9. Montgomery’s raids were endorsed by the Union commander, David Hunter
The raid on Darien was just one of several such raids conducted by Montgomery’s and other units, which were fully supported by General Hunter. Hunter believed that the destruction, carried out for the most part by black troops, was a suitable means of chastising the southern citizenry for their support of both the war and the institution of slavery. Shaw wrote a letter to the Assistant Adjutant General for X Corps (commanded by Hunter) in which he veiled his protest over the looting and burning of Darien as a question. In the letter, addressed to Lieutenant Colonel Charles Halpine, Shaw wrote, “I am perfectly willing to burn any place which resists”, but wondered if Montgomery was “in a private enterprise of his own”.
Whether Shaw received a reply from Halpine is unknown. What is known is that the Union command was aware of how well-connected Shaw was with politically influential abolitionists, and his displayed willingness to question orders and to violate the military’s sacrosanct chain of command was troubling. Officially, looting by troops was a crime, and officers profiting from it were subject to severe punishment. Shaw and the 54th were moved closer to Charleston, where they were removed from the activity of raiding and looting towns along the coast. In July, 1863, they engaged enemy troops for the first time on James Island, an action in which they drove off a Confederate attack, at a cost of about 40 men.