Ride through history

We enjoyed a carriage ride through Beaufort SC with cruising friends. There is beautiful architecture and live oaks with Spanish moss all through the historic area.

Beaufort is filled with lots of Antebellum history. It seemed the 3 major events that shaped the area were the American Revolution, when just about every country tried to claim the port, the Civil War, after SC seceded and all the local inhabitants fled the Union take-over, and 1907 when some kids got caught smoking a cigar in a shed behind their house. They tossed the cigar over the wall and the ensuing fire burned down 44 beautiful mansions.

One of our favorite stories was of a wealthy woman who, at the outbreak of the Civil War, left her house slave in charge of her property, telling her “I’ll be right back.” Right back turned into 4 years. The slave went to work for a local hospital saving up all her wages. Meanwhile, the wealthy homeowner failed to pay her taxes and the property was sold at auction. Her former slave, now freed by the Emancipation Proclamation, used $80 of her savings and bought the property. The homeowner then returned to find her former slave now in charge of the property. She sued, took the case all the way to the Supreme Court, which found in favor of the NEW homeowner!

 

Can you tell who is from Canada?

 

But if not…