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People to tour battlegrounds of the Battle at Congaree Creek in Cayce this weekend

During the Union's march to the Columbia, a local historian says there were a series of fires that burned one third of the city.

CAYCE, S.C. — Wednesday is the 158th anniversary of the Battle at Congaree Creek. This battle of the Civil War was fought in Lexington County. This week, people will have the opportunity to tour the two-mile-long battlefield in the City of Cayce.

“The Battle at Congaree Creek was the last fortified position, Confederate- defended prior to the capture of Columbia itself," said 12 Thousand Year History Park interpreter Gary Kelly.

He says this battle was fought  by about 2,500 Confederate soldiers and 3,000 Union soldiers led by General William T. Sherman. According to Kelly, Sherman's troops blamed South Carolina for the succession leading to the war and hundreds of thousands of casualties.

The Battle of Congaree Creek was the last fortified position defended by Confederate troops before the capture and...

Posted by Cayce Historical Museum on Monday, February 13, 2023

He says this battle was fought by about 2,500 Confederate soldiers and 3,000 Union soldiers led by General William T. Sherman. According to Kelly, Sherman's troops blamed South Carolina for the succession leading to the war and hundreds of thousands of casualties.

During their march to the Columbia, he says there were a series of fires that burned one third of the city.

“I hope to educate them a little bit, if you talk to people who have lived their whole lives in South Carolina just the sheer mention of William T Sherman sends shivers up their spine. The man is probably hated by more South Carolinians than anyone who has ever lived," said Kelly.

People on the tour will learn about the strategies and tactics used by both Union and Confederate troops. The tour begins Saturday at the Fort Congaree Trail in Cayce at 1 p.m.

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