Judson and the Failed Attack on Charleston

Judson Cheney
Born: May 11, 1838, Hopkinton, St. Lawrence County, New York
Died: September 29, 1864, Chaffin Farm, Virginia
Relation to Author: 2nd Great Grand Uncle

On this date, the union army attempted and failed an attack on Charleston, South Carolina.  Judson and the 98th Regiment had been stationed in St. Helena Island, South Carolina (just north of Hilton Head). Then, on April 5th they sailed to Edisto Island near Charleston.

As other brigades landed on Stono and then Folly Island, preparations for the land attack were made. On the 7th, the naval attack began. The attack was to begin with eight* or nine** ironclads (or monitors). The boats had no success damaging Fort Sumter and instead took heavy damage. They then retreated and the attack was ended without the army ever getting involved.

There were almost no casualties. Following this failed attack, the 98th New York returned to North Carolina in the Beaufort / Morehead City area, which is where they had been in January.

McPhearson gives some more context to this battle. Charleston, as the origination of the rebellion, held more symbolic than strategic value. So the failure to capture it at this point in the war was bad for morale, but otherwise was less important. He also says that this battle showed that the iron-clad boats could withstand quite a beating but were offensively weak. They got off only 140 shots and inflicted limited damage, compared to the 2,200 from the rebel bases directed at the boats.


* Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Ear, by James M. McPhearson. p 646
**The Civil War Battlefield Guide, p 191