The Harriet Tubman Monument (Beaufort, South Carolina)

The Harriet Tubman Monument (Beaufort, South Carolina)

Subject (Topic)
Antislavery movements--United States
Freedom
Public art
Public sculpture 
South Carolina--Beaufort
Slavery--South Carolina
United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865
United States Colored Troops

Subject (Name)
Tubman, Harriet, 1822-1913

Subject (Object Type)
Commemorative sculpture

The monument depicts Harriet Tubman, co-leader of the military operation now known as the Combahee River Raid (also called the Combahee Ferry Raid), which took place in South Carolina on June 1, 1863. During the raid, more than 700 enslaved people liberated themselves using riverboats under Tubman’s command. Harriet Tubman stands as a central figure atop a large pedestal, her right hand grasping a walking stick and her left hand extended backward toward the people. She wears a head wrap, a shawl tied at the waist, and a long, pleated skirt. Tubman is flanked by bas-relief wings that depict two Union soldiers and fifteen people seeking freedom. The Union soldiers, positioned on either side, stand in uniform with rifles held upright, their butts resting on the ground. The people seeking freedom—eight on one side and seven on the other—emerge from the textured bronze and are shown walking. Some carry bundles of belongings at their sides or on their heads; others hold the hands of children. A relief of a nineteenth-century steamboat and plaques with inscriptions are located on the front of the monument.

Dwight, Ed, 1933-

Photograph: Ken Makin, Christian Science Monitor

June 1, 2024

Tabernacle Baptist Church (owner and funder); Private donations

Tabernacle Baptist Church, 901 Craven Street, Beaufort, South Carolina, 29902, United States

JPEG

English

Visual Arts-Sculpture

Tabernacle Baptist Church, 907 Craven St, Beaufort, South Carolina, 29902, United States

Inscription on a plaque on the front of the base:
HARRIET TUBMAN CO-LEADER OF THE RAID AT COMBAHEE RIVER June 1, 1863

Inscription on a plaque below the previous plaque on the front of the base:
ED DWIGHT Sculptor

Text on a plaque near the monument:
Boston Commonwealth - Boston July 10, 1863 HARRIET TUBMAN Col. Montgomery and his gallant band of 300 black soldiers, under the guidance of a black woman, dashed into the enemy's country, struck a bold and effective blow, destroying millions of dollars worth of commissary stores, cotton and lordly dwellings, and striking terror to the heart of rebeldom, brought off near 800 slaves and thousands of dollars worth of property, without losing a man or receiving a scratch! It was a glorious consummation. After they were fairly disposed of in the Beaufort church, they were addressed in strains of thrilling eloquence by their gallant deliverer; to which they responded in a song. "There is a white robe for thee." A song so appropriate and so heartfelt and cordial as to bring unbidden tears. The colonel was followed by a speech from the black woman who led the raid, and under whose inspiration it was originated and conducted. For sound sense and real native eloquence, her address would do honor to any man, and it created a great sensation.

168 in. (426.72 cm)

Bronze

Makin, Ken. “A Civil War Hero Got a New Statue. Her Name Is Harriet Tubman.” The Christian Science Monitor, June 14, 2024. Accessed August 21, 2024. https://www.csmonitor.com/The-Culture/Arts/2024/0613/civil-war-statue-harriet-tubman-ed-dwight."

Nelson, Kara. “Harriet Tubman Led a Raid That Freed More Than 700 Enslaved People. A South Carolina Church Has Built a Statue in Her Honor.” CNN, June 18, 2024. Accessed August 21, 2024. https://www.cnn.com/2024/06/18/us/tubman-combahee-river-south-carolina-reaj/index.html.

Renée Ater