1st South Carolina Colored Infantry Regiment
| 1st South Carolina Colored Infantry Regiment | |
|---|---|
“We, their officers, did not go there to teach lessons, but to receive them. There were more than a hundred men in the ranks who had voluntarily met more dangers in their escape from slavery than any of my young captains had incurred in all their lives.” — Col. Thomas Wentworth Higginson | |
| Active | May 1862 to February 9, 1866 |
| Country | United States |
| Allegiance | United States of America Union |
| Branch | Infantry |
| Equipment | Rifled muskets |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | Col. Thomas Wentworth Higginson |
The 1st South Carolina Colored Infantry Regiment was a Union Army regiment during the American Civil War, formed by General Rufus Saxton. It was composed of Gullah Geechee recruits and escaped slaves from South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida. The 1st SC Volunteer Infantry black regiment was formed in 1862 and became the 33rd United States Colored Troops Regiment in February 1864. It has the distinction of being the first black regiment to fight in the Civil War at the Skirmish at Spaulding's on the Sapelo River GA. It was one of the first black regiments in the Union Army.