lounge: symposium on the Rev. John Bachman
    Newberry College, April 20-23, 2006.

This account (including the photos) was sent in by Susan Crofoot Davis, a participant in the symposium who is descended directly from both the Rev. John Bachman and John James Audubon.  Audubon and Bachman were close friends and collaborators.  Bachman, a prominent naturalist, wrote the text for Audubon's Quadrupeds of North America.  Two of Bachman's fourteen children, Maria Rebecca Bachman and Mary Elizabeth Bachman, married Audubon's sons, John Woodhouse and Victor Gifford respectively, but both died within a few years of their marriage, Maria Rebecca after giving birth to two daughters (Lucy and Harriet), Mary Elizabeth dying childless.  Both John Woodhouse and Victor Gifford remarried, and fathered thirteen additional children by their second wives.

Portrait of Rev. John Bachman, Charleston Museum, 
painted by John Woodhouse Audubon in 1840 during 
a visit to Charleston with his wife Maria Bachman Audubon.  
The move to Charleston was undertaken in the hope that
the mild southern weather would improve Maria's health, but 
she succumbed to tuberculosis on Sept 15, 1840 at the age of 23.

"Nature, God, and Social Reform in the Old South: The Life and Work of the Rev. John Bachman" was the title of a symposium held at Newberry College, Newberry. SC April 20-23, 2006 (www.johnbachman.org). I flew from Southern Oregon to meet some of my Bachman cousins, to learn much more about Rev. Bachman’s life and works, to visit special Bachman sites, and to enjoy a first-class event to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the founding of Newberry College by the Rev. John Bachman.

Holland Hall (on historic register) -- our first stop on 
Newberry's campus to get our registration materials. 

The symposium was the creation of Bill Hilton, Jr., (www.hiltonpond.org) alumni and President of Newberry College Alumni Association. The event was originally planned as a one-day conference called "In the Shadow of Audubon: Natural History Contributions of the Rev. John Bachman." After extensive research, however, Bill Hilton realized that what was needed was a "full-blown, national symposium about Bachman to do justice to his diverse and productive life".

Mural commemorating the 150th anniversary of the founding of Newberry College (back wall, Wiles Chapel).

In addition to faculty and students of Newberry College, nearly 175 people, including keynote speakers, alumni, and Bachman descendants, attended the four-day event that was packed with sunshine, music, keynote speakers, receptions (Newberry College has a commemorative wine label for this occasion), book signings, an original play about John Bachman, a day-long trip to Columbia and Charleston, SC., and a Bachman-period worship service at the beautiful Wiles Chapel on the Newberry College campus.

Keynote speakers were Dr. Ronald L. Numbers, University of Wisconsin-Madison, "Science and Religion in the Age of John Bachman;’ Dr. Peter McCandless, College of Charleston, "The Assimilation of John Bachman: From New York Yankee to Southern Patriot;" Mr. Bill Hilton, Jr., Hilton Pond Center for Piedmont Natural History, York, SC, "Bachman in the Shadow of Audubon? Not Any More;" Dr. Lester D. Stephens, University of Georgia, "John Bachman’s Scientific Views on the Human Races;" Dr. Raymond M. Bost, President Emeritus, Newberry College;" John Bachman and Education;" and Dr. Susan W. McArver, Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary, "John Bachman, Lutherans, and Genteel Theology in 19th Century South Carolina."

Display of Maria Martin Bachman's work at Charleston Museum

Concurrent papers were also presented, one being "John Bachman’s Genealogy" by two Bachman descendants, Philip Ritter, Stanford University and J. Ross Baughman. This paper discussed how the Bachman Family DNA Project is helping solve some of John Bachman’s genealogy mysteries.

Walton J. McLeod, State Representative, District No. 40, South Carolina and a symposium attendee, kindly sent me official copies of state senate and house resolutions which he introduced. These resolutions commemorate the 150th Anniversary of Newberry College and recognize the life and work of the college’s founder, Rev. John Bachman.

 Bronze bust of Rev. John Bachman, campus of Newberry College.

Special highlights of the symposium:

• A play and reception held at the newly-restored Newberry Opera House. The play was about an event which happened near the end of Bachman’s life and is entitled "Nature, Truth, and No Humbug," It was written by Rev. John P. Trump and performed by the Newberry College Theatre Department.

• A visit to Columbia, South Carolina to visit the Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary library and chapel, also founded by the Rev. John Bachman.

• A tour of Charleston, SC with a visit to St. John’s Lutheran Church where Bachman was minister for 56 years and where he and some members of his family are buried; we also visited the Charleston Museum (has many Bachman holdings).

• A stop at the Sewee Environmental Center, which is near Pon Swamp where Bachman’s Warbler was last seen and where we saw endangered Red Wolves.

• An authentic Low Country Cook-out at the Lutheran Coastal Retreat Center, Isle of Palms. Across the street was the Atlantic ocean (my first time seeing it).

     
Pulpit (left) and organ (right), St. John's Lutheran Church, Charleston, SC.  
Bachman was minister of St. John's for 56 years.  He and some family members are buried there.

Two topics that evolved from the Symposium which I found personally interesting:

The friendly competition among the many speakers as to how to pronounce the Rev. John Bachman’s surname—"Backman" or "Bachman" (as in Johann Sebastian Bach). No one really knows for sure, but many think the Reverend preferred "Backman" once he declared his true home to be South Carolina. Our youngest family member to attend was Sonny Jason Bachman, who is a great-great-great grandson of the Rev. John and Harriett Martin Bachman. Sonny told us that his family has always used the "Bachman" pronunciation, as has my family. My opinion is that "Backman" was and is a regional pronunciation of the name.

Three of several Bachman family graves behind St. John's Lutheran Church.  White Cross ("Our Mother") is Harriett Martin Bachman, middle marker is her daughter Cordelia, and the flat stone is Maria Rebecca Bachman, my great-great-great grandmother.  Maria was the first wife of John Woodhouse Audubon, the younger son of John James Audubon.   Rev. Bachman is buried inside church.

Many symposium attendees, including Newberry College students, a number of whom are of African-American descent, were surprised that the Rev. John Bachman sanctioned slavery and was a secessionist, yet while pastor at St. John’s Lutheran in Charleston, Rev. Bachman accepted many freemen and slaves into church membership and educated them contrary to both the laws and social norms of the day. Discussion about this topic included the hope that students and professors would hold open dialogue about Bachman’s slavery views, consider the times and society’s attitudes of Bachman’s time, and make comparisons with how those ideals fit in our society today.

Photo of Bachman Home in Charleston, SC (now demolished).

My personal disappointment was learning that Union solders destroyed Bachman’s library and natural history specimens before they could be transported to Newberry College during the Civil War.

Last updated 02.28.09