2nd Regiment, South Carolina Infantry (2nd Palmetto Regiment)

Brief History
2nd Infantry Regiment [also called 2nd Palmetto Regiment] completed its organization near Richmond, Virginia. This regiment was called into State service about April 9, 1861 for twelve months. It was mustered into the Confederate States service May 22, 1861, and re-organized for the war in May, 1862. About April 9, 1865, the 2nd (Palmetto) Regiment Infantry was consolidated with the 20th Regiment South Caroina Infantry and a part of Blanchard's South Carolina Reserves and formed the new 2nd Regiment South Carolina Infantry.

The men were from Columbia, Camden, and Charleston, and the counties of Sumter, Richland, Greenville, Kershaw, and Lancaster. It surrendered with the Army of Tennessee.

From the history site (see reference below) it states: "The 2nd South Carolina participated in as many, if not more, battles than any other regiment on either side. It is one of the few units that was established before the bombardment of Fort Sumter and existed until several weeks after Lee's surrender at Appomattox. It established itself as one of the elite shock troop units of Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia ." This regiment was a part of Kershaw's Brigade.

Companies in this Regiment with the Counties of Origin
Men often enlisted in a company recruited in the counties where they lived though not always. After many battles, companies might be combined because so many men were killed or wounded. However if you are unsure which company your ancestor was in, try the company recruited in his county first.

Some rosters list only one soldier.


 * Company A - (also known as Governor's Guards) Mustered in May 22, 1861, Camp Davis near Richmond Virginia. Many men from, Pickens District (County) and Richland District (County ) - Roster, Roster, Roster pages 11-35


 * Company B - (also known as Butler's Guards) Many men from  Greenville District  (County) - Roster, Roster, Roster pages 37-62 .  Organized about January 5, 1861 and called to active duty April 15, 1861


 * Company C - (also known as Columbia Grays) - Many men from Richland District (County) - Roster, Roster, Roster pages 63-91 . Organized January 7, 1861.Mustered into service May 23 1861 at Camp Davis, near Richmond Virginia. /&gt;


 * Company D - (also known as Sumter Guards and Sumter Volunteers) Many men from   Sumter District (County) - Roster, Roster, Roster on pages 93-117. Organized January 7, 1861. Mustered into Confederate service May 23, 1861, at Camp Davis, near Richmond, Virginia.


 * Company E - (also known as Camden Volunteers and Camden Light Infantry) Many men from Camden District and Kershaw District (County} - Roster, Roster, Roster on pages 120-148 . Organized January 8, 1861 and called into active service April 9, 1861


 * Company F - (also known as Secession Guard) Many men from  Anderson District (County) &amp; Abbeville District (County) - Roster, Roster on pages 151-180 . Raised January 10, 1861 and ordered to Charleston April 14 1861. Mustered into Confederate service May 23, 1861 at Camp Davis, near Richmond, Virginia.


 * Company G - (also known as Flat Rock Guards) Many men from Kershaw District (County) - Roster, Roster, Roster on pages 182-205. Organized January 16, 1861 and called into active service April 28, 1861.


 * Company H - (also known as Lancaster Invincibles) Many men from Lancaster District (County) - Roster Organized January 8, 1861 and called into active service April 28, 1861


 * Company I - (also known as Palmetto Guards) - Many men from Charleston District (County) &amp; Beaufort District (County) - Roster, Roster Origin dates back to the Mexican War. Ordered into state service December 27, 1860.


 * Company K - (also known as Brooks Guards Volunteers) Many men from Charleston District (County) - Roster, Roster  Organized May 8, 1861 and sent to Richmond May 12, 1861.


 * Field and Staff, Field and Staff (2)

Seigler's book lists that there were also six other companies involved in the beginning but later joined other regiments. Namely:


 * DeKalb Rife Guards - Kershaw District (County), Camden Area


 * Lancaster Grays - Lancaster District (County)


 * Richland Guards - Richland District (County)


 * Salem Company - (also called the Chicora Guards) - Sumter District (County), Clarendon District (County) and Williamsburg District (County)


 * States Rights Guards - (also known as the Fork Troop) - Richland District (County)


 * Claremont Rifles - Darlington District (County) and Sumter District (County)

Some County listing and dates organized from: Mac Wyckoff, A History of the 2nd South Carolina Infantry, 1861-1865 (Fredericksburg, Virginia : Sergeant Kirkland's Museum and Historical Society, c1994), 278 pages. Book found at and Other Libraries.

The Civil War Soldiers and Sailors database lists 2,876 men on its roster for this unit. Roster.

Other Sources

 * Beginning United States Civil War Research gives steps for finding information about a Civil War soldier. It covers the major records that should be used. Additional records are described in ‘South Carolina in the Civil War’ and ‘United States Civil War, 1861 to 1865’ (see below).


 * National Park Service, The Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System, is searchable by soldier's name and state. It contains basic facts about soldiers on both sides of the Civil War, a list of regiments, descriptions of significant battles, sources of the information, and suggestions for where to find additional information.


 * South Carolina in the Civil War describes many Confederate and Union sources, specifically for South Carolina, and how to find them.. These include compiled service records, pension records, rosters, cemetery records, Internet databases, published books, etc.


 * United States Civil War, 1861 to 1865 describes and explains United States and Confederate States records, rather than state records, and how to find them. These include veterans’ censuses, compiled service records, pension records, rosters, cemetery records, Internet databases, published books, etc.


 * Footnote.com (A subscription website, but is available for use at the FamilySearch Library and some Family History Centers). It has digital Civil War soldier service records and brief regiment histories (located at the bottom of some of the muster rolls).


 * "2nd Infantry Regiment" from The War for Southern Independence in South Carolina. Eastern Digital Resources, accessed 11/15/2010. Lists Company Rosters and a brief Regiment History.


 * "Second South Carolina Regiment" from South Carolina's Service in the War Between the States; Steve Batson's website, accessed Nov 2010. This website also lists officers of the regiment and companies; and battles the regiment was involved in.


 * "2nd Regiment South Carolina Volunteers", from Old Sumter District, South Carolina SCGenWeb and Palmetto State Roots Websites, Internet site, accessed 10 April 2018. Includes a history and Roster.


 * "Roster of The Clarendon Blues, 9th Regiment, Company C" by Old Sumter District, South Carolina SCGenWebsites and Palmetto State Roots Websites, Internet site, accessed 11/27/2010 states: "Upon reorganization, some of the officers and men of this company subsequently served in Co. E, Palmetto Regiment Sharpshooters S.C. A few served in 2nd Co. C 6th SC Infantry. Some served in 2nd Co. E SC Infantry, and others in 2nd Co. K 6th SC Infantry." There is a roster of some of the men.


 * "The Palmetto Regiment", by Military.com Unit Pages, Internet site, accessed 11/27/2010. This site contains a history of this unit.


 * "2nd South Carolina Volunteer Infantry Regiment" by Mac Wyckoff at eHistory Archive, Internet site, accessed 11/27/2010. Site contains a history, company names &amp; officers, futher sources.


 * "Oliver Johnston Youmans, Company C 2nd South Carolina Infantry", Internet site, accessed 11/27/2010. Gives a history of Youmans' Company.


 * "South Carolina Civil War Rosters-2nd Regiment", Access Genealogy Internet site, accessed 11/30/2010. This site contains rosters for this Regiment.


 * 2nd Regiment South Carolina Infantry Historical Marker. Historical Marker Database.  Internet site, accessed 12/30/2010.  Marker near Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia in honor of the 2nd Regiment South Carolina Infantry.

Books and Films


 * Ash, Stephen V. Firebrand of liberty : the story of two black regiments that changed the course of the Civil War, (New York, New York : W.W. Norton, c2008).  Includes bibliographical references and index.  Available online at Google Books, (accessed 16 Feb 2011).  Also available at the FamilySearch Library,


 * Dedmondt, Glenn. Southern Bronze : Capt. Garden's (S.C.) Artillery Company During the War Between the States (Columbia, South Carolina : Palmetto Bookworks, c1993), 255 pages. Book found at and Other Libraries.


 * Dickert, D. Augustus. History of Kershaw's Brigade : With Complete Roll of Companies, Biographical Sketches, Incidents, Anecdotes, etc.  (Dayton, Ohio : Morningside Bookshop, 1976), 583 pages. Rosters for the 2nd South Carolina Volunteer Regimental companies are found on pages 543-551. Digital copies at Google Books and Internet Archives. Book found at and Other Libraries.


 * Eaton, Lafayette Claud. Butler Guards: Company B, 2nd South Carolina Infantry Regiment, Confederate States army (Vallejo, Calif. : L.C. Eaton, 1996?), 151 pages. Civil War pages. Includes index. Includes the final roll call of the original Butler Guards present at the surrender at Greensboro.The Butler Guards were originally a South Carolina state militia that became the core of Company B of the 2nd South Carolina Infantry Regiment. They later became a part of the United Confederate Veterans. Book found at and microfilm copy at


 * Hewett, Janet B., ed. Supplement to the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies. Wilmington, North Carolina: Broadfoot Pub. Co., c1994-2001. . Lists officers, companies, some nicknames for the companies and dates involving the company and places where they were stationed. There are 10 Companies (A-I, K) listed.


 * Howard, Robert M. Reminiscences.  (Bethesda, Maryland : University Publications of America, c1990).   Includes a description of activities of the 2nd South Carolina Infantry Regiment (Confederate) in the following battles or localities: 1st Manassas, Va.; Williamsburg, Va.; Seven Pines, Va.; Richmond, Ky.; Franklin, Tenn.; and Nashville, Tenn.  Available online at Google Books, (accessed 15 Apr 2011).  Also available at the FamilySearch Library


 * Kershaw, C.D. Richard Kirkland, C.S.A., (Bethesda, Maryland : University Publications of America, c1990).  Includes a description of activities of the 2nd South Carolina Infantry Regiment (Confederate) in some of their battles.  Available at the FamilySearch Library,


 * Salley, Alexander Samuel. South Carolina Troops in Confederate Service, Vol 2  (The State Co., Columbia, SC 1930)  This volume covers the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th infantry regiments. Digital copy at Internet Archives. Book at Other Libraries


 * Salley, A. S.  South Carolina Troops in Confederate Service ( Columbia, S.C. : R.L. Bryan Co., 1913-1930), 3 Volumes. Compiled from muster rolls, pay rolls and returns in the United States War Department. Includes indexes in each volume. Volume I : First regiment, S.C. Infantry (Regulars); First regiment, S.C.V. -- Volume II : Second regiment, S.C.V. ; Third regiment, S.C.V. ; Fourth regiment, S.C.V. -- Volume III : Fifth regiment, S.C.V. Digital copy at . Book or microfilm at Other Libraries


 * Seigler, Robert S. South Carolina's Military Organizations During the War Between the States. Charleston, South Carolina: The History Press, c2008. . This book has an overview about the creation of the military units for service during the Civil War. There are four volumes which are divided into areas of the State. There is information about the different military units including dates of organization and service, company officers, battle engagements, company names and places of origin, and a few pictures. This book is also available through other libraries.


 * Wyckoff, Mac. A History of the 2nd South Carolina Infantry, 1861-65 (Publisher: Fredericksburg, Va.: Sergeant Kirkland's Museum &amp; Historical Society, 1994), 278 pages. Examines the role the 2nd South Carolina Infantry played in the great battles of the American Civil War. Includes a detailed roster. Locate book at the FamilySearch Library,  and at these libraries, (accessed 15 Apr 2011).