After the Battle of Port Royal Sound in November of 1861 the Federals had established not only a deep water recoaling port but a military staging area as well at Hilton Head, Port Royal, Beaufort, and St. Helena Island from which they could launch attacks on Savannah and Charleston. Union Brigadier General Isaac Stevens knew that his commanding officer General Thomas Sherman was anxious to move against either Savannah or Charleston and Stevens felt that disrupting the Charleston and Savannah Railroad would be the key to that process. In order to move on the railroad they would first need to cross to the mainland at the site of the Port Royal Ferry and gain a foothold there.

An assault was planned on Confederate fortifications on the mainland along the Coosaw River. Shown below is a sketch of the fort at the Port Royal Ferry site drawn from the east bank of the river. On the opposite shore can be seen Rebel soldiers standing in front of the fort. There were also two batteries one on the Coosaw River and the other at the Seabrook Ferry. Controlling the ferry site would also allow the Federals to move freely on the waterways of Whale Branch and the Coosaw River and aid in keeping the Rebels off Port Royal Island, see map below. In addition, Sherman also wanted to punish the Rebels for firing on the Union steamer the Mayflower. On December 19th the Mayflower was conducting a reconnaissance mission near the Port Royal Ferry when it came under fire. One union soldier was killed. The action was planned for just after Christmas and Stevens was selected to lead it.

A map of the area is shown below.

The expedition was a combined army and naval effort. The commanders were Brigadier General Isaac Stevens for the army and Commander C.R.P. Rogers of the flagship U.S.S. Wabash for the navy. The Union army consisted of the 8th MI, 50th and 100th PA (Roundheads), and the 47th, 48th and 79th NY (Highlanders). The Army was assisted by the gunboats Ellen, Ottawa, Seneca, Hale and Pembina which shelled the Confederate batteries. Stevens orders were to seize and destroy the enemy batteries on the mainland opposite Port Royal Island, bring away the guns and other property, but not advance into the interior.

The Confederates had established batteries on the mainland at Port Royal Ferry and another at Seabrook Ferry in order to obstruct navigation between Port Royal Island and the mainland. The Port Royal Ferry battery was armed with two siege guns, a howitzer and a 12-pounder, commanded by Lieutenant Webb. Brigadier General Thomas W. Sherman, commanding the expeditionary corps on Port Royal Island, was determined to dislodge them. In addition, if the Federals were going to launch a strike against the Charleston and Savannah Railroad they would need to neutralize these fortifications. The Federals would be led by Brigadier General Isaac I. Stevens. He would command a total force of about 3,000 men from six regiments of infantry (8th MI, 47th, 48th and 79th NY, 50th and 100th PA). Five gunboats of Commodore Dupont’s fleet, under command of Captain C. R. P. Rodgers of the US Navy, were directed to cooperate with the land forces. The plan was for Stevens main force to cross the Coosaw River from a landing on Brickyard Creek six miles east of the ferry and march up the western bank of the river and take the fort from the rear. The Confederates were commanded by Colonel James Jones of the 14th SC. He had stationed Company B under Captain A.P. West near the Adams house and Company H commanded by Captain Croft near the causeway leading onto Chisholm Island. Two companies were at the fort at Port Royal Ferry and six companies at his camp one mile west of the ferry.

Two companies of the 79th NY and 100th PA led by Captain William St. George Elliott would remain at Seabrook. Once the two naval gunboats had entered Whale Branch (Lieutenant Ammen commanding the Seneca and Ellen) and opened fire on the Confederate battery at Seabrook Ferry, Elliott and his men were to cross the river and take the battery. Colonel Leasure, with one company of the 79th NY and the four companies of the 100th PA, stationed on the eastern side of the Port Royal Ferry, were to make a demonstration, and crossover when and if circumstances permitted. Two companies of the 100th PA were left to guard Beaufort while a third company was stationed three miles further west at the crossroads along the Shell Road. Stephens would assemble the bulk of his force near the mouth of Brickyard Creek. This would include four companies of the 50th PA, who would leave Beaufort on flatboats at midnight and head upstream to the jump off point.

After dark the 8th MI and six companies of the 50th PA left Beaufort on foot for the mouth of the creek. At the same time seven companies of the 79th NY would depart the Seabrook area and march to the same location. At 3:30 AM the soldiers began boarding the flat boats. The process proceeded slowly because the loading area was narrow and could only accommodate 2 to 3 boats at a time. At first light Stevens moved his barge to the head of the flotilla and left the mouth of the creek and moved into the river. Here they were joined by Captain Rodgers of the Navy with 4 launches each equipped with a 12-pounder boat howitzer carrying the 4 companies of the 50th PA from Beaufort. There were not enough flat boats to transport the six companies of the 50th PA under Colonel Christ and they would have to wait for boats to be sent back, which they would take to the Adams house and rendezvous with Stevens there. Stevens landed on Chisholm Island below a cotton gin, about 3 miles below the Adams house, on the mainland and quickly drove off a handful of isolated pickets. Shortly after landing Stevens realized that the 8th MI had not crossed. They had misinterpreted his orders and were back at the creek. Word was sent to Colonel Fenton, commander of the 8th MI, to land at the Adams House. The 47th and 48th NY who were coming from Hilton Head by sea on the army transports Boston and Delaware would also be landing at the Adams house.

Captain Croft detected the Union landing on Chisholm’s Island around 7:00 AM and reported their presence to Colonel Jones. Thirty minutes later Captain West reported that Federals were also landing at the Adams house. Jones ordered 3 companies (Carter, Perrin, Tompkins) from his camp forward under Lieutenant Colonel Samuel McGowan to support Captain West. He withdrew the 2 companies from the fort and combined them with 5 companies from his camp and posted them near the Chaplin house within supporting distance of McGowan. Stevens moved out across country through difficult terrain. Five companies of the 79th NY were in the lead, followed by two boat howitzers under the command of Lieutenant Irwin. They were followed by four companies of the 50th PA, a total of about 500 men. The column reached the area of the Adams house around 11:00AM where they halted to rest and await the remainder of their force.

Colonel Jones had joined McGowan by this point near the Kean’s Neck Road. With Stevens at the Adams house near the Kean’s Neck Road Jones withdrew his men and guns from the fort and moved them to McGowan’s line. During the evacuation the 12-pounder gun on its carriage overturned and was stuck in a ditch, where it was spiked and abandoned. Captain Croft’s company also joined the rest of the regiment at the Kean’s Neck Road. Jones formed a line of battle with the left resting on Captain Leake’s battery in the road and the right extending toward the river with the far right at the Chaplin House. The right was manned by 4 companies of the 12th SC commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Barnes. At 1:30 PM with his men fully assembled Stevens moved out. The 79th New York remained in the lead, followed by the two naval howitzers. Colonel Christ’s 50th PA and Colonel Fenton’s 8th MI were next. The 47th and 48th NY under Colonel Perry made up the reserve with the 100th PA guarding the flatboats and keeping open a line of retreat in case it was required. At this point rather than continue down the Kean’s Neck Road toward the Confederate line Stevens advanced his 2500 men through a field much closer to the river, see map above, where he would be under the cover of the gunboats there. Stevens units were accompanied by signalmen who could communicate with the gunboats to direct their fire.

As the Federals advanced the Confederates opened a vigorous fire from a masked battery on the Union right. Stevens formed the 47th and 48th NY at right angles to the rest of the column, the 8th MI and 50th PA formed the center with the 79th NY on the left. Colonel Fenton, commanding the 8th MI, was ordered to dislodge the battery. Fenton sent three companies to the front and left under Lieutenant Colonel Graves and four companies to the front and right under Major Watson. Fenton’s men protected by the thickets and ridges in the ground, advanced against the Confederate line. The problem for Jones was that his line did not extend to the river and as Stevens force advanced close to the river the center and left of his line were easily able to seize the unoccupied fort. As the Confederates tried to stop Stevens’ column Union signalmen coordinated their ship-to-shore fire improving its accuracy. This was the first time that this type of communication system was used in battle.

During this period Colonel Leasure, commanding the 100th PA, who was under orders to cross over and assist in the assault on the fort if circumstances favored such a movement, saw from his point of observation that the Confederates were evacuating the fort. He crossed the river with a detachment under Lieutenant Colonel Armstrong, which reached the fort just as the enemy was leaving it and as skirmishers of the 78th NY were arriving there around 4:30 PM. General Stevens arrived at the fort and met Colonel Leasure there, as well as Captain Elliott who had crossed the Coosa River at Seabrook Ferry. Elliott had crossed the river and found the battery there abandoned, which he destroyed. A 12-pounder cannon and its carriage were captured in the Port Royal Ferry fort. The Federals recrossed the river between 9:00 PM and midnight after destroying the fort and all its surrounding buildings. Union losses were 2 killed, 12 wounded and 1 missing. The Confederates reported 8 killed and 24 wounded.

The conflict is detailed in reports from the Official Records. I have included the reports from General Stevens and Colonel Jones.

Confederate Summary Report- Colonel James Jones

Sources

Rebellion, Reconstruction, and Redemption, 1861-1893, The History of Beaufort County, South Carolina, Volume 2 by Stephen R. Wise and Lawrence S. Rowland.

War of the Rebellion A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies. Series 1, Vol. 6, Engagement at Port Royal Ferry, Coosaw River, SC, pp. 44 – 73.

Report of Affair at Port Royal– Confederate Reports.

Beaufort District Collection. Battle of Port Royal Ferry, 1862 : A List of Links & Materials

The Battle of Port Royal Ferry by John D. Hayes and Lillian O’Brien. The New York Historical Society Quarterly April 1963 pages 109-136.

The Life of Isaac Ingalls Stevens by Hazard Stevens Volume II, Chapter L (50), Beaufort- Action at Port Royal Ferry (link)