The story of Civil War hero Robert Smalls

WBUR | By Here & Now Newsroom

Published July 22, 2025 at 9:02 AM PDT

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This image from the Library of Congress Brady-Handy photograph collection shows a portrait of Robert Smalls created between 1870 and 1880. (Library of Congress via AP)

Next year, a new monument honoring Civil War hero Robert Smalls will be unveiled outside the South Carolina Statehouse. Smalls escaped slavery during the war and went on to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Michael Boulware Moore, his great-great-grandson and author of the book “Freedom on the Sea: The True Story of the Civil War Hero Robert Smalls and His Daring Escape to Freedom,” joins host Anthony Brooks to talk about Smalls’ life and legacy.

This article was originally published on WBUR.org.

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