On 9 April 1865 While home on furlough, Lt. McQueen led a group of locals in defense of Sumter. The marauding Yankees met his force of old men and boys at Dingle's Mill where McQueen had an obsolete howitzer. Lt. McQueen lost his life in this engagement. He was the last member of the PLA, since the rest had surrendered just hours earlier.

The Battle:

On Easter Day, April 9, 1865, the Battle of Dingle's Mill was fought 3 miles south of Sumter. At approximately three in the morning, General Edward E. Potter's army, called Potter's Raiders, came from the direction of Kingstree. They were joined by Col. Edward Needles Hallowell's troops, who had crossed the Pocotaligo River, throwing Colonel Presley's men across Turkey Creek. This put them north of the pond at Dingle's Mill.

Confederate militiamen, under the command of Col. James Fowler Pressley, dug in their heels behind meager breastworks and awaited the arrival of the Union forces. The two working pieces of artillery were commanded by Lt. William Alexander McQueen and a patient of Sumter hospital, Lt Pamerya, an artilleryman from New Orleans. A third piece of artillery was too rusted to work.

General Potter ordered Col. Hallowell to attack from the left and rear. The 54th was a part of this flanking column. Unable to reach the Rebels' position, the United States Colored Troops countermarched to where Colonel Brown's First Brigade was stationed on the main road. A Confederate volunteer remembered hearing "the church bells in town ringing for afternoon service" as the battle got underway. Hallowell's brigade reached their comrades a little after two in the afternoon.

Lt. McQueen was struck in the shoulder, incapacitating him, while Lt. Pamerya was killed by a minie ball in the forehead. The Confederate forces fell back toward Sumterville in the face of overwhelming odds. They made one more stand, but left the field of battle about six in the evening, ending the battle.

South Strength: 158 men from 20th S.C. Militia Regiment & Local Volunteers. Southern losses were six killed, seven wounded, two captured.

North Strength: 2,700 men Brigades. Northern losses were four killed, twenty-three wounded.

At about this same time, General Robert E. Lee was meeting with General Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Courthouse, 300 miles away. The Confederate force disbanded and returned to their homes after fighting the battle.