleston. Several small skirmishes and expeditions were carried out against
James Island and
Johns Island. On February 10, 1865, Union troops from the Northern District of the Department of the South under Brigadier General Alexander Schimmelfennig made one final expedition to James Island. Confederate Major Edward Manigault of the South Carolina Siege Train (Manigault's Battalion) commanded a small force manning rifle pits on the southern edge of James Island at Grimball's Causeway.
Battle
Early on the morning of February 10, four Union gunboats shelled the Confederate rifle pits while General Schimmelfennig's troops began their landing. The 144th New York Infantry led the main attack against the center of the Confederate line along the
causeway. At the same time the 54th New York Infantry made a charge against the right flank of the Confederate line. Manigault detached a small force from the 2nd South Carolina Artillery along the causeway to reinforce the right. The attack of the 144th New York began to falter but the flank attack succeeded and the Confederates began to give way.
Major Manigault was severely wounded and taken prisoner during the fighting. The
official records
The ''Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies in the War of the Rebellion'', commonly known as the ''Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies'' or Official Records (OR or ORs), is the most extensive collection of Americ ...
reported that his leg required amputation and he died as a result, although in fact the major survived. The Union forces occupied the Confederate rifle pits following the skirmish.
Aftermath
The battle proved to be inconclusive when both sides eventually withdrew after making no significant gains.
As Union General
William T. Sherman
William is a male given name of Germanic origin.Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 276. It became very popular in the English language after the Norman conquest of Engl ...
’s army moved through South Carolina, the Confederate forces evacuated Charleston. Then on February 18, Schimmelfennig accepted the city's surrender from the mayor.
Forces
Union
1st Separate Brigade: Brigadier General Alexander Schimmelfennig
*
54th New York Infantry: Colonel Eugene Kolzay
*
144th New York Infantry: Colonel James Lewis
*
32nd U.S. Colored Infantry: Colonel
George W. Baird
*
33rd U.S. Colored Infantry (
1st South Carolina Infantry): Colonel
Thomas Wentworth Higginson
Thomas Wentworth Higginson (December 22, 1823May 9, 1911) was an American Unitarian minister, author, abolitionist, politician, and soldier. He was active in the American Abolitionism movement during the 1840s and 1850s, identifying himself with ...
*
55th Massachusetts Colored Infantry: Colonel
Alfred S. Hartwell
Alfred Stedman Hartwell (June 11, 1836 – August 30, 1912) was a lawyer and American Civil War soldier, who then had another career as cabinet minister and judge in the Kingdom of Hawaii.
Early life
Alfred Stedman Hartwell was born June 11, 18 ...
Confederate
[Ripley, p. 247]
*2nd South Carolina Heavy Artillery: Major Edward Manigault
*Palmetto Guard: Captain Benjamin C. Webb
*1st South Carolina Cavalry, dismounted detachment: Lieutenant William G. Roberts
See also
*
Charleston, South Carolina in the American Civil War
Charleston, South Carolina, was a hotbed of secession at the start of the American Civil War and an important Atlantic Ocean port city for the fledgling Confederate States of America. The first shots against the Federal government were those fire ...
*
Battle of James Island
The Battle of James Island was a minor engagement on November 14, 1782, just outside Charleston, South Carolina, between American and British forces. British troops were on the move attempting to evacuate most of the Americans. In an effort to ...
(1862), a.k.a. Battle of Secessionville
*
Battle of Grimball's Landing
The Battle of Grimball's Landing took place in James Island, South Carolina, on 16 July 1863, during the American Civil War. It was a part of the campaign known as Operations Against the Defenses of Charleston.
Opposing forces
Union
Confed ...
References
Further reading
* Bostick, Douglas W. ''Charleston Under Siege: The Impregnable City'' (2010)
* Coffey, Walter. ''The Civil War Months: A Month-By-Month Compendium of the War Between the States'' (2012)
* Sutherland, Jonathan. ''African Americans at War: An Encyclopedia, Volume 1'' (2004)
{{DEFAULTSORT:James Island, Battle Of
1865 in South Carolina
Battles of the American Civil War in South Carolina
Campaign of the Carolinas
February 1865 events