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Thread: 1st South Carolina Rifles, B Company. McDuffie Rifles/Abbeville Minutemen

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    1st South Carolina Rifles, B Company. McDuffie Rifles/Abbeville Minutemen

    1st South Carolina Rifles Company B - "McDuffie's Guards"




    1st Regiment Rifles, known as Orr's Rifles and Orr's Regiment, South Carolina Rifles, was organized at Sandy Springs, South Carolina, in July 20, 1861. Its members were recruited in the counties of Abbeville, Pickens, Anderson, and Marion. The unit was first stationed on Sullivan's Island and called by the other troops "The Pound Cake Regiment" because of its light duty. Then in April, 1862, it moved to Virginia with 1,000 men. Assigned to General Gregg's and McGowan's Brigade. 1st Regiment, South Carolina Rifles, surrendered with the Army of Northern Virginia at Appomattox, Virginia on April 9, 1865


    Harper’s Ferry and Sharpsburg


    The Brigade was involved with Jackon’s in the capture of Harper’s Ferry, but suffered no killed or wounded. Once again, Orr’s Rifles were at the point of history, racing as part of Hill’s command, to relieve Lee at Sharpsburg. They arrived just in the nick of time to meet Burnside’s men, as they spilled across the bridge that bears his name. The Rifles drove them back and with the aid of the others in the division they saved Lee’s army to fight another day.

    Once again at Sharpsburg, Captain Perrin took the Rifles into the breech. Rushing on the field from the forced march from Harper’s Ferry, Gregg’s First found itself about to be flanked and Perrin was able to flank the flankers and hit them hard. The end result was that the right of Lee’s army was saved, it was one of those rare dramatic moments in warfare when the "cavalry" did arrive at the perfect moment. It was a near thing, Lee was used up and Little Mac had a lot left. Thank goodness it was "Little Mac", for a more audacious commander would have won a great victory. The Rifles suffered only three killed and nine wounded, a very light bill to the hangman at a place like Sharpsburg. The sun set on a draw and the bloodiest day in American warfare was over.





    The 1st Regiment of Rifles, South Carolina Volunteers (Orr's Rifles) was organized on July 20, 1861, at Camp Pickens, Sandy Springs, SC, by James Lawrence Orr. A South Carolina politician who helped to raise the regiment, Orr would be elected colonel; he would serve in that role until later elected to the

    Confederate States Senate in January 1862, resigning his commission. Orr's Rifles would be the first regiment from their state to be mustered into Confederate service for the duration of the war. Despite the name "Rifles" they would initially be armed with M1842 smoothbore muskets. In September they were sent to Sullivan's Island to serve as garrison troops, also drilling and training. In that role they earned the derisive nickname "The Pound Cake Regiment" for their comparatively laid back lifestyle; the local civilians often visited Sullivan's Island and the Rifles, bringing home-baked goods to the troops. The initial size of the regiment was larger than usual at over 1,500 men during these early months of its service. The easy life as garrison troops would soon be over however when the regiment was sent to Richmond in April 1862. In June the Rifles would become part of Maxcy Gregg's South Carolina Brigade in A.P. Hill's Light Division, with which they would serve throughout the war.

    Taking part in the Seven Days, the Rifles' first major battle was at Gaines' Mill, June 27, 1862. Little did they know that they would be utterly decimated in their first taste of combat. Attacking across Boatswain's Creek, the Rifles on the right of the brigade were sent to charge a battery firing on their right flank. They made a charge across open ground, driving off the battery but found themselves in a fierce stand-up fight with Sykes' U.S. Regulars and the 5th New York "Duryee's Zouaves". The Rifles held their ground for some time, driving the U.S. Regulars back to their reserve line. When the call to retreat finally came half the regiment did not hear the order and continued to duke it out with Duryee's Zouaves, which made a counter-attack after the Regulars fell back. Both sides were so close it was said that some of the fighting was even hand-to-hand. Col. Jehu Foster Marshall was eventually able to withdraw the regiment to the cover of woods in the rear. Of 537 men engaged the Rifles suffered a loss of 81 killed and 234 wounded, over half their strength. Company G suffered a loss of 80% killed and wounded.

    Orr's Rifles would go on to serve throughout every major battle and campaign in the Eastern theater as part of Gregg's/McGowan's Brigade in A.P. Hill's old division. They would suffer heavy losses in the brigade's stout defense of the Railroad Cut at Second Manassas, and also on Prospect Hill at Fredericksburg where Maxcy Gregg was killed. In the Maryland Campaign they were engaged at Antietam and Shepherdstown; in the former they took part in A.P. Hill's forced march to the battlefield from Harper's Ferry and fought in Otto's 40-acre cornfield in the afternoon phase of the battle. At Chancellorsville they would lose 49% of the 233 taken into action. The Rifles would fortunately be held in reserve during the brigade's charge on Seminary Ridge on July 1 at Gettysburg, however they would again see heavy action at the Wilderness and Spotsylvania the fallowing year. In the latter they would be in the thick of the fight for the Mule Shoe or Bloody Angle on May 12. Orr's Rifles saw continuous action throughout the remainder of the Overland Campaign and in the Richmond-Petersburg Campaign. In the surrender at Appomattox only 9 officers and 148 men remained. According to J. F. J. Caldwell's history of Gregg's/McGowan's Brigade, the 1st South Carolina Rifles suffered an estimated total loss of 334 officers and men killed, 201 died of disease, and 791 wounded (not mortally), for an aggregate of 1,125.



    Uniforms of the 1st South Carolina Rifles:

    The woman is not part of the 1st South Carolina Rifle Regiment.


    The Rifles' initial uniform consisted of dark blue frock coats and trousers trimmed in green - the green being traditional for a rifle regiment - along with black M1858 Hardee dress hats with ostrich feather plume and brass palmetto insignia. The uniform color was later switched from blue to gray to conform to Confederate uniform regulations, though still maintaining the green trim. These uniforms began to wear out in fall of 1862 and were beginning to be replaced with jackets instead of coats, some men also possibly replacing their Hardee hats with caps or civilian slouch hats. From mid to late war most of their uniforms likely came from the Richmond Clothing Depot.


    The 1st South Carolina Rifles Company B will consist out of 1 Dutch Speaking Platoon (1st Platoon) and our 2nd Platoon will exist out of members all over the globe. We aim for a fun historical but diciplined group who can do aswell work together as individual soldiering. Most of our members at the moment come from rifle regiments out of diffrerent games or mods. Aswell a lot of our members are re-enactors.

    If you are intrested in joining our Company please add: [1stSC,Rfl(B)]Cpt Valk on steam.


    Our company is part of Ewell's Brigade on War of Rights. (Yes we know, its not historicall accurate however we have a lot of good contacts in that Division on War of Rights)
    Last edited by Valk; 07-10-2017 at 08:20 PM.

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    reserved

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    Welcome to the Confederacy!
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    More Carolina Boys, welcome Brothers!
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    Quote Originally Posted by Saris View Post
    Welcome to the Confederacy!
    Thanks.

    Quote Originally Posted by Charles Caldwell View Post
    More Carolina Boys, welcome Brothers!
    Thank you.

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    For Gallant South Carolina, Nobly made the stand!
    "If we were wrong in our contest, then the Declaration of Independence of 1776 was a grave mistake and the revolution to which it led was a crime. If Washington was a patriot; Lee cannot have been a rebel."

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    Congrats!

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    Quote Originally Posted by A. P. Hill View Post
    Congrats!

    Welcome to the CSA!

    Thank you sir

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    Welcome brothers! Nice page :-)

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    Quote Originally Posted by Profender View Post
    Welcome brothers! Nice page :-)
    Thank you

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