CAPT. RIAL BENJAMIN SEAY
Born November 21, 1826 in Boiling Springs, SC 

Died May 15, 1864 at Drewry’s Bluff, Va.
 

In April, 1861, Seay recruited a group of men from Spartanburg and called them the Lawson Fork Volunteers and gathered in Columbia on April 14^th joining up with the 5^th SC Volunteers under Colonel Micah Jenkins.  The 5^th consisted of 12 Companies which included the Lawson Fork Volunteers as Company C under Capt. Rial B. Seay.  On June 3^rd the 5^th mustered into the Provisional Army of the CSA and left for Richmond, arriving there on June 10^th (830 strong) and were assigned to General P. G. T. Beauregard.

On June 21^st, during the Battle of First Manassas, they attacked a Federal Artillery positioned at Grigsby’s Log Barn where they received fire not only from the Federals but also from the 17th Mississippi at their rear.  The four Union Regiments retreated into the woods but the 5th was still ordered to withdraw.  It is reported that even Jeff Davis commented upon the brilliancy and daring of the action.

On Sept 4^th they set up position on the south bank of Great Falls at 7am and at 8 am opened fire on the Federals on the other side of the Potomac.  Capt. Seay killed two Federals with his “long ranger rifle” (Yorkville Enquirer, Sept 26, 1861). They were the first to march to the banks of the Potomac and fight the enemy across it.

Mid October the 5^th camped along Bull Run near McLean’s Ford.  During October and November, the army under Gen. Beauregard was organized into four divisions.  The 5^th SC Regiment was assigned under Maj. Gen. Longstreet.  Longstreet was happy to the 5^th in his division.  Longstreet’s Aid de Camp described the 5th as “one of the finest, if not the finest, regiments in the Army”.

During the period of May 31^st thru Sep 17^th, they participated in many battles including Seven Pines, Turkey Hill, Gaine’s Mill, Frayser’s Farm, Second Battle of Manassas, Battle of South Mountain and Battle of Sharpsburg.

Capt. Seay resigned his commission on Nov 15, 1862 and returned home.  On July 10, 1863 He enlisted into Company G, 1st (Charleston) Battalion SC Infantry which subsequently became Co. K, 27th SC Infantry (Galliard’s Regt.), and was elected Brevet 2nd Lt. on  Oct. 23, 1863.  The unit was part of the Coastal Defense forces in Charleston until they were sent to Virginia.

During the Bermuda Hundred Campaign, the 27^th helped stop initial Federal probes at Port Walthall Junction.  They were then assigned to occupy the area around Drewry’s Bluff, and were part of the force that defeated the Union drive on Richmond on Friday, May 13, 1864.  On Sunday May 15^th he went with two friends to show them where the battle took place and, while standing in approximately the same spot he was in during the battle,  fell over dead from a brain hemorrhage.

submitted by Ray A Crawley, Camp #68