Name/Title
Robert Smalls Commemorative WeekendEntry/Object ID
2020.011.2Scope and Content
The daring and courageous story of Robert Smalls' seizure of the Confederate ship Planter began in the pre-dawn hours of May 13th, 1865 at the southernmost wharf on Charleston Harbor. 150 years later, that story was been commemorated at the site with the placement of a South Carolina State Historical Marker. Smalls, an enslaved man and mariner, commandeered the ship loaded with Confederate guns, when its captain and others were ashore. He and fellow crew members took the ship from the Southern Wharf, just to the east of the HCF's headquarters at the Missroon House, and sailed it north to another wharf to pick up their family members. They then sailed it into Charleston Harbor through the Confederate lines, delivering the ship and its contents to the Union fleet, thus securing their freedom. Robert Smalls went on to a distinguished career in the Union Navy and in public service on the state and national levels.
HCF spearheaded the effort place a historical marker just to the south of its building at 40 East Bay Street and worked with the Smalls Family of descendants, the African American Historical Alliance, the State Historic Preservation Office, the City of Charleston, and the Arts and History Commission. The African American Historical Alliance also made a generous contribution toward the fabrication of the marker. The sesquicentennial anniversary of the seizure of the Planter was commemorated in May 2012, 2012, by a number of events, including the dedication of this state historical marker, which was dedicated on May 12th with over one hundred people in attendance. The audience was welcomed by Kitty Robinson, then CEO of Historic Charleston Foundation. Jannie Harriot of the SC African American Commission and Katherine Pemberton of Historic Charleston Foundation followed with brief remarks. Brandon Allen then sang the spiritual "My Lord, What a Morning." Finally, the four great, great, great grandsons of Robert Smalls unveiled the historical marker.
File contains documentation of the planning of the commemoration including notes and correspondence, news articles about Robert Smalls and the historical marker, and the program for the Commemorative Weekend.Collection
Katherine Saunders Pemberton Research Projects CollectionAcquisition
Accession
2020.011Source or Donor
Katherine Saunders Pemberton Research Projects CollectionAcquisition Method
OtherLexicon
Search Terms
African American history / Black history, Smalls, Robert, 1839-1915, Historical markers--South Carolina--Charleston, Commemorations--South Carolina--CharlestonLegacy Lexicon
Object Name
Research (Papers, Notes, etc.)Archive Details
Creator
Historic Charleston FoundationArchive Size/Extent
1 folderArchive Notes
Date(s): 2011-2012Location
Location
Container
KSP Box 1Shelf
Archives H-20Room
Margaretta P. Childs ArchivesBuilding
Missroon HouseCategory
PermanentDate
February 7, 2023Created By
admin@catalogit.appCreate Date
July 23, 2020Updated By
admin@catalogit.appUpdate Date
February 17, 2023