Second Battle of Pocotaligo

Second Battle of Pocotaligo
Part of the American Civil War
Map of the battle and route of the expedition
Date October 22, 1862 (1862-10-22) Location Yemassee, South Carolina 32°38′13″N 80°51′48″W / 32.63694°N 80.86333°W / 32.63694; -80.86333Coordinates: 32°38′13″N 80°51′48″W / 32.63694°N 80.86333°W / 32.63694; -80.86333 Result Confederate victory
Belligerents
United States (Union)	CSA (Confederacy)
Commanders and leaders
Brigadier General John M. Brannan	Colonel William S. Walker
Units involved
X Corps	Beaufort District, Department of South Carolina
Strength
4,500	2,000 With additional reinforcements from Charleston
Casualties and losses
43 killed 294 wounded 3 missing	21 killed 124 wounded 18 missing

The Second Battle of Pocotaligo, or Battle of Pocotaligo Bridge, or Battle of Yemassee, often referred to as simply the Battle of Pocotaligo, was a battle in the American Civil War on October 22, 1862 near Yemassee, South Carolina. The Union objective was to sever the Charleston and Savannah Railroad and thus isolate Charleston, South Carolina.

Commanding: Colonel William Stephen Walker

Initial force:

Reinforcements from Charleston

Reinforcements from Grahamville

Commanding: Brig. Gen. John M. Brannan

1st Brigade: Col. John Lyman Chatfield (w)

2nd Brigade: Brig. Gen. Alfred Terry

Engineers

Cavalry

Artillery

On October 21, 1862, a Union force of 4200 men, under the command of Brigadier General John M. Brannan, boarded transport ships and left Hilton Head, South Carolina. Brannan's orders were "to destroy the railroad and railroad bridges on the Charleston and Savannah line." Under protection of a Naval Squadron, they sailed up the Broad River, disembarking the next morning at Mackey Point (between the Coosawhatchie and Pocotaligo Rivers), less than ten miles distant from the railroad. The 47th and 55th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiments, under the command of Colonel Tilghman H. Good, began the march toward Pocotaligo. A smaller detachment of 300 men – two companies of engineers and the 48th New York regiment – moved up the Coosawhatchie River with orders to attack the bridge at Coosawhatchie and then turn towards Pocotaligo tearing up the rails as they went.

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Wikipedia