The Combahee Ferry Raid, South Carolina
Three gunboats slipped up the dark Combahee River on June 2, 1863. Commanding one of them was Harriet Tubman.
During that night, she guided 150 Black soldiers through dangerous waters filled with hidden mines. By the time it was over, her military raid freed over 750 enslaved people and destroyed millions of dollars in Confederate property.
This is the unbelievable story of the biggest single liberation of the Civil War, now marked by a bridge named in Tubman’s honor.
How Tubman Became a Union Intelligence Agent
Massachusetts Governor John Andrew asked Tubman to come to South Carolina in spring 1862. He knew her fame as “Moses” for helping slaves escape to the North.
Tubman first worked at Hilton Head and Port Royal as a nurse and teacher. These Union-held areas housed thousands of formerly enslaved people who had fled when Northern forces arrived in 1861.
Her role grew beyond nursing when Union leaders saw her potential for spy work. Local Black communities trusted her because of her known history of fighting slavery.
The Valuable Intelligence Network She Created
Tubman built a team of eight scouts who gathered key information about Confederate positions. Two scouts, Samuel Hayward and Charles Simmons, were boat pilots who knew every twist and sandbar of the Combahee River.
Her network mapped the locations of underwater mines that could sink Union ships. This knowledge proved vital for safe nighttime river travel.
Enslaved people risked their lives to share information in exchange for freedom. They told Tubman about plantation defenses, Confederate troops, and where large numbers of enslaved workers lived.
Partnering with Colonel James Montgomery
Colonel James Montgomery commanded the 2nd South Carolina Volunteer Infantry, an early Black regiment in the Union Army. Most of his soldiers were formerly enslaved men from coastal plantations.
Montgomery had fought with radical abolitionist John Brown in Kansas during the 1850s conflicts over slavery. His aggressive tactics against Confederates matched Tubman’s bold approach.
Tubman demanded Montgomery lead the raid because of their shared abolitionist connections. She refused to join without him.
Planning the Daring Night Raid
The raid had three goals approved by Union commanders: remove underwater mines from the river, rescue enslaved people, and destroy Confederate supplies. Tubman shaped the operation using intelligence from her spies.
She knew which plantations held the most enslaved people and where Confederate guards were fewest. The night of June 1-2, 1863 offered good moonlight for the mission.
River travel needed enough light to see without making the boats easy targets for Confederate lookouts.
The Three Union Gunboats Set Sail
Three Union boats left Beaufort on the evening of June 1: the John Adams, Harriet A. Weed, and Sentinel.
They carried 300 soldiers ready for battle. The Sentinel ran aground in St. Helena Sound shortly after leaving. Soldiers had to move to the other two ships to continue the mission.
Black soldiers from the 2nd South Carolina Infantry made up most of the force. Men from the 3rd Rhode Island Heavy Artillery operated the ships’ guns, ready to fire on Confederate positions if needed.
Navigating Past Confederate Defenses
Tubman stood on the lead boat, guiding the vessels through dangerous waters. Unable to read or write, she had memorized all the information about underwater mine locations.
Union forces landed at Field’s Point around 3 AM. Captain Thompson’s men drove off Confederate guards there, allowing the boats to continue upriver without raising alarms. Captain Carver secured a landing at Tar Bluff, two miles above Field’s Point.
Destroying Wealthy Confederate Plantations
Union forces burned William Cruger Heyward’s plantation on the west side of the river. Heyward, a Confederate officer, watched helplessly as his property went up in flames. C.T.
Lowndes lost his rice mill and all buildings to the fire. The troops took stored food and livestock before burning everything else.
The raid targeted properties of leading secessionists who had pushed South Carolina to start the Civil War. Plantations owned by Oliver Middleton, Dr. R.L. Baker, and several others faced similar destruction.
The Mass Escape of Enslaved People
Union ships blew their whistles as the signal for enslaved people to run to the shore. The sound carried across rice fields in the early morning darkness.
Men, women, and children fled toward the river despite armed overseers trying to stop them. Many knew about the coming raid through Tubman’s network and had prepared to escape.
Black Union soldiers rowed small boats to the shore, helping people reach the gunboats. The soldiers, many formerly enslaved themselves, risked enemy fire to rescue as many people as possible.
Calming Chaos Aboard the Crowded Ships
Tubman faced challenges with the local Gullah dialect spoken by many coastal enslaved people. She sang a familiar song to calm frightened refugees overwhelmed by the chaotic escape.
The boats grew dangerously full as hundreds sought freedom. Some people arrived with children, household items, and even farm animals they refused to leave behind.
One woman brought two pigs aboard – naming the white one after a Confederate general and the black one after Jefferson Davis.
A Triumphant Return to Beaufort
The gunboats returned to Beaufort on June 3 without losing a single soldier. The entire raid succeeded despite venturing deep into enemy territory.
The First Baptist Church in Beaufort first housed the freed people. They later moved to a camp on St. Helena Island where they received support from Northern missionaries.
About 100 freed men immediately joined the Union Army, entering the ranks of the regiment that had liberated them.
Visiting The Harriet Tubman Memorial Bridge
Visit the Harriet Tubman Bridge on US Highway 17 where it crosses the Combahee River between Beaufort and Colleton Counties. Then spend some time at the Beaufort History Museum (713 Craven Street), which features Tubman’s Combahee River Raid among its Civil War exhibits.
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