# Battle of Honey Hill

The Battle of Honey Hill was the third battle of Sherman's March to the Sea, fought November 30, 1864, during the American Civil War. It did not involve Major General William T. Sherman's main force, marching from Atlanta to Savannah, Georgia, but was a failed Union Army expedition under Brig. Gen. John P. Hatch that attempted to cut off the Charleston and Savannah Railroad in support of Sherman's projected arrival in Savannah.

## Engagement

Hatch's expeditionary force left Hilton Head, South Carolina, for Boyd’s Neck (above Beaufort) on November 28. It consisted of 5,000 men—two brigades of the Coast Division of the Department of the South, one naval brigade, and portions of three batteries of light artillery. They steamed up the Broad River in transports to cut the Charleston and Savannah Railroad near Pocotaligo. Due to a heavy fog the troops were not disembarked from the transports until late the following afternoon, and Hatch immediately started forward to cut the railroad near Grahamville.
However, the expedition maps and guides proved worthless and Hatch was unable to proceed on the right road until the morning of November 30. At Honey Hill, a few miles from Grahamville, he encountered a Confederate force of regulars and militia, under Col. Charles J. Colcock, with a battery of seven guns across the road. Determined attacks were launched by U.S. Colored Troops including a brigade led by Alfred S. Hartwell that included the 54th Massachusetts and 55th Massachusetts. The position of the Federal force was such that only one section of artillery could be used at a time, and the Confederates were too well entrenched to be dislodged. Fighting kept up until dark when Hatch, realizing the impossibility of successfully attacking or turning the flank of the enemy, withdrew to his transports at Boyd’s Neck, having lost 89 men killed, 629 wounded, and 28 missing. The Confederate casualties amounted to eight killed and 39 wounded.
Captains George E. Gouraud and Thomas F. Ellsworth as well as First Lt. Orson W. Bennett were awarded the Medal of Honor. In 2001 another medal was awarded posthumously to then Corporal Andrew J. Smith.

## Union order of battle

BG John P. Hatch
| Brigade | Regiment and Batteries |
| 1st Brigade BG Edward E. Potter | 25th Ohio Infantry: Ltc Nathaniel Haughton 32nd US Colored Troops: Col George W. Baird 34th US Colored Troops: Ltc William W. Marple 35th US Colored Troops: Col James C. Beecher 56th New York Infantry: Ltc Rockwell Tyler 127th New York Infantry: Col William Gurney 144th New York Infantry: Col James Lewis 157th New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment: Ltc James C. Carmichael |
| 2nd Brigade Col Alfred S. Hartwell | 54th Massachusetts Colored Volunteer Infantry: Ltc Henry N. Hooper 55th Massachusetts Colored Volunteer Infantry: Lt Col Charles B. Fox 102nd US Colored Troops: Col Henry L. Chipman |
| Naval Brigade Commander George H. Preble | Sailor Battalion of Infantry: Lt James O'Kane USMC Battalion of Infantry: Lt George G. Stoddard |
| Artillery Brigade Ltc William Ames | Battery A, 3rd Rhode Island Heavy Artillery (section): Cpt William H. Hammer Battery B, 3rd New York Light Artillery (4x12pdr): Cpt Thomas J. Meseareu Co F, 3rd New York Artillery (4x12pdr): Lt Edgar H. Titus |
| Cavalry Cpt George Hurlbut | 4th Massachusetts Volunteer Cavalry (2 companies) |

## Confederate order of battle

MG Gustavus W. Smith Col Charles J. Colcock
Chief of Artillery: Col Ambrosio José Gonzales
| Brigade | Regiment and Batteries |
| Provisional Army of the Confederate States | 47th Georgia Infantry: Ltc Aaron Edwards 3rd South Carolina Cavalry (3-4 Coys): Maj John Jenkins Beaufort Artillery (2 guns): Cpt Henry M. Stuart DePass's Battery (2 guns) LaFayette Artillery (3 guns) |
| Reinforcement during battle: BG Beverly H. Robertson | 32nd Georgia Infantry: Ltc Edwin H. Bacon Inglis Light Artillery |
| 1st Brigade, Georgia Militia Col James Willis | 1st Militia 2nd Militia 3rd Militia |
| Brigade, Georgia State Line Ltc James Wilson | 1st State Line 2nd State Line |
| Georgia Reserves | Athens Reserves Battalion: Maj Ferdinand W.C. Cook Augusta Reserves Battalion: Maj George T. Jackson |

## Casualties

In a report of Hatch December 1864 summarized the Union losses:
* 1st Brigade: casualties of 2 officers and 54 men killed;28 officers and 409 men wounded; 1 officer and 14 men missing.
* 2nd Brigade: casualties of 3 officers and 28 men killed;10 officers and 160 men wounded; 1 officer and 8 men missing.
* Naval Brigade: casualties of 1 man killed; 7 men wounded; 4 men missing
* Artillery Brigade: casualties of 1 officer killed; 2 officers and 12 men wounded
* Cavalry: casualties of 1 man wounded
The Confederate losses were reported by Lt Col C.C. Jones in his Siege of Savannah as 4 killed and 40 wounded. The Savannah Republican newspaper on Dec 1, 1864 reported "between eighty and one hundred killed and wounded"