While many know Harriet Tubman as the “Moses” of the Underground Railroad, her legacy is etched deeply into the salt marshes and tidal creeks of the South Carolina Lowcountry. As we celebrate Women’s History Month, we honor a woman whose bravery didn’t just guide individuals to the North, but led an entire military operation right here in our backyard.
The Combahee River Raid
In June 1863, Tubman became the first woman in U.S. history to help plan and lead an armed military assault. Working alongside Colonel James Montgomery and the 2nd South Carolina Volunteer Infantry, Tubman acted as a lead scout and spy.
Because of her ability to gather intelligence from local enslaved people, she knew exactly where the Confederate torpedoes (mines) were hidden in the water. Under the cover of night, she guided three federal steamships up the Combahee River. The raid was a massive success, liberating more than 700 people and destroying several key Confederate supply lines and plantations.
A Legacy Set in Stone
In early 2024, the bridge/causeway spanning the Combahee River on U.S. 17, right at the border of Beaufort and Colleton Counties, was officially named the Harriet Tubman Memorial Bridge.
It is a fitting tribute; every time someone drives across those waters, they are crossing the very site where Tubman stood on the deck of a gunboat, watching hundreds of people run toward freedom as she sang songs of deliverance.
Why Her Story Matters Today
Today, we honor a fearless freedom fighter whose courage changed the course of history. Harriet Tubman risked her life time and again to lead enslaved people to freedom, becoming a powerful symbol of resistance, faith, and determination.
Beyond her work as an abolitionist, her time in the Lowcountry as a scout, nurse, and spy proved that her strength knew no limits. Her legacy continues to inspire movements for equality and perseverance around the world, reminding us that one person with enough conviction can turn the tide of history.
