On July 5 and 7, the unit fought two battles south of Charleston, S.C. in and around John's Island, especially around Fort Pringle; two officers were wounded during battles in South Carolina during this first deployment – Chase was wounded by an exploding cannon, permanently injuring the hearing in his left ear, and the other was the commander of the regiment who was killed December 17, 1864.
During its first major engagement, the unit fought battles south of Charleston, S.C. in and around John's Island, especially around Fort Pringle; two officers were injured during these battles – Chase suffered a severe ear injury from an exploding cannon, which left him permanently deaf in his left ear, and another officer, the commander of the regiment, lost his life on December 17, 1864.