Stone to discuss “Vital Rails” at society meeting

The Pee Dee Chapter of the South Carolina Genealogical Society will have Dr. David Stone Jr. speak on his latest book at the group’s January meeting.

Stone has said his book “Vital Rails, The Charleston & Savannah Railroad and the Civil War in Coastal South Carolina” is based on the “complex history of an engineering marvel that unexpectedly became an integral part of Confederate coastal defense.“ His presentation promises to be an exciting look at the development of the railroad, its storied history during the Civil War, and its long-term fate. society members say.

“Completed in 1860 and spanning more than one hundred miles across rice fields, salt marshes and seven rivers and creeks, the Charleston & Savannah Railroad was designed to revolutionize the economy of South Carolina’s lowcountry by linking key port cities. With the onset of the Civil War, the railroad became an integral part of the Confederacy’s military, economic, and communications efforts along the coast and a frequent military objective of Union assaults. In Vital Rails, H. David Stone, Jr., provides the first detailed recounting of the C&S line’s history and of the railroad’s valuable role in the Civil War.” (The South Carolina Press)

A physician in Florence, Dr. Stone is a graduate of Furman University and the University of South Carolina School of Medicine. He grew up in Mullins and has strong ties to Marion County. Refreshments will be served after program, set for 3 p.m. on Jan. 11.