

The Civil War Heritage Trails website has a timeline of Gen. William T. Sherman's activities in South Carolina for January and February 1865 at http://civilwarheritagetrails.org/ewExternalFiles/janfeb2015.pdf. Federal troops began moving inland from Beaufort and Sherman orders his army to advance across the Savannah River into South Carolina but a heavy and continuous rain delay his units for over two weeks. Sherman's headquarters moved to Beaufort on January 21. The Federal advance into South Carolina begins in earnest Feb. 1, 1865 - and the first place they reach is Beaufort District. Confederate efforts to stop the advance at Pocotaligo, Combahee, Salkehatchie, Rivers' Bridge, Buford's Bridge, and Broxton Bridge are unsuccessful. On February 17, Columbia, the state's capital city, surrenders and that night the town is ablaze (by whose hand is still under discussion).

The Beaufort District Collection has loads of materials on the topic of the Civil War, including books, 19th century illustrated newspaper prints, and vertical files of clippings. Please drop by our Research Room to review these and other items we have on the history, natural history, genealogy, archaeology, and people in our incredibly rich heritage.
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