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Military Units Formed in South Carolina


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CONFEDERATE STATES ARMY

1st (Butler's) Infantry Regiment
1st (Gregg's) Infantry Regiment
1st (Hagood's) Infantry Regiment
1st (Orr's Rifles) (Infantry)
1st Battalion, Sharp Shooters (Infantry) - 532 men
1st Cavalry Battalion
1st Cavalry Regiment
1st Charleston Battalion Infantry (Gaillard's Battalion) - 1286 men
1st Artillery Battalion
1st Artillery Regiment
1st Infantry Regiment Reserves - 13 men
1st Regiment Militia (Charleston Reserves) (Infantry) - 530 men
1st Regiment Rifles Militia (Branch's Rifle Regiment) (Infantry) - 137 men
1st Battalion Senior Reserves - 195 men
1st Regiment Charleston Guard - 553 men
1st SC Infantry State Troops - 1135 men
1st SC Infantry Regiment State Troops - 208 men
1st SC Infantry Regiment Militia - 24 men
1st SC Infantry (6 months 1861) - 732 men
1st SC Mounted Militia - 980 men
2nd Artillery Regiment - 2573 men
2nd Cavalry Regiment - 1584 men
2nd Battalion, Cavalry Reserves - 68 men
2nd Battalion, Sharpshooters (Infantry) - 309 men
2nd Infantry Regiment Militia - 7 men
2nd Infantry Regiment - 2875 men
2nd Infantry Battalion - 2 men
2nd Infantry Battalion Reserves 90 days 1862-63 - 2 men
2nd Infantry Regiment Rifles - 1815 men
2nd Infantry Regiment State Troops - 1318 men
2nd Infantry Regiment Cadets - 2 men
3rd Infantry Battalion (Laurens' and James') - 1103 men
3rd (Palmetto) Battalion, Light Artillery - 2539 men
3rd Infantry Battalion Reserves - 552 men
3rd Cavalry Regiment - 2082 men
3rd Infantry Regiment - 2033 men
3rd Infantry Regiment Reserves (90 days 1862 - 1863) - 752 men
3rd Regiment South Carolina Militia - 6 men
3rd Regiment State Troops (Infantry) - 484 men
4th Infantry Battalion Reserves - 519 men
4th Cavalry Battalion - 398 men
4th Cavalry Regiment - 2024 men
4th Infantry Regiment - 1241 men

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The exact number of military units which were formed in South Carolina is unknown. Some units changed names and / or were consolidated or reoganized during the war and a few were disbanded without seeing service.

This list contains 190 known discreet units and is based on the inventory made by the National Archives of the various rosters and service records.

The Compendium of Civil War Regiments by Sifakis identifies 171 units, but my list below shows 191 units. I believe this number is pretty accurate.

From the State of South Carolina, the following units were formed for service in the Civil War:

33 regiments, and 2 battalions of infantry
7 regiments and 1 battalion of cavalry
1 regiment, and 1 battalion of heavy artillery
29 batteries of light artillery


The total loss of the Confederate Armies in killed and mortally wounded will never be definitely known, and can be stated only in round numbers. A summing up of the casualties at each battle and minor engagement--using official reports only, and in their absence accepting Confederate estimates- indicates that 94, 000 men were killed or mortally wounded on the Confederate side during the war. Almost one quarter of these men were from South Carolina. An estimated 23,000 were killed in the war, and 18,666 are known and their names listed in Broken Fortunes.

To understand the full meaning of these figures one must keep in mind the sparse population of these States. The "military population" of South Carolina in 1861 was 55,046.

South Carolina lost in killed over 23 per cent of her entire male population. Add to this the loss by disease, and the maimed or crippled for life, and the result becomes extraordinary in its heroic aspect.

This site, and the books we publish are dedicated to telling the stories of these men and their families.

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