Third (3rd) South Carolina Volunteer Infantry Regiment, January 15th, 1861, to April 9th, 1865

Third (3rd) Infantry Regiment
South Carolina Volunteers, January 15th, 1861, to April 9th, 1865

The following historical information is about the service of both the regiment, and the men, of the Third (3rd) South Carolina Volunteer Infantry Regiment, which served in the American Civil War from January 1861 to April 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.

Organization

Assignments

Timeline

Flags

References

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REGIMENTAL ORGANIZATION

Regimental Field & Staff
Company A - Laurens District - State Guards	Company G - Laurens District - Laurens Briars
Company B - Newberry District - Williams Guards	Company H - Lexington District - Brooks Guard
Company C - Newberry District - Pickens Guard	Company I - Laurens District - Muscgrove Volunteers
Company D - Spartanburg District - Cross Anchor Volunteers	Company K - Spartanburg District - Blackstock Volunteers
Company E - Newberry District - Quitman Rifles	Brown's Company - Newberry District - Helena Guard
Company F - Laurens & Newberry District - Wadsworth Guards	Jones' Company - Laurnes District - Company Raiborn

ASSIGNMENTS

June 1861 - D.R. Jones' Brigade, Army of the Potomac

June to July 1861 - Bonham's Brigade, Army of the Potomac

July to October 1861 - Bonham's Brigade, 1st Corps, Army of the Potomac

October to November 1861 - Bonham's Brigade, 3rd Division, 1st Corps, Potomac District, Department of Northern Virginia

November 1861 to March 1862 - Bonham's-Kershaw's Brigade, Van Dorn's-Early's Division, 1st Corps, Potomac District, Department of Northern Virginia

March to April 1862 - Kershaw's Brigade, Department of the Peninsula

April 1862 to June 1862 - Kershaw's Brigade, McLaws' Division, Magruder's Command, Army of Northern Virginia

June 1862 to September 1863 - Kershaw's Brigade, McLaws' Division, 1st Corps, Army of Northern Virginia

September to November 1863 - Kershaw's Brigade, McLaws' Division, Longstreet's Corps, Army of Tennessee

November 1863 to April 1864 - Kershaw's Brigade, McLaws'-Kershaw's Division, Department of East Tennessee

April to August 1864 - Kershaw's-Conner's Brigade, Kershaw's Division, 1st Corps, Army of Northern Virginia

August to October 1864 - Conner's Brigade, Kershaw's Division, Valley District, Department of Northern Virginia

November 1864 to January 1865 - Conner's-Kennedy's Brigade, Kershaw's Division, 1st Corps, Army of Northern Virginia

January to March 1865 - Kennedy's Brigade, McLaws' Division, Department of South Carolina, Georgia & Florida

March to April 1865 - Kennedy's Brigade, McLaw's-Walthall's Division, Hardee's Corps, Army of Tennessee

REGIMENTAL TIMELINE

December 17th, 1860: The regiment is authorized by an act of the South Carolina State Legislature.

January 15th, 1861: The Regimental Officers are appointed by the Governor.

January to February 1861: The regiment is organized with volunteers from the 10th Brigade of State Militia.

March 6th, 1861: The regiment is accepted into State service, at which time it consisted of twelve (12) companies.

April 14th, 1861: The regiment is ordered into camp at Lightwood Knot Springs, South Carolina.

June 6th, 1861: The regiment is mustered into Confederate service with ten (10) companies, for twelve months' service, the excess companies being disbanded.

June to July 1861: Served in the Manassas Campaign (Virginia).

July 18th, 1861: Engaged at Mitchell's Ford, Virginia.

July 21st, 1861: Engaged at Manassas, Virginia.

May 14th, 1862: The regiment is reorganized for two years' service.

April to July 1862: Served in the Peninsula Campaign (Virginia).

April 5th to May 4th, 1862: Engaged in the defense of Yorktown, Virginia.

May 5th, 1862: Engaged at Fort Magruder near Yorktown, Virginia.

June 18th, 1862: Engaged in the skirmish on Nine-Mile Road near Richmond, Virginia.

June 26th to July 1st, 1862: Engaged in the Seven Days Battles near Richmond, Virginia.

June 29th, 1862: Engaged at Savage Station, Virginia.

July 1st, 1862: Engaged at Malvern Hill, Virginia.

September to October 1862: Served in the Maryland Campaign.

September 12th & 13th, 1862: Engaged at Harpers Ferry, Virginia.

September 17th, 1862: Engaged at Sharpsburg, Maryland; the regiment numbered 266 officers and men engaged.

November to December 1862: Served in the Rappahannock Campaign (Virginia).

December 11th to 15th, 1862: Engaged at Fredericksburg, Virginia.

April to May 1863: Served in the Rappahannock Campaign (Virginia).

April 30th to May 3rd, 1863: Engaged at Chancellorsville, Virginia.

May 3rd & 4th, 1863: Engaged at Salem Church, Virginia.

June to July 1863: Served in the Pennsylvania Campaign.

July 2nd to 3rd, 1863: Engaged at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania; the regiment numbered 406 officers and men engaged.

July 10th, 1863: Engaged in the skirmish at Antietam Creek near Sharpsburg, Maryland.

September 9th, 1863: The regiment, with brigade, is enroute from Richmond, Virginia, to Dalton, Georgia.

September 1863: Served in the Chickamauga Campaign (Georgia).

September 19th & 20th, 1863: Engaged at Chickamauga, Georgia.

October to November 1863: Served in the Chattanooga Campaign (Tennessee).

November 1863 to January 1864: Served in East Tennessee Campaign.

November 15th, 1863: Engaged in the skirmishes at Loudon and Lenoir's Station, Tennessee.

November 16th, 1863: Engaged at Campbell's Station, Tennessee.

November 19th to December 4th, 1863: Engaged in the Siege of Knoxville, Tennessee.

November 29th, 1863: Engaged in the attack on Fort Sanders near Knoxville, Tennessee.

December 14th, 1863: Engaged at Bean's Station, Tennessee.

March 1864: The regiment re-enlists for the duration of the war near Russellville, Tennessee.

May to June 1864: Served in the Overland Campaign (Virginia).

May 5th to 7th, 1864: Engaged at the Wilderness, Virginia.

May 8th to 21st, 1864: Engaged at Spotsylvania Courthouse, Virginia.

May 23rd to 26th, 1864: Engaged at Hanover Junction along the North Anna River, Virginia.

May 31st to June 12th, 1864: Engaged at Cold Harbor, Virginia.

June to August 1864: Served in the defense of Richmond & Petersburg, Virginia.

June 15th to 19th, 1864: Engaged at Petersburg, Virginia.

July 27th to 29th, 1864: Engaged at Gravel Hill, Virginia.

August to November 1864: Served in the Shenandoah Valley Campaign (Virginia).

August 21st, 1864: Engaged in the skirmish at Halltown, West Virginia.

August 26th, 1864: Engaged at Charleston, West Virginia.

September 3rd & 4th, 1864: Engaged at Berryville, Virginia.

September 13th, 1864: Engaged at Abraham's Creek near Winchester, Virginia.

October 7th, 1864: Engaged near Port Republic, Virginia.

October 13th, 1864: Engaged at Hupp's Hill, Virginia.

October 19th, 1864: Engaged at Cedar Creek near Middletown, Virginia.

November 1864 to January 1865: Served in the defenses of Richmond & Petersburg, Virginia.

January to April 1865: Served in the Carolina's Campaign.

January to February 1865: On duty along the Salkehatchie River, South Carolina.

February 28th, 1865: Engaged in the skirmish near Cheraw, South Carolina.

March 11th, 1865: Engaged in the action at Fayetteville, North Carolina.

March 14th, 1865: Engaged in the skirmish near Silver Run Creek, North Carolina.

March 15th, 1865: Engaged in the skirmish near Smith's Mill on the Black River, North Carolina.

March 16th, 1865: Engaged at Averysboro, North Carolina.

March 19th to 21st, 1865: Engaged at Bentonville, North Carolina.

March 23rd, 1865: The regimental return shows 191 officers and men present for duty.

April 9th, 1865: The regiment is consolidated with the 8th South Carolina Infantry Regiment, 3rd South Carolina Infantry Battalion and the 1st, 2nd, 6th & 7th Reserve Battalions to form the 3rd South Carolina Consolidated Volunteer Infantry Regiment at Smithfield, North Carolina.

REGIMENTAL COLORS (FLAGS)

Third Pattern, Richmond Depot Battle Flag. The Third Pattern Richmond Depot Battle Flag of the 3rd South Carolina Volunteer Infantry Regiment was issued in 1862, and carried by the regiment throughout the war. At the wars end the flag was secured by the members of the regiment and returned home with them; it was used at various regimental reunions, parades, funerals and gatherings into the 1920's. On February 2nd, 1925, the flag was officially presented to the State of South Carolina in a ceremony by State Representative James A. Sullivan of Laurens, South Carolina, on behalf of Private Oliver Gabriel Thompson (1842-1932) of Company G. Since 1925 the flag has resided in the collection of the South Carolina Confederate Relic Room & Military Museum in Columbia, South Carolina.

The flag is made of red, white and blue wool bunting, measuring 47 1/4 on the hoist and 45 1/2 on the fly, with a white canvas hoist, and 13 white cotton-five pointed stars. The flag also has battle honors pained in white stylized gothic letters, being on the edges of the flag "Maryland Heights, Manassas Plain, Fredericksburg, Savage Station," with the inner circle being "Sharpsburg, Bull Run, Zoar Church, Malvern Hill." The flag itself is extremely battle worn, with the fly edge and lower portion's battle honors being barely visible.

(Surviving members of Company G - (1) J.L. Stoddard, (2) B.W. Lanford, (3) J.D. Power, (4) W.B. Lamb, (5) Allen Barksdale, (6) T.Y. Henderson, (7) M. Pleming, (8) J.R. Brownlee, (9) Oliver G. Thompson, (10) W.A. McClintock, (11) A.Y. Thompson and (12) C.R. Brooks)

REFERENCES & RESOURCES

Published Books & Documents

"Broken Fortunes: South Carolina Soldiers, Sailors, & Citizens who died in the service of their country and the State in the War for Southern Independence, 1861-1865." Randolph W. Kirkland Jr., The South Carolina Historical Society, Charleston, South Carolina, 1995.

"Compendium of the Confederate Armies. South Carolina and Georgia." Stewart Sifakis, Facts on File, Inc., New York City, New York, 1995.

Volume V (South Carolina), "Confederate Military History." Clement A. Evans, Confederate Publishing Company, Atlanta, Georgia, 1899.

"Confederate Rolls of South Carolina." Columbia, South Carolina, 1898.

"The Flags of Civil War South Carolina." Glenn Dedmondt, Pelican Publishing Company, Gretna, Louisiana, 2000.

"History of Kershaw's Brigade." David A. Dickert; Elbert H. Aull Company, Newberry, South Carolina; 1899.

"Recollections and Reminiscences, 1861-1865, Thru World War I." South Carolina Division, United Daughters of the Confederacy; 1993.

Volume II (2) - Pages 160 (B.C. Garlington), 517 (D.N. Chapman of Co. A) & 520 (A.S. Wert of Co. H)

Volume III (3) - Pages 85 (Marion Johnson of Co. K), 221 (M.N. Pinson of Co. B) & 571 (Roster of Company I)

Volume IV (4) - Page 29 (John H. Wharton)

Volume V (5) - Pages 333 (John Dial of Co. G), 336 (A.H. Young of Co. C), 405 (A.E. Nance), 518 (W.G. Peterson), 521 (P.B. Langford of Co. E & G.F. Long of Co. C) & 524 (McDuffie Metts of Co. E)

Volume VI (6) - Pages 31 (W.W. Lawson of Co. B), 34 (W.B. Fuller), 46 (W.J. Brooks of Co. G), 283 (F.N. Walker) & 352 (Col. W.D. Rutherford)

Volume VII (7) - Pages 42 (A.E. Nance), 227 (T.J. Duckett) & 243 (W.B. Fuller)

Volume VIII (8) - Page 63 (O.G. Thompson)

"Report of the Historian of the Confederate Records to the General Assembly of South Carolina." John P. Thomas; The Bryan Printing Company, Columbia, South Carolina; 1900.

Pages 77 to 96, Volume III (Upstate), "South Carolina's Military Organizations During the War Between the States." Robert S. Seigler, The History Press, Charleston, South Carolina, 2008.

Pages 284 to 569, Volume II, "South Carolina Troops in Confederate Service." A.S. Salley Jr.; The State Company, Columbia, South Carolina; 1914.

"The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies." Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C., 1901.

Documents, Papers, & Non-Published Materials

Compiled Records of Confederate Soldiers who served in Organizations from the State of South Carolina. (M267,Rolls 172 - A-Cl; 173, Co-F; 174, G-J; 175, K-Mi; 176, Mo-R; 177, S-Th & 178, Ti-Z). The National Archives Microfilm Publications; Washington, D.C.

Compiled Records Showing Service of Military Units in Confederate Organizations. (Roll 45 - South Carolina - First Infantry (Butler's) through Third State Troops). The National Archives Microfilm Publications; Washington, D.C.

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