About WFTF

What is Write from the Front (WFTF) and why is it important?

WFTF is a special program that the SC Confederate Relic Room and Military Museum created specifically to preserve email, photos and letters from South Carolina service members that reflect their daily experiences while on duty defending our nation. WFTF is central to the Museum's mission to collect and preserve South Carolina's military history from the colonial period to the present.

For centuries, South Carolinians have answered the call to military service. From Fort Moultrie to the Persian Gulf, the proud sons and daughters of the Palmetto State have always served with honor and distinction. We know about their brave feats and quiet sacrifices - their contribution to our history - from the letters and photographs that Service Members have sent back from the field of battle through the ages. The most precious resource for historians and future generations are the thoughts, recollections and experiences of our service members recorded at the time that they lived them.

The advent of the Internet has dramatically changed how service members communicate with those at home. Today it is possible to send a quick email from almost anywhere at any time. The immediacy of email makes these sources an especially important historical treasure - but they can also be lost forever with a single click of the delete button.

WFTF seeks to protect these important documents so that researchers can tell the stories of those who sacrificed to keep our state and nation safe and free. Whether they're hidden away on a hard drive or in an old shoebox, the passage of time only increases the chances these irreplaceable records of history as it was lived, by those who lived it, will be lost.

How does the Museum manage WFTF?

All submissions are preserved by the Curator of Collections at the SC Confederate Relic Room and Military Museum, which is certified by the American Association of Museums as meeting the highest standards of museum practice.

The museum saves every email received in a backed-up digital archive. The Curator also prints each email and archives it in the same manner as any historical documents. Papers, documents, photos are stored in archival materials (acid free boxes, folders, mylar for photos) and each collection is organized by the soldier's name. The archived collections are placed in a secure storage area with proper climate control, which protects the documents for temperature variations, relative humidity and harsh light.

The documents are available for historians, researchers, genealogists, and the general public to review free of charge.

How do I participate in WFTF?

WFTF is your chance to be a part of history! Whether you are a service member, family, or friend, you can help preserve these important documents. To find out more about how you can participate, visit the Submit Materials page.

NOTE: By sending email, images and other electronic information, you give permission to the SC Confederate Relic Room and Military Museum to reproduce the image and/or email or any other WFTF correspondence for purposes of display and/or reproduction in all Museum programs and projects. The print-out(s) will be added to the Museum's WFTF archives and may be used in various ways by the Museum including exhibitions, publications, websites, audio-visual productions and educational programs.

SC Confederate Relic Room and Military Museum

Founded in 1896, the South Carolina Confederate Relic Room and Military Museum is the oldest museum in the Columbia area. The museum focuses on South Carolina military history from the Revolutionary War to the present.

A nationally recognized Civil War flag collection, a significant South Carolina uniform collection, and a growing weapons collection are complemented by a historical archives collection and a 19th and 20th century textile collection allowing the museum to interpret the political and social influences on South Carolina's military history.

In September 2002, the SC Confederate Relic Room and Military Museum moved to a renovated 17,000 square foot area of the old Columbia Mills Building, near the State Museum. The martial tradition of South Carolina is a theme running throughout the main exhibit and highlights the state's unique but influential role in the history of our nation. Some artifacts on exhibit are:

• Flag of the Palmetto Regiment, the famed SC volunteer militia that helped capture Mexico City in 1848
• "Wade Hampton for Governor" banner from the gubernatorial campaign from 1876 at the end of Reconstruction
• General Judson Kilpatrick letter calling SC the "hellhole of secession," and vowing to wreak havoc as Sherman's cavalry commander
• Battle Flags of nine of South Carolina's Regiments on Display
• Flag of the Union 2nd SC Infantry composed of freed South Carolina slaves
• Brigadier General Micah Jenkins' Confederate frock coat worn when he was killed in 1864 at the Battle of the Wilderness
• Artifacts from the USS COLUMBIA, a World War II light cruiser named after the city of Columbia that fought in the Pacific Theater

The museum, an agency of the South Carolina Budget and Control Board, is accredited by the American Association of Museums. Only 11 of approximately 200 museums and historic sites in South Carolina have earned this distinction and just 750 museums out of 16,000 nationally are accredited. For more information about the SC Confederate Relic Room and Military Museum, please visit the museum website at www.crr.sc.gov.