This week we took another step back into the history of our country, from the Civil War to beautiful antebellum homes and plantations. Yes, all amid the 90+ degree temperatures and humidity. Such troopers!
Monday morning we left Myrtle Beach State Park at
10:45 p.m. for the relatively short drive to Yemassee, South Carolina, just 153
miles away. We arrived to our destination at 2:15. The 3 ½ hour drive took us
through the outskirts of Charleston, which we planned to visit later in the
week. The drive was uneventful, but
traffic was bumper-to-bumper through all the towns—even the smaller ones.
Yemassee is located about an hour south-southwest of Charleston, so we had a bit of a drive whenever we wanted to
head that direction. Actually, Yemassee is loaded with history, as well. Not
only is it in the middle of the Revolutionary Trail, but it was also the site
of an enormous battle with Native Americans over a multitude of reasons,
including land encroachment by Europeans, the trading system, trader abuses,
Indian slave trade, depletion of wildlife resources, Indian debts vs.
colonists’ increasing wealth—the list goes on and on.
Native Americans killed hundreds of colonists and
destroyed settlements. Abandoning settled frontiers, colonists fled to what was
then Charles Towne, where starvation set in as supplies ran low. The survival
of the South Carolina colony was in jeopardy during 1715. However, the tide
turned in 1716 when the Cherokee sided with the colonists against the Creek,
their traditional enemy. The last of Carolina’s major Native American foes
withdrew from the conflict in 1717, finally bringing a fragile peace to the
colony.
Tuesday we took it a bit easy, but did walk around
the park and took photos to share with y’all.
There are 88 sites in The Oaks At South Point RV Campground; we were in #81.
There are quite a few year-‘rounders in the park, and the park was relatively
quiet all the time. The park has a pool, laundry facilities, bath houses,
miniature golf and horseshoes, as well as a clubhouse with a pool table and
very small library. The park also has a walking trail around a small lake that
is home to at least several alligators—we did see one on our walk.
That afternoon we visited the Old Sheldon Church
nearby, in Yemassee.
The Old Sheldon Church was originally known as
Prince William’s Parish Church, built as a “chapel of ease” for parishioners
who couldn’t reach the parish church in Beaufort conveniently. It is thought
that this church, built between 1745 and 1753, was most probably the first
built in the Greek Revival style, with bricks made locally by slaves.
The church had been organized and funded by William
Bull, whose plantation bordered the church grounds, and was named Sheldon
Church in honor of his ancestral home in England. (The state church of South
Carolina at that time was the Church of England.) During the Revolutionary War
the church was used as a strategic political and military site. And, as if that
wasn’t enough to make it a target, the Bull family vault was used to hide arms
and ammunition. Consequently the church was burned by the British in 1779. The
church lay dormant for almost 50 years until it was rebuilt in 1826.
Not much is known of the congregants, as most of the
church records were destroyed in that fire. The church kept many records of a
civil nature in their vestry books. Besides being a religious body, the Vestry
was a political body, as well, responsible for the roads, education, the poor
and orphans, voting and collecting taxes in addition to their church duties. Then,
in February 1865, General Sherman marching from Georgia into South Carolina,
burned it a second time. All that was combustible was consumed by the fire; all
that was left were the walls.
Today, the ruins lie among majestic live oaks and
scattered graves. Inside the church ruins lies the remains of Colonel William
Bull (who assisted in the layout of Savannah, Georgia, by surveying the land in
1733 to form the basic grid pattern of the streets and squares). The grounds
of the church are not available for public use, however, an annual service is
held the 2nd Sunday after Easter to commemorate the early settlers and
founding members of this church, as well as the soldiers who fought to preserve
the South.
An interesting detail can be seen on one of the
interior walls. It’s like a face is there, always watching…
We drove into Charleston on Wednesday to visit Fort
Sumter, the site of the first battle of the Civil War. Built after the War of
1812 to house an armament of 135 guns and a garrison of 650 men, it was 90%
complete and standing empty with only 15 mounted cannons ready for battle at the time of the attack. Fort
Sumter looks very different today, from what it was when the first shot was
fired April 12, 1861.
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| Fort Sumter National Monument in Charleston where we departed for the island. |
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| These photos show what Fort Sumter looks like today. The top 2 tiers of the fort were destroyed by bombardments; the entrance to the fort; what's left of the officers' and enlisted men's quarters; the right flank; Battery Huger was used to house armaments during World War I; |
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| Artillery shells lodged in the foundation of Fort Sumter. |
By December 27, Confederate forces occupied nearby
Fort Moultrie and two other area strongholds, and began erecting batteries
elsewhere around Charleston Harbor. By April 11, Beauregard demanded that
Anderson surrender Fort Sumter, but Anderson refused. At 3:20 a.m. the Confederates
informed Anderson that their batteries would open fire in one hour. At 10
minutes past the allotted hour, a single shell was fired. By daybreak batteries
at Forts Johnson and Moultrie, Cummings Point, and elsewhere were attacking
Fort Sumter. Though 60 guns were ready for action at the fort, most were never
fired. Nine or ten casemate guns returned fire, but by noon only 6 remained in
action. At no time during the battle were Confederate positions damaged by the
guns of Fort Sumter. By 2 p.m. Anderson agreed to a truce, and by 7 p.m. he
surrendered his garrison. Miraculously, only 5 Federal soldiers suffered
injuries, and no one on either side had been killed. On Sunday April 14, Major
Anderson and his garrison marched out of the fort and boarded a ship for
transport to New York.
They had defended Fort Sumter for 34 hours, until “the
quarters were entirely burned, the main gates destroyed by fire, the gorge
walls seriously injured, the magazines surrounded by flames.” The Civil War, so
long dreaded, had begun.
Confederate troops
subsequently occupied Fort Sumter for nearly 4 years, enduring the longest
siege from combined naval and artillery forces in modern warfare. By the time
the Civil War ended, Fort Sumter hardly resembled a fort at all. But defensively,
it was stronger than ever. Federal guns had hurled 7 million pounds of metal at
it, yet the Confederate losses during this period had been only 267 wounded and
52 killed.
The top 2 tiers of the
fort were destroyed, leaving just rubble beneath it. Only on the left flank,
left face, and right face could any of the original walls be seen. The right
flank wall and the gorge wall, which had taken the brunt of the Federal
bombardments, were now irregular mounds of earth, sand, and debris.
During the ten years following the war, the Army
attempted to put Fort Sumter back into shape as a military installation.
Storage magazines and cisterns were constructed, and gun emplacements were
located. Eleven of the original 1st-tier gunrooms were reclaimed and
armed with 100-pound Parrot guns.
From 1876 to 1897 Fort Sumter wasn’t occupied,
serving mainly as a lighthouse station. Maintenance of the area was so poor
that the gun platforms were allowed to rot, the guns to rot, and the entire
area to erode. The Spanish-American War, however, resulted in the construction
of Battery Huger in 1898, and the installation of 2 long-range 12-inch rifles.
Fortunately, the war ended quickly and the guns were never fired in anger.
During World War II a small garrison manned the rifles at Battery Huger, and
although maintained by the Army for the next 20 years, it was never used as a
military establishment again.
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| Clockwise: A musket demonstration by Park Ranger Antoine; this 6.4-inch 100 pounder Parrott was discovered during excavations of Fort Sumter; 8-inch Columbiad--these were mounted at Fort Sumter when the Confederates opened fire in April 1861--this has probably remained here since then weathering the Union bombardments of 1863 and was unearthed during archeologic digs in 1959; the 15-inch Rodman was the largest gun used in the Civil War; the Mountain Howitzer was used by the Confederates to defend against bombardments by Union forces; this 8-inch 200 Pounder along with the 6.4-inch and 10-inch were designed to be used on land or at sea; this 10-inch Mortar, unearthed during excavations in 1959, is similar to the one that fired the signal shot from Fort Johnson on April 12, 1861; |
The Fort was designated a National Monument in 1948;
Fort Sumter today reflects 100 years (1830s-1940s) of military activity.
By the time we returned to Charleston, we were
really hungry, so we walked a couple blocks to the East Bay Deli, where we
noshed on a turkey melt and a tuna wrap.
We made plans to meet up with friends Ron and
Kathryn in Beaufort, South Carolina on Thursday, to tour the city and have
lunch. We met up at the Visitor Center/Beaufort Arsenal to make plans for the
day.
The first thing we did was hop aboard the “Southurn
Rose” horse drawn carriage for a ride through historic Beaufort. Oh, and on
the tour we were told that Beaufort is the site of quite a few movies (or parts
of movies), including “The Great Santini,” “The Big Chill,” “G.I. Jane,”
“Forrest Gump,” “Prince of Tides,” and “Something to Talk About.” Who knew…?
From there we walked a few blocks to the Verdier
House, hoping for a tour. Tours are conducted every hour on the half hour, but
we arrived 15 minutes late. The docent Mary Beth was kind enough to take us
through anyway, so we paid our $10 per person and went along.
The Verdier house was built in 1804 by John Mark Verdier, a French Huguenot. By the 2nd half of the 1700s Verdier had traded enough indigo to acquire more than 1,000 acres of sea island cotton fields and plantations, that he felt the need to build a home to represent his rise in society—a Federal style mansion.
Lafayette spent some time here during his visit to
the South, and it became headquarters for Union troops in the 1860s. This home
was owned by Verdier’s descendants until 1940 when it was purchased for
historic preservation.
The 2-story frame building is built on an elevated
“tabby” basement, has a hipped roof, and a double-tiered portico on the front
façade. (Tabby is a type of concrete made by burning oyster shells to create
lime, then mixing it with water, sand, ash and broken oyster shells. It’s
typically covered with a stucco material.) The home was built on shipbuilding
techniques, with beams and hand cut boards laid horizontally, unusual for
estates at that time, but proved to be an effective building technique as it’s one
of the few historical structures of such grandeur in the region still standing,
even after the Civil War, and an 1893 hurricane which devastated the region.
A center hall divides the first floor with a drawing
room, or parlor, on the right and a dining room on the left, with 2 additional
rooms in the back. An archway divides the public part of the house with the
private, and frames the staircase. The landing is the base for a beautiful
Palladium window. From there, a divided staircase leads to the 2nd
floor to a large ballroom and what is called a “retiring” room. (As a side,
Beaufort’s 1st telephone was installed in the ballroom.) The
hand-carved mantel in the ballroom features allegorical figures, ribbons,
fruit, flowers, and sheaves of wheat. Other interesting facts are that in its
original design the interior of the home didn’t include any kitchen, bathrooms,
or closets—these were found outside the home.
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| Clockwise: Union troops take over the Verdier House in the 1860s; the entryway with arch and stairway; dining room; Palladium window. |
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| The ballroom on the 2nd floor is beautiful. |
(No interior photos are allowed and the above 2 sets of photos are credited to the South Carolina Department of Archives and History)
John Verdier would pass away in 1827, just 20 years
after the home was completed. (His son James Robert Verdier would rise to fame,
as well, as one of the first successful pioneers in the battle against Yellow
Fever, the deadly and prevalent-at-the-time disease.)
Other interesting items in the home are a focus on
Robert Smalls, a Beaufort resident who was the 1st African American to serve in
the U.S. Congress in 1875, civil war photos, and an exhibit honoring the
Beaufort Volunteer Artillery which fought valiantly during both the American
Revolution and Civil War. The home was listed on the National Register of
Historic Places in 1971.
The 4 of us had lunch at Plum’s, a restaurant serving
“low country” food. Really good! Dick had spiced peel-and-eat shrimp with a
candied pecan and Roquefort salad; Ron had an oyster Po’ boy; Kathryn had a
good ol’ American cheeseburger (with 2 patties!); and I had a “Biarritz” which
is smoked turkey, brie cheese, bacon and strawberry preserves on grilled
“lavash” served with a side salad. Yum-yum! That still left room for ice cream
a bit later!
On the way back to our vehicles we stopped at a
LyBenson’s historic African-American cultural gallery. Kathryn and I were
especially interested in the “sweet grass” baskets made locally by Gullah
women. We found they were quite expensive, but we enjoyed looking at them and
admiring their beauty and craftsmanship.
Then, we walked next door to a small deli for ice
cream. YUM! And, perfect for a very warm and humid afternoon.
After a stop at the local Walmart we headed
home—just about 35 minutes away.
Friday was laundry day, and a day for chillin’ out.
Dick read, and I worked on photos for this blog. (It’s very difficult to select
photos—we want to share so much…)
Saturday after breakfast we drove back into
Charleston to the Magnolia Plantation and Gardens.
Magnolia Plantation was founded in 1676 by the
Drayton family, and is the oldest plantation on the Ashley River. It’s also a
centerpiece of Charleston history. Today, the plantation still remains in the
family, and is home to the 11th generation of Draytons, who directs
all operations of the plantation for no compensation. (It also pays full taxes, and distributes its excess revenue to several
conservation and animal groups.)
The plantation itself is on nearly 500 acres of
land, of which over 30 acres are gardens, making it the oldest public garden in
America. It’s also considered the most beautiful gardens of its type in the world, by many
experts. But, there’s more to the plantation than just the gardens. Miles of
canoe, bike and walking trails wind through diverse habitats. There’s a
restored c.1840 worker’s cabin, a pre-Revolutionary rice barge, street of
antebellum slave houses, and a large Native American ceremonial mound. The
gardens include a Biblical garden, herb garden, camellia and bamboo gardens,
and tropical and swamp gardens. There’s also a petting zoo for the kids. We took in only the house tour and the
gardens, which in itself took almost 4 hours!
…just a little bit of history of the plantation and
Drayton family.
Thomas Drayton and his wife Anna arrived from
Barbados to Charles Towne, and established Magnolia Plantation along the Ashley
River in 1676. They were the 1st in a direct line of Magnolia family
ownership that has lasted more than 300 years and still continues. (Later,
British and American troops would occupy its grounds during the Revolution,
while the Drayton sons would become both statesmen and soldiers fighting
against British rule.)
Magnolia Plantation has a reconstructed and restored
plantation house, based on what was built after the Civil War, when it was
burned, most likely by Union troops. The oldest section was built prior to the
Revolutionary War; the wide veranda and huge columns were added more recently.
Of the 5 cabins on site, 4 were built in slavery
times and 1 about 1900. They’ve been restored to differing periods: from 1850
into the 20th century, as they housed free as well as enslaved
workers. Archaeological digs are revealing more about the lives of both, who
were skilled gardeners and craftsmen. The history room in the lower level of
the house holds a wealth of information, as well as artifacts found onsite—some
found as recently as May 2016 by volunteers and works at the plantation!
The cultivation of “Carolina Gold Rice” brought
immense wealth and growth during the Colonial era. The establishment of the
early gardens in the late 17th century would bring an explosion of
beauty, and it expanded throughout the 18th and 19th
centuries.
Upon his death in 1825, Thomas Drayton (great
grandson of Magnolia’s first Drayton) willed the estate successively to his
daughter’s sons, Thomas and John Grimke, since he had no male heirs. He made an
unusual condition in the will that the sons assume their mother’s maiden name
of Drayton. Thomas, the older son, died of an accidental gunshot wound while
deer hunting, leaving John a very wealthy plantation owner at aged 22.
John, despite the prestige and wealth he inherited,
resolved to pursue his ministerial career, and in 1838 he entered the Episcopal
seminary in New York. While there he married the daughter of a prominent
Philadelphia attorney. Returning to Magnolia, he worked to complete his
clerical studies, while bearing the burden of managing the estate. His fatigue,
as well as the pressure of managing the estate, took its toll, resulting in tuberculosis.
His self-induced cure was to work outside in the gardens he loved. He also
wanted to create a beautiful and romantic garden that his wife would enjoy, and
would make her feel more at home. Miraculously, his health returned and John
became rector nearby Saint Andrews Church, which had served plantation owners
since 1706, and still stands today.
Until his death 50 years later he continued to
devote himself to the ministry, as well as the enhancement of the plantation
garden. John Drayton worked to embellish the soft natural beauty of the gardens.
He was the first to introduce azaleas to America, and the first to utilize
camellias in an outdoor setting. Magnolia’s horticulture today is based to a
large degree on the vast and varied collection of varieties of these two
species. Many parts of the gardens are more than 325 years old making them the
oldest unrestored gardens in America. And, each generation of the Drayton
descendants have added their own personal touch of the gardens.
The outbreak of the Civil War threatened the welfare
of the plantation when it was burned, likely by Union troops, but it did
recover to see additional growth of the gardens, as they became the focus
rather than agriculture, as the gardens opened to the public for the first time
in 1870, thus saving the plantation from financial ruin. The plantation and gardens have
evolved and grown into one of the greatest public gardens in America with a
rich history.
We found the gardens most beautiful,
and unusual. There are nearly 14 miles of pathways through the maze gardens,
planted with some 500 camellias interspersed with holly (we didn’t walk those). There’s also a nature center and zoo with domesticated animals typical to
southern plantations, injured or orphaned native animals, exotic birds including
Malayan jungle fowl, guinea hens, and peacocks. And, there’s the Swamp Garden that
emphasizes indigenous plants and rich ecosystem of the area.
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| Top: Cypress Lake is bordered by Bald Cypress trees up to 100 years old. Bottom: Flowerdale covers about 50 acres with the oldest section established in 1680; it has formal plantings of annuals set in triangular beds enclosed by boxwood hedges. 2 large camellias date from the 1840 |
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| There are 7 bridges on property; these are only 4. The longest (bottom right) was built in 1840. |
Along our walk we came upon the
memorial to Henry Woodward, who was purportedly the first to settle in the
Carolinas. He was instrumental in bringing rice to the area from Madagascar and
developing it as the chief crop of South Carolina. Voila, Carolina Gold Rice! Thomas
Jefferson traveled to this area and became its biggest fan. At that time there
were over 100 major rice plantations in the region. Sadly, the Civil War
brought an end to it reign, due to a loss of labor and working capital, as well
as several severe storms. By the 1900s rice production had all but disappeared from
the state, and it was never grown as a cash group again. A variety of Carolina
Gold Rice is grown near Darlington, South Carolina, which is said to rate
highest on the aromatic scale as well as taste. It’s also said that if you once
try this rice you won’t be satisfied with any other!
We continued on our walk, and
came across a sign that explained the bench attached to a large cypress tree.
On this bench, prior to, during and after the Civil War, Reverend John Drayton
would sit in meditation composing his weekly sermons. He confided to his
granddaughter Marie that at this spot he feels himself closer to God than
anywhere else in the world. It was here that he also composed his letter to his
daughter Ella that he in good conscience could not attend her marriage to the
son of one of his old friends, as the groom expressed doubts as to some of the
basic precepts of Christianity. Anything other than complete faith was
inconceivable to him.
We then came upon the Drayton
family burial vault. Measuring 12’x10’x6’, it was made of imported English brick
beneath an elaborate brick and marble surface overlooking the river, and
designed to be entered through an underground door on the river side. In 1755,
in a hand-made lead coffin, Thomas Drayton, the first member of the Drayton
family to own Magnolia Plantation was laid to rest. The vault was unopened
until 1916 when it was opened to receive the remains of Drayton Hastie. The
1886 earthquake, it was found, had collapsed the ceiling and completely
destroyed the coffins inside with the exception of the lead coffin. Without
cleaning out the debris the ceiling was hastily repaired and left until 61
years later when a family member wished to clean it out for future use. Time
and earthquakes had taken its toll, but the vault was cleaned out, all those
interred were reassembled and placed in time-defying containers, ready to
accept future occupants.
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| Eight generations of one of the most influential early families in South Carolina and American history are interred here. The photo bottom left shows the lead coffin of Thomas Drayton on the right; in the center is the mahogany copper-lined coffin that held Drayton Hastie. |
Farther along in our walk through the garden we came upon what is called the Burial Tree.
Here are more photos of the gardens, including flowers in bloom, wildlife (yup, we found an alligator!).
Here are more photos of the gardens, including flowers in bloom, wildlife (yup, we found an alligator!).
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| The Biblical Garden |
We were starving—can you believe it—by the time we
left Magnolia Gardens. Halfway back to our site we stopped for dinner at Mi
Lindos Guerrero in in Ravenel, for a wonderful meal and of course, a margarita.
The rains started in full force just before we left, so we rode home completely
drenched. YUK!…
Sunday was another day of rest for us, with the
exception of the 40-mile motorcycle ride Dick took through the
area. On his ride he visited the Frampton Plantation and the Auldbrass
Plantation (which was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright).
The Frampton Plantation property was part of an
original King’s Grant to the John Frampton family in the early 1700s. He, along
with his brothers shared thousands of acres in what is now Beaufort and Jasper
counties in South Carolina. It was also known as “The Hill” plantation because
it is the highest elevation for several miles around. With the aid of about 130
slaves, John Frampton grew cotton and some rice on the plantation. He was one
of the signers of South Carolina’s Declaration of Secession from the Union,
which ultimately started the Civil War.
Unfortunately, General Sherman’s troops burned the
plantation house in 1865, as well as all the outbuildings on the property. Frampton
had evacuated the home prior to the Civil War, returning with enough resources
to rebuild the house in 1868. The house was heated by 7 fireplaces; the
original home supported a 2nd story porch and French doors which
were removed by subsequent owners. Although the original roof was split,
wooden, shake shingles, the present roof is an authentic turne-metal roof of
that period. In about 1930 major renovations were made to the old house,
including indoor plumbing and electrical wiring, and applying the first sheet
rock replacing the old lath and plaster walls.
Two important periods of South Carolina and U.S.
history are represented on the grounds. During the War Between the States, in
1861, General Lee’s Confederate troops built an earthwork gun emplacement to
help protect the Charleston to Savannah railroad, an important supply line for
Southern troops throughout the war. The mounds under the trees in the back yard
are the remains of this fortification. Another addition marks an older
conflict: the gazebo behind the house marks the trailhead for the Lowcountry
Revolution War Trail. It’s a 4-county driving and biking tour of historical
sites from the Colonial conflict. It’s important to note that more skirmishes
and decisive battles of the Revolution War occurred in South Carolina than any
other colony.
The Frampton House was donated to the Lowcountry
Tourism Commission in 1993, for the creation of a visitor’s center and museum,
assuring the restoration of the old farmhouse. This also included preservation
of the old oak trees that frame the building and the Civil War earthworks in
the backyard that had been erected by Robert E. Lee’s troops in defense of the
railroad supply line for the Confederacy from Savannah to Charleston.
Today, the front room on the ground floor is a
recreated 1900s plantation house parlor, complete with antique furnishings.
Adjoining rooms displays artifacts from 10 museums in the 4 county Lowcountry
regions. It also includes displays from a local artisans center, and a special
display about the many major pictures filmed in the Lowcountry.
Several visitors to the “Frampton House” have
mentioned sensing an other-worldly “presence” in the old house. Some have asked
about the old woman in the parlor, or the little girl and the calico cat on the
stairs. (All of these entities remain unconfirmed by the present staff.)
The Auldbrass Plantation dates back to 1736 when the
farm was known as Mount Pleasant. Five
parcels of land were joined to form the plantation, by an industrial engineer
C. Leigh Stevens. The current main house, stable complex and kennels were designed and
built by Frank Lloyd Wright from 1940-1951, who is also credited with changing
the name to Auldbrass. The plantation was added to the National Registry of
Historic Places in 1976. The plantation
was purchased in 1986 by film producer Joel Silver, who was convinced it worthy
of restoration. It’s open to the public one weekend every 2 years (the most
recent was November 7-8, 2015). The closest Dick was able to get to the house was what you see through the trees.
He also stopped by the African Village of the Onojuni,
located quite near our park, but didn’t go in. It’s the first intentional
community based on the culture of the Yoruba and Dahomey tribes of West Africa,
founded in 1970 in the U.S. Now, after over 45 years of sustaining the only
Kingdom based on traditional Yoruba sociology and values, it brings a depth of
culture, beautiful art, grandeur of customs and resilient history of the New
World Yoruba. I also read somewhere that it sees itself as a sovereign nation.
Hmm…
Well, that’s it for this week. I keep thinking that “this” week will be more laid back with
not so much to share. Guess that’s not happening, eh? Anyway, we hope you enjoy
this trip through history. There’s just so much!
Hugs and love ‘til next week,
RJ and Gail
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