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The following historical information is about the service of both the regiment, and the men, of the Eleventh (11th) South Carolina Volunteer Infantry Regiment, which served in the American Civil War from May 20th, 1861, 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.
May 1861: The Calhoun Light Artillery is assigned to the regiment and designated as Company B (1). June to October 1861: The regiment is mustered into State service as the Ninth (9th) South Carolina Volunteer Infantry Regiment at various points in Beaufort and Colleton District's.June 12th, 1861: Company A (Beaufort Volunteer Artillery) is mustered into service at Bay Point, South Carolina, for twelve months' service. June 17th, 1861: Company I (Colleton Rifles) is mustered into service along the South Edisto River, South Carolina, for twelve months' service. June 18th, 1861: Company B (St. Paul's Rifles) is mustered into service along the North Edisto River, South Carolina, for twelve months' service. June 24th, 1861: Company E (Hamilton Guards) is mustered into service at Bay Point, South Carolina, for twelve months' service. July 6th, 1861: Company C (Summerville Guards) is mustered into service at Hilton Head, South Carolina, for twelve months' service. July 15th, 1861: Company D (Whippy Swamp Guards) is mustered into service at Bay Point, South Carolina, for twelve months' service. July 26th, 1861: Company H (St. George Volunteers) is mustered into service at Hilton Head, South Carolina, for twelve months' service. August 5th, 1861: Company F (Yemassee Volunteers) is mustered into service at Braddock's Point, South Carolina, for twelve months' service. August 20th, 1861: Company G (Butler Guard) is mustered into service at Otter Island, South Carolina, for twelve months' service. August 28th, 1861: Bellinger's Company (Colleton Guard) is mustered into service at Tar Bluff, South Carolina, for twelve months' service. September 7th, 1861: Company K (Eutaw Volunteers) is mustered into service at Sams Point, South Carolina, for twelve months' service. October 15th, 1861: Sheridan's Company is mustered into service near Beaufort, South Carolina, for twelve months' service. August 25th, 1861: The regiment is mustered into Confederate States service at Grahamville, South Carolina, as the Eleventh (11th) South Carolina Volunteer Infantry Regiment. June to November 1861: Served on duty near Beaufort and Hilton Head Island, South Carolina.November 7th, 1861: Engaged in the Battle of Port Royal, South Carolina, with Companies A & I at Fort Beauregard on St. Phillips Island, Companies B, D, G & K near Fort Beauregard, Company E at Braddock's Point and Companies C, F & H at Fort Walker on Hilton Head Island. June 19th, 1861: Company B (1), having declined to enter Confederate service, is disbanded. November 25th, 1861: Company I (1), having declined to enter Confederate service, is disbanded. November 26th, 1861: Company F (2), having declined to enter Confederate service, is disbanded. January 1862: Bellinger's & Sheridan's Companies, having declined to enter Confederate service, are disbanded. November 1861 to July 1863: On duty in the low country of South Carolina, near Beaufort, South Carolina.November 1861 to April 1862: In camp at Camp Allen near Hardeeville, South Carolina. May 29th, 1862: Companies F & I are engaged in the skirmish at Pocotaligo, South Carolina. June 6th, 1862: Company I is engaged in the action at Port Royal Ferry, South Carolina. July 4th, 1862: Engaged Company I is engaged in the action at Port Royal Ferry, South Carolina. August 21st, 1862: Companies B, C, D, E, G, H & K are engaged in the action on Pinckney Island, South Carolina. October 22nd, 1862: Companies C, D, I & K are engaged at Pocotaligo, South Carolina. October 23rd, 1862: Companies F & I are engaged in the action at Coosawhatchie, South Carolina. April 9th, 1863: Company I is engaged in the sinking of the USS George Washington near Beaufort, South Carolina. May 19th, 1863: Company E is engaged in the skirmish on Pope's Island near Hilton Head, South Carolina. June 2nd, 1863: 3 companies of the regiment are engaged in an action along the Combahee River near Bluffton, South Carolina. June 4th, 1863: Company E is engaged in a skirmish near Bluffton, South Carolina. June 30th, 1863: A detachment of the regiment is engaged at Barnwell Island, South Carolina. February 25th, 1862: Company I (Izard's Company) is mustered into service at Hardeeville, South Carolina, for three years' service. March 14th, 1862: The companies of the regiment re-enlist at Camp's Strugeon (A & C), Allen (D), Ellis (F), Heyward (E) & Lee (B) near Hardeeville, South Carolina, for three years' service. May 3rd, 1862: The regiment is reorganized at Hardeeville, South Carolina, for the duration of the war and re-designated as the Eleventh (11th) South Carolina Volunteer Infantry Regiment. At the same time new regimental officers are elected, with Daniel H. Ellis as Colonel, Frederick H. Gantt as Lieutenant Colonel and John J. Harrison as Major. In this reorganization the regiment lost all of its field officers, seven out of nine of the company commanders, and Company A was detached from the regiment. July 1863 to February 1864: Served on duty on James Island near Charleston, South Carolina.September 13th to 14th, 1863: Company C is detached and takes part in the capture of the Federal Telegraph Station near Lowndes Mill on the Combahee River, South Carolina. September 19th to October 17th, 1863: Detachments of the regiment serve as the garrison of Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor. February 20th to 27th, 1864: The regiment, minus Company E, is enroute from Charleston, South Carolina, to Baldwin, Florida. February to April 1864: On duty in Florida.March 1st, 1864: Engaged in the skirmish at Cedar Creek, Florida. April 14th to 21st, 1864: The regiment is enroute from Camp Milton, Florida, to Charleston, South Carolina. April 21st to May 1st, 1864: On duty on Sullivan's Island, South Carolina. April 28th, 1864: The regiment is ordered, with the brigade, to Virginia. May 1st to 4th, 1864: En route from Sullivan's Island, South Carolina, to Wilmington, North Carolina. May 5th to 6th, 1864: En route from Wilmington, North Carolina, to Drewry's Bluff, Virginia. May 29th to June 4th, 1864: Company E, on detached service in Florida, moves to rejoin the regiment, arriving at Cold Harbor on June 4th. May to December 1864: Served in the defense of Richmond & Petersburg, 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 South Side Railroad 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. December 22nd to 26th, 1864: Enroute from Petersburg, Virginia, to Wilmington, North Carolina, via Danville and Greensboro. December 1864 to February 1865: Served in the defenses of Wilmington, North Carolina.January 13th to 15th, 1865: Engaged at Fort Fisher, North Carolina. 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 to April 1865: Served in the Carolina's Campaign (North Carolina).March 7th to 10th, 1865: Engaged at Kinston, North Carolina. March 19th, 1865: Engaged at Bentonville, North Carolina. March 10th, 1865: The regiment is temporarily consolidated with the other units of the brigade into a consolidated regiment, designated as Rion's Regiment. April 26th, 1865: The regiment is surrendered with the Army of Tennessee at Durham Station, North Carolina. May 2nd, 1865: The regiment is paroled at Greensboro, North Carolina. May 7th, 1865: The regiment is disbanded at Lancaster Courthouse, South Carolina.
From 1865 to 1905 the flag remained in storage at the War Department building in Washington, until March 25th, 1905, when the captured flags were returned to the States from which they came, and the flag was presented to the State of South Carolina. Remaining in charge of the State until 1976 when for some unknown reason the flag was deaccessioned by the State and sold by the King Street Antique Shop in Charleston, South Carolina. Since that time the flag has remained in the hands of various private collectors. The regiment's flag is made of red, white and blue cotton bunting, and measures 44' 3/4" on the hoist edge, 45' 1/2" on the fly edge, and is attached to the staff by a strip of unbleached linen 2 1/2" wide, which has been sewn over the border on the leading edge of the flag. The cross is made of dark blue material - 8" wide, being cut away on the obverse, with a 3/4" wide white edging around the borders of the blue, and each of the thirteen (13) five-pointed stars measure 4 1/4" in diameter and are sewn on the reverse. The white border surrounding the flag is 2 1/4" in. wide. Painted in black letters, which measure from 1 1/2" in. to 1/2" in. in height, are battles for the actions at Port Royal, Cedar Creek, Swift Creek, Drewry's Bluff, Cold Harbor, Petersburg and Weldon Railroad. The flag is heavily worn along the fly edge, the result of this being that the inscriptions for Drewry's Bluff & Cold Harbor being barely legible.
Volume II (2) - Page 571 (Company K) Volume VII (7) - Page 312 (W.S. McClelland) "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 105 to 120, Volume I (Lowcountry & Pee Dee), "South Carolina's Military Organizations During the War Between the States." Robert S. Seigler, The History Press, Charleston, South Carolina, 2008. "The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies." Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C., 1901. |
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(Sketch by C.W. Vexillogical Services, 1976)