We weren't terribly sure beforehand what we would be doing in Charleston, but Fort Sumpter, the place where the Civil War began, was on my must see list. So, on our second day in Charleston, we headed back to Patriot's Point to catch the ferry that took us to and from Fort Sumpter. This gave us a water's view of the U.S.S. Yorktown.
The ferry took us for a ride out of Charleston Harbor to the man-made island where Fort Sumter was built.
We had less than an hour to explore the fort, which wasn't nearly enough time to see everything, but with the heat, it was sufficient I suppose. I got someone to take a photo of our entire group just outside the fort.
The bricks used to make the fort were made at various Charleston plantations.
What that meant was the each brick was made by slave labor, and based on finger prints left in the bricks, young enslaved children were recruited to help make the bricks. The Park Ranger showed us two different places where child fingerprints were visible in the fort. Here's one of those spots.
The walls on the fort are not as high as they once were. The line on the flagpole marks the height of the fort walls at the start of the Civil War. This fort took a major beating during the war. It didn't give the North or the South a tactical advantage. Defending and attacking it were all about morale.
I loved seeing these old parts of the fort.
Inside one of the buildings inside the fort was a museum. I was really struck by the story about the flag. The Union army moved to the Fort in the month leading up to the War, and the Charlestonians took that as an act of war and began attacking from the shores at the mouth of the harbor. This is the flag that flew over Fort Sumpter during the battle on April 12-13. Here's what the plague in the museum says,
"This 10-foot by 20-foot tattered storm flag flew over Fort Sumter during the bombardment of April 12-13, 1861. On the second day, a Confederate projectile shattered the flagstaff causing members of the Federal garrison to rush onto the parade ground, amid exploding shells and burning timbers, to retrieve the fallen flag. They carried it to the ramparts where it was hastily nailed to a wooden pole and re-raised. The tiny nail holes are still visible along the flag's left border.
"Confederate General P.G.T Beauregard permitted Major Anderson to take this flag with him when the Federal forces evacuated Fort Sumter on April 14, 1861. It and the fort's garrison flag were taken to New York City and displayed in a patriotic demonstration in Union Square. Both flags remained in the Anderson family until 1905 when they were presented to the War department. They were transferred to the National Park Service in 1954."
I was so touched by the dedication of the union soldiers to the flag during the battle. Today, there seems to be too many people saying that the flag is racist or that it needs to be changed to better reflect our country and the history of all its citizens, but I don't agree with these sentiments and calls for change. I love this story because it shows the dedication to the flag by soldiers fighting to end slavery, fighting to hold our country together, fighting for equal rights for every person here. We dishonor that bravery and the lives lost defending it by wanting to create a new flag. This one came at such a great cost.
After ferrying back to Mount Pleasant, we headed to the Boone Plantation.
First, we checked out the slave quarters, some of the best preserved slave quarters in the south because they were made of brick. This brick was similar to the bricks at Ft. Sumter.
We watched a special presentation about the "Gullah" culture. The Gullah people were made up of enslaved Africans from various parts of Africa who were brought to low country of South Carolina, Georgia, North Carolina, and Florida. Some of their original languages were different, which led to a mix of African words and English words melding into a new dialect and culture. They assisted in harvesting rice, making brick, and weaving incredible sweetgrass baskets. We learned a few Gullah words like "Kumbaya" which means "Come by Here". We learned about "Jumping the Broom" as a wedding ceremony for enslaved African couples, how quilts were used for communicating on the Underground Railroad, and how "Hush Puppies" got their name (to get kids, masters, or even dogs to be quiet during an escape).
The plantation house was a bit of a let down since it was built in the early 1900s to look like what the owner thought a Southern Mansion should look, but it was still beautiful.
The live oaks on the grounds were breathtaking, and one of them had a little cave at its roots.
We enjoyed exploring the gardens, especially the shady parts.
We took the carriage ride and learned more about the agriculture of the time and what they're doing with it now.
You have to go down a long drive flanked on both sides by live oaks called "The Avenue of Oaks" to get to the plantation buildings. These pictures don't even do the 88 live oaks lining the drive.
We stayed until closing, then headed out to find dinner and fun at the hotel. This may have been the night we ordered pizza to be delivered to us at the hotel so we could all go swimming. We played Marco Polo and other pool games.
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