Battles, slavery and huge emotions: a journey through the US South

By Chris Melzer Sep 13, 2011, 3:06 GMT

Charleston, South Carolina - A few months ago, back in April, when a whole bunch of bearded men wearing blue and grey uniforms gathered at the port of Charleston, they did so as friends.

But 150 years ago, when their ancestors met at the site, they did so as bitter enemies, armed with muskets, cannons and bayonets to try to kill each other - even though they were all from the same country.

It was on April 12, 1861 that the bombardment of the US Army's Fort Sumter in Charleston harbor signalled the start of the American Civil War, the bloodiest in US history. Nowadays, amateur actors wearing the two sides' uniforms - the blue of the Union, or northern, states, and the grey of the Confederate, or southern states - re-enact the battles of back then.

But it is the US South that has something more to offer, a good century and a half after the southern states seceded from the union.

Charleston has its best times behind it. In the 100 years before the Civil War it had developed into a cultural, political and above all economic centre of the young United States of America.

Even today, elegant houses lining the Atlantic seaside boulevard still attest to the erstwhile glory of the old South. From the large harbour at the mouth of the Ashley and Cooper rivers, cotton was shipped to the entire world.

But it was also here that African slaves were brought into the country. The Old Slave Mart Museum recalls this bitter and shameful chapter in US history.

It was also at Charleston that the war, which would lead to the abolition of slavery, broke out. For 34 hours the Confederate side bombarded Fort Sumter before the Union soldiers finally surrendered. The only death was that of a horse. However, in the gun salute to the US flag, two soldiers were killed when their cannon fired prematurely. They became the first fallen of the Civil War, which would last four years.

'To many, this here is sacred ground,' says historian Rick Hatcher, a park ranger at Fort Sumter National Park. 'And I also think that every American should visit here at least once.' He said the site had placed its stamp on US history. 'Everything started here. The end of slavery, the shape of today's US, our military traditions, today's ribbons and medals, the first insignia - everything got its start here.'

Tourists have a good half-hour to look around before the ferry returns to the mainland. About enough time to take in the thick brick walls, the few signposts, the huge cannons and the small exhibition. One should take the trip on a sunny day, for the view of Charleston from the fort is then especially pretty.

The bricks for the fort came from Boone Hall, a few miles to the north-east. By its own advertising claim, it is 'America's most photographed plantation.'

Those who ride along the long lane of trees might possibly recognize the house. In the TV series 'North and South' it was called Mont Royal, the residence of Orry Main, played by actor Patrick Swayze.

'We still grow cotton here,' says Boone Hall operator Rick Benthall. Each year, some 250,000 people who think it's worth the 18 dollars for a ticket come to visit.

The tour guide leading groups through the historical part of the house also mentions the TV series when describing the mansion's splendor. The erstwhile slave quarters in the shadows of the lane, by contrast, can scarcely be any more squalid. They are tiny wooden huts of just one room in which entire families had to live.

Today, schoolchildren are led through the quarters and most of the kids, black and white, go quiet. But many a tourist will also feel a tinge of embarrassment at having previously revelled in the splendor of the plantation.

Such slave cabins can also be seen in Atlanta, the leading metropolis of today's US South. In the History Center, easily reachable by bus from downtown, an entire plantation was built as a replica. Children learn how cotton was planted back then and how it was processed - and by whom.

'We want to illustrate the entire history of the South,' guide Joanna Arrieta says about the plantation, 'and this also means the dark chapter of slavery.' The museum itself is devoted entirely to the war. Muskets and sabres are on display, as are drums and flags.

For many tourists, however, the main destination in Atlanta is the Margaret Mitchell House, located directly downtown.

The modest wooden house is dedicated to the woman who became world-famous for her book, 'Gone With The Wind,' a saga sweeping across the period before, during and after the Civil War. The best-seller also became a film hit of the same title, starring Clark Gable and Vivian Leigh.

'You are walking on the original tiles from 1919,' says the tour guide as she points out the room where Mitchell wrote the book. 'In the first draft, Scarlett (O'Hara) was named Pansey,' the guide says with a smile. 'I think everybody is happy that she revised the book.'

The script for the film also is on display in the museum. 'Tourists are always standing here and re-enacting scenes from the film,' the guide says. 'Some have tears in their eyes.'