Battles & Campaigns · 1862
Battle of Secessionville
Secessionville, James Island, South Carolina, USA
What happened
Union troops led by Henry Benham under David Hunter attacked Confederates under Nathan G. Evans, with Thomas G. Lamar at the Tower Battery. Early in the morning, Union troops attacked the Confederate fort at Secessionville on James Island. Confederate guns and fresh troops drove back several attacks, and the Union forces withdrew.
Why it matters
Charleston was vital to the Confederacy. This was the Union's only attempt to take the city by land.
What came next
Hunter relieved Benham of command, and by 7 July all Union troops had left James Island.
Did you know?
The battle is also called the First Battle of James Island, and Lamar was hailed as 'The Hero of Secessionville'.
Timeline
- 16 Jun 1862Battle of Secessionville.
- 27 Jun 1862Hunter orders James Island abandoned.
- 7 Jul 1862The last Union troops leave James Island.
- 26 Jan 1863A ruling says the attack was justified, but Benham never gets another field command.