On the way back from HHI we grabbed a cache in another State Park in the Sandhills Challenge, Rivers Bridge.
Easy walk to the cache. We swapped out a couple SC Parks items for a couple of McToys and a coveted South of the Border bumper stickers.
After finding the cache we walked the mile straight trail to visit the battlefield. I guess because we are close to the anniversary of the actual February 2nd & 3rd battle there were a group a Civil War re-enacters touring the site as well. We stopped and listened as one gentleman read a letter from a Confederate survivor of the battle.
Thanks for bringing us here.
On February 2, 1865, a Confederate force under Maj. Gen. Lafayette McLaws held the crossings of the Salkehatchie River against the advance of the right wing of Sherman?s Army. Federal soldiers began building bridges across the swamp to bypass the road block. In the meantime, Union columns worked to get on the Confederates? flanks and rear. On February 3, two Union brigades waded the swamp downstream and assaulted McLaws?s right. McLaws retreated toward Branchville after stalling Sherman?s advance for only one day.
Although historically not a large battle, the Battle at River’s Bridge was significant because it is the last defensive effort of the Confederates against the march of Sherman’s army to Columbia. Actually, only in total, approximately 6,200 soldiers were involved in this battle – 5,000 Union soldiers, and 1,200 Confederate. 262 men were killed – 92 Union and 170 Confederate.
Somewhere on I-95 North this morning the Purple Whale passed over the 12,000 mile mark.