The Hampton Legion South Carolina Volunteers was organized
June 12, 1861 with an Infantry Battalion of eight companies, A through H; a
Cavalry Battalion of four companies, A through D, and an Artillery battalion of
two companies, A and B.
Formed in 1861 by its namesake, Wade Hampton III,
the largest landowner in all South Carolina and the grandson of reputedly the
richest planter in the nation, Hampton's Legion joined the Confederate States service
with units of artillery, infantry and cavalry, its ranks filled with some of the cream of Palmetto
society. Although opposed to secession prior to the war, once South Carolina
Seceded and war was inevitable, Wade Hampton used his own fortune to raise and equip
the Legion to support his state and the new Confederate Government. With bearing that was distinctly
military, but without pompousness or egotism, Hamptons personally led his legion as
perhaps the South's foremost example of dilettante, playing soldier and destined
to become remarkably good at it.
During the war, Hampton's Legion produced 43 general officers, 4 of which would one day become Generals.
The original Hampton Legion was unique in that it had the
three main branches of the army; cavalry, infantry and artillery. With the re-organization of the
Confederate Army in 1862, on August 22, 1862, the cavalry Battalion was assigned to J.E.B. Stuart as the 2nd
Regiment of the South Carolina Cavalry where it served with distinction throughout the war.
Hampton took over command of the Confederate Cavalry in 1864 following Stuart's
The Artillery battalion became separate and
independent companies sometime prior to August 25, 1862;
This portion of the Legion was converted to horse artillery, (all members mounted),
and fought with the cavalry throughout the remainder of the war. During this
time it came to be known as Hart's Battery, named after it's commander, James F.
Hart. Company A became Hart’s
Company, Horse Artillery, South Carolina, and Company B became Bachman’s
Company, South Carolina Artillery.
The infantry was transferred to John B. Hood's Texas Brigade. The legion infantry saw severe service throughout the war, particularly at Sharpsburg were most of its original members were killed or wounded.
The eight infantry companies of the Hampton legion were assigned to Hood’s Texas Brigade immediately following the Battle of Seven Pines (May 31-June 1, 1862). These South Carolina companies fought with Texas Brigade in the battles of Second Manassas (August 30, 1862); Boonsboro (September 14, 1862), Sharpsburg (September 17, 1862). In mid-November, 1862, the Legion fought in the battles engaged in by the Army of Northern Virginia (except Chancellorsville) and in the Chickamauga and East Tennessee Campaigns under Longstreet in the Fall of 1863 and Winter of 1863-64.
In the Spring of 1864, this South Carolina Infantry Regiment was mounted and transferred to the cavalry service. It was paroled at Appomattox, April 12, a865 as "Hampton’s Legion Mounted Infantry, South Carolina Volunteers." Source: Hood’s Texas Brigade: A Compendium page 397
The Hampton Legion (Infantry) were engaged in the following battles:
Gaines' Mill 27 June, 1862
Malvern Hill 1 July, 1862)
Freeman's Ford 22 August, 1862)
2nd Manassas Virginia, 28 - 30 August 1862
South Mountain Virginia 14 September 1862
Sharpsburg Maryland, 17 September, 1862
The Hampton Legion (Inf.) was composed of the following:
Headquarters Field and Staff
Company A--Washington Light Infantry Volunteers
Company B--Watson Guards
Company C--Manning Guards
Company D--Gist Rifles
Company E--Bozeman Guards
Company F--Davis Guards
Company G--Claremount Rifles
Company H--South Carolina Zouve Volunteers
Bibliography for Hampton’s South Carolina Legion
Brock, R.A. The Appomattox Roster. The Southern Historical Society. 1887
Crute, Joseph H., Jr. Units of the Confederate States Army. Midlothian, VA: Derwent Books, 1987. Ref. pp. 268-69 for a concise summary of the legion's service.
Confederate Military History, Extended Edition. Vol. 6: South Carolina. Wilmington, NC: Broadfoot, 1987. 931 p. E484C65.1987v6. Contains numerous, scattered references to South Carolina units.
Priest, John M. Stephen Elliott Welch of the Hampton Legion. Shippensburg, PA: Burd Street Pr, 1994. 101 p. E605W44.1994.
Sifakis, Stewart. Compendium of the Confederate Armies: South Carolina.... NY: Facts on File, 1995. p. 49 E577S53.1995. (Unit organizational history).
Wells, Edward L. Hampton and his Cavalry in '64. Richmond, VA: B.F. Johnson, 1899. 429 p. E547.3H2W4.
Old Sumter District, SCGenWeb Home Pages
Palmetto State Roots Web Sites
This web page was posted on January 27, 2008
Return to Sumter County's Main Page
Return to Clarendon County's Main Page
Lee County's Main Page
Company I 25th Regiment South Carolina Volunteers
Company I 23rd Regiment South Carolina Volunteers
Company H 26th Regiment South Carolina Volunteers
Company K 23rd Regiment South Carolina Volunteers
20th South Carolina State Militia, Sumter District, S.C.
Elmira Prison Camp Listing