Battle of Grimball's Landing

The Battle of Grimball's Landing took place in James Island, South Carolina, on July 16, 1863, during the American Civil War. It was a part of the campaign known as Operations Against the Defenses of Charleston.

Opposing forces

Union

Further information: Siege of Charleston Harbor Union order of battle

Confederate

Further information: Siege of Charleston Harbor Confederate order of battle

Battle

To divert Confederate reinforcements from a renewed attack on nearby Fort Wagner, Brig. Gen. Quincy A. Gillmore designed two feints. An amphibious force ascended Stono River to threaten the Charleston & Savannah Railroad bridge. A second force, consisting of Alfred Terry's division, landed on James Island on July 8. Soon, Terry demonstrated against the Confederate defenses, but did not launch a major attack. On July 16, the Confederates attacked Terry's camp at Grimball's Landing. Because of incomplete reconnaissance of the difficult, marshy ground, the disorganized Confederate attack was soon aborted. Their mission accomplished, Federal troops withdrew from the island on July 17.

This battle was the first engagement of the 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment, in which it suffered 43 casualties (14 killed, 17 wounded, and 12 captured).==See also==

• Battle of Secessionville (1862), a.k.a. Battle of James Island
• Battle of Grimball's Causeway (1865)

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from the National Park Service document "Grimball's Landing".

• CWSAC Report Update

Further reading

• Burton, E. Milby. The Siege of Charleston 1861–1865. Columbia: University of South Carolina Press, 1970. ISBN 0-87249-345-8.
• Kennedy, Frances H., ed. The Civil War Battlefield Guide. 2nd ed. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1998. ISBN 0-395-74012-6.
• Reed, Rowena. Combined Operations in the Civil War. Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press, 1978. ISBN 0-87021-122-6.
• Wise, Stephen R. Gate of Hell: Campaign for Charleston Harbor, 1863. Columbia: University of South Carolina Press, 1994. ISBN 0-87249-985-5.