A Daring Voyage to Freedom
By Robert Behre
The Post and Courier
Monday, January 2, 2012

Helen Boulware Moore remembers her grandmother sharing her memory of when she was a small girl aboard the Planter.

Elizabeth Smalls was among several slaves aboard the 300-ton side-wheel commercial steamship on May 13, 1862, when her father -- Moore's great-grandfather -- Robert Smalls, successfully maneuvered it past Charleston Harbor's fortifications and into Union hands.

Read more...http://www.postandcourier.com/news/2012/jan/02/a-daring-voyage-to-freedom/

Click the links below for more information: 
http://www.c-span.org/History/
http://www.c-span.org/Events/The-Civil-War-South-Carolina39s-Secession/10737419218/
http://www.c-span.org/Events/The-Civil-War-Secession-of-South-Carolina/10737418857/


Plans form for Civil War observance
By Robert Behre
The Post and Courier
Monday, August 30, 2010

"The Civil War was much more than a defining moment. It may be the most defining moment in American history, along with the American Revolution and the U.S. Constitution." 

South Carolina's efforts to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Civil War -- which began in Charleston, first with the state's fateful decision to secede and later with the first shot fired at Fort Sumter -- are gradually coming together, even as organizers scramble for dollars to pay for it all. 
Read more...http://www.postandcourier.com/news/2010/aug/30/plans-form-for-civil-war-observance/



Historian's slave-cabin sleep-ins raise awareness
By Bruce Smith, Associated Press
Saturday, July 24, 2010

"When it comes to slave cabins, you are talking about a part of history that some folks would rather forget," said McGill. "I come from a chain of thought that to know is better.

When Joe McGill spreads his sleeping bag on the floor of a slave cabin, he knows that spending the night there will conjure the specter of slavery.
Read more....http://www.postandcourier.com/news/2010/jul/24/historians-slave-cabin-sleep-ins-raise-awareness/


Massachusetts 54th
By Robert Behre
The Post and Courier

Saturday, July 17, 2010

'We will not be a footnote' to history, say Union Army re-enactors.

The July 16, 1863, Battle of Sol Legare Island was one of the first conflicts involving the all-black 54th Massachusetts regiment. Fourteen were killed, with 29 more wounded or missing.

The unit is best known for leading the attack on Confederate Battery Wagner on Morris Island just two days later, when they suffered heavy losses but proved themselves as brave as other Union troops. That fight is the conclusion of the movie "Glory," Hollywood's retelling of the 54th regiment's history.
Read more...http://www.postandcourier.com/news/2010/jul/17/massachusetts-54th/

Civil War sesquicentennial provides opportunity for dialogue
By Vince Graham (president of the I'On Group of Mount Pleasant)
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
The Post and Courier

"Southerners are a romantic breed, passionate about history. However, we tend to graciously avoid topics tied to racial issues of the past so as not to trip over strong emotions that echo in the present. By doing so, we tend to talk past one another instead of engaging in meaningful dialogue."

We live in an age that is largely unconcerned with history. This is too bad because the past is a valuable source of wisdom and guidance. When history is twisted or glossed over, it undermines our ability to learn from the past and inform a positive vision for the future. 
Read more....http://www.postandcourier.com/news/2010/mar/09/civil-war-sesquicentennial-provides-opportunity-di/

Commemorate, not celebrate, Civil War anniversaries
By Robert N. Rosen (president of the Fort Sumter-Fort Moultrie Historical Trust and author of "Confederate Charleston" and "A Short History of Charleston.")

Saturday, March 20, 2010
The Post and Courier

"To this very day, the aftereffects of the Civil War in combination with collective memories of that era reverberate throughout our society, shaping and reflecting contemporary attitudes and perspectives in diverse ways. The war is still with us. The sesquicentennial commemoration is a time to pause and reflect on the Civil War."

The sesquicentennial commemoration will begin in December 2010 and continue into 2015. The Lowcountry's role in the war includes significant historical events, beyond the Ordinance of Secession and the bombardment of Fort Sumter.
 Read more...http://www.postandcourier.com/news/2010/mar/20/20rrosen/