Eagles found on Hilton Head, stars of eagle cam, are named for historical SC figures

A pair of Hilton Head bald eagles expecting two eaglets before the end of the year were named Harriet and Mitch this week after a competition by the Hilton Head Island Land Trust to choose their names.

After 400 submissions from across the country, the executive committee named the eagles after Harriet Tubman and Gen. Ormsby Mitchel, both known for their emancipation efforts. Less commonly known are their unique relationships with Beaufort County and Hilton Head Island, the statement from the land trust said.

The eagles, the stars of an eagle cam set up this fall, have captured the attention of eagles lovers across the globe.

The live camera was set up after Russell Patterson, who has lived on Hilton Head Island for 35 years, spotted the nest. He contacted the Department of Natural Resources, Hilton Head Island Land Trust and HD on Tap, a company in California that specializes in wildlife cameras, to get recommendations and set up the camera.

Since then, the eagles have accrued over 87,000 views from all over the world.

Earlier this month, the land trust asked the public to submit suggestions for names for the eagles.

“It was important for us to honor the history of Hilton Head Island and two icons in American Freedom,” said Robin Storey with the land trust. Eagles, she noted are synonymous with freedom.

Harriet Tubman, a former slave known as a conductor of the underground railroad, spent time in the Beaufort County area as a nurse and spy for the Union Army, according to the Hilton Head Island Land Trust. In June 1863 she helped to liberate 756 people in the Combahee River Raid. Of those individuals, the land trust said, she led 100 of them to the newly settled Mitchelville on Hilton Head Island, the land trust said.

Mitchel was the mind behind Mitchelville, the first self-governed town for freedmen and the inspiration for Historic Mitchelville Freedom Park. The area was established in 1862 after Mitchel saw the living conditions of the formerly enslaved. He created a new “negro village” to be built by and for the freedmen and refugees, according to the Mitchelville website.

The town went on to have police protection, a school and a Baptist Church. At its height in 1863, it reached 200 acres. It was fully functioning with a mayor, councilmen, a treasurer and other officers who oversaw town disputes.

Mitchelville was responsible for the first compulsory education law in South Carolina, requiring an education for every child between 6 and 15 years old, according to the Mitchelville website. Just six weeks after arriving in Mitchelville, the general died of yellow fever. He never got to see his town come to fruition.

“Historic Mitchelville Freedom Park is excited about this important event that connects the nature of our area to the rich history of our Island,” said Ahmad Ward, the executive director of the Historic Mitchelville Freedom Park. “We look forward to following the exploits and hatchlings of Harriet and Mitch!”

Harriet laid the first egg on Nov. 19, about a month after the eagle cam was set up, and since has laid another. Harriet is larger than Mitch and is mostly responsible for incubating the eggs, although Mitch occasionally helps. They work together to make sure the eggs are protected from the weather, predators or intruders.

Patterson, who set up the eagle cam, said it was quite appropriate that the eagles are “named after people that were directly involved in the history of Hilton Head Island. ... It’s a great way to recognize their achievements and tie everything the Land Trust is working towards.”