Memoirs : Reading Suggestions from the BDC

The Library chose to highlight "Memoirs" for June, a genre that I have featured in more than one Connections post through the years. Yet I shall revisit the genre once more to indicate the BDC's willingness to comply with the Library system's marketing schedule. 

A "memoir" is defined as "a historical account or biography written from personal knowledge," "a narrative composed from personal experience," or in the plural "memoirs" often to indicate a form of autobiography. The authors usually are trying to advance their perspective on events or a series of events across some stretch of time in which they were participants. As you will discover, the BDC contains a broad range of memoirs to share with you. Here are about 25 titles to get you started exploring the lives of others with Beaufort District connections : 

Against the Tide : One Woman's Political Struggle by Harriet Hirschfeld Keyserling (2004, 1998) details her family life with Dr. Herbert Keyserling and their four children. The book explains her transition from a liberal-minded Jewish housewife to an eight term South Carolina legislator beginning at age 54. Her particular interests were funding for the arts and environmental issues.

Average Expectations: Lessons in Lowering the Bar by Shep Rose (2021) was a somewhat reluctant purchase because I am not a fan of "reality TV". However the collection development policy says that I should buy items penned by Beaufort County residents who spent their "growing up years" within the County. Thus, Shep Rose qualifies with "this witty and engaging collection of essays from the charismatic star of Southern Charm [who] offers rip-roaring stories and tongue-in-cheek advice on everything from relationships to travel to 'woke' culture and beyond." Plus I sincerely think that a few years from now, the BDC might be one of the few libraries still holding this title. The copy in the local history section at Hilton Head Branch has circulated more than 20 times. The BDC also has a vertical file of clippings about Rose in the Research Room. 

Before the Bridge : A Memoir of Hilton Head Island by Kay Sconyers Moore (2015) was a white teenage on the island in the early 1950s who was a resident before and after Charles Fraser's vision led to the creation of the island as we know it today. 

A Black Woman’s Civil War Memoirs: Reminiscences of My Life in Camp with the 33rd U.S. Colored Troops, Late 1st South Carolina Volunteers by Susie King Taylor (1988) served as an educator and a nurse for the 33rd United States Colored Troops. She was born enslaved but freed at the age of fourteen. Later in life, Taylor became the first African American woman to write and publish a memoir about her experiences throughout the Civil War. The BDC has printed copies of her memoirs in two forms: Reminiscences of My Life in Camp, 1968 and A Black Woman's Civil War Memoirs, edited by Patricia W. Romero with a new introduction by Willie Lee Rose.

Daufuskie Daze : Living, Learning, and Teaching on a South Carolina Sea Island by Jim Alberto (2019) covers what it was like for him to be Pat Conroy's teaching successor at the Mary Field Elementary School in 1974. 

Daughter of the Dawn : A Child of Hilton Head Island, 1950-1956 by Avary Hack Doubleday (2019) captures what it was like for her to live on then remote Hilton Head Island that had no electric or telephone service, and one paved road as a white child who attended a one room school with an outhouse. Paradise : Memories of Hilton Head in the early days by Nelle and Ora Smith (2018) covers their remembrances as one of the first White families on the island brought by Charles Fraser's vision for Sea Pines Plantation in the 1960s. 

Doctor K by Herbert Keyserling (1999) is the physician's memoir about his family, his life as a Navy doctor during World War II and his life in Beaufort, SC as a country doctor from 1940s.

Downrange at Gardez: Forward Operating Base Lightning by Gerald L. Wynn (2024) shares his experiences as a Sergeant First Class in Afghanistan. A native Beaufortonian, Wynn walks the reader through his deployment from October 2007 to May 2008 and expresses gratitude for the support he received from the home front while he was serving overseas.

Fight like a Girl : The Truth Behind How Female Marines are Trained by Kate Germano (2018) is critical of the Marine Corps. The blurb says "This is the story of [Lt. Col.] Germano's struggle to achieve equality of performance and opportunity for female Marines against an entrenched male-dominated status quo.... [she] charges that the men above her in the chain of command were too invested in perpetuating the subordinate role of women in the Corps to allow her to prove that the female Marine can be equal to her male counterpart." Her last duty station was the Marine Corps Recruit Depot at Parris Island. Other memoirs about their time spent on Parris Island are: Parris Island Daze : My Drill Instructor was Tougher than Yours by Robert E. Shirley (2006); Ringside at Parris Island : Four Months in the Marine Corps, Served with Spice and Humor by Lee Reynolds (2002); Rows of Corn : A True Account of a Parris Island Recruit by Herb Moore (1983); See Parris and Die : Brutality in the U.S. Marines by H. Paul Jeffers (1971); and This Recruit : A Firsthand Account of Marine Corps Boot Camp, Written While Knee-Deep in the Mayhem of Parris Island by Kieran Michael Lalor (2010).

A Fire-Eater Remembers : The Confederate Memoir of Robert Barnwell Rhett edited by William C. Davis (2000) looks at the secession crisis and the formation of the Confederacy as seen through the eyes of the man some call the Father of Secession. Like Rhett himself, the writings are opinionated, contentious, arrogant, and unforgiving. They reveal much of Rhett's inside view of the effort to separate from the Union, and they depict his participation in the founding of the Confederacy. 

Growing up on the Combahee River: An American Story by Charlotte Murray Taylor (2023) is a very personal memoir of a Black girl who was raised near the river after her young mother died shortly after giving birth. Murray Taylor grew up in the upper reaches of rural Beaufort County on Hobonny and Sugar Hill plantations. She shares reminiscences of her daily life until she went away to college. One of our bookmobiles and the BDC are the only libraries currently holding copies of this self-published work.

Growing up in Paradise : Beaufort : Reflections from Living on The Point for 94 Years by Therese Sams Colquhoun (2024). "Ting" describes her life in the Lowcountry from river baptisms to peep shows, and parties to World War II. This self-published 44 booklet is a "Uniquely BDC" title.

Gullah Days : Hilton Head Islanders before the Bridge, 1861-1956 by Thomas Barnwell, Emory Campbell, Carolyn Grant and Christena Bledsoe (2020), shares remembrances of native Islanders Barnwell, Campbell, and Grant from the perspective of Blacks before and after large-scale real estate development on the island. 

Lest You Forget by Wesley B. Glover, Jr. recounts his life and times from his perspective as a Black male growing up on St. Helena Island. He shares tales of a warm family, his military service, and finding his calling as a schoolteacher. The BDC and the Allendale-Hampton-Jasper Regional Library have copies to share.

Life on St. Helena Island by Isabella C. Glen (1980) is a short assemblage of Glen’s experiences growing up on St. Helena with all of her good, bad, and supernatural encounters on the island. Only units of the Beaufort County Library have this title within the SCLENDS consortium.

Little Geech by H.H. Von Harten, Jr. (2011) offers his reflections on the local seafood industry. "Bubba," went into business with his brother and father when he returned as a Korean War veteran. He established Von Harten Seafood on Lady's island in 1965 and Capt. Geech's seafood restaurant. This book provides insight into Von Harten's life and adventures shrimping and beyond. 

Love's Sea Island Song by Marquetta Goodwine (2013) begins with memoirs of her roots on Polowana, St. Helena and Dataw Islands, through her early years, her enstoolment as Queen Quet, Chieftess and Head-of-State for the Gullah/Geechee Nation, and her journey of representing her people in the United Nations. Goodwine has authored numerous books on Gullah/Geechee history and has co-authored a novella. She begins her memoir with The BCL and the State Library have copies of her book but only the BDC has a copy of the audio book narrated by the author herself. 

Memoirs of the American Revolution by [Patriot General] William Moultrie was first published in 1802 in two volumes. It contains personal anecdotes, first-hand observations, and an extensive collection of letters between civil and military officers, including some about the battles of Port Royal Island and Purisburgh, the spiking of the guns at Fort Lyttelton, and the occupation of Beaufort by the British. There's a lot about what's going on in other parts of the lowcountry too. In addition to our Research Room copy, you can borrow the title from other members libraries in the SCLENDS consortium. Or you can access a digital copy of the original texts through Archive.org.

Memoirs of the Prodigal Son : The Road to Redemption : Fifteen Years in Prison and Beyond (2008) by John C. Dortch is "An inspirational saga of one man's spiritual odyssey... An epic tale of his Christian upbringing, his fall from grace, his quest for redemption and ultimately his spiritual resurrection. A powerful message of hope and triumph through obedient faith in the word of God." No other SCLENDS library make this title available. 

Memories of "The Bay Street Boy -- In His Own Words" by Joseph W. Lipsitz (2004) shares his life's story and how his family came to own and operate the Lipsitz Department store for more than a century. He even includes a paragraph or two about Lippy, the Mynah bird that his wife, Lucille, had won in a drawing. The booklet was printed in very limited quantities, so I remain grateful that Miss Lucille gave us one for permanent retention here in the Research Room. During the early 20th into mid-1970s there were a number of Jewish owned businesses along Bay Street. 

My Memoirs by Julian S. Levin (2015) was dictated in his final year of life for his family and friends. He begins with the family histories of his Jewish grandparents, what Beaufort was like in the 1920s and 1930s when he was boy, his military service in the US Navy during World War II, and his post-war law practice. The BDC got a copy because his widow, Miss Renee, was kind enough to give us one for permanent retention.  

Never Too Late by Rosalie F. Pazant (1992) shares her life experiences and accomplishments as a Gullah woman in order to inspire others to achieve a desired goal. Pazant was a teacher, education administrator, and president & co-founder of the Gullah Festival, a project that has received national and international attention. 

The Other Mother by Teresa Bruce is an award-winning memoir of her life and relationship with Byrne Miller, dance teacher and arts mentor extraordinaire. It is a story of a transformative friendship between a TV reporter and a former burlesque dancer and pioneer in the dance world who was 40 years her senior.

Pat Conroy : Our Lifelong Friendship by Bernie Schein (2019) is the story of a relationship forged in a high school pick-up basketball and a shared identity as outsiders in a Bible-belt military infused small town. Bernie Schein was born, bred, and Bar Mitzvahed in Beaufort, South Carolina. Pat Conroy was a Marine Corps brat who had moved around a lot with his fighter pilot father. Together they shared a complex friendship.

A Place Called Home by Elizabeth B. Later and "Sonny" Bishop (2013) captures her father's reminiscences of life on Yard Farm (formerly a Fuller Plantation) on St. Helena Island. His firsthand accounts of Hurricane Gracie and Lowcountry life growing up paint a portrait of a quieter, more peaceful time before widescale development in Beaufort County. 

Seventh Son on Sacred Ground by Roger Pinckney (2006) shares memories of his life as a seventh generation Lowcountry native in his inimitable style. 

 

Songs to Sing, Stories to Tell : Growing Up Gullah by Eva Smalls Segar (2004). One volume about what it was like to grow up a Gullah on a small farm in Northern Beaufort County during the 20th century was not enough so she wrote More Songs to Sing ... in 2005. 

Tell Me A Story : My Life with Pat Conroy by Cassandra King Conroy (2019) pays homage of her life with her one of the best and best-selling authors of Southern literature from 1995 until his death in March 2016.

With Open Arms: The Robert Middleton Story by Robert Middleton (2007) recounts Middleton's search for his biological parents, his adoption into a warm and loving family on St. Helena Island, and his belief in God's plan for his life. The Beaufort County Library is the only library to have copies of this local memoir to share with the SCLENDS consortium.   

There are plenty more to explore in the Research Room and through the circulating collections of the SCLENDS consortium. 

Reading Suggestions about Party Politics during the Reconstruction Era

One of the findings from the Library's strategic plan survey responses was that customers wanted staff to offer more book recommendations. Though I admit that most likely those customers wanted book recommendations about the latest fiction and their read-alikes, I am going to interpret that finding to include requests for more recommendations about local history nonfiction, particularly when we have some good titles to suggest to you as supplemental reading related to the BDC's  local history program presentations. 

National Park Service Historian Ranger Eric Ellis gave a great talk about the political divisions of the Beaufort Republican party last week. As he noted, the Republican Party was in control during most of the Reconstruction Period until it split into various factions. In 1874 Democrats changed their election tactics, disrupting Republican political rallies and cutting political deals with Republican splinter groups to secure local and state offices. 

Here are a few recommended books from the BDC or SCLENDS consortium about the rough and tumble, oftentimes violent - but fascinating - political history of South Carolina's Reconstruction Era and its impact on and at the national level : 

Black Over White : Negro Political Leadership in South Carolina during Reconstruction by Thomas Holt. Urbana : University of Illinois Press, 1977. 

The Southern Historical Association awarded this book its 1978 Charles S. Syndor Prize as recognition of Holt's scholarship combining quantitative analysis with narrative history to challenge myths about the power and political effectiveness of Reconstruction-era Black politicians in the Palmetto State. 

The Bloody South Carolina Election of 1876 : Wade Hampton III, the Red Shirt Campaign for Governor and the End of Reconstruction by Jerry L. West. Jefferson, NC : McFarland, 2011. 

Contentious political campaigns are nothing new. This book examines the gubernatorial election of 1876, in which the state's most celebrated Civil War general created a united front in the Democratic Party and wrested control of politics from the Republicans. Of particular note are the ways in which the race, with its disqualified ballots, delays and wrangling, prefigured some elections in the 2000s. For four months, the state endured two warring Houses of Representatives. Two Black Beaufort County men, Thomas Hamilton and N.B. Myers crossed the aisle to join the Wallace House in support of Hampton to secure his governorship. 

Gullah Statesman : Robert Smalls from Slavery to Congress, 1839 - 1915 by Edward A. Miller, Jr. Columbia : University of South Carolina Press, 1995. Available in print and as an e-book on Hoopla. 

A native of Beaufort, South Carolina, Robert Smalls was born into slavery but through acts of remarkable courage and determination became the first African American hero of the Civil War and one of the most influential African American politicians in South Carolina history. I consider this one of the most important secondary works about Smalls. It is a political biography of his triumphs and setbacks of the celebrated U.S. congressman and advocate of compulsory, desegregated public education. 

Hampton and His Red Shirts : The Story of South Carolina's Deliverance in 1876 by Alfred B. Williams. Charleston, SC : Walker, Evans and Cogswell Company, 1935. 

The author was a newspaper man who argued that the "carpetbagger" government that ruled South Carolina from 1868 until it was overthrown in 1876 was corrupt and caused more destruction than the four years of the Civil War. More recent scholarship has challenged Williams' views. Hathitrust provides a digital copy online. 

Hurrah for Hampton! : Black Red Shirts in South Carolina during Reconstruction by Edmund L. Drago. Fayetteville : University of Arkansas Press, 1998. 

Drago takes a more balanced view of the Reconstruction Era to examine the motives and concerns of the former enslaved who supported a movement that eventually led to the return of white supremacy in the Palmetto State. Though most of the freedmen identified and supported the Republican party, Drago focused on the primary source testimonies before Congress of seven Black conservatives who joined the white paramilitary clubs termed the "Red Shirts" who supported the election of former Confederate general Wade Hampton in the governor's race in 1876. He also includes analysis of eleven slave narratives to explore the relationship between Black initiative and southern paternalism. 

Rebellion, Reconstruction, and Redemption, 1861 - 1893 by Stephen R. Wise and Lawrence S. Rowland. Columbia : University of South Carolina Press, 2015.    

I consider the three volumes series on the history of Beaufort County by Lawrence S. Rowland and others as "The Bible of Local History."  Volume 2 explores how the Union victory and the political and social Reconstruction of South Carolina was followed by a counterrevolution called Redemption, the organized campaign of Southern whites, defeated in the war, to regain supremacy over African Americans. While former slave-owning, anti-black "Redeemers" took control of mainland Beaufort County, they were thwarted on the Sea Islands, where African Americans retained power and kept reaction at bay. By 1893, elements of both the New and Old South coexisted uneasily side by side as the Democratic mainland reverted to an agricultural-based economy while the Republican Sea Islands and the town of Beaufort underwent an economic boom based on the phosphate mining industry and the new commercial port in the Lowcountry town of Port Royal.

Requiem for Reconstruction : Black Countermemory and the Legacy of The Lowcountry's Lost Political Generation by Robert D. Bland. Chapel Hill : University of North Carolina Press, 2026.  

Bland "explores how Black Americans born in the thirty years between 1840 and 1870 saw Reconstruction as a defining political movement and worked to preserve its legacy by formulating new archives, shaping local community counternarratives, and using the Black press to preserve and circulate Reconstruction's meaning to a national audience." 

South Carolina in the Civil War and Reconstruction Eras : Essays from the Proceeding of the South Carolina Historical Association edited by Michael Brem Bonner and Fritz P. Hamer. Columbia : University of South Carolina Press, 2016. 

This is an anthology of twenty-three of the most enduring and important scholarly articles about the Civil War and Reconstruction era published in the peer-reviewed journal since 1931. The volume is divided by topic into five subsections: "The Politics of Secession and Civil War"; "On the Battlefront"; "On the Home Front."; "Emancipation, Race, and Society"; and "The Politics of Reconstruction." 

State of Rebellion : Reconstruction in South Carolina by Richard Zuczek. Columbia : University of South Carolina Press, 2009. Also available as an e-book on Hoopla.

The author recounts the volatile course of Reconstruction in the state that experienced the longest, largest, and most dynamic federal presence in the years immediately following the Civil War in this book.  He details the tactics - from judicial and political fraud to economic coercion, terrorism, and guerrilla activity - employed by conservatives to nullify the African American vote, control African American labor, and oust northern Republicans from the state. He documents the federal government's attempt to quash the conservative challenge but shows that, by 1876, white opposition was so unified, widespread, and well-armed that it passed beyond government control. 

To Rescue the Republic : Ulysses S. Grant, the Fragile Union and the Crisis of 1876 by Bret Baier. New York : Custom House, 2021.

Fox News Channel's Chief Political Anchor provides a history of Grant's essential yet underappreciated role in preserving the United States during a period of great political division. The book is available in print, large print, and audio CD through SCLENDS as well as on Hoopla as an audio book and as an e-book.  

If you happen to be more of a watcher than a reader, then I suggest that you take a look at "The Rise and Fall of Reconstruction in South Carolina" with Dr. Brent Morris, a COVID-era recording we made when all was shut down five years ago. The information Dr. Morris provides is very helpful to understanding what happened in the Palmetto State between approximately 1865 and 1880. If you want to skip the introduction and get straight to his lecture, begin around the 5-minute mark. 

Reminder: All units of the Beaufort County Library will be closed Monday, May 25 in honor of Memorial Day.

Local History Books to Read in One Sitting

The Library chose to highlight "Books to Read in One Sitting" for May. Staff and the readers of the Library system's monthly newsletter, The Current, were asked to recommend short books of interest. I interpret "short" to mean books of around 200 pages in length which adults with average reading speed and comprehension skills can accomplish within 3 to 4 hours of their time. Listed below are some of my recommendations for short local history books that you may enjoy: 

• Historic Beaufort County: An Illustrated History by Michael C. Taylor (2005) introduces the key chapters in the long and storied history of the area and includes lots of images in its 128 pages. Reading this book would be an excellent starting point for all new residents to understand the broad outlines of history here.  
• A Guide to Historic Beaufort, South Carolina by Alexia Jones Helsley (2006) focuses on several themed tours of the town of Beaufort through time.  
• The Official Guide to the Historic Houses, Churches and Other Points of Interests of Beaufort, South Carolina, 10th revised edition by the Historic Beaufort Foundation (2014) provides short histories of notable structures in the National Landmark Historic District in 160 pages. 
• Any book by Sheriff J.E. McTeer
• If you're willing to read 236 pages, then I would definitely recommend this book about Sheriff McTeer to you: Coffin Point: The Strange Cases of Ed McTeer, Lowcountry Witchdoctor by Baynard Woods (2010). The author mixes stories and first-hand accounts from McTeer's friends, enemies and family with archival research and critical reading of McTeer's own books to shed fresh light on a bygone era and the relationship of power and belief in Beaufort County from the 1920s into the 1970s. (BTW: Actor Will Smith's Overbrook Partners bought production rights to produce a television show based on the book in 2015 but the project seems stalled.)
• Minnow by James McTeer (2015) draws upon his deep lowcountry roots as grandson of the High Sheriff of the Lowcountry. Pat Conroy wrote of this first novel: "I predict James McTeer's Minnow will become as estimable a part of the Lowcountry as the Hoodoo magic, ghosts and spirits, the haunted Gullah-geechies, Sweetgrass baskets, the Old Sheldon Church Ruins, and the art of Jonathan Greene. A fabulous tale." It too is a bit long for a short book, 227 pages, but trust me, you won't feel the extra 27 pages as a burden. 
• Local raconteur Pierre McGowan wrote two short books, sharing tales about his father, Sam, the Gullah Mailman (2001) and his own life story in Tales of the Barrier Islands of Beaufort County, South Carolina (2006). Just expect some mid-20th century humor - which may not be to every person's current taste.
• Local journalist and author Fran Marscher wrote three short books consisting of short interviews with over 75 local residents of Beaufort, Bluffton and Hilton Head Island who were Remembering the Way It Was in their hometowns before major development began in Beaufort County in the 1960s. 
• Authors Jenny Hirsch and Sallie Ann Robinson display their love of Daufuskie Island (2018) through an historical narrative from pre-history to gated communities in the 2000s and images contemporary and vintage. 
• The Bluffton Historical Preservation Society did something similar - but with less photographs - in its A Short History of the Early Days of Bluffton South Carolina published in 1983. This one is very short, only 22 pages. You could probably read it while you're drinking your morning coffee.
• The Hidden History of Hilton Head Island by Alice E. Sink (2010) is available in print in our Library system and on the Hoopla streaming service as an e-book. 
• I like Civil War history. If you do as well, then I recommend Lee in the Lowcountry: Defending Charleston & Savannah, 1861 - 1862 by Daniel J. Crooks (2008); The Battle of Port Royal by Mike Coker (2009) and Facing Sherman in South Carolina: March Through the Swamps by Christopher G. Crabb (2010). 
• If your historical taste runs to earlier times, then Captain William Hilton and the Founding of Hilton Head Island by Dwayne W. Pickett (2019) might suit. This book about the 17th century English explorer is available in print in our Library system and on the Hoopla streaming service as an e-book.

Each of the titles I have recommended are held by the Beaufort District Collection and can be found through one or more of the Local History sections at the Branch Libraries. Feel free to reach out to us: 843-255-6468 or bdc@bcgov.net for other local history reading recommendations.

"Public Domain Day" in the BDC by Cassandra Knoppel

We've said it before, but Happy New Year everyone! 2025 is a big year for us at the BDC; our calendar is packed with programs and events, like the bicentennial of Lafayette’s visit to Beaufort in March, and we are one year closer to the Semiquincentennial of the American Revolution in 2026.  

The new year also welcomes the release of copyrighted materials from 1929 into the public domain. This means that certain books, films, art, and music published in 1929 can now be shared and transformed without need for a licensing fee or permission from the copyright holder. US Copyright law states that materials published before 1978 are subject to a 95-year copyright term which expires on January 1st of the year following that term’s end, prompting January 1st to be considered "Public Domain Day." There are additional rules and stipulations, which you can read more about in the Public Domain Day 2025 article from the Center for the Study of the Public Domain. This article also goes in-depth on some of the media now in the public domain, including sound recordings from 1924. 

Some archives are celebrating the release of materials into the public domain in creative ways. The Internet Archive announced their “2025 Public Domain Day Remix Contest” (ending Jan. 17th) for short films made out of public domain material. John Mark Ockerbloom built excitement with daily blog posts on soon-to-be released titles in his Countdown to Public Domain Day. HathiTrust, a repository for digitized public domain books and materials, is working on a new collection of publications from 1929. 

Here at the BDC, we’ve joined in on the fun by identifying a handful of materials in our collection published in 1929 that may have entered into the public domain this year. Check them out below: 

• SC 975.799 WIL 1929 Beaufort County, South Carolina: The Shrines, Early History, and Topography by N. L. Willet. Augusta, GA: Phoenix Printing Company, 1929. This short booklet promotes the culture and history of Beaufort and its sea islands to would-be tourists. 
• SC 973.782 CHE 1929 A Diary from Dixie: As written by Mary Boykin Chesnut, wife of James Chesnut, Jr., United States Senator from South Carolina, 1859-1861, and afterward an aide to Jefferson Davis and a Brigadier-General in the Confederate Army by Mary Boykin Chesnut. New York: Peter Smith, 1929. A reprint of the published diary of Mary Boykin Chesnut (original copyright date was 1905), this book details her life and musings on society during the Civil War as a Confederate politician’s wife. A digital version is available via HathiTrust. 
• SC FIC HEY 1929 The Half Pint Flask by Dubose Heyward. New York: Farrar & Rinehart, 1929. Written by the author of Porgy (1925), The Half Pint Flask is a short novel that criticizes racial anthropology of the time with a supernatural story of the disturbance of a Sea Island burial ground. A digital version of this book available through GoogleBooks. 

• SC 929.10416 EAS 1929 History of the St. Andrew's Society of Charleston, South Carolina, 1729-1929 by J.H. Easterby. Charleston, S.C.: The Society/Walker, Evans & Cogswell, 1929. This book outlines the history of the St. Andrews Society of Charleston, formed by Scottish immigrants in 1729. While this volume is not Beaufort-related, it was part of the collection before Grace arrived, so we’ve kept it in our catalog. A copy is available digitally via HathiTrust. 
• SC FIC OEM 1929 Johnny Reb: A Story of South Carolina by Marie Conway Oemler. New York: Century Co., 1929. A novel set in 1890s Maryville, SC, Johnny Reb tells the story of Confederate veteran Johnny Crutchfield and the rekindling romance of his childhood love, along with the dramas of other townsfolk. 
• SC FIC CUR 1929 Little Maid of South Carolina by Alice Turner Curtis. Philadelphia, PA: Penn Publishing Co., 1929. Part of Curtis’ The Little Maid's Historical Series, this fictional novel set in 1781 tells the story of 12-year-old June Lambert and her escapades as a young patriot in Charleston. 
• SC 940.4 OFF V. 1, V. 2 The Official Roster of South Carolina Soldiers, Sailors and Marines in the World War, 1917-18. [Columbia, S.C.]: General Assembly, 1929. These two volumes, published as part of an Act of the General Assembly of South Carolina, list the names of World War I veterans and brief information from their service record. This resource is available online in the South Carolina State Library’s Digital Collections. 

The BDC cannot definitively state that these materials are in the public domain, as there are other qualifications that may impact their copyright and release, or the release of photos/art within the volumes. Determination of copyright and restrictions are the responsibility of the researcher. 

If you are interested in reading any of these works, come visit us at the BDC. For assured service, please make an appointment to visit our Research Room by calling us at 843-255-6468 or emailing bdc@bcgov.net.

Just a heads up: the Library will be closed Monday, January 20th in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.