Morris Island, City of Charleston
Civil War South Carolina

American Civil War
July 18-September 7, 1863

After the July 11 assault on Fort Wagner failed, Gillmore reinforced his beachhead on Morris Island.

At dusk July 18, Gillmore launched an attack spearheaded by the 54th Massachusetts Infantry, a black regiment. The unit's colonel, Robert Gould Shaw, was killed.

Members of the brigade scaled the parapet but after brutal hand-to-hand combat were driven out with heavy casualties.

The Federals resorted to siege operations to reduce the fort.

This was the fourth time in the war that colored troops played a crucial combat role, proving to skeptics that they would fight bravely if only given the chance.

Result(s): Confederate victory

Location: City of Charleston

Campaign: Operations against Defenses of Charleston (1863) next battle in campaign previous battle in campaign

Date(s): July 18-September 7, 1863

Principal Commanders: Major General Quincy Gillmore [US]; General P.G.T. Beauregard [CS]

Forces Engaged: 6,800 total (US 5,000; CS 1,800)

Estimated Casualties: 1,689 total (US 1,515; CS 174)



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South Carolina Civil War History Reading Club Book Titles


The Grimk'e Sisters from South Carolina : Pioneers for Woman's Rights and Abolition
The only Southern white women ever to become leading abolitionists, Sarah and Angelina Grimki encountered many obstacles and leapt many hurdles in pursuing their anti-slavery work. Their greatest accomplishment was overcoming the ubiquitous prejudices of society in regard to women. Indeed, they were the first women to take to the public platform and the first to assert women's rights. In The Grimki Sisters from South Carolina, Gerda Lerner, herself a leading historian and pioneer in women's studies, tells the compelling history of these determined sisters and the inroads they made for women and blacks alike. From their wealthy upbringing in Charleston, South Carolina, the societal restraints that kept them from higher education, and their utter contempt of slavery, to their conversion to the Quaker religion, and monumental achievements at the podium and with the pen, Lerner illuminates the lasting contributions of the Grimki sisters, as well as the important role played by women in the anti-slavery movement.

South Carolina Goes to War, 1860-1865
South Carolina Goes to War, 1860–1865 stands as the only institutional and political history of the Palmetto State’s secession from the Union, entry into the Confederacy, and management of the war effort. Charles Edward Cauthen’s germinal study offers a thorough examination of the state’s political leadership and policymaking during the secession crisis and the subsequent four years of war. Notable for its attention to the precursors of war too often neglected in other studies, the volume devotes half of its chapters to events predating the firing on Fort Sumter and pays significant attention to the Executive Councils of 1861 and 1862.

South Carolina's Civil War: A Narrative History
A narrative approach to the Civil War era, particularly focusing upon colorful personalities that impact South Carolina's and America's history such as Francis W. Pickens, Lucy Holcombe Pickens, Wade Hampton, Roger Smalls, and Robert Barnwell Rhett. Exploring South Carolina as the state where the war began - a state where the white leadership chose to defy the Union rather than release their grip on slavery - South Carolina's Civil War is as gripping and involving as it is acute in its attention to detail. An excellent contribution to school, library, and personal history shelves.

Sources:
U.S. National Park Service
U.S. Library of Congress.