Raid at Combahee Ferry

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With the first shots at Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor, the American Civil War began. The newly formed Confederate States of America quickly moved to defend coastal South Carolina from attacks by the Union forces. South of Charleston near Beaufort is Port Royal, long known as one of the finest harbors in the South, it was a coveted prize by the Union. In November of 1861 the forts protecting the harbor were silenced by the attacking Union Navy. The US troops proceeded to occupy most of the eastern part of Beaufort County up to the Whale Branch River

One of the consequences of this was the abandonment of the many plantations on the surrounding Sea Islands and Beaufort itself. This in turn freed the many slaves that lived there. To better help and educate the newly freed slaves many nurses, teachers and others soon arrived on Hilton Head and in Beaufort. Among these was a small black woman that went by the name of Harriet Tubman. Tubman herself was a former escaped slave from Maryland that was one of the founders of the Underground Railroad, a means by which escaping slaves could flee to the north and Canada.

From the many former slaves a number of regiments in the Union army was formed. One of these was the 2nd South Carolina Regiment, headed by Colonel James Montgomery. Montgomery was a “Jayhawker” from Kansas who participated in the numerous clashes by the pro and anti-slavery forces in Kansas and Missouri prior to the war. His brand of warfare, honed under the tutelage of General Lane, would fit nicely with his desires in South Carolina, Georgia and Florida.

During her stay in South Carolina, Tubman taught the freed slaves household skills, worked in a bakery and as a nurse. Her knowledge of herbs helped nurse many a sick soldier through one of the many fevers prevalent at the time. Her political connections and native intelligence also helped her befriend Union officers and escaping slaves alike.

Because of her ability to interact with both the escaped and freed slaves and the Union officers she quickly became an intermediary between the two. In the spring of 1863 plans were made to start conducting raids into the fortified upper reaches of the coastal rivers, the Combahee, Ashepoo, and Edisto in Colleton County, to take up the torpedoes (mines) in the river, and destroy the supplies at the plantations, as well as the plantations themselves and free the slaves for their inclusion in other regiments to be formed.

The most famous raid was up the Combahee River.

On the evening of June 1, three small ships (The Sentinel, Harriet A. Weed and the John Adams) left Beaufort headed for the Combahee. The ships held 300 men of the 2nd South Carolina Regiment, a regiment of mostly former slaves, commanded by Colonel Montgomery, Harriet Tubman and Company C Third Rhode Island Heavy Artillery manning the guns. Shortly after leaving Beaufort the Sentinel ran aground in St. Helena Sound, and some time was lost in transferring the men to the remaining two ships.

Early in the morning, before 3 AM, June 2nd, the ships arrived at the mouth of the Combahee River where Montgomery landed a small detachment under Captain Thompson, at Fields Point. The Confederate pickets were driven off and the Union forces advanced up the river. Some of the Confederates rode to Green Pond to sound the alarm.

Two miles above Fields Point was a small earthwork at Tar Bluff. Here Captain Carver’s company landed and held the position. The two ships got back underway and steamed up the river to the Nichols Plantation where the gunboat Harriet A. Weed remained.

The John Adams with the remainder of the 2nd South Carolina and Harriet Tubman proceeded up the river to Combahee Ferry, the site of the Highway 17 bridge over the river today. Here they found a temporary pontoon bridge. As the Union ship approached a number of Confederate’s on horseback rode over the bridge and across the causeway in the direction of Green Pond. The Adams fired a few shells at the escaping Confederates.

Upon reaching the bridge the men on the Adams took up the bridge and set it on fire. Captain Hoyt disembarked upon the causeway with his men and proceeded across to the far, (Colleton) side. Captain Brayton proceeded up the left bank of the river to the Middleton Plantation, “Newport” with “special orders”. These orders included confiscation of any and all property and laying waste to what could not be carried off. The idea being to damage the ability of the plantations to supply the Confederate Army with food and material.

The pickets were driven off. Instead of riding to Green Pond where a large Confederate camp was, they instead rode to the plantations warning them of the approaching Union troops.

The Adams then slowly ran up the river for a very short distance until stopped by obstructions and pilings in the river. Turning back she tied up at the causeway.

The Confederate troops stationed at Green Pond were quickly notified. Aiding the Union on this raid was the time of the year and a recent false alarm. Late spring through early fall was a time of rampant diseases in the lowcountry. Malaria, typhoid fever, small pox and others killed more men than the war did. For this reason troops were pulled back from the rivers and swamps leaving only small detachments to guard the river outposts.

Previous to this raid the Confederates received a false alarm. This resulted in the few pickets being very cautious about reporting any ships or activity until absolutely sure they were Union. This caused the Confederates precious time in responding to the threat.

The Confederates responded from McPhearsonville, Pocotaligo, Green Pond and Adams Run. Colonel Breeden arrived with a few guns and opened fire on the Union troops headed back across the causeway. The Union ship John Adams responded and having superior firepower forced the Confederates back into the woods from the causeway.

By this time Mr. Heyward’s Plantation on the west side of the highway and Mr. Lowndes rice mill had already been torched and the slaves were already gone. The houses, mills and outbuildings were all destroyed. At Nichols Plantation a fine library was also put to the torch. Rice, potatoes, corn, cotton and livestock were taken. The plantations were left smoldering ruins.

The Confederates hearing reports of further Federal advances from Fields Point up to the Stokes Causeway sent troops in that direction. Arriving at Tar Bluff, overlooking the river, Captain Lowndes saw the gunboat had already departed. They turned and headed further downriver in an attempt to cut off the ships at Fields Point. Here they were met in ambush by the Union forces left earlier in the morning, driving the Confederates back. They regrouped near Tar Bluff and looking down the short causeway there could see a Union gunboat lying just offshore.

Capt. Godbold stated he had earlier advanced on Fields Point and attacked the enemy when he was fired on by the Union gunboat and forced to retreat.

Captain Lowndes then ordered Lt. Breeden to move with his forces around by the main road to Fields Point, which he reached around dusk. Lt. Edens was ordered down the causeway from Tar Bluff. He arrived there shortly before Lt. Breeden only to find the Federal forces having retired to their gunboats out of range.

Contrary to some recent accounts the local black population didn’t know who Harriet Tubman was. Nor did they sing the Negro spiritual renamed by some to “Swing Low Sweet Harriet”. They did however recognize the opportunity afforded them in escaping.

At first the slaves working the fields were afraid of the approaching ships and troops. However the word quickly got out that they were there to liberate them. The slaves ran to the riverbank begging to be taken on board the ships.

In her autobiography after the war Tubman described the scene thus, “I nebber see such a sight. We laughed, an’ laughed, an’ laughed. Here you’d see a woman wid a pail on her head, rice a smokin’ in it jus’ as she'd taken it from de fire, young one hangin’ on behind, one han’ roun’ her forehead to hold on, t’other han’ diggin’ into de rice-pot, eatin’ wid all its might; hold of her dress two or three more; down her back a bag wid a pig in it. One woman brought two pigs, a white one an’ a black one; we took ‘em all on board; named de white pig Beauregard, and de black pig Jeff Davis. Sometimes de women would come wid twins hangin’ roun’ der necks; ‘pears like I nebber see so many twins in my life; bags on der shoulders, baskets on der heads, and young ones taggin’ behin’, all loaded; pigs squealin’, chickens screamin’, young ones squallin’”

Hundreds of slaves stood on the shore, and when the small boats put out to get them, they all wanted to get in at once. After the boats were filled to capacity and beyond, the escaping slaves would hold on to them and prevent the boats from leaving shore. Oarsmen tried beating them on their hands, but they would not let go, as they were afraid the gunboats would go off and leave them.

Montgomery seeing this asked Tubman to do something for her people. She responded that, they weren’t any more her people than they were his people. They didn’t know any more about her than she knew about them. Montgomery then called down to Tubman from the upped deck and asked her to sing to them. Tubman responded with a song. This calmed the throngs and allowed the boats to row to the gunboat, return and pick up more escapees.

The Union ships arrived the next day in Beaufort. The newly freed slaves were taken to the First Baptist Church, before heading to a resettlement camp on St. Helena Island. Due to the efforts in planning and intelligence provided by Tubman and her contacts over 750 slaves found their freedom due to the success of this raid.

The official Union reports of the raid have never been found. There are numerous newspaper accounts of the raid and comments by the commanding officers.

The Commonwealth reported; Colonel Montgomery and his gallant bank of 300 black soldiers under the guidance of a black woman, dashed into the enemy’s country, struck a bold and effective blow, destroying millions of dollars worth of commissary stores, cotton and lordly dwellings, and striking terror into the heart of rebeldom, brought off nearly 800 slaves and thousands of dollars worth of property, without losing a man or receiving a scratch. It was a glorious consummation…. The colonel was followed by a speech from the black woman who led the raid and under whose inspiration it was originated and conducted. For sound sense and real native eloquence her address would do honor to any man, and it created a great sensation

The Charleston Mercury newspaper had a slightly different slant in their report; We have gathered some additional particulars of the recent destructive Yankee raid along the banks of the Combahee. The latest official dispatch from Gen. WALKER, dated Green Pond, eleven o’clock Tuesday night, and which was received here on Wednesday morning, conveyed intelligence that the enemy had entirely disappeared. It seems that the first landing of the Vandels, whose force consisted mainly of three 'companies, officered by whites, took place at Field Point, on the plantation of Dr. R. L. BAKER, at the mouth of the Combahee River. After destroying the residence and outbuildings, the incendiaries proceeded along the river bank, visiting successively the plantations of Mr. OLIVER MIDDLETON, Mr. ANDREW W. BURNETT, Mr. WM. KIRKLAND, Mr. JOSHUA NICHOLLS, Mr. JAMES PAUL, Mr. MANIGAULT, Mr. CHAS. T. LOWNDES and Mr. WM. C. HEYWARD. After pillaging the premises of these gentlemen, the enemy set fire to the residences, outbuildings and whatever grain, etc., they could find. The last place at which they stopped was the plantation of WM. C. HEYWARD, and, after their work of devastation there had been consummated, they destroyed the pontoon bridge at Combahee Ferry. They then drew off, taking with them between 600 and 700 negros , belonging chiefly, as we are informed, to Mr. WM. C. HEYWARD and Mr. C.T. LOWNDES. The residences on these plantations are located at distances from the river, varying in different cases from one to two miles. On the plantation of Mr. NICHOLLS between 8000 and 10,000 bushels of rice were destroyed. Besides his residence and outbuildings, which were burned, he lost a choice library of rare books, valued at $10,000. Several overseers are missing, and it is supposed that they are in the hands of the enemy.

In a report to Union Secretary of War Stanton. Brigadier General Rufus Saxton, stated, “This is the only military command in American history wherein a woman, black or white, led the raid and under whose inspiration it was originated and conducted.”

Due to the success of this raid the Federal forces adopted the tactics used so successfully on this raid. A few weeks later the 2nd SC and the 54th Mass. conducted a similar raid up the river to Darien, Georgia which also left the town in smoldering ruins, the premise being to injure the ability of the states to supply food and materials for the Confederate war effort.

The raid proved the value of black troops in combat, and it cemented in history the legendary heroics of a small black woman, Harriet Tubman. After this the Confederate forces rushed to completion a number of small earthworks and battery’s for the defense of the area. The Union would not threaten this area again until the march through the Carolinas by General W.T. Sherman in 1865. The surrounding plantations were not rebuilt during the war, which deprived the South of needed supplies and virtually bankrupted many of the plantations.

[edit] The Area Today

The location of the Combahee River Raid was identified to State and Federal officials by Jeff Grigg as a result of the bridge replacement project across the Combahee River on Highway 17. The area today remains in much the same condition, and the causeway is on the same alignment. The differences being the land has grown up with mature trees and inland rice fields being managed for waterfowl, instead of rice fields and farming.

State Representative Kenneth Hodges, Bennetts Point, has secured a resolution in the General Assembly to have the new bridge named after Harriet Tubman in recognition of this historic event.

The site can be viewed via the boat landing parking lot on the Beaufort side of the river. The surrounding area is under private ownership. The SCDOT plans on installing an interpretive marker at the landing. This landing is very important.

[edit] Resources

Source; Harriet Tubman and the Combahee River Raid unpublished manuscript Jeff Grigg 2007

/OR 1898 Official Records of the War of Rebellion, US Gov't.
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