SEVEN GENERALS OF THE HAMPTON LEGION   By Compatriot Michael Thomas   South Carolina’s Hampton Legion was a premier unit of the Confederate army. Formed and personally outfitted by Wade Hampton, it consisted of a battalion of infantry, another of cavalry, and a 2-gun section of artillery. Though it never fought as a single unit, its men and officers provided splendid service throughout the war. Further, the Confederacy appointed seven generals from its ranks, more than from a

SOLDIER’S GROUND, MAGNOLIA CEMETERY   By: Mike Thomas   Soldier’s Ground in beautiful and historic Magnolia Cemetery holds particular interest because it is a precious reminder of the sacrifices of those who defended Charleston for nearly four years. Serving as the principal burial location for Confederate service members who died in the Charleston area, this section holds 644 men buried there during the war. A review of the Ladies Memorial Association of Charleston records o

SOUTH CAROLINA’S BOY COLONEL James R. Hagood   By Compatriot Michael Thomas   The Confederate army was filled with many young men in their teens who served with ranks from private up to Captain. A South Carolinian, James R. Hagood, younger brother of well-known General Johnson Hagood, went even further by earning promotion to Colonel of his regiment at age 18.   James Hagood left The Military Academy of South Carolina [The Citadel] as a sophomore, enlisted as a private in the

THE UNITED CONFEDERATE VETERANS   By: Mike Thomas   The United Confederate Veterans organization was formed in 1889, almost a quarter of a century after Appomattox. Consisting of men who had served in the Confederate army, navy, or marines, their goals were noble and visionary. The UCV Constitution emphatically stated that it was a “Social, Literary, Historical and Benevolent” organization. One goal was for members to gather wartime material (i.e., maps, rosters, corresponden

THE USS DAI CHING MEETS IT’S DEMISE   By Compatriot Michael Thomas   The USS Dai Ching, originally built in New York for the emperor of China, was purchased by the U.S. Navy in April 1863 and soon became a fixture in South Carolina’s coastal waters and rivers as part of the South Atlantic Blockading Fleet. She shelled Fort Sumter, Battery Wagner, and other Confederate positions in Charleston’s harbor in the summer of 1863. Armed with 2- 20 pounders and a 100-pounder, she had

THE WARTIME BLOCKADE OF SOUTH CAROLINA’S COAST – Part 1 of 3   By: Mike Thomas   The wartime blockade of South Carolina’s coast is usually incompletely presented. Blockade runners operating in stealthy secrecy left little in the form of documentation, but other available sources provide clear glimpses into this clandestine activity. Unfortunately, many historians and scholars barely touch on the bustling and vibrant blockade-running of 1861 to mid-1862. Further, their studies