The Battle of Fort Fisher, N.C.
Showing posts with label Robert Smalls. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Robert Smalls. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 7, 2017
Monuments Around the South Carolina Statehouse
Last week I wrote about a movement to erect a statue of Robert Smalls, a slave who commandeered the Confederate transport Planter in Charleston Harbor, on the grounds of the S.C. statehouse. This is where the confrontation over the Confederate Flag started.
Statues on the grounds include an African-American monument, Robert E. Lee tree memorial, Confederate Women memorial, Confederate soldier monument, Wade Hampton (Confederate general) and Dr. J. Marlon Sims. I have written about Dr. Sims before and his questionable experiments on black women in gynecology so would not have a problem with his statue coming down.
The Statehouse also has bronze star markers where it was struck by Union artillery in 1865.
Again, I would like to see a statue for Robert Smalls there.
--Old Secesh
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Robert Smalls, Civil War Hero
A brief history of Robert Smalls from the Jan. 26th Beaufort Gazette.
Smalls was born a slave in Beaufort April 5, 1839. During the Civil War, he was the pilot of the CSS Planter operating in Charleston Harbor. On May 13, 1862, Smalls and the black crew took over control of the ship and sailed out of the heavily fortified Charleston Harbor to the Union blockading fleet and turned the vessel over.
The crew and especially Smalls became immediate heroes in the north and even met President Lincoln. Smalls was given command of the USS Planter.
After the war, he returned to South Carolina and entered politics, serving as a state representative from 1868-1870 ans state senator 1870-1874. From 1874 to 1886 he served off and on in the US House of Representatives.
In 1889 he was appointed Collector of Customs at Beaufort. He died February 22, 1915.
Quite a Life. --B-R
Smalls was born a slave in Beaufort April 5, 1839. During the Civil War, he was the pilot of the CSS Planter operating in Charleston Harbor. On May 13, 1862, Smalls and the black crew took over control of the ship and sailed out of the heavily fortified Charleston Harbor to the Union blockading fleet and turned the vessel over.
The crew and especially Smalls became immediate heroes in the north and even met President Lincoln. Smalls was given command of the USS Planter.
After the war, he returned to South Carolina and entered politics, serving as a state representative from 1868-1870 ans state senator 1870-1874. From 1874 to 1886 he served off and on in the US House of Representatives.
In 1889 he was appointed Collector of Customs at Beaufort. He died February 22, 1915.
Quite a Life. --B-R
Robert Small Elected to SC Hall of Fame: What's the NAACP to Do?
January 26th Beaufort (SC) Gazette.
Civil War hero and Beaufort native Robert Smalls will be joining the South Carolina Hall of Fame almost 150 years after he and a group of other slaves seized the Confederate steamer CSS Planter in Charleston Harbor and sailed it out to surrender to the Union blockading fleet.
Former South Carolina Governor Richard Riley will also be joining the hall of fame.
The ceremony will be February 9th at the Myrtle Beach, SC, Convention Center.
WHAT TO DO?
This is where the problem comes in. The NAACP has fought a long battle to have the Confederate flag removed from state capitol grounds. They succeeded in getting it down from the dome, but still are incensed that it flies on the grounds.
To show their displeasure, they have called for a boycott of all conventions and business with South Carolina.
Since Robert Smalls was a black man, you would have to figure they would attend the event. But, it is happening at a convention site in the state they boycott.
It will be interesting to see what they do.
Attend or Boycott. I Say Attend. The Man's Courage and Bravery Would Make It Imperative to Do So. --Old B-Runner
Civil War hero and Beaufort native Robert Smalls will be joining the South Carolina Hall of Fame almost 150 years after he and a group of other slaves seized the Confederate steamer CSS Planter in Charleston Harbor and sailed it out to surrender to the Union blockading fleet.
Former South Carolina Governor Richard Riley will also be joining the hall of fame.
The ceremony will be February 9th at the Myrtle Beach, SC, Convention Center.
WHAT TO DO?
This is where the problem comes in. The NAACP has fought a long battle to have the Confederate flag removed from state capitol grounds. They succeeded in getting it down from the dome, but still are incensed that it flies on the grounds.
To show their displeasure, they have called for a boycott of all conventions and business with South Carolina.
Since Robert Smalls was a black man, you would have to figure they would attend the event. But, it is happening at a convention site in the state they boycott.
It will be interesting to see what they do.
Attend or Boycott. I Say Attend. The Man's Courage and Bravery Would Make It Imperative to Do So. --Old B-Runner
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Some More on Robert Smalls
This is a follow up to the December 5th and 6th entries on Robert Smalls.
On December 1, 1863, the USS Planter was caught in a Confederate crossfire and the ship's captain (Smalls was the pilot) wanted to surrender. Smalls argued that he and the other black sailors would not be treated as prisoners-of-war (probably a correct assumption). The commander decided to go ahead and surrender. Smalls took command and the Planter escaped. As a result, Smalls became the first black man to command a vessel in the US Navy.
Robert Smalls was born a slave in 1839 and died in 1916.
I was wondering why the ship would be called the Major General Robert Smalls when Smalls was involved with the sea and the navy.
From his website:
1870 commissioned Lt. Col. in SC state militia
1871- promted to Brigadier General
1873 attained rank of Major General
His mother was named Lydia and father was an unidentified white man.
The US Major General Robert Smalls is one of eight ships in the class which are actually in the Army, and not the Navy. They are designed to carry up to 2,000 tons cargo. The Smalls was launched in 2004, but had the formal dedication during the annual Army-Navy game at Annapolis, Md. The event was attended by a numbers of his descendants and supporters.
www.robertsmalls.org
This Was One Interesting Man Who Rose Far Above What Might Have Been Expected. --B-Runner
On December 1, 1863, the USS Planter was caught in a Confederate crossfire and the ship's captain (Smalls was the pilot) wanted to surrender. Smalls argued that he and the other black sailors would not be treated as prisoners-of-war (probably a correct assumption). The commander decided to go ahead and surrender. Smalls took command and the Planter escaped. As a result, Smalls became the first black man to command a vessel in the US Navy.
Robert Smalls was born a slave in 1839 and died in 1916.
I was wondering why the ship would be called the Major General Robert Smalls when Smalls was involved with the sea and the navy.
From his website:
1870 commissioned Lt. Col. in SC state militia
1871- promted to Brigadier General
1873 attained rank of Major General
His mother was named Lydia and father was an unidentified white man.
The US Major General Robert Smalls is one of eight ships in the class which are actually in the Army, and not the Navy. They are designed to carry up to 2,000 tons cargo. The Smalls was launched in 2004, but had the formal dedication during the annual Army-Navy game at Annapolis, Md. The event was attended by a numbers of his descendants and supporters.
www.robertsmalls.org
This Was One Interesting Man Who Rose Far Above What Might Have Been Expected. --B-Runner
Thursday, December 6, 2007
Robert Smalls-- a Remarkable Man
Further information on yesterday's account of the new army vessel, USS Major General Robert Smalls.
The Planter was an armed Confederate military transport. On May 12, 1862, while three white officers were ashore, Robert Smalls and several other black crew members took the ship and went over to a nearby ship where Smalls' family and relatives of the other crew members were hiding.
They then took the ship and sailed past the Confederate forts guarding Charleston Harbor to the Union blockading fleet and hoisted a white flag in surrender.
Afterwards, Smalls' knowledge of Charleston's defenses provided valuable intelligence to Union operations.
Smalls also was involved in the effort to get Abraham Lincoln and Secretary of War Edwin Stanton to permit blacks to serve in the Union Army. This led to the first black regiment formed at Port Royal, SC, the 1st SC Volunteers.
Robert Smalls served as a pilot onboard the USS Keokuk, an experimental monitor, that sank after being struck by 90 projectiles in the April 7, 1863 attack on Charleston.
Blockade-Runner
The Planter was an armed Confederate military transport. On May 12, 1862, while three white officers were ashore, Robert Smalls and several other black crew members took the ship and went over to a nearby ship where Smalls' family and relatives of the other crew members were hiding.
They then took the ship and sailed past the Confederate forts guarding Charleston Harbor to the Union blockading fleet and hoisted a white flag in surrender.
Afterwards, Smalls' knowledge of Charleston's defenses provided valuable intelligence to Union operations.
Smalls also was involved in the effort to get Abraham Lincoln and Secretary of War Edwin Stanton to permit blacks to serve in the Union Army. This led to the first black regiment formed at Port Royal, SC, the 1st SC Volunteers.
Robert Smalls served as a pilot onboard the USS Keokuk, an experimental monitor, that sank after being struck by 90 projectiles in the April 7, 1863 attack on Charleston.
Blockade-Runner
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Army Ship Named for Black Civil War Hero
And you thought ships were in the Navy? Evidently not so.
The Major General Robert Smalls, a 314 foot-long US Army vessel was at Baltimore's Inner Harbor for Saturday's 108th Army-Navy football game. But, even its presence could not save the plebes from Navy's midshipmen.
The Robert Smalls is a logistics support vessel named after a 23 year-old slave working as a pilot on a Confederate steamer. He took over the ship in 1862 while the crew was ashore. He took the vessel and 15 other slaves and his family and surrendered to the first Union ship.
After the war, he became a major general in the SC militia and was a five-time Congressman.
Everybody Knows There are No Ships in the Army, Or Do They? --Blockade-R
The Major General Robert Smalls, a 314 foot-long US Army vessel was at Baltimore's Inner Harbor for Saturday's 108th Army-Navy football game. But, even its presence could not save the plebes from Navy's midshipmen.
The Robert Smalls is a logistics support vessel named after a 23 year-old slave working as a pilot on a Confederate steamer. He took over the ship in 1862 while the crew was ashore. He took the vessel and 15 other slaves and his family and surrendered to the first Union ship.
After the war, he became a major general in the SC militia and was a five-time Congressman.
Everybody Knows There are No Ships in the Army, Or Do They? --Blockade-R
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