Tag: Gen. Saxton’s headquarters - Milton Maxey House (Beaufort SC)

Beaufort Woment’s History Walking Tour website says: Milton Maxey House, 113 Craven Street. Also known as the Secession House. This was the home of Edmond Rhett, a leading “fire- eater” secessionist. The writings in the basement walls say, “In this house the first meeting in favor of secession was held in 1851”, almost 10 years before the start of the civil war. Edmund and his brother Robert drafted the articles of secession in this house. 
Union Army General Rufus Saxton, true friend to the freedman both during and after the war, used this house as his headquarters. Elizabeth Botume was a guest here when she first arrived in Beaufort in 1864 and described her stay, “All the lower part of the great house was used for military purposes. It was camp-life within doors. All night long I was aroused by the sentinel tramping under my window, calling out the hours with the voice of a stentor. “Twelve o’clock, and all is well…,” giving rhythmical cadence to each word…[with] the unceasing tramp, tramp, tramp… Soon I ceased to be a stranger; I began to feel great security as I listened to this steady march and monotonous call. I had a sense of watchfullness and protection never experienced before.”