Civil War Hospitals in Beaufort

In late 1861, Northern troops, in a seaborne assault, secured Beaufort and the surrounding area for the Union. It was quickly realized that the medical means brought along fell far short of meeting the  needs of the troops.  Necessity being the mother of invention, homes abandoned by their owners were commandeered as hospitals.

Courtesy of the Library of Congress. The buildings in red indicate Union hospitals.

Thousands of soldiers and freed slaves, called, "contrabands" were treated in these hospitals. Some survived; some did not. Thus, "Sorrow by the Sea" is the story of the medical side of the Civil War in Beaufort.

Dave Smoot, who has been a Civil War Surgeon re-enactor for more years than he'd like to say, will be the presenter. You may remember him as "Dr. Tooms" or "Dr. Meade" from other library programs that he's done for us. (He will not however be portraying a physician this time.)

This BDC@ Beaufort Branch local history program is open to all who would like to learn more about Beaufort's medical history.

"Sorrow by the Sea: Civil War Hospitals of Beaufort" with Dave Smoot
Wednesday, September 11, 2019 at 5:30 PM
 First come; first seated. Doors will open after 5:05 pm (We have to close down the Research Room first.)

Please note: All units of the Library system will be closed on Monday, September 2, 2019 for Labor Day. Regular hours will resume on Tuesday, September 3rd - unless Hurricane Dorian takes aim for coastal South Carolina. Please monitor the official notifications from the Beaufort County Emergency Management Division.