Beaufort/Port Royal/Sea Islands

Robert Smalls was born into slavery on April 5, 1839. Robert and his mother lived in a two-room shack behind 511 Prince Street in Beaufort. Robert was treated very well by his owners, Henry and Jane McKee, for it was rumored that Mr. McKee was Robert’s father.

Early Years

At the request of his mother, twelve-year-old Robert was sent to Charleston and hired out as a laborer. Most of his earnings were returned to his owner, but he could keep $1 per week for himself. He first worked in a hotel and as a lamplighter. His love of the ocean led him to find work on the docks. He began as a longshoreman and worked his way up to wheelman. His experience gave him great knowledge of ships and the Charleston harbor. Robert married Hannah Jones in 1856 and started a family. He was only 17. After a time, his goal was to purchase their freedom, but the price was very steep for someone of his circumstance.

During the Civil War

The Civil War began with the Battle of Fort Sumter in April of 1861. The well-respected Robert was assigned to steer the CCS Planter, a Confederate military transport.

He piloted the Planter along the coast from South Carolina to Florida. Robert and the slave labor crew of the Planter were aware of the Federal blockade line just past the Charleston harbor.

In April of 1862, Robert began planning an escape. The following month, the Planter picked up four large guns that were bound for the Charleston harbor. They also took on 200 pounds of ammunition. The families of the crew were stationed nearby.

On the evening of May 12^th, Robert and the rest of the crew were left unattended on the Planter. Smalls and seven of the eight slave crewmen escaped to the Union blockade. Smalls put on the captain’s uniform and straw hat. He sailed the Planter past the Southern Wharf and proceeded to pick up his wife, children and the families of other crewmen.

Robert guided the Planter past the Charleston harbor and Fort Sumter. He and his crew expertly headed straight for the Union Navy fleet. They replaced the Rebel flags with a white bedsheet. He surrendered the Planter and her cargo to the US Navy. Robert was just 23 years old.

He quickly became known for his heroic actions. He joined the US Navy and earned much fame as a pilot. Word of his exploits was published throughout the north. He was then promoted and made the captain of the Planter.

In 1864 Robert was voted an unofficial delegate to the Republican National Convention. He also spent time in Philadelphia. While there he learned to read and write and became a supporter of the Port Royal Experiment.

This was an effort to raise money to support the education of former slaves. It brought doctors and teachers to assist the former slaves into a new way of life. It also led to the founding of the Penn School.

In December of 1864, Robert and the Planter made their way to Savannah while Sherman Marched to the Sea. In 1865 Robert sailed the Planter to the Charleston harbor where the American flag was returned to Fort Sumter.

After this ceremonial act, Robert retired from military life. He continued to pilot the Planter, but his missions turned humanitarian. He took food and supplies to freedmen as a member of the Freedmen’s Bureau.

Back in Beaufort

Upon his return to Beaufort, Robert purchased the house where he was formerly a slave. One day, his previous owner Jane McKee, suffering from dementia, walked back to the house she had loved on Prince Street. Robert greeted her, brought her inside, cared for her and allowed her to remain there until her death.

Robert went on to become a successful businessman and politician. He had a distinguished career of public service including serving in the South Carolina House of Representatives, the United States Senate, and four terms in the United States House of Representatives. Smalls also served as a major general in the state militia and later served as Port Collector for Beaufort.

In 1915, at the age of 75, Robert died of malaria and diabetes. He was buried in the Tabernacle Baptist Churchyard in downtown Beaufort. A monument to Robert proudly stands beside the church. It is inscribed: “My race needs no special defense, for the past history of them in this country proves them to be the equal of any people anywhere. All they need is an equal chance in the battle of life.” He made this statement to the South Carolina legislature in 1895.

Robert Smalls’ Legacy

Built in 1840, the Tabernacle Baptist Church was originally used as a meetinghouse and lecture room. In 1863, a 500 member African American congregation acquired the building and turned it into the church that is still in use today. This historic church and the Robert Smalls memorial statue are located at 901 Craven Street in historic downtown Beaufort.

The astonishing true story of Robert Smalls’ journey from slave to Union hero and ultimately United States Congressman can be found in the book Be Free or Die. If you would like a copy, the Frampton Plantation gift shop keeps it in stock.

For more information on Beaufort and her attractions visit https://southcarolinalowcountry.com/beaufort-port-royal-area/ .

History abounds from start to finish. Take a day trip to visit the historic sites on this scenic island road.

St. Helena is home to many beautiful roads. A turn onto Lands End Road puts you right in the heart of the Penn Center. This historically significant landmark is the site of the former Penn School, one of the first educational sites for formally enslaved individuals. Their website says it best, “Opened in 1862 the Penn School tutored freedmen out of slavery and into freedom. After the school closed in 1948, Penn became the first African American site in the state whose primary purpose was to safeguard the heritage of the Gullah Geechie community.

Later, in the 1960’s, Penn Center took up the mantle of social justice by ushering in the Civil Rights Movement and serving as the only location in South Carolina where interracial groups, such as Dr. Martin L. King, Jr., and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and the Peace Corps could have safe sanctuary in an era of mandated segregation.

Penn Center continues to thrive as a national monument promoting historic preservation, as well as a catalyst for economic sustainability throughout the Sea Islands. Its far-reaching impact on local, national and international communities has been the greatest legacy of the Penn Center’s history.”

The oldest building on the site is the Brick Church. Built in 1855, Brick Church was an early location of the first school.

When visiting the Penn Center your first stop should be the Courtney P. Siceloff Welcome Center and Gift Shop in the York W. Bailey Museum. The museum is open Tuesday-Saturday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

If you would like to read more about the historically significant Penn Center, the National Trust for Historic Preservation has a great article, or visit the PENN CENTER WEBSITE.

As you travel further down Lands End Road you will find the St. Helena Parish Chapel of Ease Ruins. This tabby house of worship was built in the mid-1700s for the plantation families that lived on the sea island. Because the island was occupied by Union troops during the Civil War, the plantation families abandoned their homes and the church was used by the abandoned slaves of the island. It was used by Northerners who came south to educate and train freemen. It was also used as a sanctuary by Methodist freemen as early as 1868. A forest fire destroyed the structure in 1886 and it was left in disrepair.

The church ruins are surrounded by ancient oaks, dripping in Spanish moss. It also has a cemetery, containing a tomb containing Fripp family members. This is a great spot to take pictures and reflect on the splendor of this historic site. The SC Picture Project has a great article about the chapel of ease ruins with many beautiful pictures.

Standing sentry at the end of Lands End Road is the Fort Fremont Historical Park. Built in 1898, this fort was one of six fortifications designed to protect the coast during the Spanish American War. Long abandoned, the site now sits in beautiful ruins. Surrounded by live oaks, the fort looks out over Port Royal Sound with 900 feet of beach access.

Visible now are the recessed spots where disappearing cannons were positioned. Fort Fremont was officially deactivated in 1912 when the Port Royal Naval Station moved from Parris Island to Charleston. The property went into private hands for several years. While the hospital was transformed into a hunting and fishing lodge, the fort fell into disrepair. They were both listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In 2004 the fort and 15 acres were purchased transform the ruins into a public park.

Visitors can roam through the preserve and view the fort from all angles. According to the Fort Fremont Historical Preserve, “Ft. Fremont serves as a historical remnant of military defense technology at the dawn of the 20th century as the U.S. became a major world power.”

Fort Fremont is open for touring during daylight hours. You can also access and walk along the beach through the fort property. The full history of Fort Fremont can be found on their website.

For more Beaufort Country Day Trip Ideas visit https://southcarolinalowcountry.com/beaufort-day-trips/ .