Civil War Adventures
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Trip Ideas
- Grand Strand Weekend
- South Carolina for Kids
- South Carolina Bar-B-Que
- A Midlands Weekend
- Civil War Adventures
- South Carolina Waterways
- Three Days in Horse Country
- South Carolina for Seafoodies
- South Carolina Kitsch
- Gullah and African American History
- Upstate Weekend
- South Carolina’s Top Ten for Golfers
- South Carolina’s Offbeat Festivals
- Southern Comforts
- Lowcountry Romance
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While most Civil War battles took place elsewhere, South Carolina was the cradle of secession and has many sites of great historical importance to the War Between the States, as it’s sometimes called here.
The Birth and Death of the Confederacy
Little Abbeville in the Upstate is home to Secession Hill, where South Carolina first plotted its secession from the Union. And it is also where they announced their return to the Union.
Tour the Burt-Stark House (400 N. Main St., 864/366-0166, www.burt-stark.com), where Jefferson Davis officially dissolved the Confederacy. Browse the Confederate-focused history books at the nearby Southern Patriot bookstore (107 N. Main St., 864/366-2395, www.confederatepatriotshop.com).
Battle Reenactments
In Aiken, a February reenactment marks the Battle of Aiken, one of the last Confederate victories of the war. Performed on a grand scale, over 10,000 visitors attend this two-day event.
Experience the reenactment of the Battle of Secessionville each November at Boone Hall Plantation in Charleston. While you’re there, visit the restored brick slave cabins, a reminder of what the war left behind.
War Hospitals and Cemeteries
See St. Helena’s Episcopal Church, in Beaufort, used as a hospital by Union troops. Nearby is Beaufort National Cemetery, one of the few in the country where both Union and Confederate troops are interred.
Remnants of the War
Take the ferry out to Fort Sumter, target of Confederate batteries on the eve of war (ironically, none of the shots came from Charleston’s Battery itself as it was too far away).
See the newly raised CSS Hunley submarine on the old Navy base in North Charleston, and marvel at the bravery of the men on this suicide mission.
Visit historic Drayton Hall on the Ashley River, saved from torching by Union troops by a quick-thinking local who erected smallpox warning flags. It’s one of the few plantation homes in the area that survived the war.
Monuments and Museums
In Columbia, tour the South Carolina State House and its numerous monuments to Civil War figures. Note the Yankee cannonball damage on the walls.
Visit the Confederate Museum on the second floor of Charleston’s City Market to see its collection of military memorabilia.
© Jim Morekis from Moon South Carolina, 4th Edition
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Moon Travel Guides make independent travel and outdoor exploration fun and accessible. With expert and adventurous travel writers delivering a mix of honest insight, first-rate strategic travel advice, insider travel tips and an essential dose of humor, Moon Travel Guides ensure that travelers have an uncommon and entirely satisfying experience. Each travel book is filled with unique trip ideas, easy-to-use maps, and detailed information on sights, restaurants, and accommodations. Moon Travel Guides not only point you in the right direction, they inspire new ideas and adventure. Whether you are seeking a relaxing beach trip to Hawaii, or an adventure travel trip to the rainforests of Costa Rica, Moon guidebooks—and Moon.com—are with you every step of the way. Founded in 1973, the Moon Travel Guides series includes Moon Handbooks, Moon Outdoors, Moon Metro, Moon Living Abroad and Moon Spotlight travel books. Moon is based in Berkeley, California and is a proud member of the Perseus Books Group.