Curator of Education Joe Long receives Spirit of 1812 Award
March 18, 2019
The state council of the National Society United States Daughters of 1812 has presented its Spirit of 1812 Award to Joe Long, curator of education at the South Carolina Confederate Relic Room and Military Museum.
State President Yvonne Howell presented the award, consisting of a certificate and a medal, at the state council’s annual meeting on Saturday, March 2. The purpose of this award is to recognize and thank those who are keeping the history of the War of 1812 era alive. From the Society’s description:
“The Spirit of 1812 Award can be awarded to an individual or organization with a distinguished record of study, promotion and dedication to the preservation of the history of people, places and events of the War of 1812 era. The candidate or organization for the medal must have demonstrated a committed effort to preserve a certain aspect of the War of 1812 era and the culture of the time period.”
Long received the award based primarily on his traveling education program, in which he performs an impression, in uniform, of a War of 1812 Charleston-based privateer. This program is performed at schools across South Carolina.
“Since kids, and the general public, tend to have a high interest in ‘pirates,’, the sight of a figure in distinctive coat and boots – armed with a replica sword – is an attention-grabber!” Long said. “And once attention is gained, there are fascinating stories to tell.”
He tells, for instance, about Charleston-based privateers preying on British shipping. In the early wars of our republic, privateering at sea had many of the same effects as guerilla warfare on land – tying up large numbers of enemy forces, frustrating the enemy and interfering with his supplies, and raising the morale of people back home.
Joe said he feels honored by the award, as the era the Society is concerned with is an important one to him: “The real Spirit of 1812 involved American determination to stay intact as a nation, demanding respect from a scornful world, and cleverly employing limited resources to ‘get the job done’,” he said. “Any American can learn from that, but it’s especially important for those of us who work in the history field!”
About the South Carolina Society, United States Daughters of 1812
Founded in 1892 and headquartered in Washington, D.C., the National Society United States Daughters of 1812 is a nonprofit, nonpolitical, women’s service organization for descendants of patriots who aided the American cause during the War of 1812. For more information, go to https://scusd1812.doodlekit.com/.
About the South Carolina Confederate Relic Room and Military Museum
Founded in 1896, the South Carolina Confederate Relic Room and Military Museum is an accredited museum focusing on South Carolina’s distinguished martial tradition through the Revolutionary War, Mexican War, Civil War, Spanish-American War, World War I, World War II, the War on Terror, and other American conflicts. It serves as the state’s military history museum by collecting, preserving, and exhibiting South Carolina’s military heritage from the colonial era to the present, and by providing superior educational experiences and programming. It is located at 301 Gervais St. in Columbia, sharing the Columbia Mills building with the State Museum. For more information, go to https://crr.sc.gov/.
