5th South Carolina Infantry Regiment

Confederate Regiments & Batteries * South Carolina

1861
April 13 Organized at Orangeburg for twelve months state service under Colonel Micah Jenkins, principal of the Kings Mountain Military Academy in Yorkville, Lieutenant Colonel G.W.H. Legg, and Major W.T. Thomson.
April 20 Defense of Charleston
June 4 Mustered into Confederate Service for one year
June 10 Moved to Virginia
June 21 Arrived at Manassas and assigned to D.R. Jones’ Brigade
July 18 Blackburn’s Ford
July 21
First Battle of Manassas

The regiment was stationed at McLean’s Ford. It lost 3 men killed and 23 wounded
July 24 Ordered to Centreville and stationed at Camp Pettus.
July 25 Assigned to 3rd (D.R. Jones’) Brigade, 1st Corps, Army of the Potomac, along with the 4th, 6th and 9th South Carolina Infantry Regiments.
September 3-5 Expedition to Great Falls
October 15 Ordered to Germantown.
November Assigned to D.R. Jones’s Brigade, 3rd (Longstreet’s) Division, 1st Corps, Potomac District, Department of Northern Virginia
1862
January Assigned to D.R. Jones’s Brigade, Longstreet’s Division, Potomac District, Department of Northern Virginia
February 15 Brigadier General Richard Anderson replaced Brigadier General Jones in command of the brigade.
April At Fort Magruder under Lieutenant Colonel Andrew Jackson. Assigned to Anderson’s Brigade, Longstreet’s Division, Magruder’s Command
April 13 The regiment disbanded at the end of their twelve month enlistment. Most of the men organized in a new regiment, the Palmetto Sharpshooters, under Colonel Jenkins.
April 23 Reorganized for the duration of the war with a number of men from the old 5th, 6th and 9th regiments and a number of new recruits, totalling about 650 men. Captain John R.R. Giles was elected colonel, Captain Andrew Jackson of Company B was elected lieutenant colonel and William M. Foster was elected major.
Assigned to Jenkins’ Brigade of Anderson’s Division.
May 31
Battle of Seven Pines, or Fair Oaks

Commanded by Colonel J.R.R. Giles. Assigned to Anderson’s Brigade, Longstreet’s Division, Magruder’s Command. Colonel Giles was killed and Lt. Colonel Andrew Jackson took command of the regiment.
June 27
Battle of Gaines’ Mill

The regiment lost 81 casualties. Lieutenant Colonel Jackson was badly wounded, losing his arm.
June 30
Frayser’s Farm

The regiment lost 73 men
August 12 Major Asbury Coward, a.d.c. to General D.R. Jones, was promoted to colonel and given command of the regiment.
August Transferred with Jenkins’ Brigade to Kemper’s Division of Longstreet’s Command
August 29-30
Second Battle of Manassas

Fighting around the Chinn House, under the command of Colonel Asbury Coward. Assigned to Jenkins’ Brigade, Kempers’ Division of Longstreet’s Command
September Transferred with Jenkins’ Brigade to D.R. Jones’ Division of Longstreet’s Command
September 14
Boonsboro, Maryland (South Mountain)

Commanded by Captain Thomas C. Beckham. The regiment lost 6 men wounded.
September 19
Battle of Sharpsburg

The regiment was commanded by Captain Thomas C. Beckham. It defended Burnside’s Bridge.
October Attached to Jenkins’ Brigade, Pickett’s Division of Longstreet’s Command
November 15 Colonel Asbury Coward took command of the regiment
November 21 Left Culpeper for Fredericksburg
November 23 Arrived at camp near Fredericksburg
December 13
Battle of Fredericksburg

The regiment was not engaged.
December 24 Major Foster resigned.
1863
April 10 Detached on Longstreet’s Suffolk Campaign
May 3 Left bivouac near Suffolk and marched 23 miles to the regiment’s old encampment near the South Quays on the Blackwater River.
May 5 Marched about 15 miles to Blackwater Bridge
May 7 Returned to camp
May 15 Marched past Franklin and formed line of battle about 1/4 mile from Carsville. Under occasional fire from artillery and infantry but not engaged.
May 16 Returned to entrenchments and picket lines.
May 23 Crossed Blackwater Bridge and marched 5 miles to Windsor, where the regiment was under occational artillery fire.
May 26 Returned to camp
May 27 Marched to Franklin and occupied breastworks
May 28 Marched to Joiners Church
June-July The regiment was detached in Virginia during the Gettysburg Campaign
June 2 Returned to camp, moving camp up the river 10 miles to Laurences Ford.
June 4 Marched to Joiners Church
June 5 Marched to Monroe’s Ferry on the Nottoway River and went into camp
June 7 Marched 26 miles to Murfreesboro, North Carolina
June 7-11 In bivouac, picket duty
June 11 Marched 18 miles to Boyakins Station on the Seaboard & Roanoke Railroad.
June 12 Marched to Monroe’s Ferry
June 13 Marched to Murfees Station
June 14 Took the train to Weldon
June 15 By train to Petersburg
June 18 Took train to Murfee Station
June 21 Marched 25 miles to Ivor Station on the Petersburg & Norfolk Railroad, then boarded train to Petersburg
June 22 Reached Petersburg and camped 3 miles outside of town
June 28 Took train from Petersburg to Richmond
October 2
Battle of Chattanooga

Captain Beckham was wounded.
October 28-29
Battle of Wauhatchie

The regiment lost 102 men. Attached to Jenkins’ Brigade, Hood’s Division, First Corps
November 12
Battle of Knoxville

Attached to Jenkins’ Brigade, Field’s Division, First Corps

1864
May Attached to Bratton’s Brigade, Field’s Division, First Corps
May 5-7
Battle of the Wilderness

Colonel Coward was wounded
May 8-20
Battle of Spotsylvania Court House

Commanded by Major T.C. Beckham
May 16
Drewry’s Bluff

Commanded by Colonel Coward
May 23-25
North Anna
June 3
Battle of Cold Harbor
June
Siege of Petersburg

Duty in the trenches.
Jul 28 Moved to north side of James River near New Market Heights
August 14
Fussell’s Mill

The enemy pressed the regiment’s picket line. Ten men of Company I and one of Company H were captured.
August 16 The regiment was temporarily detached from the brigade and assigned to General Gregg on Darbytown Road. The regiment joined with three regiments of Benning’s Brigade to charge and recapture a line of works that had been carried b the enemy. One officer was killed and two wounded, six enlisted men were killed and eighteen wounded.
August 24 Ordered to Petersburg, where the regiment was in reserve.
September 4 Left the line near Petersburg and marched to Reams Station
September 8-25 At Squirrel Level Road erecting a line of works
September 28-30
Fort Harrison & New Market Road (Chaffin’s Farm)

Colonel Asbury Coward was wounded.
October 1-5 Constructing works near Fort Gilmer
October 6 Moved to Darbytown Road
October 7
Darbytown

The regimental sergeant major was mortally wounded
October 27
Williamsburg Road
November Captain Beckham was promoted to major
1865
February 24 Moved to near Fort Gilmer
April 6
Farmville
April 9
Appomattox Court House

The regiment surrendered 19 officers and 263 men under Colonel Asbury Coward.