Happy Birthday USMC!! Role During the Civil War

Two battalions of Continental Marines were formed  on 10 November 1775 in Philadelphia as a branch on infantry troops able to fight on land or at sea.  This makes the proud organization 246 years old today.

The Marine Corps served a small role in the Civil War, mostly involved with blockade duty.  As more states seceded in the early days before war was fought,  about a third of the officer corps left U.S. service and started the Confederate States Marine Corps.

There was a battalion of Marine recruits performed poorly at the First Battle of Bull Run and retreated with the rest of the forces.

Blockade duty included sea-based amphibious operations to secure forward bases.  One of these occurred at Tybee Island, Georgia in late November 1861, when Marines and sailors from the USS Flag landed a reconnaissance in force to occupy the lighthouse and Martello Tower on the  northern end of the island .  

These positions were later used as the base of Army operations against nearby Fort Pulaski.

--Old Secesh

Marines in the Civil War

From Wikipedia.

The United States Marines were generally relegated to a minor role during the Civil War, most of their duty being on blockade duty.  As more and more Southern states seceded, the Corps lost a third of its officers who started the Confederate States Marine Corps.

A Marine company performed poorly at the First Battle of Bull Run and retreated along with the rest of the Union Army.

Blockade duty included sea-based amphibious landings.

In late November 1861 a group of Marines and sailors from the USS Flag landed in force at Tybee Island, Georgia and occupied the Lighthouse and Martello Tower at the northern end of the island.  It would later be an Army base for the bombardment of Fort Pulaski.

--Old SecMarine