The Edisto Rifles at Secessionville

by Douglas M. Schauer, schauer@lowcountry.com

Secessionville - a sleepy collection of houses on a deserted barrier island which was not named for South Carolina's historic precedent set in December, 1861 as so many believe. Secessionville - the site for one of Charleston's outer defensive perimeters which were being constructed in late 1861 and early 1862. Secessionville - the site of Fort Lamar. It is here that our drama begins to unfold.

Fort Lamar, in June of 1862, was not yet completed. In fact, it was nothing more than a motley collection of crude earthworks thrown up in haste and not very well maintained. As Sergeant William F. Izlar of the Edisto Rifles (Company G, 25th South Carolina Volunteers) points out in his book, A Sketch of the War Record of the Edisto Rifles, 1861-1865 (page35), "...the fort was in very poor condition for defense." In fact, some of the artillery wasn't even mounted. A very sad state of affairs to say the least. It was here that the Federal army decided to mount its effort to invade the city of Charleston.

On the clear, crisp day of June 16, 1862, a line of blue standing before Fort Lamar was 3000 strong. The Confederate defenders faced a determined foe. General Johnson Hagood ordered the 25th South Carolina Volunteers into the breastworks of Fort Lamar to bolster a Confederate force on the verge of being overrun by the Federal Infantry. As the men deployed on the Fort's Left Flank to fight the 8th. Michigan, the Confederate Artillary's devastating fire was being shut down by the advance elements of the federal stroming party who drove the cannoneers from their guns by killing and wounding the crews. The 25th. South Carolina pushed the Federals back across the parapet, freeing the gunners to renew their devastating cannister fire. The battle began and raged for hours. Both sides suffered casualties. The 25th Regiment suffered several killed and wounded although the Edisto Rifles were lucky enough to come out unscathed. The fighting at Fort Lamar was so intense, many Union dead lay not more than 10 steps from the regimental line. Prior to the arrival of the 25th. S.C., some Federal soldiers mounted the breastworks but this breakthrough was driven back with musketry and hand to hand fighting. The Union attack failed with a loss of 683 men from their side compared to 204 Confederate casualties. Charleston was saved! Total victory for the Confederates!

After the battle, the fortifications at Lamar were strengthened considerably. The hard fought, hard won Battle of Secessionville seemed to deter the Yankees from further assaults on the breastworks. The Edisto Rifles contributed greatly to the safety of Charleston. Both sides seemed content with the state of affairs and occupied themselves in subsequent months with shelling each others positions. Athough new attempts would be made on Charleston, they would not be made through Lamar. The city of Charleston was never taken by force by the enemy but quietly occupied after Confederates evacuated in 1865.