Many people are familiar with the heroic story of Robert Smalls and his daring escape from slavery on the Planter. However, on board the ship that night were more than a dozen enslaved people who risked their lives at the chance for liberty in the Charleston Harbor. Their stories have long been lost in the shadow of Robert Smalls. On board the Planter that night were future soldiers, liberators, entrepreneurs, and politicians. Their experiences reflect the challenges and successes of formerly enslaved people navigating postwar Reconstruction. This presentation by Park Ranger Chris Barr from Reconstruction Era National Historical Park will draw on newspaper and pension records to share the experiences of these little-known freedom-seekers.

Chris Barr is the Chief of Interpretation at Reconstruction Era National Historical Park. His career with the National Park Service has included work at Andersonville National Historic Site, Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park, and Guadalupe Mountains National Park. He has been here in Beaufort County since 2019.

The "Historically Speaking" series is brought to you by the Beaufort District Collection and the Beaufort County Historical Society. 

Many people are familiar with the heroic story of Robert Smalls and his daring escape from slavery on the Planter. However, on board the ship that night were more than a dozen enslaved people who risked their lives at the chance for liberty in the Charleston Harbor. Their stories have long been lost in the shadow of Robert Smalls. On board the Planter that night were future soldiers, liberators, entrepreneurs, and politicians. Their experiences reflect the challenges and successes of formerly enslaved people navigating postwar Reconstruction. This presentation by Park Ranger Chris Barr from Reconstruction Era National Historical Park will draw on newspaper and pension records to share the experiences of these little-known freedom-seekers.

Chris Barr is the Chief of Interpretation at Reconstruction Era National Historical Park. His career with the National Park Service has included work at Andersonville National Historic Site, Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park, and Guadalupe Mountains National Park. He has been here in Beaufort County since 2019.

The "Historically Speaking" series is brought to you by the Beaufort District Collection and the Beaufort County Historical Society. 

Parris Island's rich history started long before the Lords Proprietors deeded the property to Alexander Parris in 1710.  Shell middens reflect human presence over 4000 years ago.  Europeans attempted colonization from 1562.  At its southern tip, the colony of Santa Elena was the capital of Spanish Florida 1566-1576.  During our Civil War, Parris Island plantations produced both white Confederate leaders and black Union soldiers.  In this presentation, retired Marine Stephen Price will focus upon the 110 year-old story of  Parris Island's most current residents; the Parris Island United States Marine Corps.

Join us to learn how Beaufort became the home of the USMC! 

In collaboration with the Beaufort District Collection, as part of our “Historically Speaking” series.

Stephen Price joined the Marine Corps from Oklahoma in 1982. He served in the infantry for four years and was a weapons instructor from 1986 to 1990 at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot, Parris Island. While stationed at Parris Island he started working and volunteering at museums in Savannah Georgia. He began volunteering at the Parris Island Museum in 2004 and in 2012 he was hired as a museum technician. Mr. Price has been a student of history for many years. His focus of study is the U.S. Marine Corps and its legacy of valor. Since volunteering and working at the Parris Island Museum he has given numerous talks on and off the Depot for military and civilian organizations. In addition to his duties at the museum he currently serves as an instructor at Drill Instructors school on Parris Island.