Local History Programs in May 2026

We have three local history programs scheduled for May. We hope that you'll be able to join us at one or more of them. 

On Thursday, May 14 at 11:00 AM in the Beaufort Branch Library Meeting Room, NPS Historian Eric J. Ellis will lead a thought-provoking program on Reconstruction-era politics entitled A Party Divided: Political Divisions of the Beaufort Republican Party During Reconstruction. During the beginning of the Reconstruction period in Beaufort, SC, a division in the Republican party grew. This political division pitted William C. Morrison and Robert Smalls, heroes of the Planter, against each other. This division in the Republican party was heated and even violent at times and involved some big names in Beaufort history. Hear how this division began, how it played out, and how it impacted the Republican Party of Beaufort’s Reconstruction period at "A Party Divided: Political Divisions of the Beaufort Republican Party During Reconstruction." 

Originally from Jacksonville, Eric joined the US Navy after high school serving in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. After the Navy, Eric attended school at New Mexico State University, in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Eric earned his Bachelor of Arts in History and his Master of Arts in Public History and 19th c. US History. After graduation Eric took a position with New Mexico Historic Sites as an Interpretive Ranger. In 2023, Eric accepted a position as a historian for the National Park Service at the Reconstruction Era National Historical Park. In his time with the Park Service, Eric focused his research on Black Landownership during the Reconstruction period and completed research on a variety of topics on the Reconstruction period for the park and park partners.  

This program is part of the "Historically Speaking" local history series brought to you by the Beaufort District Collection and the Beaufort County Historical Society.

At 2:00 PM on May 19th at the St. Helena Branch Library, please join us for Dr. Randy James' fascinating program on Cochineal.    You may be wondering, "What is Cochineal?" The answer is not a simple one! Dr. Randy James, AKA Dr. Dirt, will share the fascinating yet forgotten history of a colonial industry: the harvesting of Cochineal insects on Hunting Island. But why would anyone want to grow bugs? Come join us to find out!

Dr. James has a PhD in soils and is a Professor Emeritus with the Ohio State University, College of Food, Agriculture & Environmental Sciences. He has lived in Beaufort for over 15 years, doing a lot of volunteer work in the community, and is endlessly fascinated with our dirt.

This program is co-sponsored by the Beaufort History Museum. Doors open at 1:30 PM.

How many of us know that Europeans were in Beaufort almost a century before the Pilgrims first ate turkey at Plymouth Rock? Dr. David Moore will give a presentation diving into this little-known history on Thursday, May 28, 2026 at 11:00am at the Coastal Discovery Museum (70 Honey Horn Drive, Hilton Head, SC 29926). This program is co-sponsored by the Beaufort County Historical Society.

“Santa Elena” (Saint Helena) was on European charts as a strategically important geographic point from 1526 and became Spain’s premier North American colony 1566-1587. Spanish “La Florida” encompassed all lands from modern Maine thru New Mexico. From Santa Elena, Florida’s capital until 1576, expeditions and religious missions ranged as far north as the Chesapeake Bay, as far south as Key West…and as far west as Tennessee. Captain Juan Pardo was tasked with establishing a highway connecting Parris Island to the silver mines in northern Mexico. Fort San Juan, just outside today’s Morganton, NC, was one of the multiple outposts Captain Pardo established during two expeditions of the interior from 1566 to 1568. Archaeology revealed, and artifacts recovered from the “Berry Site” (as Fort San Juan is now known), are direct reflections of Beaufort’s 16th Century history.

Dr. David Moore has worked at the Berry site near Morganton, North Carolina for 25 years and currently directs the summer field school. He has directed major excavations at numerous sites in North Carolina including Hardaway, Warren Wilson, and Berry. His work in the upper Catawba Valley began in 1986 with excavations at the Berry site as part of his dissertation research. He is a faculty member in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at Warren Wilson College.

Reminder: The Beaufort County Library System will be closed on April 21st for Staff Development Day.

Local History Program: History of Hunting Island State Park with Ranger Rachel Dunn

Mark your calendars for an exciting local history program: History of Hunting Island State Park with Ranger Rachel Dunn, scheduled for 2:00 PM on March 10th at the St. Helena Branch Library! 

For the past three years, Rachel Dunn has been the Interpretive Ranger at Hunting Island State Park, where she studies the natural and historical resources of the Lowcountry to create programs for residents and visitors to Beaufort County. She has a degree in Plant Biology from Southern Illinois University-Carbondale, is a Certified Interpretive Guide through the National Association for Interpretation, and most recently became a Lowcountry Master Naturalist in 2023.

Ranger Dunn's program will explore the history of Hunting Island State Park. Hunting Island has been a place of interest for people living on the east coast for thousands of years. Today, Hunting Island is one of South Carolina's most popular state parks, but how did we get here? During this lecture, discover the Indigenous history of the island, how Hunting Island earned its name, how it became part of South Carolina's robust state park system, and more.

This is a joint program between the Beaufort District Collection and the Beaufort History Museum.

Doors open at 1:30 PM.

November 2023 Overview

We have a busy 11th month with programs, a community outreach event, holidays, and reviewing applications for the BDC's Library Specialist position.

On Friday, Nov. 3rd we host a talk about the 79th New York "Kilted
Warriors" who were stationed in Beaufort District for a part of the Civil War. The next day Jalen and I will be outside the Arsenal for the Living History Encampment on Saturday, Nov. 4th. Both the lecture and the Encampment are sponsored by the Beaufort History Museum.

The Friends of the Beaufort Library are having their big Fall Book Sale in Waterfront Park, Nov. 3, 4, and 5. That group helped fund the BDC's compact shelving array for which I will be eternally thankful. Great deals are to be had there. Please support them as they help support the northern Beaufort County Library branches and units.

Thursday, November 9th we're on the road to Hilton Head Branch to hear Robert Lanham discuss one of South Carolina's first settlers, Henry Woodward, and his interactions with area Native Americans.

Holidays-wise: The Library is closed on November 10 and 11th for Veterans Day. Thanksgiving holidays began at 5 pm on Wed., November 22nd. All units of the Library will be closed on Thursday, November 23 and Friday, November 24. Library units normally open on Saturdays will be open on Saturday, November 25th.

JSKY: The "Yamasee Homelands" program is postponed until January.

Kilted Warriors and Encampment

Just a reminder that the Civil War is on our mind: 

You can see the entire re-enactment group doing their daily life during the Civil War activities during the event at the Arsenal on Saturday. Drop by to say "Hello" to Jalen and me from 10 AM - 2 PM on Saturday. We'll be set up at a table promoting BDC and Library resources outside the Arsenal. 

BDC Local History Programs Fall 2023

The Library system's push to re-invigorate our community programs has had consequences for the BDC - which are good for you but quite challenging for the BDC as I try to cover all the responsibilities inherent in caring for special collections type materials with insufficient staff to get those responsibilities done. 

I am very fortunate to have forged solid and supportive relationships with historically minded individuals, community groups, and organizations from whence comes many of the key components for creating and coordinating local history programs for you. Here's what we have to offer you during Fall 2023. All programs are open to the general public at no charge. Space is always limited to the size of the meeting room we use. Most require registration. As indicated in this Connections article, the Research Room will be closed on local history program days.   

You will notice that the BDC is taking to the road a lot, September - November, in an attempt to bring high quality local history programs to a Branch Library close to you.  

September has programs about the colonial period, the mid-20th century and a special event. 

Thursday, September 21, 2023 -- Historically Speaking 5.1A: "Beaufort Before Britain; Our District's European Origin Story" with Dr. Larry Rowland and Chris Allen. Beaufort Branch, 311 Scott Street, 11 AM. Registration opens September 7, 2023 on the Beaufort County Historical Society website. As always, we will close registration when we reach the meeting room capacity. If you have questions about registration, please send them to beaufortcountyhistorical@gmail.com.  

Thursday, September 28, 2023 -- "Paradise: An Authors Book Talk" with Nelle and Ora Smith. BDC@ Hilton Head Branch, 11 Beach City Road, 10 AM. First come; first seated. Door opens 30 minutes ahead of the program start time.

Friday, September 29, 2023 -- Enjoy light refreshments in the upstairs lobby of 311 Scott Street to mark the 13th anniversary of the relocation of the Beaufort District Collection at 3:30 PM. 

October is pretty full as well. The "Beaufort Before Britain" lectures are in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month which runs from mid-September to mid-October each year. We begin with a reprise. 

Thursday, October 5, 2023 -- Historically Speaking 5.1B: "Beaufort Before Britain; Our District's European Origin Story" with Dr. Larry Rowland and Chris Allen. Bluffton Branch, 120 Palmetto Way, 11 AM. Registration for this reprised lecture opens September 21, 2023 on the Beaufort County Historical Society website.

Saturday, October 7, 2023 -- "What the Heck Is It?: Artifact Identification" is an artifact identification session with professional archeologists who will analyze, identify and date your artifacts. Over the years folks have presented a full range of artifacts – prehistoric, historic, projectile points, ceramic sherds, Civil War crypto devices, African dolls, 1st century lamps, etc. – to name a few. Look around the house and bring in that thing you wonder what the heck it is.  Note Well: Do not bring any weapons (guns, swords, daggers, etc.) to be examined. It is the policy of the Beaufort County Library not to allow any weapons in the libraries. No monetary valuations will be provided. Drop-in at Bluffton Branch, 120 Palmetto Way, from 1 PM - 4 PM with your artifacts and try to stump our esteemed archaeologists. I am honored that the Hilton Head Chapter, Archaeological Society of South Carolina is allowing me to be a co-sponsor this year.

The "Plantation Profiles" lectures may be the first time that the Beaufort History Museum and the Beaufort County Historical Society have agreed to help the BDC tri-sponsor a set of lectures. We expect this topic to be very, very popular on both sides of the Broad River. Be sure to register as soon as registration opens. We have very different Fire Marshal capacities so if you can't get into the session at St. Helena Branch Library on the 17th consider signing up for the session on the 19th at Bluffton Branch where we can seat almost twice as many registrants. 

Tuesday, October 17, 2023 -- "Plantation Profiles" (Northern Beaufort County) with Kayleigh Vaughn of the Morris Center for Lowcountry Heritage. St. Helena Branch Library, 6355 Jonathan Francis Senior Road, 2 PM. Registration opens October 3, 2023 on the Beaufort History Museum website. This program is co-sponsored by the BDC, Beaufort History Museum and the Beaufort County Historical Society.

Thursday, October 19, 2023 -- Reprise of "Plantation Profiles" (Southern Beaufort County) with Kayleigh Vaughn of the Morris Center for Lowcountry Heritage.  Bluffton Branch Library, 120 Palmetto Way, 11 AM. Registration for this session opens October 5, 2023 on the Beaufort County Historical Society website. This program is co-sponsored by the BDC, Beaufort County Historical Society and the Beaufort History Museum. 

In November, we are participating in the Beaufort History Museum's Civil War Encampment and co-hosting a program with them related to the history of a Union unit stationed here during that period. We also have two programs relating to the colonial period of history in honor of Native American Heritage month.    

Friday, November 3, 2023 -- "Kilted Warriors: A Brief History of the New York Highlanders" with re-enactor Tom Vaselopulos. Beaufort Branch Library, 311 Scott Street, 2 PM. Registration opens October 20, 2023 on the Beaufort History Museum website. 

Saturday, November 4, 2023 -- New York Highlanders Civil War Era Living History Encampment at the Arsenal, 713 Craven Street, Beaufort. 9 AM - 4:30 PM. The demonstrations are free. I'll be there showing off surrogates of some of our Civil War and Reconstruction materials and talking with interested passers-by and area residents from most of the day.

Thursday, November 9, 2023 -- "Snake Bit: Henry Woodward, South Carolina's first English Settler" with Bob Lanham. BDC@ Hilton Head Branch Library, 11 Beach City Road, 11 AM. No registration process: First come; first seated. Door opens 30 minutes ahead of the program start time. 

Wednesday, November 15, 2023 – "The Yamasee" with Hannah Hoover. BDC@ St. Helena Branch Library, 6355 Jonathan Francis Senior Road, 2 PM. No registration process: First come; first seated. Door opens 30 minutes ahead of the program start time.

We'll take a local history program break for the Thanksgiving through Martin Luther King, Jr. Day holidays since my local history programs demographic tend to travel during that period of the year but rest assured we'll crack things back up programs-wise towards the end of January 2024 - and with a real treat!  

"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.

BDC Local History Programs are Evolving ...

Beaufort District Collection Local History Program plans are evolving as we navigate all that COVID-19 and the vaccination controversy have wrought. Please note: Until further notice, all visitors to the Library must be properly masked and socially distance from others. 

As you are likely aware, COVID-19 mitigation efforts have affected Library operations and Library program efforts since mid-March 2020. For example, the Summer Reading Program programs in 2020 and 2021 were held outdoors or were virtual events. In the case of the BDC's programs we had to postpone or cancel programs previously scheduled to be held in April and May 2020. 

Last summer, the Beaufort County Historical Society and the BDC decided to forge ahead with an all virtual Season 2 of the Historically Speaking series, acquiring new skills in the process. The online attendance numbers proved good. More than 800 people viewed the three lectures that we were able to post. One lecture had to be postponed due to scheduling conflicts and staff shortages. At the same time, the Beaufort History Museum and the Library suspended our joint Local History series for the July 2020-June 2021 season by mutual agreement. 

So... yes things have indeed been quite different since the first COVID-19 shutdown in mid-March 2020.

Under normal pre-COVID conditions, the BDC  manages three sets of programs: 1) stand alone BDC local history programs which are generally how-to or instructional in nature (e.g. how to use the "Freedmen's Bureau Records"); 2) the "Historically Speaking" series held with the Beaufort County Historical Society; and 3) the "Local History" series co-sponsored by the Beaufort County Library and the Beaufort History Museum that began in 2016. 

Together and separately each organization has been pondering our respective ways forward to a return on in-person programs since June 2020. Plans were steaming ahead: We had our speakers on topics we felt of interest to our community; We had reserved the rooms for August, September, October and December 2021. Unfortunately, the spread of COVID-19 in Beaufort County has not lessened, indeed it has grown larger which makes it even scarier for us to host in-person events - even if we had done so at a very reduced room capacity standard to observe health and safety protocols. 

This fourth surge has nixed most of those plans. 

The first program affected was "Tide of Death." 

I try to give the "Tide of Death" presentation at least once every three to four years in one or more library locations. 2021 meant that it was about time to do it again. I had planned to do an in-person event on August 27th, the hurricane's anniversary. When it became obvious that  an in-person program could not happen, Thomas Schotter of the Library's Marketing and Communications unit recorded me talking about the biggest, baddest hurricane to strike Beaufort District in its long and storied history. We recorded it on August 20th in the BDC "studio." We posted it on August 27th. Just between us: We probably should have spent a bit more time editing the raw footage but staff shortages and schedules just did not allow either of us that opportunity. The presentation has been running on the Library's YouTube Channel for a couple of weeks now. It will remain available at least to the end of this month. (I do so hope that you watch it and let me know if you came away knowing more about the Great Sea Island Hurricane than when you began.)

There are 4 programs on the calendar between September and December. Due to the surging infection rate in Beaufort County, at least 3 of those programs now require implementation of some on alternate plans of delivery to you. On the plus side, this old dog is having to learn new tricks and acquiring new skills even at this late stage in my professional career.  

September's program is postponed until November. 

I had planned to offer an in-person Author Book Talk with Dr. Eric Plaag about his Means of Grace: A History of the Robertville Baptist Church on September 16th. Then we decided to record his talk while he was going to be in the area. Then his visit to the lowcountry was postponed. Then Dr. Eric Plaag, Thomas Schotter, and I got our thinking caps out again.  Thomas and I tested the technology on September 10th and we think that we'll be able to pull it off come mid-November. (We cannot do it any sooner than that due to conflicting schedules.) That means we're going to try the BDC's first ever LIVE YouTube program about Means of Grace on 15 November. I am grateful for the cooperation of the Beaufort County Historical Society, and Carolina Historical Consulting, LLC in making this happen for us. 

To participate in the LIVE event one will have to get the URL from us. Be sure to sign up for the BDC's e-mail distribution list to get the URL link and notice for the live and virtual event. All other viewers will be able to access the recording through Library's YouTube Channel within a day or two after the live and virtual event. 

Programs planned for October will be delivered remotely, more or less on schedule. 

October had two programs on the calendar: one "Historically Speaking" session with the Beaufort County Historical Society and the Season 5 opener in the Beaufort History Museum/Beaufort County Library series.

Season 3 of the "Historically Speaking" series was set to open with Dr. Molly Barnes of the University of South Carolina Beaufort with "Reading Between Lines and Across Rivers: Charlotte Forten and Harriet Tubman, June 1863." We are in the process of finalizing where, when and how precisely this session co-sponsored by the Beaufort County Historical Society, USCB's Institute for the Study of Reconstruction and the BDC will be shared - but shared it will be. 

Neil Baxley is the featured speaker for the BHM/BCL series a few days later in October. His topic is "Duels in Beaufort District." Just as in the case of Dr. Plaag's and Dr. Barnes' sessions, we spent a lot of time debating what to do, how to do it, and when to do it. We made a decision last week: "Duels in Beaufort District" will be recorded inside the BDC's temporary "studio," edited, and then posted on the Library's YouTube Channel a few weeks later. 

I think that local history program groupies should get a little something extra for your faithfulness.  

One of the things that we have tried to do since having to go virtual with our programs is to let the  membership of the respective sponsoring organizations get the link before we publicize it more broadly on our respective Facebook pages and websites.

If you want to see the program before we make the link open to the general public on the Library's website, here in Connections or on the BDC's Facebook page, you'll need to either already be on the BDC's list or you'll have to subscribe the the BDC's newsletter before early October. Just be sure to check the "Beaufort District Collection" box.

November will now have the program about Means of Grace mentioned above. 

The program scheduled for December is - as of this writing - planning to be held with a live audience assembled in the Beaufort Branch Meeting Room.

Our fingers remain crossed that by December all health concerns related to COVID spread will have abated and we can gather together in the Beaufort Branch Meeting Room for a lecture about the the history of the New York Highlanders during the Civil War with Tom Vaselopulos as part of the Beaufort History Museum's Encampment weekend.  Of course, all of these plans are subject to change as we do not know what further impacts vaccination rates and COVID-19 spread may have on us over the course of the next several months. 

BDC Programs & Outreach for March 2020

The program attendance count continues to be strong. We've broken 900, averaging 47 people per program. I'm sure that we will increase that average attendance number with the next programs and outreach events on our calendar. In fact, one of the lectures is already almost completely full! (Our partner opened registration quite early). I refer to the upcoming appearance of Beaufort's beloved Dr. Larry Rowland.

On Thursday, March 12th  he will discuss "Kate Gleason, Libby Sanders, and Beaufort in the 1920s" in the next "Historically Speaking" lecture that we do in conjunction with the Beaufort County Historical Society. Please note: This lecture will happen in the big Meeting Room at St. Helena Branch Library. As with all library related programs, we observe applicable fire codes.  When the number of registrants meets the Fire Marshal limit for occupancy in the room, registration will be closed. Until then, registration is open through the Beaufort County Historical Society's  website: http://bit.ly/38svUNz

Two days later on Saturday, March 14th, we participate in the Beaufort History Museum's  5th Annual Living History Encampment. 

Kristi and/or I will be out on Craven Street at the BDC's table with some surrogates representing our newspaper, 19th century prints and photographic collections along with distributing handouts about the Library's many Civil War and Reconstruction era materials from 10 AM to 1 PM. 

In concert with the Beaufort History Museum and the National Park Service, the BDC hosts two free lectures that date. Both programs are first come, first seated. Doors will open 30 minutes ahead of program start time for seating. 

• 10 AM - NPS Ranger Chris Barr explains why Beaufort District was critical to Reconstruction. 

•  2 PM - Professional storyteller extraordinaire Cora Newcomb will share amazing stories of real women who made a difference in Beaufort District. In addition to mobilizing soup kitchens and relief societies, women also cared for wounded soldiers and were effective spies. It is estimated that 300 women fought on the battlefields, usually disguised as men. This program will focus on those women who were in Beaufort and involved in many different aspects of the war. 

If you go into the Reconstruction Era Interpretative Center be sure to take a careful look at the "Islands of Hope in a Sea of Despair" exhibit. The Library contributed a number of the images shown on the Beaufort History Museum's exhibit that has been loaned to the Reconstruction Era National Park. The NPS center is free of charge.

The BHM is offering a reduced rate for entrance to its museum throughout the day.

The BDC takes to the road again at the end of March. Hilton Head Branch Reference Librarian Jo Gaillard and I will represent the Library system during the "Lowcountry Fair with Historical Flair" on the Coastal Discovery Museum's campus on Saturday, March 28, 2020. Please drop by to say "Hello" or to ask about any of the Library's many materials and services.  

A lot of re-enactors and historical groups are scheduled to participate in the Fair. Tickets are available through the Santa Elena History Center website at  https://santa-elena.org/lowcountry-fair-2020/.

Just a reminder: We can be contacted at 843-255-6468 or by email to bdc@bcgov.net with any questions about what the BDC is, has or does.

Programs in November - and Registration?

Frequent readers of this blog understand that the special local history collection and archives unit of the Beaufort County Library provides some programs on its own as well as co-sponsors others on a one-time or recurrent basis through time. At present, the BDC is coordinating two local history series with other organizations on a regular and recurrent basis: Beaufort History Museum/Beaufort County Library local history series and the new "Historically Speaking" series with the Beaufort County Historical Society. Since August we have also held programs alone and in concert with the Beaufort Branch Library and will soon do one or more with the Pat Conroy Literary Center, Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor Commission, Penn Center and St. Helena Branch Library. Some of our partners have reservation software; some of our partners do not; and the Beaufort District Collection does not. Thus, some of our programs request registration, some require registration and others are simply first come, first seated. In other words, be sure to read the details per each program in which you are interested.

Registration is required to attend lectures in the Beaufort History Museum/Beaufort County Library local history series. Reservations often go quite quickly. If there are any no-shows the day of the lecture, Museum ushers seat stand-by customers at 5 minutes to lecture start time. Registration for "Guns of the Big Gun Shoot" with Dave Smoot opens Thursday, October 24th on the Beaufort History Museum website http://www.beauforthistorymuseum.wildapricot.org/event-3552471.
Registration is requested to attend the Author Book Talks with Jim Alberto, co-sponsored with the Pat Conroy Literary Center. There are two sessions:

• Friday, October 25 at 2 pm at Hilton Head Branch Library, 11 Beach City Road https://daufuskiedaze1.bpt.me
• Friday, November 15 at 2 pm at Beaufort Branch Library, 311 Scott Street https://daufuskiedaze2.bpt.me

There is no reservation process at all for "Making Gullah: Reflections on Finding Gullah Folk in the American Imagination." We want everyone who is interested in Gullah culture to be able to attend this free lecture by Dr. Melissa Cooper. The BDC is happy to collaborate with the St. Helena Branch Library, Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor Commission and Penn Center to bring this  Author Book Talk to our community as part of Penn Center's 37th Annual Heritage Days Festival. The Festival runs from November 7 - November 9, 2019. Dr. Cooper's lecture will be held at 2 pm on November 8th in the St. Helena Library's large meeting room. This lecture is a first come, first seated program.

We finish up BDC local history programs in late November with another "Historically Speaking" lecture in concert with the Beaufort County Historical Society.

"'Not Just Gossip:' Who Dwelt in Beaufort's Historic Houses?" 
with Maxine Lutz
Thursday, November 21, 2019 | 2 pm | Beaufort Branch Meeting Room

At present, the BDC has no programs scheduled for December 2019. That could change, of course, so be sure to check the Library's calendar https://www.BeaufortCountyLibrary.org/calendar for program details and updates.

We hope that you take advantage of one or more of our upcoming programs to increase your understanding and appreciation of Beaufort District's long and storied history.

Register for these Upcoming Programs Today!

For the most part, programs held inside library buildings are free of charge and often are "First come; First seated" programs. However, when library staff make presentations outside the library buildings or co-sponsors a community event, there may be advance registration and fees assessed by our co-sponsors. Sometimes programs inside our buildings require registration because we only have so many computers or so many seats and expect good turnouts. Thus, it can get somewhat confusing so here are the programs in January, February and one in March that require registration and/or payment of a fee to attend. Don't delay register today or risk all the seats being taken!   


Coming up on Thursday, January 31, 2019 - Lecture at Coastal Discovery Museum

Coosawhatchie. Pocataligo. Combahee. These words can be difficult for newcomers, or even old-timers, to pronounce. Join us to learn how to properly pronounce local family and place names the way native South Carolinians do while also picking up some local history tidbits. Beaufort District Collection manager, and South Carolina native, Grace Cordial will share fascinating stories of our local history, places, and families - and the correct way to mispronounce them!

Correct Mispronunciations of Some South Carolina Names with Grace Cordial
BDC@ Coastal Discovery Museum, 70 Honey Horn Drive, Hilton Head Island
January 31 at 3 pm. Cost is $7 per person and reservations are required by continuing online to https://www.coastaldiscovery.org/event-registration/?ee=12625 or by calling 843-689-6767 ext. 223.
The lecture will be closed when capacity is reached.


Coming up on Saturday, February 2, 2019  - FREE Family History Workshop at St. Helena Branch Library

PLEASE NOTE: Wait List started on 15 January 2019. We may be able to offer this workshop again. So please get your name on the Wait List.

We had such a great experience working with Toni Carrier of the International African American Museum and the Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor Commission in October 2018 that we are jointly offering a follow-up genealogy workshop about how to use Freedmen's Bureau Records.

Family Search has posted most of these Federal records online. The Freedmen's Bureau records that Family Search has made into a digital collection consists of an index and images of records relating to census lists, arrival and departure registers, transportation records,  and some birth, death and burial records. Field Office records from the following states are represented: Alabama (M1900), District of Columbia (M1902), Georgia (M1903), Louisiana (M1905), Maryland and Delaware (M1906),Mississippi (M1907), North Carolina (M1909), South Carolina (M1910), Texas (M1912), Virginia (M1913). [The (M####) indicates that the records were taken from National Archives microfilm series]. 


The Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands (often called the Freedmen’s Bureau) was created in 1865 at the end of the American Civil War to supervise relief efforts including education, health care, food and clothing, refugee camps, legalization of marriages, employment, labor contracts, and securing back pay, bounty payments and pensions. The collection covers the years 1865 to 1872. As such, Freedmen’s Bureau records are a major source of genealogical information about post Civil War African Americans.

There are three ways to get on the wait list: Call 843- 818 - 4587; or register through the GGCHCC's Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/events/336240036925392 or send an e-mail to info@gullahgeecheecorridor.org.

 Coming up on Thursday, February 7, 2019 - Lecture at Tabernacle Baptist Church

The Beaufort County Historical Society and the Beaufort History Museum celebrate their 80th anniversaries with a special lecture sponsored by the BCHS, BHM, Tabernacle Baptist Church in cooperation with the Beaufort District Collection. The BDC's role is to share images of materials from our holdings about the history of those august institutions, these two lawyers, and the Reconstruction period during the celebratory reception.

Prof. W. Lewis Burke

William J. Whipper and Jonathan Jasper Wright: Beaufort's and South Carolina's First Civil Rights Lawyers presented by Distinguished Professor Emeritus W. Lewis Burke of the School of Law, University of South Carolina.
Thurs., February 7, 2019, 6:00 - 7:30 PM
BDC@ Tabernacle Baptist Church, 901 Craven Street, Beaufort
$ charged by partners
Details and registration: https://beauforthistorymuseum.wildapricot.org/event-3119022

Seats are limited.


The Beaufort District Collection is partnering with the Pat Conroy Literary Center to bring a very special world premiere program about Beaufort's Forgotten Author, Ann Head and her influence on Beaufort's best known author, Pat Conroy. The program is free though space is limited. Registration has opened: http://bit.ly/2Ddyda6

A word to the wise:

Don't delay registering if you're interested in the programs and workshops. Many of our program opportunities "sell out" in advance of the program date. 

Reminder: The Civil War is Back This Weekend

Beaufort History Museum will present its third annual Living History Encampment on Saturday, March 24, 2018 from 9 am – 5 pm in the Arsenal courtyard. The Beaufort County Library is a co-sponsor and BDC staff will be on hand to share information about the Civil War and Reconstruction periods with visitors throughout the day. At 1:00 PM, we'll cross the street and head to the Beaufort Branch Meeting Room (311 Scott Street) to host Dr. McKinley's lecture on the industry that saved Beaufort District after the Civil War.

This year, the popular Encampment event will include displays of South Carolina militia from 1860 – 1861 and describe the militia’s role in defending the Port Royal Harbor, and subsequently in defending the mainland against the Federal forces. Also featured will be military impressions of the Union infantry, marine and naval forces that used Beaufort as a base of operations during the Civil War after the Battle of Port Royal Sound on Nov. 7, 1861. In addition, the role of civilian abolitionists and teachers involved in the Port Royal Experiment will be presented, along with the early transitions of Freedmen in this area. 

Activities in the Arsenal will occur on a rotating and continuous basis and re-enactors love to interact with visitors. 
 

As mentioned above, the story of Beaufort District is quite unlike the story in the rest of the South. While much of the South was suffering economic and social collapse in the aftermath of the Civil War, Beaufort prospered in the 1870s and 1880s and into the 1890s on account of the rich deposits of phosphate oar on land as well as along the bottom of some of our waterways. Phosphates were a necessary ingredient in fertilizers. In the 1870s, 50% of the phosphate mined in the United States was mined in South Carolina and 50% of South Carolina's ore was mined in Beaufort County.  

"History of Phosphate Mining" program Sat., March 24 | BDC@ Beaufort Branch Meeting Room, 311 Scott Street, 1st floor| 1 pm First come; first served

Come hear about the industry that saved Beaufort with Dr. Shepherd McKinley, Senior Lecturer at the University of North Carolina Charlotte who will present Stinking Stones and Rocks of Gold: Phosphate, Fertilizer, and Industrialization in Postbellum South Carolina, 2014. Dr. McKinley won the South Carolina Historical Society's George C. Rogers, Jr. award for the best book of South Carolina history in 2013. The University of Florida Press recently released the book in paperback in case you'd like to purchase and get a copy autographed at the conclusion of the program.

3rd Annual Living History Encampment, March 24, 2018

Beaufort History Museum will present its third annual Living History Encampment on Saturday, March 24, 2018 from 9 am – 5 pm in the Arsenal courtyard. This year, the popular event will include displays of South Carolina militia from 1860 – 1861 and describe the militia’s role in defending the Port Royal Harbor, and subsequently in defending the mainland against the Federal forces. Also featured will be military impressions of the Union infantry, marine and naval forces that used Beaufort as a base of operations during the Civil War after the Battle of Port Royal Sound on Nov. 7, 1861. In addition, the role of civilian abolitionists and teachers involved in the Port Royal Experiment will be presented, along with the early transitions of Freedmen in this area.

Re-enactors coming to Beaufort from several states will stage the encampment in the walled Arsenal courtyard space and provide a unique opportunity for visitors of all ages to interact with the soldiers, abolitionists, teachers and Freedmen, and to learn firsthand how life was lived in Beaufort during the Civil War years. The Museum is partnering with other Beaufort organizations, including the Beaufort County Library, to plan and conduct the Living History Encampment, along with these educational events:

“Our annual Living History Encampment is one of our most popular events, attracting more than 600 visitors in a single day last year”, said Carol Lauvray, BHM Board of Directors President. “The event is educational and entertaining, and provides a chance for people of all ages to get a real sense of everyday life in Beaufort during the Civil War years. We are very grateful to encampment organizer, Daniel Gidick of Charleston, to the other re-enactors, and to our partner the Beaufort County Library, for all of their efforts to make this remarkable event available to the public each year.”

The encampment will offer a fascinating look at everyday life in Beaufort during that period, with re-enactors actually setting up camp in the Arsenal courtyard, staging cooking demonstrations and drills, and portraying soldiers and sutlers who traveled through the region selling everyday goods. Re-enactors will interact with visitors to the event, talking about the life of soldiers, the Port Royal Expedition, the Emancipation of African Americans, and military operations between Charleston and Savannah.

Admission is free to the Encampment in the Arsenal courtyard on Saturday, March 24, however donations to support the Museum are much appreciated. On Saturday, March 24, the day of the Encampment event only, admission to the Museum on the second floor of the Arsenal will be specially priced at $5.00 per visitor ($4.00 for Seniors). Children and active military and their families are admitted to the Museum free of charge at all times. 

(The text is from the Beaufort History Museum's press release 28 February 2018.)