Event
The 160th Anniversary of the Combahee Raid
Fee:
Free. NPS Programs are free of charge. However, the Black Moses Freedom Festival is charging for some of their tours, visit https://www.blackmosesfreedomfestival.com/ for information, or Slave Dwelling Project for information about fees related to their campout https://give.lowcountrylandtrust.org/event/the-raid-on-combahee-ferry-overnight/e490288Dates & Times
Date:
Time:
Type of Event
Description
On the evening of June 1, 1863 Harriet Tubman and Col. James Montgomery directed three steamships up the Combahee under the protection of Black soldiers of the 2nd South Carolina Infantry. With Confederate troops retreating from the area, enslaved people ran from the surrounding plantations toward the US ships as they sounded their steam whistles – notes which personified the sound of freedom. Thanks to the intelligence collected by Tubman, more than 750 men, women, and children were liberated in a single night during the Combahee River Raid.
Join park staff and community partners for a series of events and programs June 1-3, 2023 commemorating the 160th Anniversary of this event.
Thursday June 1
6 pm - "The Watch Night of Freedom"
Meet at the Harriet Tubman Bridge and boat ramp on Highway 17 (partway between Beaufort and Charleston) for a 30 minute commemoration of the raid that liberated 750 people from the surrounding rice fields. This program is conducted by Reconstruction Era National Historical Park in collaboration with the Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor, The Slave Dwelling Project, and Dr. Edda Fields-Black.
Please note that parking is extremely limited as this is an active boat ramp. We strongly encourage carpoooling to cut down on the number of vehicles at the site, and we thank Beaufort County for their permission to gather at this site.
Friday June 2
8 am - Freedom Walk with Crew Leader Eboni Holmes of GirlTrek
The women of GirlTrek will be holding a freedom walk in celebration of Harriet Tubman on Friday June 2 at 8am. This is held in conjunction with the Black Moses Freedom Festival. The walk will begin at the Beaufort County Black Chamber of Commerce and will end at Tabernacle Baptist Church.
11 am - "Harriet Tubman's Beaufort"
Meet at the Reconstruction Era National Historical Park Visitor Center at 706 Craven Street in Beaufort, SC for a free 90 minute walking tour through downtown Beaufort exploring sites associated with Harriet Tubman and the Combahee refugees.
3 pm - 9 pm - The Black Moses Freedom Fesitval
The Black Moses Freedom Festival is a community event taking place in Beaufort in celebration of Harriet Tubman and the Combahee Raid. This is not an NPS event, but will be taking place at the Beaufort County Black Chamber of Commerce, about a 1/2 mile walk from the park visitor center. This event will feature arts & crafts, food, tours, wellness events, and cultural demonstrations. For more information visit https://www.blackmosesfreedomfestival.com/
Slave Dwelling Project Camp
In commemoration of the Combahee Raid, the Slave Dwelling Project is hosting a campout on lands associated with the Combahee Raid. For more information please visit https://give.lowcountrylandtrust.org/event/the-raid-on-combahee-ferry-overnight/e490288
Saturday June 3
Noon - 10 pm - The Black Moses Freedom Festival
The Black Moses Freedom Festival is a community event taking place in Beaufort in celebration of Harriet Tubman and the Combahee Raid. This is not an NPS event, but will be taking place at the Beaufort County Black Chamber of Commerce, about a 1/2 mile walk from the park visitor center. This event will feature arts & crafts, food, tours, wellness events, and cultural demonstrations. For more information visit https://www.blackmosesfreedomfestival.com/
11 am - "Harriet Tubman's Beaufort"
Meet at the Reconstruction Era National Historical Park Visitor Center at 706 Craven Street in Beaufort, SC for a 90 minute walking tour through downtown Beaufort exploring sites associated with Harriet Tubman and the Combahee refugees.
Noon - The Refugees of the Combahee
Meet at Pinckney-Porters Chapel Visitor Contact Station at the Naval Heritage Park in Port Royal, SC (site of the Port Royal Farmers Market across from the Naval Hospital Beaufort), for a free 1-hour walking tour and program exploring the aftermath of the Combahee Raid. Join park staff and historian Dr. Edda Fields-Black to learn about how the site of Camp Saxton transitioned to being a community of people liberated on the Combahee.
Sunday June 4
Noon - 4 pm - The Black Moses Freedom Fesitval
The Black Moses Freedom Festival is a community event taking place in Beaufort in celebration of Harriet Tubman and the Combahee Raid. This is not an NPS event, but will be taking place at the Beaufort County Black Chamber of Commerce, about a 1/2 mile walk from the park visitor center. This event will feature arts & crafts, food, tours, wellness events, and cultural demonstrations. For more information visit https://www.blackmosesfreedomfestival.com/
For More Information
These events are being hosted by a wide variety of organizations. For information about each program please contact the following:
- Slave Dwelling Project - Joe McGill slavedwellingproject@gmail.com 843-408-7727
- Reconstruction Era National Historical Park programs and tours - Chris Barr e-mail us 843-441-3156
- Black Moses Freedom Festival - Eboni Holmes 470-377-2254 blackmosesfreedomfestival@gmail.com