How Beaufort Celebrated the Armistice in 1918

On the 11th day of the 11th month at 11:00 am in 1918, by agreement, the Great War ended. At its conclusion, the total military dead was 8.5 million. Estimates of civilian casualties range from 6 to 13 million. The United States was jubilant. Local businessman, Frederik Holmes Christensen, wrote how Beaufort celebrated in his diary: 

Frederik Holmes Christensen Diary (BDC), November 11, 1918

Early in the morning came the news that Germany had signed the armistice, adopting the allies terms. The fire bell, school bells and church bells rang unusually for an hour or more. All effort to hold school was given up. A fire was built in the middle of Bay street in front of the post office and old and young seemed bent only on making all the noise possible. At noon the stores closed. In the afternoon the Marine band and one or two companies of Marines came up and headed a parade of citizens about the town. The papers also brought news of a flight of the Emperor, his queen and the leading generals into Holland. They went so heavily armed that it is said that they felt a great deal of uneasiness about their ability to get away.

Reminder: All units of the Library, including the Beaufort District Collection Research Room, will be closed for Veterans Day. Regular hours resume on Tuesday, November 12, 2019.

Be sure to drop by next week to explore the many materials and resources we have about World War I and its veterans. Please just be aware that we have a lunch time only closure on Thursday, November 14th. That will happen from time to time due to the number of hours we cover with such a small staff.