The Battle of Secessionville, fought here on 16 June 1862, broke the Union advance through James Island against Charleston and was the most significant battle of the Civil War in South Carolina.
Confederate troops under Col. Thomas G. Lamar defended simple unfinished earthwork later enlarged and named Fort Lamar, which sat in the narrow end of a funnel-shaped strip of high ground flanked by tidal creeks and marsh. Union troops under Henry W. Benham launched several assaults against the earthwork which anchored the eastern end of the Confederate line, but were repulsed with heavy casualties and soon evacuated James Island altogether a few days later.
A total of 683 Federals and 204 Confederates were killed, wounded or captured. Of these totals, 107 Federals and 52 Confederates lost their lives on this battlefield. Walk softly on this hallowed ground.
Left Side of Monument:
Confederates
47th Georgia Infantry
51st Georgia Infantry
4th Louisiana Battalion
1st South Carolina Infantry
(Hagood's Regiment)
22nd South Carolina Infantry
24th South Carolina Infantry
25th South Carolina Infantry
(Eutaw Regiment)
1st South Carolina Battalion
(Charleston Battalion)
9th South Carolina Battalion
(Pee Dee Battalion)
1st South Carolina Artillery
Boyce's Light Battery South Carolina Artillery
(MacBeth Light Artillery)
Back of Monument:
This monument was erected by the Washington Light Infantry on the 10th day of May 2003, in memory of its members who served in companies A and B of the Eutaw Regiment.2nd Lt. Richard W. Greer
Sgt. Fleetwood Lanneau, Jr.
Pvt. Thomas N. Gadsen, Jr.
Pvt. Samuel Salters
Pvt. John L. Sheppard
Pvt. John H. Taverner
Right sideFederals
6th Connecticut Infantry
7th Connecticut Infantry
28th Massachusetts Infantry
8th Michigan Infantry
3rd New Hampshire Infantry
46th New York Infantry
47th New York Infantry
79th New York Infantry
45th Pennsylvania Infantry
76th Pennsylvania Infantry
97th Pennsylvania Infantry
100th Pennsylvania Infantry
1st New York Engineers
3rd United States Artillery
1st Connecticut Light Artillery
3rd Rhode Island Heavy Artillery
1st Massachusetts Cavalry
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