Robert Smalls

Robert Smalls wearing a dark suit and bow tie.

Robert Smalls, S.C. M.C. Born in Beaufort, SC. APRIL 1839. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division.

(1839-1915) Robert Smalls was a Beaufort slave who hijacked a Confederate steamship, disguised himself as a white captain, and sailed to the Union-controlled enclave in Beaufort–Port Royal–Hilton Head area safety. He later became a captain in US Navy and a representative in the US Congress.