BESSIE AND THE MANIGAULTS: RECONSTRUCTING A PLANTATION BOAT AND ANTEBELLUM BOATING CULTURE IN SOUTH CAROLINA RICE COUNTRY by Patrick Forrest Herman April, 2017 Director: Dr. David Stewart Major Department: History and Maritime Studies Bessie is a plantation boat originally constructed and owned by the Manigault family of South Carolina. It was built and used on a mid-nineteenth century rice plantation, and is now a permanent exhibit in the Charleston Museum, in Charleston, South Carolina. The vessel is characterized by the elegant boat-shape of its dugout cypress hull, and the use of extensive framing in its interior. Although ubiquitous in the region and period, this is one of the last remaining examples of a vessel type that has not been extensively studied, and has no clear economic purpose on the plantation. This thesis argues that the vessel can best be understood in a cultural context, and is representative of class values and social status in the planter culture of the Old South. An archaeological reconstruction of Bessie is used to better understand the vessel as well as boat building traditions that went into its design. The methodology of digital recording and modeling is evaluated to show clear promise for the field of ship reconstruction within appropriate practical and theoretical parameters. The reconstruction reveals Bessie to be a capable vessel best used for recreation, transportation, and demonstration of wealth and status. BESSIE AND THE MANIGAULTS: RECONSTRUCTING A PLANTATION BOAT AND ANTEBELLUM BOATING CULTURE IN SOUTH CAROLINA RICE COUNTRY A Thesis Presented to the Faculty of the Department of History East Carolina University In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Arts in Maritime Studies by Patrick Forrest Herman April, 2017 © 2017, Patrick Forrest Herman BESSIE AND THE MANIGAULTS: RECONSTRUCTING A PLANTATION BOAT AND ANTEBELLUM BOATING CULTURE IN SOUTH CAROLINA RICE COUNTRY by Patrick Forrest Herman APPROVED BY: DIRECTOR OF THESIS: ________________________________________________ David J. Stewart, PhD COMMITTEE MEMBER: ________________________________________________ Lynn B. Harris, PhD COMMITTEE MEMBER: ________________________________________________ David C. Dennard, PhD COMMITTEE MEMBER: ________________________________________________ Frederick M. Hocker, PhD CHAIR OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY: ________________________________________________ Christopher A. Oakley, PhD DEAN OF THE GRADUATE SCHOOL: ________________________________________________ Paul J. Gemperline, PhD TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF TABLES ................................................................................................................. vi LIST OF FIGURES ............................................................................................................... vii CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................... 1 Bessie ........................................................................................................................ 1 Research Questions .................................................................................................... 4 Outline........................................................................................................................ 6 Hypothesis.................................................................................................................. 7 Literature Review....................................................................................................... 8 Theoretical Framework .............................................................................................. 11 Historical Methodology ............................................................................................. 23 Archaeological Methodology..................................................................................... 26 CHAPTER 2: A HISTORY ................................................................................................... 30 Introduction ................................................................................................................ 30 The Manigaults, White Oak Plantation, and Bessie ................................................... 35 Boats and Slaves ........................................................................................................ 40 Economic and Utilitarian Use of Plantation Boats .................................................... 45 Plantation Recreation ................................................................................................. 50 Historical Conclusions ............................................................................................... 54 CHAPTER 3: RECONSTRUCTION METHODOLOGY .................................................... 56 Introduction ................................................................................................................ 56 Total Station Recording ............................................................................................. 57 Modeling in Rhinoceros ............................................................................................. 62 Modeling a Knee ........................................................................................................ 71 Lessons of Reconstruction ......................................................................................... 79 CHAPTER 4: THE MODEL ................................................................................................. 84 Introduction ................................................................................................................ 84 Choices in Modeling Bessie ....................................................................................... 84 The Log of Digital Bessie .......................................................................................... 89 Repairs from the Life of Bessie ................................................................................. 94 Interpretations of Bessie’s Build ................................................................................ 99 Bessie in Orca 3D....................................................................................................... 103 CHAPTER 5: INTERPRETATIONS, CONCLUSIONS, AND FUTURE WORK ............. 114 Introduction ................................................................................................................ 114 Where does Bessie’s Design Come From? ................................................................ 114 Interpreting Digital Bessie in an Historical Context .................................................. 121 Conclusions and Future Work ................................................................................... 126 REFERENCES ...................................................................................................................... 130 APPENDIX A: ADDITIONAL PHOTOS AND DRAWINGS OF BESSIE ........................ 140 APPENDIX B: WHITE OAK PLANTATION MAPS AND PHOTO ................................. 157 APPENDIX C: MODELING LOG ....................................................................................... 161 LIST OF TABLES 1. Bessie Performance and Stability with 12% Cypress Moisture Content ................... 109 2. Bessie Performance and Stability with 30% Cypress Moisture Content ................... 109 3. Bessie Performance and Stability with 146% Cypress Moisture Content ................. 110 LIST OF FIGURES 1. Bessie at the Charleston Museum .............................................................................. 3 2. Point Cloud for Thwart 1 Knees ................................................................................ 71 3. Annotated Drawings with Point Locations for Thwart 1 Knees ................................ 72 4. Rough Wireframe Construction for Thwart 1 Knees ................................................. 73 5. Completed Rough Wireframe for Port Thwart 1 Knee .............................................. 74 6. Port Thwart 1 Knee with Simple Curves (red) and Controlled Curves (black) ......... 75 7. Port Thwart 1 Knee with Basic Surfaces Applied to the Wireframe ......................... 76 8. Final Solid Shape for Port Thwart 1 Knee (blue) ...................................................... 78 9. Rendering of Complete Bessie Model ....................................................................... 87 10. Final Shape of Remaining Log in Bessie ................................................................... 92 11. Bow Shape with Flattened Port Quarter .................................................................... 93 12. Void Filling Block in the Upper Bow behind the Stem ............................................. 95 13. Stern Repair Area with Cypress Repair Block .......................................................... 96 14. Repair and Filler Blocks Fitted into the Log Hull ..................................................... 98 15. Internal Structural Elements of Bessie ....................................................................... 100 16. Metal Fastener Distribution throughout Bessie .......................................................... 101 17. Lines Drawing of Bessie Generated in Orca 3D ........................................................ 113 18. Stern View of Bessie Interior in Charleston Museum Courtyard .............................. 140 19. Bessie in the Courtyard of the Charleston