By Sharon Watkins Lang, USASMDC Command Historian
Although new to the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense organization, the 263rd Army Air and Missile Defense Command has a long history. Headquartered in Anderson, South Carolina, the 263rd AAMDC was established in 2000 when the 263rd Air Defense Artillery was reflagged. Its origins, however, predate the founding of our nation.
The 263rd AAMDC is one of the oldest units in the U.S. military, dating back to an artillery company established in 1756 to provide a defense for Charleston – then called Charles Town. Originally commanded by Capt. Christopher Gadsden, the company was subsequently chartered by the colony in July 1760. Fifteen years later, as the initial battles of what would become the American Revolution were fought, the unit was expanded and reorganized. Then known as the Charles Town Battalion of Artillery, the single company was divided into three units led by Thomas Heyward, Jr., Edward Rutledge and Anthony Toomer. Heyward and Rutledge also served in the South Carolina delegation to the Continental Congress and would become signatories to the Declaration of Independence in July 1776.
A second component of the current 263rd AAMDC traces its history to February 1776. The second session of the Provincial Congress of South Carolina convened Feb. 1,1776. Two key topics of discussion were “the number of forces to be raised and kept in service to the colony” and the method of governing. Three regiments raised in the previous year to protect the coastal cities and the communities in the interior had been adopted into the Continental Line. On Feb. 19, it was resolved that at least 1,050 additional men, excluding commissioned and non-commissioned officers from the country militia, were needed “for the immediate defence [sic] of Charles Town.”
These troops were to augment the regulars and existing town militia. At the same time, they advised the Continental Congress on “the present situation of affairs in this colony and the recent alarming intelligence we have received from Georgia, of the hostile armament collecting at Cockspur,” an island near Savanah. Over the course of several days, the congress also authorized new regiments of rangers or riflemen, each with an adjutant and a quartermaster, surgeons and paymasters, as well as 200 marines to augment the regiments raised in the previous year.
Significant to the history of the 263rd, however, were the decisions of Feb. 22. On that date, the congress directed that an independent company of artillery “composed of one hundred men, with proper officers, be immediately raised” to provide a defense for Fort Lyttleton, on Port-Royal Island and a second with 50 men to provide a defense of George-Town. The Beaufort Volunteer Artillery, which would later become affiliated with the 263rd, was established to support Fort Lyttleton with personnel from the St. Helena and Prince William parishes. On the next day, the South Carolina Congress elected William Harden to serve as captain of the Beaufort Independent Company of Artillery. All of the units established by the Second Provincial Congress in February 1776 would be adopted into the Continental Army later that year.
On Oct. 18, 1776, the Beaufort Volunteer Artillery was assigned to the 4th South Carolina Regiment. Lt. Col. Owen Roberts led the regiment from September 1776 to June 1779. He was succeeded by Col. Barnard Beekman, who led the unit from 1779-1780. As originally configured, the regiment was to consist of one lieutenant colonel commandant, major, adjutant, quartermaster, paymaster, surgeon, surgeon’s mate, sergeant workman, armorer, assistant armorer and two extra privates and three companies. Each company was composed of one captain, two lieutenants, two lieutenant-fireworkers, four sergeants, four corporals, one drummer, one fifer, 10 gunners and 42 privates.
Based upon the service of its historical components, the 263rd AAMDC was awarded Revolutionary War campaign credit for Charleston, Savannah, South Carolina 1775 and South Carolina 1779.
Additional information on the Beaufort Volunteer Artillery and other South Carolina units as well as the March 1776 South Carolina constitution can be found online in the Journals of the Provincial Congress of South Carolina.
1775 - https://archive.org/details/bim_eighteenth-century_provincial-congress-177_south-carolina_1776%20 and 1776 - https://www.carolana.com/SC/Revolution/Journal\_of\_the\_Second\_Provincial\_Congress\_of\_South\_Carolina\_1776\_2nd\_Session.pdf
A general overview of Revolutionary War Artillery and Cannons can be found at https://www.americanrevolution.org/artillery-and-cannons/