"Adventure Begins" in the BDC's Display Case

With Jalen's departure, I am stocking the BDC Display case with "Adventure" for June and July.  

According to the online Cambridge English Dictionary, adventure is "an unusual, exciting, and possibly dangerous activity, such as a trip or experience, or the excitement produced by such an activity." At first, I thought that the BDC might not have enough material to highlight this theme. But as I explored our holdings looking for "adventure stuff," I was pleasantly surprised (again). Oftentimes I go into a topic expecting to find little or not enough for a display but then poof! there's more than enough to go around. As it turns out, the BDC can definitely share some local history related adventures with our customers!

Shelf 1 contains three classics. 

I choose Adventure in the Woods and Waters of the Low Country by J.E. McTeer on account of its book cover and the author's reputation for delivering entertaining tales of shipwrecks, hunting, fishing, and creatures in the Carolina lowcountry. Sheriff McTeer was not one who let truth get in the way of a good story. Caution: Lots of references to smoking cigars, drinking of alcoholic beverages, and killing of animals.

The ship on the book cover is the City of Savannah that was shipwrecked during the Hurricane of 1893. When I do the "Tide of Death" lecture, I always include a lot (perhaps too much) information about what happened to her. One of the men marooned on the steamer ended up being Clara Barton's right-hand man on Hilton Head during the recovery effort. By the way, I'm doing that lecture at Beaufort Branch Library at the end of August.  

William Elliott's Carolina Sports by Land and Water is considered a sports literature classic. It has stayed in print since 1846. The USC Press reprint of 1994 with a new introduction by Theodore Rosengarten (author of Tombee) has a beige, brown and red cover that is more suitable for a display than the other copies we have. Mid-19th century book covers tended to be rather formal. The BDC has a first edition copy and several other reprint editions in the Research Room.

Plenty of circulating copies of this classic are available through the SCLENDS consortium. It's also available on Hathitrust, the Internet Archive and the Digital Public Library of America. In other words, there is no reason at all why you shouldn't check out Carolina Sports.

BTW: William Elliott III was an interesting very important person. Cassandra and I recently updated a long neglected bibliography of materials by and about him on the BDCBCL: Links, Lists and Finding Aids blog. We have an original copy of his Address to the People of St. Helena Parish (1832) in our stacks in which he expressed his opposition to nullification. It cost him his political career.

A Sea Island Adventure : Beaufort County, South Carolina, 1999, 2007 is a video introduction to the area's natural environment, Gullah culture and long history. Not only does the title of the video include the word "adventure," it is included in the ETV Video Adventures series. I like the VHS cover of the boats silhouetted in the sunset. [The DVD copies that are in the local history sections at some of the Branch Libraries have plain covers.] The writer and producer was local resident, Suzanne Larson; videographer was local resident, Paul Keyserling; and the narrator was Miles Mead.

I like Thomas Schotter's artwork for Summer Reading 2024. He took the islands portion of Beaufort County with 30 "stops" along the way to indicate one's path to successful completion of the program by July 31st. I think that the gameboard makes a fitting backdrop for Shelf 2. 

I included a copy of the Civil War Times Magazine because the article "A Slave's Great Adventure" is about the same person featured in Captain of the Planter by Dorothy Sterling. That man with guts of steel was Robert Smalls.  

As most of you know Smalls steamed the Planter into the Union's naval line under the nose of the Confederates in Charleston Harbor in 1862. Though the man and his feat were nationally famous during the Civil War and Reconstruction eras, Dorothy Sterling (1913-2008) was the first author in the 20th century to take note of the significance of the act in her book Captain of the Planter: The Story of Robert Smalls (1958). We have letters between Sterling and Beaufort Township Library staff from 1955 to 1956 in the Research Room as Sterling was doing her due diligence trying to separate fact from fiction and reconcile conflicting accounts of some of the details of Smalls' life before the book's publication. The Dorothy Sterling Letters Finding Aid is in the BDCBCL: Lists, Links and Finding Aids blog.

Andre Michaux: Journals and Letters, 1785 - 1797 edited by Charlie Williams, E.M. Norman and Walter Kingsley Taylor (2020) is the first English translation of this naturalist's personal journals and correspondence written from America. King Louis XVI sent him on nine "adventures" to identify unknown plant species that might improve French forestry, agriculture and horticulture. Two of those journeys crossed into Beaufort District. If you're into botany, you will find "Michx." at the end of more than 700 plant names in his honor. Unfortunately, none of his letters directly commented on species he discovered within our historic borders. But the book is just beautiful and chocked full of primary source documentation. I can see this volume being an useful item for research 25, 50 or even 100 years from now.

The alligator has swum his/her way through many a BDC display over the past 13 years. If I recall correctly, I raided my children's long discarded toy box to bring it to work.

We have a number of cruising guides here in the Research Room. The  6th edition of the Cruising Guide to Coastal South Carolina and Georgia (2007) has the marina and fake lighthouse at Harbour Town in Sea Pines Plantation on the cover. 

American Conquistador: An Action-Adventure that is more Robin Hood than Robin Hood. And the Story is True! by Daryl Arden Ferguson covers the early Spanish and French settlements in our area. There are also copies of this title that you can borrow from the Local History sections at the branch libraries. The BDC is honored that Mr. Ferguson gave us a pre-publication proof of his book back in November 2021 for our archives.

I rather like lighthouses - and I like the word "treacherous" because it just oozes "adventure." I included the VHS copy of the award winning documentary by Suzanne Larsen and Paul Keyserling, A Light on Treacherous Waters: The Story of the Hunting Island, South Carolina, Light Station for its attractive cover. It's also an important history. [Teaser: You'll hear more about that in early August]. The Beaufort County Library owns and shares copies of this title on DVD through the Local History sections at some of the branch libraries. 

I placed the front and the back cover of the Summer Reading Program pamphlet on the shelf in hopes of drawing attention to the fact that it is possible to get an "extra" entry into the Grand Prize sweepstakes by doing 6 of the 12 additional activities, 3 of which I can directly relate to Local History. 

1) You can "Attend a [Local History] Library Program" of which we are offering three! 

2) You can "Read about Local History" by following our many suggestions here in Connections, on Facebook, or by picking a title from one of the more than 125 topics on the BDCBCL: Links, Lists and Finding Aids blog. 

3) You can "Use Hoopla" to read some audio and e-books about our long and storied local history, too. Of course, I'd prefer that the "local history" titles were about this area, but a search on "local history" in Hoopla brings up tons of titles about local history in other locales. For example a search on "Hilton Head Island" as an e-book results in 188 hits. The downside is that the Hoopla search engine is not optimal. Only a few of the "hits" are local history non-fiction titles relevant to Hilton Head Island. Among the successful hits are Hilton Head Island in the Images of America series; Captain William Hilton and the Founding of Hilton Head Island; The Dolphins of Hilton Head; Hidden History of Hilton Head Island; and Remembering the Way It Was by Fran Marscher. If you want a 5 minute history in a nutshell version that covers colonial times to the present, then The Birthplace of Hilton Head Island in South Carolina by Charles J. James, Jr. (2024) may be your best bet.  [Caution: The narrator doesn't correctly mispronounce "Daufuskie" Island.]  You can search in Hoopla on other places in Beaufort District to discover even more options!  

The bottom shelf includes the definition of the word "adventure." I know that some people find Fishin' (1993) an exciting activity but I really liked the cover of this book about where to go around Hilton Head Island to hook a fish or four. The BDC has a number of guides from the 1970s - 2000s on how to find the right fishing holes across our coastal waters for those who want to come into the Research Room to plot their next marine adventure. 

I can't say that I am a fan of fishing as a personal recreational activity. But I generally don't pass up the opportunity to accompany fishermen and fisherwomen on their boat-bound adventures in search of hooking just the right species. It's just that I take along not a pole or a rod or seine net but a book, lots of sunscreen lotion - and plenty of iced water and snacks. I've even been known to sing to a fish or two in my time. [That used to really aggravate my Daddy way back in the day.] 

Sea Kayaking the Carolinas (1997) "is a where-to, as opposed to a how-to, guide to kayaking." It assumes that its readers know how to sea kayak already. It's meant to help you choose a destination along the coastal plain of North and South Carolina for your adventure. Information includes places to put-in and take-out, camping regulations, suggested base camps, and the location of useful facilities such as fresh water sources and toilet stations. The most relevant sections for this area are the ACE Basin, Hunting Island State Park, Pinckney Island and the Savannah National Wildlife Refuges covered on pages 177 - 199. 

If you'd like to tap into "adventure" in the Research Room, please make an appointment for assured service: 843-255-6468 or bdc@bcgov.net. 

A reminder: The BDC Research Room will be closed on Thursday, June 27, 2024. 

Heads up: All units of the Beaufort County Library will be closed on Thursday, July 4, 2024. Regular hours resume on Friday, July 5th. 

Underwater Archaeology and Shipwrecks Display by Jalen Lugo

We were all surprised that Uncle Sam decided he needed Jalen Lugo's services more than we did - and how quickly those services must be rendered. Before Jalen left on May 10th, he stocked the display case and wrote the following post about the items he selected for it. Cassi and I will miss working with him.-- gmc

The May BDC display case features items related to underwater archaeology and shipwrecks because of our “Shoals and Shipwrecks” local history program. I have found, in my humblest of opinions, some of the most interesting items we have here at the BDC. From Confederate Navy records to Blackbeard to shipwrecks from the Hurricane of 1893, this display case contains interesting and informative items that will keep you intrigued for hours to come.

Captain of the Planter by Dorothy Sterling (1958) is about the story of Robert Smalls and his endeavors during the Civil War as the captain of the Planter, a sidewheel steamer which was converted into a gunboat. Robert Smalls captured this boat during the Civil War by sailing it out of Charleston Harbor and surrendering the gunboat to the Union Navy. 

[Planter saw additional Civil War service with Smalls at the helm. A gale in March of 1876 damaged the Planter beyond repair. Its component parts were salvaged and sold off by mid-July. There was a great buzz in 2014 that the Planter had been re-discovered and the hull may indeed be buried under sand That's an underwater archaeology investigation for another day. Some of you might like to know that author Dorothy Sterling corresponded with the staff at the Beaufort Township Library as she was researching the life of Robert Smalls for Captain of the Planter. We will be happy to set up an appointment for you to review the Dorothy Sterling Letters archival collection and/or the other information we have about Robert Smalls and the Planter. - gmc]

In the 19th century it is rather common to discover that a title cover is not the same as the title on the item’s title page. Such is the case with the book with the short cover title The Confederate States Navy by J. Thomas Scharf (1887). The title as given on the title page is considerably longer: History of the Confederate States Navy from its organization to the surrender of its Last Vessel. Its stupendous struggle with the Great Navy of the United States; The Engagements fought in the Rivers and Harbors of the South, and Upon the High Seas; Blockade-Running, First use of Iron-Clads and Torpedoes, and Privateer History. Published in New York by Rogers & Sherwood, the 824 pages volume is “Profusely Illustrated”- at least in what constituted “profusely illustrated” in the late 19th century. [I like that there’s a naval vessel etched in gold on the front cover. - gmc]  

Chapter 21 concerns actions in “South Carolina Waters,” pp. 665- 707. This book detail the collection of naval ships used by the Confederacy during the Civil War and what they did, which battles they attended, and which ones sunk. I chose this book because of its extensive recollection of the history of naval warfare during the Civil War. I was surprised to discover that enough Confederate military records have survived to fill such a large volume. [A discerning researcher would compare the information included in this volume with information provided in the primary source Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion. (31 volumes) and other secondary works available through the SCLENDS consortium of libraries on the topic. Please be patient. It took me about 30 seconds to get the hit list. - gmc]  

The BDC has a few titles related to the Hunley submarine – even though it’s more properly a Charleston topic. However, the search and recovery of the Hunley was of such general public interest that in this case an exception was made to include some secondary works about the submarine to provide some historical context for BDC customers. I chose to add  The Hunley: Submarines, Sacrifice, & Success in the Civil War by Mark K. Ragan (1999) and an article named: The Final Mission of the Hunley by Keith Franklin West from our vertical file about the submarine to the display.  The Hunley was the first submarine to sink a ship during wartime.  The book entails the history of the Hunley before it sank for the final time after it spar torpedoed the USS Housatonic. The article recounts how the Hunley was discovered as well as the operations launched to recover, preserve, and analyze it using underwater archaeology techniques. In case you enjoy historical day-trips, you can visit the Hunley Museum in Charleston.  

On the second shelf I included surrogate images from the Hurricane of 1893 photograph collection that we share through the Lowcountry Digital Library. The first image is of the City of Savannah’s upper deck as it sunk because of the hurricane. The next image is a steamboat that ran aground after the storm surge of the hurricane swept the boat up onto land. The Hurricane of 1893 was a devastating hurricane that even now ranks at the 5th most deadly hurricane in U.S. history. With a storm surge of 12 feet, this hurricane changed the economic climate of Beaufort County for years after it made landfall. (In case you’d like a heads up: my supervisor, Grace Cordial, will be doing her “Tide of Death” presentation in person at Beaufort Branch in late August 2024. Be sure to check the Library’s online calendar for details when posted.)  

The next item in the display case is a newspaper article, “Clifton Has Bad Accident” from the May 20, 1909 issue of The Beaufort Gazette. The Clifton was carrying a cargo of potatoes up from Pigeon Point with the goal of heading towards Beaufort to dock, but never reached its destination as the ship was caught in a storm and the tides caused it to capsize. The loss to its owner was severe as the cost of the Clifton was $65,000 in 1909, which in today’s money is $2,230,000!  

Shipwrecks, Pirates & Privateers: Sunken Treasures of the Upper South Carolina Coast, 1521-1865 by Dr. E. Lee Spence (1995) is about artifacts and items that were discovered while underwater diving for shipwrecks, their historical significance and what they are, as most of these items are unrecognizable to the untrained eye. I chose this book because it reminds me of the Indiana Jones movies of an archaeologist finding items and objects of immense value, which I came to learn does not occur too often in the world of archaeology. 

Black Flags, Blue Waters: The Epic History of America’s Most Notorious Pirates by Eric Jay Dolin (2018) is aptly titled. It talks about the most notorious pirates that ever sailed along the Eastern coast of the United States in the 1700’s such as Edward Teach, Stede Bonnet, Anne Bonney, Calico Jack Rackham, Benjamin Hornigold, and Charles Vane.

[I’m sure these names bring up images from the Starz television series, Black Sails (2014- 2017); episodes in the Outlander series (2014-2024) on Starz that included Stede Bonnet and his crimes against Jamie Fraser’s family in Seasons 4 and 5 based on the book series by Diana Galbadon; and Our Flag Means Death on HBO Max (2022-2023).- gmc]

I chose this book because I relish the history of nefarious events that each of these pirates had a hand in. Most notable is Blackbeard’s blockade of Charleston that resulted in his capture of some innocent civilians to secure medicine for his men who were sick and dying of various illnesses and diseases.  

Blackbeard and Other Pirates of the Atlantic Coast by Nancy Roberts (1993) is a classic history written for a general audience. She writes about the most notable pirates that plagued the Atlantic coast during the 1700’s and early 1800’s. In addition to the pirates mentioned in Black Flags, Roberts includes short chapters about Thomas Tew, Samuel Bellamy, William Kidd and Rachel Wall as well as lesser known pirates. She uses historical details to create dialog about Blackbeard’s capture of the Crowley and South Carolina’s VIP, Samuel Wragg in Charles Towne, (what today’s Charleston was called back then), his grounding of his main ship, the Queen Anne’s Revenge in that other Beaufort (pronounced “BOW fert” in North Carolina), and his return to civilian life in Bath, NC for a short time. Soon though Blackbeard was back up to his old tricks and the Governor of Virginia, Alexander Spotswood sent a small contingent under the command of Lt. Robert Maynard to capture the pirate. Blackbeard put up a fight and was killed on November 22, 1718.  I chose this book because of how bold pirate Blackbeard was and how many ships he sank and ran aground in an effort to steal valuable resources, as he regularly attacked, captured and sunk many ships that sailed from the Atlantic coast on the U.S. towards the Caribbean or Europe.  

Mary Long's Yesteryear: Skull and Crossbones: South Carolina's Infamous Pirates (2000) is a DVD in the BDC’s collection. Mary Long details many historical events that pirates of the Atlantic coast went through, who they were, what they did, and even some local legends of where they drank alcohol at local pubs. She also goes into detail of ships that ran aground or were sunk as a result of piracy in the Beaufort area. The DVD may be old, but the historical facts and knowledge she discusses are timeless and fascinating.  

Please stream the “Pirates” segment by Dr. Larry Rowland in the Beaufort County Moments video series for a short overview of piratical behavior in our immediate area. If you really enjoy reading about these buccaneers of the sea, I suggest that you visit the BDC’s Pirates of the Lowcountry list of links and materials for additional sources.