Beaufort, South Carolina during the Civil War
Beaufort, South Carolina has now been under the control of occupying Union forces for six months. Union soldiers hold regular worship services in the local Baptist meeting house, where Rev. Brown, chaplain of the 76th New York (nicknamed the “Highlanders”) often preaches. The 100th Pennsylvania is also part of the occupying force, and today–Sunday–a soldier from that regiment describes the day’s happenings.
Weather clear and cloudy alternately intensely hot when clear. I went to the Baptist Meeting house to attend services “Hiland” Chaplain officiated choosing 26th verse of 22nd chapter of Exodus as his subject – After service I returned to Camp ate dinner and took a stroll through the woods along the Shell Road over the Plantations near by found in my travels several Magnolia trees, flowers in bloom the first I ever saw. I did not know them Darkey’s said it was Laurel the Magnolia is the most fragrant flower that grows about the size of a large goose egg. W. H. Lewis, Lorenze and me went bathing in the evening – I attended Prayer Meeting at night – We had a review and inspection of arms and knapsacks by Col. Leasure the Col. also inspected the Camp afterwards – We had a heavy shower of rain in the evening.
The sermon text, Exodus 22:26, reads (in the KJV, the biblical translation used at the time): “If thou at all take thy neighbour’s raiment to pledge, thou shalt deliver it unto him by that the sun goeth down”. That is, “If you take your neighbor’s cloak as a pledge, return it to him by sunset” (New International Version).
Unstated is to whom the sermon may have been specifically addressed.
Source: Diary entry, May 18, 1862, 100thPenn.Com website (link); Baptists and the American Civil War, December 30, 1861 (link)
