Map of Hilton Head, December, 1861 | History of SC Slide Collection

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In spite of the absence of modern television and radio news coverage, citizens were given a visual understanding of the war through the efforts of photographers like Matthew Brady, and the engravings published weekly by illustrated newspapers like "Harper's" and "Leslie's." The latter published this map of the Hilton Head area in December of 1861 as federal naval forces moved toward the vulnerable South Carolina coastal region.

Courtesy of the Pratt Memorial Library.

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History of SC Slide Collection / C. An Illustrated History, 1550-1988 | History of SC Slide Collection / E. Civil War Era

Charleston Battery, 1865 | History of SC Slide Collection

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Charleston Battery, 1865 | History of SC Slide Collection

Episode 1

This view of the Battery in Charleston, circa 1865, gives a good view of how that city appeared during the Civil War, and how it had prepared for its defense. The area is still known as the Battery...

Gunboat "Planter" | History of SC Slide Collection

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Gunboat "Planter" | History of SC Slide Collection

Episode 2

The gunboat "Planter," seized by an African-American crew and the daring African-American harbor pilot Robert Smalls, did manage to break the federal blockade of the city in May of 1862. Smalls...

The Impending Crisis at Charleston | History of SC Slide Collection

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The Impending Crisis at Charleston | History of SC Slide Collection

Episode 3

"The Impending Crisis at Charleston," published in "Frank Leslie's Illustrated Weekly," February 11, 1860, is a reference to the widely read book, "The Impending Crisis," by Hinton Helper. In the...

Institute Hall | History of SC Slide Collection

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Institute Hall | History of SC Slide Collection

Episode 4

The National Democratic nominating convention in session at Institute Hall in Charleston on April 28, 1860. The convention was unable to bridge the differences between northern and southern wings of...

First Baptist Church, Columbia, SC | History of SC Slide Collection

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First Baptist Church, Columbia, SC | History of SC Slide Collection

Episode 5

South Carolinians met here at the First Baptist Church in Columbia on December 17, 1860, determined to end their membership in the United States in protest against the election of Abraham Lincoln, a...

The Ordinance of Secession, 1860 | History of SC Slide Collection

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The Ordinance of Secession, 1860 | History of SC Slide Collection

Episode 6

The Ordinance of Secession, 1860. This document marked the conclusion of a movement to declare Southern independence from a national government increasingly controlled by Northerners. It was the...

The Seceding South Carolina Delegation | History of SC Slide Collection

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The Seceding South Carolina Delegation | History of SC Slide Collection

Episode 7

"The Seceeding South Carolina Delegation" of the United States Congress, pictured in the December 22, 1860, issue of "Harper's Weekly." Courtesy of the Library of Congress

Freedmen's Contract, 1866 | History of SC Slide Collection

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Freedmen's Contract, 1866 | History of SC Slide Collection

Episode 8

When the war ended, one of the pressing problems was the status of those who had been slaves. African-Americans had provided the essential labor, without which the agricultural economy of the region...

Distribution of old clothing sent from the North--1864 | History of SC Slide Collection

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Distribution of old clothing sent from the North--1864 | History of SC Slide Collection

Episode 9

A sketch, signed by J.E. Taylor, of a prisoner-of-war camp during the Civil War. "Distribution of old clothing sent from the North--1864." Courtesy of the Lackawanna Historical Society.

General Sherman's Army Crossing the Saluda River | History of SC Slide Collection

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General Sherman's Army Crossing the Saluda River | History of SC Slide Collection

Episode 10

When General William Tecumseh Sherman invaded South Carolina, he surprised those who expected him to strike first at Charleston. Instead, he marched the main body of his army northward toward Columbia...

Capture of Confederate Ordinance at Cheraw | History of SC Slide Collection

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Capture of Confederate Ordinance at Cheraw | History of SC Slide Collection

Episode 11

Sherman's forces capture Confederate ordinance at Cheraw on the evening of the 3rd of March, 1865. From "Leslie's Illustrated Weekly." Courtesy of the Pratt Memorial Library.

Cotton Press Destroyed by Sherman's Army | History of SC Slide Collection

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Cotton Press Destroyed by Sherman's Army | History of SC Slide Collection

Episode 12

A cotton press near Flat Rock is destroyed by Sherman's army in April, 1865. From "Leslie's Illustrated Weekly." Courtesy of the Pratt Memorial Library.

Aftermath of Columbia Fire | History of SC Slide Collection

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Aftermath of Columbia Fire | History of SC Slide Collection

Episode 13

Nearly 20,000 people were crowded into Columbia when Sherman's army approached, and its streets were crowded with cotton bales. Whether Sherman's advance forces, panicky Confederate deserters camped...

Federal Troops Destroy A Section of Railroad | History of SC Slide Collection

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Federal Troops Destroy A Section of Railroad | History of SC Slide Collection

Episode 14

Federal troops, waging the total war that Sherman believed was necessary, were instructed to destroy the South's ability to make war. Here, they destroy a section of railroad tracks at Pocataligo...

Ruins of the Mills House | History of SC Slide Collection

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Ruins of the Mills House | History of SC Slide Collection

Episode 15

At the end of the Civil War, both of South Carolina's major cities lay in ruins. Even as Sherman approached Columbia, another branch of his army occupied Charleston. The accidental explosion of a...

Federal Occupation of Morris Island | History of SC Slide Collection

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Federal Occupation of Morris Island | History of SC Slide Collection

Episode 16

Federal forces occupied Morris Island in 1863, then remained after the invasion was over, as an occupation force, as illustrated by this 1865 Matthew Brady photograph of their gun emplacement...

The Ship "Glad Tidings" | History of SC Slide Collection

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The Ship "Glad Tidings" | History of SC Slide Collection

Episode 17

The end of the war signaled the end of the blockade of southern ports. In November 1865, the ship "Glad Tidings" entered the port of Liverpool in England with a shipment of Carolina cotton. Cotton...

Beaufort Home Occupied by Federal Forces | History of SC Slide Collection

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Beaufort Home Occupied by Federal Forces | History of SC Slide Collection

Episode 18

The occupation of the coastal region of South Carolina by federal armies in 1862 led to troops taking over the homes of many citizens who had supported the Confederacy. This home in Beaufort became...

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Oath of Loyalty to the U.S. | History of SC Slide Collection

Episode 19

South Carolinians, under Lincoln's plan for the restoration of the Union, could be restored to citizenship by taking an oath of loyalty to the United States, such as this one signed by Thomas D...

Execution of Amy Spain, Darlington County Courthouse | History of SC Slide Collection

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Execution of Amy Spain, Darlington County Courthouse | History of SC Slide Collection

Episode 20

A view of the Darlington County Courthouse and the sycamore tree where Amy Spain, a slave who had spied for the Union army, was hung by the citizens of Darlington. Sketched by Edwards for "Harper's...

We Are Seven | History of SC Slide Collection

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We Are Seven | History of SC Slide Collection

Episode 21

Secession was only a first step in South Carolina's actions to separate from the United States. Other states followed South Carolina. By February of 1861, Georgia, Alabama, Florida, Mississippi...

South Carolina Topsey in a Fix | History of SC Slide Collection

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South Carolina Topsey in a Fix | History of SC Slide Collection

Episode 22

The cartoon "South Carolina Topsey in a Fix," one of "Strong's Dime Caricatures," was printed by W.T. Strong in 1861. Topsey has cut one of the stars out of the American flag. Courtesy of the South...

Entry of Major Robert Anderson at Fort Sumter, December, 1860 | History of SC Slide Collection

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Entry of Major Robert Anderson at Fort Sumter, December, 1860 | History of SC Slide Collection

Episode 23

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Fort Sumter | History of SC Slide Collection

Episode 24

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South Carolina's Ultimatum | History of SC Slide Collection

Episode 25

"South Carolina's Ultimatum," engraved by Currier and Ives, portrays South Carolina as destroying herself in her threats to destroy the Union. Courtesy of the South Caroliniana Library.

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The Bombardment of Fort Sumter | History of SC Slide Collection

Episode 26

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Episode 27

The housetops of Charleston during the bombardment of Fort Sumter. From "Harper's Weekly." Courtesy of the South Carolina Department of Archives and History.

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Episode 28

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Fourth South Carolina Regiment | History of SC Slide Collection

Episode 29

The Fourth South Carolina regiment, working in the trenches at night at Manassas Junction. From "Harper's Weekly," August 10, 1861. Courtesy of the South Carolina Department of Archives and History.

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Bombardment of Port Royal | History of SC Slide Collection

Episode 31

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Ruins of "Beacon House" on Morris Island | History of SC Slide Collection

Episode 32

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Federal Occupation of Beaufort | History of SC Slide Collection

Episode 33

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Beaufort's Contraband Problem | History of SC Slide Collection

Episode 34

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Forfeited Estate Plat in Port Royal | History of SC Slide Collection

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Forfeited Estate Plat in Port Royal | History of SC Slide Collection

Episode 35

Forfeited estate plat from Port Royal Island. The surveyor reported, "This tract subject to Mrs. Poingsett's Right of Dower during her life." The plat--an official map made by a surveyor that gave the...

Combahee Rice Plantation Raids | History of SC Slide Collection

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Combahee Rice Plantation Raids | History of SC Slide Collection

Episode 36

A raid of the Second South Carolina Volunteers among the rice plantations along the Combahee. Published in the July 4, 1863, issue of "Harper's Weekly." Courtesy of the Pratt Memorial Library.

Confederate Ram Under Construction | History of SC Slide Collection

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Confederate Ram Under Construction | History of SC Slide Collection

Episode 37

A Confederate ram under construction in Charleston. From "Leslie's Illustrated Weekly." Courtesy of the South Caroliniana Library.

Confederate Ironclad "Chicora" | History of SC Slide Collection

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Confederate Ironclad "Chicora" | History of SC Slide Collection

Episode 38

The Ironclad "Chicora" of the Confederate navy played an important role in attempting to break the federal blockade of the Southern coast during the war. Courtesy of the South Caroliniana Library.

Confederate Submarine C.S.S. Hunley | History of SC Slide Collection

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Confederate Submarine C.S.S. Hunley | History of SC Slide Collection

Episode 39

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Civil War Naval Uniforms | History of SC Slide Collection

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Civil War Naval Uniforms | History of SC Slide Collection

Episode 40

Members of the Palmetto Regiment, using authentic Civil War naval uniforms, re-enact the arrest of a Confederate sailor (Gordon Jones) for failing to salute an officer. Confederate and Union naval...

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Episode 41

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The Emancipation Proclamation | History of SC Slide Collection

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Episode 42

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