Combahee River

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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. Part of its lower drainage basin combines with the Ashepoo River and the Edisto River to form the ACE Basin seeACE Basin National Wildlife Refuge. The ACE Basin refers to the area of South Carolina made up of the river areas of the Ashepoo, Combahee and Edisto Rivers. The Combahee empties into Saint Helena Sound near Beaufort, which in turn empties into the Atlantic Ocean.

[edit] History

The Combahee River was made famous as the location of the Harriet Tubman Combahee River Raid, a Union raid into the interior of South Carolina June 2, 1863 which freed over 750 slaves. The bridge across the Combahee on US Highway 17 is the location today.

The Combahee River bordered and supplied the water for some of the largest, most productive rice plantations prior to the Civil War. It was also the scene of skirmishes during the Yamasee War and the Revolutionary War. It was during the Revolutionary War that the British made an attempt at foraging which the Americans headed by General Gist and Colonel John Laurens opposed, causing the loss of John Lauren's life.

The Combahee area was first settled in the 1680s. Before the Yamasee War of 1715, land was set aside for the Yamasee along several rivers including the Combahe.^[1]

[edit] References