Railroads played a key role in the war, dictating the movement of armies and even the location of battles. They were also prime targets. On his sweep through South Carolina, Sherman discovered that there were several trains loaded with military supplies south of his line of march on the Wilmington and Manchester RR that ran through Sumter. He was concerned that supplies south of Camden could be used by pockets of Confederate resistance. Sherman ordered that a force be organized at Hilton Head to march inland from Georgetown and destroy the railroad as well as trains and their cargo, “even if it should cost 500 men.” A provisional division of 2,700 men, commanded by Brigadier General Edward E. Potter, was assembled consisting of two brigades of white and black infantry, plus cavalry, engineering and artillery companies. The 1st Brigade was commanded by Colonel Phillip Brown Jr. and included the 56th and 157th NY, the 25th and 107th OH. The 2nd Brigade was commanded by Colonel Edward Hallowell and was made up of the 54th MA, the 32nd and 102nd U.S. Colored Troops (USCTs), four companies of the 1st New York Engineers, Battery B of the 3rd NY Artillery and the 2nd Battalion of the 4th MA Cavalry. The 32nd USCTs, formerly the 1st SC, was the first Black regiment raised from freed slaves. The stage was set for a raid lasting 16 days, much of which took place after Lee had surrendered.

The Union had captured Georgetown on February 24th when a Navy squadron entered the harbor and discovered that the Confederate batteries that guarded the bay (primarily Battery White) had been abandoned. Potter arrived in Georgetown on April 1st and the troops were there by the next day. They left Georgetown for Sumter at 8:00 AM on April 5th via the Sampit Road. They marched along the south side of the road along the Black River where they turned right toward Kingstree. They traveled 19 miles and camped for the night near Johnson’s Swamp. Getting word of Potter’s march South Carolina Governor Gordon Magrath called out the state militia and ordered Colonel George Lee’s 20th SC to assemble in Sumter. On the 6th the Federals camped near the Thorntree Swamp seven miles outside of Kingstree burning all the cotton and mills in their path. On the 7th they destroyed track on the Northeastern Railroad and the Eppes’ and Kingstree Bridges on the Black River. The SC Militia burned the bridge over Brewington Swamp leading Potter to change his route of march toward Manning 10 miles to the west. By now 700-800 escaped slaves had joined the raiders. Below is the 13 stop tour. The text is from the Sumter county brochure which I could not find a link to online.

Stop 1- Manning- First Blood. April 8. At Manning, the Federal cavalry surprised and attempted to capture a Confederate scouting party led by Lieutenant Charles Jones (7th SC Cavalry). Jones shot his way free, killing Private Josiah Q. Pratt of the 4th MA Cavalry, and escaped with the Federals in hot pursuit. The Federal trooper is buried in an unmarked grave behind a house on Brooks Street (marker states Church Street) and remains there today. Potter established his headquarters in the home of Dr. H.H. Huggins. They burned the courthouse, jail, stores and warehouses. They left town at 1:30 AM on Sunday the 9th. Colonel Jones rode to Sumter and informed Brigadier General Joseph Lewis of the 1st KY (the Orphan Brigade) that the Federals were headed his way.

Stop 2- Battle of Dingle’s Mill (33.8759333, -80.3357167). April 9. Potter set out for Sumter 20 miles away and its defenders marched out the Manning Road to meet him at Dingle’s Mill. The Confederates had a mixed force of 575 men under the command of Colonel John Caldwell of the 9th KY Mounted Regiment. They include the 20th SC Militia and at least 65 hospital convalescents. They marched out to Dingle’s Mill and dammed Turkey Creek. There were only two ways to cross the man-made bog. A bridge which the Confederates had already burned, and a 200-foot causeway surrounded by woods on both sides. The postcard image below shows the causeway (link).

About 2:00 p.m. the Federals came within range and the small force defending Sumter opened fire using three old cannon to stop the Union advance for several hours. Although Potter’s first and second charges were driven back, the defenders were finally out flanked by the 157th NY and a detachment of the 57th NY and driven back. The Federal dead are buried on the field and remain there today in a common grave. Ironically, the battle takes place at the same time that General Lee is signing the surrender of his army at Appomattox. Potter did not pursue the Rebels. He knew that he had opened up the road into Sumter and his men were weary. Late in the afternoon of the next day, Potter’s cavalry rode up Main Street onto Liberty Street and then to the depot where they camped.

Stop 3- Sumter Occupied April 9-11. The Federal force occupied Sumter and Potter establishes his headquarters at the Solomon home, located at the site of the present-day Sumter County Courthouse. The raiders destroyed railroad property (12 miles of track, 8 cars and 4 locomotives), the jail, carpenter and blacksmith shops, newspaper presses and 1,000,000 feet of lumber. While here they learned that Richmond, Mobile and Selma had fallen into Federal hands. By this time several thousand escaped slaves had joined the column. On the 11th, Potter orders the raiders to march to the town of Manchester, where the depot there is suspected to harbor military supply trains.

Stop 4- Mayesville Railroad Depot Attacked. April 10. While at Sumter and searching for the hidden supply trains, Potter sent a detachment of black troops northeast about 10 miles to Mayesville where they destroyed seven railroad cars and a bridge. The old railroad depot was near the center of town. There is nothing there to see.

Stop 5- Trains at Manchester destroyed. April 11. This was an important depot for the Wilmington and Manchester Railroad and connection point for the Camden spur and line. Major Webster’s Cavalry were sent here. They destroyed one locomotive and train, railroad buildings and Government stores, as well as a gin, two hundred bales of cotton and a covered bridge. They also destroyed boxcars loaded with military supplies hidden on the line running into the Manchester Forest area. Nine days later, after a long march up and around to Camden and then back down through Stateburg, fighting a number of battles and skirmishes with Confederate troops, the Federal raiders finally destroyed the remainder of the trains at Middleton Depot. Although figures vary in different reports, more than 20 locomotives and 250 boxcars, loaded with munitions, weapons and supplies, are eventually destroyed. Artifacts from the trains can still be found along the old rail lines in Manchester Forest today. The town once a thriving rail stop no longer exists.

6. Federal Headquarters at Singleton Plantation (“Midway”). After his initial success at locating some of the trains on the 11th, Potter sets up his headquarters at the Singleton Plantation the home of the widow Mrs. Waites W. Rees and sent the 32nd USCT back to the Santee River with several thousand “contrabands” (freed slaves) to make contact with gunboats coming up the Santee River and to bring back supplies. Confederate cavalry (Kentucky) skirmished with the Federal troops between here and Stateburg, blocking any advance in that direction. Unable to find additional trains in Manchester, Potter assumes that they may have been moved northward to Camden, so he made plans to march up the Charleston-Camden Road (SC 261) and force his way through the Confederates at Stateburg. Private Doyle (or York), 9th Kentucky Cavalry, was captured near here and executed by Federal troops for refusing to take an “oath of allegiance” and buried in an unmarked grave at the corner of the plantation house. At Wateree Junction, five miles west, Federals destroy five train engines, 13 cars, a turntable, water tanks, lumber and a railroad trestle. Three miles further west 35 cars and 3 locomotives are destroyed.

Stop 7- Battle of Stateburg. April 14-15. Potter attacked the Confederate force of the 9th Kentucky cavalry and militia in Stateburg on the 14th, but was unable to dislodge the defenders. He attacked again on the 15th, pushing the Confederates back, but the stubborn defense held, so he broke off combat and detoured around Stateburg to the east toward Cherryvale, and then north through Providence (present-day Dalzell). The Confederate defenders at Stateburg also move northward to take up new positions at Boykin’s Mill to oppose the raiders should they attempt to return this way.

Potter’s men camped at St. Phillip’s Episcopal Church on the 15th on the way to Spring Hill.

Stop 8- Skirmish at Spring Hill- April 16. Continuing to shadow and harass the raiders, a small Confederate cavalry force under command of Colonel Pressley engaged Potter’s troops here and inflicted some casualties. The Federal raiders finally reach Camden on the 17th but discovered no trains (which were moved back down to Middleton Depot), and marched back toward Stateburg and Manchester the next day.

Stop 9- Battle of Boykin’s Mill. April 18. Potter’s raiders moved south via the old Charleston Road (SC 261) and reached Boykin’s Mill, where they were met by a Confederate force made up of Kentucky cavalry, Camden and Florence reserves, and militia commanded by Colonel A.D. Goodwyn. To slow the Federal advance and allow the trains to be moved further south, the Confederates opened the dam floodgates and flooded the road. Potter tried to flank the Rebels by sending the 32nd USCTs through the swamp but the water was too deep. The 107th OH tried to turn the enemy’s right but the creek could not be forded. The 54th MA tried to turn the Confederate left across the remnants of a burned bridge but came under sharp fire and had to turn back. The 102nd USCT were able to cross even further to the left of the 54th MA across logs and forced the Rebels to fall back.

While riding a white horse Lieutenant Edward L. Stevens of the 54th MA was killed by a 15-year-old courier Burwell Boykin, the last known Federal officer to die in the war. His body fell into Swift Creek and was recovered by his men. He is buried in the Florence National Cemetery. The 54th MA reported 15 casualties. Two were killed, Lieutenant Stevens and an enlisted man. One enlisted man was mortally wounded and twelve injured. The Federals destroyed 54 bales of cotton and three bales of corn fodder, but the trains had moved further down the line.

Stop 10. Oakland Plantation (“Dixie Hall”). April 18. As the battle at Boykin’s Mill is ending, Confederate General Pierce Young arrives from Columbia with Hannon’s Brigade (53rd Alabama and 11th Georgia cavalry, with two guns of Hamilton’s Artillery) and additional units of Kentucky cavalry. Taking command of the field, Young headquarters briefly at Oakland Plantation and then moves his force to Dinkins’ Mill. Potter also occupies the house and sets up a temporary field hospital here before continuing his march toward Stateburg the next day. For years, a cannon ball could be seen embedded in the outer wall of the house, whether Federal or Confederate remains an open debate. The house and grounds are not open to the public.

Stop 11- Battle at Dinkins’ Mill. April 19. Potter continued his march southward searching for the trains along the Camden Railroad and would spend the day skirmishing with Confederates. He would first encounter skirmishers who quickly fell back across Rafting Creek to Dinkins’ Mill. The Confederates were behind breastworks with one piece of artillery. The mill dam was opened and the water in the road was waist deep. The Confederates fell back in the face of simultaneous flanking maneuvers (left- 102 USCTs and 32nd USCTs four companies, right- 107th OH and remainder 32nd USCTs) and a frontal assault (Brown’s Brigade). Before the battle developed a courier arrived with new orders for the Confederates to abandon the trains and now block any movement by the raiders northward (unknown to Young, the reason for this order was due to the Confederate president Jefferson Davis and his party moving through upper South Carolina after fleeing Richmond). The Confederates disengaged and fell back to new positions. Young ordered Hannon’s brigade south to take a position at Stateburg while he took the Kentucky cavalry back toward Providence. He also ordered the trains hidden on the Camden spur line and at Middleton Depot to be burned, which is only partly accomplished. The location of the trains now revealed and the Confederates apparently in retreat, Potter sent his men on toward Stateburg to finish the destruction and clear away any remaining opposition.

Stop 12- Battle of Beech Creek. April 19. The Federal infantry, supported by cavalry, followed the Confederate force sent to Stateburg and in the last cavalry saber charge of the war, overran the Southern pickets stationed beyond Beech Creek on Davis Hill and surprised the Confederates camped near the church of the Holy Cross in Stateburg. The Confederates were driven back and forced to take refuge in the woods and swamp. This is considered the last battle of the war in South Carolina. The historical marker is at the intersection of SC 261 and Raccoon Road. The actual battle site was at Beech Creek on the grounds of what is now a golf course in Stateburg. The Federals moved on to Middleton Depot and on the 19th spent the night on Oakland Plantation. At Middleton Depot Potter found 18 locomotives and 245 cars filled with supplies.

Stop 13- Millford Plantation (the home of former SC governor John Laurence Manning)- the Fighting Ends. April 21. Potter briefly occupied Millford. Potter’s men spent the 20th destroying trains and the next day they withdrew south toward the Santee River to link up with Federal gunboats and reinforcements there. The Confederate cavalry pursued, but they were unable to mount a successful attack. Shortly after his departure, a courier arrived at Millford with word that Generals Lee and Johnston had surrendered, and the fighting had ended. The exhausted courier is sent on down the road to locate and inform Potter at Fulton’s Post Office. Hostilities come to an end, and the Civil War was finally over in South Carolina.

Located at 7320 Millford Plantation Road, the house and grounds are open to the public on the second Saturday generally from October through June but tickets must be purchased in advance (link). By the 22nd Potter is at Wright’s Bluff on the Santee Road where he loaded the sick and wounded, as well as about 500 former slaves onto boats for transport to Georgetown. At noon on the 25th the column was met by supply wagons from Georgetown, and they arrived in the city between 5:00 and 6:00 PM. Union casualties were 10 killed, 72 wounded and 1 missing. Thirty-two locomotives, over 250 rail cars, 100 cotton gins, 5,000 bales of cotton, and large quantities of supplies were destroyed. In the process over 5,000 former slaves returned to Georgetown with the column. Medals of Honor were awarded to Lieutenant Charles L. Barrell and Private Henry S. Finkenbiner.

Sources

Potter’s Raid Through South Carolina The Final Days of the Confederacy by Tom Elmore.

Last Days, Potter’s Raid and the Civil War by Robert Brown brochure produced by the Sumter County Historical Commission and the Sumter Convention and Visitors’ Bureau.

History of the Fifty-fourth Regiment of Massachusetts by Luis F. Emilio