Battle of Port Royal Island (Gray's Hill), February 3, 1779

Latest update: 17 December 2025 - gmc

As we get ever closer to the 250th anniversary commemoration of the War of Independence, local historic events relating to the Revolutionary War will garner greater attention.

The location of the Battle of Port Royal Island fought on February 3, 1779  long generated speculation and discussion. However with careful research, patience and improvements in archaeological technology in his favor,  archaeologist Daniel Battle discovered the actual site of the Battle of Port Royal Island in the Gray's Hill area in 2016. The site is on private and Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort property but there is a small open area that is accessible to visitors. The South Carolina Battleground Preservation Trust indicates that contracts to purchase the land were signed in January 2020. An historic highway marker is near the location on US Highway 21.

Photo by Mike Stroud https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=14738

There is considerable discussion about whether to call the engagement a "battle" or more aptly a "skirmish." Whether battle or skirmish, whether the engagement is called _ of Port Royal Island, _ of Beaufort, or _ of Gray's Hill, the end result for those killed during the engagement is the same - a grave. Each man was fighting for his life. Eight Patriots were killed while the British suffered an estimated 52 casualties. This was the only instance in the Revolutionary War in which two Signers of the Declaration of Independence fought side-by-side. Thomas Heyward, Jr. of Beaufort District and Edward Rutledge were head of two artillery companies from Charleston that shelled the British forces that day. Heyward's plantation had been torched by the British the day before.   

Faye Jensen wrote a concise summary of the battle for the South Carolina Historical Society's "This Month in SC History" blog in 2023. 

You can read the archaeological report about the battlefield, First American Victory of the British Southern Campaign, February 3, 1779 : Battle of Beaufort (38BU2336), Beaufort County, South Carolina : March 21, 2020 by Daniel E. Battle (Beaufort, S.C. : South Carolina American Revolution Preservation Alliance, 2020) in our Research Room. 

According to Old Churchyard Cemetery of St. Helena's Episcopal Church, two of the British officers who died that day were interred in the Parish Church of St. Helena Churchyard on 5 February 1779 by Patriot Capt. John Barnwell who read the burial service and reputedly said: "We have shown the British we not only can best them in battle but that we can also give them a Christian burial."

(BDC Postcard Collection Item 0530002186431)

Dennis Ford wrote that this was South Carolina's first land based engagement between professional British, militia, and Continental forces. The British Winter Campaign, 1778 -1779 in the state had mostly gone in Britain's favor up to this point.  The significance of the engagement was largely psychological for the Patriots.

The American Battlefields Trust has an informative website about the engagement.

We have a vertical file about the engagement under the title "Port Royal Island, Battle of, 1779" in the Research Room that includes more information about the discovery and efforts to preserve the battlefield.

We would love to host your research trip to our facility. Contact us to set up an appointment: bdc@bcgov.net; 843-255-6468. 

William Carney, An Exemplary Soldier

(Latest update: 6 May 2025 - gmc)                                                              Those customers who came to Dave Smoot's lecture about Civil War Hospitals in September 2019 learned about some of the structures, patients and medical workers. Among the patients was Sergeant William Carney, formerly of the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Regiment. Look closely at Carney's chest. What do you see?

Carney received the Congressional Medal of Honor due to his "most distinguished gallantry in action" at Fort Wagner, July 18, 1863. He was shot in the thigh, but managed to crawl uphill on his knees, "bearing the Union flag and urging his troops to follow." He was the first African-American soldier to earn the honor. He recuperated from his wound in Beaufort and returned to service.

To learn more about this American hero, his service, and the battle of Fort Wagner, we recommend these materials:

Battery Wagner: The Siege, the Men who Fought, and the Casualties by Timothy Bardshaw (Palmetto Historical Works, 1993).
 
Blue-eyed Child of Fortune: The Civil War Letters of Colonel Robert Gould Shaw edited by Russell Duncan (University of Georgia Press, 1999).

Gate of Hell: Campaign for Charleston Harbor, 1863 by Stephen R. Wise (University of South Carolina Press, 1994).

Swamp Angels: A Biographical Study of the 54th Massachusetts Regiment: True Facts about the Black Defenders of the Civil War by Robert Ewell Greene (BoMark/Greene Publishing Group, 1990).

The Massachusetts 54th Colored Infantry [DVD] by Jacqueline Shearer. (WGBH Boston Video, 2006).

The Assault on Fort Wagner, July 18, 1863: The Memorable Charge of the Fifty-Fourth Regiment of Massachusetts Volunteers, written for 'The Springfield Republican' by Luis F. Emilio (Rand Avery, 1887).

The National Archives has a web page devoted to more information about "Black Soldiers in the U.S. Military in the Civil War."

The BDC has a pathfinder to "Black Soldiers and Sailors during the Civil War: Selected Links and Materials" posted in our BDC WordPress blog of Links, Lists, and Finding Aids.

Today is the Day to "Do 1 Thing" for Emergency Preparedness

MayDay is a national effort to prepare for disasters in the cultural heritage community. On May 1 – this year and every year – each of us can do something that will make a difference when and if an emergency occurs.

MayDay began as grassroots effort to safeguard archives by the Society of American Archivists (SAA) in 2006. A year later, SAA was joined in its efforts by the Heritage Emergency National Task Force, a partnership of 41 national service organizations and government agencies. Heritage Preservation, a national non-profit organization dedicated to preserving the cultural heritage of the United States, broadened the base of the emergency preparedness initiative to include all types of cultural heritage organizations shortly thereafter. Continuing in the tradition established by the Society of American Archivists and Heritage Preservation, now the Foundation for Advancement in Conservation encourages libraries, museums, archives, historical societies, and preservation organizations to set aside May 1st to participate in MayDay.

Libraries, museums, archives, and arts and historic preservation organizations across the nation will observe MayDay today. MayDay encourages cultural heritage institutions to take one simple step to protect the art, artifacts, records, and historic structures they hold in trust.

This year, the BDC is going to take 2 steps: 1) I am taking Sam and Kristi through the steps to follow if we must evacuate the building so that "Life Safety Comes First" and 2) Together we will use the Foundation for Advancement in Conservation's Walk-Through Checklist to identify the three biggest risks to the BDC and outline steps to mitigate those three biggest risks. It's a pretty big checklist and some of the line items may not apply to our particular circumstance but I am sure that in the end, as manager of the special collections and archives unit, I will have learned much and will be in a better position to advocate for the health and safety of the unit, its customers, and its staff as a result of the exercise.

Of course, preparedness is not just for institutions and governments. Disaster preparedness is everyone's business.

Given that life happens on a daily basis, and disaster is often part of life, then we must ready ourselves for the likelihood that today could just be the day that the earth moves beneath us -- as it did in 1886 -- or the day that a hurricane comes and tears up the town -- as it did in 1959 -- or a fire consumes much of Old Town Bluffton -- as it did in 1863 -- or a tornado touches the ground in a neighborhood subdivision -- as it did in 1933, as it did with loss of life on St. Helena Island in 1998 -- and try to prepare as best we can to survive the event, and to thrive after the event.

Here are a few potential "Do ONE thing for Emergency Preparedness" activities: 

• Begin now to gather the necessary contents for your hurricane evacuation box(es) for the upcoming hurricane season that begins June 1st.  
• Decide on what "family treasures" to take with you during an hurricane evacuation procedure.
• Buy a household fire extinguisher - and learn how and when to use it.
• Get a NOAA Emergency Alert radio.

There are plenty of other activities listed on the "Do1Thing" website. Do 1 Thing is a non-profit organization that aims to build more disaster resilient communities with simple monthly steps - and reminders if you sign up. It purports that it works because its unique step-by-step approach makes it easy for people to get started preparing for disasters and emergencies.

.... And I think that being attacked by a naval flotilla qualifies as a point for emergency preparedness. Local residents, both enslaved and free, were faced with the Union attack on Port Royal Sound in November 1861. You can learn all about the Battle and the weaponry used in "Sand Against Iron" with Dave Smoot this Saturday, May 4th at the Beaufort Branch Library beginning at 11 AM. The program is free and open to all interested in military history.

"Big Guns" Programs

The Battle of Port Royal Sound was one of the earliest naval operations of the Civil War. On November 7, 1861, a massive U. S. Naval fleet and U. S. Army expeditionary force sailed into Port Royal Sound and captured Fort Walker on Hilton Head and Fort Beauregard on Bay Point/St. Helena Island, SC. It was the "largest fleet ever assembled by the United States" up to that date and forever changed the trajectory of Beaufort's history.

The battle is sometimes referred to as "The Big Gun Shoot" though previous programs on the topic have tended to focus more on the general history of the event rather than on the weaponry and tactics used during the engagement. This program will rectify that oversight.

Dave Smoot's focus will be on the heavy artillery of the battle: What big guns are doing the shooting and why? Were the munitions equally effective? Why or why not? Why were some Confederate guns facing the wrong way? Was it a "fair" fight? The answers to these questions and more will be revealed within the lecture. 

About the speaker:
Dave Smoot has been doing history for most of his life. He recently retired from his position as the Museum Technician at Parris Island Museum working with Dr. Stephen Wise to curate the story of the Marines for a decade. He was a director of a Virginia Living History Museum before relocating to Beaufort. An active re-enactor, he's portrayed Civil War surgeon Dr. Tooms and Civil War doctor, Dr. Meade along with providing other informative and illuminating programs on "The Well Dressed Marine of 1915" and "The South Carolina Constitution of 1865" for the BDC in the past.

Military History Program on May 4th

Please mark your calendars: We are delighted that Dave Smoot has agreed to share his expertise regarding military history with us again. This time he's going to concentrate on the munitions used by the Union and Confederates during that fateful day in November 1861 that led to the Federal occupation of Beaufort and Hilton Head for the duration of the Civil War and into the Reconstruction Era. 

We recommend that you make it a Lecture and Luncheon kind of day.  Come to the lecture and get edification for your mind at 11 AM; afterwards wander over into the Waterfront Park for the "Taste of Beaufort Festival" or to one of the many eateries in downtown Beaufort to get some edification for your body.  What a wonderful way to spend a late Spring Saturday in Beautiful Beaufort By-the-Bay.

For more information about the Taste of Beaufort Festival call (843) 525-8525 or visit  www.beaufortchamber.org.

Dr. Marcoux Returns August 15, 2017

In May 2016 we were privileged to have Dr. Jon B. Marcoux present a wonderful program about his upcoming archaeological search for the Sadkeche Fight. He returns to Beaufort County Library on Wednesday, August 15th at 2:00 pm  to give us an update about progress made thus far in identifying and interpreting this forgotten military engagement in a largely forgotten colonial conflict called the Yamasee War.

Please join us in the Beaufort Branch Meeting Room, 1st floor, 311 Scott Street for another illuminating local history program co-sponsored by the Beaufort District Collection and the Beaufort Chapter, Archaeological Society of South Carolina. The program is free. We'll have room to seat up to 85 guests.

Jon B. Marcoux, Ph.D.

Dr.  Marcoux graduated from Vanderbilt University in 1997. He earned his Master's degree from University of Alabama in 2000. He completed his Ph.D. at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2008.  He is an archaeologist who specializes in cultural and historic preservation and the study of late prehistoric and early historic Native American Indian societies (ca. A.D. 1000-1800). He has over 15 years of professional preservation experience, having directed archaeological survey and excavation projects across the southeastern U.S. and New England.  His recently published research explores the ways Cherokee communities negotiated the social and political turmoil caused by European colonialism. The search for the Sadkeche Fight is part of his long-term research project  to study cultural interaction among late seventeenth-century Native American Indian communities, enslaved Africans, and European settlers in lowcountry South Carolina. 

Dr. Marcoux's archaeological field work is funded with a grant from the National Park Service American Battlefield Protection Program.

Latest update: 24 March 2022 - Removed corrupted image of the program announcement. - gmc 

Sadkeche Fight Program Coming Soon

South Carolina has seen more than its share of military engagements through time. As the South Carolina Battlefield Preservation Trust (SCBPT) website states "Since the Province of Carolina was chartered in 1663, hundreds of battles representing nearly every regional and national conflict have been fought on South Carolina soil." At present the SCBPT is undertaking an archaeological inventory and some site investigations of colonial and Revolutionary War battlefields. You have the opportunity in August to learn a bit more about a forgotten colonial war in a free lecture co-sponsored by the Beaufort District Collection and the Beaufort Chapter, Archaeological Society.

Historian William Ramsey states that the little remembered Yamasee War (1715-1717) “easily ranks with King Philip’s War and Pontiac’s Rebellion” as a key colonial conflict.Yet compared to these other wars, it remains woefully understudied. “The Sadkeche Fight,” as it has been called, occurred in April 1715, just days after the Yamasee War began. It was a pivotal engagement within the war, marking the first major battle between the Yamasees and the South Carolina militia. In this battle, the militia, numbering 240, defeated a force of Yamasee Indians roughly twice its size. A number of Yamasee leaders were also killed in the fighting, which halted their advance toward Charleston. 

On Wednesday, August 15^th at 2:00 pm Dr. Jon Marcoux of Salve Regina University will give us an update about the search for the Battle of Sadkeche. He is an archaeologist who specializes in cultural and historic preservation and the study of late prehistoric and early historic Native American Indian societies (ca. A.D. 1000-1800). Dr. Marcoux is particularly interested in studying cultural interaction among late 17th-century Native American Indian communities, enslaved Africans and European settlers.

We’ll set up 85 seats in the Beaufort Branch Meeting Room - which should be more than plenty given that we are now in the dog days of Summer and so many of our area residents are away in cooler climes. But if you’re nervous about not getting a seat, please arrive early. We will have staff on hand beginning at 1 pm to start giving out free tickets.

Please note: The archaeological field work and lecture is funded with a grant from the National Park Service American Battlefield Protection Program. 

Coming Soon ... Latest Robert Smalls Book & Liberty Days

We're happy that Beaufort County Historical Society agreed to be a co-sponsor of our June programs. We're also going to try out a new way of ticketing local history programs since we've heard grumbling about the reservation system for the Beaufort History Museum / Beaufort County Library local history series. A new system may work better; it may not work better; but we are going to give it a go.

Here's what we've decided to test: We'll have 85 free tickets available at Beaufort Branch beginning at 10 am on June 22nd for the Lineberry program. We'll distribute the free tickets until they are gone. In the afternoon, we'll have 100 free tickets available for distribution at the Lineberry program at Bluffton Branch beginning at 2 pm. The difference in the number of available tickets is because of the size of the respective meeting spaces. Bluffton Branch's Community Room is larger than Beaufort Branch's Meeting Room. You'll need to drop by and pick up up to 2 tickets - one for you and one for a significant person in your life. Free tickets will be available beginning at 1 hour before program time.

Thursday, June 22 at 11am | BDC@BEA, 311 Scott Street, Beaufort | Ages 12 – Adult

Thursday, June 22 at 3pm | BDC@ BLU, 120 Palmetto Way, Bluffton |Ages 12 - Adult

Book talk, sale and signing with author Cate Lineberry whose latest book recounts the amazing story of Robert Smalls’s escape from slavery. Free. Ticketed. Co-sponsor: Beaufort County Historical Society 

The following week, we will celebrate Liberty Week in concert with the South Carolina Historical Society, the Beaufort County Historical Society and many of our cultural heritage neighbors in Beaufort County and Jasper County.  First up is a Carolina Day lecture on June 28th. 

Carolina Day is the annual commemoration of the Battle of Sullivan's Island, the first significant American victory over the British. By winning the Patriots protected the critical port of Charleston. The British would not occupy the state's capital until 1780.  Come hear Executive Director of the South Carolina Battleground Preservation Trust Doug Bostick talk about the our state’s Revolutionary War heritage on Carolina Day, June 28th at 2 pm in the Beaufort Branch Meeting Room, 1st floor, 311 Scott Street. 85 Free tickets available for pickup at 1 pm on the day of the program. Co-sponsor: Beaufort County Historical Society

Next Sunday here in Connections, we will share more details about all that's going on locally for Liberty Week. 

Stayed Tuned for Post on June 25th

Please note: The Library system will be closed Tuesday, July 4th in commemoration of Independence Day.

Military History Program this Saturday

We begin our commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the Great War with "Send in the Marines" on Saturday, March 18th.

3/17/2017 - PLEASE NOTE: The location of this program has changed to the 2nd floor, 311 Scott Street, Beaufort, SC - just outside our Research Room door. 

The Great War had broken out 1914 with the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand  and his wife Sophie of Austria on June 28, 1914. For three years, Woodrow Wilson and the United States monitored what was happening in Europe as the empires of Austria, Germany, Ottoman, and Bulgaria fought against the Allied Powers of Great Britain, France, Italy and Russia. Wilson beefed up America's military, ended child labor, supported the right of women to cast votes, and dreamed of a League of Nations to secure the peace once hostilities ended. During the Republican Convention of 1916 at which Wilson was nominated for a second term, the delegates cheered a new campaign slogan, "He Kept Us Out of War," which world conditions made a hope more than a promise.

When the Great War broke out, there were less than 14,000 United States Marines and officers. When the guns fell silent on Armistice Day 1918, there were 72,920 United States Marines and officers. After America declared war on Germany on April 6, 1916, over 2 million Americans fought in World War I.

Our program "Send in the Marines" discusses the role of Parris Island in preparing Marines to go "Hang the Kaiser." Next month a program sponsored by the Parris Island Historical and Museum Society and its partner the Historic Port Royal Foundation,  examines the role played by the Corps during the war. The two programs naturally complement each other. So take advantage of the opportunity to learn more about Marine Corps history at each of these free programs. 

Event Name: “Send in the Marines”                                                                                     

Short Description of Event: Dave Smoot explains the role Parris Island played in preparing to go “Hang the Kaiser” as the United States enters World War I.

Time and Date of Event: Saturday, March 18, 2017 at 1:00 PM

Location of Event: BDC@ Beaufort Branch, 1st floor, Beaufort District Collection, 2nd floor, 311 Scott Street, Beaufort, SC 29902

Price of Event: Free; Ages 12 – Adults

Contact info: Grace Cordial, 843-255-6468

Website:  beaufortcountylibrary.org

Event Name: “The Marines in World War I”

Short Description of Event: Author Mike Miller will discuss the role played by the USMC during the Great War. This event is sponsored by the Parris Island Historical and Museum Society and the Historic Port Royal Foundation.

Time and Date of Event: Tuesday, April 25, 2017 at 6:00 PM

Location of Event: Union Church, 1004 11^th Street, Port Royal, SC 29935

Price of Event: Free; All Ages

Contact info:  Caroline Fermin Ed.pihms@gmail.com  or Jim Crower jcrower@yahoo.com Website:   http://www.mcrdpimuseum.com/