The boundaries of the land designated as ‘Soldiers Ground’ is a bit vague I think. The plantation here had already been used for a burial ground before the US Civil War. This spot, in 1861, became a southern military cemetery due to the large demand for land.

The last war time burial was in 1865. After the civil war ended burials continued and spread across the Magnolia Umbra Plantation. In the war time grounds there are a total of 644 known plots. Mostly infantry privates from South Carolina, a few from surrounding states.

All the land here now is owned by Magnolia Cemetery Trust, a non-profit.

In 1863 Morris Island in Charleston harbor was under assault by Federal troops and an outbreak of Typhoid. Rebecca Sineath and many soldiers died from the disease. Rebecca was the ‘wash lady’ for the 21st SC infantry, and 17 years old.

She was brought to the Umbra Magnolia plantation ‘Soldiers Ground’ with the others who had died and buried.

Later during the war she was disinterred and placed in an unmarked grave outside the military graveyard to allow for more troops to be buried.

In the mid 2000’s her grave site was located, a confederate military headstone provided and a ceremony was held on Memorial Day. Nothing else is known about her.

(the above information/text is from a history of Charleston’s Magnolia Cemetery by Patrick Harwood)

I found the grave site along the edge of what was the original Soldiers Ground near an old shed and trees.

Note; The Battle of Fort Wagner on July 18, 1863, was an unsuccessful assault led by the 54^th Massachusetts, an African American infantry, famously depicted in the movie Glory. After 60 days of shelling and siege, the Confederates abandoned Fort Wagner on September 7, 1863.  Fort Wagner is located on Morris Island in the Charleston Harbor, South Carolina.