Ehrhardt in Bamberg County, South Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)
A Tradition of Remembering, A Legacy of Preservation
Photographed By Mike Stroud, January 2009
1. A Tradition of Remembering, A Legacy of Preservation Marker
Eleven years after the battle of Rivers Bridge,
a group of local young men formed the Rivers
Bridge Confederate Memorial Association and
reburied the Confederate dead here, about a
mile from the battlefield. The Memorial
Association began to meet at the site every year
to recall the battle and the fallen Southerners.
This area soon became known as the Memorial
Grounds, and the Memorial Association's
annual service to commemorate the Confederate
dead - a tradition that continues to this day -
eventually led to the preservation of the
battlefield where the soldiers fell.Erected by South Carolina State Park Service.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Cemeteries & Burial Sites • War, US Civil.
Location. 33° 3.715′ N, 81° 5.312′ W. Marker is in Ehrhardt, South Carolina, in Bamberg County. Marker is on Rivers Bridge State Park near SC-S-5-8. At Memorial Grounds. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Ehrhardt SC 29081, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker
this page online
Photographed By South Carolina Dept, of Parks, Recreation & Tourism
2. A Tradition of Remembering, A Legacy of Preservation ( Left picture )
The Confederate memorial program ( courtesy
of Mrs. Jo Bessie P. Bickley )- prayer, music,
and speeches, followed by an outdoor feast - has
changed little since the first service in 1876. At the
1945 service the Memorial Association donated the
Memorial Grounds and battlefield to the state.
Photographed By South Carolina Dept, of Parks, Recreation & Tourism
3. A Tradition of Remembering, A Legacy of Preservation Marker, ( Right picture )
" And those who sleep in yonder graves will
never be forgotten."
-G. Duncan Bellinger, Rivers Bridge Confederate Memorial Service, April 26, 1890
-G. Duncan Bellinger, Rivers Bridge Confederate Memorial Service, April 26, 1890
Photographed By Mike Stroud, January 2009
4. Confederate Dead Memorial , as mentioned
Photographed By Mike Stroud, January 25, 2009
5. Memorial Grounds, Confederate Cemetery
Photographed By Mike Stroud, January 2009
6. Rivers Bridge Battlefield site, as mentioned on marker
See "nearby markers" for battlefield details
Photographed By Mike Stroud, January 2009
7. A Tradition of Remembering, A Legacy of Preservation Marker
Present shed constructed in 1972
Photographed By Mike Stroud, January 2009
8. Plaque 2, Eloquent Words Distinguished Speakers
The centerpiece of each year's Rivers Bridge
Confederate memorial service is an address
delivered by a prominent speaker. Governors,
senators, congressmen, and judges have stood
here and thrilled the crowds with their oratory.
Some speakers at early services solemnly addressed the war's human cost to an audience that had firsthand knowledge of its devastion. Others praised the virtues of the common Confederate Soldier in an effort to instill those virtues in the young. Later orators tackled the pressing social and political issues of the day, citing lessons learned from the Civil War in support of their arguments.
" To be invited as one of the orators on memorial day at Rivers Bridge is an honor to be held in high esteem."
- The Bamburg Herald, April 30, 1903 South Carolina State Park Service
Some speakers at early services solemnly addressed the war's human cost to an audience that had firsthand knowledge of its devastion. Others praised the virtues of the common Confederate Soldier in an effort to instill those virtues in the young. Later orators tackled the pressing social and political issues of the day, citing lessons learned from the Civil War in support of their arguments.
" To be invited as one of the orators on memorial day at Rivers Bridge is an honor to be held in high esteem."
- The Bamburg Herald, April 30, 1903 South Carolina State Park Service
Picture from ; William D. Workman, Jr., Papers, South Carolina
9. Eloquent Words Distinguished Speakers
James F. Byrnes addresses the overflow crowd at the dedication of the WW II monument on the site in 1948. During a long carrer as a U.S. Congressman, Senator, Supreme Court Justice, Secretary of State, and Governor of South Carolina, Byrnes appeared at Rivers Bridge services four times between 1916 and 1959.
Photographed By Mike Stroud, 2009
10. WWII Memorial , as mentioned
In Memory Of
Our Heroes
Of World War II
Erected By The Counties Of
Allendale, Bamburg,
Colleton and Hampton
May 1, 1948
Photographed By Mike Stroud, January 2009
11. Plaque 3, The Grandest Annual Gathering of the South
The Confederate memorial services at Rivers Bridge
quickly attracted many people to remember loved
ones lost in the war. Others were drawn by the
fellowship and good food available at the ceremonies.
Politicians seeking votes and young people looking
for fun followed the crowds. By the late 1800s
attendance ranged in the thousands, and large
crowds remained common into the 1960s. Lonf after
anyone who remembered the war had passed away,
though, the primary purpose of the gathering
remained the same - to remember the Confederate
dead and draw meaning from their sacrifice.
" It was the grandest annual gathering of the South, this voluntary meeting of the thousands to pledge unwavering loyalty to the truth of the past and the duty of the future."
- The Barnwell People, May 4, 1899
South Carolina State Park Service
" It was the grandest annual gathering of the South, this voluntary meeting of the thousands to pledge unwavering loyalty to the truth of the past and the duty of the future."
- The Barnwell People, May 4, 1899
South Carolina State Park Service
Photographed By ( South Carolina Dept. of Parks, Recreation, & Tourism )
12. Plaque 3 The Grandest Annual Gathering of the South,( Left picture )
Cars filled the field at the entrance to the Memorial Grounds
during the 1950 service. That year's commemoration attracted
4,000 people.
Photographed By ( South Carolina Dept. of Parks, Recreation, & Tourism )
13. The Grandest Annual Gathering of the South, ( Right picture )
More than five hundred people could find seats
on the rustic benches of the Memorial Grounds
shed. The original structure built in the 1890s, was replaced by the present, smaller version
in 1972.
Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016. It was originally submitted on January 27, 2009, by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina. This page has been viewed 1,476 times since then and 44 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13. submitted on January 27, 2009, by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina. • Craig Swain was the editor who published this page.
