Illustration, left - Member of 54th. Mass. reenactors by grave of a member of the United States Colored Troops, Florence Natl. Cemetary, March 1996
Appended to this letter is a short diary excerpt from a Federal Officer stationed at Mcleod Plantation.
Illustration, left - Member of 54th. Mass. reenactors by grave of a member of the United States Colored Troops, Florence Natl. Cemetary, March 1996
Dear Editor,
I would like to make a few corrections to an article that appeared in the March 19th issue of your paper. The article was entitled: "Graves uncovered at construction site," and contains some historically inaccurate information that I feel compelled to comment on.
First of all, Jonathan Poston's statement that the 55th Massachusetts had "overrun a Confederate embankment where the Charleston Country Club is now located," is wrong. The 55th Massachusetts was never engaged in any action on or near the McLeod Plantation. Their James Island skirmishes consisted of action at River's Causeway on July 2, 1864 (as part of a larger assault on the island), and Grimball's Causeway on February 10, 1865. This second battle, also known as "the last battle for Charleston," resulted in the wounding and capturing of Major Edward Manigault of the Charleston Battalion.
The end of February 1865, Charleston was evacuated by General Hardee and his troops, and the 55th Massachusetts was the first Federal regiment to march through its streets since the war had begun. Around the middle of March, they set up headquarters at McLeod Plantation. During this time, they were ordered to garrison and repair Forts Pemberton and Pringle, two Rebel earthworks on the island.
On the afternoon of March 19th, several of the 55th's officers were making rounds of the Confederate forts from Pringle to Lamar (at Secessionville). While in the area, they decided to ride over to River's Causeway, the site of their July 2nd, 1864 battle. There they found the scattered bones of comrades who had fallen during that fight. The bodies had never been retrieved after the original battle due to the heavy fire from Forts Pringle and Lamar. Lieutenant Colonel Charles B. Fox writes as follows:
"Several were recognized by their position, and the remnants of their clothing, but, among the bones of nine bodies, there was not to be found a single skull! Of the skeletons found, seven were of the 55th, and two, from their position, probably of the 33rd U.S.C.T. [United States Colored Troops]. So far as could be judged, the bodies of the white troops who fell, had been buried by the enemy." Footnote1The next day a party was detailed to collect the bones so a proper burial and ceremony could be conducted. This was held the following Sunday when the entire regiment gathered to pay their final respects to the men whose remains had so recently been found. Dr. Wilder, Regimental Surgeon wrote of that day:
"All the bones were packed in one coffin and carried by men who had themselves been wounded in the same action; the coffin was draped by the United States flag and those of Massachusetts and of Ohio, from which states several of the men had enlisted. On it and with it was a beautiful wreath of roses and jessamine and some other white flower made by Major Nutt." Footnote 2According to Lieutenant Colonel Fox, "the grave was under some beautiful elms, within an old fort, on a bluff at the junction of the Ashley River and Wapoo Cut, and overlooking the city and harbor." Footnote 3 A study of the maps of that period leads one to believe, And it has been suggested by Dr. Wilder, that the fort mentioned as the burial site is Battery Means, a Rebel earthwork on whose site now sits the Club House for the Charleston Country Club.
Besides the McLeod Plantation, the 55th Massachusetts set up camp at St. Andrew's Parish on the opposite shore from McLeod's. Here, in mid-April, headquarters called "Camp Hallowell" (after its first Colonel), were set up at the old house situated on the land between the Ashley River and Wapoo Creek. This property, called "Crescent Farm," was owned by the Steinmeyer family. Today, only the oak trees planted on the original farm exist; the plantation house is gone. In the 1920's, the land was broken up into lots and a housing project called "The Crescent" now occupies the site.
From James Island, the unit left for Summerville and enjoyed a short, but peaceful occupation of the small town. Afterwards they were stationed between Columbia and Orangeburg, setting up a district office of the Freedman's Bureau. In August of 1865, the regiment was returned to Boston Harbor and mustered out of service on the 29th of that month.
One other error that I would like to correct is the mention of the remains found on Folly Island back in 1987. These bones...the bodies of approximately 19 black soldiers were not members of the 54th Massachusetts as reported in the article. They were instead, in all likelihood, men from the 55th Massachusetts, the lst North Carolina Infantry (later known as the 35th U.S.C.T.), and the 2nd U.S.C.T.
For further information on these burials and the archaeological study that evolved from the discovery of the bones, you might want to read:
"The Best Ever Occupied": Archaeological Investigations of a Civil War Encampment on Folly Island, South Carolina, by James B. Legg and Steven D. Smith, South Carolina Institute of Archaeology and Anthropology, 1989 and:
"Whom we would never more see": History and Archaeology Recover the Lives and Deaths of African-American Civil War Soldiers on Folly Island, South Carolina, by Steven D. Smith, South Carolina Institute of Archaeology and Anthropology, South Carolina Department of Archives and History, 1993.
Another book regarding archaeological digs on Folly Island is: "Our Duty was Quite Arduous": History and Archaeology of the Civil War on Little Folly Island, South Carolina by Martha A. Zierden, Steven D. Smith, and Ronald W. Anthony, The Charleston Museum Leaflet Number 32, 1995.
Over the past six or seven years, I have extensively studied both the 54th and 55th Massachusetts Regiments, focusing on the 55th for my Masters thesis. I have traveled many times to the Charleston/James Island area and have visited all of the sites associated with these two units. That is why I felt compelled to correct the historical inaccuracies given in your March 19th article. I hope that you find the space in your paper to add my comments so that history will be reported as it actually happened.
Thank you.
2. Wilder, Burt Greene, "Diay," Dept. of Manuscripts and University Archives, Cornell University, Page 200.
3. Fox, Charles B., "Record of the Service...," Page 68.
James Island, Saturday, March 18, 7:45 p.m.:
..."James Island is much larger than I supposed, with several creeks and some slight elevations. Our quarters were the Headquarters of Gen. Eliott who commanded the Island; there is a large house of three stories, surrounded by trees and plantation houses of various kinds. Five companies are to be here; three at Fort Pemberton and two at Fort Pringle. The hospital is to be in some small houses on a rising ground and Dr. Brown is to be there. Just now the officers of the 54th New York which is to be relieved by us but is not yet gone occupy the larger part of this house, but when they go the line officers of the five companies will also be in the house. The colonel, adjutant and I are in a large front upper room."
..."The band received the new instruments just after dark night before last and sat up half the night so as to appear to a good advantage on the march yesterday..."
From: The Diary of Burt Greene Wilder, Regimental Surgeon, 55th Mass. Volunteer Infantry. Dept. of Manuscripts and University Archives, Cornell University, Page 196.
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