Beaufort ~ Civil War Encampment @ the Beaufort Arsenal

  • Saturday, November 02, 2024
  • 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
  • The Arsenal - Beaufort History Museum

Beaufort History Museum once again welcomes the 79th New York Highlander Regiment re-enactors to the Beaufort Arsenal courtyard for a living history encampment event from 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 2.

The re-enactors will set up camp in the walled courtyard and provide a unique educational opportunity for visitors of all ages, who will be able to interact with the soldiers to learn firsthand how life was lived in Beaufort during the Civil War years.

Here’s what you can expect.

  •  Historical re-enactors in full military regalia;
  •  Civil War era camp experience life through live presentations;
  •  Educational discussions and interactive activities for the whole family; and
  •  Drills and marching throughout the day

Admission is free to the Encampment in the Arsenal courtyard, though donations to support the Museum are much appreciated. 

In preparation for Saturday’s Encampment event, there will be a lecture entitled "Civil War: Highlander Brother vs. Brother" from 2 to 4:30 p.m., Friday, Nov. 1 in the Beaufort Branch Library Meeting Room.

Tom Vaselopulos, of the 79th N.Y. Highlander Re-enactors, will present a brief history of the Highlanders and their role as part of the Union Port Royal Expedition from November 1861 to June 1862. The 79th Highlanders were stationed in Beaufort and were deployed to James Island in June 1862 in advance of the Battle of Secessionville. Alexander was on one side; his brother James on the other during the battle

Vaselopulos is the only native New Yorker in a New York re-enacting unit and has been reenacting for more than 15 years as part of H Company, 79th N.Y. Volunteer Infantry. Currently serving as a Captain, he is the Aide-de-Camp to the commander, and is also the recruiting officer and the Provost Marshal for the unit.

Retired from a 20-year career as a U.S. Air Force/Air National Guard Security Police Supervisor, Vaselopulos served in the first Gulf War. He also worked as a security contractor to the U.S. Department of Energy for Safeguards, Security and Emergency Services issues, working at several national security sites before retiring at the Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge, Tenn. The highlight of his career was teaching a security course for his Russian counterparts at the Karchatov Institute in Moscow.

Our mission is to preserve, portray, and promote the experiences of our past that influence us now and in the future.

The Beaufort History Museum is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. 713 Craven Street, Beaufort, SC 29902. Mailing Address: PO Box 172, Beaufort, SC 29901 

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