In the early morning hours of June 2, 1863, Union troops based at Port Royal, South Carolina conducted a daring raid up the Combahee River, which winds inland from Port Royal Sound. Union Naval forces had captured Port Royal in November of 1861. After Port Royal fell to Union forces, the surrounding lands were abandoned by planting families, yet hundreds of enslaved people remained.
Led by Colonel James Montgomery, African American troops of the 2nd South Carolina Regiment advanced upon the Combahee River plantations, destroying several plantations and carrying away more than 700 enslaved people.
Who were the African American men, women and children who witnessed, or were freed by, the Combahee Raid?
Planters Affected by the Raid
An account of the raid published by the Macon Daily Telegraph newspaper on June 6, 1863 lists “Wm. H. Heyward, Wm. C. Heyward, Mr. Kirkland, Mr. Burnett, Mr. Nichols, R. Chisolm, the estate of Keith, J.L. Paul, and others whose names are not remembered” among those whose plantations were affected by the raid.
In the Freedmen’s Bureau Land Reports, Combahee Ferry, South Carolina, Sept. – Oct. 1865, we learn that William Kirkland, William Andrew Burnett, Robert Chisolm and James Paul owned plantations on the Combahee River.
The Civil War in South Carolina website contains statements filed by planters whose plantations were affected. The statements, sworn before Magistrate G.W. Pringle, list the names and ages of many of the enslaved people who escaped to the Union gunboats from the plantations of Joshua Nichols (also rendered Nicholls), William L. Kirkland, and William C. Heyward.
We may compare those statements to Freedmen’s Savings and Trust (Freedmen’s Bank) records of freedpersons who stated that they were born and/or raised on plantations on the Combahee River, to begin to learn the names of those who fled to the Union gunboats in the wee hours of June 2, 1863.
The table below lists such records from the Charleston, Beaufort and Savannah branches of the Freedmen’s Bank. Agents of the Freedmen’s Bank carefully recorded the names of spouse, parents, siblings and children of the account holder, effectively creating a family group sheet for each account holder. You may view the files by clicking on the “View” links below:
Freedmen Born and/or Raised on the Combahee River
|
Acct #
|
Name
|
Spouse
|
Birth Year
|
Where Born
|
Where Raised
|
Record
|
|
3507
|
Aikens, Jack
|
Chloe
|
1846
|
Combahee
|
Same Place
|
|
|
4413
|
Aikens, Jack
|
Jinny
|
1847
|
Combahee
|
do [ditto]
|
|
|
4649
|
Barnwell, Sarah
|
Jack
|
1819
|
Combahee
|
do [ditto]
|
|
|
3475
|
Bartly, Anthony
|
Maria
|
Combahee
|
Same Place
|
||
|
5864
|
Baskin, Prince
|
Mary Ann
|
Combahee
|
do [ditto]
|
||
|
7917
|
Bee, Matthew
|
1848
|
Combee, SC
|
in Georgia
|
||
|
6793
|
Blake, Abraham
|
Josephine
|
1837
|
Cumbee River, SC
|
Cumbee River, SC
|
|
|
3489
|
Blake, Corbner
|
Juliette Chisolm
|
1821
|
Combahee
|
Same Place
|
|
|
3194
|
Blake, Dorcas
|
Jeffry
|
Combahee River
|
|||
|
3218
|
Blake, Joseph
|
1832
|
Cumbahee, SC
|
do [ditto]
|
||
|
6630
|
Blake, Joseph
|
1833
|
Comber, SC
|
|||
|
2910
|
Blake, Limas
|
Barbary
|
Combahee, SC
|
Same Place
|
||
|
3383
|
Blake, March
|
Jane Myers
|
Abt. 1829
|
Combahee, SC
|
Same Place
|
|
|
2220
|
Blake, Michael
|
Sarah
|
1809
|
Combee, SC
|
do [ditto]
|
|
|
3168
|
Blake, Tobey
|
Hester
|
Combahee River, SC
|
Same Place
|
||
|
10541
|
Bolles, Sophey
|
Samuel
|
1843
|
Chston, Res. Combee, Mr. Haskels Place
|
Charleston
|
|
|
9791
|
Brown, Captain
|
Ellen
|
1839
|
Cumbee, SC
|
” “
|
|
|
5285
|
Brown, John
|
Fanny
|
1839
|
Beaufort Dis SC
|
Combahee, Walter Blake
|
|
|
6952
|
Brown, Mingo
|
Lizzy
|
1843
|
Combahee
|
do [ditto] Chas Heyward Place
|
|
|
Bryan, George
|
Minda
|
Beaufort, Living Combahee
|
Beaufort
|
|||
|
3148
|
Bulls, Cuffee
|
Sophy
|
1842
|
Combahee
|
Same Place
|
|
|
2982
|
Burns, Fabry
|
Mary
|
1824
|
Combahe
|
do [ditto]
|
|
|
3333
|
Caleb, Jethro C.
|
Jacob
|
1855
|
Combahee
|
Same Place
|
|
|
8286
|
Campbell, Paul
|
Guranna
|
Abt. 1842
|
Combee, SC
|
do [ditto]
|
|
|
5753
|
Campbell, Prince
|
Adaline
|
1830
|
Combee, SC
|
do [ditto]
|
|
|
Chisolm, Clorinda
|
March
|
1823
|
Combahee
|
Combahee
|
||
|
3145
|
Chisolm, March
|
Clorinda
|
1820
|
Cypress Plantation Near Combahee Ferry, SC
|
Same Place
|
|
|
6829
|
Colter, William
|
1855
|
Cumbee
|
do [ditto]
|
||
|
6828
|
Colter, Joanna
|
Charles
|
1823
|
Cumbee
|
do [ditto]
|
|
|
10668
|
De Hone, Jeffrey
|
Nancy
|
1827
|
Smithfield, Combee
|
do [ditto]
|
|
|
3021
|
Devine, Thomas
|
Delia
|
1820
|
Combahee, SC
|
Same Place
|
|
|
6089
|
Drayton, Arthur
|
Nancy
|
1848
|
Combahee Ferry, SC
|
Same Place
|
|
|
4461
|
Drayton, John
|
1853
|
Combahee, SC
|
Charleston, SC
|
||
|
3419
|
Edwards, Bella
|
Norris
|
1848
|
Rose Hill, SC
|
Savh. [Savannah?]
|
|
|
3943
|
Ferguson, Hector
|
Mary
|
1848
|
Combahee, SC
|
Same Place
|
|
|
3369
|
Ferguson, Nancy
|
John
|
Abt. 1845
|
Combahee
|
Same Place
|
|
|
3035
|
Ferguson, Richard
|
Sue
|
1835
|
Combahee River, SC
|
Same Place
|
|
|
3236
|
Ferguson, Sam B.
|
Annie
|
1810
|
Combahee
|
Same Place
|
|
|
7223
|
Fields, Bina
|
Isaac
|
1843
|
Combahee
|
do [ditto]
|
|
|
2438
|
Fields, Isaac
|
Bina
|
Combahee
|
do [ditto]
|
||
|
9421
|
Fraser, William
|
Rosena
|
1836
|
Combahee
|
Charleston
|
|
|
4081
|
Frazier, Manuel
|
Hetty
|
1849
|
Combahee, SC
|
Same Place
|
|
|
3491
|
Frazier, Simeon
|
Mary
|
1821
|
Combahee, SC
|
Same Place
|
|
|
5521
|
French, Charlie
|
1861
|
Combee, SC
|
Walterboro, SC
|
||
|
2612
|
Giles, Cato
|
Emma
|
1819
|
Combahee, SC
|
do [ditto]
|
|
|
9196
|
Glover, Lindie
|
Gabriel
|
1833
|
Combahee
|
Charleston
|
|
|
3332
|
Godfrey, Joseph D.
|
Mary
|
1837
|
Combahee, SC
|
Charleston, SC
|
|
|
5845
|
Graham, Walley
|
Ena
|
1821
|
Combahee
|
Combahee
|
|
|
3510
|
Grant, Flora
|
Carolina
|
1836
|
Combahee, SC
|
Same Place
|
|
|
3291
|
Grant, Gibba
|
Daniel
|
1809
|
Combahee, SC
|
Same Place
|
|
|
3910
|
Grant, Mary
|
Bob
|
1827
|
Combahee, SC
|
Same Place
|
|
|
4009
|
Grant, Wally
|
Molsey
|
1832
|
Combahee, SC
|
Same Place
|
|
|
9241
|
Green, Jesse
|
Bella
|
Abt. 1822
|
Combie, SC
|
do [ditto]
|
|
|
9792
|
Hamilton, Frank
|
Celia
|
1840
|
Combee/Kirkland Place
|
“” “
|
|
|
9470
|
Hamilton, Friday
|
Abby
|
1838
|
Cumbahee, SC
|
” “
|
|
|
3020
|
Harris, Andrew
|
Diana
|
1825
|
Combahee
|
do [ditto]
|
|
|
3513
|
Haywood, July
|
Jane
|
1831
|
Combahee, SC
|
Same Place
|
|
|
3912
|
Heidt, Beck
|
Emanuel
|
Abt. 1810
|
Combee, SC
|
Georgia
|
|
|
5600
|
Izzard, Wm.
|
Anna
|
Combahee
|
Combahee
|
||
|
8287
|
Jackson, Doll
|
Henry
|
1807
|
Combee, SC
|
do [ditto]
|
|
|
4202
|
James, Teena
|
Moses
|
1833
|
Combahee, SC
|
Same Place
|
|
|
4044
|
Jenkins, Frank
|
Diana
|
1812
|
Combahee, SC
|
Same Place
|
|
|
232
|
Jenkins, John
|
Clara
|
Cumbahee [last master W. H. Heyward]
|
|||
|
4074
|
Jenkins, York
|
Diana
|
Abt. 1804
|
Combahee, SC
|
Same Place
|
|
|
5688
|
Jones, Elsy
|
William
|
1840
|
Combahee
|
do [ditto]
|
|
|
3809
|
Jones, Ned
|
Daphne
|
1812
|
Combahee, SC
|
Same Place
|
|
|
2748
|
Kelly, Primus Renty
|
Clarissa R.
|
1825
|
Combahee, SC
|
Charleston, SC
|
|
|
4821
|
Kelly, Primus R.
|
Clarissa B.
|
1827
|
Combahee, SC
|
Charleston, SC
|
|
|
525
|
King, Cupid
|
Harriet
|
Combee, SC
|
|||
|
3389
|
Kirk, Samuel
|
Hetty
|
Rose Hill mainland
|
Same Place
|
||
|
3607
|
Lawrence, March
|
Annie
|
1831
|
Combahee, SC
|
Same Place
|
|
|
5024
|
Mack, Bina
|
Harry
|
1839
|
Combahee
|
do [ditto]
|
|
|
9105
|
Manning, Rebecca
|
George
|
1848
|
Combee, SC
|
“” “
|
|
|
3627
|
McNeil, Story
|
Sarah
|
1819
|
Combahee, SC
|
Same Place
|
|
|
10227
|
McPherson, Betsey
|
1853
|
Combahee, SC
|
” “
|
||
|
2993
|
Middleton, William
|
Relia
|
1840
|
Combahee, SC
|
Same Place
|
|
|
9168
|
Middleton, William
|
1857
|
Combahee, SC, Chas Lowndes Place
|
” ” “
|
||
|
10035
|
Miller, Eleanor
|
Edward
|
1847
|
Combahee, SC
|
Charleston, SC
|
|
|
3158
|
Minis, Joe
|
1842
|
Combee, SC
|
do [ditto]
|
||
|
4610
|
Moore, John
|
Abby
|
1843
|
Hankel Place, Combahee
|
do [ditto]
|
|
|
6830
|
Murray, Moses
|
Maria
|
1828
|
Cumbahee
|
do [ditto]
|
|
|
9076
|
Nesbit, March
|
Anna
|
1828
|
Combahee, SC
|
” “
|
|
|
3011
|
Nicholls, Neptune
|
Betsey
|
Combahee
|
Same Place
|
||
|
9790
|
Osborn, James
|
Jane
|
1807
|
Combee, Wm Hubbard Place
|
do [ditto]
|
|
|
2735
|
Osborn, Nat
|
H??
|
Combahee, SC
|
Same Place
|
||
|
3574
|
Robinson, Bachus
|
Delia
|
1841
|
Combahee, SC
|
Same Place
|
|
|
3774
|
Saunders, Rinah
|
Pompey
|
1817
|
Walter Blake Place on Combahee, SC
|
Same Place
|
|
|
3136
|
Sheppard, James
|
Sally
|
1820
|
Combahee, SC
|
Same Place
|
|
|
3756
|
Shields, Jim
|
Joan?
|
1837
|
By Combahee Ferry, SC
|
Same Place
|
|
|
3512
|
Simmonds, Joshua
|
Margaret
|
1831
|
Combahee, SC
|
Same Place
|
|
|
2988
|
Simmons, Moses
|
Cretia
|
1835
|
Combahee Ferry, SC
|
Same lace
|
|
|
3837
|
Singleton, Charles
|
D. Elizabeth
|
1851
|
Combahee, SC
|
Same Place
|
|
|
3772
|
Singleton, Eliza
|
June
|
1832
|
On Combahee Main Land
|
Same Place
|
|
|
4831
|
Singleton, Eliza
|
June
|
1844
|
Combahee
|
” “
|
|
|
5768
|
Singleton, Eliza
|
Joe
|
Combahee, Heyward Place
|
” “
|
||
|
2468
|
Singleton, Jack
|
Harriet
|
Cumbahee
|
Whitehall SC
|
||
|
2909
|
Singleton, Peter
|
Lucinda
|
Combahee
|
South Santee SC
|
||
|
2930
|
Small, Elizabeth
|
Charles
|
Combahee
|
Same Place
|
||
|
3728
|
Small, Joe
|
Clarinda
|
1832
|
Newhaw, Living on Combahee
|
Near Savannah GA
|
|
|
7018
|
Small, Scipio
|
1855
|
Cumber
|
Savannah GA
|
||
|
9873
|
Smith, Benjamin
|
Amy
|
1840
|
Cumbahee
|
North Carolina
|
|
|
3010
|
Smith, Richard
|
Bella
|
Combahee, SC
|
Blake Place, Same River
|
||
|
9793
|
Strobert, Cilla
|
Jimmy
|
1844
|
Combee
|
Combee
|
|
|
9107
|
Tarleton, Robert
|
Nanny
|
1837
|
South Santee SC Living on Combahee
|
South Santee SC
|
|
|
9053
|
Taylor, George
|
Elisabeth
|
1833
|
Combahee, SC
|
Combahee
|
|
|
3689
|
Washington, James
|
Maria
|
1822
|
Mainland Near Combahee
|
Same Place
|
|
|
5058
|
Washington, Job
|
Milly
|
1825
|
Combahee
|
Barnwell Island
|
|
|
3137
|
Washington, Monday
|
Phillis
|
1845
|
Combahee
|
Same Place
|
|
|
3506
|
Washington, Simon
|
1845
|
Combahee, SC
|
Ashley River, SC
|
||
|
3525
|
Washington, Smart
|
Mary
|
1801
|
Combahee
|
Combahee
|
|
|
5603
|
White, Molly
|
John
|
1815
|
Combahee
|
do [ditto]
|
|
|
2777
|
Williams, Frank
|
Tilda
|
Combahee
|
|||
|
3224
|
Wine, Phillis
|
Thos.
|
1851
|
Rose Hill, SC
|
Savannah
|
|
|
3498
|
Wright, Frank
|
Maria
|
1801
|
Middleton Place, Near Charleston
|
Living Combahee Ferry
|
|
|
4233
|
Young, Sinah
|
William
|
1843
|
Cypress Plantation, Combahee
|
Same Place
|
Your site has contributing greatly to my knowledge of the life and times of my great-grandfather who was among those who served with Col Montgomery.
Hi Claire, that is so wonderful! Thank you for taking the time to comment and please do let us know if we can assist you in your research.
Wow!
Very impressive! Such historical documentation confirms earlier stories. Thank you for the time and interest taken to preserve this history.
Thank you so much Jenefred! "Who Lived This History" is one of our favorite series to research and write because we get to learn who the individuals were who MADE the history. It is very rewarding to see how individuals changed the world around them. :0)
You have provided a wealth of knowledge on my great great great grandfather
Adam Allston and his service in the USCT. Also relatives were freed from slavery through the Combahee River Raid and married into the Allston family. I have been coming to this site for my research needs for almost 10 years. So grateful.
Blessings Wanetta, so happy that you have found resources here. We hope to add many more!
Toni
Have you any more info on the specific to Gulla culture and the islands.
Hi William,
Is there specific information you are looking for? Happy to help in any way we can.
Toni . :0)
William Heyward Ferguson might have been a slave on the Prince William Parish in the 1850s thru 1860s, born August 16, 1852 in Columbia.