South Carolina Militia Standards Under Development

[Pvt_Sullivan]

We are currently developing standards for the South Carolina Militia that will occupy Fort Moultrie during the event.

There is limited information available about uniforms and equipment for this period. Some of the readily available information is contradictory and much of it is confusing considering that this period was before the creation of the Confederacy and was even before the creation of the Army of South Carolina. Our current research indicates that the 1st Regiment of Rifles and 17th Regiment of the South Carolina Militia were called up to occupy the abandoned Fort Moultrie and to take possession of Morris, James and Sullivan's Islands as well as Castle Pickney. The most specific information we have to date is that 30 Riflemen were dispatched to Fort Moultrie on the evening of 27 December, 1860 and were later augmented by elements of the existing volunteer Artillery companies (Washington, German, Lafayette and Marion Artillerymen) .[1]

We are currently reviewing several texts as well as contacting the holders of first hand documents relating to this period. Any individuals wishing to assist in this research task should contact the Event Coordinator, Pete Berezuk via email at pete.berezuk@gmail.com to express their interest.

It is our intention to publish South Carolina Militia Standards before 1 March 2010.

Thanks to John Christiansen and Dan Giddick for their insight and support to this event and its supporting research.

[1] Page 14, The Siege of Charleston, 1861-1865 by E. Milbury Burton, University of South Carolina Press (1982)

[Eutaw Regiment]

Re: South Carolina Militia Standards Under Development

Peter,
Is there anything new to report in regards to when you might have the SC militia standards completed?

[Pvt_Sullivan]

Re: South Carolina Militia Standards Under Development

Mark,

We've been having a fun and frustrating time nailing down the particualr unit for the "30 Riflemen" dispatched to Fort Moultrie on 27 December 1860 to occupy the Fort with the Volunteer Artillery Batteries. We've conciously decided to not represent the Volunteer Artillery Batteries because of the one of a kind uniform requirements that we would have to meet to replicate them. We have decided to focus on those "30 rifleman" and at this point we have been unable to determine if these men were from an exisiting Volunteer Militia Company of the 1st South Carolina Rifles (possible special uniform requirements) or a Beat Militia Company of the 17th Regiment South Carolina Militia (essential civilian clothing with mix of civilian and military manufacture weapons).

Our best guess at this point is to go with a Beat Militia Company, however before deciding on that we have a few more avenues of research available which we will exhaust here shortly. In the meantime, we are going to publish our 'Draft' South Carolina Militia Standards for informational purposes on the "To Prevent the Effusion of Blood" website here...

http://topreventtheeffusionofblood.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=3&Itemid=9

I would appreciate any comments on the content of the Draft standards to be sent ot me directly via email at pete.berezuk@gmail.com and I also want to thank John Christansen and Dan Giddick for thier support and assitance in the development of these standards.

[Eutaw Regiment]

Re: South Carolina Militia Standards Under Development

Thanks Pete! If I can drum up some interest from a couple of boys in my unit, we'll be there.