South Carolina in the Civil War

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Introduction
On 20 December 1860, South Carolina became the first state to secede from the Union. The first shots were fired 9 January 1861 by Citadel cadets on a merchant ship taking supplies to Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor. The April 1861 bombardment of Fort Sumter caused the official start of the Civil War.

South Carolina provided many troops for the Confederacy. As the war progressed, many ex-slaves joined the Union troops. South Carolina lost 12,922 men in the war which was 23% of its white male population of fighting age, the highest percentage of any state.

South Carolina Military Units
Most units were numbered, however, some were named. See the table below for lists of the regiments, battalions, batteries, and other units.

South Carolina Units by Number or by Name Confederate Units 1st-4th 5th-14th 15th-51st A-G H-M N-Z South Carolina Units by Type of Unit Confederate Units Infantry Cavalry Artillery Rifles Local Units Other

Service Records

 * An index to service records is available for Confederate soldiers (Family History Library films 881967-882001).
 * The service records are at the National Archives.
 * A published roster of Confederate soldiers is in Alexander S. Salley, Jr., South Carolina Troops in Confederate Service, Three Volumes (Columbia, South Carolina: R.L. Bryan Co., 1913-30; Family History Library book 975.7 M28s; film 982339 Volumes 1-3).

The South Carolina Department of Archives and History has the compiled service and pension records of Confederate soldiers, musters and payrolls of confederate units, and the 1907 to 1957 records of the Confederate Home. In addition, the Archives has posted an online index to Confederate Pension 1919-1938. This index is linked to online document images for some of the files.

Civil War Pension Index Cards
A free Internet index to pension applications of veterans who served in the US Army between 1861-1917 is available on FamilySearch Record Search. Each card gives the soldier’s name, application and certificate numbers, state of enlistment, and might include rank and death information. Other wars, of that time period, may be included.

Southern Claims Commission
If a Union sympathizer in South Carolina claimed a loss during the Civil War due to Union military confiscation, he could apply to the Southern Claims Commission for reimbursement. Only a few applied per county, but their neighbors were called as witnesses and asked dozens of questions. Hundreds of the residents in a county may be mentioned in answers to Commission questions, and their wartime activities described. To learn how to find records mentioning these neighbors in South Carolina counties during the Civil War see the Southern Claims Commission.

Source Information

 * Capers, Ellison. Confederate Military History. Atlanta: Confederate Publishing Company, 1899). Google Books.
 * Crute, Joseph H. Jr. Units of the Confederate States Army. Midlothian, Virginia : Derwent Books, c1987. Family History Library book 973 M2crua,, WorldCat.
 * Estes, Claud. List of Field Officers, Regiments and Battalions in the Confederate States Army 1861-1865. Macon: The J. W. Burke Company, 1913. Google Books and at the Family History Library book 973 M2Lo,, fiche 6082198 (3 fiche)
 * O'Donnell-Rosales, John. Hispanic Confederates. Baltimore: Genelogical Publishing Co., Inc., 2006. Google Books, , FHL book 973 M2oh, and 2006 edition.
 * Rigdon, John C. South Carolina regimental histories of the American Civil War : &amp; index to South Carolina Civil War soldiers. Clearwater, South Carolina : Eastern Digital Resources, 2006. FHL CD-ROM no. 4269.
 * Rivers, William J.. Rivers' account of the raising of troops in South Carolina for state and Confederate service, 1861-1865. Bethesda, Maryland : University Publications of America, c1990., FHL fiche 6082599 (1 fiche).
 * Rivers, William J. Roll of the Dead, South Carolina troops, Confederate States Service. [Columbia, South Carolina] : Public Programs Division, S.C. Dept. of Archives and History, c1995. This book lists many who died while in Confederate service. It is an alphabetical name listing with District, age, rank, company, reigment, date and cause of death. Family History Library book 975.7 M2rd,.
 * Rodenbough, Theophilus F. and William L. Haskin, editors. The Army of the United States. New York: Maynard, Merrill, &amp; Co., 1896. Google Books.  Also available at the Internet site, US Army Center of Military History, accessed 12/08/2010.
 * Salley, A. S.South Carolina troops in Confederate service". Bethesda, Maryland : University Publications of America, c1990. Google Books- Volume I, Google Books Volume II., fiche 6082600 (21 fiche).
 * The War of the Rebellion: a compilation of the official records of the Union and Confederate Armies by published under the direction of the Secretary of War. Washington, District of Columbia : Govt. Print. Off., 1880-1901. Google Books and at the Family History Library,, book 973 M29u, series 1-4; 120 films beginning with 845306 Item 3. An index is found in The War of the Rebellion: a compilation of the official records of the Union and Confederate Armies : general index and additions and corrections by Fred C. Ainsworth and Joseph W. Kirkley (Washington [District of Columbia]: U.S. G.P.O.),, FHL book 973 M29u index and film 430054.
 * Confederate Army Units formed in South Carolina during the War for Southern Independence, Internet site by the Sons of Confederate Veterans, Camp 36 Greenville, S.C., accessed 11/27/2010.
 * Index to South Carolina Soldiers from the Internet site, The War for Southern Independence in South Carolina. Eastern Digital Resouces. This is an alphabetical list of known soldiers. Accessed 11/27/2010
 * South Carolina in the Civil War Homepage, Internet site by Mac Wyckoff, accessed 11/29/2010. Lists links to South Carolina Military units, battles, a few names of soldiers and books about the Civil War.
 * Confederate Veterans Present at a 1922 Reunion at Walhalla, South Carolina, Internet site, accessed 11/30/2010
 * Shock Troops of the Confederacy-The Sharpshooter Battalions of the Army of Northern Virginia. by Fred L. Ray.  CFS Press Internet site, accessed 11/30/2010. This site lists the table of contents for this book and has a picture gallery of men who were sharpshooters.
 * "South Carolina Infantry Regiments", Internet site, accessed 11/30/2010. This has some information about some of the units and some links to other sites (note: some of the links are no longer valid).
 * Southern Messenger, Internet site, accessed 12/03/2010. This site contains an ancestor memorial where people can post names of those involved in the war. It also has links to other information about the Civil War, pictures and even a 'Project Wave' project where people will display flags in honor of an ancestor.
 * Confederate American Pride, Internet site, accessed 12/03/2010. This site has photos and biographies of Confederate leaders, articles about the Civil War, links and other information.
 * The War of the Rebellion, A Compilation of the Official Records of The Unioin and Conferate Armies" eHistory Internet site, accessed 12/15/2010. Can search by keyword or phrase; find maps, images and other information.
 * War Between the States in South Carolina. Traci Parsons-Holder. Internet site, accessed 12/30/2010. This internet site lists links to histories, soldiers biorgraphies, and other reference material about the Civil War in South Carolina. (Note: not all links are current.)