28 November 2021

"If I had thought then..."

Latest update: 11 October 2024 - gmc

Alexander Campbell, a member of the 79th New York Highlanders, was part of the Union Expeditionary force sent to capture Port Royal Sound. He remained in the area stationed in Beaufort until late July 1862. Letter 30 in 'Him on the One Side and Me on the Other': The Civil War Letters of Alexander Campbell, 79th New York Infantry Regiment and James Campbell, 1st South Carolina Battalion edited by Terry A. Johnston, Jr. (1999) was written by Sandy in Beaufort to his wife, Jane Ralston Campbell.

In Letter 30 he covers domestic and military topics, payroll issues, feelings of isolation, and a humorous event relating to a stained envelope. The creative spelling is by Campbell.

Beaufort, S.C.
May 12, 1862

My Dear Wife

I am most happy now because I heard from you. I thought you had forgot to write me altogether. I received your Letter of the 2d in dew time and was glad to hear you and the two boys was in such good health for thats the greatest blessing we can have. I only wish I was home so that I could feel happy. I know you would. But I am mostly shure it wont be a great while now. Thats the general opinion here and I trust in god that it will be so.

Jane its 12 mounths tomorrow since we swore in to go to the war. If I had thought then it would Last the one half of that time there would have been no swearing in of me. You may bet your Life it will be the Last war that I will go to. Its not because I am afraid but because I have too good a wife to Leave and two nise Little boys also.

I got the Letter you sent in the box to [da]y. Jammey brought it over. It was sent to him and he is over on Ladyes island with his company. They are over there on picket so him and mat was over in beuafort to day. He says that all the writing paper and invelops was spoiled with the mustard. The bottles had got broke. The envelope of my Letter was all covered with it. James said it Looked (well I wont say). You can guss what he would say it Looked Like. I only wish you had sent your Likeness out. I will only Look the more anxious for it nixt time. I know you must be scarce of money (its too bad). I have no idea when we will get our nixt pay. I hope it will be soon.

You say that [Brother] Peter seen Mcnie that ust to board with me in charleston. I would Like verry much to see him. He knows Brothers John & James verry well. He says [Brother] James is in the 15th infantry of S.C. I think I heard something of that regiment being over on the main but they are all gon from there now to strenthion some other place. I think he must be wishing he was out of it now. I wonder if he Knowes that I am here. I would Like to hear from Mcnie. Please tell [Brother] Peter the nixt time he sees hin to write to me and Let me Know how things is in charleston and about my old aquanteces.

It is my opinion our forces are preparing to attack charleston so our regiment might have a chance to go there. There was a flag of truse sent to savannah the other day asking them to surrender the city so I hear. They are willing to do so on conditions. I dont know what the conditions are. The southren people ought to see by this time that there case is hopeless and they s[h]ould surrender all and become good citizens of threre united states and Let us get home to our wives and families. We expect the nixt mail to hear of Mclellan being in Richmond. If he only could get hold of Jeff Davis and some more of the ring Leaders. They told the flag of truse that went to savannah that there was a fight going on at corinth for three days and it was still going on when the flag of truse Left there. All this might be false for there is all sorts of false reports out here. Its one of the greatest victories yet the taking of new orleans. I hope they will follow it up. I would Like to get some news papers. Tell [Brother] Peter I have not received any from him in some tim and I would Like him to send me some.

Jane I sent a Bible and a rattler for Little alexander. The Bible I got in one of the tents when we Landed on bay point. Lewis web the agutants clerk is gon on furlow. I sent them with him. I will come to a close this time hopping to hear from you soon. I am in good helth and I hope this will find you the same. Tell Jonney his papa will soon be home to take him out a walking. No more this time. Write soon.
          I Remain Your ever afficonate Husband Alexander Campbell 

Sandy would fight in the Battle of Port Royal Ferry, the Battle of Secessionville and the Battle of Chantilly where he was wounded. He was discharged from the Army in mid-May 1863. After his service, he became a stonecutter in Middletown, Connecticut.

Note: James Campbell was not in the South Carolina 15th Regiment as Sandy states but the 1st South Carolina drawn from the Charleston area. Before the Civil War, James had the Union Light Infantry, a largely Scottish volunteer military company. James immigrated to Charleston around 1854.

Alexander, though primarily living in New York, did work as a stonecutter in Charleston between 1857 to 1859. Alexander then returned to New York and married Jane.

In March 1862, James enlisted in the 1st South Carolina Infantry Battalion (also known as the "Charleston Battalion") and saw service at the Battle of Secessionville. He was captured during the unsuccessful Union assault on Battery Wagner. He spent the rest of the war in Northern prison camps. He returned to Charleston in mid-1865. He died in Charleston in 1907.

Make plans to attend the Beaufort History Museum's Encampment of the 79th New York Highlanders re-enactment group this weekend. Cassi will be there to share some of the BDC's handouts about Civil War and Reconstruction Era related materials in the Research Room and online. She's created a new display board about the connection between the 79th New York and the history of our Library to share.




23 November 2021

Congregational Histories in the Research Room

The BDC has a collection of published and self-published church histories available in the Research Room. 

The most recent arrival was The Means of Grace : A History of the Robertville Baptist Church by Eric W. Plaag (Charley House Press, 2021). Some of you may have joined us for the Live Stream Author Book Talk on November 15, 2021 so you heard about the history of the Robertville Baptist Church - and some of the problems inherent in compiling a religious congregational history. The recording is now available on the Library's YouTube Channel at https://youtu.be/q6G8OiYUIs0

Many questions arise during the research and writing processes: What documents are available? How much credence should you give to the lore surrounding the founding of a religious body? What part did the God or Higher Power(s)  have in the creation of this body? How were differences of opinion regarding rules, doctrinal statements, congregational membership handled? How do you handle the not-so-good or unwise-in-hindsight issues that can arise? What tone should one take? 

Other authors have struggled with the same issues when dealing with researching and writing congregational histories of local churches, temples and synagogues and came to their own conclusions. Generally speaking, religious organizational histories are often written or commissioned by the organization itself using members of the organization as primary researchers, compilers, or authors of the document, booklet or book. You will see this pattern exhibited in many of the titles listed below.

Some of the older churches in Beaufort District have been in existence long enough to be on their second, third or even fourth compiled and distributed church history. 

As most of you know, the congregation of the Parish Church of St. Helena has been worshipping together since 1712. Amazing Grace : The Parish Church of St. Helena, Beaufort, South Carolina : Three Hundred Years of History, 1712 - 2012, edited by Barbara R. Payne and published by Lydia Inglett of Hilton Head Island (2012) was commissioned to celebrate the church's Tricentennial anniversary.  But we also have The History of the Parish Church of St. Helena, Beaufort, South Carolina : Church of England, 1712-1789, Protestant Episcopal, 1789-1990 which was self-published by the History Committee (1990) and the History of St. Helena's Episcopal Church : Founded 1712 published in Charleston by the Walker, Evans & Cogswell Company at some point during the 1920s; and A Short Historical Sketch of the Parish from the First English Settlement of Carolina to the Present Time, 1712 - 1912 by the Rev. Percy D. Hay and self-published by the Church in honor of the congregations bicentennial celebration (1912). 

We also have histories for the Prince William's Parish Church in Sheldon, an Anglican congregation that grew from the original St. Helena's Church: A Short History of the Parish Church of Prince William, Called Old Sheldon Church by Roy Flannagan and John Bull, self-published by the authors in 2011 and a Beaufort County Historical Society Paper #36 by John W. Hardy entitled and delivered as Prince William's Parish [on] : Oct. 17, 1961. There is a significant chapter about the Old Sheldon Church and the McPhersonville area churches in Prince William's Parish and Plantations by Francis Marion Hutson and John Reynard Todd (Richmond, VA:  Garrett & Massie, 1935). A Brief Historical Sketch of McPhersonville and Her Two Churches is also by Francis Marion Hutson. It was published in Charleston in 1932, presumably by the author. 

We have three histories of the Baptist Church of Beaufort:
 Lamp Unto the Lowcountry : The Baptist Church of Beaufort, 1804 - 2004, Beaufort, South Carolina by Annette Milliken Maddox (Baptist History and Heritage Society, 2004); Centennial Celebration of the Baptist Church of Beaufort : Built by Dr. Richard Fuller (Baptist Church of Beaufort, 1944); and Beaufort Baptist Church by James W. Busch that he presented before the Beaufort County Historical Society probably in 1954 or 1955 based on internal evidence. 

We have two compiled histories of First Presbyterian Church in Beaufort: Celebrating One Hundred Years : The History of First Presbyterian Church, Beaufort, South Carolina by Page Putnam Miller (Beaufort, SC: First Presbyterian Church, 2012) and The History of First Presbyterian Church, Beaufort, South Carolina : Organized May 19, 1912 by Joel Patrick (1987). Nita Grimsley Theus wrote Presbyterian Faith and Churches in Beaufort, South Carolina for the Record and presented it to the Beaufort Township Library in 1938 which we have cataloged as Beaufort County Historical Society Paper #42A.  

Theus did a similar paper about the Catholic congregation. Catholicity in Beaufort : St. Peter's Catholic Church for record, Beaufort Public Library : 1936 which she later presented before the Beaufort County Historical Society. It is cataloged as Beaufort County Historical Society Paper #40. The History Committee of Historic Church Preservation Task Force published a History of St. Peter's Catholic Church & Graveyard in 2013. 

Grace Chapel African American Methodist Episcopal Church 145th year Commemorative Journal : Grace: Our Link to the Past, Our Bridge to the Future was written and published by Church staff and parishioners in 2014.
 
Wesley United Methodist Church, Beaufort, South Carolina was the subject of a Savannah College of Art and Design thesis by Jennifer D. Satterthwaite that covers a lot of the church's history during the author's investigation of the cemetery at the church. 

South of the Broad River churches that have given the BDC a copy of their histories are St. Luke's Episcopal Church (Episcopal Diocese of South Carolina, 2000) and The Church of the Cross: An Episcopal Parish in Bluffton, South Carolina by Albert Sidney Thomas (1954). Indeed, there are three church histories related to this particular congregation. 

We have church histories for several Hampton and Jasper County congregations too. The History of Beaver Dam Baptist Church, Grays, South Carolina, 1834 - 1984 compiled by Dee Dee George Cope (1985); Great Swamp Baptist Church History, 1845 - 1995 by Betty Nettles (Brentwood Christian Press, 1995); and Prince Williams Primitive Baptist Church : January 1841 - February 1931 (2013) and Prince Williams Baptist Church, 1812 - 1840 : History, Records, Families (2012) were authored by Sandra Samz and self-published by the Prince William Primitive Baptist Historical Foundation. 

In addition to these formal histories, we maintain clippings files for more than 75 churches and synagogues in the former Beaufort District. Some of the files are slim, just an article or two that was gleaned from a newspaper or magazine while others are quite hefty and include church e-newsletters collected in the past decade or so. The BDC has a 3-foot wide drawer full of nothing but clippings about area churches, VF CHURCHES- ALL SAINTS CHAPEL to CHURCHES - ZION CHAPEL.

There are also some general denominational histories such as the ones for the Catholic, Methodist, Lutheran, Baptist, Episcopal, Anglican and Quaker denominations in South Carolina. There are a few more general treatments of African American religious practices and denominations, Calvinists, French Huguenots, and Jews in the Palmetto State.

Check our catalog to see if we happen to have a history of the religious organization that interests you. We'll be happy to set up an appointment for you to come in and review what we have available.

But let's say that you've looked in the catalog, and don't see your church, synagogue, or temple listed.
* We gladly accept donations of histories for congregations that were founded in Beaufort District or that currently exist in Beaufort County.... and we go a step further...
* If you're willing to take on researching and writing a history of your religious organization, we will gladly help guide you to resources here and elsewhere that can help you research your congregational history of choice.

Reminder: We will close at 5 pm on Wednesday, November 24, 2021 per our usual schedule, remain closed on Thursday and Friday for Thanksgiving holidays, and will re-open on Monday, November 29th, 2021 for those with a confirmed research appointment. 

18 November 2021

Native Americans in Beaufort District

Once upon a time, Native Americans roamed our wetlands, fished our estuaries, and camped along our riverbanks. Many small Native American groups lived in the area. These former residents left behind shell middens, pottery shards, and their words upon our landscape: Wimbee, Combahee, Kussoh, Yamasee, Pocotaligo, Coosawatchie, Daufuskie, Salkehatchie, etc. 

Cassi's display in the Research Room about Native American resources we have shows the breadth and scope of our offerings. 

Native American history, up to the point of European contact, can be divided into four main historical periods:


The Paleo-Indian Period

10000 BCE - 8000 BCE
Remnants of Paleo-Indian culture in the Historic Beaufort District are found considerably further inland than today's epicenter of civilization--the coast. It was around fifteen degrees cooler then, 11000-12000 years ago, when the first people inhabited the area. The cooler, wetter climate accompanying a variety and abundance of herding animals (many of which are extinct today) attributed to the highly mobile nature of early American peoples. Although many artifacts of their habitation are found in the more inland reaches of the Historic Beaufort District (namely today's Allendale County,) few indications of their existence can be found in today's coastal regions. But, did you know that during the time of Paleo-Indians the Carolina coast was approximately 50 miles further east than it is now? It is possible that all coastal Paleo-Indian artifacts have been swallowed up by the Atlantic!

The Archaic Period

8000 BCD - 2000 BCE
Glacial retreat and gradual global warming at the end of the Paleo-Indian Period at the beginning of the Archaic Period raised the sea levels to within 13 feet of today's levels. The sea islands and today's Carolina "lowcountry" began to take shape. Indian populations grew while mammoths and mastodon, along with various other large mammals, became extinct. Shellfish, fish, and turtle became Indian diet essentials.

The Woodland Period

2000 BCE - 1000 BCE
While fired-clay pottery shards often indicate the Woodland Period Indian presence, Indian shell mounds are the most prevalent evidence of this Indian culture in the Historic Beaufort District. Evidence of this culture can be found on Hilton Head Island, Coosaw Island, Daws Island, and St. Helena Island. For more information about a few Indian shell mounds in Beaufort County, check out the SC Department of Natural Resources--Managed Lands website.

The Mississippian Period

1000 CE - 1600 CE
Archaeological sites of this period are found on just about every sea island of Beaufort County, as well as many inland rivers and creeks. We know more about this culture than any other Paleo-Indian civilization due to European exploration and expansion. At the time of first European contact, established agricultural practices, artistic expression, and ceremonial practices characterized this diverse and thriving culture. Unfortunately, this golden age of Indian culture would soon be demolished by disease, warfare, enslavement and exploitation.

Many of the 200 or so archaeology reports that we have in the Research Room begin with an examination of the remains of the Native Americans who once lived in Beaufort District. 

The groups tended to be rather small in size and unorganized, key factors in the ability of European newcomers to successfully take advantage of them. Some Native Americans did fight back - and one group almost won! 

According to Dr. Chester DePratter, the Yamasee tribe moved into the Port Royal Sound area around 1683 and resided here for a short period. They allied themselves with the English, attacking Spanish-allied Indians throughout Florida. Captured Indians were then sold as slaves in Carolina or transported to other British colonies. The Yamasee were critical in a general uprising of Native Americans against the British traders and settlers of the Carolinas beginning with the Good Friday Massacre of 1715 at Pocotaligo. For decades the Yamasee were on the run. Many Yamasee survivors eventually relocated to Cuba with the Spaniards in 1763 at the end of the Seven Years War.  [Source: "The Yamasee Indians in South Carolina" by Chester B. DePratter, Legacy, vol. 19, no. 1, July 2015, pp. 14 - 16] 

In other words, for a group that only lived here for about 35 years before the Europeans arrived with an approximate population of 1000 persons, the Yamasee played a critical role in the most important colonial war that few remember, the Yamasee War of 1715 - 1717.  

Learn about intrepid English adventurer Henry Woodward who voluntarily stayed behind to live among the Native Americans in 1666. He learned Indian languages and the geopolitics of the Southeast by forging personal relationships with leaders of some of the Indian tribes in the area. He actively gathered intelligence for his employers to wrest control of the southeastern United States from the Spanish. 

There are a host of resources about the local Native Americans in  the BDC's WordPress blog. As is customary for that blog, resources are divided into materials you can find online, materials you can borrow from the Library, and those materials that are only available by appointment in our Research Room. 

For the time being, access to the Research Room remains limited. Be sure to call at least a few days in advance of your preferred appointment date and time. That way, you'll have the best chance of securing the slot you most want.
Reminder: The Thanksgiving holidays draw nigh. The Research Room will be closed on Thursday and Friday, November 25 - 26, 2021. We will re-open for customers with appointments on Monday, November 29th.

15 November 2021

Petition from Black Swamp Association, 1823

Latest update 16 November 2021 : Added the URL to the recording of Dr. Plaag's presentation delivered on 15 November 2021.-- gmc

Petitions are letters written to a person in authority or the head of an organization, requesting immediate action or a solution for a certain cause. Long before "Petitions to the General Assembly" was digitized at the State Archives, we have had microfilm of the documents in our Research Room to help fill the gaps that the loss of the Beaufort courthouses have left.

According to the series description supplied with the microfilmed version of these important records: "Legislative petitions generally take the form of written requests from state citizens submitted to the General Assembly, requesting that the Assembly use its authority to redress a particular wrong from 1776-1883. This series is indispensable in showing how the General Assembly thought and worked in this period. Responding to petitions allowed the legislature to exercise power that affected the whole state and sometimes reached directly into individual lives. In this category, some of the matters they regularly considered were: divorce (which only they could grant), freedom for an owner's slaves, the amount of education a slave could receive, proper observance of the Sabbath, and citizens' upkeep of the roads near their residences. More comprehensive and wider subjects of petitions include the legal system; penal system; legislative system; slavery; internal improvements; inland navigation; religion; incorporation of churches, societies, and companies; military matters; elections; education; foreign affairs; Indian affairs; relations with other states; state finance; and banking." In other words, there is a lot of potential useful documentation about a broad variety of topics and concerns in the Petitions to the General Assembly, 1776 - 1883. The series has 109 rolls of microfilm.

Dr. Eric Plaag cites a petition from the Black Swamp Association in his book Means of Grace: A History of the Robertville Baptist Church (2021). Thirteen white men closely associated with the church petitioned the South Carolina General Assembly for incorporation in 1823. Their expressed purpose was to gain more control over the Black people within their midst. Black people outnumbered the white South Carolinians who held legal standing and power. Fear led whites to attempt to exercise greater control of their Black slaves and Free Blacks in the parish. [Watch the video of Dr. Plaag's Author Book Talk on the Library's YouTube Channel https://youtu.be/q6G8OiYUIs0]

The Robertville Baptist Church was located in the upper part of St. Peter's Parish with Blacks making up 75% of the resident population. Though the Black to white population figures were roughly 75 to 25 across the state, a unique feature of St. Peter's Parish was the size of its Free Black population. It had the largest proportion of Free Blacks in Beaufort District and among the largest number of rural Free Blacks within the state. In 1800 there were 134 Free Blacks in the parish. In the 1830 census, the Free Black population of the parish had grown to 147 people in 30 families. By 1860 the ratio of white population to free Black population in St. Peter's Parish was 6:4 or 237 white persons to 137 free black persons. Thus unlike much of South Carolina, St. Peter's Parish had three demographic groups with Whites at the top, enslaved Blacks at the bottom, and Free Blacks "somewhere in between" the planters and their labor force in terms of freedom of movement and personal agency.

It provides further context to know that the church's congregation was also predominantly Black. In fact 2/3 of the membership of Robertville Baptist Church was Black with 1/3 of the Blacks being free persons of color. By design the main floor was assigned to white families who purchased pew boxes. The upper galleries of the edifice was separated with enslaved women in the left gallery, Free Blacks of both genders in the front gallery, and enslaved men in the right gallery. So though the congregation attended worship services under the same roof, the congregation was segregated by race and further segregated by gender of the enslaved. Distribution of communion in the upstairs galleries was handled by Black deacons so that there was no mingling of races.

I looked up the Petition in the South Carolina Department of Archives and History's Records Online Index by searching on the "Topics."

Honestly, I have found the latest iteration of the SCDAH's Records Online Index much harder to use that its first iteration. I tried both a Full name search "Black Swamp Association" - 0 hits and Places search "Black Swamp" - 140 hits before I tried "Black Swamp Association" as a topic and got the 1 hit that I needed shown above.

"Members Of The Black Swamp Association, Petition For An Act Of Incorporation For Their Group In Order To Better Enforce The Laws For Governing And Managing Negroes And Free Persons Of Colour" is part of Series S1651015, Petitions to the General Assembly, online lookup number 255165 (- which as far as I can tell is not a search term) and identifiers along the bottom of the hit screen which gives a series number, year, and item number that are useful (and an ignore:000 identifier - which is not useful as far as I can tell).
I made the Indentifier lines larger so that I can explain the usefulness of the sequence:

Identifiers:
Archives ID: Series: S165015 Year: 1823 Item: 00147 ignore: 000

The interpretation is: Series: S1651015 = Petitions to the General Assembly (which we happen to have on microfilm in the Research Room); Year: 1823 ; and Item: 00147. Item 00147 actually began at image 0690 on the actual microfilm reel.

I used this lookup as a training opportunity for Cassi to show the complexity of figuring out which reel to pull and how the various numbering systems at the SCDAH can add levels of complexity to locating something on the microfilm. I wanted her to feel the frustration since our customers feel the frustration of these look-ups which is why BDC staff usually have to help customers more intensely with the SCDAH microfilm. Though the series tends to have a title sheet for each petition, some of the petitions can include many sheets and pages of material.

Luckily, the index also provided the digital images of the document. Please note: Not all of the series indexed in the SCDAH's Records Online Index include digital images of the documents - but this particular series is both indexed and digitized. I have included the positive digital images provided from the Records Online Index for ease of reading. (The images on the Petitions to the General Assembly microfilm are negative images.) You can compare the digital images and my transcription below:

The Petition of the Black Swamp Association praying to be incorporated


To the honorable President and members of the Senate of the State of South Carolina.


The petition of the President and Members of the Black Swamp Association humbly showeth.


That your petitioners have associated theirselves together, under the name and style of the Blackswamp Association, for the purpose of enforcing the laws of this State, against the violators thereof; and for the better governing and managing Negroes, and other persons of colour, in conformity to a similar association established in Charleston, for a similar purpose.

Your petitioners also state to your Honorable body, that they have adopted a constitution, Elected Officers, and made such other regulations as are necessary to carry into effect the objects of the said Institution. They therefore pray your Honorable Body to take their case into consideration, and pass an Act to incorporate them under the name and style of the President and Members of the Black Swamp Association & their Successors in Office, with power to make such bye laws and regulations, as shall be deemed necessary for the government of the said Society and your Petitioners and in duty bound will we pray.

Dece[mber] 9th 1823    Joseph J. Lawton President
                                      John S. Maner 1st Vice President
William H. Lawton 2nd Vice President
         Robert G. Norton Secretary
                                      J. J. Robert Treasurer
Benjamin Holt Solicitor
    
Standing Executive Committee:
     Alexander J. Lawton Chairman
Isaac A. S. Chovin
     Winborn A. Lawton
     Tristram Verstille
Henry Taylor
James S. Stafford
Joseph M. Lawton

Plaag thinks that the most noteworthy features of this petition are the fact that the General Assembly turned it down (no explanation provided) and the absence of the signature of merchant and church leader Benjamin Jaudon. Be sure to attend to learn more of that backstory.

I have little doubt that you'll hear more about race relations at the Robertville Baptist Church during Dr. Plaag's live streamed Author Book Talk on Monday, November 15, 2021 at 2 pm. His presentation is co-sponsored by the Beaufort District Collection, the Beaufort County Historical Society and Carolina Historical Consulting, LLC. The presentation will be in a Zoom Room located online at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81070223144?pwd=UTdSeVJKNktGdkJYM3dHcnhmWWE2dz09. The meeting will open for attendees about 15 minutes to program time - all going as planned.



Be sure to sign in at least a few minutes early to get acquainted with the Zoom Room features and make sure that you can hear and see the presentation and that the chat features are working.

We will be recording the presentation so that if things do not go as planned or if you cannot attend in real time, a recording should be available within a few days thereafter.

The recording is showing on the Library's YouTube Channel beginning 16 November 2021.

10 November 2021

The BDC's Facebook Posts in October 2021

None of us are sure how the re-branding of Facebook to Meta is going to affect us, personally or professionally, but as we take a "wait and see" approach, here are the posts that I put into the BDC's Facebook page during October. - gmc

October 1 - October provides a triple whammy for the BDC as it's Archives Month, Archaeology Month and Family History Month. You'll see posts about these three broad topics between now and Halloween.

MATERIALS MONDAY: LETTERS" POSTS

October 4 - Today's "Materials Monday" featured letter was a serendipitous find during a reference transaction. "Loose lips sink ships" - but so do "loose pen strokes" as this censored letter from Gaillard Pinckney to his buddy indicates. It is in the "Men and Women in World War II Scrapbooks," one of our 200-or so archival collections in the Research Room.

October 11 - "Materials Monday : Letters" In this case, the letter is one that I wrote to an anonymous donor as featured in a Connections post on 6 October 2010:

Dear Sir:
Thank you.
The only way that the Beaufort District Collection gets school annuals is through donations. As part of the relocation process, we added limited school annual holdings to the library's catalog in order that a person can readily see whether or not the BDC has the volume that he/she is hoping to see. It is particularly good to get pristine copies of annuals from former teachers at the schools such as those you left for us. (Student ones often are covered in personal messages written in all sorts of inks and markers that will eventually eat through the paper at some point in the future.) Rest assured that these Creek volumes will be treasured and held in trust for current and future residents and visitors of Beaufort County.
Go to the SC LENDS catalog, search on "Battery Creek annuals," and you'll see that we've added your donations to our holdings.
Thank you so much for dropping the volumes off at the Beaufort County Library.
Sincerely,
Grace Morris Cordial,
Beaufort District Collection Manager,
Historical Resources Coordinator
Beaufort County Library
My title has changed in the intervening years but the policy about what we collect here in the BDC has not: All things Beaufort District of permanent research value created between 15,000 BCE up to the splitting of the District with emphasis then on Beaufort County up to 50 years ago, as long as we can properly care for the material. Paper-based materials preferred.

October 18 - "Materials Monday: Letters" Colonel T.W. Higginson, the white officer in charge of the 1st South Carolina Volunteers wrote about the Combahee Raid in several letters to his loved ones. One gets the sense that Col. Higginson and Col. Shaw disapproved of the tactics of Col. James Montgomery.

He wrote repeatedly to his mother, Louisa Storrow Higginson, about the Combahee River Raid:
June 5, 1863 "Montgomery's raid was a most brilliant success, though I don't believe in burning private houses, as he does. Nearly 800 contraband!"
June 10, 1863 "Montgomery's raid was a great success freeing 800 people in a day - now he has gone down the shore. Encamping at St. Simon's island. He is an unequalled guerilla, but he has no system. After all one must consume his share of red tape as of dirt, nor hv. [sic] I ever tried to cut it without having to tie it together again in the end. It takes a great deal of machinery to keep 900 men in good condition, let alone a larger number.
June 19, 1863 "Montgomery's raids are dashing but his brigand practices I detest & condemn -- they will injure these people & make a reaction in the North. I never allowed such things save according to strictly military principles & it is perfectly easy to restrain the negroes; they are capable of heroic abstinence. I will have none but civilized warfare in my reg't, but the public may not discriminate."
To his wife, Mary Channing Higginson, he wrote on June 19, 1863: "Montgomery's career is brilliant but I fear he will do great harm; his burning & pillaging I utterly detest & never allowed it except under strict military laws. It is perfectly unnecessary too with these troops. I heard Col. Shaw does not like it."
You can read more of his letters in The Complete Civil War Journal and Selected Letters of Thomas Wentworth Higginson edited by Christopher Looby (2000).
Don't forget to watch the "Historically Speaking" 3.1 lecture with Dr. Mollie Barnes to get a fuller sense "Reading between the Lines and Across Rivers."

October 25 - "Materials Monday: Letters" Sometimes letters discovered in archival processing end up being featured in Connections - and in local history programs. Learn more in the BDC's longest running blog.

FAMILY HISTORY MONTH RELATED POSTS

October 7 - Family History Month tip: Women can be hard to find, particularly their maiden names. Sometimes it helps to search for records that might list your female ancestor’s brother or father. Turn, especially, to wills and other probate records, as well as references to any in-laws in census entries when available. Just bear in mind that sometimes there are no wills and other probate records due to fire, natural disasters, warfare, etc.

October 12 - Family History Tip: One of the best genealogical tools available is the "Atlas of Historical County Boundaries." It helps you follow jurisdictional changes over time—and, thus, what offices to consult for the records you need.
In the case of Beaufort District, there are close to 30 different configurations of jurisdictional boundaries from the mid-17th century to the present day. We have a printed copy of the book about South Carolina County boundaries inside the Research Room for those who prefer printed maps. Just remember to make an appointment at least several days in advance to come to the Research Room: 843-255-6468 ; bdc@bcgov.net

October 15 - A Monumental Feat Completed: After 83 years, FamilySearch has finished digitizing their 2.4 million rolls of microfilm! You can search the archive for free at FamilySearch.org (though you must register for an account).

October 23 - Family History Research Tip: Oh how I wish that Beaufort District was not a "burned county." That fact does indeed make it harder to locate long dead ancestors from this area. But there might be ways around the lack of property and probate records to information you need to locate. Think about what information was in the record you sought, and find other documents that include the same kinds of details whenever possible. A good place to start is to read a recently updated Connections blogpost about how to use state records in the Research Room and/or on the internet to help you learn more about ancestors who lived in South Carolina.
October 22 - The bane of a genealogist's existence: Ancestors with truly common names within a family and/or within a surname. Search for your John Smith using additional information, such as his birth year, middle name or spouse. Make notes about all the John Smiths in your ancestor’s area, so you can easily separate yours from the crowd.
Cassi unraveled which of the 7 George Cuthberts participated in a duel with which of the 3 John Verdiers mentioned in one of the Reeves Collection letters to the two most likely candidates using this process.
Watch "Duels in Beaufort District" with Neil Baxley, the Season 5 opening lecture in the Beaufort History Museum/Beaufort County Library series now showing on the Library's YouTube Channel for more information.

October 26 - Family Tree Magazine thinks that "brick walls" are sometimes due to inadequate consideration of alternate sources for the information you need to discover your ancestors. They even posted a flowchart suggesting how to adapt your research strategy.

October 27 - A long overdue updated "Genealogy Services Primer (2021)" is now on Connections.

October 28
- Good advice for Family History Month - with a Halloween theme!

October 30According to Arcadia Publishing: "Derived from the Greek word for “sleeping place,” the cemetery has long been associated with the world of the dead and featured in many scary stories. But cemeteries are also a place of memory and a link to the past—reminders of various settlement patterns, records of historic events, religions, lifestyles, and evidence of ethnic genealogy." Most cemeteries in what became the United States began on family land or attached to religious institutions.

Though there is no comprehensive list of all the cemeteries or persons buried in Beaufort County, the BDC does have some materials to help you locate your ancestor's final resting place.

ABOUT BDC MATERIALS, PROGRAMS, & SERVICES

October 1 - The American Library Association has long held principles and documents such as the "Library Bill of Rights" (1939) and the "Freedom to Read Statement" (1953) that help guide library workers to combat censorship of library materials. We keep these principles and statements in mind when someone posts a challenge to an item that is in our holdings.
You can see the Beaufort County Library Board of Trustees Challenged Materials policy and submission form posted on the Library's website.

October 2 - October is Archives Month. The first archival collection finding aid that I posted into the BDC's Links, Lists, and Finding Aid blog was the one for our own institution: The Beaufort County Library Finding Aid. The present-day BCL system has its roots in the circulating collection established by the Clover Club that became the Beaufort Township Library more than 100 years ago.

October 3 - We have some fabulous local history programs coming up! If you want to see the program before we make the link open to the general public on the Library's website, in Connections or here on the BDC's Facebook page, you'll need to either already be on the BDC's e-mail distribution list or you'll have to subscribe the the BDC's newsletter - like today! Just be sure to check the "Beaufort District Collection" box.

October 5 - One of the many behind the scenes tasks undertaken in the Research Room by BDC staff is creating reading suggestion lists and flyers. The latest in a long line of such promotional materials is "The History of Bluffton, SC" flyer and a re-working of "The History of Bluffton, SC: Selective Links & Materials" list on the WP blog.
October 8 - The portal to all things local history is the Beaufort District Collection's landing page on the Library's website. Explore what hides behind the 7 buttons along the bottom. I think that you'll be surprised by the quantity and quality of the local history content that we provide online.

October 9 - Happy 9th Birthday in the "new" St. Helena Branch Library! They're having a party today to celebrate. Details for the celebration are on the Library's Events calendar. But how did library services for island residents get from the trunk of Mrs. Wilhelmina Barnwell's car to the current architectural design award-winning structure? The BDC has a brief summary for you on Connections.
October 10 - We have two local history programs scheduled this month that you may want to put on your calendar.

Professor Barnes discusses Charlotte Forten and Harriet Tubman and what they were doing in June 1863 beginning on October 14th at 11 AM. See Connections for details.
Tuesday, October 19, we post the all virtual "Duels in Beaufort District" lecture by Neil Baxley.

October 11 - A corollary to this morning's "Letters" post: The BDC only collects school annuals for schools located within the boundaries of Beaufort County. We do not collect school annuals for Jasper County (established in 1912) nor Hampton County schools (established in 1878). All of the school annuals in the BDC's holdings are related to 20th century Beaufort County schools.

October 12 - One seldom knows how what we do as librarians affect others. Access to materials and programs can enhance many and sometimes in profound ways as it did for Mr. Gordon - who gave us permission to share his story with you all.
We love to hear how our library may have impacted someone's life in some way.
Grace Cordial, Manager of the Library’s Beaufort District Collection, recently received feedback from library customer David Gordon on how the Beaufort County Library system changed the trajectory of his life. Mr. Gordon tells the story:
“I well remember sitting at the breakfast table with my Dad in 2011 and seeing the notice in The Island Packet about Chris [Judge] giving his talk at the Library. As a result of that, I fulfilled my lifelong desire to do archaeology. I’ve worked at a number of sites, gotten a postgraduate certificate in archaeology from the University of Leicester, and become state President of the ASSC [Archaeology Society of South Carolina], all because of that event the Library hosted. Thanks to the Library!”
Thank you, Mr. Gordon, for sharing your story with us! We are so happy you attended that archaeology program years ago. 💙
Speaking of archaeology, don't miss this year's Arkhaios Film Festival that starts today, October 11th! Details in the post below.

October 14 - Those who participated in the in-person and live streamed lecture got a real treat! As soon as I get the URL for the recording of "Reading Between Lines and Across Rivers" by Dr. Barnes I shall share it.

October 14 - Catch the live stream of "Reading between the Lines and Across Rivers: Charlotte Forten and Harriet Tubman, June 1863" with Dr. Mollie Barnes at 11 AM. (Link no longer active - gmc) Please copy and paste the address into your browser. This lecture will not be streaming over Facebook! You will be asked to enter your name before being admitted into the online waiting room. The waiting room opens at 10:30AM; the live stream is set to begin at 11 AM. Once capacity is reached the live stream will be closed.
Please note: USCB staff is in control of the technology - which means if something goes wrong you just might have to wait until we post the recording within a few days. This local history program is brought to you the Beaufort County Historical Society, the Institute for the Study of the Reconstruction Era and the Beaufort District Collection. It is the "Historically Speaking" season 3 opening lecture.

October 16 - October 16th is National Dictionary Day. The BDC has several - if you take the second definition as "a reference work on a particular subject, the items of which are typically arranged in alphabetical order" into account. Probably most apropos for a Family History Month related post is What Did They Mean by That?: A Dictionary of Historical Terms for Genealogists by Paul Drake (1998).
Due to the nature of genealogical and historical work, one is introduced to words and terms then in common or legal usage which make absolutely no sense to the average citizen of the 21st century. This dictionary "of more than 3000 words includes many occupations, descriptions of early furniture and foods, common medical terms and herbal remedies, and many expressions, once common, yet now all but forgotten."
"Geedunk" anyone? Yum! [According to the dictionary, geedunk is an old Navy term for candies, ice cream, confections and or sweets available to the shipboard crew.]

October 16 - On this International Archaeology Day, I call to your attention the hundreds of local archaeology related titles we have in our Research Room and the link (removed as no longer active- gmc) to the all virtual Arkhaois Archaeology Film Festival that ends tomorrow.


October 17 - The BDC has well over 150 archival collections in our Research Room. Be sure to schedule your Research Room visits in advance. Please call 843-255-6468 or email bdc@bcgov.net for assistance in setting up an appointment or if you need help with a local history question. Staff will try to respond to your call or email within 72 hours.

October 21 - Today, Oct. 21, just so happens to be Reptile Awareness Day. "Reptiles and Amphibians" is an episode of the County Channel's award-winning Coastal Kingdom series hosted by Tony Mills. Stream it online through YouTube or borrow DVDs from one of the BCL's Branch Libraries to become more locally reptile aware.

October 19 - Settling matters of honor included following the rules with sometimes deadly consequences. Neil Baxley tells all about the duels fought in Beaufort District and/or those in which Beaufort District residents fought during the 18th and 19th centuries. This all virtual local history program co-sponsored by the BDC and the Beaufort History Museum is now showing on the Library’s YouTube Channel.

October 19 - IMIO (which I use for "In My Informed Opinion") The best candidates for digitization are archival collections of finite size and high interest that would suffer badly with frequent handling. Thus the BDC has created 8 digital collections from our holdings over the past 17 years. See the list - and some of the many treasures - that the Lowcountry Digital Library maintains for us on the internet. (Looking ahead there are 3 more in the pipeline.)

October 20 - Dr. Mollie Barnes posed and answered this research question: “Where was Charlotte Forten and what was she thinking while Harriet Tubman planned and executed the Combahee River Raid?” in her lecture a few days ago. Dr. Barnes explains their relationship and the paper trail. [Watch the recording for a limited time.]

October 24 - The BDC has two local history programs running right now: "Reading between the Lines and Across Rivers" with Mollie Barnes and "Duels in Beaufort District" with Neil Baxley and an Author Book Talk coming up as a Live Stream in November

October 26 - Pencil this into your calendars: The BDC's first ever Live Streamed Author Book Talk with Dr. Eric Plaag will happen on Monday, November 15 at 2 pm. URL to be provided closer to the date.

October 29 - Work on the Online Obituary Index proceeds. Beloved docent Kathy just got done identifying and indexing 657 obituaries from the microfilms we have of the 1986 "Beaufort Gazette." Search for your dead in our Online Obituary Index - a long-term volunteer project here at the Library that predates my tenure by at least 8 to 10 years.

BLACK HISTORY NOTE POSTS

October 20 - "Black History Note" Wednesday: Want to know more about Charlotte Forten who was featured in the "Historically Speaking" 3.1 lecture by Dr. Mollie Barnes last week? Check out one (or more) of these materials.
October 13 - "Black History Note:" Ancestry Library Edition has the complete "Freedmen's Bureau" records posted online! This is a very, very big deal for anyone interested in African American genealogy. More in Connections.

October 27 - "Black History Note:" Learn more about the largest slave raid that Harriet Tubman made - and it was done in Beaufort District and neighboring Colleton District in June 1863.

JUST BECAUSE ... POSTS

October 13 - South Carolina Department of Natural Resources’ Heritage Trust Program was created to conserve those natural features and cultural resources that are quickly disappearing as South Carolina’s population increases in size. There are 10 DNR Heritage Preserves in Beaufort County, among which is the Green Shell Enclosure on Hilton Head Island and Fort Frederick in Port Royal.

October 21 - Drop! Cover! Hold On! The Great Southeast Shake Out is happening now!

October 21 - Believe it or not, we are located in an active seismic zone. The 1886 Charleston earthquake rattled most of the East Coast, killed about 100 people, and caused much damage all along the coastal plain of South Carolina - including some here in Beaufort County. There's lots of earthquake preparedness resources on the Shakeout.org website for you to up your survivorship ante.

October 22 - Our sister institution, the Historic Beaufort Foundation, is holding its annual Fall Festival of Homes & Gardens Tour this afternoon, tomorrow, and Sunday. Details and fees are on their website. JSYK: We have a vertical file in the Research Room about the history and leadership of HISTORIC BEAUFORT FOUNDATION since 1970.
October 28 - The South Carolina Historical Society is offering a $ tour of some of Beaufort's churches along with lectures by Beaufort's own: Dr. Larry Rowland; Dr. Stephen Wise; and Dr. John McCardle. Details are on the SCHS website. JSYK: The BDC has a 3-foot wide drawer full of nothing but clippings about area churches, VF CHURCHES- ALL SAINTS CHAPEL to CHURCHES - ZION CHAPEL. There are about another 50 or so files about these religious organizations in between.

October 29 - Lots of people are getting excited about the Friends of the Library Annual Book Sale, the Pat Conroy Literary Festival, and the Meet the Authors events next week.

Looking Ahead to the Holiday Season: The Library will be closed on Thursday, November 11th for Veterans Day. Regular hours resume Friday, November 12th.

The Library will be closed on Thursday and Friday, November 25-26 for the Thanksgiving holidays. Those Library units normally open on Saturdays will be open on Saturday, November 27th.

Due to the day of the week on which Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year's Eve and New Year's Day fall and County observances of same, the Library will be closed from Thursday, December 23, 2021 through December 27, 2021 for the Christmas holidays and again on Friday, December 31, 2021. The Library Board of Trustees will decide at their meeting this afternoon if some parts of the Library will be open on Saturday, January 1, 2022.