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Historical marker for the Battle of Burden's Causeway at the intersection of River and Plowground roads on Johns Island.

by Kristin Hackler

While the debate over the course of the I-526 extension simmers among residents of West Ashley, James Island and Johns Island alike, other local organizations are encouraging the Mark Clark design team to take a closer look at the areas which the new interstate corridor could potentially affect. One of these areas holds a special place in the hearts of many true-blooded Johns Island residents as it is the site of a battle which drove Union armies from encamping on Johns Island during the Civil War. Because of this battle, Union forces could not attack Charleston through Johns Island and were ultimately driven back to their original positions. At the time, it was considered a great victory for the Confederates and while hundreds of soldiers lost their lives on this ground, the Battle of Burden’s Causeway was a true victory for a regiment of soldiers who fought off more than twice the number of enemies on their home ground.

During the first part of July, 1864, more than 4,000 Union troops under the command of Brig. General John P. Hatch landed on Seabrook Island with orders to move across Johns Island to the mainland and cut off the Charleston and Savannah Railroad, a major supplier of food, munitions and war materiel for the Confederate Army. The regiment marched until they reached Haulover Cut, but upon reaching the cut, they found that the bridge had been destroyed and were forced to rebuild it. Their march across Johns Island continued, but due to the excessive heat they continued at a much slower pace. Not long into their march, however, they were reinforced by more than 1,000 Union troops arriving from Legareville.

On July 6, 1864, the Union troops finally reached Burden’s Causeway in order to cross to the mainland, but found an encampment of Confederate soldiers holding the high ground at Waterloo Plantation. There were fewer than 2,000 troops holding the ground at Waterloo under the command of Brig. General B.H. Robertson and the next day, July 7, Union troops began to advance on them through a large open field which today is located near the intersection of River and Plowground Road. While it seemed a lost cause for the outnumbered Confederates, as their last hope flitted away into the bullet-riddled oak trees, the 32nd Georgia Regiment arrived to reinforce the Confederate lines. The Union soldiers were forced to retreat and the Confederates regained their position.

The next day, gunfire rained down on the Union positions on Johns Island from Battery Pringle on James Island, giving the Confederates at Waterloo enough time to reorganize and plan an advance on the Union troops. Just before dawn the next morning, the Confederates advanced and the fight spilled into the same open field. As the sun rose in the sky a dense fog began to gather from the prodigious firing of arsenal, and the thick July heat would not allow it to dissipate. While the fog lay heavy on the field, the Union soldiers gathered their dead and wounded, and retreated. The Battle of Burden’s Causeway, referred to alternately by Confederate soldiers as “Waterloo” and “Bloody Bridge” by the Union, put an end to these operations, and the Union retreated to their original positions.

Today, nothing more than a cast iron historical marker indicates the location of this significant Confederate victory. Erected by Secession Camp #4 of the Sons of Confederate Veterans in the southwest corner of the Plowground/River intersection, the marker gives a brief summary of the battle and the names of the generals on both sides. The names of the men who died, however, are lost, but Gene Patrick, Chaplain for Secession Camp #4 of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, lists the following regiments as having fought in the Battle of Burden’s Causeway:

Union

• 3rd, 57th,144th, and 157th New York Regiments

• 4th Massachusetts Cavalry

• 8th and 104th Pennsylvania Regiments

• United States Colored Troops – 9th Maryland , 26th New York, 2nd South Carolina, Co.B, and the 34th South Carolina

Confederate

• 1st Georgia Regulars

• 4th Georgia Cavalry

• 32nd Georgia Regiment

• 47th Georgia Regiment

• Bohaud’s Battalion (Georgia)

• Stono Scouts

• Washington Light Artillery

• Marion Light Artillery

• Inglis Light Artillery

• 2nd South Carolina Calvary

Patrick also states that In the middle of the old battle field there is a dense section of woods, in which is located a cemetery, however, none of the names of the individuals buried there are Civil War-related.

The information for the battle listed above was provided by both Chaplain Gene Patrick and Historian Rick Hatcher of the Fort Sumter National Monument. For a more detailed account of the operations of the Battle of Burdens Causeway, read pages 284-295 of the book, THE SIEGE OF CHARLESTON 1861-1865 by E. Milby Burton (University of South Carolina Press, 1970).

Places like this are why it’s important to make your voice heard during the Mark Clark Expressway, I-526 public hearings. Public comments are being taken seriously and while Project Manager David Kinard assures that the design team is working closely with the state’s Historical Marker Program and will avoid and minimize impact to historic sites where possible, it is important to bring informed comments to these meetings. The next I-526 meeting will be held at St. Johns High School, 1518 Main Road, on Thursday, September 9, from 5 to 6 p.m. with a formal presentation at 6 p.m. More info is available at www.scdot.org/I526 or the Johns Island library. For additional info, contact program manager David Kinard at (803) 737-1963.

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Mayor Bill Holtz reported that the revenues for July were $22,858.02 less than budgeted, but the year-to-date is still $16,568.91 more than was budgeted. Excess of revenues over expenditures is $71,154.95 more than was budgeted for the year-to-date, coming in at $233,040.94, but the Town is still running $77,055.17 behind last year-to-date figures. “$233,000 is a healthy amount to be above by, but last year we were over by $410,000,” said Holtz. “I don’ think we’ll be near that this year, but it will still be a decent year.” The Mayor explained that the funds received from the County and the State are lower than the previous year and that business licenses are running about $24,000 below last year-to-date. “The general picture is we’re doing fine, but every year we’re going down a little bit and we have to watch where we’re spending money,” said Holtz. “The Town isn’t suffering as a financial entity, but we’re not growing, either.”

Potential water rates increase for the island

Joe Hall, Chairman of the Utility Commission, presented copies of the Utility Commission audit to the Council and confirmed a rumor that there could be an increase in water rates around the first of the year. Hall explained that there has been an increase on wholesale water rates, which have gone up 36% since 2000. “We have been able to avoid a rate increase up until recently,” said Hall. “The same volume of water costs about $30,000 more every year.”

Councilman Rob Savin expressed concern over the potential rate increase, and Hall invited him and anyone else concerned about the utility budget to attend the next Utility Commission meeting at Town Hall on Wednesday, September 15, at 2 p.m.

Hall also noted that, while they still have about $50,000 left to collect from FEMA as part of the $1.6 million grant to repair and upgrade pump stations around the island, FEMA representatives had remarked that “of all the projects in South Carolina that have been granted in the last five years, that the situation here [Seabrook Island] is the best presentation they have seen in response back from a town,” said Hall. “We met every deadline and no financial papers were returned. The execution of this was just the way they would like it done and they are tickled to death.”

Welcoming the Sea Islands Chamber of Commerce

Sea Islands Chamber of Commerce co-founder Sherry Hering gave a brief citizen’s presentation to Council, describing the goals of the newly formed Sea Islands Chamber of Commerce (SICC). “The SICC is trying to accomplish some things that the metro chamber of commerce doesn’t do for the outlying areas,” said Hering. “We consider this an underserved area. We want to be a Chamber of Commerce and a visitor’s bureau for Folly Beach, James Island, Johns Island, Kiawah and Seabrook and hope to promote economic development in the sea islands area.” Among the many goals of the Chamber, Hering stated that they will be starting educational programs for small business owners, and hope to form a sea islands restaurant association in the near future. They have already started a list of projects they would like to help the islands within their purview accomplish, and will be doing more for the islands in terms of coastal preservation and ecological programs. In the future, the Chamber hopes to expand to include other outlying areas such as Wadmalaw, Yonges Island, Edisto, Isle of Palms and Sullivan’s Island, “but we want to focus on this area and grow from there,” said Hering.

Mayor Holtz thanked her for her time, and while he appreciated the idea of the Chamber, he expressed concern that the town had several organizations to which they wrote checks, but didn’t feel like they were getting much from them other than being “part of a group.”

“I’m a little cynical at this point in the game, but I’m open to being convinced,” said Holtz. “I’m just looking for the positive and would really like the Council to talk about this during Ways and Means. What you’re trying to do is very magnanimous.”

Hering thanked the Council for their time and encouraged them to contact her with any questions or ideas. For more information about the Sea Islands Chamber of Commerce, visit www.seaislandschamber.org.

Rollin’ down the roads

“We had a setback with the Greenway not being put on the long-range plan,” reported Councilman Sam Reed, “but even though we feel like we’ve been treated like stepchildren out here, we’re still working on this.” The Roads Committee already has another meeting scheduled to go over options. “The fact that the county didn’t move this forward isn’t the only way we can move this forward,” said Reed.

Mayor Holtz agreed, noting that he’s now trying to win smaller battles, such as getting cyclists off of roads that don’t have shoulders. “I was totally turned off by the whole procedure and will try to get roads on Johns Island in our lifetime,” Holtz stated. “I am very upset with what happened at Council. It wouldn’t have cost them 10 cents to put the Greenway on the long range plan. I didn’t really want to get into it after the vote [during the County Council meeting] because it would have sounded like sour grapes, but I was very disappointed.”

Kiawah Days on Seabrook a success

Councilman Terry Ahearn, head of the Visibility Committee, reported that anywhere from 20 to 60 cars checked in on the Wednesdays designated for the Kiawah Days on Seabrook initiative and they are considering extending the program into the fall. “People coming in fall might be more likely to consider retiring on our island, so it’s a better way to expose our island,” said Ahearn. Ahearn also pointed out that Seabrook Real Estate has a way of tracking the activities of people who arrive on the island and have seen a great use of the island facilities.

Working on the town website

Councilman Jerry Cummin, head of the Communications Committee, was happy to announce that they had approved a contract with Obviouslee Marketing following a review and several corrections made by the town attorney. The committee is in the early stages of agreeing on the layout of a home page/portal that will give visitors a chance to see what the island has to offer.

Also in terms of communications, a recent communications practice by the Disaster Prep team produced excellent results, utilizing the smaller bandwidth of text messaging to communicate if land lines are down and cell towers are jammed with calls. If even the cell towers go down, however, the Disaster Prep team is training members on the use of satellite phones and have purchased two amateur radio handhelds that are also used around the island by CERT (Community Emergency Response Team).

“We have other radios here at town, but we have a line-of -sight problem, so we decided to get the two amateur handhelds,” explained Cummin, pointing out that at least he and one other person will become certified in their use. “In an emergency, if we’re trying to find out what’s damaged around town, this will help out a lot.”

Power outage sparks new disaster prep ideas

Councilman Savin stated that, in light of the power loss incident last month, the Public Safety and Disaster Prep teams were able to have a practical disaster drill with no injuries and a short duration time. As a result, Scott Cave of Atlantic Business Continuity Services, the designer of the town’s disaster preparation guide, is helping to design a flow chart of the current disaster plan so that steps are easy to find for each type of disaster.

Town Administrator Randy Pierce stated that the cost of Cave’s services would add another $1,250 onto his current bill of $2,500 for creating and implementing a real-time disaster drill, but the Council agreed that it was worth it and approved the expenditure unanimously.

Community Yard Sale

NOTE: We were recently informed that the yard sale will take place on Monday, September 6, instead Saturday, September 4, as was reported during the council meeting. Times and location remain the same.

The Seabrook Island Property Owners Association is planning an island-wide yard sale onMonday, September 6, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The sale will be held at Town Hall so that people from off-island will be able to attend. Un-purchased items will be donated to Habitat for Humanity at the end of the day. Council unanimously approved the use of the Town Hall parking lot for the yard sale.

Seabrook Island Veteran’s Recognition Day

Mayor Holtz read a resolution proclaiming September 11, 2010, as “a day of recognition and thanks to all veterans in the Town of Seabrook Island.” the resolution will be read in full during a special soiree for island veterans on September 11 by the ocean. The resolution recognizes the more than 290 veterans living on Seabrook, and special plaques will be personally presented by the Mayor to the 21 World War II vets in attendance, thanking them for their service.

“I think it s a great event we’ll be joining in,” said Holtz. “There is a whole event planned, and this is just a small part of it.” Councilman Reed pointed out that the Choraliers would be singing during the event, as well.

Alan Fleming tennis tournament temporary use permit

The temporary use permit for the Seabrook Island Racquet Club from October 6 – 10, 2010 for the annual Alan Fleming Sr. Clay Court Tennis Tournament was approved unanimously.

Charleston Restaurant Week right around the corner!

Katie Chapman of the Charleston Visitors Bureau announced that the Charleston Restaurant Week will be taking place from September 8 – 19, and encouraged everyone to go online and see what will be available and make their reservations in advance. Charleston Restaurant Week encourages local restaurants to offer two- to three- course meals for $30 for high-end restaurants and $20 for casual dining spots. More than 50 restaurants will be participating this year, including the Ocean Room, Jasmine Porch, McCrady’s, Circa 1886, the restaurant at Woodlands Inn and many others. For more information, visit www.CharlestonRestaurantWeek.com

Citizen’s comments

Both Lee Edwards, Republican candidate running for SC House of Representatives seat 119, and Amy Fabri who is running for the district 9 seat on County Council, introduced themselves at the end of the meeting. Edwards pointed out that 526 should be a first priority on the island because of safety issues, and noted that he also supports the Greenway. “I look for republicans to retake the delegation,” he said.

Amy Fabri stated that, she is a James Island native and has been following the Greenway issue since 2008. “I don’t want to make promises on what I would have done, but I am completely up to speed on this project and am very sympathetic to the issues you have,” said Fabri, noting that her husband drives through Johns Island to get to his job on Kiawah.

Seabrook Island Town Council is held the fourth Tuesday of every month. The next Council meeting will be held Tuesday, September 28, at 2:30 p.m. in the Town Hall, located at 2001 Seabrook Island Road. For more info, call 768-9121 or visit www.TownOfSeabrookIsland.com.

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Clifford Mitchell

By Sue Holloman

Many of us who have volunteered at Mount Zion, our neighborhood elementary school, often wonder how much impact our efforts have made over the years.

I have been one of the volunteers at Mount Zion Elementary School for the past 15 years. In the beginning I taught small groups of children one morning a week, and last year I had the opportunity to find out if any of my work made a difference.

If you have been to Newton Farms you may have run across a personable young man named Clifford Mitchell. Clifford is the Assistant Manager there, but also he was also my student when he was in 5th grade. This year I found out what he had been doing since I taught him writing back in 1998. It turns out that he is a recent graduate of Claflin University and won a full scholarship to attend. He graduated with a 3.7 and is now getting a Masters in Business at Charleston Southern. He is working to pay his way through school and Jeff Harrell, Store Operator, said that he is a “a terrific asset.” He has also started a small business of his own.

One of the most impressive things about Clifford is that, on remembering how volunteers helped him in school, he has started to pay it forward. He volunteered in a local elementary school during college and upon graduation received the Community Service and Leadership Award.

I asked him what he remembered about his days learning from me as a volunteer, and he said that the confidence he gained in writing was “very beneficial” and helped make writing more fun for him. He smiled as he remembered the heart-shaped cookies I brought to class on Valentine’s Day.

Do you want to make a difference in a child’s life? You can. Join the volunteers at Mount Zion Elementary School. Many of your friends and neighbors volunteer there and they describe their time at the school as being as rewarding for them as it is helpful to the children.

Come to Mount Zion School and become a part of helping our Johns Island children have a brighter future. Call Sue Holloman, Mount Zion Volunteer Coordinator, at 768-9734 or e mail her at holl97@bellsouth.net for more information.

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In response to concern that island residents might not be able to make the public hearings scheduled for the Mark Clark Expressway Draft Environmental Impact Study (DEIS) at Burke High School in downtown Charleston, three additional meetings have been scheduled around the islands. Taking place on Tuesday, September 7, at West Ashley High School; Wednesday, September 8, at James Island Charter High School; and Thursday, September 9, at St. Johns High School, each meeting will begin with a one-hour open house starting at 5 p.m. and move into a formal presentation and public comment hearing at 6 p.m. Those wishing to speak at these meetings are encouraged to sign up before 6 p.m. and will be given two to three minutes to speak and provide comments.

“This is a really good opportunity for the public to talk with private team members and get answers,” said Kinard. “We want to make sure that we hear everyone’s concerns and will be responding to written comments.”

Comments, said Kinard, are just now starting to pour in and they seem to be coming from all over the spectrum. “There’s no one generealized point of view,” said Kinard. “Some say they love the new alternative and others say they don’t want anything at all. Still others are asking why we didn’t stay with the original plan.”

The design team, said Kinard, is looking for specific concerns and issues so that they can be addressed specifically. Since the design of the I-526 extension is still in its conceptual stages, it can be adjusted, tweaked or moved to reduce impact and every comment is helpful.

Copies of the DEIS are available for public review at four Charleston County Public library branches including Main, Johns Island, James Island, and West Ashley. Comments on the DEIS and Recommended Preferred Alternative can be also be made by clicking “Contact Us” on the project website (www.scdot.org/i526), on the project hotline 1-888-MCE-I526, or by mail to SCDOT at PO Box 191, Columbia, SC 29202-0191. The two-month public comment period on the DEIS and Recommended Preferred Alternative ends on September 30, 2010.

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Golden Silk spider

By Jennifer Barbour

“Wow,“ I exclaim in a hushed voice as my son and I walk under an enormous spider web. I point to the large female spider holding court in the center of her stately web and hear a long, drawn out “W…O…W” from my son. I gently run my fingers along one of the outer support spindles, marveling at its strength. We were at the Night Heron beach boardwalk, walking through what I like to call the “bamboo forest”. Surely you know the place. It is perhaps one of the best locations on the island to view these spectacular spiders.

As summer wanes, the female Golden Silk spider (Nephila clavipes) reaches maturity. Come fall, their rusty golden bodies will grow to lengths spanning the palm of my hand. The smaller males present in webs from July to September leave the females to complete the task of bringing their offspring into the world. You will notice her hard work if you find the egg cases made to house hundreds of baby spiders. Look for small, tan, paper-like sacs about the size of a nickel and spun with golden silk. I see them most commonly near the female’s web, spun close to vegetation.

The female’s golden silk is where this spider gets its common name. When constructing a web, she can actually adjust this golden pigment to suit her web site, allowing for maximum camouflage. Since their diet consists of a wide variety of flying insects, they position their webs in such a way as to take advantage of insect flight paths. For humans, this advantageous location translates into somewhat of a warning when biking along paths with overhanging trees. It also means these spiders are doing a world of good by feasting on ‘pesky’ insects. Like all spiders, Golden Silk spiders are venomous. However, a bite from one is much less intense than a common bee sting and should therefore not be considered harmful to humans.

Finally, I’d like to share a small note found in my field guide regarding the genus name Nephila. Its roots are Ancient Greek and means “fond of spinning.” I would encourage you to notice these enormous, strong, golden webs. Undoubtedly, you will find that its maker is certainly fond of spinning and fairly meticulous with her web maintenance.

About the Author: Jennifer is a Naturalist with the Kiawah Island Nature Program. To contact her with comments, questions, or personal stories, email her at Jennifer_Barbour@kiawahresort.com.

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The Kiawah Island Arts Council can’t wait to fling open the doors on their 2010/11 arts season. With performances and lectures ranging from comedy to jazz to modern ballet and everything in between, this year’s lineup is ready to show you some amazing works of art that have never been seen before on the islands, as well as familiar acts of which past attendees haven’t been able to get enough. All performances are free and open to the public. Ticket release dates will be announced with each performance and are available to be picked up at Kiawah Town Hall, located at 21 Beachwalker Dr., Kiawah Island. For more information, visit www.kiawahisland.org or call 768-9166.

Jimmy Keys – Comedian and Musician
Wednesday, September 15, at the Turtle Point Clubhouse
Show starts at 7:30 p.m.

Comedian and Musician Jimmy Keys gives a high-energy variety show packed with comedy, visual musical impressions and favorite Broadway acts wrapped around some of the most exciting piano playing that you will ever witness! Keys has been compared to a cross between Elton John and Robin Williams, making his show a unique and highly entertaining musical and comedy act. He has opened for major headliners including Willie Nelson, Tom Jones, Wynona Judd, and Huey Lewis & the News. Jimmy has lived and worked in over a dozen countries, entertaining thousands of people of many nationalities. Tickets for this performance are currently available to both Kiawah Island property owners and the general public for free at Kiawah Town Hall.

The Michelle Amato Quintet
Thursday, October 14, at the Turtle Point Clubhouse
Show starts at 7:30 p.m.

Michelle Amato is a dynamic vocalist performing traditional, contemporary and Brazilian jazz. She has performed and recorded with many famous artists including Liza Minelli, Al Green, Jon Secada , and Donna Summer. She has also performed with world renowned composer Yanni during his 2003-2004 Ethnicity tour, and her solo work can be heard on both the CD of that tour and on the “ Yanni Live” DVD. Michelle has been a featured soloist with the Memphis Symphony, The South Florida Pops, the Baton Rouge Symphony, The Florida West Coast Symphony and the Orlando Philharmonic. She received her Master’s Degree from the University of Miami School of Music and she currently teaches at the University of North Florida. Tickets are available to Kiawah Island property owners on September 27, 2010, and to the general public on September 30, 2010 at Kiawah Town Hall.

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The Hricik family on the golf course

By Richard Hricik

When it comes to the blessings that are my children, I am hard-pressed to find anything lacking. They are separated by only two years of age, almost to the day, but other than those calendar pages, very little keeps them apart. My girls are each other’s best friend and constant companion, sharing everything including a bedroom and the giggles almost every night before sleep. They love each other, their parents and tread lightly on the earth with a mix of thoughtfulness and naiveté that makes me proud to be their father and even prouder of their mother.

To me, being a parent does not mean that I force them to share in my passions, but it is for me to help them find theirs, and in turn, help them discover what brings them happiness. I derive great joy from activities that involve the outdoors and athletic competition (translation golf), but unfortunately, my passion is not theirs.

I bought them golf hats as soon as they were born and clubs made of plastic. As they grew I bought them a few kid’s clubs and even putters. Despite these exposures and a trip or two to the driving range, these items were regulated to the back of the closet and have gathered dust over the years.

What is clear is that they nonetheless have passions, but unfortunately they are passions that I knew little about or cared to develop – namely musical theatre. In fact, prior to being married, I can honestly say I saw one musical in my life, and the only reason was to curry favor with a young lady. Dispassion described not only my interest in the performance we saw, but her interest in me and I decided thereafter to stick to movies.

But my daughters love to dance and sing, not for the audience (there rarely is one other than the other parents) not because Mom or Dad wants them to (because Mom and Dad think kids who perform to be on TV or in movies are soon-to-be-featured in either a mug shot or rehab facility), but because it makes them happy. There is no motive in their performance and it is never measured by anything other than the amount of fun they had.

I have embraced what they love and I now know the lyrics to many musical numbers. I have attended more performances than I can count, each with video camera in tow, documenting the genuineness of their smiles. It is my way of joining in since I use my musical talents as a threat, threatening to sing if they don’t clear their plates or do as I say. You should see them move.

So a few weeks ago we had our summer family vacation in Williamsburg Virginia. My wife is our family cruise director and made all the arrangements. She informed me that we would be staying at Kingsmill Resort and gave me the green light to bring my golf clubs along because she loves me and my passions. She’s a good woman.

She also told me that I should bring the kids’ clubs along because there is a little par 3 course there that maybe we could all play as a family. She’s a really good woman.

I expected the girls to dismiss the idea when we were there because there so many other activities to choose from. I also didn’t want to be disappointed so I just resigned myself to the idea that the only golf on the trip would be played by me by myself.

But I was wrong. Happily, joyfully wrong. On the very short and very beautiful 9 hole Bray Links Golf Course, me, my wife and my two daughters, teed it up for our first round of golf together. The view both from the course and of my playing partners, took my breath away.

The girls each had a pink ball, balls I had found for them long ago, and they dusted them off and swung from their heels. I helped them where needed and they made contact and we moved along. And as we played, they also sang and danced in spots, especially after they hit the ball well or it went into the hole.

They brought their joy and passion to my game of golf, and in turn gave me a most beautiful gift. They played golf in the same way they sing and dance, with an inner joy that greatly exceeds the objective quality of their play.

My children taught me that I should be the one singing and dancing, not just when my scorecard is below 80, not just after I make a great shot, but because I love them, their mother and the game of golf.

On a tiny strip of land on the James River on a summer afternoon all of the passions of my world converged. I am blessed beyond measure.

Until next time, play well.

Richard is a golf enthusiast, local lawyer and part-time writer seeking publication of a novel about golf. Contact him at donseve@bellsouth.net. ©2010 Richard Hricik.

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Ellison Smith IV, a Sullivan’s Island resident who describes himself as “a lawyer by profession and a fisherman by trade,” is a true-blooded Charlestonian who grew up with one foot in the marsh and the other on a boat. A graduate of the University of South Carolina with a major in English, Ellison went into law mainly so that he would be able to do two of his life’s passions: fishing and writing.

“I have a room upstairs where time flies, and I write,” Ellison smiled. Although he was a prolific writer in his younger days, Ellison’s job slowly began to take him away from writing as a hobby and it wasn’t until he was thinking about a present for his granddaughter that he realized he hadn’t really written anything outside of a few short stories in almost 40 years.

“I promised myself that I would publish a novel before I turned sixty,” said Ellison, and he was true to his word. His first work, a children’s book entitled The Day the Pelican Spoke, was written for his granddaughter and illustrated by an artist from Arizona. Four years later, his first novel went to print though a division of Book Surge called Create Space, and it is an eloquent rarity of coastal storytelling.

His book Free as a Fish follows the life of young Jessie McLeod, who has just left the house he grew up in after a series of tragedies and scandals have torn his family apart. The year is 1963, and with only a duffel bag of clothes, an old Evinrude boat motor and the vague knowledge of a burgeoning love for fishing and the open sea, Jessie finds himself driving to a place of fond childhood memories; Murrell’s Inlet, South Carolina.

It’s here that Jessie finds himself and embraces his true passion for the open water. Moving from deck hand at Archie’s Marina (based on the real Alex’s Marina at Murrell’s Inlet) to becoming a mate for the charter boat Renegade, Jessie learns every aspect of the charter boat business, from rigging bait to deboning mullet, wrestling twenty-pound king mackerel into fish boxes and cutting tangled fishing lines from propellers in high seas. He also learns about the rhythm of life along the coast: the random patterns of creek beds, the fickle patterns of fish, the art of castnetting for shrimp and swinging a flat iron to collect oysters, and the deep long breaths of the tide as it changes from season to season and moon to moon.

While much of the story is drawn from Ellison’s own life, other sections, he said, were stories he’s collected over the years from a variety of individuals, most of whom are blood-kin to the Lowcountry coast and live the life of the sea.

“I actually found the first paragraph of the book in a stack of old papers,” said Ellison. “I had written it when I was twenty or twenty-one.” The discovery of that literary memorabilia led Ellison to remember other vignettes of life along the coast which had written throughout the years. With these scraps of script firmly in his mind, Ellison took off for Murrell’s Inlet on his fifty-ninth birthday and spent two days remembering childhood summers spent on its vagrant dirt roads and winding, sun-lit creeks. It was there that he wrote the end of the book.

“I had a beginning, parts of the middle and the end,” smiled Ellison, and it took less than six months for him to finish weaving it all together. The end result is a love story written in the pluff-mud blood of the marsh, woven together with her rushes and whispered in her languid, salty breath. The reader can feel the throbbing heat of the August sun on their back and the dark, brackish waters swirling through their toes. With Jessie, they watch the sun dissolve into strips of deep orange and heavy reds as it slips behind the marshgrass, and wake up to the dull gray of a new day already damp with humidity yet soothed by a cool northeastern breeze.

Free as a Fish is a must-read for anyone who has spent time along the Lowcountry coast. For those who are just getting to know her wayward charms, this book teaches them that there is a rhythm to coastal life and a reason for living separate from the bustle of modern-day cities. For those who have grown up in her rivers, marshes and ocean, this book is a celebration of the beauty and power of living in the Lowcountry, and a nostalgic glimpse into a time when all a person really needed in life was a castnet, a boat motor and an open mind.

Free as a Fish is available at www.amazon.com and will soon be available in local stores.

Jessie’s Wahoo Steak with Local Tomato and Onion
excerpt from Free as a Fish, page 262-3.

It was still light out and the sea breeze was cooling things down. He laid a charcoal fire in the old grill in the front yard, lit it, and went inside. He took out one of the wahoo steaks and cut it in half and quickly marinated it in a mixture of Italian dressing, lemon juice and ground pepper. As the coals got ready he took a quick shower, shaved and changed into blue jeans and a clean t-shirt. He put some new potatoes on to boil and took the fish steak and a cold can of beer outside. He pout the grill over the white hot coals and when it was good and hot, plopped the fish on top and seared it on both sides. He took a stick and pushed the coals to one side, put the fish opposite them and went back into the kitchen for a piece of tin foil. On a whim he cut a couple of slices of tomato and a big slice of onion and took them outside with a fresh beer. He flipped the fish over again and put the slice of onion on it and topped that with the tomatoes and made a tin foil tent to cover it all. Then he sat on the front steps and drank his beer and smoked a cigarette as he watched the first starts begin to appear in the southeast. When he lifted the tin foil, the onion and tomatoes had melded into each other and he could flake the fish with his finger. He went inside and got a place, put some new potatoes drizzled in butter on it, opened another can of beer, picked up a fork and a paper napkin and put the fish on his plate and ate at the picnic table overlooking the marsh in the light of the rising moon. It was, Jessie decided as he ate the last forkful, a hell of a good meal.

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(Left to right) Residents Chance Scrantom, Happy Crow and Phyllis Miller among the donations.

Provided by Bishop Gadsden

Bishop Gadsden, the southeast’s leading continuing care retirement community, held a Pajama Drive during the week of August 9 as a part of its August Generous Spirit Program. The drive was in support of the Charleston Chapter of the Pajama Program, a non-profit organization which coordinates with other area non-profits such as HALOS, Crisis Ministries, Lowcountry Orphanage Relief and many others, in an effort to provide in need children with clean pajamas.

This was the second time in the past three years that Bishop Gadsden has supported the Pajama Program and to help increase donations and support, the Bishop Gadsden community held a “Jammin for Jammies” Talent Show. Staff and residents alike displayed their unique talents, from singing to performing on the banjo to a synchronized swimming performance (without water). All enjoyed the event and hope to make it an annual performance.

“Bishop Gadsden is proud to continue its support of local non-profits, and when you can match a great cause with people’s desire to give, the results are wonderful,” states Kimberly M. Farfone, Bishop Gadsden’s Director of Development and Public Relations.

September’s Generous Spirit Program for Bishop Gadsden will be doing an Oyster Restoration Program with DNR for Trident United Way’s Day of Caring.

For more information about Bishop Gadsden, visit www.bishopgadsden.org or call (800) 373-2384. Bishop Gadsden is located off Camp Road on James Island.

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