Happy March! When you think of the month of March, it’s likely that you think of Spring and the anticipation of warmer weather. Grace assigned me this topic several months ago - because planning for the Lafayette 200 celebration spearheaded by Historic Beaufort Foundation began before I was hired! Besides what the BDC and Beaufort Branch are doing, other events held in his honor include contests, a procession down Bay Street to the John Mark Verdier House, lectures, dancing at the Arsenal sponsored by the Beaufort History Museum, and historical interpreter Mark Schneider who has dedicated his life to studying the life of the Marquis de Lafayette.
On March 18, 1825, Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert Du Motier, more commonly known as the Marquis de La Fayette, visited our very own county seat. This month we are celebrating the 200th anniversary of Lafayette’s visit to Beaufort (see below for more about the Library's programs). Though his visit was quite short, he left a mark on our small town.
For a general overview of Lafayette’s life, read "Lafayette Visits Beaufort," a post recently updated here on Connections. His heroism and devotion toward both France and the United States resulted in one biography of Lafayette receiving the title Hero of Two Worlds. I like that so much I am also titling this month's display: “Hero of Two Worlds”.
The layout of the case is as follows:
Shelf 1 - Who was Lafayette?
Shelf 2 - Lafayette in South Carolina
Shelf 3 - Accounts of Lafayette's visit
Shelf 4 - The Lafayette House (AKA the John Mark Verdier House)
The first shelf of the display serves as an overview of who Lafayette was and why he is such an important historical figure. He was deemed as the “Hero of Two Worlds,” but this title is often times debated by our French counterparts. To America, Lafayette is seen as a champion of the Revolutionary War. He saw passion and power in our country’s cause which led him to offer his assistance in our fight for independence. Across the sea in France, although Lafayette served in the National Assembly and assisted in the launch of their Revolution, he was often viewed as too liberal in their political climate. Over time, the French Revolutionary Jacobins reached a point where Lafayette believed they’d gone too far. Jacobin party members discerned his lack of involvement and felt he had abandoned them. For this reason, Lafayette would never be memorialized in the Panthéon, where France buries their most significant historical figures. However back during his tour, Lafayette was the most famous man in America - and one of the most beloved.
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To the left is The Fabric of Liberty: The Society of the Cincinnati of the State of South Carolina by Alexander Moore (2012). This book covers the history of the Society of the Cincinnati and also contains several mentions of Lafayette. The Society of the Cincinnati was made up of officers and later the descendants of Patriot officers. Although Moore focuses specifically on the South Carolina chapter of the Society of the Cincinnati, groups were formed in each of the original thirteen states. Their main purpose was to offer support to those who served and struggled throughout the time of the Revolutionary War. It is America’s oldest patriotic organization and is still active today. There are quite a few mentions of Lafayette, but some of the most important include his arrival to the continent, his relationship with Washington, and his extensive tour of the south.
On the opposite side is Lafayette: Prisoner of State (2010), in which Paul S. Spaulding uses primary resources such as police and military records as well as personal accounts to dissect Lafayette's five-year long captivity. Lafayette attempted to flee during the overturn of France's constitution; However, he was intercepted by Austrian and Prussian troops who were set on invading France. This is an extremely interesting source due to the fact that until 2010, no one had ever completed such an extensive study of Lafayette’s imprisonment. Spaulding is often applauded for his research and dedication to fitting all of these puzzle pieces of first-hand accounts together to form an overarching picture of Lafayette’s capture as well as his release.
Pinned to the back of the case you will see a poem titled "La Fayette Lands." It was written by Dubose Heyward and published in 1922 in his book of poetry entitled Carolina Chansons: Legends of the Low Country. The book itself is located front and center. I was thrilled to find this while I was meandering through the stacks to learn more about the BDC's holdings. (The poetry section is one of my favorites so I often end up there.) This is a beautifully written poem about Lafayette's arrival in South Carolina in 1777 to join the American Revolution.
Our Library Specialist Cassandra Knoppel loves the first stanza on page 39
A V-shaped ripple wrinkling from its jaws, Slides noiselessly across the swells, Leading the swinging boat's crew to the beach; And all the world slides up-- And then the stars slide down-- As ocean breathes; while evening falls, And destiny is being rowed ashore.
while my favorite is the final stanza on page 41:
Down in the library, The Marquis, writing back to old Auvergne, Has sanded down the ink; Again the quill pen squeaks: "A ship will sail tomorrow back to France, By special providence for you, dear wife; Tonight there will be toasts to Washington, To our good Louis and his Antoinette-- There will be toasts tonight for la Fayette ......." He melts the wax; Look, how the candle gutters at the flame! And now he seals the letter with his ring.To the left you will see Tales of Beaufort by Nell S. Graydon (1991). This book contains many well known as well as some more obscure stories about Beaufort. There is even a small section dedicated to the Lafayette house that recounts the night he arrived in Beaufort in 1825. Graydon wrote that many homes in the area were preparing for Lafayette’s arrival, including the Verdier and Barnwell homes; the latter often being referred to as “The Castle” (which is not "The Castle" at 411 Craven Street, but "Barnwell's Castle, one of the former Beaufort County courthouses - gmc). Beaufortonians worked tirelessly to decorate the town before Lafayette made landfall. Barnwell Castle was “dressed” for an extravagant ball while an arch of roses and trail of flowers led to the Verdier house. At midnight, much later than anticipated, Lafayette’s ship came ashore. With a dense schedule to keep to, he could only stay for a few hours. He did not want to disappoint the kind and welcoming people of Beaufort, so he stood on the porch of the Verdier house to speak to those who traveled from near and far to see the general. (Unfortunately, much of Graydon's version of the events on that night are not substantiated by primary source material from 1825. - gmc)
Charles Fraser written by Alice Ravenel Huger Smith (1967) which provides a complete overview of his life and accomplishments. Among those accomplishments was the opportunity to meet Lafayette and paint a portrait of him. Fraser was born in Charleston and resided there for most of his life. He attended school to study law but later found his calling in the world of art. Throughout all his years of painting, he was able to paint “at least one member of almost every family prominent in Charleston during the first half of the nineteenth century”. He was best known for creating miniature portraits. Fraser was able to paint a watercolor miniature portrait of Lafayette during his visit to Charleston, a few days before he arrived in Beaufort. This portrait usually is on display in Charleston’s City Hall along with numerous other historical figures. The third shelf is dedicated to firsthand accounts of Lafayette’s visit to Beaufort. The BDC is fortunate to have copies of multiple primary sources that thoroughly describe the brief but memorable night of March 18, 1825.
The first account I have to share with you comes from Hetty Barnwell. It is a letter dated March 25, 1825 from the Barnwell Family Papers held at the College of Charleston. She states that she arrived in Beaufort the previous Thursday as the town was anticipating for Lafayette to arrive on Friday. He was expected to land ashore around two in the afternoon; however, it was not until midnight that the townspeople were alerted of his arrival. There was then a procession that led Lafayette to what she refers to as “Mr. Wescot’s” property. Hetty referred to the procession as “so handsome” and was terribly upset that she was not able to see it in the daylight. On the other hand, Hetty reflects on how “very beautiful” the lights had shined onto the plumes of the guards. As is consistently reported, he stayed a very short time. Hetty states that he only stayed “long enough to shake hands all around and eat supper”.
Francis Richard Lubbock, a native of Beaufort who became Governor of Texas, states in Six Decades in Texas or Memoirs of Francis Richard Lubbock (1900) that he was 9 years old when Lafayette came to Beaufort on the Henry Schultz, a steamboat owned and operated that fateful day by his father, Dr. Henry Thomas Willis Lubbock. A typo gives the year of Lafayette's arrival as "1824" rather than 1825. Lubbock also says that the ball was held at "Mrs. Elliott's, [at which] I had the honor of being presented to the illustrious general, and complimented by him for my manliness and patriotism." (p. 5). The mayor of Beaufort (called the "Intendant" back then) was William Elliott, III and his family lived in what we call The Anchorage now. - gmc
As you have most likely noticed, details of Lafayette’s visit differ between retellings; however, the one detail we know for certain is that he only stayed a few hours - sometime after dark -- before re-boarding the steamboat to head to Savannah.
An interesting source I wanted to include comes from the Beaufort County Historical Society Papers that are housed here in the BDC. Centered on the shelf, BCHS Paper #20 is titled The Golden Age in Beaufort: Social and Cultural Aspects and was written by Margaret Raney Scheper in 1952. Scheper compiled numerous descriptions of historic Beaufort from the early to mid-nineteenth century, which she believed to be the town's “golden age”. A small portion of this study is dedicated to the visit of Lafayette. Scheper states that his visit was the “outstanding event of 1825”. She provides an overview of his visit and then recounts the pervious two sources I have shared with you: Hetty Barnwell’s letter and the Southern Patriot newspaper report.
Speaking of Lafayette’s local legend, it is the only reason the house is still here today. Here in the BDC, we have a copy of The John Mark Verdier House researched and written by Colin Brooker (1997). Brooker, an architect as well as an historic preservation consultant, is well known for his work in the area. This booklet has everything one would need to know about the Verdier house. It contains information about the lot itself, the Verdier family, the house and its architecture, a well as a preservation plan for the house.
The process of saving the Verdier House from being destroyed sparked the historic preservation movement in 1940’s Beaufort. Over time, the house began to gradually decay due to a lack of proper maintenance and transformed into a rooming house that was under threat of being condemned. That was until the town came together to share the stories of Lafayette’s visit that had been passed down multiple generations. Beaufortonians declared that the Lafayette Building was a crucial part of the town’s history; the Marquis had stood there! So, in 1945, Chlotilde Martin formed the Committee to Save the Lafayette Building. With the help of the remaining Verdier heirs, the Beaufort Museum, and William Levin, the committee was able to gather enough funds to gain possession of the property. Throughout the following years, the Historic Beaufort Foundation made endless repairs to reform the house and convert it into a house museum that the public could then tour. The Historic Beaufort Foundation has more information about the house and tours on its website.
The needlework implements and artifacts are on loan from Mary Lou Brewton since we'll be hosting our "Waiting for Lafayette" programs.
I hope you’ve enjoyed learning a bit about the Marquis’ visit to Beaufort. This is only the beginning of this month’s festivities!
The Beaufort County Library's contribution are several - and all available free of charge but registration is required:
- The Beaufort Branch's Children's Department are doing crafts on March 6th and playing 19th century games on March 12th for the kids to celebrate the Local History Red Letter Day a bit early. Space is limited; Registration is required. Call 843-255-6441 to reserve a spot.
- The Beaufort Branch and the BDC are co-sponsoring "Waiting for Lafayette" Needlecraft sessions the afternoon of March 12th. Session 1 will be embroidery with Jade Weaver 1 PM - 2 PM; Session 2 will be quilting with Jane Pfarner and other members of the Sea Island Quilters from 2:30 PM - 3:30 PM. We'll be in the Beaufort Branch's Children's Programming Room. Space is limited; Registration is required. Call 843-255-6441 to reserve a spot in either (or both) sessions. (Yes, this is the same number. The Children's department is keeping the registrations for both the youth and adult sessions.)
- I will be giving a very brief overview of Lafayette's long relationship with President James Monroe and about Lafayette's visit to Beaufort at various times during the afternoon on March 12 in the Children's Programming Room.
- On Tuesday March 18, the BDC will have a table set up on the 200 block of Scott Street along with some other groups from 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM to honor the day that the most famous man in America came to call.
If you are interested in any of the materials I have shared today, or wish to explore our collection for yourself, walk-ins are accepted but appointments are encouraged. To make an appointment, send an email to bdc@bcgov.net or give us a call at 843-255-6468. I hope to hear from you soon!
Works Cited
Brooker, C. (1997). The John Mark Verdier House. Historic Beaufort Foundation.
Frarr, J. (1831). The Story of the Life of Lafayette. Hilliard, Gray, Little and Wilkins.
Graydon, N. S. (1991). Tales of Beaufort. Sandlapper Publishing.
Heyward, D. and Allen, A. (1922). Carolina Chansons: Legends of the Low Country. The MacMillan Company.
Jones, K. M. (1960). Port Royal Under Six Flags. Bobbs-Merrill.
Klamkin, M. (1975). The Return of Lafayette. Charles Scribner's Sons.
Moore, A. (2012). The Fabric of Liberty: The Society of the Cincinnati of the State of South Carolina. Home House Press.
Smith, A. R. H. (1967). Charles Fraser. Garnier & Company.
Spaulding, P. S. (2010). Lafayette: Prisoner of State. University of South Carolina Press.
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