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This is a picture of Morris Island
from Fort Sumter located in the Charleston Harbor. James
Island located to the right of the picture is where Lucas’
Battalion was stationed or garrisoned from 1862-1865. Much
fighting took place on both islands. |
Recently, I have been researching the
Confederate soldiers who are from Northern Frederick County.
It has been the hardest task that I have done to date. These
men enlisted through out the South Land while a good portion
of them served in many of the Maryland units.
I recently had the chance to travel to
Charleston, South Carolina to follow in the same footsteps as
Emmitsburg resident Charles A. Donnelly. I also followed the
unit he enlisted with through North Carolina after Donnelly
transferred to Virginia.
So who was Charles Donnelly? Charles
Donnelly was a resident from Emmitsburg and was 13 years old
during the 1850 Census. His father Charles Sr., was a native
from Ireland and was a school teacher in the area. By 1860,
the last time Charles A. Donnelly was listed on the Census, he
was still listed as living in Emmitsburg.
Before the first shots of the Civil
War at Charleston, South Carolina were fired into Fort Sumter,
several South Carolina recruiting officers made their way
through the South recruiting manpower for the upcoming war in
South Carolina. Recruiting men from different states was not
uncommon during the Civil War.
In December of 1860, South Carolina
had sent a recruiting officer to Baltimore, and he recruited,
according to the Confederate Military History by Bradley T.
Johnson, more than 500 Maryland men. Charles A. Donnelly was
among those 500 men. These men would become part of Lucas’
Battalion of South Carolina and Rhett’s First South Carolina
Artillery. The men who enlisted would witness the bombardment
of Fort Sumter in the Charleston Harbor in April of 1861.
Charles A. Donnelly enlisted into the
Confederate Army at the age of 24 on April 6, 1861, in Lucas’
Battalion of Infantry at Castle Pinckney, which is located in
the Charleston Harbor of South Carolina.
Lucas’ Battalion of South Carolina was
made up with approximately 90 men from Maryland who enlisted
in Company B at James Island, South Carolina in April.
In July of 1861, Lucas’ Battalion was
designated "Heavy Artillery" with two companies. Company C,
which many Marylanders transferred to was organized on
November 15, 1862. It served in the Department of South
Carolina, Georgia, and Florida, and was active at Fort Sumter,
Morris and James Islands.
On one Muster Roll, Charles Donnelly
was noted as absent for the months of March and April. He was
absent in confinement in Charleston jail. Once he was out of
jail, he served from May through August as the Company Clerk.
Donnelly was engaged in the following
battles: Charleston Harbor (August through September, 1863),
capture of the U.S.S. Isaac Smith, Fort Pemberton (January 30,
1863).
On April 29, 1864, Donnelly along with
many Marylanders transferred to the "Maryland Line", serving
the rest of their five year enlistment in Virginia.
For more information on Lucas’ 15th
South Carolina Heavy Artillery, visit my website at:
www.emmitsburg.net\john\lucas_artillery
