The following historical information is about the service of both the regiment, and the men, of the Twenty-First (21st) South Carolina Volunteer Infantry Regiment, which served in the American Civil War from January 1st, 1862, to May 1st, 1865. If you have any corrections, suggestions, or additional information, photographs, artifacts, etc., that you wish to contribute, feel free to submit the information to the Webmaster.

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January 1st, 1862: Companies A, B, C & K are mustered into service at Georgetown, South Carolina, for twelve months' service.

January 9th, 1862: Company I is mustered into service at Georgetown, South Carolina, for twelve months' service.

January 10th, 1862: Companies D, E & F are mustered into service at Georgetown, South Carolina, for twelve months' service.

January 16th, 1862: Company G is mustered into service at Georgetown, South Carolina, for twelve months' service.

January 25th, 1862: Company H and the Regimental Field & Staff are mustered into service at Georgetown, South Carolina, for twelve months' service.

March 18th, 1862: Company L is mustered into service at Georgetown, South Carolina, for twelve months' service.

January to June 1862: The regiment is in camp at Camp Manigault near Georgetown, South Carolina, and on duty along that portion of the South Carolina coastline.

June 1862 to June 1863: In camp, and on duty, on Morris Island, South Carolina.

July to August 1863: Engaged in the operations on, and defenses of, Morris Island, South Carolina.

July 10th, 1863: Engaged in the landings on the southern end of Morris Island.

July 10th to 17th, 1863: Engaged in the defense of Fort Wagner, Morris Island.

July 18th to 25th, 1863: Engaged in the defense of Fort Wagner, Morris Island.

July 25th to August 3rd, 1863: On duty at Fort Johnson, James Island, South Carolina.

August 3rd to 9th, 1863: On duty Fort Wagner, Morris Island, South Carolina.

August 9th to 16th, 1863: On duty at Fort Johnson, James Island, South Carolina.

August 16th to 24th, 1863: On duty Fort Wagner, Morris Island, South Carolina.

August 24th to September 8th, 1863: On duty with the picket boats between Morris and James Islands.

September 1863: On duty at Chisholm's Mill near Charleston, South Carolina.

September to October 1863: On duty at Fort Johnson, James Island, South Carolina.

October 1863 to April 1864: In camp at Camp DuBose near Secessionville, South Carolina.

May 6th, 1864: Engaged at Howlett's Farm near Petersburg, Virginia.

May 6th to 7th, 1864: Engaged at Port Walthall Junction, Virginia.

May 9th, 1864: Engaged at Arrowfield Church on Swift Creek, Virginia.

May 12th to 16th, 1864: Engaged at Drewry's Bluff, Virginia.

May 17th to 31st, 1864: In front of the enemy at Bermuda Hundred, Virginia.

June 1st to 13th, 1864: In front of the enemy at Cold Harbor, Virginia.

June 24th, 1864: Engaged at the Hare's Hill near Petersburg, Virginia.

August 21st, 1864: Engaged at Weldon Railroad, Virginia.

September 2nd to 15th, 1864: In camp at Dunlop's Park along Swift Creek near Petersburg, Virginia.

September 28th to 30th, 1864: Engaged at Fort Harrison (New Market Road), Virginia.

October 2nd, 1864: Engaged at Pegram's Farm, Virginia.

October 7th, 1864: Engaged at the Darbytown & New Market Roads, Virginia.

October 13th, 1864: Engaged at the Darbytown Road, Virginia.

October 27th & 28th, 1864: Engaged at the Fair Oaks & Darbytown Roads, Virginia.

December 10th, 1864: Engaged at Hatcher's Run, Virginia.

January 13th to 15th, 1865: Engaged at Fort Fisher, North Carolina; in which the balance of the regiment was captured when the Fort fell.

February 17th to 19th, 1865: Engaged in the action at Fort Anderson near Wilmington, North Carolina.

February 20th, 1865: Engaged at Town Creek, North Carolina.

February 21st, 1865: Engaged in the skirmish at Eagle Island, North Carolina.

February 22nd, 1865: Engaged at Northeast Station, North Carolina.

March 7th to 10th, 1865: Engaged at Kinston, North Carolina.

March 19th, 1865: Engaged at Bentonville, North Carolina.

First National Flag. The first national flag of the Twenty-first (21st) South Carolina Volunteer Infantry Regiment was produced by the firm of Hayden & Whilden of Charleston, South Carolina, in February 1863, for the sum of fifty dollars. Presented to the regiment, it was known to have been used at the regimental camp on Morris Island until mid-1863. After which time it was either retired or replaced, and its later history remains unclear. Following the war the flag found its way into the possession of Major John A. West, and Artillery Officer from Louisiana, and after his death passed down to his descendants until 1963, when his heirs sold the flag into a private collection at an unction by Schindler's Antique Shop of Charleston, South Carolina. The flag has remained in various private collections since that time. The flag is made of wool bunting with cotton stars, and measures 41" on the hoist and 64" on the flyer edge, being attached to the flagstaff by a 2" wide white bunting sleeve that is sewn along the leading edge of the flag. The red stripes on the flag measure 13 1/4" in height, while the white is 14 1/4". The canton is made of dark blue bunting and measures 27" on the fly and 29" on the hoist. The eleven (11) five-pointed white cotton stairs are 20" in diameter, and are sewn on the one side, while the reverse has a portion of blue removed to expose the white on the other side of the flag. The regimental designation of "21st Regt. S.C.V." is applied to the center stripe of the flag and is sewn on separately, the letters being red cotton blocks, measuring 4" high, and sewn on both sides.

(Pintrest)

(American Civil War Museum)

Charleston Depot Battle-flag. The Charleston Depot flag of the Twenty-first (21st) South Carolina Volunteer Infantry Regiment was produced by the Charleston Clothing Depot in mid-1863, and most likely presented to them around the time they were assigned to Hagood's Brigade in September 1863. Carried by the regiment throughout 1863 and into 1864, during the Battle of Weldon Railroad on August 21st, 1864, the regiment's flag was captured, along with those of the 25th & 27th Regiments and 7th Battalion, during the attack on the Federal defenses, and only the 11th South Carolina's flag was saved from being captured. After the fighting these flags were turned over to the commanding officer and eventually transferred to the War Department in Washington, D.C. The flags were assigned capture numbers 154, 155, 156 & 159, however, only that of the 27th Regiment was identified (Capture No. 159), and exactly which flags belonged to the 7th Battalion, 21st & 25th Regiments were lost - being one of the remaining three. From 1865 to 1905 the flags remained in storage at the War Department building in Washington, until March 1905, when the captured flags were ordered to returned to the States from which they came, however, since no positive identity could be attached to Capture Numbers 154, 155 & 156 they, with other unknown flags, were transferred in 1906 to the Confederate Memorial Literary Society in Richmond, Virginia. The Society eventually became the Museum of the Confederacy and is today known as the American Civil War Museum, which retains possession of the three flags.

Of the three flags, Capture Number 154 may have belonged to the 7th Battalion, leaving Capture Numbers 155 & 156 as belonging to the 21st and 25th Infantry Regiments; Capture No. 155 (for No. 156 see the 21st Infantry Regiment) is made of red, white and blue wool bunting, this flag measures 48.75" on the fly and 46" on the hoist and is attached to the staff by a 2' 1/4" wide strip of blue wool bunting, sewn along the leading edge. The cross is made of dark blue bunting with white edging around the borders of the blue, and each of the thirteen (13) five-pointed stars are made of cotton and are sewn on both sides. The white border surrounding the flag is 2" wide.

Volume 3 - Pages 479 (J.C. McClenaghan), 485 (T.E. Stanley), 487 (J.F. Fowler, Co. L), 493 (J.M. Gasque, Co. L), 494 (W.B. Davis, Co. E) & 501 (A.E. Boan, Co. E)

Volume 4 - Page 535 (J.M. Gasque, Co. L)

Volume 5 - Pages 173 (J.B. Reaves), 174 (R.S. Boatwright, Co. K) & 175 (W.K. Gregg, Co. I)

Volume 6 - Page 598 (D.E. Reardon, Co. C)

Volume 7 - Pages 20 (B.C. Cribb) & 37 (J. Williams)

Volume 8 - Pages 21 (J.W. Ousley), 47 (J. Cribb) & 395 (Roster)