South Carolina travelers may recognize the name Pocotaligo, having crossed a river in the South Carolina Lowcountry with that name.
But it also was the site of a battle in the early days of the Civil War. In October 1862, Union forces came up the Broad River to try to destroy the railroad and bridges on the Charleston and Savannah line. A contingent of more than 4,000 U.S. soldiers sailed up to Mackay Point between the Coosawhatchie and Pocotaligo rivers.
A smaller group of soldiers branched off to make their way to Pocotaligo and the railroad bridge. As the soldiers traveled, they destroyed the rail line, but a small Confederate force managed to keep the advancing forces from the bridge. By saving the rail line, the Confederates were able to keep the supply line open between Charleston and Savannah, Georgia.
