This view of the Battery in Charleston, circa 1865, gives a good view of how that city appeared during the war, and how it had prepared for its defense.
Courtesy of the South Carolina Department of Archives and History.
Photo
The troops of the U.S. Army at Fort Sumter surrendered to the Confederacy on April 14, but within the year a larger force had established a permanent military footing along the South Carolina coast...
Photo
The successful assault on Hilton Head and Beaufort left many buildings in ruins, such as this "Beacon House" on Morris Island, photographed after the battle by Sam A. Cooley for the 10th Army Corps...
Photo
Federal forces under General Stevens march triumphantly into the town of Beaufort on December 5, 1861. "Harper's Weekly" reported to its readers, "The beautiful rural town of Beaufort came into...
Photo
The occupation of the Beaufort area enabled many slaves to flee their masters. In the chaos of war and occupation, many brought with them household goods, furniture, and clothing from the homes their...
Photo
Forfeited estate plat from Port Royal Island. The surveyor reported, "This tract subject to Mrs. Poingsett's Right of Dower during her life." The plat--an official map made by a surveyor that gave the...
Photo
A raid of the Second South Carolina Volunteers among the rice plantations along the Combahee. Published in the July 4, 1863, issue of "Harper's Weekly." Courtesy of the Pratt Memorial Library.
Photo
A Confederate ram under construction in Charleston. From "Leslie's Illustrated Weekly." Courtesy of the South Caroliniana Library.
Photo
The Ironclad "Chicora" of the Confederate navy played an important role in attempting to break the federal blockade of the Southern coast during the war. Courtesy of the South Caroliniana Library.
Photo
In an effort to disrupt the federal blockade, the Confederacy resorted to many ingenious plans, but perhaps the most daring of all was the attempt to build and use a submarine. The "Hunley" eventually...
Photo
Members of the Palmetto Regiment, using authentic Civil War naval uniforms, re-enact the arrest of a Confederate sailor (Gordon Jones) for failing to salute an officer. Confederate and Union naval...