Palmetto Sharpshooters

Jenkins South Carolina Brigade engaged in heavy combat with the Pennsylvania Reserves at the Battle of Glendale, June 30, 1862.

The South Carolina Palmetto Sharpshooters were a Confederate sharpshooter unit in the American Civil War. The regiment served with the Army of Northern Virginia from 1862 to 1865. The unit would fight in most of the major battles in the eastern theater, and experience hard fighting in the western theater with James Longstreet in 1863.

1862

Colonel Joseph Walker of the Palmetto Sharpshooters

Micah Jenkins; the original Colonel of the regiment

The regiment would be formed from several South Carolina regiments near Richmond in early 1862. The regiment would be commanded by Micah Jenkins, and assigned to Richard Anderson's Brigade, Longstreet's Division, Magruder's Command. The regiments first action would be at the Battle of Williamsburg in May 1862, the regiment would hold Fort Magruder against repeated Federal attacks, losing 29 men and withdrawing under the cover of night. The unit would once again see heavy action at the Battle of Seven Pines, May 31-June 1. The Sharpshooters would assist in taking Casey's Redoubt, whipping Union General Darius Couch's division, and capturing several regiments in the process. 700 out of the roughly 1900 men in the brigade were killed or wounded. A few days prior to the engagement at Seven Pines General Longstreet had presented the Palmetto Sharpshooters with a battle flag, which the regiment carried into battle with them that day. The color bearer would be shot during the assault; and as Colonel Jenkins rode past him he propped himself up on his elbows and exclaimed: "For God's sake, Colonel, take care of my flag!" The following excerpt is from an address given by James A. Hoyt at the 1885 reunion of the Palmetto Sharpshooters: "The ranks had been divided by the colors, and each wing rested respectively on the right and left of the Williamsburg road. The color bearer was standing in the center of the road, with his color planted on the ground, and his arms encircled their folds. He was the only one left of the twelve gallant men who formed the color guard." At the Battle of Gaines Mill the Sharpshooters would charge Union positions held by the 16th Michigan and the 82nd Pennsylvania capturing the 16th Michigan's colors, Colonel, and a number of men, but at the cost of several men killed and wounded.

The actions at the Battle of Glendale would be the next bloody test for the Palmetto Sharpshooters. The South Carolinians, along with the rest of the brigade, and supported by Wilcox's brigade, would charge across open fields towards Federal lines while taking heavy fire from the Pennsylvania Reserves and canister shot from Union batteries. Despite the volume of fire in their front, Jenkin's men would overrun Union artillery. The South Carolinians would be unable to proceed any further. With their supporting brigades being unable to hold their own gains, the whole brigade retreated back across the fields. Private Richard L Williams of Company "L" would rescue the regimental colors and bring them back to friendly lines. He then would take command of his Company and lead them forward with the flag. The entire South Carolina brigade would suffer harrowing loss, half of its number becoming casualties. The Palmetto's would lose 254 men out of 375 on the field, a casualty loss of 67%. Company "E" of the regiment would be devastated at Glendale, most of the Company becoming casualties, with only a few survivors. The brigade would participate in the Second Bull Run campaign and the Maryland campaign, repulsing Ambrose Burnside's attack south of Sharpsburg at the Battle of Antietam with heavy enlisted and officer loss.

1863

The Palmetto Sharpshooters went into the year 1863 a battered band of rebels, with Joseph Walker in command of the regiment. On March 17 the regiment would be attacked by the 11th Pennsylvania Cavalry and a battery, the Sharpshooters would lose several men wounded and captured. The Palmetto Sharpshooters would be sent to the western theater of the war, joining James Longstreet's army in Tennessee. The regiment would arrive too late to participate in the Battle of Chickamauga. During the Battle of Wauhatchie, the brigade, commanded by John Bratton, would take part in the night time attack on Federal positions near Lookout Mountain. Bratton's brigade would assault John Geary's Union division, driving back skirmishers. The Palmetto Sharpshooters would take position on the left of the brigade, attempting to rout remaining Union regiments. However, the 149th New York would rally and hold off the Sharpshooters. After several hours of fighting the Confederate attack would be called off.

Shortly after the engagement at Wauhatchie, the regiment would be ordered to march on Knoxville with forces under General Longstreet. On November 13, the regiment would secure a bridge site at Hough's Ferry on the Tennessee river, allowing a pontoon bridge to be constructed. During the Battle of Cambell's Station the regiment would play a supporting role in the attacks on Ambrose Burnside's Union forces.

1864

The regiment would be sent east as General Ulysses S Grants Overland Campaign went underway. During the Battle of the Wilderness Jenkins brigade would arrive on the field with the rest of Longstreet's Corps on May 6, and would be held in reserve during the fighting in The Widow Tapps Field. In the afternoon of May 6, the brigade would be ordered to support an attack being conducted by General William Mahone's Virginia brigade. The Virginian's, who were disoriented from their attack through the dense undergrowth of the Wilderness, would open fire up troops who were in the Orange Plank Road, wounding General Longstreet and killing Jenkins. The attack would be attempted again during the late afternoon, Jenkin's Brigade, now under Colonel John Bratton of the 6th South Carolina Infantry, led the attack against Federal log fortifications and entrenchments lining the Brock Road. The Confederate attack would see initial success, but Union counterattacks would quickly seal the breach in the Northern line. At the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House Bratton's brigade and the Palmetto's would hold Laurel Hill and earthworks around the Mule Shoe against repeated Federal attacks. The next few weeks would see heavy fighting for the Palmetto's during the battles at the North Anna, Totopotomy, and Cold Harbor.

Casualties for the Palmetto's during the Overland Campaign numbered (Note: Casualty figures may be off, as Confederate reports are really scarce, and sometimes not written.):

• Wilderness: 8 killed, 65 wounded, Spotsylvania Courthouse: 3 killed, 31 wounded
• North Anna: 1 killed, 3 wounded, Totopotomy: 2 killed, 3 wounded
• Cold Harbor: 3 killed, 8 wounded, 3 missing

The Palmetto Sharpshooters and Bratton's brigade would be sent south of Richmond to Petersburg, where they would hold Battery 34 against Union General Gouverneur K. Warren's V Corps. Throughout the long Siege of Petersburg the regiment would fight in such battles as 2nd Deep Bottom, Halifax Road, and Fort Harrison. At the Battle of Darbytown Road, the brigade would assault Federal positions suffering heavily in the process. On December 25 the regiment went into winter quarters near Charles City.

1865

The surrender at Appomattox

After the breakthrough at Petersburg and the fall of Richmond, the South Carolina Palmetto Sharpshooters surrendered at Appomattox Court House with the rest of the army on April 9, 1865. The regiment was the largest one in the army at the time of the surrender, numbering 29 officers and 356 men, commanded by Colonel Joseph Walker. Ironically, the South Carolinians shared rations and shook hands with the 16th Michigan, whose colors they had captured at Gaines Mill, two years ago. The regiment would stick together on its march to South Carolina, and would disband once they reached said state. The total casualty figures for the Palmetto Sharpshooters are unknown.

"Sharpshooters"

The name "Palmetto Sharpshooters" implies that the unit was a marksmen unit. However, the regiment would frequently act as an infantry line regiment, rather than a skirmish unit. And the soldiers in the regiment were not handpicked marksmen like Hiram Berdan's Union Sharpshooters; the regiment being formed hastily from soldiers from the other regiments in the brigade. The Palmetto's would be equipped with Whitworth Rifles, generally considered the first modern sniper rifle. It is not to say that the regiment did not perform any "sharpshooting" actions during the war; many times during the campaigns the regiments Whitworths would be put to good use.

Further reading

• Baldwin, James J. The Struck Eagle: A Biography of Brigadier General Micah Jenkins, and a History of the Fifth South Carolina Volunteers and the Palmetto Sharpshooters. Burd Street Press, 1996.
• Rigdon, John C. Historical Sketch And Roster Of The South Carolina Palmetto Sharpshooters (South Carolina Regimental History Series). Independently published. 2019.
• The Palmetto riflemen: Co. B., Fourth regiment S.C. Vols. Co. C., Palmetto sharp shooters: historical sketch / an address delivered by James A. Hoyt.
• Brocky, Nicely A. Sharpshooters Forward: The Regimental History of the Palmetto SharpShooter Regiment, South Carolina Volunteers, 1861-1865

See also

• List of South Carolina Confederate Civil War units