Charleston, South Carolina – Oct – Fran and Jeff’s Retirement Adventures

Our time in Charleston flew by as we kept ourselves very busy being tourists. Maybe you had seen the Allstate commercial that was on TV following hurricane Florence, the one where they show a huge oak tree and mention that it is the oldest living thing east of the Mississippi – we took a ride to see the Angel Oak. The tree is estimated to be between 400-500 years old, though some have thought it to be 1500 years old. Regardless of the age debate it is a massive tree and really interesting to see the branches snake down to the ground and grow up from there. It stands 66.5 feet tall and from tip to tip its longest branch distance is 187 feet.

One evening we took a sunset cruise to Fort Sumter. Our boat left from the pier across from Patriots Point where there was one of Jeff’s favorite views.

The view of the city from the boat was just as nice to see.

On the way to Fort Sumter, we passed by Castle Pinckney. It was built in 1810 and thought to be needed during the War of 1812. Later during the Civil War it was used briefly as a prisoner of war camp and artillery position. Located on the island is the Shutes Folly Cross.

Fort Sumter, where the first shots were fired to start the Civil War. After Major Anderson surrendered the fort, the Confederates moved in and held the fort until Sherman moved into Charleston in 1865. During those 4 years, the confederates kept the union from retaking the fort. During our tour we had the honor of being there during the lowering of the flag and the ranger program. 30 people stepped forward to fold the flag and the ranger gave a great message on how the flag and this country belong to the people and not the government. ‘We are a people with a government not a government with a people.’

We took a tour to see the H L Hunley. The Hunley was a combat submarine of the Confederacy and was the first to sink a warship (USS Housatonic). On February 17, 1864, the Hunley attached and sank the Housatonic in Charleston’s outer harbor. It also sank that day taking the 8 member crew with it. In 1995, the Hunley was located and it was raised in 2000. It is believed that it was too close to the Housatonic when it’s torpedo exploded causing its own sinking. The remains of the crew were still on board, at their stations. The crew members were laid to rest in Magnolia Cemetery in Charleston with full Confederate honors.

On examination, a $20 gold piece was found near Lieutenant Dixon. There was a story passed down through his family that his sweetheart, Queenie Bennett, had given him the coin to protect him. Dixon had had the coin in his pocket at the Battle of Shiloh when he was hit by a bullet. The bullet struck the coin, saving his leg and possibly his life.

Staying where we were, we wanted to tour a plantation, we chose Magnolia Plantation. Magnolia is located on the Ashley River and is one of the oldest plantations in the south. It was originally a rice plantation and dates back to 1676. African slaves from rice-growing regions created extensive earthworks of dams and dikes for irrigating land for rice cultivation. The plantation is also known for it’s gardens which were developed in the 1840s by Reverend John Grimke Drayton after he inherited the property. The house was burned down during the Civil War and a new one was built afterwards and opened to the public.

The gardens were not in bloom at this time but they were still interesting to see.

A tour of the old rice fields showcased the wildlife abundant on the plantation grounds. Our guide told us they have over 500 alligators on the property.

Charles Towne Landing is a state historic site where a group of English settlers landed in 1670 and established the birthplace of the Carolina colony. Contained on the property is a natural habitat zoo of animals that would have been in the area at the time.