299 Seven Farms Drive
Daniel Island SC 29492
PHOTO CREDIT:
Map image taken from “Mini Stories of Berkeley County American Revolution Sites” by Keith Gourdin (2024).
IMAGE CREDIT: A depiction of the Siege of Charleston (1780) by Alonzo Chappel
Berkeley County’s Revolutionary War history is rich and storied, with more than 30 documented sites of significance here. Of particular importance was the village of Cainhoy, where the Patriots fortified a post in May of 1780 and also maintained a field hospital. According to Berkeley County Historian Keith Gourdin, the Cainhoy peninsula offered “security for the last open communications route into the city and served as a major supply depot.” What role did Daniel Island and the greater Cainhoy Peninsula play in the war? What battles and skirmishes took place here and who were the major players in military actions? How did these events fit into the larger South Carolina Revolutionary War story? For the answers to these questions and more, join us for a panel discussion with John Brian Eleazer, author of the book The South Carolina Militia in the Revolutionary War; Katherine Pemberton, Chief of Education and Outreach, SC American Revolution – Sestercentennial Commission (SC250); Torrence Sullivan, a member of the Daniel Island Historical Society Board of Directors and the Berkeley County Greenbelt Commission; and Dr. Phillip Davis, author of the new book, Revolutionary Lowcountry: The Almost Forgotten.
This program is a joint presentation of the Daniel Island Historical Society and the Berkeley County Francis Marion Commission (Berkeley 250).
PANELISTS:
John Brian Eleazer
John Brian Eleazer is a native South Carolinian and a direct descendant of Captain Henry Felder, the protagonist in the book he authored, The South Carolina Militia and the Revolutionary War. For fifteen years, Brian researched and wrote about Henry Felder, originally for his family’s consumption and later expanded to capture the uniqueness of the South Carolina colony and the emergence of the South Carolina militia — a story somewhat different than the other twelve colonies. Additionally, Brian has written several short stories for his children and grandchildren. He is a retired Air Force officer and holds degrees from Clemson University and Auburn University.
Katherine Pemberton
Katherine Saunders Pemberton serves as Education and Outreach Manager for the South Carolina American Revolution Sestercentennial Commission. A native of Virginia, she holds a Bachelor of Arts in Historic Preservation from Mary Washington College and brings more than 30 years of experience in archaeology, museum leadership, preservation, and public history in Charleston and across South Carolina.
Throughout her career, Katherine has worked as an archaeologist, city tour guide, education specialist, preservation advocate, and museum director. She taught graduate-level Historical Research Methods for nearly two decades in Clemson University’s Master of Science program in Historic Preservation. Since 2005, she has chaired the Mayor’s Walled City Task Force, advancing research and archaeological investigation into the history of America’s only English walled city.
Most recently, Katherine served as Director of the Powder Magazine Museum and Director of Programming for the National Society of the Colonial Dames in America in the State of South Carolina.
Torrence “Tory” Sullivan
Daniel Island Historical Society Board Member Torrence Sullivan has taken an interest in our most local history – Daniel Island, Cainhoy and the Wando most specifically. He’s also our Berkeley County Preservation and Greenbelt Commissioner, working with that team to find, research, rank and acquire such sites as the 115-acre Daniel Island North Island Tract at the end of Seven Farms, the 640-acre Blessing Plantation, and the McDowell/Old Ruins Cemetery. Additionally, he is active in the South Carolina Huguenot Society, the Preservation Society of Charleston and is the Chair of the Daniel Island Neighborhood Association Land Use and Development Committee. Working in tech for 25 years, five of that with Google, and time at IBM and Oracle, as well as startups, he brings a technical perspective to his research, and what he’ll share will be pragmatic, factual and current. Information you can use yourselves, tomorrow.
Dr. Phillip Davis
Phillip Davis, MD is a South Carolina native and graduate of the Medical University of SC. He is the author of “Revolutionary Lowcountry, The Almost Forgotten,” an engaging visual narrative of lesser known Revolutionary War sites in the Lowcountry, which is slated to be published in June.
In America’s 250th Year, Revolutionary Lowcountry brings to light lesser-known stories of the American Revolution that occurred around Charleston and along the coastal plains of South Carolina (the “Lowcountry”). Relying on firsthand accounts by the soldiers themselves, along with period maps, plats, LiDAR imagery and portraits of key characters, Dr. Davis details some of the important skirmishes, battles and encampment sites that have often been overshadowed by larger events like The Battle of Fort Sullivan, Siege of Charlestown, Kings Mountain and the Battle of Cowpens. In this first edition, seven gripping narratives enhanced by vibrant imagery bring the historical landscape to life and immerse readers in a time of candlelight when speed was dictated by a horse’s gallop, and when “government by the people” was an idea that would have to be won on the battlefield. Several of these stories occurred at sites unidentified until recent years, and new information is presented. Encouraging a fresh appreciation for the rich history embedded in the Lowcountry, this engaging work is an essential read for anyone interested in the American Revolution.