Marines saw limited action in War between the States

babela · First Sergeant Joined: 18 May 2005 Posts: 21

Marine action during the Civil War was limited. There were few of them in the Federal military, when the South seceded from the Union. About half of the Marine officers joined their states and formed the Confederate States Marine Corps, authorized by the Confederate Congress in March 1861. The CSMC was patterned largely after the Union Marine Corps, and had an authorized strength of 34 officers and 944 enlisted men. Far fewer than those numbers served, mostly on guard duty at Confederate naval facilities along the Southern coastline. They also served aboard Confederate naval vessels and commerce raiders, performing their normal duties.

Read the full article:
http://www.roanoke.com/news/roanoke/wb/146139

O'Bruadair · Posted: Sun Mar 09, 2008 11:53 am Post subject:

This reminds me of a story related by a “jar-head” friend. On his first full day of boot camp (this was early 70’s) he was sent to a class called “The History and Tradition of the Marine Corp) The DI mounted the stage and bellowed “Men, the only time in history that the Marine Corp has retreated was at First Manassas”. My friend raised his hand and asked “Sergeant was that the Confederate Marines or the yankee Marines?” The DI spoke not a word. He just stepped from behind his podium marched briskly down the row of seats to my friend, drew back his meaty fist and hit him right between the eyes. My friend said that when he woke up he was sprawled in the middle of the floor and the DI was back behind the podium continuing his lecture. My friend never got an answer to his question but that was the last one he asked in boot camp!

BTW It was the [b]yankee Marines[/b]. They drug two boat howitzers, by hand, all the way from the Potomac but they didn’t have to drag them back! (hard to run when you are pulling a howitzer!)

N.W.15thAR · Captain Joined: 07 Mar 2006 Posts: 167

Yankee Marines landed and captured Ft. Fisher... thats the only action I know of.