1st Regiment, South Carolina Infantry (6 months, 1861)

Brief History
1st Regiment, South Carolina Volunteers, "Gregg's First"

Field Officers: Colonel Maxcy Gregg; Lieutenant Colonel A.H. Gladden; Lieutenant Major D.H. Hamilton; Major Aug. M. Smith.

Constituted on 1 January 1861 by order of Governor Francis W. Pickens; assembled 1 February 1861 in Charleston; raised for an enlistment of six (6) months; joined units already in place on Sullivans and Morris Islands; sent to Richmond in April after being reorganized; enlistment terms ended in early July; regiment withdrawn to Richmond and reorganized; not present at First Manassas.

1st Infantry Regiment, Provisional Army completed its organization at Richmond, Virginia, in August, 1861. Most of the officers and men had served in the 1st South Carolina Volunteers, a six-month command, which was mustered out of service in late July.

Joseph H. Crute, Jr.'s book, "Units of the Confederate States Army", contains no history for this unit. This regiment most likely transferred into another regiment or was combined with another regiment to create a new regiment, or is another name for an existing regiment. Looking at the service records of the soldiers may give clues to the different regiments they may have served in.

Some service records (as found on Footnote, First Infantry- 6 months, 1861 ) indicate that soldiers from this unit went into other units. Possible units may be 1st Regiment South Carolina Infantry, McCreary's 1st Regiment South Carolina Infantry, and 15th Regiment South Carolina Infantry.

A good history on the 1st Regiment, Souht Carolina Volunteers (six months) is found in Robert S. Seigler's book South Carolina's Military Organizations During the War Between the States . See also1st Regiment, South Carolina Infantry (McCreary's) (1st Provisional Army).

Companies in this Regiment With County of Origin
At the time of reorganization, companies in this 6 month Regiment of service were transferred to different regiments.


 * Company A - (also known as the Richland Rifles) - many men from Richland District (County), Columbia area.


 * Company B - (also known as the Darlington Guards) - many men from Darlington District (County)


 * Company C - (also known as the Edgefield Rifles or Riflemen) - many men from Edgefield District (County)


 * Company D - (also known as the Abbeville Volunteers) - many men from Abbeville District (County)


 * Company E - (also known as the Union Volunteers) - many men from Union District (County)


 * Company F - (also known as the Wee Nee Volunteers and Williamsburg Volunteers) - many men from Williamsburg District (County), Kingstree area.


 * Company G - (also known as William Spires' Company and as the Hamburg Volunteers)

The Civil War Soldiers and Sailors database lists 732 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.


 * Compiled Service Records of Confederate Soldiers Who Served in Organizations from the State of South Carolina. Microfilm publication M267. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Services, 1958. These records have been indexed and digitized and are available at Footnote.com (A subscription website, but is available for use at the FamilySearch Library and some FamilySearch Centers). It has digital Civil War soldier service records and brief regiment histories (located at the bottom of some of the muster rolls). (Accessed December 2010)


 * 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 15 Companies (A-I, K-O) listed.


 * 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.