Between Charleston, South Carolina, and Savannah, Georgia, the Union scored an early victory in the war with the Battle of Port Royal. That area of Port Royal, Beaufort, and Hilton Head, remained a Union controlled outpost for the rest of the war and served as a base of operations for the siege of Charleston and raids into the heart of the Confederacy. It was in this area that the 54th spent a significant portion of their service.
