Charleston, South Carolina
Hosted By: Secession Camp #4
See the place where the War Between the States began! The Fort Sumter Tour includes bus transportation to and from the host hotel to the tour boats in downtown Charleston. There is a 30-minute cruise on the Charleston Harbor followed by an hour of exploring the historic fort. Refreshments are available to purchase on the tour boats.
Join Randy Burbage, a former member of the Hunley Commission, for dinner and a presentation on “The History, Recovery, and Conservation of the Confederate Submarine, H.L. Hunley.” The presentation will consist of a PowerPoint presentation with rarely seen pictures of the historic submarine raised in August of 2000 and Randy’s personal stories of the sub’s journey. A limited number of tickets will be sold for a person behind scenes tour at the Warren Lasch Conservation Center conducted by Randy after dinner.
The Museum at Market Hall, located upstairs in the historic Charleston City Market, houses many Confederate soldiers’ war-time possessions donated at the end of the War, including uniforms, flags, swords, diaries, and cannons. In 1894, the Charleston Chapter of the Daughters of the Confederacy was founded. The group began collecting artifacts from the war. Five years later, the United Confederate Veterans reunion was held in Charleston.
We will board the three-deck tour boat at 5:00 pm for a 30-35 minute trip down the Cooper River, past the World War II aircraft carrier USS Yorktown, Castle Pinckney, historic Charleston, and “The Battery” In Charleston Harbor, we will cross the waters where the H. L. Hunley trained in 1863-64, pass Ft. Johnson. Arriving at Ft. Sumter at 5:45 pm
Tour of St. Michael’s Episcopal Church, including viewing of “The President’s Pew” were Pres. George Washington & Robert E. Lee sat, and includes guided tour of the sanctuary. Then a stroll along Broad Street , through Washington Square and with discussion of various Confederate points of interest to Old Custom House , Exchange, & Pirates Dungeon. A tour through the Dungeon & the upper floors of the building where Pres. Washington visited & was entertained. And finally we will ride by Brig. Gen P.G.T. Beauregard headquarters with discussion of when & why he moved his headquarters away from the Battery.
