Port Royal in Beaufort County, South Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)

"The Year of Jubilee Has Come!"

— Reconstruction Era National Historical Park —

Photographed by Benjamin Rubin, May 30, 2026

1. "The Year of Jubilee Has Come!" Marker

Inscription. Camp Saxton was established in 1862 near here as the recruiting and training depot for the 1st South Carolina Volunteers. Later re-designated the 33rd United States Colored Troops, these were the first Black men to formally enlist in the United States Army during the Civil War. Nineteenth Century Americans often viewed military service as a duty for citizens, and the service carried out by the men of the 1st South Carolina Volunteers helped pave the way for the 14th Amendment during Reconstruction.

(captions)
On January 1, 1863, Camp Saxton was the site of one of the largest public readings and celebrations of the Emancipation Proclamation in the south. During the ceremonies, the 1st South Carolina Volunteers were presented with an American flag, embroidered with "The Year of Jubilee Has Come!"

Much of what we know about life at Camp Saxton with the 1st South Carolina Volunteers comes from the memoirs of Susie King Taylor, a formerly enslaved woman who served as a nurse for the regiment.

Erected by National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these

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topic lists: African Americans • War, US Civil. A significant historical date for this entry is January 1, 1863.

Location. 32° 23.292′ N, 80° 41.129′ W. Marker is in Port Royal, South Carolina, in Beaufort County. It can be reached from Pinckney Boulevard 0.1 miles east of Ribaut Road (U.S. 21), on the left when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 708 Pinckney Blvd, Port Royal SC 29935, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the Lowcountry

and on the Sea Islands.

It is also in the American South,

specifically in the Deep South,

and on the Eastern Seaboard. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region,

North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain,

the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the original Thirteen Colonies,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within one mile of this marker, measured as the crow flies: First South Carolina Infantry (here, next to this marker); Old Fort Plantation

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(here, next to this marker); Emancipation Day (here, next to this marker); Camp Saxton (a few steps from this marker); Emancipation Day / Camp Saxton Site (approx. 0.3 miles away); a different marker also named Camp Saxton (approx. 0.3 miles away); The Historic Union Church (approx. 0.9 miles away); Blue Channel Corporation (approx. one mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Port Royal.

Also see . . . Reconstruction Era National Historical Park. National Park Service (Submitted on June 11, 2026.)

Credits. This page was last revised on June 11, 2026. It was originally submitted on May 31, 2026, by Benjamin Rubin of Columbia, South Carolina. This page has been viewed 10 times since then. Photo 1. submitted on May 31, 2026, by Benjamin Rubin of Columbia, South Carolina. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.

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