Harriet Tubman led the first U.S. military operation commanded by a woman, freeing over 750 enslaved people during the Civil War.
Key Facts
- Date
- June 1–2, 1863
- Freed individuals
- More than 750 formerly enslaved people
- Union soldiers deployed
- 150 African American soldiers
- Regiment
- 2nd South Carolina Infantry
- Commander
- Harriet Tubman
- Location
- Combahee River, Beaufort & Colleton counties, SC
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
After escaping slavery in 1849 and guiding others to freedom via the Underground Railroad, Harriet Tubman joined Union forces as a scout and spy. The Emancipation Proclamation of January 1863 had legally freed enslaved people in Confederate states, creating urgency to extract them from hostile territory and bolster Union Army ranks.
On June 1–2, 1863, Tubman led 150 African American soldiers of the 2nd South Carolina Infantry aboard Union ships along the Combahee River in South Carolina's Lowcountry. The raid disrupted Confederate operations and located enslaved people on surrounding plantations, allowing Union vessels to rescue them.
More than 750 formerly enslaved people were rescued and transported to Union-held territory, many of whom subsequently enlisted in the Union Army. The operation marked the first U.S. military raid planned and led by a woman, cementing Tubman's role as a military leader and demonstrating the strategic value of formerly enslaved scouts.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Harriet Tubman.
Side B
1 belligerent