Battle of Legareville

Part of the American Civil War

Date	December 25, 1863 (1863-12-25)
Location	Johns Island, South Carolina
Result	Inconclusive

Belligerents

United States (Union)

CSA (Confederacy)

Commanders and leaders

Lt. Cdr. Richard Meade

Col. P. R. Page, Lt. Col. D. Kemper

Casualties and losses

7 Total, 3 Killed, 4 Wounded

11 Total, 3 Killed, 8 Wounded

The Battle of Legareville was fought on December 25, 1863, during the American Civil War. Confederate forces tried to surprise Union forces near Legareville on Johns Island but failed to destroy the federal forces or drive them away from Legareville.

Major Edward Manigault (brother to Brig. Gen. Arthur Middleton Manigault), commanding the South Carolina Siege Train or Manigaults Battalion wrote the only in depth record of confederate artillery preparation in his diary, even though he was never present for their construction. He reported that were 5 artillery positions, the 1st Upper Battery commanded by Capt. Benjamin C. Webb of Company A, South Carolina Siege Train with two 30-lb. Parrot Guns, the 2nd Upper Battery commanded by 1st Lt. Ralph Nesbit of Company B, South Carolina Siege Train with two 8-inch Siege Howitzers, the Lower Battery commanded by Captain Frederick C. Schultz of Company F, 3rd SC Artillery Battalion with two 3.5-inch Blakely rifles, one 10-pdr Parrott, along with an 8-inch howitzer, the Legareville Road Battery commanded by 1st Lt. John P. Strohecker of the Marion Light Artillery with two 12-lb. napoleons, and the Inglis Light Artillery Battery commanded by Capt. William E. Charles with two 3.5-inch Blakey Rifles and two 12-lb. howitzers. The artillery batteries all fell under the command of Lt. Col. Delaware B. Kemper. But the artillery and infantry elements both had different commanders, which did not allow the surprise that had been planned for Christmas 1863 to follow through like it had been planned. Col. Powhatan R. Page of the 26th Virginia Infantry had two companies of his own regiment and five of the 59th Virginia Infantry and commanded them as the infantry element of this force.

A small force of some 200 infantrymen from the division of Brigadier General George Henry Gordon. They occupied the area just outside of Legareville and had support from only one union navy vessel, the USS Marblehead. The Marblehead was under the command of Lieutenent Commander Richard Worsam Meade, the nephew of Major General George Gordon Meade. The Marblehead boasted a XI-inch Dahlgren Gun, two 24-lb smootbore guns, and one 20-lb rifle. Further down the Stono River, which ran along Johns Island past Legareville and into the Atlantic, two other gunboats were posted near the Stono Inlet. They were the USS Pawnee, commanded by George Balch and with the firepower of eight IX-inch Dahlgren guns, one 100-lb Parrot Rifle, one 50-lb Dahlgren Rifle, and two 12-lb boat howitzers. The other boat was the USS C. P. Williams, a mortar schooner that mounted a couple 8-inch mortars and was under the command of Acting Master S. N. Freeman.

...
Wikipedia