"Big Guns" Programs

The Battle of Port Royal Sound was one of the earliest naval operations of the Civil War. On November 7, 1861, a massive U. S. Naval fleet and U. S. Army expeditionary force sailed into Port Royal Sound and captured Fort Walker on Hilton Head and Fort Beauregard on Bay Point/St. Helena Island, SC. It was the "largest fleet ever assembled by the United States" up to that date and forever changed the trajectory of Beaufort's history.

The battle is sometimes referred to as "The Big Gun Shoot" though previous programs on the topic have tended to focus more on the general history of the event rather than on the weaponry and tactics used during the engagement. This program will rectify that oversight.

Dave Smoot's focus will be on the heavy artillery of the battle: What big guns are doing the shooting and why? Were the munitions equally effective? Why or why not? Why were some Confederate guns facing the wrong way? Was it a "fair" fight? The answers to these questions and more will be revealed within the lecture. 

About the speaker:
Dave Smoot has been doing history for most of his life. He recently retired from his position as the Museum Technician at Parris Island Museum working with Dr. Stephen Wise to curate the story of the Marines for a decade. He was a director of a Virginia Living History Museum before relocating to Beaufort. An active re-enactor, he's portrayed Civil War surgeon Dr. Tooms and Civil War doctor, Dr. Meade along with providing other informative and illuminating programs on "The Well Dressed Marine of 1915" and "The South Carolina Constitution of 1865" for the BDC in the past.