Gullah/Geechee Nation Appreciation Week As many of my readers know, my books are all set in coastal South Carolina during the Civil War. I've told the stories of soldier on both sides of the conflict in A Scratch with the Rebels. In Beyond All Price, I followed the story of Nellie Chase, a Union nurse as she traveled from Pennsylvania to Beaufort, SC, then to Virginia during the Battle of Fredericksburg, and finally to Union-occupied Nashville, TN. The Road to Frogmore tells the story of Laura Towne, who came to St. Helena Island to offer medical treatment and educational opportunity to slaves who were newly freed during the war. And in Left by the Side of the Road readers discover a series of short stories about the other people whose lives intersected with my main characters. Other missionaries, other Army officers, slaves, and carpetbaggers--all have small but important tales to tell. The common thread in all of these books remains the story of the Gullah people of South Carolina. They have a rich history and their stories preserve a great cultural tradition, so I am always happy to learn about activities that focus our attention on their traditions. One such event is the Gullah/Geechee Nation Appreciation Week, which kicks off today, Saturday, July 27, 2013. I'll be trying to bring you glimpses and highlights all week by reposting items from the Gullah/Geechee Nation website. Grand Army Hall Marker Dedication On the first day of "Gullah/Geechee Nation Appreciation Week" in Beaufort County, SC and the City of Beaufort, join the Beaufort County Historical Society at the dedication of: Grand Army Hall Historical Marker 706 Newcastle St. Beaufort, SC Saturday, July 27th 11 am  Thirty years before the first Black History Day celebration in 1926, a
group of Black Civil War veterans purchased property at what is now 706
New Castle Street in Beaufort, South Carolina in the Gullah/Geechee Nation.
The building that they built in 1896 is the Grand Army Hall which is
the only known surviving physical structure representing the Grand Old Army of the RepublicÂ’'s activities in the south. |
