A Short History
The 2nd South Carolina Infantry Regiment [also called 2nd Palmetto Regiment] completed its organization near Richmond, Virginia. This regiment was called into State service about April 9, 1861 for twelve months. It was mustered into the Confederate States service May 22, 1861, and re-organized for the war in May, 1862. About April 9, 1865, the 2nd (Palmetto) Regiment Infantry was consolidated with the 20th Regiment South Carolina Infantry and a part of Blanchard's South Carolina Reserves and formed the new 2nd Regiment South Carolina Infantry.
The men were from Columbia, Camden, and Charleston, and the counties of Sumter, Richland, Greenville, Kershaw, and Lancaster.
After fighting in Bonham's Brigade at First Manassas , the unit served under Generals Toombs, Kershaw, Kennedy, and Conner. It participated in many conflicts of the army from the Seven Days' Battles to Cold Harbor except when it was detached with Longstreet at Chickamauga and Knoxville. The 2nd was active in Early's Shenandoah Valley operations and ended the war in North Carolina. It reported 5 killed and 43 wounded at First Manassas , and lost eighteen percent of the 338 at Savage's Station , twenty percent of the 203 at Malvern Hill , thirty-seven percent of the 253 at Sharpsburg , and forty-one percent of the 412 at Gettysburg . The regiment sustained 10 casualties at Bentonville and totalled 184 men on March 23, 1865. It surrendered with the Army of Tennessee.
The 2nd South Carolina participated in as many, if not more, battles than any other regiment on either side. It is one of the few units that was established before the bombardment of Fort Sumter and existed until several weeks after Lee's surrender at Appomattox. It established itself as one of the elite shock troop units of Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia. This regiment was a part of Kershaw's Brigade.
Brief Company Background
The Palmetto guards, probably the first unit of either side to be activated for the war, was one of the most famous companies because of their role at Fort Sumter as well as subsequent service with the 2nd South Carolina. From their position on Morris Island, Edmund Ruffin pulled the lanyard on a cannon this company manned to fire the first shot toward Fort Sumter.
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