John William Delleney, my great grand uncle, was born in Fairfield County, where he also was a doctor, an 1857 graduate of the Medical College in Charleston.

John William Delleney entered Confederate service with the 12th Regiment of S.C. Volunteer Infantry. In answer to the call of President of the Provisional Government of the Confederate States of America, Jefferson Davis, on or around the 1 July 1861, companies of volunteers from South Carolina rendezvoused at Columbia, South Carolina, and were sent to a camp of instruction. This camp was located around five miles from Columbia, at Lightwoodknot Springs; there the men were allowed to elect their field officers. The first regiment to be formed was numbered as the 12th South Carolina Volunteers. The regiments' officers were, at its beginning:

Commanding Officer: Colonel R. G. Mills Dunovant
Second in Command: Lieutenant Colonel Dixon Barnes
Chief of Staff: Major Cadwallader Jones.

The 12th Regiment was made up of men from Lancaster, Fairfield, Pickens and York counties. Evans Confederate Military History (ECMH) Vol. V page 542 cites that he, (Dr. John W. Delleney),"...assisted in raising a company for Confederate service, of which he was elected first lieutenant, ...", This was Company "C" made up of Fairfield County men.

The 12th first orders, were to the Coastal Defense forces on Edisto Island south of Charleston where met light action in October of 1861.

Lt. John William Delleney and the 12th SCVI were next ordered to Fort Beauregard, at Port Royal, S.C., in preparation for an expected Federal naval assault. The Confederate forces were commanded by Brigadier General Thomas F. Drayton. The entrance to the bay was protected by two forts. To the north was Fort Beauregard, at Bay Point on Philips Island, (See Map Below). This fort contained nineteen guns and a garrison of 149 men, although only seven of those guns were able to fire effectively on the Union fleet. The defenders were massively outnumbered by the Federal force sent to attack them. Flag Officer Samuel du Pont had a fleet of seventeen warships and 600 marines and was supported by an army 12,000 strong. The fleet alone massively outgunned the Confederate forts. On the morning on 7 November. The fleet’s main target was Fort Walker to the south of the bay. The first shots were fired at 9:30 in the morning, and firing continued until 1:15, when the Confederate garrison there was seen to be leaving the fort. Fort Beauregard was abandoned soon after the Federal occupation of Fort Walker. Although it had not suffered as much damage, it was clear that the battle was lost and that the fort would not be able to keep the Union fleet out of Port Royal Bay.

Next the 12th South Carolina Volunteer Infantry Regiment was ordered to the Virginia theater and along with 1st S.C. Vol. Infantry Regiment, Orr's Regiment of Rifles, 13th S.C. Vol. Infantry Regiment and 14th S.C. Vol. Infantry Regiment formed what was known as Gregg's, (subsequently as 'McGowan's) Brigade, Hill's Division, Magruder's Corps, Army of Northern Virginia.

Under the command of the newly appointed General Robert E. Lee the Army of Northern Virginia and the 12th S.C.V.I. met General McCellan's federal Army of the Potomac in defense of Richmond in what is know as the Seven Days campaign. The climax of this action was the savage battle of Gaines' Mill. In this, the third battle of the Campaign, Gen. Lee renewed his attacks against Fitz John Porter’s Union Fifth Corps. In the early hours of June 27, 1862, Porter’s troops abandoned their position at Beaver Dam Creek and established a new defensive line behind Boatswain’s Swamp, just north of the Chickahominy River. Lee was determined to drive them across the river and ordered the bulk of his forces after them. Shortly after noon, Confederates met federal skirmishers and encountered stiff resistance along Boatswain’s Swamp. The Federals beat back successive waves of disjointed Southern troops, inflicting some of the heaviest casualties the war had yet seen. By dusk, however, Lee’s forces were more organized. With daylight fading, the reinforced Southerners assaulted Porter’s defensive line and sent them fleeing toward the river. Only the approaching darkness prevented Porter’s corps from complete disaster. During the night, the Federals limped across the Chickahominy and burned the bridges behind them.

We know that John W. Delleney took part in one of these deadly charges because; ECMH Vol. V, page 542 further cites that he "... served in all its, (the 12th), battles until Gaines' Mill, where he was killed in action, a brave and gallant soldier." Also Page 62 states he was killed commanding Company B in the first assault. Either because of sickness, accident of a fellow officer or reorganization, Lt. Delleney was transferred and placed in command of Company "B" for this fateful assault. The defeat at Gaines’ Mill convinced McClellan to abandon the campaign against Richmond and “change his base” to the James River. Gaines’ Mill was the most pivotal engagement of the Seven Days’ campaign. (See Map Below)

Writing in the Southern Advocate concerning the death of his brother and Confederate veteran J.R. Delleney, J.D. Mahon, who died in 1907, wrote"...his only brother, Dr. John W. Delleney said if his country had to be whipped, he'd wanted to be shot through the head. Strange to say, his country was overpowered, and at Gaines' Mill, in 1862 in a seven days fight, in a brave charge, he was shot through the forehead. I remember distinctly hearing a letter read from Mr. Eber Rabb, Father of W. B. Rabb of Winnsboro, that no braver man than Dr. John W. Delleney had fallen in this cruel war."Dr. J.W. Delleney was buried in an unmarked grave on the battlefield at Gaines' Mill in Virginia where he remains to this day.

FOOT NOTES:

Encounters and organization of 12th S.C.V.I. Company C:

County Recruited From: Fairfield County, South Carolina

Commanding Officer(s):

* Captain J.A. Hinnant
* Captain J.R. Thomas
* Captain H.C. Davis

Junior Officers:

* 1st Lieutenant J.W. Delleny
* 1st Lieutenant S.Y. Rosborough
* 2nd Lieutenant J.R. Boyles

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Date	Battle or City	Location	Commanding Officer	Brigade	Divsion	Corps
07/61	Columbia	Lightwood Knot Springs	Col. G.M. Dunovant	.	.	.
10-61	Coastal Defense	Edisto Island	Col. G.M. Dunovant	.	.	.
11/07/61	Port Royal, S.C.	Fort Beauregard	Col. G.M. Dunovant	.	.	.
06/27/62	Gaines Mill	Virginia	Col. Dixon Barnes	Gregg's Brigade	Hill's Division	Magruder's Corps

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