Maxcy Gregg was born in Columbia, South Carolina, into a distinguished family. He was the great-grandson of Esek Hopkins, a commodore in the Continental Navy, and grandson of Jonathan Maxcy, the first president of South Carolina College (now the University of South Carolina). Gregg himself graduated first in his class from South Carolina College in 1836, studied law, and was admitted to the bar in 1839. He practiced law with his father in Columbia, where he was a respected and active member of the community.

A man of keen intellect and wide-ranging interests, Gregg built a private observatory to support his study of astronomy and was also considered a leading authority on ornithology and botany.

Gregg served as a major in the 12th U.S. Infantry during the Mexican War, though he saw no action. In the years leading up to the War Between the States, he became a prominent political voice in South Carolina, passionately advocating for states’ rights. He authored An Appeal to the States Rights Party of South Carolina in 1858, a widely circulated pamphlet that became known as a manifesto of the secessionist movement. A staunch “Fire-Eater,” Gregg was a delegate to South Carolina’s secession convention and voted with pride to leave the Union in December 1860.

War Service: From Secession to Fredericksburg

When South Carolina seceded, Gregg was given command of a six-month regiment and the rank of colonel. He and his volunteers participated in the bombardment of Fort Sumter in April 1861 and were later stationed in Virginia. After their term expired, many of his men returned home, and the regiment missed the First Battle of Manassas.

Gregg returned to South Carolina, reorganized his regiment, and was promoted to brigadier general in December 1861. He assumed command of a brigade composed of the 1st, 12th, 13th, and 14th South Carolina regiments, and returned to Virginia. His brigade joined the famed Light Division under Major General A.P. Hill.

Gregg led the division’s advance at the Battle of Gaines’ Mill (June 27, 1862), where he crossed a creek under fire and executed what Hill described as “the handsomest charge in line I have seen during the war.” At Frayser’s Farm (June 30), he captured a Federal battery in a bold charge.

His brigade, composed largely of professional men such as doctors and lawyers, suffered heavy casualties during the Seven Days Battles—more than any other brigade in Hill’s division.

Gregg was held in reserve at Cedar Mountain but fought fiercely at Second Manassas (August 28–30, 1862), where he famously declared, “Tell General Hill that my ammunition is exhausted, but that I will hold my position with the bayonet.” He earned high praise from Hill, who said, “He is the man for me,” and granted Gregg rare open access to his headquarters.

He fought at Ox Hill (September 1), helped capture Harpers Ferry (September 12–15), and played a key role at Antietam (September 17), where he was slightly wounded by the same volley that killed Brigadier General Lawrence O. Branch. The bullet was later discovered lodged in his handkerchief at breakfast the next morning.

At Shepherdstown (September 19–20), Gregg commanded three brigades and successfully repelled the Federal forces that had pursued General Lee’s army across the Potomac, inflicting heavy losses.

Legacy

Maxcy Gregg combined intellectual brilliance, political conviction, and battlefield courage. From the law offices of Columbia to the smoke-filled battlefields of Virginia, he fought with determination for the cause he believed in—South Carolina’s sovereignty and the South’s independence. His contributions, both scholarly and military, continue to be remembered as part of the state’s rich and complex history.