Burt-Stark Mansion, Abbeville, South Carolina, Deathbed of the Confederacy

It was here in the Burt-Stark Mansion, also known as the Armistead Burt House, Abbeville, South Carolina, that President Jefferson Davis met with his cabinet for the last Council of War for the Confederate States of America, May 2, 1865.

Just three weeks earlier, on April 9, 1865 General Robert E. Lee had surrendered his Army of Northern Virginia to General George T. Sherman at Appomattox Courthouse. Many people regard Lee's surrender as the end of the War Between the States, but actually only a portion of the Confederate Army surrendered at that time.

On April 26, 1869, Confederate General Joseph E. Johnston followed Lee by surrendering his Army of Tennessee, also to General Sherman, near Greensboro, North Carolina. One of my great uncles, John Tomas Conn, was among those who surrendered with Johnston.

However, when the last Confederate Council of War met there were still other very determined Confederate armies fighting in the field, including the Alabama, Mississippi and East Louisiana Department, the Trans-Mississippi (Texas) Department, and others. President Davis wanted to continue the struggle for Southern Independence. However, despite the righteousness of the Confederate cause, the Council persuaded Davis that to continue fighting against such overwhelming odds was futile.

Just two days later, May 4, 1865, Confederate Lt. Gen. Richard Taylor, son of former U.S. president Zachary Taylor, surrendered the Confederate Department of Alabama, Mississippi, and East Louisiana, with some 12,000 troops.

The last land fight of the War occurred May 12--13 May at Palmito Ranch, Texas, where 350 Confederates of the Trans-Mississippi Department were victorious over 800 invading Federals. Afterwards, upon learning that Richmond had fallen that General Robert E. Lee had surrendered, the Trans-Mississippi Confederates gave up their fight for Independence Most of the soldiers simply went home, but some 2000 of them fled into Mexico, alone or in scattered groups.

Last of the Confederate Generals to surrender was Brigadier General Stand Waite of Oklahoma. Stand Waite was also a Chief of the Cherokee Nation. Fighting until the bitter end, General Waite finally surrendered his battalion of Creek, Seminole, Cherokee, and Osage Indians on June 23. 1865.

There was never a formal surrender by the Confederate States of America. No peace treaty or armistice was ever signed, and it could be argued that the Confederate States of America is still an occupied nation.

A week after that fateful last Council of War in Abbeville, President Davis and a large entourage traveling with him, was captured in Irwinsville, Georgia, by the Fourth Michigan Calvary during the early morning hours of May 10, 1865.

The Burt-Stark Mansion was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1992 because of its importance as the last meeting place of the leadership of the Confederate nation.

For more about the Confederacy see my blog: http://www.confederatedigest.com/

Columbia, South Carolina

Columbia, South Carolina's capital and largest city, is named for Christopher Columbus. The first European settlers came to the area in the early 1700s and this was chosen to be the site of South Carolina's new state capital in 1786.

Columbia was South Carolina's first planned city, with streets arranged in a grid pattern. It also holds the distinction of being the second planned city in the United States, with Savannah, Georgia being the first. Despite this, Columbia did not have a single paved street until Main Street was surfaced in 1908.

Today Columbia boasts a large array of accomodations, from luxury to budget, and restaurants for every taste. Attractions in the city include the outstanding Riverbanks Zoo, plus numerous museums, parks and historic sites. Columbia is also home to the University of South Carolina, and several other colleges and universities are in the area.

Columbia is an excellent example of a vibrant southern city, with a proud heritage.

South of the Border, Dillon, South Carolina

Depending on your point of view, "South of the Border" is roadside America at it's worst - or it's best.

If you're traveling through the Carolinas along Interstate 95, you literally can't miss the billboards - scores - maybe hundreds of them, including: "Camp Weeth Pedro," "Fireworks Capital of America," and one of my favorites "Keep Yelling Kids - They'll Stop."

Just south of the North Carolina/South Carolina state line you will find SOB - one of the biggest, junkiest collections of souvenir shops you've ever seen, along with restaurants, amusements and even a hotel and conference center.

In my mind the stuff you'll find here is tacky and overpriced. Still it is an interesting bit of Roadside America - and you may even enjoy it.

If you pass this place you've got to stop at least once just to say you've seen it. I visited SOB once with my children several years ago and promised myself to never return again. Then I stopped one more time at "South of the Border" recently, but just long enough to take a few pictures for my blog.

South Carolina

South Carolina is a small state with a big variety of people, topography and tavel opportunities. The state can be divided into three major regions: the coastal and "low country,", the piedmont, and the Appalachian Mountains. Each region has it's own major metropolitan area, with Charleston on the coast, Columbia (the state capital) in the Piedmont, and Greenville/Spartnburg in the mountains.

Each of these cities has it's own unique appeal, but many of the most interesing parts of South Carolina are in the smaller towns and rural areas. In the Low Country you will find great beaches on the Atlantic coast and vast swamps filled with wild creatures and draped with spanish moss. In the piedmont are beautiful rivers and lakes, and historic sites going back to colonial times. The green mountains offer sparkling waterfalls and inspiring vistas. In every section you will find both vibrant towns and sleeply little villages that time seems to have passed by.

The people of South Carolina are culturally diverse, friendly, and proud of their state and their heritage.I lived in South Carolina on two different occasions, for about a year each time, in the late 1960s and again in the late 1970s. I have visited the state many times both before and since living there. Although I have explored every one of South Carolina's 46 counties, I still find new and interesting things to see and do every time the road leads me back to the Palmetto State.

South Carolina Confederate Monument

The Confederate Monument stands prominently in front of the South Carolina State Capitol and beside it flys a Confederate Battle Flag. The inscription reads:

This monument perpetuates the memory of those

who true to the instincts of their birth,

faithful to the teachings of their fathers,

constant in the love for the state,

died in the performance of their duty...

who have glorified a fallen cause

by the simple manhood of their lives,

the patient endurance of suffering,

and the heroism of death...

and who in the dark hours of imprisonment,

in the hopelessness of the hospital,

in the short sharp agony of the field,

found support and consolation in the belief

that at home they would not be forgotten."

-- written by S.C. diplomat and historian, William Henry Trescot.

Peach Capital of the World, Johnston, South Carolina

Although the neighboring state of Georgia is known as "The Peach State", South Carolina, only half the size of Georgia, grows more peaches. And the small town of Johnston, SC, lays claim to being the Peach Capital of the World.

The best time to visit Johnston, as I did once, is during the town's annual Peach Blossom Festival, held every year on the first Saturday in April. There you will find food, crafts, music and much more. Early April is when Johnston is the prettiest, with not only peach blossoms, but also azaleas, dogwood, and other flowers are at their best then.

Come back to Johnston in mid-summer and bite down on a fresh tree-ripened peach that has been warmed by the hot South Carolina sun. That's got to be one of earth's most delightful taste treats. Bland grocery store peaches, picked green and trucked in from California, aren't even in the same category.

Lick Fork Lake, Edgefield County, South Carolina

Lick Fork Lake Recreation Area is one of the prettiest spots you will see in South Carolina's Sumpter National Forest. I've been there dozens of times and have never found it crowded, except once on the 4th of July. The Recreation area centers around a 12 acre man-made lake nestled in the southeastern portion of the Long Cane Ranger District. It offers a variety of recreational opportunities including camping, swimming, picnicking, fishing, boating, mountain biking, and hiking. The 2.5 mile loop trail around the lake makes an especially enjoyable hike.

Lick Fork has a heavily wooded campground with 10 campsites and offers easy access for other recreational activities. A camp host is on site during peak seasons. Lick Fork is open April through December 15.

There is a designated picnic area with a bath house, flush toilets and showers. Other amenities include a handicap-accessible day area and a handicap accessible fishing pier. The picnic area has tables, grills, and a group shelter. Each camp site has a fire ring, a table, and lantern post. Pit toilets and water pumps are located throughout the campground.

State Capitol, Columbia, South Carolina

The State House is home to the South Carolina General Assembly, including the State House of Representatives and State Senate. The Governor's office is also here. Construction on the building began in 1851, but the first structure was dismantled due to defective materials and the original architect was dismissed for fraud and dereliction of duty.

Work on the new structure began in 1855. It was still under construction near the close of the War Between the States in 1965. That's when General Sherman's Union Army swept through Columbia, February 17, burning much of the city and firing cannonballs at the incomplete and undefended capitol building, before setting it on fire.

The capitol building was not completed until 1907. Today, the copper-domed granite structure wears six bronze stars to mark hits from Sherman's cannons.