“Civil War 150”: The United States, Interrupted, 1861 – 1865
Funds to put on these BDC@ programs come from: Gilder Lehrman Institute of American
History, Library of America, National Endowment for the Humanities, SC Humanities Council,
Beaufort County Council and the Beaufort County Historical Society.
Contributors: Arts Council of Beaufort County, Beaufort County Historical Society, Beaufort
History Museum, Bluffton Historical Preservation Society, Coastal Discovery Museum ,Greater
Beaufort Chamber of Commerce, Heritage Library Foundation, Hilton Head Historical Society,
and Historic Beaufort Foundation.
Event Name: “Civil War 150” Exhibit at the Beaufort District Collection
Short description of event: Created to commemorate the Civil War Sesquicentennial, Beaufort
County Library was selected as one of only 50 sites to host the exhibit during the 150 th
anniversary period. Explore the bloodiest war in United States history in this traveling exhibit
developed by the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History in partnership with The Library
of American with funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities. Experience the
Civil War through the eyes of major political figures, soldiers, families, and freedmen. By virtue
of letters, personal accounts, and images, learn how people grappled with the end of slavery,
the nature of democracy and citizenship, the human toll of civil war, and the role of a president
in wartime. Pick up an “I visited Civil War 150” voucher in the BDC to receive a discount on
admission at specified museums. Vouchers expire October 31, 2013.
Time and date of event: Mondays through Fridays, 10 am until 5 pm, beginning Monday,
September 9th through Monday, September 30th; Special evening hours, 5:00 -7:30 pm on
September 12th, 19th, and 24th
Location of event: Beaufort District Collection, 2nd floor, 311 Scott Street Beaufort, SC 29902
Price: Free
Contact information: gracec@bcgov.net
Website: http://www.beaufortcountylibrary.org/civilwar
N.B.: Monitor www.beaufortcountylibrary.org/civilwar for any changes.
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Event Name: Permanent Civil War Exhibit at Parris Island Museum
Short description of event: The Parris Island Museum, in addition to Marine Corps history, has
a section devoted to the history of the local area during the American Civil War. The Hilton
Head and Beaufort areas were major bases for the Union Army and Navy, each of which
conducted raids into the mainland against the Confederate-controlled railroad connecting
Charleston and Savannah. Be sure to visit the section devoted to Civil War era maps,
photographs and artifacts.
Time and date of event: 10 am to 4:30 pm Daily; Closed New Years, Easter, Thanksgiving, and
Christmas
Location of event: 111 Panama St., Marine Corps Recruit Depot.
Price: Free
Contact information: 843-228-2951
Website: http://parrisislandmuseum.com/
Event Name: “Civil War in Beaufort District” displays at the Branch Libraries
Short description of event: The course and impacts of the Civil War in Beaufort District were
profound and distinctively different than elsewhere in the South. This area served as a Federal
Army and Navy staging area and hospital base. The former enslaved participated in the Port
Royal Experiment unfolding on our sea islands even as the Confederacy held the mainland parts
of Beaufort District. Stop by our branch libraries to see a display created from materials in the
special collections and archives unit of the Library system summarizing Beaufort County’s local
history during the Civil War era.
Time and date of event: September 9 – October 1 during regular hours of operation
Multiple Locations
Beaufort Branch, 311 Scott Street, Beaufort, SC 29902
Bluffton Branch, 120 Palmetto Way, Bluffton, SC
Hilton Head Branch, 11 Beach City Road, Hilton Head Island, SC
Lobeco Branch, 1862 Trask Parkway, Lobeco, SC
Event Name: Civil War Picture Display at Heritage Library
Short Description of Event: Miscellaneous pictures, framed newspapers, etc. related to the Civil
War will be on display in the Heritage Library.
Time and Date of Event: September 2 - September 27 during regular hours of operation
Location of Event: Heritage Library, 852 William Hilton Parkway, Ste 2A, Hilton Head Island, SC
29928
Price of Event: Free
Contact info: Linda Piekut, lindapiekut@gmail.com, 843-686-6560
Website: www.heritagelib.org
Event Name: “1st South Carolina Volunteers: From Slaves to Soldiers to Freedmen” exhibit at
Beaufort History Museum
Short Description of Event: View an exhibit about the first former slaves to be officially
recognized as Union soldiers in the Civil War. The 1st SC Volunteers were mustered in during
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the Day of Jubilee celebrations on January 1, 1863. Local war hero Robert Smalls helped
convince President Lincoln that black men would be able troops. There is even some evidence
that the Emancipation Proclamation was hurried up to accommodate their enlistment.
Time & Date of the Event: Opening Gala, September 5, 2013, 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm. Exhibit open
Tuesday through Thursday, 10-12 AM, 2-4PM, September 5 –December 26.
Location: Beaufort History Museum @ City Hall, 1911 Boundary Street, Beaufort, SC 29902
Price of Event: Exhibit: $3.00 per person Museum admission discount with an “I visited Civil
War 150” voucher; Vouchers expire October 31, 2013. Gala: $25.00 for members, $35.00 for
non-members. (Discount vouchers do not apply to the Gala.)
Contact info: Katherine Lang, Beaufort History Museum, (843) 277-1443
Website: www.beauforthistorymuseum.com
Event Name: Permanent Civil War Exhibits at John Mark Verdier House
Short description of event: Historic images from collections of the Historic Beaufort
Foundation, the Beaufort District Collection, and the Library of Congress illustrate text panels of
the town as it was during the Civil War and as it is now in “Bay Street Occupied.” Dennis
Cannady is building a scale-model diorama of “Bay Street 1863”with buildings and docks added
monthly. Watch Bay Street as it grows.
Time and date of event: Mondays through Saturdays, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Location of event: Verdier House, 801 Bay Street Beaufort, SC 29902
Price: Free
Contact information: 843-379-6335
Website: www.historicbeaufort.org
Event Name: John Mark Verdier House Museum Tours
Short description of event: Paid admission to the John Mark Verdier House includes two Civil
War related exhibits: “Robert Smalls: Beaufort Hero” showcases the life of the AfricanAmerican slave who became Republican leader of the Lowcountry post Civil War;
“Unsurrendered Flag” features the history of the BVA and the unit’s recently restored 1858 flag.
Time and date of event: Mondays through Saturdays, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Location of event: Verdier House, 801 Bay Street Beaufort, SC 29902
Price: $10 per adult, children and teenagers free. Admission includes tour of Verdier House.
Museum admission discount with an “I visited Civil War 150” voucher. Vouchers expire October
31, 2013.
Contact information: 843-379-6335.
Website: www.historicbeaufort.org
Event Name: Fort Mitchel Tour with Coastal Discovery Museum and Heritage Library
Foundation
Short Description of Event: Visit a well preserved example of a Civil War era coastal artillery
battery with the Coastal Discovery Museum. Learn about what life on Hilton Head Island was
like for northern soldiers during the Union occupation 1861-1865. The tour is offered in
cooperation with the Heritage Library Foundation, owner of this historic site.
Time and Date of Event: Thursdays, 10 AM
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Location of Event: Tours meet at Fort Mitchel, Hilton Head Island
Price of Event: Regular price is $12 adult $7 child (ages 6-12); Tour admission discount with an
“I visited Civil War 150” voucher. Reservations are required for this tour. Vouchers expire
October 31, 2013.
Contact info: Call Coastal Discovery Museum at 843-689-6767 for reservations.
Website: www.coastaldiscovery.org
Event Name: Forts of Port Royal Tour with Coastal Discovery Museum
Short Description of Event: Learn about the area's early explorers and the importance of the
island during the Civil War, Mitchelville, and the Steam Cannon. The tour visits the site of Fort
Walker and the Steam Cannon.
Time and Date of Event: Wednesdays, 10 AM
Location of Event: Tours meet at the Westin Resort, Hilton Head Island
Price of Event: Regular price is $12 adult $7 child (ages 6-12); Tour admission discount with an
“I visited Civil War 150” voucher. Reservations are required for this tour. Vouchers expire
October 31, 2013.
Contact info: Call Coastal Discovery Museum at 843-689-6767 for reservations.
Website: www.coastaldiscovery.org
Event Name: Civil War Era Talk at Coastal Discovery Museum
Short Description of Event: Find out why thousands of Union soldiers were on Hilton Head
Island and how they spent their time. Historic photographs, maps and artifacts tell the story of
Hilton Head from 1861-1865.
Time and Date of Event: Thursdays, 3 PM
Location of Event: Tours meet at the Coastal Discovery Museum, 70 Honey Horn Drive, Hilton
Head Island
Price of Event: Regular price is $7 per person; Admission discount with an “I visited Civil War
150” voucher. Vouchers expire October 31, 2013.
Contact info: Call Coastal Discovery Museum at 843-689-6767 for reservations.
Website: www.coastaldiscovery.org
Event Name: Slave Dwelling Project with Joseph McGill
Description of event: Learn about this project designed to bring awareness and preservation of
dwellings in which the enslaved once lived.
Time and date of event: Thursday, September 5th at 11 am
Location of event: Heyward House Historic Center 70 Boundary Street Bluffton SC 29910
Price: $3 suggested donation
Contact information: mrichards@heywardhouse.org
Website: http://www.heywardhouse.org
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Event Name: “Becoming Harriet Tubman” written by and starring Natalie Daise
Description of Event: A one-woman drama that tells how one little girl, Harriet Tubman,
became an historical icon. The Combahee River Raid she guided to liberate enslaved people is
considered by some to be the only time a woman has lead troops in battle in US history.
Time and Date of Event: September 6th, 7th, & 8th at 7:30pm on Friday and Saturday and at
3:30pm on Sunday.
Location of Event: ARTworks in Beaufort Town Center, 2127 Boundary Street, Beaufort, SC
29902
Price of Event: $17 per person, $12 for students (13+), $7 for children (12 and under) and $12
for groups of 10 or more.
Contact info: 843-379-2787
Website: www.artworksinbeaufort.org
Please Note: Library Staff will be on hand to chat up and distribute the printed guides for the
“One County Reads the Civil War” project before, during intermission, and at the conclusion of
each performance.
Event Name: “Civil War Era Photography and Equipment” with Dr. Robert Lisle
Short description of event: Civil War photography was the work of some 300 men whose
images captured the faces, places and events for the world to see. Learn how select
photographers made their pictures using some of the actual tools on display during the
presentation. Visit the Beaufort District Collection Research Room to view items from Dr.
Lisle’s personal collection through September 30th.
Time and date of event: Tuesday, September 10th at 6:00 p.m., 2nd floor Lobby
Location of event: Beaufort District Collection, 2nd floor, 311 Scott Street Beaufort, SC 29902
Price: Free
Contact information: gracec@bcgov.net
Website: www.beaufortcountylibrary.org
Event Name: Opening Reception of the “Civil War 150” Exhibit with Historian Stephen R. Wise,
PhD
Short description of event: Dr. Wise, a recognized authority on the Civil War, will provide an
overview of the distinctly different course of the Civil War as experienced here and its profound
impacts on subsequent Beaufort District history. Refreshments funded by the Beaufort County
Historical Society.
Time and date of event: Saturday, September 14th at 2:00 p.m.
Location of event: Beaufort District Collection, 2nd floor, 311 Scott Street Beaufort, SC 29902
Price: Free
Contact information: gracec@bcgov.net
Website: www.beaufortcountylibrary.org
Event Name: “Undaunted Valor: The Beaufort Volunteer Artillery in the
Civil War” with Ron Roth, SC Humanities scholar
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Short description of event: This presentation will focus on its Civil War exploits in over a dozen
military engagements. Learn about the Civil War military engagements fought by one of the
nation’s oldest military units, the BVA, in their headquarters building, the Arsenal.
Time and date of event: Tuesday, September 17th at 7:00 p.m. in the Arsenal
Location of event: BDC@ The Arsenal, 713 Craven Street, Beaufort, SC 29902
Price: Free
Contact information: gracec@bcgov.net
Website: www.beaufortcountylibrary.org
Event Name: “Civil War Medicine: What They Never Told You” with Re-enactor David Smoot
Short description of event: The information that most Americans have concerning medicine
during the Civil War has come from the movies, TV, novels and sources that are more hysterical
than historical. This program is based on medical practices and manuals of the period
performed by and written by the people who were there.
Multiple Locations:
Thursday, September 12th at 6:00 p.m. in the Beaufort Meeting Room
Wednesday, September 18th at 6:00 p.m. in the St. Helena Meeting Room
Tuesday, September 24th at 6:00 p.m. in the Hilton Head Meeting Room
Price: Free
Contact information: gracec@bcgov.net
Website: www.beaufortcountylibrary.org
Event Name: "The Interruption of Thomas Darrow" at Beaufort History Museum
Short Description of Event: Tim Johnston reads his original short story about a Union soldier
who has been assigned to work at the execution of the convicted co-conspirators in the
assassination of Abraham Lincoln at the Beaufort History Museum. The story has been
published in two short story collections, most recently in the 1st volume of Short Story
America, which will be available for purchase.
Time and Date of Event: Friday, September 13th at 7:00 pm
Location: City Council Chambers, 2d floor, Beaufort City Hall, 1911 Boundary Street, Beaufort,
SC 29902
Price: $10.00 for members; $12.00 for non-members.
Contact information: Katherine Lang, Beaufort History Museum, 843 277-1443
Website: www.beauforthistorymuseum.com
Event Name: The New South with Kate Boyd and Craig Keeney
Short description of event: Investigators Kate Boyd and Craig Keeney will speak about the
online Civil War collections at the University of South Carolina, including the digital version of
the New South, a Federal occupation newspaper published in Beaufort District. Their work was
undertaken in support of the National Endowment for the Humanities Newspaper Project with
the Library of Congress.
Time and date of event: Wednesday, September 18th at 1:00 p.m., 2nd floor Lobby
Location of event: Beaufort District Collection, 2nd floor, 311 Scott Street Beaufort, SC 29902
Price: Free
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Contact information: gracec@bcgov.net
Website: www.beaufortcountylibrary.org
Event Name: “Medical Care of Thomas J. ‘Stonewall’ Jackson with Dave Smoot
Description of event: Beaufort District held a number of hospital facilities. Dave Smoot, MCRD
Parris Island Museum technician and medical re-enactor, will discuss the medical care of CSA
General Jackson as it relates to treatment standards of the era during this Beaufort County
Historical Society meeting.
Time and date of event: Thursday, September 19th at Noon
Location of event: Beaufort Yacht and Sailing Club, Meridian Rd. Lady's Island, SC 29907
Price: Free
Contact information: maryloubrew@aol.com
Website: http://www.beaufortcountyhistoricalsociety.org
Event Name: “Service, Honor, Heritage, Pride? The Ethics of Native
American Indians that Participated in the Civil War” with Dr. Will Goins, SC Humanities scholar
and Chief of the Cherokee Tribe of South Carolina
Short description of event: The lecture examines the involvement of American Indians during
the Civil War, looking at the various reasons why they fought, how they became aligned to the
Confederacy or the Union, and the ethics of their participation in a war that was not theirs to
fight.
Time and date of event: Monday, September 23rd at 1:00 p.m. in the Hilton Head Public Service
District Office Community Meeting Room
Location of event: BDC@ Hilton Head, 21 Oak Park Drive, Hilton Head, SC 29926
Price: Free
Contact information: gracec@bcgov.net
Website: www.beaufortcountylibrary.org
Event Name: “In Their Own Words: Beaufort District during the Civil War” with Grace Cordial,
the Library’s local history librarian and archivist
Short description of event: Join the discussion of the Civil War experience as seen through the
letters, reports, and testimony of Confederate residents, the enslaved, Northern teachers and
missionaries, and members of the military in Beaufort District, 1861– 1865. The list of reading
selections and questions to be discussed is posted at
http://www.beaufortcountylibrary.org/civilwar/bibliographies.
Multiple Locations:
Wednesday, September 25th at 1:00 p.m. in the Bluffton Meeting Room
Thursday, September 26th at 5:30 p.m. in the Beaufort Meeting Room
Price: Free
Contact information: gracec@bcgov.net
Website: www.beaufortcountylibrary.org
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Event Name: “Confederates at the Keyboard: Piano Music during the
Civil War Era” with Dr. David B. Thompson, SC Humanities Scholar
Short Description of event: This program, performed in period clothing, brings a considerable
repertoire of solo Civil War era keyboard music (waltz, mazurka, march, and battle pieces) to
modern ears. Throughout the program, excerpts from Confederate diaries, letters and
memoirs are read recounting the moving effect of keyboard music in the home as well as the
overwhelming grief resulting from the destruction of these prized possessions during the war.
Time and date of event: Friday, September 27th at 7:00 pm in the St. John’s Lutheran Church
Location of event: St. John’s Lutheran Church, 157 Lady’s Island Drive, Beaufort, SC 29907
Price: Free
Contact information: gracec@bcgov.net
Website: www.beaufortcountylibrary.org
Event Name: "Glory!" [The Movie] with Joseph McGill and Beaufort History Museum
Description: Historian and 54th Massachusetts Regiment re-enactor Joseph McGill introduces
the movie, "Glory," and discusses how closely it follows what we know about the 54th and the
1st SC Volunteers.
Time and Date: Friday, September 20th at 7:00 pm
Location: USC-B Center for the Arts, 801 Carteret Street, Beaufort, SC 29902
Price: To be determined
Contact info: Katherine Lang, Beaufort History Museum, 843 277-1443
Website: www.beauforthistorymuseum.com
Event Name: 1st SC Volunteers Encampment
Short description: The Beaufort History Museum presents historian and 54th Massachusetts
Regiment re-enactor Joseph McGill and other re-enactors, who will create an encampment as
the 1st SC Volunteers, the first officially recognized unit of the United States Colored Troops.
Time and Date: Saturday, September 21st at 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
Location: Naval Hospital Park, off Ribaut Road, Port Royal, SC 29935
Contact info: Katherine Lang, Beaufort History Museum, 843 277-1443
Website: www.beauforthistorymuseum.com
Event Name: “South Carolina Civilians in Sherman’s Path” with Karen Stokes
Short description of event: Karen Stokes, archivist of the South Carolina Historical Society,
shares the harrowing experiences recorded in letters, diaries, memoirs and newspaper
accounts of Sherman’s destructive march across the Palmetto State.
Time and date of event: Monday, September 23rd, 5:30 pm – 7:00 pm.
Location of event: Verdier House, 801 Bay Street Beaufort, SC 29902
Price: $15 - $20 per person, includes wine and hors d’oeuvres.
Contact information: 843-379-3331
Website: www.historicbeaufort.org
Event Name: “Battle of Pocotaligo” at Bluffton Historical Preservation Society
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Description of event: Local historian Chris Clayton will share his research about the
unsuccessful Union attempt of October 22, 1862 to wrest control of the Savannah-Charleston
Railroad line from the Confederates.
Time and date of event: Thursday, October 10th at 11 am
Location of event: Colcock-Teel House 46 Colcock Street Bluffton SC 29910
Price: $3 suggested donation
Contact information: mrichards@heywardhouse.org
Website: http://www.heywardhouse.org
Event Name: Behind-the-Scenes Tour of the Library’s Special Collections and Archives Unit
Description of event: October is South Carolina Archives Month. Beaufort District Collection
staff show participants what goes on behind the locked door – and how we work every day to
safeguard, preserve, and share our community’s history and culture. This year the tour will
feature significant Civil War related materials in our holdings.
Time and date of event: Saturday, October 12th, 2:00 – 3:30 pm
Location of event: Beaufort District Collection, 2nd floor, 311 Scott Street, Beaufort, SC 29902
Price: Free; First come, first served: Limit of 30 participants.
Contact information: gracec@bcgov.net
Website: http://www.beaufortcountylibrary.org
For additional Civil War Author & Book Discussions; Film Discussions
& Showings, and Events for Youth, visit “One County Reads the Civil
War” at www.beaufortcountylibrary.org/civilwar or click here for the
the Library system’s Fall newsletter. Or, pick up a printed copy at any
of our branch libraries or partner locations.
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