Combahee River Raid

Harriet Tubman, famous for her assistance with the Underground Railroad to help slaves from the South travel to the North to freedom, worked with 150 black Union soldiers (members of the 2nd South Carolina Volunteers) to free more than 750 enslaved peopled on June 2, 1863. It became known as the Combahee River Raid. Under the command of Union Colonel James Montgomery, Tubman became the first woman to lead a “major military operation in the United States”.

Slaves along the Combahee River worked with Tubman to ensure that the Union vessels remained safe throughout the voyage. They provided information about the location of rebel torpedoes in the river in exchange for freedom. While the mission did help free many slaves, the main goal was to destroy estates owned by South Carolina secessionists, which they also achieved.

Tubman, often referred to as “the Moses of her people”, was a slave who had fled the South in 1849.

Historical Marker Inscription

Combahee River Raid
On June 1-2, 1863, a Federal Force consisting of elements of the 2nd S.C. Volunteer Infantry (an African- American unit) and the 3rd Rhode Island Artillery conducted a raid up the Confederate-held Combahee River. Col. James Montgomery led the expedition. Harriet Tubman, already famous for her work with the Underground Railroad, accompanied Montgomery on the raid.

(Other Side)

Freedom Along The Combahee
Union gunboats landed 300 soldiers along the river, and one force came ashore here at Combahee Ferry. Soldiers took livestock and supplies and destroyed houses, barns, and rice at nearby plantations. More than 700 enslaved men, women, and children were taken to freedom in perhaps the largest emancipation event in wartime S.C. Some freedmen soon enlisted in the U.S. Army.

Location

999, Charleston Highway, Beaufort County, South Carolina, 29945 United States

32° 39′ 6.94″ N, 80° 41′ 5.85″ W