The Battle of Honey Hill was fought #OTD in 1864. It was part of an expedition along the coast to cut the Charleston & Savannah Railroad in support of General William Sherman's March To The Sea. #CivilWar 🧵 
The @USArmy force was commanded by General John Porter Hatch, an 1845 graduate of West Point. His men landed northwest of Beaufort, SC and marched toward the railroad near Grahamsville.
Hatch encountered a force of confederate troops blocking the road. A brigade of U.S. Colored Troops under Colonel Alfred S. Hartwell made several assaults against the rebel line. The 54th & 55th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry Regiments were part of the brigade.
The assaults were ineffective, and Hatch had to withdraw his men to their transports that night. They suffered almost 750 casualties, but proved again that Black troops would fight courageously when given the opportunity.
During the battle, Andrew Jackson Smith of the 55th Massachusetts retrieved the regimental colors after the color sergeant fell, and carried them for the remainder of the battle. He was later awarded the Medal of Honor, 137 years after the battle in which he earned it. @MohMuseum
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