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Military Pron – Battle of the Lowcountry (1 of 2)

Aug 2, 2021, 12:00 PM

I like to find a Clemson or state of South Carolina angle to these posts if I can, whether its A-10s out of Myrtle Beach, or Cowpens, or Jimmy Byrnes and the A-Bomb, or whatever. This one’s going to be about Charleston and the Lowcountry in the Civil War.

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Just wanna make sure I get this in before we start

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If you look in the Official Records of the War of the Rebellion, i.e., the Civil War, it has its multiple chapters on Operations against Charleston Harbor, or Operations along the SC coast, etc. It’s a lot of boring reading. It has its place as a record, but entertaining it is not. It is, however, a good story.

So I’m gonna combine and distill a bunch of that stuff into a Charlestonian’s view of the Civil War. Something I’ll call “The Battle of the Lowcountry.”

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It’s a little long, but can you ever write too much about Charleston and the Lowcountry, really?
Anyhow, for organization’s sake I’ll break the story into

I. The Beginning
II. The Land Attack
III. The Sea Attack
IV. The End

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I. The Beginning

The first shots of the war were fired by a bunch of Citadel cadets on Morris Island at a Union resupply ship bound for Fort Sumter, the Star of the West. It was built for shipping magnate Cornelius Vanderbilt up in NY and has an interesting story all its own. It was kind of a big deal. Made the news and everything.

Reading what the people at the time were reading really brings it to life, at least for me. Even if it was a bit wrong. The Star of the West wasn’t actually sunk at Charleston, and the 6 month prediction was a shade off, too.

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To this day The Citadel has an award for best drilled cadet and a scholarship named after the attack, and its somewhat ironic that the Union ship’s name lives on as a part of Southern lore more than the names of the cadets who fired on her.

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Cadet Marqus Ross, Two-Time Star of the West Award Recipient

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Getting shot at tends to make people really upset. So Robert Anderson, the Union commander in Charleston, moved his 85-man Ft. Moultrie garrison to the uncompleted Fort Sumter, reinforcing the 1 soldier already on duty there. Lonely guy. Hope he had some glossy magazines and a cooler of brew to pass the time. I think The Breast Friend of Charleston may have been a popular nudie mag back then.

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But occupying Fort Sumter made Governor Pickens upset. He considered the move a breach of a pact with Anderson to keep tensions down, and before long Confederate General P. G.T. Beauregard was lobbing cannonballs on top of his old West Point Artillery instructor’s head.

“Hey Professor Anderson, remember that B you gave me in ballistics? B is for Boom now!” Beauregard had one of, but not the best, name in the Civil War. More on that later.

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Pickens, the Governor

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Anderson, the Teacher

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Beauregard, the Student

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The Union second-in-command that day, who given the honor of pitching the first cannonball back to the rebels, was a guy named Abner Doubleday. Which was appropriate, since after the war he went on to invent baseball.

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Doubleday, the Pitcher

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Abner wasn’t much of a looker but he was smart. Ever ridden the streetcars in San Francisco? Thank Abner. He holds the patent. Just imagine if Abner had died at Fort Sumter. Who wants to be known as the state that not only started the Civil War but also killed baseball? What would sports fans do in the summer? Terrifying to even think about it.

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Keep in mind that these guys all knew each other. The Citadel was only 19 years old at the time. VMI was 22, and West Point, where 75% of regular army Civil War officers came from, was 59.

A lot of these guys went to school together, gave each other wedgies during hazing, probably did some college experimentation and curious stuff. Looking at you, Beauregard, you saucy Creole with your little Van Dyke beard – I know you got up to stuff, you tart. Scroll back up to him and tell me I’m wrong.

Ok, I have an unresolved man crush on him. There, I admitted it.

Then they all got drunk together, scammed for bettys at the bars, and eventually went to Mexico and fought and died together in that war.

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Look at those Mexican soldiers accosting our women while one casually thows back a brew. Dastards!
This may warrant a Military Propaganda post some day.

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Think of Civil War leadership as a church congregation or an exclusive club that split in half. Like friends picking sides after a bad divorce. Cause that’s basically what it was.

The Union plan for victory from day one was called the Anaconda Plan, devised by a General Scott, who was way too old to do any actual fighting. The Navy would surround the South and its ports, and the Army would chop the interior up into so many slices of pie. And that’s exactly what they did.

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Scott, the Old Curmudgeon

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Scott’s Great Snake. TWSS. But first, the Union had to work some futility and ignorance out of their system. It’ s like a mentor once told me, “Some folks just have to prove they can do stupid before they can move on to doing smart.” In one of the more useless acts of the war, the Union sent a bunch of ships filled with rocks and sank them north and south of Charleston Harbor, presumably to block blockade runners.

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Maybe it was genius, but despite the picture there’s no indication that either “Stone Fleet” did anything more than patrol the bottom of the channel. I mean, the first thing that comes to my mind when trying to defeat your enemy is not to sink your own fleet. But then again, who would ever think to tell your army to run away to win a battle, you know?

Confederates: 1
Union: 0

But the long term problem the Union had was that the much of the navy they wanted to keep afloat ran on coal. Sail was still big, but ironclads don’t have masts. And they couldn’t just run back to NYC or Bahston over and over to fill up the tank. What they needed was an island to make into a coal dump, so they could stay on station outside Southern ports around the clock.

By far the two biggest hotbeds of slavery in 1860 were the Low Country and the Mississippi Delta. So it’s not much of a surprise that in a bit of a finger-poke in the eye, they chose Ship Island right off New Orleans, and Port Royal, right beside Charleston, to be their two gas stations. Bringing the war right to the doorstep of the problem.

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Bull’s Bay, north of Charleston, and St. Helena Sound, just south of Edisto, were also considered, but both of those locations have easy access from land. The Union just didn’t have the luxury of sailing a giant army down to sit and wait for the Confederate attack that would come to take their unsinkable gas station away. Someone had to stay in Washington to defend the Capitol.

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Port Royal gave them a location where they could use their naval advantage and all those waterways to fend off any overland attacks. And, it was close enough to be both a pain in the axx to both Charleston and Savannah, which it was.

The fleet that sailed to capture Port Royal was the largest ever assembled under an American flag, 77 ships. In those days you didn’t have satellite recon, signals intel, or computerized war game modeling. You just took who you had, hoped any spies you knew were dependable, and hoped it was enough. The fleet wasn’t even given a final destination point till it was underway.

Compare and contrast that with this fraction of the 6,000 ship D-Day fleet

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On the Confederate side Beauregard had concluded the Port Royal channel was just too wide to be adequately defended. He recommended building forts at a narrower point, but Gov. Pickens gave a hard no. So at the mouth they went, Ft. Walker on one side, and Ft. Beauregard on the other.

In short order the Union navy just sailed up in a circle and started blasting. Game over. The ground troops weren’t even landed. Why bother? After 4 hours of bombardment the Confederates ran out of powder and just walked away, deserting their now useless cannons. The Union walked in, raised the flag, and had their foothold in the South.

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This artist got the year wrong, but the do-si-do of ships correct, for all you Square Dancing fans. The date should have been 1861.
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The local Confederate commander, a gentleman named Drayton, owned a railroad that ran between Charleston and Savannah. He had the displeasure of surrendering the two forts to the Union fleet. One of the ships in that fleet had as its captain another Drayton. His brother. How’s that for sibling rivalry? Brother against brother, indeed.

Must have made for great conversation around the post-war dinner table at holidays. Hey bro, can you surrender the cranberry sauce? Snicker. You seem to have your knife and spoon, but did you lose your fort...er, fork? Snort. Cannon interest you in another desert? So much material to work with, and they just look like light-hearted jokesters, don’t they? I’ll bet they were a hoot at parties.

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Confederate Drayton
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Union Drayton
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Confederates: 1
Union: 1

Despite the loss of Port Royal, Beauregard was still a very capable and respected leader. He got reassigned to command the untamed frontier, then called northern Virginia. Remember, this is the Charlestonian version of the war. He was replaced in the Lowcountry by an, older, slower, more of a behind-the-desk-type guy, named Robert E Lee.

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Here’s Lee enjoying Charleston night-life, 1860’s style

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As soon as the Port Royal surrender documents were signed the Union went right to work and promptly marched right up to the edge of Charleston. Then they stopped. Seems the people of Charleston didn’t want to give their city up. Bummer for Abe.

So, failing in their coup-de-main attempt, the military term for a Bum Rush, the Union temporarily withdrew. And a 3 year siege began.

Confederates: 2
Union: 1

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Bum rush da show, ya got to go wid what ya know. And if that doesn’t work, you’ll have to lay siege to the show.
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Stunned and discouraged by their rebuff at the gates of Charleston, the Union next did what most do when then need a psychological lift.

They went and beat up on Georgia. And really, who doesn’t anymore?

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Lol. Gamecawks layin’ the wood. 20-17.
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At the mouth of the Savannah was another big fort in the same style as Fort Sumter, called Fort Pulaski. It was brand new, not even 15 years old in early 1862, and the latest in technology.

It had walls 11 feet thick made of over 25 million bricks. Then living in Savannah, one of the young engineers who helped construct it years earlier said an enemy would have more luck bombarding the Rocky Mountains than breaching its walls. His name was Robert E Lee also.

And, it was under double the protection Fort Sumter had been. When the rebels showed up to occupy it just before hostilities there were TWO guards defending Pulaski, not just one. One guard for an entire enormous fort like Sumter or Pulaski is just plain negligent.

Remember all that stuff I wrote regarding line of sight for star forts? Forget all that. That was before 200 lb Parrot Rifles. Who needs to walk up to a wall when you can just blow a hole clean through it from a mile away?

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Fort Pulaski Before the Union Attack

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Fort Pulaski After the Union Attack

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The Battle of Fort Pulaski lasted about a day and its loss meant Savannah was basically out of the war, as a port, for good. The city wasn’t captured, but it was worthless for any seaward shipping or supplies.

Confederates: 2
Union: 2

In one of the lesser known events of the war, the Union victor at Pulaski, Gen. David Hunter, immediately issued Order #7, which freed all slaves in the area he commanded, including SC, GA, and FL. Apparently, the two-toned hair slick was a thing back then. That’s a cut Anton Chigurh would envy.

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Hunter – The Great Emancipator

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Lincoln immediately flipped out. Wat-T-F?

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Hold on, Mary Todd.

Remember when you learned in school that Lincoln rescinded emancipation for slaves? Me neither. But it happened. By presidential order, the status quo of slavery was quickly re-established. Truth.

The Great Emancipator is now the Great Enslaver?

What Lincoln was concerned about was the border states of Ky, Mo, and Md, who had not fully thrown in with the Union yet. And he was right to worry. As soon as the senators from those states heard about Hunter’s freedom order, they started balking in Congress. Unhappy constituents make politicians queasy.

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“Maybe they should join the Confederacy if the Union was going to be so heavy handed about matters. “”Maybe the South was the more measured and reasonable side here.” So yeah, Lincoln was pulling his hair out.

How important were those border states to him and his mission to hold the Union together? When asked about it at the time he famously said “I hope that God is on my side, but I MUST have Kentucky on my side.”

Hunter was HOT. He was probably more of an abolitionist than his friend Lincoln was at the time, but he blew up at the political sandbagging. He sent a scathing letter to Congress when some complained he was actually arming former slaves.

. . . I reply that no regiment of "Fugitive Slaves" has been, or is being organized in this Department. There is, however, a fine regiment of persons whose late masters are "Fugitive Rebels”, men who fly before the appearance of the National Flag, leaving their servants behind them to fend as best they can for themselves. . .

Ouch.

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Fortunately, Lincoln was a good politician and held both this mess and the Union together, but emancipation would have to wait a little longer till the pieces were all in order.

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Bouyed by laying an axx whipping on Georgia, and who wouldn’t be, the Union army couldn’t wait to come back at Charleston.

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But first, they tried a little trickery.

Any modern city needs railroads to survive, and Charleston, the second largest city in the entire South, needed railroads to help supply the whopping 40,000 people that called it home. So the Union decided to cut one of its links to civilization, which just happened to run through the small town of Pocotaligo, just south of Yemassee.

Remember Drayton at Port Royal? His railroad. Here’s a map. Pocotaligo is right between the words “South” and “Carolina”, almost in the exact center of the rail line.

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If you look on the map below the dashed line is the railroad the Union wants to cut. Just below the “R. R.” there is a big green blob of woods with a tiny white notch cut out near the top. That notch is where the Frampton House was, and still is.

The road running between Coosawhatchie and Pocotaligo is I-95 today.

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Pocotaligo’s Frampton House today

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and in 1862. You can tell the difference in dates because one has an American flag flying on the porch. And Confederates weren’t so big on Old Glory. No, I’m just kidding. This house was built in 1868 after the original was burned down in 1865. At that point, unnecessary vengeance. By 1865 the war was over, surrender or not.

Still, a beautiful replacement house, and it’s home to the Lowcountry Visitor’s Center now.

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But look at that beautiful Live Oak in the yard.

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Anyhow, the Union sailed upriver from Beaufort to Pocotaligo, saw people with guns, and went home. The Battle of Pocotaligo.

Confederates: 3
Union: 2

But later that summer the Union came back at Charleston in a big MF way. Think Empire Strikes back way. And that’s where we’ll pick up next time.

What will become of our beloved city? Will she prevail? Will she succumb?
Stay by your computers for the dramatic conclusion!

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Cut Abe some slack. He was ugly as HeLl. He battled depression which was made worse by his mean a$S wife, Mary Todd Lincoln and the ineptitude and hesitancy of his Eastern generals. He was definitely obsessed with keeping the Union intact with ending slavery a secondary issue.

John Wilkes Booth probably did Abe a favor by taking him out. Had he survived, with his wife having had 5 brothers who fought with the South, along with the fact that one died at Shiloh and one at Vicksburg, post war family holiday meals would have been on the very frosty side.

Lincoln was a bulldog about keeping the Union intact and for that he deserves great credit despite being ugly and violating the rights of citizens. I suspect if we have another war of secession, civil liberties would be a casualty too.

Lincoln would definitely not be allowed on Facebook or Twitter based on some of his beliefs.

Military Pron – Battle of the Lowcountry (1 of 2)

I don't think there's a single take in that top pig

Re: I don't think there's a single take in that top pig

Governor Pickens Edgefield proud!

it's nice that the cheerleaders

Wappoo Cut, November 1861***

Even then it was a terrible boat landing***

Always entertaining! Can't for the next one***

Loved it.***

hey, when did they drop the "p" in "Sumpter"?

Re: hey, when did they drop the "p" in "Sumpter"?

Or Simpkins or Tompkins?***

Lincoln wasn't the angel that many would profess him to be

He was also a socialist

Re: He was also a socialist

Yup, only prez to ever do so.***

Re: Lincoln wasn't the angel that many would profess him to be

Re: Lincoln wasn't the angel that many would profess him to be

Re: Lincoln wasn't the angel that many would profess him to be

Good stuff...***

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