Thirteenth (13th) South Carolina Volunteer Infantry Regiment, August 28th, 1861, to April 12th, 1865

THIRTEENTH (13TH) INFANTRY REGIMENT
South Carolina Volunteers, August 28th, 1861, to April 12th, 1865

The following historical information is about the service of both the regiment, and the men, of the Thirteenth (13th) South Carolina Volunteer Infantry Regiment, which served in the American Civil War from August 1861 to April 1865. If you have any corrections, suggestions, or additional information, photographs, artifacts, etc., that you wish to contribute, feel free to submit the information to the Webmaster.

Organization

Assignments

Timeline

Flags

References

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REGIMENTAL ORGANIZATION

Regimental Field & Staff
Company A - Laurens District - Martin Guards	Company F - Spartanburg District - Pacolet Volunteers
Company B - Spartanburg District - Brockman Guards	Company G - Newberry District - DeKalb Guards
Company C - Spartanburg District - Forest Rifles	Company H - Lexington & Newberry Districts - Hope Guard
Company D - Newberry District - Newberry Riflemen	Company I - Spartanburg District - Iron District Volunteers
Company E - Spartanburg District - Cherokee Guards	Company K - Lexington District - Johnson Riflemen

ASSIGNMENTS

September to December 1861 - Department of South Carolina, Georgia & Florida

December 1861 to April 1862 - Gregg's Brigade, Department of South Carolina, Georgia & Florida

June to July 1862 - Gregg's Brigade, A.P. Hill's Division, Army of Northern Virginia

July 1862 to May 1863 - Greggs-McGowan's Brigade, A.P. Hill's Division, 2nd Corps, Army of Northern Virginia

May 1863 to April 1865 - McGowan's Brigade, Pender's-Wilcox's Division, 3rd Corps, Army of Northern Virginia

REGIMENTAL TIMELINE

June 1861: The regiment is authorized under the additional call for 3,000 volunteers from the State of South Carolina to serve for the duration of the war; this results in the organization of the 12th, 13th, 14th & 15th Infantry Regiments.

July to October 1861: The regiment is in camp at Camp Johnson, South Carolina.

September 4th, 1861: The regiment is mustered into Confederate States service as the Thirteenth South Carolina Volunteer Infantry Regiment at Camp Johnson near Lightwood Knot Springs, South Carolina, to serve for the duration of the war.

October 1861 to April 1862: Served in the defense of Coastal South Carolina.

October to November 7th, 1861: The regiment is in camp, and on duty, at Charleston, South Carolina.

November 7th to December 1861: The regiment is on duty at Coosawhatchie, South Carolina.

December 1861 to February 1862: The regiment is on duty at Camp Gregg near Pocotaligo, South Carolina.

April 1862: The regiment is ordered to Virginia.

April to May 24th, 1862: The regiment is on duty, and in camp, at Camp Gregg near Fredericksburg, Virginia.

May to July 1862: Served in the Peninsula Campaign (Virginia).

June 26th, 1862: Stationed with the reserved during the Battle of Mechanicsville, Virginia.

June 27th, 1862: Engaged at Gaines Mill, Virginia.

June 30th, 1862: Engaged at Frayser's Farm, Virginia.

July 1st, 1862: Engaged at Malvern Hill, Virginia.

July to August 1862: Served in the Manassas Campaign (Virginia).

August 22nd to 25th, 1862: Served with the reserve during the action at Rappahannock Station, Virginia.

August 29th & 30th, 1862: Engaged at Manassas, Virginia.

September to October 1862: Served in the Maryland Campaign.

September 1st, 1862: Engaged at Chantilly, Virginia.

September 14th & 15th, 1862: Engaged at Harper's Ferry, West Virginia.

September 17th, 1862: Engaged at Sharpsburg, Maryland.

September 19th & 20th, 1862: Engaged at Shepardstown, Virginia.

October 31st, 1862: Engaged at Snickersville, Virginia.

November to December 1862: Served in the Rappahannock Campaign (Virginia).

November 3rd, 1862: Engaged at Castleman's Ferry, Virginia.

December 13th, 1862: Engaged at Fredericksburg, Virginia.

December 1862 to April 1863: In winter quarters at Camp Gregg near Moss Neck below Fredericksburg, Virginia.

April to May 1863: Served in the Rappahannock Campaign (Virginia).

May 1st to 3rd, 1863: Engaged at Chancellorsville, Virginia.

May to June 1863: In camp at Camp Gregg near Moss Neck, Virginia.

June to July 1863: Served in the Pennsylvania Campaign.

July 1st to 3rd, 1863: Engaged at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania

July 14th, 1863: Engaged at Falling Waters, Maryland.

October 9th to 22nd, 1863: Served in the Bristoe Campaign (Virginia).

November to December 1863: Served in the Mine Run Campaign (Virginia).

November 27th to December 2nd, 1863: Engaged at Payne's Farm, Virginia.

December 1863 to April 1864: The regiment is in winter quarters near Orange Courthouse, Virginia, and performing picket duty along the Rapidan River.

April to June 1864: Served in the Overland Campaign (Virginia).

May 5th to 7th, 1864: Engaged at the Wilderness, Virginia.

May 9th to 22nd, 1864: Engaged at Spotsylvania, Virginia.

May 20th, 1864: Engaged at Ware Bottom Church, Virginia.

May 23rd to 26th, 1864: Engaged at Jericho Ford, North Anna River, Virginia.

June 1st to 3rd, 1864: Engaged at Cold Harbor, Virginia.

June 13th, 1864: Engaged at Riddell's Shop, Virginia.

June 1864 to April 1865: Served in the defense of Richmond & Petersburg, Virginia.

June 15th to 19th, 1864: Engaged at Petersburg, Virginia.

June 21st to 23rd, 1864: Engaged at Weldon Railroad, Virginia.

July 28th, 1864: Engaged at Deep Bottom, Virginia.

August 13th, 1864: Engaged at Dutch Gap, Virginia.

August 16th, 1864: Engaged at Deep Bottom, Virginia.

August 18th to 21st, 1864: Engaged at Weldon Railroad, Virginia.

August 24th, 1864: Engaged at Reams' Station, Virginia.

September 30th, 1864: Engaged at Jones Farm, Virginia.

October 1st, 1864: Engaged at Pegram's Farm, Virginia.

March 30th, 1865: Engaged in at Boydton Plan Road, Virginia.

March 31st, 1865: Engaged at Gravelly Run, Virginia.

April 1st, 1865: Engaged at Five Forks, Virginia.

April 2nd, 1865: Engaged at Dinwiddie Courthouse, Virginia.

April 3rd to 10th, 1865: Served in the Appomattox Campaign (Virginia).

April 6th, 1865: Engaged at Sailor's Creek, Virginia.

April 7th, 1865: Engaged at Farmville, Virginia.

April 9th, 1865: Surrendered with the Army at Appomattox Courthouse, Virginia, numbering thirteen (13) officers and one hundred and eighty-three (183) men.

April 12th, 1865: The regiment receives its paroles and is officially disbanded at Appomattox Courthouse, Virginia.

REGIMENTAL COLORS (FLAGS)

(American Civil War Museum)

This third pattern Richmond Depot Battle-flag was presented to the Regiment sometime in 1863, and measures 44 x 44 in., made of wool and cotton, with thirteen white cotton five pointed stars. It has painted upon it the battle honors of Harper's Ferry, Frazier's Farm, Shepherdstown, Ox Hill, 2d Manassas, Cold Harbor, Cedar Run, Sharpsburg, Chancellorsville and Fredericksburg.

The Flag was captured sometime between April 3rd and 10th, 1865, during the retreat from Richmond to Appomattox Courthouse. It was placed in the War Department in Washington, D.C., in April 1865 and assigned Capture No. 431, and remained in their possession until the remaining flags in the War Department were turned over to the Southern States, at which time it was uncertain which State this flag belonged to, so it (and its original staff) was given to the Museum of the Confederacy in Richmond, Virginia. Research done by that institution has identified it as the flag of the Thirteenth South Carolina Volunteer Infantry Regiment.

REFERENCES & RESOURCES

Published Books & Documents

"Broken Fortunes: South Carolina Soldiers, Sailors, & Citizens who died in the service of their country and the State in the War for Southern Independence, 1861-1865." Randolph W. Kirkland Jr., The South Carolina Historical Society, Charleston, South Carolina, 1995.

"Compendium of the Confederate Armies. South Carolina and Georgia." Stewart Sifakis, Facts on File, Inc., New York City, New York, 1995.

Volume V (South Carolina), "Confederate Military History." Clement A. Evans, Confederate Publishing Company, Atlanta, Georgia, 1899.

"Confederate Rolls of South Carolina." Columbia, South Carolina, 1898.

"The Flags of Civil War South Carolina." Glenn Dedmondt, Pelican Publishing Company, Gretna, Louisiana, 2000.

"The History of a Brigade of South Carolinians." J.F.J. Caldwell; King & Baird Printers, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; 1866.

"Paroles of the Army of Northern Virginia." Southern Historical Society, Richmond, Virginia, 1887.

"Recollections and Reminiscences, 1861-1865, Thru World War I." South Carolina Division, United Daughters of the Confederacy; 1993.

Volume I (1) - Page 378 (B.T. Brockman, F&S)

Volume II (2) - Pages 191 to 194 (S.G. Welch, F&S), 313 to 315 (J.E. Rawl, Co. K), 531 (C.E. Plunkett, Co. D), 532 (W.H. Matthews, Co. E), 544 (J.C. Drafts, Co. K) & 545 (J.N. Parrott, Co. G)

Volume IV (4) - Page 434 (Flag of the 13th)

Volume V (5) - Pages 199 (S.G. Welch, F&S), 476 (J.K. Brockman, Co. B), 477 (Newton L. Bennett, Co. B), 479 (J.W. Carlisle), 489 (William Lester, F&S), 509 (Company G), 520 (S.G. Welch, F&S) & 552 (J.G. Rikard, Co. D)

Volume VI (6) - Pages 73 (Company G), 193 (A.W. Ballenger, Co. C), 198 (R.P. Adair, Co. A), 438 (Company B)

Volume VII (7) - Pages 228 (Flag of Company G), 230 (J.T. Crosson), 235 (William Lester, F&S) & 238 (Oliver Thompson)

Volume XI (11) - Page 362 (George P. Griffin)

"Report of the Historian of the Confederate Records to the General Assembly of South Carolina." John P. Thomas; The Bryan Printing Company, Columbia, South Carolina; 1900.

"Rivers' Account of the Raising of Troops in South Carolina for State and Confederate Service, 1861-1865." William J. Rivers & John P. Thomas; The Bryan Printing Co., Columbia, South Carolina; 1899.

Pages 155 to 162, Volume III (The Upstate), "South Carolina's Military Organizations During the War Between the States." Robert S. Seigler, The History Press, Charleston, South Carolina, 2008.

"The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies." Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C., 1901.

Documents, Papers, & Non-Published Materials

Compiled Records of Confederate Soldiers who served in Organizations from the State of South Carolina. (M267 - South Carolina; Rolls 262 - Thirteenth Infantry, A-B; 263 - C-De; 264 - Di-Ha; 265 - He-K; 266 - L-O; 267 - P-Sl; 268 - Sm-Wh; & 269 - Wi-Z). The National Archives Microfilm Publications; Washington, D.C.

Compiled Records Showing Service of Military Units in Confederate Organizations. (M861 - South Carolina; Roll 47 - 10th through 19th Infantry). The National Archives Microfilm Publications; Washington, D.C.

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