Raid on Combahee Ferry facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Raid on Combahee Ferry
Part of the American Civil War
Illustration of the Raid on Combahee River
Date June 1–2, 1863 Location Beaufort County, South Carolina Colleton County, South Carolina Result Union victory Approx. 800 enslaved people freed
Belligerents
United States (Union)	CSA (Confederacy)
Commanders and leaders
Col. James Montgomery Harriet Tubman
Units involved
2nd South Carolina Volunteer Infantry Regiment (Colored)

The Raid on Combahee Ferry was an important military operation during the American Civil War. It happened on June 1 and 2, 1863. Soldiers from the Union Army traveled along the Combahee River in South Carolina.

Harriet Tubman led this special mission. She had escaped from slavery in 1849 and helped many others find freedom. She guided about 150 African American soldiers from the 2nd South Carolina Infantry. Union ships rescued over 750 people who had been enslaved. Many of these freed people later joined the Union Army.

Why the Raid Happened

War in South Carolina

The Civil War began when shots were fired at Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor, South Carolina. The Confederate States of America quickly worked to protect its coast. The Union Army wanted to control the good harbors in the South.

In November 1861, Union forces took over Port Royal. This area was south of Charleston near Beaufort. They soon controlled most of Beaufort County and the Sea Islands.

How Enslaved People Became Free

When Union troops arrived, many plantation owners and their managers ran away. This meant thousands of enslaved people were suddenly free. Some of these freed men joined the Union Army. They formed regiments like the 2nd South Carolina Infantry.

Colonel James Montgomery led this regiment. He was a tough fighter from Kansas. He had fought against slavery before the war. Harriet Tubman also came to Beaufort in 1862. She helped teach and care for the newly freed people on the Sea Islands.

Union Goals for the Raid

In the spring of 1863, Union leaders planned raids on coastal rivers in South Carolina. These rivers included the Combahee, Ashepoo, and Edisto. Their goals were clear. They wanted to remove hidden mines from the rivers. They also aimed to take supplies from plantations. Another goal was to destroy the plantations themselves. Union forces also hoped to find healthy adult men who had been enslaved. They wanted these men to join the infantry regiments.

The Combahee River Raid Begins

Journey to the Combahee

On the evening of June 1, three small Union ships left Beaufort. Their names were Sentinel, USS Harriet A. Weed, and USS John Adams. They carried 300 soldiers from the 2nd South Carolina. Colonel Montgomery was in charge. Harriet Tubman went with the troops. Soon after leaving, the Sentinel got stuck in St. Helena Sound.

Fighting Along the River

Around 3 AM on June 2, the other two ships reached the Combahee River. Colonel Montgomery sent a small group of soldiers ashore. They chased away some Confederate guards. Some of the fleeing Confederates rode to a nearby village to warn others.

Meanwhile, another group of Union soldiers landed two miles upriver. The two ships then moved further up the river. The Harriet A. Weed stopped at a plantation.

Advancing Upriver

The John Adams carried the rest of the 2nd South Carolina soldiers and Harriet Tubman. It went upriver to Combahee Ferry. A temporary bridge made of boats crossed the river there. As the Union ship got close, some Confederate soldiers rode across the bridge. The John Adams fired a few shots at them.

Union troops landed and set fire to the bridge. Other soldiers went to a nearby plantation called "Newport." Their orders were to take all valuable items. They were also told to destroy anything they could not carry.

Confederate Response

The John Adams went a bit further upriver. It had to stop because of things blocking the way. It then turned back and tied up at a raised road called a causeway. Confederate troops nearby were told about the raid. But they did not respond right away.

Many Confederate soldiers had been moved away from the rivers. This was because of sicknesses like malaria that were common in summer. Also, the Confederates had received a false alarm before. So, they were careful about responding to new reports.

After a few hours, more Confederate soldiers arrived. They came from several nearby towns. Colonel Breeden arrived with some guns. He started firing at the Union troops who were crossing the causeway. But the John Adams had much stronger guns. It forced the Confederates to retreat into the woods.

Destroying Plantations

By this time, Colonel Montgomery's troops had burned several plantations. They destroyed houses, mills, and other buildings. At Nichols Plantation, all buildings were set on fire. Union forces took rice, cotton, potatoes, corn, and farm animals. They left the plantations as smoking ruins.

Confederate leaders sent more troops to stop the Union advance. But when they arrived, the Union forces were already out of reach. The Southern soldiers were outnumbered and outgunned. They had to go back to their starting positions.

Freedom for Enslaved People

A Joyful Escape

Many enslaved people were working in the fields. They did not know about the Emancipation Proclamation, which had freed them. At first, they were careful when they saw the Union ships. But word quickly spread that the soldiers were there to free them.

Many ran to the riverbank. They begged to be taken onto the ships. Overseers and Confederate soldiers tried to stop them. But the enslaved people kept coming.

Harriet Tubman's Story

Harriet Tubman later described the scene. She said, "I never saw such a sight. We laughed, and laughed, and laughed." She saw women carrying pails of smoking rice on their heads. Children held onto their mothers, eating rice. Some women carried pigs in bags.

She remembered one woman with two pigs, one white and one black. They took them all on board. They named the white pig Beauregard and the black pig Jeff Davis. Harriet said she saw so many twins. People carried bags and baskets. Pigs squealed, chickens screamed, and children cried.

Hundreds of people stood on the shore. When small boats went to get them, everyone wanted to get in at once. The boats filled up and more people still held on. They did not want the boats to leave. This made the boats almost tip over. The rowers tried to push them away. But the freed people would not let go. The small boats made many trips to pick up everyone who wanted to leave.

Safe in Beaufort

The Union ships returned to Beaufort the next day. The soldiers took the freed people to a church. Later, they went to a resettlement camp on St. Helena Island. Harriet Tubman's planning and information helped free over 750 enslaved people. Many of the men joined the Union Army.

What People Said About the Raid

Union reports of the raid were never found. But many newspapers wrote about it. They included comments from the officers.

A pro-Union newspaper called Commonwealth said the raid was "glorious." It reported that Colonel Montgomery and his 300 black soldiers, guided by a black woman, struck a strong blow. They destroyed millions of dollars worth of supplies and homes. They freed almost 800 enslaved people. And they did it without losing a single man. The newspaper also praised Harriet Tubman's speech. It said her words were full of "sound sense and real native eloquence."

A pro-Southern newspaper, Charleston Mercury, also reported on the raid. It said the "Yankee raid" caused much destruction. It listed the plantations that were burned. It also reported that the Union forces took between 600 and 700 enslaved people. The newspaper mentioned that a valuable library of rare books was destroyed.

What Happened After the Raid

New Tactics and Troops

The raid was very successful. Union forces started using similar tactics in other operations. Harriet Tubman later joked that her only mistake was her green dress. It got torn by the excited freed people boarding the ships.

A few weeks later, the 2nd South Carolina and another regiment raided a town in Georgia. They left the town in ruins. The Union wanted to hurt the Confederacy's ability to get food and supplies for the war. The Combahee Ferry raid showed how valuable black troops were in battle. It also proved Harriet Tubman's intelligence and bravery.

Impact on the Confederacy

After the raid, Confederate forces quickly built small forts and defenses. They wanted to protect the area better. The Union did not threaten this region again until General William T. Sherman's march in 1865.

The plantations around Combahee Ferry were not rebuilt during the war. The South lost needed supplies. Many plantation owners became very poor. Several plantations remained empty long after the war ended.

The raid also inspired the Combahee River Collective. This was a Black feminist group active in the 1970s.

The Combahee Ferry Today

The exact location of the Combahee River raid was identified by Jeff Grigg. This happened before a new bridge was built over the Combahee River on U.S. Highway 17. The area looks much the same as it did during the war. The causeway is still in the same place.

In 2006, South Carolina decided to name the new bridge after Harriet Tubman. This was to honor her role in the historic raid. This area was also the site of a battle in the American Revolutionary War in 1782. People have suggested making the area a historic district.

You can see the site from the boat landing parking lot. This is on the Beaufort side of the river. The land around it is privately owned.

The Raid in Books and TV

The Combahee River Raid is featured in several popular works. It is the basis for the 2019 novel The Tubman Command by Elizabeth Cobbs. The raid was also a major part of an episode of the TV show Timeless in 2018. The 2019 movie Harriet also showed the raid.