Congaree
Creek Historical Marker
In 1998 the 15th Regiment SC Vols purchased a historical marker and
a small piece of land on State Street (near the trench works) to commemorate
the stand which the Confederates made to protect Columbia.
The Battle of Congaree Creek
February 15, 1865
By
Wayne D. Roberts
It was cold and rainy as the day dawned on February 15, 1865 in Lexington
County, South Carolina. The rain had commenced at 3:00 P.M. the previous
afternoon. It was very muddy and boggy, making the advance for Sherman’s
Right Wing slow and arduous. The official name of the Right Wing was
the Army of the Tennessee. Major General O. O. Howard commanded this
army. Major General John A. Logan was the commander of the XV Corps
of the Army of the Tennessee. The XV Corps had encamped in the Sandy
Run community in Lexington County the night before. On this wet, dreary
day they resumed their march along the Old State Road toward their
objective—Columbia; the capital city of that hotbed of secession—South
Carolina.
Leading off for the XV Corps was its 1st Division under Brevet Major
General Charles R. Woods. Woods had once tried to reach South Carolina
over four years earlier. He was in command of troops aboard the ship
Star of the West that tried to relieve Union forces in Fort Sumter
before she was turned back by fire from the Citadel cadets’ battery.
Colonel Robert F. Catterson’s 2nd Brigade moved out on the Old
State Road toward Columbia, leading the advance of the 1st Division.
Within one mile they discovered Confederates in their front. These
were 9th Kentucky troopers from Brigadier General George Dibrell’s
Division, Williams’ Brigade of Lieutenant General Joseph Wheeler’s
Cavalry Corps of the Confederate Army of Tennessee. These troopers
were dismounted. Dibrell’s division also included his old brigade,
now commanded by Colonel William S. McLemore. This brigade was composed
of the 4th Tennessee Cavalry, the 13th Tennessee Cavalry, and Shaw’s
Tennessee Battalion of Cavalry.
Catterson deployed four companies of the 40th Illinois Infantry as
skirmishers and began driving the Kentucky troopers back. At Little
Savannah Creek the Confederate forces made a stand. Catterson brought
up four additional companies of the 40th Illinois and the Confederates
began to yield ground again. The Kentucky troopers were pushed back
across Thom’s Creek and Dry Creek. They continued to yield ground
until they reached the vicinity of Congaree Creek.
Extensive earthworks had been erected at the point where the Old
State Road crosses Congaree Creek. These defensive fortifications consisted
of two main parts. A tete-de-pont was located on the south side of
Congaree Creek. This was an arc shaped “temporary breast-works
of rails” as described by General Dibrell. Two cannons were manned
at the tete-de-pont. A strong earthwork was located on the north side
of Congaree Creek. This consisted of a strong point with three additional
cannons near the Old State Road Bridge over Congaree Creek. The earthworks
here represent a massive salient about 350 feet long. A large, broad
moat, 25 feet wide, was excavated in front of a broad, tall earthen
parapet. It is 10 feet from the top of the parapet to the bottom of
the moat. This moat was not designed to hold water, but to hold back
attacking men. The earthen parapet at the salient is 25 to 30 feet
thick and 10 to 15 feet wide at the top. The top of the parapet is
about five feet higher than the ground on which it rests. To the east
and west of the salient, the earthworks consist of an earthen parapet
about three feet high and five to 10 feet wide with a trench about
three feet deep and up to 10 feet wide. The entire Confederate earthworks
measure about one-half mile in length. Manning these works were the
cavalry troopers of Dibrell’s Division as well as infantrymen
of Confederate Major General Carter L. Stevenson’s Division.
The two guns at the tete-de-pont opened fire checking the Union advance.
Catterson moved the 46th Ohio up on his right flank and moved them
forward until he discovered well-entrenched Confederates across Congaree
Creek. At this pint Catterson sent word to his commander Woods advising
him of the situation.
Brevet Major General Charles R. Woods devised a plan of battle using
only his troops of the 1st Division. He held the 1st Brigade under
his elder brother, Brevet Major General William B. Woods in the center.
They were under fire from the Confederate artillery but did not move
forward, remaining in reserve. The 2nd Brigade, under Catterson was
sent to the right against the Confederate left, downstream from the
bridge. The 3rd Brigade, under Colonel George A. Stone, was sent to
the left against the Confederate right, upstream from the bridge. The
Confederates withdrew their artillery from the tete-de-pont as the
Union 2nd and 3rd Brigades moved forward and began to outflank them.
Dibrell withdrew his Confederate cavalry across Congaree Creek, firing
the bridge as he went. Dibrell’s troopers joined the infantry
in the trenches along Congaree Creek.
Stone pressed the 3rd Brigade forward and sent the 4th Iowa around
the left to find a crossing beyond the Confederate right flank. -Four
companies of the 4th Iowa plunged into a swamp and moved upstream of
the Confederate right flank. The 9th Iowa was ordered to follow in
reserve of the 4th Iowa. The 4th Iowa was ordered to cross Congaree
Creek on a log. Stone intended to wait until the 4th Iowa, 9th Iowa,
and one other regiment had crossed before launching his attack. However,
as soon as a few companies of the 4th Iowa were across, they pressed
forward until the Confederates spotted them. At that point they attacked.
The Confederates, realizing the enemy was in their rear, spread the
alarm and began to withdraw.
The Confederate rear guard was able to hold off any Union advance
as they moved into Columbia, burning the bridges over the Congaree
and Saluda Rivers behind them. The fighting had begun in the early
morning hours near Sandy Run and was over by 4:00 in the afternoon
at Congaree Creek.
