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At the end of the Civil War, both of South Carolina's major cities lay in ruins. Even as Sherman approached Columbia, another branch of his army occupied Charleston. The accidental explosion of a...
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Nearly 20,000 people were crowded into Columbia when Sherman's army approached, and its streets were crowded with cotton bales. Whether Sherman's advance forces, panicky Confederate deserters camped...
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When the war ended, one of the pressing problems was the status of those who had been slaves. African-Americans had provided the essential labor, without which the agricultural economy of the region...
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The State House in 1862. The bulk of the work on the building was done from 1857 through March of 1861. At that time, bonds to finance more work could not be sold, but slaves continued to quarry the...
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The Riverbanks Zoo and Garden is a historical site as well as zoo. Local historian Scott P. talks about how the old Saluda River Bridge was burned in 1865 in an effort to stop Sherman's March into...
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The Saluda River Crossing at Riverbanks Zoo & Garden was the location of one of the important events in South Carolina history. Let’s visit with Ed and learn more about the crossing.
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This reenactment is based on excerpts from Emma LeConte’s diary. Emma, then seventeen years old, kept a diary for several months in 1865 chronicling the approach, occupation and burning of the city of...
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The construction of the State House was begun in 1855 and continued through February 17, 1865. It is South Carolina's third State House. The first one was built in the mid-18th century in Charleston...
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1839-1865, Part 3 | Lexington County Courthouse: 200 Years of Service
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A 5-minute biography of the life of American Civil War era diarist Mary Boykin Chesnut. Through the use of available archival materials, scholar interviews, and historical illustrations this program...