Good breakfast this morning and then downtown Beaufort to meet Ann, the woman that is giving us the walking tour. She was a wealth of information and history, and we were the only two in the group so lots of Q&A. The Spanish were hear in the mid to late 1500's, then the French and English and Spanish all tried to establish forts and communities here in the early 1700's. The English finally beat them out and indigo and rice became their big exports and a few people got wealthy using slaves to do the work. They got caught up in the Revolutionary war in a limited way. Then SC signed up for succession in 1860 and Beaufort was immediately attacked and taken over by the Union in 1861. The Union then used Beaufort and it's port to supply the Union effort in the war and also took over all the houses in town and turned them into hospitals. The big reason for the Union to quickly take over Beaufort was financial. They took over that years entire cotton crop, and the passed a law that taxed everyone in town, and if they could not pay the tax, their houses were taken over and sold in tax sales. They also experimented before the war ended with reconstruction. The newly freed slaves had to begin being educated and learning to not be slaves. At the same time they had to get crops in for anyone in the community to succeed so lots of adjustments there. Made me, a northerner, appreciate the complexity of southern history.
After the walking tour we headed to Jekyll Island in GA and Deb gave me the entire tour. The temperature hit 77 this afternoon which was heavenly, and no insects this time of year. Jekyll Island was a private island for the mega rich in the late 1800's and it is now a state park which keeps the buildings in good health and the grounds beautiful. They charge $8 per car to get in which I assume goes toward keeping things running.
Then on to Kingsland GA for the night. Dinner at a so-so seafood place and then to bed. Tomorrow we go to Cumberland Island.
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