The Salkehatchie River originates near the City of

Barnwell, South Carolina Barnwell is a city in and county seat of Barnwell County, South Carolina, United States, located along U.S. Route 278. The population was 4,750 at the 2010 census. Geography Barnwell is located east of the center of Barnwell County at (33.244 ...

and accepts drainage from Turkey Creek and Whippy Swamp before merging with the Little Salkehatchie River to form the

Combahee River The Combahee River ( ) is a short blackwater river in the southern Lowcountry region of South Carolina formed at the confluence of the Salkehatchie and Little Salkehatchie rivers near the Islandton community of Colleton County, South Carolina ...

Basin, which empties into

Saint Helena Sound Saint Helena Sound is a coastal inlet in the Lowcountry region South Carolina, located along the Atlantic Ocean between Beaufort and Colleton counties. Located within the relatively undeveloped ACE Basin, the sound consists of the mouths of the ...

and the

Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe ...

. Prior to the confluence, the Little Salkehatchie River accepts drainage from Lemon Creek, Buckhead Creek, and Willow Swamp. United States General

William Tecumseh Sherman William Tecumseh Sherman ( ; February 8, 1820February 14, 1891) was an American soldier, businessman, educator, and author. He served as a general in the Union Army during the American Civil War (1861–1865), achieving recognition for his com ...

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 th ...

marched his troops across this river and the swamps surrounding it on his way to capture

Columbia, South Carolina Columbia is the capital of the U.S. state of South Carolina. With a population of 136,632 at the 2020 census, it is the second-largest city in South Carolina. The city serves as the county seat of Richland County, and a portion of the city ...

. This crossing included winning the

Battle of Rivers' Bridge The Battle of Rivers' Bridge (also known as the Action at Rivers' Bridge) was a battle of the American Civil War fought on February 3, 1865. Order of battle Confederate Commander: Major General Lafayette McLaws * Harrison's Brigade: Colonel ...

, defeating a

Confederate Confederacy or confederate may refer to: States or communities * Confederate state or confederation, a union of sovereign groups or communities * Confederate States of America, a confederation of secessionist American states that existed between 1 ...

force led by Major General

Lafayette McLaws Lafayette McLaws ( ; January 15, 1821 – July 24, 1897) was a United States Army officer and a Confederate general in the American Civil War. He served at Antietam and Fredericksburg, where Robert E. Lee praised his defense of Marye's Heights, ...

. The University of South Carolina named its two-year regional campus after the Salkehatchie River. The river flows through Allendale,

Bamberg Bamberg (, , ; East Franconian: ''Bambärch'') is a town in Upper Franconia, Germany, on the river Regnitz close to its confluence with the river Main. The town dates back to the 9th century, when its name was derived from the nearby ' castle. C ...

, Barnwell, Colleton and

Hampton Hampton may refer to: Places Australia *Hampton bioregion, an IBRA biogeographic region in Western Australia *Hampton, New South Wales *Hampton, Queensland, a town in the Toowoomba Region * Hampton, Victoria Canada * Hampton, New Brunswick *Ha ...

counties, the same area served by

University of South Carolina Salkehatchie The University of South Carolina Salkehatchie (USC Salkehatchie) is a public college with campuses in Allendale and Walterboro, South Carolina. It is one of four regional University of South Carolina System campuses which make up Palmetto Colleg ...

References

External links

Rivers of South Carolina Rivers of Hampton County, South Carolina Rivers of Colleton County, South Carolina Rivers of Allendale County, South Carolina Rivers of Bamberg County, South Carolina Rivers of Barnwell County, South Carolina {{SouthCarolina-river-stub