FIRST SOUTH CAROLINA 12 MOS. VOLUNTEERS.
ORGANIZATION.
On the 17th December, 1860, in view of the probable passage of
the Ordinance of Secession by the State Convention then in
session, the Legislature of South Carolina passed "An Act to
Provide an Armed Military Force." This act provided that
whenever it shall appear that an armed force is about to be
employed against the State or in opposition to its authority, the
Governor be authorized to repel the same, and for that purpose
to call into the service of the State such portion of the militia
as he shall deem proper and to organize the same on the plan
therein indicated. Three days afterward, the Convention passed
the Ordinance of Secession, and the revolution which led to the
establishment of the Southern Confederacy was inaugurated.
Immediately after, the Convention provided for the raising of
one or more corps of regulars, and for the acceptance of a
regiment of six months' volunteers, both to be received into
immediate service. Towards the last of December the Governor
issued a call for volunteers under the legislative act, which
resulted in the raising and organizing of ten regiments for twelve
months' service. Under this call the militia regiments of Barnwell
district (the 11th and 43rd of the old organization) assembled
at Barnwell Village, and furnished, by volunteering, five
companies. The regiment of Orangeburg District (15th old
militia) assembled at its rendezvous, and furnished four companies;
while the regiment of Colleton District (13th old militia)
assembled at Walterboro and furnished two companies;—all on
the 3rd January, 1861. The Barnwell and Orangeburg companies
and one of the Colleton companies being the first ten
companies which responded to the call in the State, were
organized by the State War Department into a regiment under
the name of "The First South Carolina Volunteers," and elections
for field officers ordered. These elections were held on the 27th
January, 1861, and the organization of the regiment was complete.
It was officered as follows:
| Colonel |
Johnson Hagood |
| Lieutenant-Colonel |
Thomas J. Glover |
| Major |
Watson A. O'Caim |
| Adjutant |
P. K. Moloney |
| Quartermaster |
G. B. Lartigue |
| Commissary Subsistence |
W. B. Legare |
| Surgeon |
Martin Bellinger |
| Assistant Surgeon |
E. H. Dowling |
| Chaplain |
Flynn Dickson |
| Sergeant-Major |
R. B. Wilson |
| Quartermaster-Sergeant |
J. H. O'Caim |
Company A.
| Captain |
John V. Glover |
| First Lieutenant |
John H. Felder |
| Second Lieutenant |
James F. Izlar |
| Third Lieutenant |
S. N. Kennerly |
Company B.
| Captain |
Daniel Livingston |
| First Lieutenant |
S. G. Jamison |
| Second Lieutenant |
B. F. Pou |
| Third Lieutenant |
G. D. Jones |
Company C.
| Captain |
S. M. Kemmerlin |
| First Lieutenant |
L. H. Zimmerman |
| Second Lieutenant |
T. H. Cook |
| Third Lieutenant |
John J. Stroman |
Company D.
| Captain |
Collier |
| First Lieutenant |
J. W. Sellars |
| Second Lieutenant |
E. H. Holman |
| Third Lieutenant |
Olin M. Dantzler |
Company E.
| Captain |
T. H. Mangum |
| First Lieutenant |
James M. Day |
| Second Lieutenant |
G. E. Steadman |
| Third Lieutenant |
H. R. Guyton |
Company F.
| Captain |
Winchester Graham |
| First Lieutenant |
George M. Grimes |
| Second Lieutenant |
J. J. Weissinger |
| Third Lieutenant |
G. W. Grimes |
Company G.
| Captain |
E. J. Frederick |
| First Lieutenant |
J. D. Rountree |
| Second Lieutenant |
S. W. Trotti |
| Third Lieutenant |
G. R. Dunbar |
Company H.
| Captain |
J. Vincent Martin |
| First Lieutenant |
A. T. Allen |
| Second Lieutenant |
W. B. Flowers |
| Third Lieutenant |
W. A. All |
Company I.
| Captain |
James White |
| First Lieutenant |
A. A. Hudson |
| Second Lieutenant |
G. H. Breeland |
| Third Lieutenant |
Lewis Kinsey |
Company K.
| Captain |
J. J. Brown |
| First Lieutenant |
W. D. Burt |
| Second Lieutenant |
J. A. Bellinger |
| Third Lieutenant |
F. M. Green |
As thus organized, the regiment, together with the others raised
under the act of the legislature of 1860, was directed to hold
itself in readiness for service, and in the meanwhile to perfect, as
far as possible, its drill and discipline. The regiment, when
mustered into State service subsequently, numbered 832 rank
and file.
Note—The regiment of six months' men provided for by the Convention assumed
the name of "First South Carolina Volunteers," and were also known by this title, as
well as the regiment enlisted for the war, which, in the summer of 1861, was raised
by the field officers of the six months' regiment on the expiration of its service. Orr's
Regiment, subsequently raised, was called First South Carolina Rifles. There was a
regiment of infantry called First South Carolina Regulars. In consequence of this
number of first regiments (all infantry) they were most commonly known by the
names of their colonels being added to their numerical designation, thus: "1st S. C.
V. (Gregg's), 1st S. C. V. (Hagood's)," etc.
