Yes, Union troops are due in Beaufort next month. That may have been a headline back in 1861, but in 2024 it’s the annual Civil War Encampment at the Beaufort Arsenal hosted by the Beaufort History Museum that is bringing the Union soldiers into town.
The Beaufort History Museum will present its popular annual Living History Encampment on Saturday, November 2nd from 10am to 4pm in the Arsenal courtyard on Craven Street. Craven Street will be closed to traffic for the duration of the encampment.
Union troops that occupied Beaufort during the Civil War after the Battle of Port Royal Sound (Nov. 7, 1861) will be brought to life by re-enactors arriving from several states.
The Beaufort History Museum will host the encampment of the 79th New York Highlander Regiment in a reenactment of events that forever changed Beaufort in 1861.
The reenactors will encamp in The Arsenal Courtyard (713 Craven St.) and present live presentations of Civil War-era camp life, educational discussions, drills, marching, bugle calls, and interactive activities for the entire family.
Included in the presentations are discussions and live demonstrations of the importance of music and bugle calls during the War, the variety and use of weapons including cannon, how medical support was deployed in the field, the role of women, camp dining and cooking and other relevant topics.
Attendees will be able to interact with the soldiers to learn firsthand how life was lived in Beaufort during the Civil War years.
Admission is free to the Encampment in the Arsenal courtyard, and donations to support the Museum are much appreciated.
Beaufort History Museum thanks its encampment partners, 79th Highlander Regiment leader Tom Vaselopulos, the re-enactors, the BHM Board, their knowledgeable Docents, BHM members and the citizens of Beaufort for their generosity and support.
