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| Gen George Dibrell |
The Battle
of Congaree Creek fought February 15th 1865 just south of Columbia
in Richland County, South Carolina, lasted just four hours. It was fought between a force of the
Confederate and Union’s Army of Tennessee.
The two side meet along an earthwork built near the Old State Road
Bridge where it crosses the Congaree Creek.
Confederate
General George Dibrell manned the earthworks with artillery, infantry and
dismounted cavalry. Union General
Charles Woods, commanding the First Division of the XV Corps, pushed out skirmishers
along the front, while he sent a brigade upstream to try to turn the
Confederates right flank. Dibrell was
forced to pull out of the earthworks. He
retreated to Columbia, but not before setting the Old State Road Bridge on
fire.
The Union
troops were able to put the fire out on the bridge. Union General William T Sherman advance and
on February 17th 1865 the city of Columbia surrendered to him.
Last year while researching Confederate veterans in Columbia I happened across the grave of a soldier buried behind my own church in downtown Columbia. It took some time because the gravestone didn't provide his unit or home state, but I finally was able to determine that he had been a member of the 9th Kentucky Cavalry and had been wounded at Congaree Creek and had died a couple of weeks later in a Columbia hospital. Since then I've wondered how many men died at largely forgotten skirmishes and minor battles, and were buried far from home.
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