The Confederate States Marine Corps (CSMC) was a branch of the Confederate Navy, tasked with shore operations. It was modelled closely on the United States Marine Corps. Categories: Stub | American Civil War | Confederate States Navy ... United States Marine Corps seal The United States Marine Corps (USMC) is a branch of the U.S. military. ...

Organization

Confederate States Marine Corps units were stationed at Confederate naval bases, as well as helping garrison shore fortifications such as Fort Fisher in North Carolina. Marines also served on Confederate warships, such as the CSS Alabama. In the famous battle between the ironclads USS Monitor and CSS Virginia, Company C of the Confederate Marines served aboard the CSS Virginia, helping to man several of her guns. The Pulpit after capture, Fort Fisher, North Carolina, January 1865. ... Official language(s) English Capital Largest city Raleigh Charlotte Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 28th 139,509 km² 805 km 240 km 9. ... CSS Alabama was a screw sloop-of-war built for the Confederate States Navy at Birkenhead in 1862 by John Laird Sons and Company of Liverpool. ... USS Monitor was an ironclad warship (the first ever) of the United States Navy. ... CSS Virginia was an ironclad warship of the Confederate States Navy during the American Civil War (built using the remains of the scuttled USS Merrimack). ...

With detachments spread at every major Confederate naval installation, Headquarters for the Conferderate Marines was established at Fort Darling and Camp Beall, located at Drewry's Bluff on the James River. Three companies, A, B, and C, were stationed semi-permanently at headquarters. There the Marines helped repulse the attack made on the Bluff by US naval forces including the USS Monitor and the USS Galena in the summer of 1862. Fort Darling was a Confederate military installation during the American Civil War located at Drewry’s Bluff, a high point overlooking a bend in the James River south of Richmond in Chesterfield County, Virginia. ... View of Fort Darling at Drewrys Bluff from James River in 1865, Drewrys Bluff is located in northeastern Chesterfield County, Virginia in the United States. ... The James River is the name of at least two rivers in the United States. ... USS Galena, an ironclad screw steamer, was one of the first three ironclads, each of a different design, built by the Union Navy during the American Civil War. ...

Service During the War

From the Drewy's Bluff and other major posts (Wilmington, Charleston, and Savannah), Marine detachments were parsed out to serve on major warships and for special operations, including the cutting out of the USS Underwriter and the USS Water Witch as well as a proposed attack to free Confederate prisoners of war being held at Point Lookout, Maryland.

The end of the war found the majority of the Confederate Marines on land in support of the last desperate defenses of the South. Marines in Virginia were concentrated with Navy personnel from the James River Squadron into a Naval Brigade which fought with distinction at the Battle of Sayler's Creek, the last major battle before the surrender of Lee's Army at Appomattox. Battle of Saylers Creek Conflict American Civil War Date April 6, 1865 Place Amelia, Prince Edward & Nottoway Counties, Virginia Result Union victory The Battle of Saylers Creek (also known as Sailors Creek, Hillsman Farm, or Lockett Farm) was fought April 6, 1865, southwest of Petersburg, Virginia, in... The Army of Northern Virginia was the primary military force of the Confederate States of America during the American Civil War in the eastern theater. ... Appomattox is a town located in Appomattox County, Virginia. ...

Uniform

Their uniform resembled that prescribed for the Confederate Army, but since the CSMC was not very big and many of its records were destroyed in 1865, there is controversy about the exact details of the uniform. It is clear however, that the Marines were often equipped out of the stores of whichever garrison they were located near. One description has the Marines dressed in frock coats of a particular (and undetermined) shade of grey and dark blue or black trousers. It appears that Conferderate Marines wore forage caps although it is unclear if there was any ornamentation on the cover. Much of the gear worn by CSMC was imported from England, creating a fairly unique look for a North American unit. This article is in need of attention. ... 1865 (MDCCCLXV) is a common year starting on Sunday. ... Corporal in a nine-button frock coat, 1862 A frock coat is a mens coat introduced in the early nineteenth century characterized by knee-length skirts all around, in contrast to tail coats and cutaways. ... Gen. ...

References

The major publication on the Confederate Marines is The Rebel Leathernecks by Ralph Donnely.