Harriet Tubman’s Combahee River Raid: The Night She Figured It Out

On June 2, 1863, under the cover of darkness on South Carolina’s Combahee River, Harriet Tubman stood at the helm of history. This wasn’t just the story of an Underground Railroad conductor...it was the night a formerly enslaved woman became a battlefield strategist and changed hundreds of lives.

A Treacherous Mission

The Union needed to cripple Confederate supply lines and free enslaved laborers. Tubman, already legendary for her daring rescues, guided three Union gunboats up a river laced with mines and patrolled by Confederate pickets. One wrong move would mean disaster: the loss of soldiers, civilians, and the mission itself.

The Moment of Crisis

As scouts reported Confederate cavalry nearby, panic could have undone everything. But Tubman didn’t flinch. She had spent months gathering intelligence, mapping safe routes, and forging trust with local networks. At that critical moment, she gripped the wheel, whispered a prayer, and told herself what she had always believed...figure it out.

A Decisive Victory

Tubman directed the vessels through safe channels, coordinated signals with soldiers, and warned families onshore when to flee. By dawn, more than 700 enslaved men, women, and children had escaped to freedom. The raid was a humiliation for Confederate forces and a stunning success for the Union. Not a single Union soldier was lost.

More Than an Underground Railroad Hero

The Combahee River Raid proved Tubman was more than a conductor...she was a tactician, a leader, and a freedom fighter who could out-think and outmaneuver the enemy. Her success inspired Union command and struck a blow against slavery’s grip on the South.

Why It Matters Today

Tubman’s story isn’t just history...it’s a call to action. When the path forward is blocked and fear closes in, her example reminds us: courage and resourcefulness can break impossible barriers. Her life embodies the spirit behind Figure It Out History...people who refused to surrender, found a way, and changed the world.

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