Glimpses of 1861 Summerville Through the Recollections of Lieutenant Andrew McConnell at Camp Woodward on the South Carolina Railroad

Camp Woodward set up along these tracks

The South Carolina Railroad and a building boom in the 1850's brought prosperity to Summerville. By the eve of the American Civil War, there were five hotels and boarding houses(Brown's Hotel, Captain Vose's, and Mr. Cooper's Paradise to name a few) three churches, two public buildings, nine stores, 372 dwellings and servants' houses, and 1088 inhabitants.

Lieutenant Andrew McConnell wrote an extensive diary about his time at Camp Woodward in Summerville during the explosive days of 1861. He prodigiously penned on a daily basis. His candid commentary outlining his observations and personal experiences about the troops and townspeople were both profound and striking, as verified by the musings of a fellow officer, Major Thomas W. Woodward.

Shortly after Fort Sumter was bombarded and secured, South Carolina State troops consisting of the 6th Regiment South Carolina Infantry to the Confederate Government were ordered to rendezvous 22 miles outside of Charleston on the South Carolina Railroad, so said the diary of Lieutenant Andrew McConnell. He stated on June 6, 1861, "This morning at home - though I do not feel so well packing my clothes for to start to Camp Woodward, Summerville, Charleston District, South Carolina. We are stationed 22 miles from Charleston city on the railroad. I left Columbia at 2 O. C., P. M. enroute to the camp. 9 0. C., P. M. I arrived at Summerville."

It would be a chaotic time for the town of Summerville with the arrival of the emotionally charged troops. About the gathering combatants, Major Thomas W. Woodward wrote in his memoirs, "And—folly of follies—you were to be allowed to choose whether you would go as a Regiment or disband and go home, although you had already agreed to offer your services to the Confederacy." About the troops, he lamented, "some companies preserved their discipline, others were really but roving mobs of jolly, rollicking soldiers."

Woodward continued, "One company—the Fairfield Fencibles—which was the last to arrive, finding that their tents had not, been erected for them, and that other general arrangements for their ease and comfort were unprovided, created such a din that the Colonel turned them loose and allowed them to go into town to hunt quarters, and it was not long until they captured this elegant summer resort, and were having a good time generally; and they were only brought back to camp some days after..." It was party time in elegant Summerville, which included a lot of drinking.

Lieutenant Andrew McConnell recounted his various excursions into Summerville in great detail often laced with bits of amusing commentary.

He occasionally visited "Miss Mag Brown. She is one of the handsomest Ladies that my eyes ever beheld...& during the night my whole dream was concentrated on her." He often dined at a place he called Judge Cooper's Hotel(Mr. Cooper's Paradise), where he enjoyed "chicken, beef, dumplins, bacon, cabbage and molasses." He spoke of savoring a glass of ice cream and iced lemonade while in town and fished and bathed in a lake 200 yards from camp.

Lieutenant McConnell was a church-going man, who also had an eye for the ladies, judging by some of his comments. He often visited Summerville's Episcopal Church concerning which he said was "a very neat church. Carpet floored and seats filled with the prettiest Ladies imaginable. After services were over I followered after a very handsome Lady as I was bound to learn her destination - in which I was successful. She stopped at Judge Cooper's Hotel." On another occasion, he wrote, "There were a good many spectators out on dress parade this evening and among them were some very pretty ladies." At one service, he estimated "there were about three hundred present and among the number about eighty volunteers."

On June 16, 1861, after a stay at the Charleston Hotel, he wrote, "2 l/2 0. C. in the afternoon we got on the Augusta train and proceeded to Summerville which is about 1 l/4 hours ride. Rev. Mr. Douglas preached this evening. His text, "Acquaint Thyself With God."

Some of the troops were not so polite to the pretty ladies and citizens of Summerville. McConnell recalled, "Two men of the 6th Regiment in jail at Summerville for bad conduct towards the females. Today there are twenty men detailed to patrol over in Summerville today and night. All of which originated from the bad conduct of the volunteers towards the citizens of Summerville." The offending men no doubt were incarcerated in the Old Town Hall jail, which was built in 1860 when Robert I. Limehouse became mayor.

On June 20, 1861, McConnell pens one of his more fascinating entries, where he states, "R. M. Clark and myself walked to the head of B. H. Guard Street and took a glass of Ginger Pop and a saucer of ice cream." Ginger Pop in Summerville. How was that possible in 1861?

James Vernor first developed the recipe for his ginger pop in 1861 at a Detroit drugstore called Higby & Sterns, but was then called off to join the Civil War, leaving his ginger syrup to lay dormant in an oak cask. After his return in 1865, he finalized his golden ale formula and first served it to the American public in 1866 when he opened a drugstore of his own in Detroit, Michigan, on Woodward Avenue and sold his ginger pop at its pop fountain. So, where did Summerville get its Ginger Pop?

Well, it is possible it came from Ireland. The best informed historians attribute Thomas Joseph Cantrell, an Irish apothecary and surgeon, with the invention and manufacturing of the first golden style fermented ginger ale with a strong ginger spice flavour in Belfast, Ireland, in the 1850s, which he marketed through local beverage manufacturer Grattan and Company.

And then, there was Robert Robinson of New York City, who claimed he was the first one to make ginger ale in the U.S. in the 1840s, calling it ginger soda. However, his claim was rather dubious to say the least because his concoction was more like the "gingerades" being made in England at that time, rather than the ginger ale "flavor" produced in Ireland. Whatever the case, Lieutenant McConnell's diary entry confirms Summerville offered some of the finer things of life.

On July 15, 1861, Lieutenant McConnell made his final entry pertaining to his stay at Camp Woodward with the words, "This morning I took the cars at Shelton destined for Virginia via Summerville. July 16, 1861, This morning I woke up in Virginia." Thus, Lieutenant Andrew McConnell's time in Summerville came to an end.

McConnell would not return to his home in Northwestern Fairfield County, South Carolina. He was killed at the Battle of Petersburg on July 30, 1864. This article only covered a small portion of snippets taken from his Summerville experience. His writings were preserved and for a brief moment, they give Summerville historians a fascinating glimpse into their elegant little town's exposure during the turbulent days of 1861.

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Folly Beach's Two Famous Boats--One Barely Retained, One Barely Remains

2008

The boundless Folly Beach landscape is a stunningly beautiful tangled blue web of saltwater creeks, rivers, and estuary marshes. It is this dazzling network of rising and ebbing saltwater that decidedly makes it a water sportsman’s wonderland of swimming, boating, fishing, surfing, kayaking, stand-up paddleboarding, and the home of two famous boats, one with a Hurricane Hugo connection.

I came across one of Folly's notable maritime landmarks for the first time while paddleboarding Folly Creek in 2015. Coastal Expedition's had a small office located in a wooden planked building next to Crosby Fish and Shrimp at that time.

I boarded my rented long board, shoved off into the warm waters of Folly Creek, and paddled towards Bowen's Island Restaurant. Not long into the paddle, the object of my interest came into view with its stern sticking out of the water along the edge of the marsh grass. It had been there since its abandonment. I took my first pictures of the solitary wreck.

2015

2019

I have revisited the sunken boat off and on since that first encounter. It has changed over the years. Aside from the Skull-and-Crossbones being placed on it, the creek's salty water and weathering elements since have ravaged the wooden denizen of the deep. My last visit was in November, 2022.

If you are interested in seeing this famous sunken Folly boat for the first time, I would suggest you do it sooner than later, because the maritime clock is ticking down to once upon a time there was a sunken boat on Folly Creek.

2022

Location of sunken boat on Folly Creek.

In the decades after Hurricane Hugo swept the other famous Folly Boat to its resting place next to Folly Road in 1989, it became a sounding board for community residents, who painted and repainted it with political slogans, declarations of love, and other messages. In 1996, two killer whales were painted on one of its sides. It was irresistible to passersby, who would stop to have their pictures taken next to it. Perhaps, you were one of them.

Then, in September 2017, Tropical Storm Irma came into town and along with a high tide swept the boat up from its iconic roadside location and crashed it into a private dock on Sol Legare Road where it remained with an uncertain future, even after over two thousand dollars of donations was raised to save it. At one point during the next two years, the over 20 ton behemoth was precariously considered for the scrap pile. However, a James Island bar owner came to the rescue.

In December of 2019, Crews with Limehouse and Sons used a crane and a flatbed truck to move the boat from its marshy resting place to The Barrel on Folly Road. Even though it is on private property, it is both visible and accessible from Folly Road. Looking at Google maps, it shows the bar is pinned as permanently closed, but the painted boat still remains at that location.

The Folly Boat by itself is just an aging, metal hull, but when painted, it was both inspirational and controversial through the years. It produced some beautiful art works and sometimes emitted words like a drunken sailor. Town officials often debated whether it was a landmark or an eyesore, but it was the everyday person that settled the matter in favor of a local icon. Recently, it may have lost its luster among newcomers who couldn't possibly fathom its allure, but long time residents of the Lowcountry remember it like they do Hugo. Hey, it even had a Facebook fan page where you can see pictures posted by painters and lovers of the Hugo boat, though the last one posted was in 2021.

You, the reader, may have pictures of these two famous boats of your own or even a story recounting your own encounter with them while traveling Folly Road to Folly Beach or paddling Folly Creek. Go ahead and share them if you so desire.

Fort Sumter Tour is like the Carriage Rides in Downtown--When Visiting Charleston, You Should do It

The first shots of the American Civil War are traditionally said to have been fired at the bombardment of Fort Sumter on April 12, 1861, but officially they were not. Some months before the Sumter bombardment, in January of that same year, a merchant ship sent by President Buchanan carrying supplies for the fort was fired upon by Confederate batteries on Morris Island and after sustaining minor damage, turned away. The ship was called the Star of the West. This is just one of many interesting facts you will learn when you take the tour of Fort Sumter located at the entrance of Charleston Harbor. Of coarse, the only way to get to the fort is by ferry.

We chose Spirit Line Cruises for our tour. The primary departure point is the Aquarium Wharf at 360 Concord Street in Charleston and boats also depart from Patriots Point at 40 Patriots Point Boulevard in Mount Pleasant. Before boarding the ferry, you will want to visit the Fort Sumter Visitor Center at 340 Concord Street at Liberty Square in Charleston where you will enjoy a museum and get necessary information about the tour. The total tour time is 2 1/4 hours with about 1 hour spent in the fort.

The boarding time for our cruise was 2 pm. It was full capacity, and most everyone gathered on the top deck for the best views of the surrounding harbor sights and the entertaining narration, which lasted the full trip from departure to the fort's dock. Ravenel Bridge, U.S.S. Yorktown, Charleston Harbor Resort, Pinckney Castle, Charleston's waterfront, ships of all sizes, and if you are fortunate, dolphin swimming in the nutrient-rich, murky waters of the harbor are the points of interest you will see on your trip out.

Fort Sumter was the trigger point that plunged the North and South into America's deadliest war. What you see of the fort today is the preserved ruins left over from the bombardment it suffered, first, from the Confederates in 1861, and then, from the Federals after the South took control of the fort to the end of the war. It was a formidable fort, although never really completed.

Fort Sumter was constructed on a man-made island built from over ten thousand tons of granite transported from Maine and started in 1829. Well over 60,000 tons of rock was imported from other sites. The island itself was 2.4 acres in size. Bricks, shells and sand could be obtained locally, but the capacity of local brickyards was inadequate to supply the millions of bricks required to build. Hundreds of thousands of oyster shells were used for the lime to make concrete. The fort would have 50 foot three-tiered walls with five sides. By 1860, the island and the outer fortifications were complete, but the fort's interior and armaments remained unfinished. You will get the full story as you stroll the grounds reading the various detailed information locations on your self-guided tour. There are park rangers available to answer any questions you may have.

The Fort Sumter Tour is informative and absorbing. The ferry ride to and from is relaxing as you take in the surrounding sites and listen to the engaging narrations. Our narrator told an intriguing story. While in the fort, you get a sense of what it was like to be within its walls while hundreds of shells rain down from the sky from Fort Moultrie, Fort Johnson, and other surrounding coastal batteries totaling 19. Some Civil War cannons had the power to launch shells up to five miles in distance.

Fort Sumter Tour is part of the story and allure that makes Charleston the number one destination in the nation. When in town visiting, tourist or local, you should reserve your ticket, hop on the ferry, and take a ride into the past.

Fort Sumter Tour Prices:

Adults - $37

Seniors/Active Military - $33

Children(4-11) - $23

Children 3 and under - Free

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Low Country Public House--Another Welcome addition to Summerville's Restaurant Scene

The name is no surprise considering it is a renovated one-time house that has gone public, and you, the public, have been given an invitation to drop in. The relatively new eatery is fittingly called Low Country Public House. It has achieved the honorary privilege of becoming another name to be added to the growing list of restaurants now serving Summerville. It is classified as a pub-style diner with a full bar and private dining areas available to book for a special event. Its address is 1426 Central Ave.

Low Country Public House's promise is to introduce their customers to a fresh and exciting dining experience. Their passion is for excellent food, hospitality, and a promise for a strong commitment to quality and service. The best of local and seasonal ingredients will be offered with a menu that includes dishes that are both familiar and innovative including burgers, smoked wings, salads, brats, pork belly nachos to name just a few. Their chefs passions will be to create innovative and delicious dishes that showcase the flavors of the region. Their success at achieving all of that will depend on you, the public, who have the final word.

As we approached Low Country Public House's Central Avenue driveway, parked near its entrance was a huge food truck with the name Low Country Fish Camp painted on its sides. It was an obvious reminder the two eateries are affiliated, both owned and operator by the same proprietors, Ginny and Chris VanZile.

The newly renovated once-upon-a-time house had a fresh look to it with vertical rough-sawn planked siding covering its exterior and a stuccoed facade with its name and pine trees painted on it. Plenty of parking space was available towards its rear. We strolled passed a long, wood deck attached to its backside used for outdoor seating. A slated name plaque noting the year of its establishment, 2023, was displayed at its front entrance, a nice touch.

Once inside, the host asked our preference for seating. We opted to sit in the bar area, which included a well-stocked, small bar, one table setting, and a very inviting enclosed step-down space with comfort chairs, coffee table, and brick fireplace, already occupied, so we chose the table.

The bartender would be our server for the evening. She rattled off the evenings list of drink specials, which featured Pomegranate. My friend started with a glass of wine, and I chose one of the specials called Winston, which was a tall mix of Pomegranate, lemonade, and Knob Creek Whiskey--a tasty blend with a satisfying "kick". 

Prior to visiting, upon recommendations from a friend, I had already decided to try their French Onion Soup($10) and Fish and Chips($22), but after perusing the menu, I completely changed my coarse. I chose the Jalapeno Cheddar Brat with house made Chili, Cheese, Onions and Rosemary Fries for $14. My friend went with the Fish and Chips with Beer Battered Cod, Rosemary Fries, and Coleslaw.

I was thoroughly pleased with my choice. The chili was mild and the brat was cooked just right with a balance of onions. The Rosemary Fries had the right amount crispiness, at least, what I considered just right. I had read reviews where some patrons were not happy with the Rosemary Fries--overdone leaving no potato left--but that was definitely not my experience. I closed out our sitting with a Pomegranate Martini.

Our bartender/server proficiently juggled her dual task even though she was busy also serving patrons sitting at the bar. She was informative, attentive to our wants, removed used dishes, and took the time to share a few laughs. She was a good mixologist.

Low Country Public House has a relaxing atmosphere and pleasant surroundings. Being a former house, its dining space is split between several different rooms, each accented with varying wood stains and eclectic wall decorations. Each rooms color schemes compliment one another and the red leather booths in one of its main eating areas is a nice touch. The bar seating is a tad cramped, but if you are just waiting on a table, it will do. What was likely at one time the garage is now a step down room with a glass garage door. Enjoy the pictures, they tell the story nicely.

Monday and Sunday Closed

Tuesday - Thursday 11:00 am - 8:00 pm

Friday and Saturday 11:00 - 9:00 pm

Happy Hour Tuesday - Thursday 3 - 6 pm  Friday 3 - 5 pm

(843) 285-9999

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The Low Country Fish Camp in Summerville--An Orderly Chaos of Corrugated Steel and Weatherworn Wood with Great Seafood

My description reads exactly like its name. With a large, unpaved parking area, its outdoor spaces are
a mixture of corrugated steel and weatherworn wood slapped together into a kind of orderly chaos. Nostalgic tin signs and nautical buoys line outer fences that surround a choice between family size picnic tables and smaller ones for a more intimate sitting. Its main edifice is a simple, unassuming square building. While in other parts of the country, the name fish camp would designate a campsite for anglers, throughout much of the Carolinas, it refers to family-friendly seafood restaurants, and this portrayal is the Low Country Fish Camp in Summerville.

Low Country Fish Camp has morphed over the years to meet its ever increasing demands, but from the time it opened to now, it has been a popular favorite with locals. In its early days, it was just the simple square building with a simple sign in front and multicolored umbrellas on its outdoor patio. Today, the one-time graveled front is now a large roof-covered, outdoor patio with plenty of seating. Inside is a small bar and long tables with additional enclosed seating on its backside.

Low Country Fish Camp is advertised as a "laid back, rustic and eclectic restaurant and bar. The perfect place to relax, eat some great local fresh seafood, and enjoy an ice cold beer, glass of wine, or one of our specialty cocktails," and it is exactly that. No white table coverings and $14 cocktails are found here. The prices for everything are very reasonable with specials of the day listed on a chalk board located at the outside back entrance.

A couple of highly recommended appetizers are its shrimp and grits Camp Rolls with Tasso and pepper jack cheese ($15) and Gouda Mac and Cheese bites ($12). Among its platter offerings, Scallops ($25) and Flounder ($19) are local favorites, or lump them together with fried oysters and shrimp on its Fried Fisherman's Platter for $32. For dessert, there is its Pecan Pie with Bourbon Glaze and whip cream. As for cocktails, there is the Moscow Mule ($7) and Mexican Mule ($8) with Tequila instead of Vodka served in the recognizable copper cup.

It was a warm January evening. We were seated at one of the picnic tables under the roof-covered patio in the front. With plenty of space between you and other patrons, you really don't notice their chatter, but you do have to contend with the traffic noise of Central Avenue, especially if you are seated around rush hours with heavy pedaled drivers and boisterous exhaust pipes.

To open, we chose from the beer selections, Folly Juicy Pale Ale by Holy City. It was a good start. From the platters, we picked the Shrimp with the fried option. Each came with fries, hush puppies and mayo slaw. The platter had a generous portion of crispy shrimp done to perfection, the fries were golden crispy, and the hush puppies were firm and tasty. We passed on the desserts. Instead, we closed out the evening with a drink from their specials list. My friend chose the Chocolate Espresso Martini ($7), and since I am a big fan of Chai, I selected the Boozy Chai Latte with Spiced Rum, Chai, and Almond Milk served Hot or Cold ($8), which was smoooooooth.

Our server was a strapping, young gentleman, who was very accommodating, patient, and helpful. I did have to ask for a water, which was a slight oversight, and neglected to ask me if I wanted my Chai drink served hot or cold, but Low Country Fish Camp is a laid back kind of restaurant experience where the protocols of fine dining are understandably more relaxed--apologies automatically accepted. You are there more for the great food and eclectic atmosphere, not the niceties you would expect at High Cotton. It is more along the lines of Bowens Island Restaurant on Folly Creek, where it has a reputation similar to pluff mud, "Either you love it or you don't."

Low Country Fish Camp looks exactly like its name. The only thing missing is a body of salty water and fish guts. However, a really, really, delicious seafoody menu, it does. So, bring your family and friends to 903 Central Ave in Summerville to relax and enjoy some great fresh seafood along with a variety of liquid refreshers at reasonable prices, but leave your fishing rods and boat at home.

No reservations needed. 

Monday  CLOSED

Tuesday and Thursday, 11-8

Friday and Saturday, 11-9

Sunday, 11-3 

Happy Hour Tuesday – Friday, 3:00 – 6:00

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Charleston Restaurant Week Middleton Place Restaurant--3 for $50 Well Worth It

It was a January evening at Middleton Place. Upon passing the softly lit entrance gate off of pitch black 61, in the far distance, you could see the brightly lighted North Flanker. It was about all you could see at this point in the darkness of the sunless landscape until the peering lights of your vehicle discreetly fell upon the branches of the tall oaks lining the drive leading up to the parking. Upon exiting your vehicle, the trailing smoke of the flaming wick lamps showed the way to the welcoming lights of Middleton's restaurant. The occasion, Restaurant Week, and Middleton Place Restaurant was featuring a 3 for $50 menu.

We did not have a reservation, so our choices were to either wait an hour and a half for an 8 pm seating or take a seat in the intimate bar area. We obviously chose the later option, which turned out to be a pleasant surprise. The large open room was warmed by an inviting, crackling fire, and we took a seat well positioned to take advantage of this welcoming amenity. Patron's leaving would make a final stop to warm themselves by the fire. One patron mentioning how cold it was sitting by the big windows of Middleton's elegant dining room. Also, the only thing you could hear over your conversation was the popping of the blazing wood, unlike the loud chatter of the main seating area. Check the box of another unexpected plus.

Our friendly server, who was also the bartender, promptly placed the restaurant's large menus on the table with two glasses of water, a full set of silverware for whatever, and two small plates for bread. First consideration was obviously our choice of opening drinks. My friend perused the extensive wine menu and I had already predetermined my choice, a Manhattan. Our server asked me my choice of Bourbon, and I said Knob Creek. My Manhattan was made just the way I like it, with a substantial kick, assuring me I got my moneys worth.

Our server stated the specials for the night, but we were there to partake of the 3 for $50 menu, which offered you a choice between two first courses, three second courses, and two third courses. For the first course, my friend and I chose the She Crab Soup made with lump crab and Sherry. For the second course, I chose the Chicken Perloo with the locally, famous Carolina gold rice, Andouille, bacon, caramelized apple, and fried parsley. My friend picked the Braised Lamb Shank with Carolina gold rice, Middlins risotto, roasted carrots, and red wine lamb reduction--sauce. The third course we both chose Apple Crumble with vanilla ice cream.

The bread was brought to the table and not long after the She Crab soup. We drank our drinks, buttered our bread, and conversed while we waited for the main course. The She Crab Soup was superb--a pleasant touch of Sherry and just the right flavor of crab, not overwhelming.

The main course arrived sizzling hot. Like the She Crab Soup, the different flavors in the rice dish was very balanced. The sausage and bacon did not dominate the hint of apple flavor and the texture of the rice had a soft crunch--enjoyable. The juicy chicken topped the rice and pulled apart easily. It was a satisfying portion for an entree. As to the Braised Lamb Shank, it was a first for my friend and she said she is now a fan of lamb. Finally, the Apple Crumble with vanilla ice cream was just that. When I think back on it, I should have tried the Southern Pecan Pie with caramel and whipped cream.

I give high marks to our server and bartender, Lucy. She was attentive, conversational, and humorous. Finished plates were cleared, so the table was never cluttered, and water topped off. She made drink inquiries as needed. She also had the added task of keeping the fire cozy, which she handled diligently.

Middleton Place Restaurant is elegant and historical. A good choice for Charleston Restaurant Week. For a table in the main dining room, be sure to make a reservation. However, the bar area is a pleasant surprise on a cold, January evening.

Middleton Place Restaurant

4300 Ashley River Road, Charleston, SC