The Combahee River Raid

The little-known story of the South Carolina military raid—led by a Union colonel aided by Harriet Tubman—that freed hundreds of slaves. In 1863, the Union was unable to adequately fill its black regiments. In an attempt to remedy that, Col. James Montgomery led a raid up the Combahee River on June 2 to gather recruits and punish the plantations. Aiding him was an expert at freeing slaves—famed abolitionist Harriet Tubman. The remarkable effort successfully rescued about 750 enslaved men, women,