Garden's Company, South Carolina Light Artillery (Palmetto Light Battery)

Brief History
The Palmetto Light Artillery was raised by Captain Hugh R. Garden in 1862. The men came from the areas of Sumter, Columbia, and Cheraw in South Carolina and fought in the Army of Northern Virginia for the rest of the war.

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.


 * The Palmetto Light Artillery, (accessed 26 Mar 2011). Sumter, Sumter County; Columbia, Richland County and Cheraw, Chesterfield County. This sight has links to a historical sketch and muster rolls.

The Civil War Soldiers and Sailors database lists 260 men on its roster for this unit. Roster.

Source Material

 * 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, (accessed 26 Mar 2011). (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).


 * South Carolina Artillery, from South Carolina's Service in the War Between the States; Steve Batson's website, accessed April 2011. This website also lists officers of the regiment and companies, battles the regiment was involved in and company nicknames.


 * 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 at  and Other Libraries.


 * Andrews, Robert W. The Life and Adventures of Capt. Robert W. Andrews, of Sumter, South Carolina : extending over a period of 97 years : replete with startling situations and interesting incidents. Together with reminiscences of the War of 1812, and the recent unpleasantness between the North and South   ( Boston : Printed for the author by E.P. Whitcomb, 1887), 87 pages.  Book at the FamilySearch Library,  and WorldCat.org.