Oakley Park and the end of Carpetbag Rule in South Carolina

Oakley Park Museum in Edgefield, South Carolina

By 1876, the four year long War Between the States (or Civil War) had been over for 11 years, yet South Carolina - like most of the South - remained under the control of "radical Republican" carpetbaggers and their scalawag allies.

For those not familiar with the terminology of the day, the "radical Republicans" - a name they gave themselves - referred to a wing of the Republican party that favored punishment of Southerners for their role in the War Between the States as opposed to the peaceful reunion favored by Abraham Lincoln. Carpetbaggers were called such by Southerners because they were Northerners who came South after the war to seek their fortunes, often carrying their possessions in luggage made of carpet. Scalawags, also a term coined by Southerners, were Southern individuals who joined with and supported the Carpetbaggers.

Oakley Park, Home of Gen. Martin W. Gary

While some of the individuals who came South after the war were well-intentioned, many were not and graft, corruption and brutal tactics were common during their decade of rule.

In South Carolina, as the election of 1876 approached, a movement grew among the state's Democrats to support former Confederate general Wade Hampton in the race for Governor. A victory by Hampton would break the backs of the radical Republicans and clear the way for a return of local rule to the Palmetto State.

Gary spoke from the balcony in 1876

Maj. Gen. Martin W. Gary, who lived at Oakley Park Mansion in Edgefield, was a key supporter of Hampton in that campaign. A general in the Hampton Legion during the war, Gary had refused to surrender at Appomattox Court House with Gen. Robert E. Lee. At the head of 200 horsemen from South Carolina, he broke through the encircling Union army and road south, eventually escorting President Jefferson Davis as far as South Carolina.

A fierce opponent of Reconstruction rule, Gary organized what became known as the "Red Shirt Campaign" to garner support for Hampton's gubernatorial campaign.

The "Red Shirts" were Democrats who donned red shirts and spread through the countryside to drum up support for Hampton. By election day, his movement had grown to include as many as 85,000 men and he spoke that day to 1,500 of them from the balcony at Oakley Park.

Thanks to the efforts of Gary and his Red Shirts, Hampton won the election and Reconstruction rule came to an end in South Carolina.

The general's home, Oakley Park, is now a museum that displays a rich collection of artifacts from both the War Between the States and Reconstruction.  To learn more, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/oakleypark.

Stephen D. Lee Home & Museum - Columbus, Mississippi

Stephen D. Lee Home in Columbus, Mississippi

Stephen D. Lee was a remarkable soldier, political leader, preservationist and educator. At the age of thirty, he became the Confederacy's youngest lieutenant general. Wounded twice in combat, he fought on fields ranging from Second Manassas and Antietam to Tupelo and Nashville.
His home is a treasured museum today in Columbus, Mississippi. Inherited by his wife, the beautiful old brick residence was General Lee's home after the War Between the States (or Civil War) when he did some of his most noteworthy public service.



Lt. Gen. Stephen D. Lee, CSA

Born in Charleston in 1833, Stephen Dill Lee entered the U.S. Military Academy at West Point when he was 17 years old. He graduated in the Class of 1854 alongside J.E.B. Stuart, G.W. Custiss Lee and John Pegram. An outstanding artilleryman who had served in the Third Seminole War, he resigned his commission and entered the service of the South after his home state of South Carolina seceded from the Union.

Serving in the East until 1863, Lee rose to the rank of Brigadier General while fighting with noted heroism at Malvern Hill, Second Manassas, Antietam (Sharpsburg) and Fredericksburg. Ordered to Mississippi to assist in the defense of Vickburg he was wounded at Champions Hill and was captured when Union forces took Vicksburg on July 3, 1863.

Stephen D. Lee Home & Museum

Exchanged after four months, he was promoted to major general and then to lieutenant general. In July 1864 he fought alongside Nathan Bedford Forrest at the Battle of Tupelo. He went on to serve under John Bell Hood in the Franklin and Nashville Campaign, during which he was wounded again while commanding a rear guard action during Hood's retreat out of Tennessee. He recovered in time to take part in the Carolinas campaign and was among the officers and men surrendered at Bennett Place in North Carolina.

Still in his early 30s when the war came to an end, Lee went on to serve his adopted state of Mississippi with great distinction. He was the first president of today's Mississippi State University, a leader in the effort to create Vicksburg National Military Park, a state legislator and the President of the Board of Trustees of the Mississippi Department of Archives & History. From 1904 until his death in 1908, he was national Commander of the United Confederate Veterans (UCV), of which today's Sons of Confederate Veterans (SCV) is a successor. The Official Charge of the SCV is taken from one of his speeches.

To learn more, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/stephendlee.

National Naval Aviation Museum & 100 Years of Naval Aviation

World War II Aircraft

2011 marks the 100th anniversary of the year that the U.S. Navy first took to the air.  That entire span of history can be viewed at the outstanding National Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola, Florida.
Located on board Naval Air Station, Pensacola, the museum preserves aircraft and artifacts from all eras of Naval Aviation. Exhibits range from displays of the earliest types of aircraft flown by the U.S. Navy to the reconstructed deck of an aircraft carrier to artifacts from the exploration of space. It is a little known fact that the first American in space, Alan B. Shepard, was a naval aviator.

Jet Fighters

The museum offers a chance for visitors to get up close to some of the most powerful weapons of war ever created. Fighter planes from all eras of the 20th century are on display, along with trainers and other aircraft. From jet fighters that saw service around the world to World War II planes recovered from the deep and even the biplane trainer flown by President George H.W. Bush, the aircraft displays are remarkable and fascinating.

Visitors to the National Naval Aviation Museum can also experience what it is like to fly in some of the U.S. Navy's top aircraft thanks to MaxFlight 360 flight simulators. These remarkable simulators offer the chance to "fly" in 3D and feel what it is like to be in air to air combat.

The museum also preserves and displays artifacts and exhibits that tell the stories of heroism exhibited by some of America's finest pilots and crews in conflicts including World War I, World War II, Korea, Vietnam and the Middle East campaigns.

To learn more, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/navalaviationmuseum.

The Branson Titanic Museum - Largest Titanic Museum in the World



Recreated Grand Staircase of the Titanic

 Branson, of course, is a wonderful family-oriented resort area in the Ozarks of southern Missouri. While it is best known for Country Highway 76 and its many country music shows, Branson also has great appeal for people of all interests. There are historic sites, unique outdoor locations, museums, Table Rock Lake, trout fishing locations, a scenic railway, paddlewheel riverboat and much more.

One attraction that has become popular in recent years is the Branson Titanic Museum, which is billed as the World's Largest Titanic Exhibit.

Every resort area has unique museums and displays, but honestly this one is a step above the normal fare. Not only does it display 500 artifacts from the Titanic, it offers a chance to step back in time and aboard the famed luxury liner as she appeared in her full glory before her fateful maiden voyage.

Branson Titanic Museum

The Titanic is one of the best known ships in the history of the world because she went down after striking an iceberg on her first trans-Atantic voyage. More than 1,500 people lost their lives in the disaster and the ship settled to the bottom deep in the North Atlantic. It has been immortalized by numerous books and movies, including the Academy Award winning 1997 film by James Cameron.

At the Branson Titanic Museum, visitors explore not just museum displays, but recreated staterooms, berths, Marconi room and Grand Staircase of the magnificent ship. It is a rare chance to see the real splendor of the Titanic and to see what life was like for the actual passengers of the great ship before the disaster.

To learn more, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/titanic.

National Civil War Naval Museum - Columbus, Georgia

One of the most fascinating historical exhibits in the nation stands by the Chattahoochee River in Columbus, Georgia.

Originally established to preserve the wrecks of the Confederate warships C.S.S. Jackson and C.S.S. Chattahoochee, the National Civil War Naval Museum has grown into a magnificent facility that interprets the history of both the Confederate and Union navies with artifacts, displays and full-size reproductions of Civil War ships.

The most stunning artifact in the museum is the wreck of the C.S.S. Jackson, a massive ironclade built at Columbus for a planned effort to break the blockade at Apalachicola Bay, Florida. The huge ship was 225 feet long, 54 feet wide and weighed an estimated 2000 tons. Captured by the Union army as it was nearing completion, the ship was set afire and burned to the waterline before sinking into the soft mud on the bottom of the Chattahoochee River. Raised in 1961, it is now part of a remarkable exhibit.

In addition, the museum offers visitors a chance to explore a partial reconstruction of Admiral David Farragut's famed flagship, the U.S.S. Hartford, and to experience a Civil War battle aboard the noted Confederate ironclad C.S.S. Albemarle. A full-size reproduction of the U.S.S. Water Witch, captured near Savannah by Confederate forces in 1864, will open to visitors in April.

Other artifacts on display include the original flag from the C.S.S. Arkansas, uniforms, weapons and even a massive cannon from the Jackson that is fired on special occasions.

If you would like to learn more about the National Civil War Naval Museum, please visit our new page at www.exploresouthernhistory.com/navymuseum.

Old Courthouse Museum - Vicksburg, Mississippi

One of the most fascinating local museums in the South can be found in the Old Courthouse in Vicksburg, Mississippi.

This historic structure dates from before the Civil War and was a major landmark during the siege and Battle of Vicksburg. Its clock tower can be seen in numerous photographs and drawings of the city dating from the time of the battle and it was here that U.S. troops under Gen. Ulysses S. Grant raised the United States flag on July 4, 1863, marking the end of the brutal siege.

Beautifully preserved and restored, the magnificent structure now houses a wide variety of displays and artifacts pertaining to the history of Vicksburg, the battle and the Mississippi River. Weapons, uniforms, original flags and other artifacts help visitors learn more about the battle, but the Old Courthouse also preserves its upstairs courtroom where many landmark cases were argued. Other displays tell about the great steamboats that once plied the Mississippi River. The decorative antlers from the famed paddlewheel boat Robert E. Lee can be seen.

To learn more about the Old Courthouse and other points of interest in and around Vicksburg, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/vicksburg4.

New Branson, Missouri Pages are now Online!

Our new Branson, Missouri pages are now online at http://www.exploresouthernhistory.com/! Just look for the link under the "Also New This Month" section of the site.

Although our Branson section will be expanding over the coming days and weeks, for now it includes a number of key sites including the Showboat Branson Belle, the Branson Scenic Railway, historic Big Cedar Resort, Country 76 (the famed Branson Strip), the Branson Titanic Museum, the Ruth and Paul Henning Conservation Area and many others.

Drop by and take a look!