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■iilii 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA 
AT   LOS  ANGELES 


CYCLOPEDIA 


OK 


OK   THE 


@Folina8  oF  tl^c  Pslindcciill^  @ntur\\ 


WITH    A 


BHIEF  HISTORICAL   INTRODUCTION  ON  SOUTH  CAROLINA   BY  GENERAL 

EDWARD  McCRADY,  Jr.,  AND  ON  NORTH  CAROLINA 

BY  HON.  SAMUEL  A.  ASHE. 


WOLUME 


MADISON,  WIS.: 

BRflINT  Z}   FULLER, 
1893. 


8  0  5  0     7 


COPTBIGBT,    1892. 

By  brant  &   FULLER, 
Madison,  Wis.- 


I*rmu-rtit  t'linlinij  Co.,  }fiiili»nn.   Win. 

lUndrru  (>/  W.  II.  Conkey,  Chicago,  111. 


CO 
CO 


>• 


M 
I 


o 

o 

ax 

111 


PRKFACE. 


In  prcscnlini4  this  C'ycloiK'dia  of  Imminent  and  Iveprescntativc  Men 
of  the  Carolinas  to  their  subscribers,  the  pubHshers  bc^  leave  to  make  a 
few  brief  remarks  touching  its  compilation.  Of  the  excellent  histori- 
cal sketches  by  S.  A.  Ashe,  Esq.,  of  North  Carolina,  and  by  Gen.  Ed- 
ward McCrady,  jr.,  of  South  Carolina,  but  little  need  be  said,  as  they 
sufficiently  recommend  themselves.  But  it  is  only  proper  to  say  that 
these  gentlemen  are  in  no  respect  responsible  for  the  biographical 
sketches  contained  within  the  covers  of  the  work.  The  publishers 
are  indebted  for  these,  in  a  measure,  to  such  works  as  Wheeler's 
Reminiscences  of  North  Carolina,  O'Neall's  Bench  and  Bar,  of 
South  Carolina,  Dowd's  I^rominent  Living  North  Carolinians,  the 
works  of  ex-Governor  Perry,  of  South  Carolina,  .Smith's  Western 
North  Carolina,  Appleton's  Encyclopedia,  and,  more  than  all,  to  the 
labors  of  the  force  of  able  writers  employed  for  the  [jurpose  by  the 
publishers. 

That  there  may  be  some  defects  in  the  work,  as  there  are  in  all 
works,  it  would  be  useless  to  deny,  but  the  publishers  feel  warranted 
in  saying  tliat  they  have  fully  kept  up  to  their  contract  with  their 
subscribers,  and  may  with  pardonable  pride  point  to  the  excellent 
typography  and  attractive  binding  of  the  work. 


44B028 


INDEX. 


Alibott,  H.  T 

Ailniiis,  W.  n 

Aldricli,  Janjes  T  

Alexauder,  Jos 

Allston,  R.  F.  W 

Assinan,  William  J 

Atkinson,  W.  R 

Avery,  Edward  T 

Aver,  L.  M : 

Ball,  15.  W 

Bailey,  Mei-cer  S 

Barker,   T.  O 

Barksdale.  J.  A 

Bates,  A.  D 

Bates,  R.  W 

Bates,  W.  T.  C 

Bellinger,  George  I> 

Biemann,  D 

Blaokwell,  J.  H 

Bleckley,  Sylvester 

Bodie,  James  C 

Boggs,  Julius  E 

Bonham,  Milledge  L 

Bossard,  J.  J 

Bowen,  R.  E 

Boyd,  \V.  L 

Boylston,  Robert  B 

Bradley,  D.  F 

Brand,  R.  A 

BrattoD,  John 

Bratton,  J.  R 

Brawley,  W,  H 

Brockinton,  W.  W 

Brodhani,  ^I 

Brown,  A .  S 

Brown,  Micliael 

Brown,  B.  F 

Brunson,  W.  A 

Bryan,  George  S 

Buck,  Henry 

Buist,  J.  S 

Burnside,  A.  W 

Butler,  A.  P 

Butler,  Pierce 

Butler,  P.  M 

Caldwell,  J.  J 

Calhoun,  John  Caldwell.. 

Caine,  E.  M 

Cantey,  J.  W 

Carey,  James  P 

Gary,  John  C 

Chase,  J.  P 

Chestnut,  Jr.,  James 

Cheves,  Langdon 

Childs,  L.  D 

Cleveland,  John  B 

Cleveland,  W.  C 

Clyburn,  S.  C 

Coffin,  John  P 

Cotield,  George 

Cohen,  Octavus 

Coit,  J.  C 

Coker,  J.  L 

Coker,  W.  C 

Conner,  James 

Converse.  D.  E 

Oothran,  James  S  — 

Gourtenay,  Williaui  A 

Covington  Brothers 

Crawford,  T.  A 

Croft,  G.  \V 

Cuibreath,  James  Y 

Cucningham,  G.  I  . .   .   . 

Darby,  Q.  A 

Da  Vega,  S.  M 


AfJK. 

.■jis 


(MS 

n:w 
.'ill,-, 

■1113 
4S.S 
1C.8 

:«ir 

i:!S 
;ii(i 
111 

■M2 


PACK. 

Davie,  W.  R 022 

Davis,  Sr. ,  James -iS-^J 

Davis,  R.  M 4iir 

Dawkins,  T.  N -'.'i:! 

Dawson,  F.  W S-'''" 

Day,  W.  H .: -isi 

lii-ndy,  K.  P i;.') 

DesPortcs,  R.  S .Wl 

L'eSaussure,  P.  G ^2.5 


.5i,l 

025 

412 

893 

88 

342 

406 

61fl 

312 

.   .'•,48 

.    183 

.   433 

.   34(j 

.  1.37 

.  345 

.  491 

fi39 

.  45: 

.  353 

.  236 

.  ers 

.  480 
.  328 
.  .596 
.  240 
.  648 
.   613 


, .  216 
.  .  318 
.  545 
. .  296 
. .  .507 
. .  478 
. .  6.55 
63 
440 

iin 

..  4.52 
..  391 
..  378 

384 
5r 


DeSaussure,  H.  William  . 

Dial,  Albert 

Dibl)le,  Samuel 

Ditjens.  J.  H 

l>oiialdson,  M.  L 

Drjuglass,  Alexanders. 
Drayton,  John  . 
Dudley,  T.  E.. 
Dukes,  John  11 
Dunbar,  B.  S .  . 
Duncan,  D.  R  . 

Dunton,  L.  M 

Earle,  Joseph  H 

Barle,  T.  T 

Earle,  G.  W 

Ellerbe,  W.  H 

Elliott,  Benjamin . . . 
Elmore,  Benjamin   'I' 
Elmore,  Franklin   H 
Enumuel.  I'hilip  A 

England,  John 

Evans,  Josiah  J 

Evans,  J.  G. 
Evans,  N.  G. 


.59 
398 
677 
6(11 
444 
214 
263 
184 

142 


PAOE. 

Hamilton,  Jr.,  .James  560 

Hammctt,  Henry  P 471 

Hammond,  Frardc 373 

Hammond,  J.  II.  ..  034 

Hampton,  Wade  .  .   675 

Harden,  W.  II.  .,  ..  423 

Hardin.  E.  K .323 

Harllee,  William  W  , .  238 

Harper,  William ...  .298 

Hart,  Alvin 005 

H.art,  James  F ■. 831 


137 
455 
451 

138 
-165 


li(RI 
316 
195 

541 
513 
:J49 


273 

812 

334 

578 
183 
16i; 

r.i9 

196 
5211 
212 
193 

124 

Evlns,  John  Hamilton 2.58 

Fant,  O.  H.  P 570 

Farley,  Hugh  L -539 

Ferguson,  John Otll 

Ferguson,  J.  W 109 

Fewell,  W.  B 07 

Finley,  David  E 22:5 

Fleming,  C.  E 344 

Fleming.  John  O.  C 593 

Folk,  William  H S74 

Fowler,  J.  S 030 

Fi-aser,  T.  B 38- 

Fraser,  S.  S 419 

Frierson,  E.  C -  3.53 

Frost.  Edward  14:J 

Fulen  wider,  E.  H 470 

Fullertou,  James 670 

Gadsdi-n,  Christopher. 0.54 

Gnillard,  John 390 

Garlington,  Benjamin  C. 8() 

( iarlington,  John 410 

(4arlington,  John,  Jr 88 

Garner.  James  S 309 

Garv.  E.  B 201 

Gaiv.  :\IartLn  W 204 

( ieddes,  John 504 

Gil.lis.  W.H 588 

<;ill)crt,  C 641 

Gilder.  J.  K 334 

Gii-ardeau,  .John  L 499 

Glenn,  R.  H .540 

Gogt-aus.  J.  K.  P    281 

Gower,  T.  C .554 

Gray,  W.  L 000 

Gregg,  Maxcy 90 

Gregg,  Smdie  A 436 

Grimn,  P.  E 336 

Hagood,  James  E 536 

llagood,  Johnson 7'8 

Hagood,  William  M .559 

Haile,  Columbus  C 448 

Haile,  James  L 414 


Ilarvin,  C.  R 493 

Haskell,  Alexander  C 93 

Haskell,  Jt,hn  C 95 

Haj-ne,  Rob,-rt  Y 243 

Haynsworth.  W.  F.  B 386 

Hazard,  Walter 233 

Hemphill,  James 3.53 

U.-mphill,  J.  C 547 

.51,1   ll,>inphill.  J.  J 674 

Heniphdl,  R.   R 386 

Henderson.  F.  B 375 

Henderson,  D.  S 197 

Hill.  R.  S 020 

Hollingsworth,  G.  L  298 

Holmes,  F.  S 508 

Hood,  W.  H 443 

Howe,  George 337 

Iluchting,  J.  F 019 

Hucks,  Joseph  J 234 

Uuger,  Daniel  E 2,54 

Hughson,  John  .S 343 

Huiet,  J.  H 451 

Hunter,  John 643 

Hunter,  John  J 57'0 

Hutchison,  A.  E 450 

Irby,  James  H 219 

Irby,  J.  L.  M 170 

Ivy,  J.  M -.  590 

Izlar,  James  F 75 

Izlar,  L.T ' S'W 

Jackson,  W.  S 453 


Jacobs,  W.  P. 
James.  J.  A  — 
.Tamieson,  W.  A. 
Jefferys.  T.  3. . . . 
Jeter,  T.  B. 


514 
:sn6 


:!82 
269 


.Johnson,  W.  D 295 


Johnson,  John. 
Johnson,  Joseph.  - 
Johnson,  William . 
Johnson,  Jr.,  William. 


.512 
511 
510 
510 


Johnstone,  J.  IVI 467 


Johnstone,  Silas. 

Jones,  B.  W... 

Jones,  I.  B 

Jones,  S.  B  

Keith,  I.  S 

Keith,  William  C 

Keitt,  L.  M 

Kennedy,  .John  1  > 
Kennedy,  J.  W , . . 
Kershaw,  .J.  B. .  - 
Kilpatrick,  F.  W 

Jiinard,  M.  L 

Kinloch,  Robert  A . 
Kirkland,  N,  F. 


280 
589 
245 

504 

519 

177 

674 

291 

,   503 

,   300 

,   545 

,   .581 

3.30 

400 


Kirkiand,  Thomas  J 299 

KoUock,  Cornelius 304 

Lander.  S 510 

Lathrop,  Abial. ..    269 

Latimer,  A.  C 637 

Laurens,  Henr.v 6.50 

Legare.  Hugh  Swinton 60 

Levi,  Abraham 350 


Vlll 


INDEX. 


Lewis,  Richard 

Ijles,  J.  R 

Lipscomb,  T.  J 

Livingston,  James  \\ 
TJvingston,  Knox... 

Lloyd.  E.  W 

Loudon,  J.  K 

Liicis.  W.E 

Lyles,  William  H  . . . 

Lj-nch,  P.  N 

LiTich.  G.'G 

.ifcBivde,  J.  Mc  L... 

McCa'll.  C.  S 

McCasIan,  W.  M 

JlcCaw,  R.  G 

JlcCaw,  W.  B 

McClauahan,  J.  51. 

JIcC'ov.  Thomas 

JlcCrady  Family,  The, 
McCrndy.  Edward .... 
JlcCrady,  Jr.,  Edward 

McCrady,  John 

McCrady,  John 

McCully,  P.  K 

McDonald.  Laughlin. 

McDuffle,  George 

McGahan,  T.  R 

McGowan.  Samuel    . 
Jlclver,  Evander  R  . . 

Melver.  Henry 

McKay,  J.  W     ..     .. 
JIcLaurin,  John  L  . . . 

MoMaster,  G.  H 

McMichael.  P.  A 

McMiUen,  J.  C 

M.ickey,  John 
Blagrath,  A.  G 
Manning,  R.  I. 

Marion,  Francis 

Marion.  Thomas  D . . . 

Markley.  H.  C 

Martin,  .T.  F 

Mason,  R.  E 

Mauldin,  W.  L 
Maxwell,  J.  D 
Maxwell.  J.  H 
Mayer,  O.  B 
Means,  John  H   . 

Meetze.  A.  U 

Mellichanip,  S.  R  .... 
Melton,  Sainutd  W. . . 

Meniiuinger,  Allanl  

JleniniinKer,  Christopher  O 
Michel,  MidiUeton.. 

Mic-kler,  J.  P 

Middletou.  Henry. . 

Miles,  F.  T  

Milfts,  C.  K 

Miles,  Edward  R. 
ftllles,  .Tames  W..   . 

Jtiles,  W.  P 

Miller,  Stephen  D.. 

Mills,  O.  P 

Mnise.  Edwin  W.  . . 
Montgomery.  J.  H 
Montgomery,  W.  J 
Mood,  Julius  A  . . .  ■ 

Moore.  A .  A 

.Moore,  .James  W. . . 

Moore,  W.  A 

Moses.  AU4Unont.  . . 
Moss,  Benjamin  H. 

Blonltrie.  Will 

Mower,  (Jeorge  S.. 

Mfuvry,  A.  H 

Nance,  J.  D 

Nardin,  W.  H 

Nelsf>n,  P.  H 

Nettles,  Clarence  Slm». 

Neltles,  .1.  K 

Newt<.n.  H.  II 

Nicholson,  William  A 

Nohle,  I'utrick 

Norris,  Alfred  .1 
Norrls,  |i.  K 
NorrlH.  .L  B 
NorrlH.  JesHc  w   . 
Northrop,  fl.  1'..   . 
Norton,  Joseph  J . 


PAGE. 
..  410 
..   4JU 

.5,s; 
iro 

.  ISO 
4S5 
■J49 
4' 
<1G 
523 
485 
405 
6'J2 

sua 

404 

i-x, 

;i33 
31 
150 
151 
1G3 
151 
1.58 
620 
215 
01 
613 
2U'.I 
264 
241 
430 
INj 
3-8 

.5or 

33t 
314 
1311 
.573 
6.53 
350 
477 
5!I4 
4UX 

mti 

313 
323 
607 
671 
,506 
'.iS 

:«3 

174 
3.5'.l 

1:.'S 


6.5!l 
124 
476 

2SS 
io2 


377 
1 30 


120 
.521 
ISO 


P.\OK. 

PAGE. 

OWeall.  JohnB.. 

.   66S 

Tolly.  G.  F 

624 

O'XeiU.  Bernard. . 

.     372 

Townsend.  C.  P 

191 

Orr,  J.  L 

....    112 

Trescott,  W.  H 

....   107 

Tribble.  .Tames  L  . 

133 

....   351 

Twitcliell,  A.  H 

Verdier,  W.  J 

401 

ratrick,  J.  B 

...  486 

262 

Patterson,  Giles  J 

....   251 

Verner.  J.  D 

395 

....   498 

Villepigue,  P.  T 

Wageuer.  J.  A 

Walker,  Jos 

601 

Penn    W    B                  

....  605 

614 

Peoples.  John  O 

Perry,  Benjamin  F 

..    .  .506 

488 

...       69 

Wallace,  Robert  M.... 

:387 

Perry,  WilUam  H 

Petigru,  J.  L 

Pickens,  Andrew. 

.     100 

Wallace.  William 

97 

.   610 

Wallace,  William  Henry 64 

.   0.50 

Wannamaker,  Lawtou 

H 405 

Pickens,  Francis  ^\' 

. .  2'.I0 

Ward,  John  J 

367 

Pinckney,  C.  C.     . 
Pinckney.  Thomas 

.   117 

AVardlaw,  A.  G ....... . 

515 

.  .   652 

Wardlaw.  David  L . . .  . 

207 

Watson,  William  G. . . 
Watson,  John  L 

429 

....  577 

402 

Poinsett,  Joel  R 

...   192 

Watts,  R.  C 

172 

Poole.  J.  T 

.   320 

Weatherly.  C.  MeR.. 

413 

Poore,  J.  W 

..   033 

Webster.  E.  A  

539 

Pope.  J  D 

..   303 

\\  ells,  George  G 

Ill 

Pope,  Y.J 

..   2S3 

Whale.v,  Thomas  B... 

270 

Porter,  A.  T .    . . 

..   4:13 

Whit*.  G.  B 

348 

Porcher.  Francis  P. 

..   327 

Whitner,  B.  F 

128 

Prescott,  \V.  E 

...     4T4 

Whitner,  Jo.seph  N. . . 

126 

Preston.  William  C 

....   240 

Willcox,  John 

537 

Ramsay,  David 

....   645 

Willcox,  J.  C 

307 

Read.  John  H 

...  418 

Williams,  G.  W 

2'*7 

Redtearn,  Alexander  M 

....  305 

^^  iliiams.  George  W . . 

362 

Reeves,  E.  D-   ...         

....  563 

Wilson,  B.  F 

513 

Reid.  C.  L  

....  674 

Wilson,  John  L 

235 

Reynolds,  I.  A 

...  533 

Wilson.  Jr.,  W.  B.... 

235 

Richardson,  John  P 

...   527 

Wilson,  W.  B 

Richardson,  J.  S. . . 

.     271 

Winganl,  S.  P 

413 

Riggs,  John  S . . . 

.   480 

Withers,  Thomas  J  . . . 

239 

Risley,  David 

.   431 

Woodrow,  James 

393 

Kohertson.  J.  T.. 

5.52 

Woodward,  T.  W    . 

431 

Roddey,  W.  L... 

.  381 

Woolsey.  W.  W. 

....  375 

Rogers,  Jr..  F.  M 

.    OOli 

Wylie,  A.  P 

.   347 

Rowle.v.  E.F.  S.. 

311 

Wylie.  J.  D 

...   247 

Rutledge.  B.  H.. 

..    148 

Wyinan  Brothers 

354 

Rutledge,  Edwaid  . 

.    .     57 

\  oung,  John  L.   . 

300 

Rutledge,  John 

■55 

Ryan,  J.  J, 

....   621 

PORTEAI"S. 

Shand.  Robert  W 

. . .     100 

Shaw,  John  D.  M 

..  416 

Ball.  B.  W 

168 

Shell,  (i.  W 

.   440 

Barker.  T.  G... 

132 

Sheppard.  J.  C  .. 

..   274 

Barksdale.  J.  A. . 

316 

Simons,  James 

....    141 

Bo.llston,  R.  B. 

...  212 

Simons,  T .  Grange 

....  326 

Brvan,  G.  S 

....  673 

Simonton,  Charles  H 

....   146 

Connor.  J 

138 

Simpson.  Richard  W 

....   121 

Courtenav,  W.  A 

367 

Siiii|won,  William  D 

....    101 

I'>ost.  E 

143 

Siif.Mi,  A.J 

....   630 

Gower.  T.  C 

554 

Sill. Ill,  J.  B 

....   628 

Hagood,  J 

78 

5.58 

Hampton,  Wade 

ITardeu,  W.  H 

675 

Slati'i-.  E.  F  

.      .   .561 

422 

Sloan,  Benjahiin 

....  498 

H.askell.  A.  C 

93 

Sloan.  B   F 

....   467 

Kinard.  M.  L. .  . 

.   .581 

Sloan,  John  T.,  Jr 

....   105 

Magahan,  T.  R 

.  012 

Smith.  William 

....  646 

McCrady,  Sr.,  E. 

...  151 

SmiUi,  H.  L 

....   4-14 

McCrady,  Jr.,  12. 

...  162 

Snivlh,  E.  A 

....   468 

McCriidy.  J 

...  1.58 

Siiivtlie,  AugustineT 

....   145 

McGowan,  S. . . 

.  309 

Springs,  A.  A 

....    6 10 

Magrath,  A.  <  1 . 

,   .   130 

Springs.  A.  Baxter 

....  4.5S 

Marion,  T.  I>. .. 

.  .3.50 

399 

Meetze.  H.  A 

Melton,  S.  W 

671 

Su-phens.  L.  0 

...  3,55 

08 

Sp.kes.  J.  W 

....  358 

JUirrav,  E.  B 

208 

Strait,  T.  J 

....  SK 

Nicholson,  W.  ,\ . 

.    ...  388 

....   631 

HIT,  .).   L 

Talterson.  G.  J. 

.   107 

Sullivan.  G.  W 

....   635 

...   251 

627 

..   .  .570 

403 

Siiintcr,  Tlioma.s 

Riggs,  J.  S 

480 

Taller  A    N 

336 

Rutledge,  B.H 

Simonton.  C.  H 

148 

TarlTOX,  John  W 

. . .     420 

..   1)6 

Taylor,   B    W 

Simpson.  W.  D. . 
Siiiythe,  A.  T 

Thompson,  Hugh  S 

....   .531 

,    115 

Thomson,  J.  S.  R 

....  260 

Springs.   .\.  B. . 

1.58 

Thompson,  Roberta  Anderson 1H2 

Walker.  J  . . . 

.    182 

167 

Wailac-e,  W.  H. 
W<4isti-r.  E.  A 

61 

Tillman.  B.  R 

. . .     .526 

.539 

Tillman,  George'  1) 

..    .  276 

Wbilncr.  B.  F 

128 

Timliiernian,  W.  H 

. . .  309 

Wil*,.n,   B.  F 

513 

Tinirod.  Henry 

....  512 

Wilson,  Sr.,  W.  B 

"27 

411 

Wilson,  Jr..  W.  B.... 
Woodward,  T.  W  ..   . 

rtOlj 

Todd,  S.  R 

..'.'.  1)99 

431 

HISTORICAL  SKETCH  OF  SOUTH  CAROLINA. 


BY    GEN.    EDWARD    MC  CRADV,   JR. 

"N  A  RECENT  WORK  on  the  History  of  the  United 
States,  Mr.  Percy  Greg,  an  English  author  of  high  reputa- 
tion, in  answer  to  a  call  of  the  London  press  to  write  a  his- 
tory of  the  civil  war  in  America  as  one  most  competent  to 
the  task,  has  given  to  the  world  the  clearest  and  best  state- 
ment of  the  Lost  Cause  which  has  yet  appeared,  and  the 
strongest  defense  of  it  which  has  yet  been  presented.  He 
speaks  of  the  southern  people,  as  on  the  whole  perhaps  the 
most  thoroughly  English  of  English  speaking  nations  and  thus  de- 
scribes the  people  of  South  Carolina: 

Most  of  the  elder  states  preserve  throughout  American  history  an  individuality  iiiiite  as  distinct  and 
persistent  as  that  of  leading  Greek  cities,  or  great  Roman  families.  »  »  »  •  ^iut  above  all  the 
dauntless  and  defiant  spirit,  the  fiery  temper,  the  venturous  chivalry  of  South  Carolina  continually  remind 
the  student  of  American  history  of  her  mixed  origin.  The  e.arly  infusion  of  the  blood  of  the  English 
Cavaliers  with  tliat  of  the  Huguenots  who,  as  their  fanatacism  softened,  transmitted  to  their  olfspring  the 
traditional  gallantry  and  martial  spirit  of  their  Gascon  ancestry.  Nothing  in  her  situation  geographical, 
political  or  industrial  required  her  to  take  the  foremost  place  in  sectional  conflict.  But  in  almost  every 
collision  the  Palmetto  state  comes  to  the  front  as  the  promptest,  fiercest,  most  determined  champion  of 
state  sovereignity,  slavery  and  southern  interests. 

So  too,  another  Englishman  writing  from  Virginia  in  MacMillan's 
Magazine  a  few  years  since  commenting  upon  the  cherished  individ- 
ual traditions  and  distinctive  traits  of  each  of  the  older  Southern 
states  observes  that  a  Virginian  of  to-day  is  first  a  Virginian,  a  South 
Carolinian  is  above  all  things  a  South  Carolinian;  but  ne.xt  they  are 
both  Southerners  and  lastly  Americans.  This  writer  thinks  it  prob- 
able that  this  may  not  last  for  more  than  a  generation  or  so  longer; 
but  that  in  the  meantime  the  fact  remains  and  forms  one  general  and 
striking  contradiction,  even  if  there  were  no  others,  to  the  alleged 
want  of  light  and  shade  in  the  national  existence. 

The  people  of  South  Carolina,  whether  admired  or  not  are  recog- 
nized everywhere  as  a  somewhat  peculiar  people.  It  is  said  by 
strangers  that  they  can  be  told  wherever  they  go.  Their  manners, 
it  is  said,  are  marked  and  their  bearing  different;  that  their  voices 
are  not  like  others  and  their  accent  peculiar.  Few  of  them  who  have 
been  often  out  of  their  state  have  not  at  times  been  startled  by  such 
recognition.  Then,  too  they  have  had  a  determined  policy  through- 
out the  history  of  the  government  of  the  United  States  and  have  im- 
pressed it  upon  other  parts  of  the  South;  and   for  this  their  enemies 

\ — 2 


l8  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

have  rejoiced  over  the  calamities  which  befell  them  in  the  war  which 
followed  it.  But  whether  praised  or  blamed  the  fact  is  certain  they 
have  been  recognized  as  a  people  in  many  respects  peculiar  to  them- 
selves and  idiosyncratic  in  their  character. 

This,  too  is  all  the  more  remarkable  when,  as  every  one 
familiar  with  the  local  history  of  the  state  well  knows,  among  them- 
selves there  have  been  always  strongly  marked  and  well  defined 
differences  in  almost  every  respect  in  which  they  appear  to  strangers 
as  one  people.  This  is  all  the  more  remarkable,  too,  since  these  dif- 
ferences have  been,  so  to  speak,  organic,  having  had  their  origin  in 
the  very  settlement  of  the  state,  and  have  not  been  evolved  from 
differing  circumstances  among  those  who  were  once  the  same  people. 

As  history  is  but  the  combined  stories  of  the  actions  of  the  lead- 
ing men  of  a  people,  biography  is  the  foundation  upon  which  is  built 
the  historical  superstructure  of  state;  and  it  is  remarkable  that 
though  the  history  of  South  Carolina  is  so  full  of  dramatic  incident, 
in  no  state  has  there  been  less  of  biographical  work.  A  few  sketches 
are  to  be  found  of  the  men  of  the  Revolution  in  Garden's  Anecdotes 
—  in  the  appendix  to  Ramsay's  second  volume  of  the  History  of 
South  Carolina  —  and  in  Johnson's  Traditions  of  the  Revolution. 
Judge  O'Xeall  has  gathered  a  considerable  number  In  his  work  on 
the  Bench  and  Bar  of  the  State;  and  Dr.  Dalcho  in  his  History  of 
the  Church  of  South  Carolina,  and  Dr  Howe  in  his  of  the  Presbyter- 
ian church  has  given  some  of  the  clergy;  but  there  has  been  no  gen- 
eral biographical  work  in  the  state  up  to  this  time.  This  want  the 
present  work  attempts  to  supply. 

By  way  of  preface  to  this  it  v/ill  be  interesting  to  recall  some  of 
the  facts  in  regard  to  the  peopling  of  the  state  and  to  trace  if  we  can 
to  their  sources  the  political  and  social  differences  amongst  the  in- 
habitants, and  at  the  same  time  consider  how  it  is  that  the  people  of 
the  State,  so  differently  constituted,  and  so  maintaining  their  differ- 
ences, have  been  to  the  rest  of  the  world  one  peculiar  and  homogen- 
eous race. 

We  would  call  attention,  before  we  proceed  further,  to  the  common 
error  into  which  Mr.  Greg  falls  in  the  passage  we  have  quoted  in  at- 
tributing the  characteristics  he  mentions,  of  the  people  of  South 
Carolina,  to  their  English  and  French  sources  to  the  exclusion  of 
that  element  —  the  Scotch-Irish,  which,  though  eighty  years  later  in 
coming  into  South  Carolina  has  been  for  the  last  century  almost 
predominant  in  the  state,  and  to  which  is  principally  owing  the  very 
characteristics  which  he  attributes  to  the  interfusion  of  the  blood  of 
the   English  Cavalier  and  the  French   Huguenot. 

There  is  another  point,  too,  in  the  quotation  we  have  made  from 
Mr.  Cireg  about  which  we  would  here  say  a  word;  and  that  is  in  re- 
gard to  his  allusion  to  "the  blood  of  the  English  Cavalier."  In  this 
allusion  Mr.  Greg  has  no  doubt  the  authority  of  Hewat  and  Ramsay 
who  writing  of  the  first  settlement  say  that  the  colony  received  both 
Round-hcails  and  Cavaliers,  the  friends  of  parliament  and  the  ad- 
herents of  the  Royal  family.     If  these  authors  would  include  all  ad- 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  IQ 

herents  to  the  Ro^'al  family  as  Cavaliers  the  statement  is  no  doubt 
correct.  But  in  the  sense  in  which  that  word  is  generally  under- 
Stood,  and  in  which  Mr.  Greg  no  doubt  uses  it  we  must  be  bold 
enough,  and  possibly  socially  heretical  enough  to  say  that  the  facts 
now  well  known  will  not  bear  out  the  assertion.  Of  the  Cavaliers, 
whom  Macaulay  describes  as  those  opulent  and  well  descended  gen- 
tlemen to  whom  nothing  was  wanting  of  nobility  but  the  name,  some 
undoubtedly  fled  to  Virginia  in  1649,  upon  the  execution  of  the  King; 
and  Lord  Baltimore  took  some  of  them  to  Maryland,  but  there 
were  few  if  any  in  South  Carolina.  Sir  John  Yeamans,  the  Governor 
of  Carolina,  and  Sir  John  Colleton,  the  Proprietor,  were  commoners 
who  had  made  their  fortunes  in  Barbadoes,  and  acquired  their  baro- 
netcies there  for  standing  up  for  the  royal  authority  when  Cromwell 
invaded  the  West  Indies.  Stephen  Bull,  who,  alone  among  the  first 
colonists  under  Gov.  Sayle  to  arrive,  established  a  family  which  yet 
exists  and  which  under  the  Royal  government  became  almost  a  Royal 
one  itself,  was  a  gentleman  of  small  if  any  fortune  and  a  surveyor. 
As  has  been  said  by  the  writer  in  MacMillan's  Magazine  before 
quoted,  any  tradition  which  connects  the  provincial  aristocracies  of 
the  Southern  States  with  the  old  world  patrician  origin  is  in  most  in- 
stances pure,  sentimental  fiction  that  is  not  only  contrary  to  com- 
mon sense  and  to  all  evidences  that  can  be  collected,  but  is  in  defi- 
ance of  colonial  history  itself.  The  far  away  ancestor  —  the  gentle- 
man upon  a  prancing  steed  with  flowing  locks  and  nodding  feathers, 
ruffling  in  lace  and  boiling  over  with  chivalry,  is  with  few,  very  few 
exceptions,  a  mere  figment  of  the  imagination.  As  the  writer  goes 
on  to  observe  in  regard  to  Virginia,  so  of  South  Carolina.  No  doubt 
many  royalists  came  to  Carolina;  it  was  a  Church  of  England  col- 
ony; but  a  vulgar  error  which,  as  he  says,  is  by  no  means  confined  to 
Virginia,  forgets  that  the  yeomanry  and  common  folk  formed  the  bulk 
of  the  royalist  army  just  as  it  is  apt  to  be  forgotten  that  men  of 
birth  and  consideration  were  found  in  the  other. 

Thiols  curiously  illustrated  in  the  history  of  South  Carolina.  The 
family  among  the  early  settlers  of  probably  the  most  generally  recog- 
nized connection  with  the  titled  aristocracy  of  England,  though  that 
connection  was  but  collateral,  were  the  Blakes.  Joseph  Blake,  one  of 
the  early  governors  of  the  colony  married  the  daughter  of  Lady  Axtel, 
whose  husband  had  been  a  landgrave.  This  Blake  was  a  nephew  of 
the  famous  English  admiral  of  the  commonwealth,  who  fought  under 
Cromwell  both  upon  sea  and  upon  land,  and  whose  body  having  been 
interred  with  great  pomp  and  ceremony  in  Westminster  Abbey,  was 
exhumed  by  Charles  the  Second.  Gov.  Blake,  the  grandson  of  a  well- 
to-do  merchant  —  the  father  of  the  admiral  —  was  therefore  not  a 
churchman  but  a  dissenter,  and  as  such  was  opposed  to  the  first 
Church  act  of  1704.  It  is  said  he  was  a  Baptist  but  perhaps  this  is  a 
mistake.  It  is  more  probable  he  was  a  Presbyterian;  but  whatever  he 
was,  he  was  neither  a  cavalier  nor  a  churchman. 

The  truth  is  there  is  nothing  more  sill}'  than  the  attempt  in  most 
instances  to  connect  American  families  with  the  aristocracy  of  Eng- 


20  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

land.  The  attempt  is  usually  made  through  the  lineage  of  younger 
sons,  as  if  younger  sons  were  anybodys  in  England  where  the  law  of 
primogeniture  prevails.  Thousands  of  English  commoners  do  as 
much  without  thinking  anything  of  it  when  done;  and  when  estab- 
lished, which  is  very  seldom  the  case  with  us,  such  connections  would 
not  entitle  the  successful  persons  to  any  better  if  as  good  position  in 
England  as  they  already  occupy  at  home;  a  position  which  is  readily 
accorded  to  them  when  abroad  because  they  occupy  it  at  home.  In 
the  old  comedy,  "  The  Heir  at  Law,"  by  George  Coleman,  the  youn- 
ger, in  "  plain  Daniel  Dowlass,  of  Gosport,"  the  tallow-chandler,  who 
answers  an  advertisement  for  the  "  heir  at  law,  if  there  be  any  reviv- 
ing of  the  late  Baron  Duberly"  (supposed  to  have  died  childless), 
we  have  a  picture  of  the  condition  of  life  to  which  many  of  the  sons 
of  nobility  often  descend  in  England,  and  we  have  another  in  "Tittle 
Bat  Titmouse,"  in  Dr.  Warren's  famous  novel,  "  Ten  Thousand  a 
Year."  In  both  instances  the  vulgarity  of  these  scions  of  noble  houses 
is  the  most  conspicuous  feature  and  the  turning  point  of  the  stories. 
Hewat,  and  Ramsay  following  him,  thus  describe  the  people  gener- 
ally who  first  came.  The  inducements  to  emigration,  they  say,  were 
so  many  and  so  various  that  every  year  brought  new  adventurers  to 
the  province.  The  friends  of  the  Proprietors  were  allured  to  it  by  the 
prospect  of  obtaining  landed  estates  at  an  easy  rate.  Others  took  refuge 
in  it  from  the  frowns  of  fortune  and  the  rigor  of  creditors.  Young 
men  reduced  to  misery  by  folly  and  excess  embarked  for  the  new  set- 
tlement where  they  had  leisure  to  reform,  and  where  necessity  taught 
them  the  unknown  virtues  of  prudence  and  temperance.  Restless 
spirits,  fond  of  roving,  were  gratified  by  emigration  and  found  in 
the  new  country  abundant  scope  for  enterprise  and  adventure. 

These  were  the  characteristics,  doubtless,  of  the  men  who  formed 
the  first  colony  under  Gov.  Sayle  in  1670.  This  colony  came  by  the 
way  of  Barbadoes,  where  they  were  joined  by  others  from  that  Island. 
And  this  leads  us  to  say  that  there  is  one  important  element  in  the 
settlement  of  South  Carolina  which  both  Hewat  and  Ramsay  have 
overlooked,  and  that  is  this  emigration  from  Barbadoes  and  from 
some  of  the  other  West  Indies.  Questions  arising  about  the  title  to 
lands  in  Barbadoes  growing  out  of  conflicting  grants  to  the  Earl  of 
Carlisle  and  to  the  Earl  of  Marlborough  led  to  the  interference  of  the 
Crown,  and  Charles  the  Second  as  usual  seized  upon  the  opportunity 
of  securing  a  permanent  and  irrevocable  revenue  for  himself  on  the 
pretence  of  settling  the  claims  under  these  rival  patents.  The  plant- 
ers of  Barbadoes,  though  devoted  to  the  Crown,  naturally  complained 
of  this  treatment  and  were  still  more  dissatisfied  at  finding  the  navi- 
gation acts,  which  they  had  regarded  as  a  chastisement  inflicted  on 
them  by  the  commonwealth  for  their  loyalty  to  the  King,  confirmed 
on  his  restoration.  A  succession,  too,  of  dreadful  hurricanes,  added 
to  these  troubles,  drove  many  of  the  inhabitants  of  Barbadoes  to  seek 
other  lands,  and  many  of  them  came  to  Carolina  under  the  auspices 
of  the  Proprietors  who  were  seeking  emigrants  to  develope  their 
province.     Among  tho.se  who  left  Barbadoes  at  the  time  was  a  colony 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  21 

made  up  for  the  settlement  in  Carolina.  Sir  John  Yeamans,  who,  as 
we  have  said,  had  been  knighted  for  his  loyalty  to  Charl(;s  when 
Barbadoeswas  invaded  by  the  Parliamentarians,  was  originally  desig- 
nated by  the  Lords  Proprietors  as  the  governor  of  Carolina  under 
the  first  charter.  In  August,  1663,  the  inhabitants  of  Barbadoes  who 
wished  to  remove  to  Carolina,  sent  out  commissioners  in  the  ship 
Advoittircr,  Capt.  Hilton,  to  explore  the  coast;  and  in  1664  the  Lords 
Proprietors  dispatched  to  Barbadoes  another  ship,  the  John  Thomas, 
with  arms  and  ammunition  for  those  who  desired  to  settle  at  Port 
Royal.  But  probably  on  account  of  the  representation  which  the 
commissioners  in  the  A (/vcnfuivr  gave  of  the  hostile  disposition  of  the 
Indians,  and  the  presence  of  the  Spaniards  at  Port  Royal,  and  of  the 
advantages  of  the  Cape  Fear  river,  the  Barbadians  selected  the  latter 
place  and  made  their  first  settlement  there. 

In  1665,  a  number  of  these  people  purchased  extensive  tracts  of 
land  in  the  intended  colony  of  Carolina,  and  paid  for  them  in  Muscavado 
sugar  at  the  rate  of  1,000  pounds  for  every  500  acres  of  land.  In  these 
transactions  Sir  John  Yeamans,  who  was  then  in  Barbadoes,  styled 
himself  Licittcnaiit  Goicntl  -Hindi  Governor  of  t lie  Province  of  Carolina, 
and  one  George  Thompson  who  receipted  for  the  sugar  declared  that 
he  did  so  by  virtue  of  an  election  of  the  "  adventurers  for  Carolina." 
It  appears  to  have  been  the  intention  of  the  Proprietors  at  this  time 
to  have  divided  the  province  into  the  counties  of  Albemarle  and 
Craven,  corresponding  to  some  extent,  to  the  states  of  North  and 
South  Carolina.  The  adventurers  arrived  at  Cape  Fear  in  the 
autumn  of  1665,  and  in  the  following  year  they,  together  with  the 
New  Englanders  who  remained  there  from  a  former  attempted 
colony  in  i66i,  numbered  eight  hundred.  Sir  John  Yeamans  gov- 
erned the  colony  with  the  care  of  a  father,  and  by  his  prudence  se- 
cured the  uninterrupted  good  will  of  the  neighboring  Indians.  But 
he  was  soon  to  be  appointed  governor  of  the  more  southern  colony 
at  Ashley  River,  that  of  Charles  Town,  if  indeed  such  had  not  been  the 
original  intention  of  the  Proprietors.  Many  of  the  settlers  followed 
him  thither  to  lands  more  plentiful  and  better  adapted,  as  they 
thought,  to  raising  cattle,  and  the  new  situation  at  Cape  Fear  became 
at  last  so  completely  deserted  that  before  i6go  it  relapsed  into  its  or- 
iginal condition  and  was  roamed  over  again  by  herds  of  deer  and  In- 
dian hunters.  These  Barbadians  and  many  who  came  after  them 
brought  with  them  a  state  of  colonial  society  already  in  an  advance 
state  of  formation  —  a  social  order  which  was  indeed  older  than  that 
of  Virginia,  and  which  formed  the  basis  of  that  of  South  Carolina.  It 
was  this  Barbadian  society  which  Froude,  following  Pere  Labat  who 
traveled  about  the  time  of  the  movement  to  Carolina,  has  so  charm- 
ingly described  in  his  recent  book  upon  the  West  Indies.  From  this 
source  was  derived  the  peculiar  system  of  government  by  which 
the  "  Parish"  was  made  alike  the  basis  of  civil  and  ecclesiastical  ad- 
ministration and  representation  in  the  assembly  of  the  people,  the 
very  names  of  the  parishes  following  those  of  Barbadoes. 

The  Barbadian  influence  upon  the  society  of  South  Carolina  will 


22  SOUTH   CAROLINA. 

be  realized  if  we  recall  some  of  those  who  came  from  that  island. 
The  two  Proprietors,  Sir  John  and  Sir  Peter  Colleton,  were  from  Bar- 
badoes;  and  thence  came  to  Carolina  their  two  brothers,  James,  the 
landgrave  and  governor,  and  Major  Charles  Colleton  who  was  dis- 
franchised by  Sothell's  parliament.  Thence  came  Sir  John  Yeamans 
and  Robert  Gibbes,  who  was  to  be  governor  under  the  Lords  I^roprie- 
tors,  and  Benjamin  Gibbes,  whose  memorial  tablet  is  in  the  old  church 
at  Goose  Creek,  Robert  Daniel,  also  a  governor  under  the  Proprie- 
tors, Christopher  Portman,  one  of  the  council,  Arthur  Middleton 
also  one  of  the  council,  and  his  brother  Edward  the  ancestors  of 
Arthur  Middleton,  the  speaker  of  the  commons  who  overthrew  the 
popular  government  and  afterward  as  president  of  the  council  acted 
as  governor  under  the  royal  government,  and  his  son  Henry  Middle- 
ton  who  was  long  a  member  of  the  King's  council  and  afterward 
president  of  the  continental  congress,  and  his  grandson  Arthur  Mid- 
dleton who  was  a  signer  of  the  Declaration  of  Independence,  and  his 
great  grandson  Henry  Middleton,  governor  of  our  state  and  minister 
to  Russia,  and  a  long  line  of  distinguished  citizens.  Thence  came  the 
Draytons,  Ladsons,  Clelands,  Beresfords,  Freres,  Mavericks,  Elliotts. 
The  other  English  West  Indies  contributed,  to  the  foundation 
of  the  society  of  Carolina.  Col.  George  Lucas,  the  governor  of 
Antigua,  settled  on  the  Ashley  with  his  daughter  Eliza,  whose  ex- 
quisite letters  have  been  preserved  and  give  us  so  admirable  a  pic- 
ture of  the  society  of  the  times,  and  who  married  Chief  Justice 
Charles  Pinckney,  and  was  the  mother  of  the  distinguished  citizens 
Generals  Charles  Cotesworth  and  Thomas  Pinckney.  Edward  Raw- 
lins who  was  provost  marshal  in  1700  in  all  probability  came  from  St. 
Christopher  or  St.  Kit's  as  it  was  commonly  called.  Charles  Lowndes 
and  his  wife  Ruth,  the  daughter  of  Henry  Rawlins,  undoubtedly  came 
from  that  island.  Sir  Nathaniel  Johnson,,  who  was  governor  in  1703- 
1709,  and  who  settled  in  Carolina,  had  been  governor  of  the  Leeward 
Island  before  coming  to  the  province. 

Another  like  common  error  regards  the  Huguenots  who  came  to 
South  Carolina  as  of  an  aristocratic  class;  but  this  is  likewise  a  mis- 
take. The  nobility  and  wealthier  portion  of  the  French  refugees 
upon  the  revocation  of  the  Edict  of  Nantes  remained  nearer  their  old 
homes.  I'hey  rested  in  England  and  on  the  continent.  Those  who 
ventured  to  America  were  generally  tradesmen,  agriculturists  and 
mechanics.  In  "  An  act  for  the  making  aliens  free  of  this  part  of  the 
province,  and  for  granting  liberty  of  conscience  to  all  Protestants" 
(i6q6),  a  list  of  persons  who  had  petitioned  the  general  assembly  for 
"the  liberties,  privileges  and  immunities  thereby  granted,"  is  given, 
from  which  we  may  gather  the  character  of  those  French  emigrants. 
These  are  the  occupations  which  are  attached  to  their  names  — 
names  now  long  since  respected  and  honored,  and  many  of  which  are 
indissolul)ly  connected  with  the  most  brilliant  i)ages  of  Carolina  his- 
tory and  its  best  society,  to-wit:  Weavers,  wheelwrights,  merchants, 
saddlers,  smiths,  coopers,  shammy-dressers,  shipwrights,  joiners,  gun- 
smiths, blockmakers,  planters,  watchmakers,  silk-throwsters,  apothe- 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  23 

caries  and  one  doctor.  It  was  upon  the  expectation  tliat  these  people 
could  raise  wine  and  silk  in  Carolina  that  Charles  the  Second,  upon 
the  petition  of  Rene  Petit,  in  1669,  ordered  two  small  vessels  to  be 
provided  at  his  expense  to  transport  them  to  the  province.  But 
though,  as  Ramsay  says,  they  did  not  succeed  in  enriching  the  coun- 
try with  their  valuable  commodities,  their  descendants  form  a  great 
and  most  influential  part  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  state.  He  gives  the 
following  list  of  a  number  of  respectable  and  influential  families 
which  sprung  from  this  stock,  to-wit:  Bonneau,  Bonnetheau,  Bor- 
deaux, Benoist,  Boiseau,  Bocquet,  Bacot,  Chevalier,  Cordes,  Cout- 
terier,  Chastaignier,  Du  Pre,  De  Lysle,  Du  Bose,  Du  Bois,  De  Veau, 
Dutarque,  De  la  Consiliere,  De  Leiseline,  Dousaint,  Du  Pont, 
Du  Bourdieu,  D'Harrette,  Faucheraud,  F"oissin,  Faysour,  Gaillard, 
Gendron  Gignilliat,  Guerard,  Godin,  Giradeau,  Guerin,  Gourdine, 
Morry,  Huger,  Jeannerette,  Legare,  Laurens,  La  Roche  Lenud, 
Lansac,  Marion,  "Mazyck,  Manigault,  Mellichamp,  Mouzon,  Michau 
Neufville,  Prioleau,  Peroneau,  Perdriau,  Porcher,  Postell,  Peyar,  Rave- 
nel,  Royer,  Simons,  Sarazim,  St.  Julien,  Serre,  Trezvant.  _  In  the 
eighty  years  since  Dr.  Ramsay  wrote,  many  of  these  families  have 
died  out  and  their  names  have  become  unknown.  These  Huguenots 
settled,  the  most  of  them,  in  Craven  and  Berkeley  counties,  and 
formed  the  parishes  of  St.  James  Santee,  St.  John's  Berkeley  and  St. 
Dennis.     Some  established  themselves  in  Charleston. 

In  many  parts  of  the  country,  certainly  in  the  old  colonial  states 
and  notably  in  South  Carolina,  there  has  been  formed  a  society  and 
a  social  order  of  their  own.  This  society  in  South  Carolina  rests 
upon  its  own  institutions  and  has  grown  out  of  its  own  peculiar  con- 
ditions. Doubtless  it  is  founded  upon  inherited  English  tastes,  tinc- 
tured by  the  Barbadian  influences  and  English  intercourse,  so  much 
cultivated  in  the  century  of  colonial  existence,  and  upon  the  gentle 
manner  derived  from  the  Huguenots.  But  this  social  order  is  indi- 
genous to  the  soil  and  is  the  outgrowth  of  local  circumstances  and  in- 
fluences. The  people  of  South  Carolina  have  made  a  society  of  their 
own  which  is  neither  Cavalier  nor  Huguenot,  but  which  is  the  equal 
in  culture  and  refinement  to  that  of  any  other  country. 

The  charters  and  F'undamental  Constitutions,  as  they  were  called, 
under  which  the  colony  was  founded,  doubtless  had  a  great  influence 
upon  the  formation  of  its  society.  The  proprietary  charter  of  Mary- 
land is  usually  assumed  to  have  been  the  model  of  that  of  Carolina; 
but  in  fact,  both  that  of  Maryland  and  Carolina  were  based  upon  the 
charters  of  the  West  India  colonies.  That  of  Carolina,  24th  of  March, 
1663,  followed  the  precedent  of  the  patent  of  Charles  the  First  to  the 
Earl  of  Carlisle.  It  constituted  the  grantees  absolute  proprietors  and 
Lords  of  the  province  and  established  an  aristocratic  government,  in 
which,  however,  there  was  reserved  to  the  people  the  safeguard  that 
no  law  affecting  the  rights  or  interests  of  any  person  in  his  freehold 
goods  or  chattels  should  be  enacted  without  their  assent  in  general 
assembly,  nor  should  any  laws  be  adopted  but  such  as  were  agreeable 
to  the  laws  and  statutes  of  England.     The  Church  of  England  was 


24 


SOUTH    CAROLINA. 


established  as  the  church  of  state,  but  indulgences  and  dispensations 
were  provided  to  such  persons  as  from  their  conscience  could  not  con- 
form to  its  liturgy  and  ceremonies.  In  1665  a  second  charter  was 
bestowed  upon  the  same  noblemen,  chiefly,  it  is  supposed,  because 
the  extent  of  territory  given  in  the  first  did  not  include  all  the  region 
which  England  was  disposed  to  claim.  There  were,  however,  some 
other  differences.  In  the  first,  the  territory  granted  was  spoken  of  as 
one  province.  In  the  second,  power  was  given  to  subdivide  the  pro- 
vince into  counties,  baronies  and  colonies  with  separate  and  distinct 
jurisdictions,  liberties  and  privileges.  But  the  most  important  differ- 
ence was  in  the  larger  liberty  of  conscience  secured  to  the  colonists 
in  matters  of  religion  —  a  provision  which  was  made  especially  for  the 
encouragement  of  dissenters  in  coming  to  the  province.  These 
charters  were  followed  by  that  most  remarkable  instrument,  "  the  Fun- 
damental Constitutions"  the  joint  product  of  the  study  of  the  philoso- 
pher Locke  in  his  closet,  and  of  the  worldly  wisdom  of  the  man  of 
affairs  Shaftsbury,  and  yet  the  result  of  which  was  the  foolish  effort 
to  establish  what  would  at  best  have  been  but  a  burlesque  nobility 
formed  of  needy  emigrants  and  adventurers  in  the  wild  woods  among 
savagfs  and  wild  beasts.  It  is  curious  enough  that  such  a  scheme 
should  have  been  the  result  of  the  collaboration  of  two  such  men  of 
eminent  ability  as  well  in  public  affairs  as  in  science,  but  still  more 
strange  is  it  that  such  a  plan  for  establishing  a  new  colony  should 
have  been  well  received  and  solemnly  adopted  and  its  enforcement 
persistently  attempted  by  the  whole  body  of  the  Proprietors,  all  of 
whom  were  men  of  experience. 

This  instrument  commenced  with  a  declaration  of  its  purpose 
"that  we  may  establish  a  government  agreeable  to  the  monarchy  of 
which  Carolina  is  a  part,  that  we  may  avoid  making  too  numerous  a 
democracy."  A  palatine  was  to  be  chosen  from  among  the  Proprie- 
tors who  was  to  act  as  president  of  the  palatine  court,  composed  of 
the  seven  Proprietors,  which  was  entrusted  with  the  execution  of  the 
powers  of  the  charter.  A  body  of  hereditary  nobility  was  created 
and  denominated  landgraves  and  caciques,  terms  chosen  because 
they  were  required  by  the  charter  to  be  unlike  the  titles  of  nobility  of 
England.  The  title  landgrave  was  borrowed  from  that  of  the  Ger- 
man court  of  the  twelfth  century,  and  that  of  caciques  was  taken  from 
the  style  of  the  Indian  chiefs  of  Mexico  and  the  Caribbean  islands. 
The  whole  province  was  to  be  divided  into  counties  —  each  county  to 
consist  of  eight  seignories,  eight  baronies  and  four  precincts  —  each 
precinct  to  consist  of  six  colonies  —  each  seignory,  barony  and 
colony  was  to  consist  of  12,000  acres.  The  eight  seignories,  being 
the  shares  of  the  eight  proprietors  and  the  eight  baronies  of 
the  nobility,  comprised  two-fifths  parts  of  the  whole  province,  leav- 
ing the  colonies  to  consist  of  three-fifths  to  be  divided  amongst 
the  people.  The  seignories  and  baronies  were  to  be  perpetu- 
ally annexed,  the  first  to  the  Proprietors  and  the  others  to  the 
hereditary  nobility.  There  were  at  first  to  be  as  many  landgraves 
as  counties  and  twice  as  many  caciques  and   no  more.     These  were 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  2$ 

to  be  the  hereditary  nobility  of  the  province  and  by  ri<^ht  of  their 
dignity  to  be  members  of  the  parliament  as  the  assembly  was  grandly 
to  be  called.  It  is  strange  and  curious  that  these  philosophers 
and  statesmen,  Shaftsbury  and  Locke  who  drew  these  articles  and 
Clarendon  and  Albemarle  and  Carteret  and  Colleton  and  Craven  and 
Berkeley  who  agreed  to  them,  while  providing  and  considering  them, 
seem  apparently  to  have  left  entirely  out  of  view  the  essential  condi- 
tion that  under  the  royal  charter,  by  which,  and  by  which  alone  they 
could  prescribe  constitutions  and  laws  for  the  province  which  had 
been  granted  them,  it  had  been  expressly  provided  that  such  funda- 
mental constitution  could  be  enacted  only  "  by  and  with  the  advice, 
assent  and  approbation  of  the  freemen  of  the  said  province  or  of 
their  delegation  or  deputies."  Was  it  likely  that  such  freemen  would 
ever  consent  to  the  establishment  of  these  fundamental  constitutions, 
the  chief  end  of  which  was  to  transfer  the  rights  which  had  been  se- 
cured to  them  b}'  the  Royal  charter  to  an  aristocracy  over  which  they 
were  to  have  no  control?  Such  a  doubt  never  seems  to  have  occurred 
to  the  Proprietors.  Nor  indeed  do  they  seem  to  have  paid  the  slight- 
est attention  to  the  material  clause  in  their  charter.  Having  sent  out 
their  colony  under  Sayle  with  these  fundamental  constitutions  as  the 
law  of  the  provinces,  they  treated  them  as  of  force  though  the  colon- 
ists, frequently  urged  to  accept,  would  neither  in  any  way  receive  nor 
sanction  them.  But  though  never  accepted  by  the  people  and  so 
never  really  having  proper  formal  sanction,  it  is  undoubtedly  true 
that  the  provisions  of  these  articles  had  a  most  decided  effect  upon  the 
institutions  of  the  colony  and  impressed  upon  the  people,  and  their 
customs  and  habits,  the  tone  and  temper  of  that  instrument.  The 
province  was  in  fact,  to  a  considerable  extent,  laid  out  in  seignories, 
baronies  and  colonies  —  and  landgraves  and  caciques  were  actually 
appointed  and  took  possession  of  their  seignories  and  baronies.  Many 
tracts  of  land  are  still  called  baronies  and  bear  the  names  then  given 
them.  But  large  tracts  of  unprofitable  lands  could  not  well  sustain 
the  dignity  even  of  a  landgrave  or  a  cacique  and  quitrents  were  hard 
to  recover,  and  so  though  intended  to  be  perpetually  annexed  to  these 
grand  titles  they  were  soon  sold  piecemeal  to  the  commoners. 

In  1674  when  Nova  Belgia,  now  New  York,  was  conquered  by  the 
English,  a  number  of  the  Dutch  from  that  place  sought  refuge  in 
Carolina.  The  Proprietors  facilitated  their  desire  and  provided  ships 
which  conveyed  them  to  Charleston.  They  were  assigned  lands  on 
the  southwest  side  of  Ashley  river,  drew  lots  for  their  property  and 
founded  a  town  which  they  called  Jamestown,  but  which  they  after- 
ward deserted  and  spread  themselves  throughout  the  country,  push- 
ing up  from  the  Ashley  to  the  Edisto  river,  where  they  were  joined 
by  greater  numbers  from  ancient  Belgia  itself. 

Among  the  earliest  settlers  in  the  province  after  the  colony  under 
Sayle,  reinforced  from  Barbadoes  and  by  the  French  refugees  who 
were  sent  over  by  Charles  the  Second,  and  the  Germans  from  Nova 
Belgia  were  a  number  who  arrived  in  April,  1692,  in  the  ship  Loyal 
Ja))iaica,  commonly  called  the  privateer  vessel.     Of  the  twenty-two 


26  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

names  of  these,  given  in  Dalcho's  history  of  the  church,  as  far  as  is 
known,  the  descendants  of  but  one  are  still  living  in  South  Carolina; 
but  there  has  been  no  time  in  these  two  hundred  years  since  that 
there  have  not  been  men  of  distinction  of  this  name.  Thomas 
Pinckney,  who  is  mentioned  as  one  of  this  company  of  settlers,  had 
come  out  the  year  before  to  Carolina  and  now  returned  to  remain 
permanently.  He  was  a  merchant  trading  with  the  West  Indies,  and 
amassed  a  large  fortune.  He  left  three  sons,  Thomas,  Charles  and 
William.  Thomas  was  an  officer  in  the  British  army  and  died  without 
issue.  Both  the  other  sons  have  left  distinguished  families.  Charles 
Pinckney  was  probabl)-  the  first  native  lawyer  in  South  Carolina.  He 
was  speaker  of  the  commons  and  for  a  time  chief  justice  of  the 
province.  He  was  the  father  of  Gen.  Charles  Cotesworth  Pinckney 
and  Gen.  Thomas  Pinckney,  of  the  Revolution.  Gen.  Charles  Cotes- 
w^orth  Pinckney  left  no  son,  but  Gen.  Thomas  Pinckne^'s  descendants 
are  still  represented,  by  the  Rev.  Charles  Cotesworth  Pinckney,  D.  D., 
a  distinguished  divine  of  the  Episcopal  church,  well  known  through- 
out the  United  .States,  his  eldest  son,  Charles  Cotesworth  Pinckney. 
Jr.,  and  his  brother,  Capt.  Thomas  Pinckney.  William  Pincknej',  the 
third  son  of  Thomas  Pinckney,  the  emigrant,  was  the  father  of  Col. 
Charles  Pinckney,  a  man  of  great  prominence  in  the  affairs  of  the 
province  and  the  president  of  the  council  of  safety  upon  the  outbreak 
of  the  Revolution.  His  son,  Charles  Pinckney,  was  with  his  cousin. 
Gen.  Charles  Cotesworth  Pinckney,  a  member  of  the  convention 
w'hich  framed  the  constitution  of  the  United  States,  and  has  indeed 
been  called  the  father  of  it.  He  was  also  governor  of  the  state.  His 
son,  Henry  Laurens  Pinckney,  was  a  man  of  great  prominence  in  his 
day,  a  member  of  congress  and  mayor  of  the  city  of  Charleston. 
This  branch  of  the  family  is  now  represented  by  Henry  L.  Pinckney, 
a  gentleman  of  culture  leading  a  retired  life. 

In  the  summer  of  1682,  the  Lords  Proprietors  entered  into  an 
agreement  with  Lord  Cardross  and  other  Scotch  gentlemen,  who  pro- 
posed to  send  out  io,(X>o  emigrants,  to  grant  them  a  large  tract  of  land 
in  Carolina,  and  alterations  were  made  in  th^  Fundamental  Constitu- 
tions because  it  was  thought  those  laws  were  not  sufhcient  to  secure 
them  against  oppression.  Like  the  French  Protestants  they  were  led 
to  Carolina  by  their  desire  to  escape  tyranny  and  religious  intoler- 
ance at  home.  Lord  Cardross  arrived  at  Port  Royal  in  1683,  and 
commenced  a  settlement  to  be  called  "  Stuart's  Town."  He  was  ac- 
companied by  about  ten  families  among  whose  names  were  those  of 
Hamilton,  Montgomerie  and  Dunlop.  The  colony  was  unfortunate 
from  its  inception.  It  incurred  the  ill-will  of  the  other  settlers  be- 
cause of  its  exclusive  privileges,  and  the  place  of  their  settlement  at 
the  time  was  most  injudicious.  Its  neighborhood  to  the  Spaniards  at 
St.  Augustine  rendered  it  a  most  dangerous  situation,  a  danger  which 
was  soon  realized.  In  1686,  the  colony  was  attacked  by  the  Indians 
and  Spaniards  and  miserably  destroyed.  The  few  who  escaped  took 
refuge  in  Charleston. 

In  the  year  1696,  Carolina  received    a  small  accession  of  inhabi- 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  27 

tants  by  the  arrival  of  a  Congregational  church  from  Dorchester,  in 
IVIassachusetts,  who  with  their  minister  settled  in  a  body  near  the  head 
of  the  Ashley  river,  about  twenty  miles  from  Charleston.  This  colony 
was  composed  of  a  company  of  Puritans  who  early  in  1630,  had 
sailed  from  Plymouth,  England,  and  settled  in  Massachusetts.  Thence 
they  removed  to  Carolina.  Their  choice  of  situation  was  also  unfor- 
tunate. It  was  unhealthy  and  confined  to  a  tract  of  land  too  small  for 
their  purposes.  Those  who  had  still  kept  together  as  a  community 
again  removed  in  1752,  and  settled  at  Medway,  Liberty  county,  Ga. 
Several  families  of  Colleton  county,  however,  have  come  from  this 
stock.  The  ruins  of  their  fort  and  their  church  may  yet  be  seen  near 
Summerville. 

The  last  year  of  the  seventeenth  century  was  a  year  of  disaster  to 
the  infant  colony.  It  was  attacked  by  pirates  that  infested  the 
coasts  at  the  time,  a  dreadful  hurricane  visited  Charleston,  small-pox 
raged  in  it,  and  a  great  fire  laid  most  of  it  in  ashes.  Happily  few  in 
the  town  were  lost  by  the  hurricane,  but  a  vessel  accidently  in  the 
harbor  was  wrecked  with  great  destruction  of  life.  Out  of  this  most 
awful  disaster,  however,  the  colony  received  an  emigrant  who  was  to 
exert  great  influence  and  to  leave  a  numerous  progeny  now  scattered 
all  over  the  state  of  South  Carolina.  The  R/siiio^Siui,  a  large  vessel 
belonging  to  Glasgow,  had  come  from  Darien  with  a  party  of  an- 
other unfortunate  Scotch  settlement  which  had  been  attempted  there. 
At  the  commencement  of  the  storm  the  vessel  was  riding  off  the  bar, 
and  the  captain  being  in  distress  sent  the  Rev.  Archibald  .Stobo  and 
his  wife  and  some  others  in  a  boat  to  the  town  to  solicit  assistance. 
Before  the  boat  returned,  the  hurricane  took  place  and  every  soul  on 
board  was  lost.  Archibald  Stobo,  thus  almost  miraculously  saved, 
lived  to  become  the  founder  of  several  churches,  and  to  be  most  in- 
fluential in  forming  the  first  Presbytery  organized  in  the  province, 
the  third  in  priority  of  organization  of  all  the  Presbyteries  of  the 
United  States. 

But  in  spite  of  these  disasters,  as  Rivers,  the  historian  says,  at 
the  opening  of  the  new  century  we  must  cease  to  look  upon  South 
Carolina  as  the  home  of  indigent  emigrants  struggling  for  sub- 
sistence. While  numerous  slaves  cultivated  the  extensive  planta- 
tions, their  owners,  educated  gentlemen,  and  here  and  there  of  noble 
families,  had  abundant  leisure  for  social  intercourse,  living  as  they  did 
in  easy  access  to  Charleston  where  the  governor  resided,  the  courts 
and  the  legislature  convened  and  the  public  offices  were  kept.  The 
road  that  led  up  from  the  fortified  town  between  the  two  broad  rivers 
so  enchanted  Gov.  Archdale  that  he  believed  no  prince  in  Europe 
could  make  a  walk  for  the  whole  year  round  so  pleasant  and  beauti- 
ful. From  the  road  to  the  right  and  the  left  avenues  of  oaks  in 
mossy  festoons,  and  in  springtime  redolent  with  jasmines,  gave  the 
passer-by  glimpses  of  the  handsome  residences  —  and  from  spacious 
verandas  could  be  seen,  on  the  east,  the  beautiful  waters  of  the  bay, 
on  the  west,  the  Ashley  river.  Hospitality,  refinement  and  literary 
culture  distinguished  the  higher  class  of  gentlemen.     At  this  time, 


28  SOUTH   CAROLINA. 

says  Rivers,  one  passed  in  riding  up  the  road,  the  plantations  of 
Mathews,  Green,  Starkey,  Gray,  Grimball,  Dickson  and  Izard  on  the 
Cooper  river  and  farther  up  those  of  Sir  John  Yeamans,  Landgrave 
Belhnger,  Col.  Gibbes,  IMr.  Schenking,  Col.  Moore,  Col.  Quarry  and 
Sir  Xathanial  Johnson.  On  the  left,  Landgrave  West,  Col.  Godfrey, 
Dr.  Trevillian,  Mr.  Colleton  and  others  had  plantations.  In  other 
directions  lived  Col.  Paul  Grimball,  Landgrave  Blake,  a  Proprietor, 
Landgrave  Axtell,  and  others;  while  many  residences  in  the  town,  as 
those  of  Landgrave  Smith  and  Col.  Rhett,were  said  to  be  very  handsome 
buildings,  "with  fifteen  or  more  which  deserved  to  be  taken  notice 
of."  In  sight  of  these  residences  could  be  seen  entering  the  harbor 
vessels  from  Jamaica,  Barbadoes  and  the  Leeward  Islands,  from  Vir- 
ginia and  her  colonies,  and  the  always  welcome  ships  from  England* 
These  were  the  Cavaliers,  as  Hewat  and  Ramsay  term  them,  who 
having  ample  grant  of  lands  brought  on  their  families  and  effects 
and  settled  in  Carolina.  They  were  highly  favored  by  the  Proprie- 
tors, and  respected  as  men  of  honor,  loyalty  and  fidelity;  they  were 
preferred  to  offices  of  trust  and  authority,  and  some  of  them  were 
made  landgraves  and  caciques.  They  were  nearly  all  churchmen. 
But  the  Puritans,  many  of  whom  were  in  the  province,  viewed  them 
with  jealous  eyes,  and  having  suffered  from  them  in  England,  could 
not  bear  to  see  power  committed  to  them  in  Carolina.  While  one 
party  was  attached  to  the  Church  of  England,  the  other,  which  had 
fled  from  the  rigor  of  ecclesiastical  power,  was  jealous  above  all 
things  of  religious  liberties  and  could  bear  no  encroachments  upon 
them.  Another  source  of  difficulty,  says  Rivers,  arose  from  the  dif- 
ferent manners  of  the  colonists.  Some  of  the  first  emigrants  unac- 
customed to  rural  labors  and  frugal  simplicity  were  pampered  citizens 
whose  wants  luxury  had  increased  and  rendered  impatient  of  fatigue. 
By  such  the  sober  lives  and  rigid  morals  of  the  Puritans  were  made 
the  objects  of  ridicule.  The  Puritans  on  the  other  hand,  exasper- 
ated against  these  scorners,  we  are  told,  violently  opposed  their  influ- 
ence among  the  people.  Hence  arose  difficulties  in  framing  laws,  in 
distributing  justice  and  maintaining  public  order.  But  the  Cavaliers 
or  church  party.had  certainly  this  to  say:  that  under  both  charters 
and  the  fundamental  constitutions  the  colony  from  the  very  inception 
was  intended  to  be  a  Church  of  England  colony.  All  who  came  had 
full  notice  that  it  was  the  purpose  of  the  Proprietors  "  to  take  care 
for  the  building  of  churches  and  the  maintenance  of  the  divines  to 
be  employed  in  the  exercise  of  religion  according  to  the  Church  of 
England  "  which  was  declared  to  be  the  only  true  and  orthodox  and 
national  religion  of  all  the  King's  dominions  and  hence  also  of  Caro- 
lina, and  therefore  alone  enabled  to  receive  a  public  maintenance. 

But  both  the  Charters  and  the  F"undamental  Constitutions  guar- 
anteed the  fullest  liberties  of  conscience  to  all,  and  however  much 
the  Cavaliers  may  have  in  private  intercourse  sneered  at  the  formal 
planner  of  the  Puritans,  there  was  no  attempt  until  1704  to  enforce 
in  the  least  the  recognition  of  the  established  church  upon  officials. 

■  Chapter  on  the  Colonial  1  listory  of  Carolina. — Rivers. 


SOUTH    CAROMNA.  29 

It  is  true  that  such  an  attempt  was  then  made,  but  it  was  resisted  as 
much  by  churchmen  as  by  dissenters,  and  was  never  enforced.  In- 
deed we  cannot  doubt  that  the  excellent  historians,  Hewat,  Ramsay 
and  Rivers,  have  been  misled  as  to  the  extent  and  violence  of  this 
early  difference  upon  relijj^ious  subjects.  The  dissenting  congrega- 
tions certainly  throve  in  the  colony.  It  is  believed  that  the  French 
Huguenot  church  in  Charleston  was  built  as  early  as  1681.  The  in- 
dependent, or  Congregational  church,  was  established  about  i6qo.  It 
is  certain  that  Carolina  was  regarded  as  a  place  of  refuge  to  the  Baptist. 
The  Rev.  William  Screven,  a  Baptist  clergyman,  having  emigrated  to 
America  in  i6Si  and  settled  at  Kittery,  in  the  territory  which  is  now 
the  state  of  Maine,  was  driven  thence  by  persecution  and  sought 
refuge  in  Carolina,  and  with  Lady  Blake,  the  wife  of  Joseph  Blake, 
who  was  afterward  governor,  and  her  mother.  Lady  Axtell,  wife  of 
one  of  the  landgraves,  who  were  also  Baptists,  or  Ana-Baptists  as 
they  were  then  called,  founded  a  church  for  which  William  Elliott, 
another  Baptist,  in  1699,  gave  the  lot  upon  which  the  church  building 
now  stands.  The  Friends  or  Quakers'  meeting  house  was  built  soon 
after  the  arrival  in  1695,  of  Gov.  Archdale,  himself  a  Quaker,  as 
Sayle,  the  first  governor,  is  also  said  to  have  been.  There  could 
scarcely  have  been  much  ill-feeling  between  those  of  the  Church  of 
England  and  of  the  other  denominations,  for  in  1698  while  Blake, 
himself  a  dissenter,  was  governor,  and  the  greater  portion  of  his 
council  were  likewise,  provision  was  made  for  the  maintenance  of  the 
Church  of  England.  Indeed,  Lady  Blake,  Baptist  as  she  was,  was  a 
patroness  of  the  established  church,  and  contributed  liberally  towarci 
the  advancement  of  the  first  church  built  in  the  province,  the  old  St. 
Philip's,  which  stood  at  the  corner  of  Broad  and  Meeting  streets  where 
St.  Michael's  now  stands. 

From  1700  the  colony  was  distracted  by  the  civil  broils  and  com- 
motions under  the  inefficient  government  of  the  Lords  Proprietors, 
which  was  finally  overthrown  in  1719;  but  it  was  not  until  1729  that 
the  surrender  by  the  Proprietors  had  been  fully  obtained  and  the 
Royal  government  firmly  established.  Vigorous  measures  were  then 
immediately  adopted  by  the  government  in  England  for  the  more 
speedy  population  and  settlement  of  the  province.  Gov.  Robert 
Johnson  —  the  son  of  Sir  Nathanial,  the  former  governor  who  had 
been  the  governor  under  the  Proprietors  when  their  rule  was  over- 
thrown, was  now  sent  back  with  a  commission  from  the  King  and  he 
was  instructed  to  mark  out  eleven  townships  in  square  plats  on  the 
side  of  the  river  each  consisting  of  20,000  acres  and  to  divide  the 
lands  within  them  into  shares  of  fifty  acres  for  each  man,  woman  and 
child  that  should  come  over  to  improve  them.  Each  township  was 
to  form  a  parish  and  all  the  inhabitants  were  to  have  an  equal  right 
to  the  river.  So  soon  as  the  parish  increased  in  number  of  an  hundred 
families  it  was  to  have  the  right  to  send  two  members  of  their  own 
election  to  the  assembly  and  to  enjoy  the  same  privileges  as  the  other 
parishes  already  established.  Each  settler  was  to  pay  four  shillings 
a  year  for  every  hundred  acres  of  land  excepting  the  first  ten  years 


30  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

during  which  they  were  to  be  rent  free.  Eleven  townships  were  ac- 
cordingly marked  out,  two  on  the  river  Altamaha  (now  in  Georgia), 
two  on  the  Savannah,  two  on  the  Pee  Dee,  one  on  the  VVaccamaw, 
one  on  the  Wateree  and  one  on  the  Black  river.  The  door  was 
thrown  open. to  Protestants  of  all  denominations  and  contracts  were 
made  and  other  inducements  held  out  to  settlers.  In  this  way  be- 
tween the  years  1730  and  1750,  a  great  addition  to  the  strength 
of  the  Province  was  made  by  emigrants  from  Germany,  Holland, 
Switzerland,  Ireland,  Scotland  and  Wales. 

Before  we  speak  of  the  general  tide  of  emigration  which  set  in  at 
this  time,  the  arrival  of  two  families  deserves  to  be  especially  noticed. 
Henri  de  Saussure,  of  Lusanne,  Switzerland,  emigrated  to  Carolina 
in  1 73 1,  and  settled  near  Coosawatchie,  where  he  lived  and  died,  and 
where  his  monument  is  still  found.  He  was  the  founder  of  a  large 
and  most  influential  family,  his  descendants  in  1841  numbering  129,  a 
number  now  vastly  increased,  and  of  whom  there  have  been  several 
distinguished  citizens.  Among  his  descendants  was  an  officer  in 
the  St.  Augustine  expedition  in  1740  —  another  fell  at  the  Siege  of 
Savannah  in  1779.  William  Henry  de  Saussure,  the  grandson,  be- 
came chancellor,  and  is  known  as  the  father  of  equity  jurisprudence 
in  South  Carolina.  Chancellor  de  Saussure  left  three  sons,  dis- 
tinguished as  lawyers:  William  F.  de  Saussure,  of  Columbia,  once  in 
the  United  States  senate;  Henry  A.  de  Saussure,  of  Charleston,  and 
John  M.de  Saussure,  of  Camden  —  also  two  grandsons  of  the  same  pro- 
fession. Gen.  Wilmot  G.  de  Saussure,  of  Charleston,  and  Col.  William 
Davie  de  Saussure,  of  Columbia,  who  fell  at  Gettysburg.  About  the 
same  time,  two  brothers,  Andrew  Rutledge,  a  lawyer,  and  John  Rut- 
ledge,  a  physician,  arrived  and  settled  in  Charleston.  Andrew  Rut- 
ledge  at  once  obtained  a  high  position  in  the  colony  and  was  speaker 
of  commons  in  1751.  He  died  without  issue, but  he  had  established  the 
name  which  was  to  be  perpetuated  in  the  illustrious  descendants  of 
his  brother,  Dr.  John  Rutledge,  whose  distinguished  trio  of  sons, 
John,  Hugh  and  Edward,  took  so  prominent  a  part  in  the  Revolution. 
The  family  of  John  Rutledge  is  now  represented  by  Capt.  John  Rut- 
ledge, formerly  of  the  United  States  navy,  late  of  the  Confederate 
States  navy,  and  his  brother,  Dr.  Hugh  Rutledge,  of  Greenville,  and 
Messrs.  James  and  Robert  S.  Rutledge  —  that  of  Hugh  Rutledge  by 
Gen.  Benjamin  Huger  Rutledge,  and  that  of  Edward  Rutledge  by 
Col.  Henry  Middleton  Rutledge. 

The  German  emigrants,  ascending  the  Ashley  River  and  crossing 
thence  to  the  Edistt),  pushed  on  to  the  interior  until  they  struck  the 
Congaree,  following  the  left  bank  of  which  they  occupied  the  town- 
ships called  in  their  honor  Amelia,  Orangeburg  and  Saxe-Gotha,  and 
formed  the  basis  of  the  population  of  the  present  counties  of  Orange- 
burg and  Lexington  and  that  part  of  Newberry  which  lies  in  the  fork 
of  the  Broad  and  Saluda  Rivers  which  thereby  acquired  the  name  of 
the  Dutch  l'"ork.  These  settlers  are  now  represented  by  the  families, 
among  others  of  Dantzler,  Izlar,  Keitt,  Rumph,  Wannamaker,  Stro- 
man.   Sallcy,    Haigles,    Reckenbacker,   Shuler,   .Stondemure,    Hesse, 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  3  I 

Moores,  Felder,  Ott,  Bozarclt,  Baltzicger,  Felkel,  Brandenliurg, 
Hydrick,  I  lilderbrand,  Zimmerman,  Frosner,  Amaker,  Molman, 
Bookhardt,  Snider,  Keller,  Slater,  Syfelt,  Smooke,  Culler  and  Inab- 
inet  in  Orangeburg.  The  Summers,  Mayers,  Ruffs,  Eiglebergers, 
Counts,  Slighs,  Piesters,  Grays,  DeVValts,  Boozers,  Busbys,  Buzzards, 
SheaJys,  Bedenbaughs,  Cromers,  Berleys,  Hellers,  Koons,  Wingards, 
Subers,  Folks,  Dickerts,  Capplemans,  Halfacres,  Chapmans,  Blacks, 
Kinards,  Bouknights,  Barrs,  Harmons,  Bowers,  Kiblers,  Gallmans, 
Levers,  Hartmans,  Ficks,  Stoudemoyers,  Dominicks,  Singleys,  Bu- 
lows,  Paysingers,  Wallerns,  Staleys,  Ridlehoovers,  Librands,  Leaph- 
arts,  Hopes,  Houseals,  Bernhards,  Shulers,  Haltiwangers,  Swigarts, 
Meetzes,  Shumperts,  Fulmores,  Livingstons,  Schmitz,  Eleazers, 
Drehers,  Loricks,  Wises,  Crotwells,  Youngeners,  Nunamakers, 
Souters,  Eptings  and  Huff  mans,  settled  almost  in  a  body  on  the  fork 
between  the  Broad  and  Saluda  rivers;  and  their  settlements  extended 
from  the  junction  of  the  two  rivers  opposite  to  where  Columbia  now 
siands  to  within  three  and  a  half  miles  of  Newberry.* 

In  1732,  Jean  Pierre  Purry,  a  native  of  Neufchatel,  in  Switzer- 
land, having  formed  the  design  of  leaving  his  native  country,  paid 
a  visit  to  Carolina,  to  inform  himself  of  the  province.  After  viewing 
the  lands  and  procuring  all  the  information  he  could,  he  returned  to 
England  and  entered  into  a  contract  by  which  the  government  agreed 
to  give  lands  and  400  pounds  sterling  for  every  100  efficient  men  he 
should  transport  from  Switzerland  to  Carolina.  Purry,  having  fur- 
nished himself  with  a  flattering  account  of  the  soil  and  climate  and  of 
the  freedom  of  the  government,  returned  to  Switzerland  and  pub- 
lished it  among  the  people.  Liimediately  170  poor  Switzers  agreed 
to  follow  him,  and  were  transported  to  the  fertile  and  delight- 
ful province  as  he  described  it,  and  not  long  after  200  more  came 
over  and  joined  them.  The  governor  agreeable  to  instructions,  al- 
loted  them  40,000  acres  on  the  Savannah  river  and  marked  out  for 
them  a  township,  which  he  called  Purrysburg,  in  honor  of  the  promo- 
ter of  the  settlement.  Mr.  Bignon,  a  Swiss  minister,  took  Episcopal 
ordination  from  the  bishop  of  London,  in  order  to  comply  with  the 
church  of  the  province  and  settled  among  them.  Every  encourage- 
ment was  given  to  these  new  settlers,  to  each  of  them  a  separate  tract 
of  land  was  allotted,  but  unfortunately  agreat  mistake  had  been  made 
in  their  location,  probably  from  the  desire  of  the  government  to  es- 
tablish a  colony  between  the  Spaniards  and  Indians  in  Florida  and 
the  older  settlements  in  Carolina.  The  Switzers,  fresh  from  the 
mountains  of  their  native  country,  could  not  stand  the  malarious 
swamps  of  the  Savannah  and  they  sickened  and  died.  This  was  one 
of  the  experiences  of  the  early  settlers  of  the  impossibilit}'  of  clearing 
and  cultivating  the  swamp  lands  by  means  of  white  labor,  which  had 
so  much  to  do  with  the  imposing  of  negro  slave  labor  upon  the  prov- 
ince and  state. 

An  Irish  colony  was  moved  by  the  advantages  offered  by  the  gov- 

'(O'Neall's  Annals  of  Newberry.)     These  names  are  now  found   also  in  Lexington,  Edgefield,  Rich- 
land and  Newberry. 

« 


02  •        SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

eminent  to  embark  for  America.  On  the  gth  of  November,  1732, 
James  Pringle  and  other  Irish  Protestants  petitioned  the  council  that 
their  passage  might  be  paid.  The  council  agreed  that  if  they  would 
settle  in  a  township  according  to  Her  Majesty's  instructions  as  the 
Swiss  had  done,  they  should  have  like  encouragement.  They  ac- 
cepted; and  the  township,  which  had  been  laid  out  by  Royal  authority 
in  1731,  between  the  Black  river  and  Lynche's  creek  —  a  branch  of 
the  Great  Pee  Dee  —  including  an  area  of  twenty  square  miles,  was 
granted  to  them.  The  township  was  named  by  its  inhabitants  "  Will- 
iamsburg" in  honor  of  William  III,  prince  of  Orange.  In  1734  John 
Witherspoon,  who  was  born  near  Glasgow  in  Scotland  about  the  year 
1670,  and  who  on  account  of  the  persecution  suffered  there  during 
the  reign  of  the  Stuarts  had  removed  into  Down,  Ireland,  came  to 
South  Carolina  and  settled  at  Williamsburg.  Accompanying  him 
were  his  sons  David,  James,  Robert  and  Gavin,  and  his  daughters 
Jennett,  Elizabeth  and  Mary,  and  their  husbands  John  Flem- 
ing, WiUiam  James  and  David  Wilson.  The  names  of  the  other  col- 
onists as  far  as  they  can  now  be  ascertained  were  James  McClelland, 
William  Sym,  David  Allan,  William  Wilson,  Robert  Wilson,  James 
Bradley,  William  Fierson,  John  James,  William  Hamilton,  Archibald 
Hamilton,  Roger  Gordon,  John  Porter,  John  Lemon,  David  Pressley, 
William  Pressley,  Archibald  McRae,  James  Armstrong  and  Messrs. 
P2win,  Plowden,  Stuart  and  McDonald.* 

The  inducement  offered  in  connection  with  the  laying  out  of  these 
townships  led  to  a  visit  by  some  Welsh  from  Pennsylvania  in  1735. 
Upon  their  application  an  extensive  tract  of  land  was  appropriated 
for  their  sole  benefit.  John  Ouldfield  was  directed  to  lay  out  for 
them  173,850  acres  in  Craven  county,  10,000  of  which  were  to  be 
within  the  limits  of  the  township  of  Oueensboro,  which  had  been  laid 
out  on  the  Great  Pee  Dee  a  short  distance  above  the  mouth  of  the 
Little  Pee  Dee.  The  survey  was  made  and  was  known  as  the 
"  Welsh  Tract."  In  1736  a  company  of  these  Welsh  settled  on  Cat 
I' ish  stream,  a  stream  in  what  is  now  Marion  county.  They  remained 
there  a  short  time  and  then  removed  higher  up  to  that  rich  and  com- 
pact body  of  land  embraced  in  the  bend  of  the  river  opposite  to  the 
spot  where  the  village  of  Society  Hill  now  stands  and  which  was 
called  from  an  early  period  the  "  Welsh  Neck."  By  the  latter  part 
of  1737  most  of  the  families  from  Pennsylvania  had  arrived  and  the 
infant  colony  began  to  assume  an  organized  and  permanent  charac- 
ter. Under  its  leader,  James  James,  were  laid  the  foundations  for 
future  growth  and  prosperity.  From  these  emigrants  have  de- 
scended many  of  the  most  distinguished  men  of  the  state.  In  the 
list  of  township  plots  occur  the  names  of  Thomas  James,  Griffiths 
Jones,  William  James,  John  Newberry,  Henry  Oldacre,  Hasker 
Newberry,  Evan  Harry,  William  Eynon,  James  Roger,  David  James, 
Thomas  I'Lvans,  Daniel  Dousnal,  John  Jones,  .Samuel  .Sarancc,  Rich- 
ard Barrow,  l-^an  Vaughn,  Al)cl  James,  William  Tarell,  Thomas 
Walley.  I'liilij)  James,  Sampson  Thomas,  Jacob  Buckles,  Peter  Kish- 

'  History  of  Williamsburj;  cliiircli. 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  33 

ley,  John  livans,  John  Newberry,  Abel  Evans,  Jeremiah  Rowell, 
James  Rowland,  John  Westficld,  Thomas  Eilerby,  Simon  Parsons, 
John  Carter,  Job  Edwards,  Daniel  James,  Philip  Douglass,  William 
Carey,    David    Malahan,   Thomas    Moses   and    Nicholas    Rogers.* 

Among  the  prominent  and  inHuential  families  which  were  founded 
by  these  people  were  the  James,  Evans,  Rogers,  Rogersons,  Ellerbys, 
Pughs,  Lides,  Kollocks,  Harringtons,  Kolbs,  Pegues,  Pawleys  and 
Powells. 

The  battle  of  Culloden,  which  occurred  In  April,  1746,  led  to  the 
emigration  of  many  families  from  Scotland  to  America;  inducements 
were  held  out  to  these  to  come  to  South  Carolina  and  the  "  High 
Hills  of  Santee,"  as  the  rolling  lands  between  Lynche's  creek  and  the 
Wateree,  in  what  is  now  Sumter  county,  were  called,  were  set  aside 
for  them;  but  these  exiles  were  driven  by  contrary  winds  into  the 
Cape  Fear,  and  thence  some  of  them  crossed  and  settled  higher  up, 
in  what  is  now  Darlington  county.  Of  these  are  the  families  of  Mc- 
Iver,  Mcintosh,  McCall  and  Cusac.  The  Chisholms,  a  large  and  in- 
fluential family  of  Charleston  and  the  low  countr}-,  were  also  refugees 
from  Culloden. 

In  1752  the  name  of  Gregg  first  appeared  on  the  Pee  Dee.  The 
family  was  of  Scottish  origin.  Not  long  after  the  time  of  Cromwell 
a  part,  if  not  all  of  them,  removed  from  the  north  of  Scotland  to 
Londonderry,  Ireland,  whence  the  emigration  to  America  took  place. 
On  the  3rd  of  July,  1752,  John  Gregg  petitioned  the  council,  stating  that 
he  was  desirous  of  settling  hnnself  and  family  in  the  province.  He 
obtained  grants  for  1,350  acres.  With  John  Gregg  came  a  brother, 
Joseph.  They  were  known,  as  were  many  others  who  came  to  the 
province  about  the  same  time,  as  Scotch-Irish  Presbyterians.  From 
these  brothers,  John  and  Joseph,  descended  the  large  connection  of 
the  names  most  numerously  represented  In  Marion  county.  John 
Gregg  was  the  ancestor  of  the  Right  Reverend  Ale.xander  Gregg, 
bishop  of  Texas  and  author  of  the  history  of  the  "Old  Cheraws," 
and  the  ancestor  also  of  Col.  James  Gregg,  a  distinguished  lawyer,  and 
of  his  still  more  distlngushed  son,  Gen.  Maxcy  Gregg,  a  lawyer,  states- 
man and  soldier,  who  fell  at  Fredericksburg  December,  13,  1862. 

In  the  first  settlement,  in  that  part  of  the  state  known  as  the  Pee 
Dee  section,  "  The  Old  Cheraws,"  various  types  of  race  and  character 
were  represented.  France,  England,  Wales,  Ireland,  Scotland,  Ger- 
many and  the  northern  province  of  America,  whose  inhabitants  had 
been  chiefly  drawn  f?om  the  same  sources,  all  contributed  in  a 
measure,  the  Welsh  predominating  In  the  central  locality  was  des- 
tined however  to  give  character  to  the  communit}-  around  it. 

The  exile  of  the  Arcadians  from  Nova  Scotia  brought  a  small  acces- 
sion of  population  to  South  Carolina.  About  1,500  of  them  were  sent 
to  Charleston  about  1755.  But  few  of  them  remained.  They  were 
not  welcomed  in  the  province,  as  they  were  Roman  Catholics,  and  the 
colonists  In  South  Carolina  were  Intensely  Protestant.  The  family 
of  Lanneau,  in  Charleston,  who  embraced  the  Protestant  faith,  are  of 

*  Gregg's  history  of  tlie  Old  Clieraws,  p.  56. 


34 


SOUTH    CAROLINA. 


this  Stock.  Two  of  them,  the  Rev.  John  F.  Lanneau,  long  a  mission- 
ary to  Jerusalem,  and  Basil  Edward  Lanneau,  for  some  years  Hebrew 
tutor  in  the  Presbyterian  theological  seminary  at  Columbia,  and 
afterward  professor  in  the  Oakland  college,  Mississippi,  have  been 
favorably  known  to  this  generation.  Professor  Basil  Lanneau  Gild- 
ersleeve,  the  famous  Greek  scholar,  belongs  to  this  family. 

The  upper  country  of  South  Carolina  of  to-day  presents  a  very 
different  aspect  from  that  of  the  same  .territory  in  the  middle  of  the 
eighteenth  century.  It  was  then  new  and  beautiful  and  as  remarkable 
for  the  luxuriant  richness  of  its  landscape  as  it  is  still  for  the  striking 
.  features  of  its  rolling  hills  and  rising  mountains.  It  was  interspersed 
with  forests  and  prairies  and  vast  brakes  of  cane,  the  latter  often 
stretching  in  unbroken  lines  of  evergreen  for  hundreds  of  miles 
from  the  alluvial  country  on  the  south  to  the  interior  source  of  the 
streams.  These  afforded  covert  and  food  for  wild  animals  of  many 
kinds.  The  buffalo  roamed  in  large  herds  through  the  woods  and 
prairies  and  found  both  pasture  and  concealment  in  the  cane  thickets 
of  the  river  and  creeks.  Fifteen  hundred  buffaloes  were  seen  graz- 
ing in  a  single  acre  of  ground  in  Abbeville.  Deer,  elk  and  numerous 
other  animals,  and  game  of  all  kinds  also  abounded.  Into  this 
region  the  hunters  first  penetrated.  The  ancient  hunter  of  upper 
Carolina  was  the  peculiar  product  of  this  age.  His  powers  were  just 
of  that  kind,  which  in  all  ages  have  elicited  the  warmest  admiration 
of  mankind.  Nothing  daunted  him,  and  to  the  lion-like  courage, 
strength  and  endurance,  says  the  historian  of  these  sections,  he 
added  the  activity  of  the  catamount  and  vigilance  of  the  hawk.  Even 
when  he  was  on  a  temporary  visit  to  the  settlements  or  in  Charleston 
procuring  a  fresh  supply  of  ammunition,  his  ceaseless  activity  be- 
trayed his  habits  and  wild  haunts.* 

Not  far  from  the  log  hut  of  the  hunter  stood  that  of  the  anv-drivcr, 
a  character  likewise  worthy  of  note.  His  life  was  one  of  self-reliance, 
hardships  and  active  vigilance,  and  in  it  were  trained  for  eminent 
usefulness  many  of  the  backwoods  soldiers  of  the  Revolution.  The 
cow-pen  was  quite  an  important  institution.  It  was  usually  officered 
with  superintendent  and  corps  of  sub-agents,  all  active,  experienced 
woodsmen  and  unfailing  shots.  For  these  a  hamlet  of  cabins  was 
erected  besides  the  large  enclosure  for  the  stock,  all  of  which,  with  a 
considerable  plat  of  cleared  land  in  the  vicinity  for  the  cultivation  of 
corn,  made  quite  an  opening  in  the  woods,  and,  as  the  same  historian 
says,  when  all  were  at  home  and  the  cattle  m  the  pens,  there  was  a 
very  noisy  civilized  scene  in  the  midst  of  the  savage  wilderness. 
These  were  the  ranches  of  the  olden  time  and  became  wherever 
founded  the  center  of  settlements  and  the  foundation  of  our  present 
towns.  Thomas  Nightingale,  the  maternal  ancestor  of  the  Johnsons 
of  Charleston,  had  a  ranch  or  cow-pen  six  miles  from  the  present  site 
of  Winnsboro.  Gen.  Andrew  Williamson  had  been  a  cow-driver  in 
his  youth,  and  Andrew  Pickens  was  engaged  in  the  business.  The 
present  county  of  Sumter  was  occupied  by  herdsmen.     The  Nelsons 

'  Log-in's  Ilisloiy  of  Upper  South  Carolina. 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  35 

near  the  ferry  of  that  name  marked  eight  or  ten  hundred  calves  every 
spring.  Many  of  the  Virginians  who  came  into  .South  Carolina  were 
ranchmen  or  cow-drivers  as  they  were  then  called.  These  were  the 
men  who  filled  Sumter's  ranks  and  were  the  heroes  of  Cowpens  and 
Kings  Mountain. 

The  hunter  was  followed  by  the  cow-driver,  and  the  cow-driver 
by  the  trader.  The  Indian  trader,  says  Logan,  was  a  far  more  inter- 
esting character  than  either  the  hunter  or  the  cow-driver.  Devoted 
as  he  was  to  the  arts  and  wrangle  of  gain,  he  nevertheless  possessed 
not  only  a  fearless  intrepedity  but  a  high  order  of  intelligence  and  in 
more  than  one  instance  education  and  extraordinary  learning.  Such 
a  man  was  James  Adair,  trader  and  historian,  Adair  was  forty  years 
a  trader  among  the  Cherokees  and  Chickasaws.  He  was  not  only 
well  versed  in  the  dialect  of  those  tribes,  but  was  also  learned  in  the 
Hebrew,  the  Oriental  and  Latin  languages.  His  "History  of  the 
American  Indian"  was  published  in  London  in  1745,  the  greater  part 
of  which  was  written  in  the  midst  of  the  arduous  duties  and  turmoil 
of  his  adventurous  career. 

Until  1750,  all  the  white  inhabitants  were  Europeans,  who  reached 
the  province  by  sea  and  passed  to  their  settlements  in  the  interior  by 
boats,  hence  the  interior  settlements  of  that  day  were  at  or  near 
River  landings.  Indeed  it  was  ordered  by  council  that,  in  laying  out 
the  townships,  the  lots  should  be  at  a  convenient  distance  from  the 
river.  These  settlements  had  not  extended  beyond  a  line  drawn 
from  Hamburg  through  Columbia  to  Cheraw,  a  line  running  nearly 
parallel  to  the  coast,  and  dividing  the  state  nearly  in  half.  Through- 
out these  sections  the  province  was  divided  into  parishes  and  town- 
ships—  the  townships  being  embryo  parishes,  to  become  such  as  soon 
as  each  increased  to  the  number  of  100  families.  The  parish  was 
the  basis  of  the  civil  as  well  as  religious  organization.  All  elections 
were  held  by  the  church  wardens;  all  notices,  legal  and  other,  were 
posted  at  the  church  door;  the  representation  in  the  commons  was 
by  parishes;  the  masters  of  the  free  schools  were  "to  be  of  the  re- 
ligion of  the  Church  of  England  and  conform  to  the  same;"  and  the 
vestries  were  the  overseers  of  the  poor,  and  as  such  had  power  to 
assess  and  lay  taxes. 

With  all  this  the  Huguenot,  though  in  strict  matter  of  faith  a  Cal- 
vinist,  had  no  disposition  to  quarrel,  and  early  adapted  himself  to  the 
arrangement.  He  was  kindly  disposed  to  the  church  of  England 
though  not  fully  agreeing  with  all  its  tenets.  When  first  driven 
from  France,  Canterbury  offered  an  asylum  to  these  persecuted 
protestants,  and  Archbishop  Parker,  with  the  consent  of  Queen 
Elizabeth,  granted  the  exiles  the  use  of  the  under  croft  or  crypt  of 
the  cathedral  where  "  the  gentle  and  profitable  strangers,"  as  the 
Archbishop  styled  them,  not  only  celebrated  their  worship  but  set  up 
their  looms  and  carried  on  their  several  trades.  The  Huguenots  had 
been  protected  by  Cromwell,  and  Charles  II  had  assisted  at  his  own 
expense  in  the  transportation  of  some  of  them  to  this  country.     They 


36  SOUTH   CAROLINA. 

did  not  object  to  a  liturgy.  Tliey  themselves  Iiad  been  accustomed 
to  use  one.  Unable,  from  their  scattered  condition  and  want  of  means 
to  maintain  their  own  form  of  worship,  they  readily  united  with  the 
Church  of  England.  They  had  at  first  attempted  to  establish  four 
churches  in  the  colony,  but  three  of  them  had  become  merged  in  the 
Episcopal  churches  in  their  vicinity.  Many  of  them  connected  them- 
selves with  the  Church  of  England  at  an  early  date.  In  the  earliest 
minutes  of  St.  Philip's,  then  the  only  church  in  the  colony,  the  names 
of  Huguenots  appear.  In  1732  we  find  in  the  vestry,  three  of  them. 
Col.  Prioleau,  Mr.  Manigault  and  Mr.  Motte,  and  soon  after,  the 
names  of  Laurens  and  Bacot  appear,  and  these  names  have  continued 
in  the  journals  almost  constantly  since.  Among  the  few  authentic 
original  grants  of  pews  in  the  old  St.  Philip's  church  is  one  dated  17th 
August,  1724,  to  Peter  Manigault,  a  Huguenot,  and  it  is  signed  by 
Elias  Prioleau,  another.  This  pew  is  still  held  and  occupied  by  the 
family  of  Manigault.  Mr.  Bignon,  the  Swiss  minister  who  came  out 
with  Purry's  colony,  had  accepted  the  Episcopal  ordination. 

The  dissenters  on  the  coast  protested  violently  against  the  assump- 
tion of  the  church  act  of  1704,  which  attempted  to  impose  a  religious 
test  in  civil  affairs;  but  when  that  was  defeated  they  made  no  opposi- 
tion to  that  of  1706,  which  established  the  church.  This  they  regarded 
as  warranted  under  the  charter  of  the  colony.  But  there  were  com- 
ing now  into  the  province  another  class  of  emigrants  who  were  bitterly 
opposed  to  the  Church  of  England. 

The  penal  laws  of  England  had  driven  into  exile  alike  the  Scottish 
Presbyterians,  who  defended  Londonderry,  and  the  Irish  Catholics 
who  besieged  it.  The  established  Church  of  England  had  pressed  her 
exclusive  pretentions  so  hardly  upon  her  Presbyterian  and  independ- 
ent allies  that  they  too  followed  the  aristocracy  of  Roman  Catholic 
Ireland  into  exile.  Many,  if  not  most  of  these  came  to  America  and 
first  settled  in  Pennsylvania,  and  there  re-enforced  by  considerable 
German  emigration,  pushed  forward  to  the  western  frontiers,  where 
they  found  themselves  in  immediate  contact  with  the  Indians  among 
whom  the  French  hostile  influence  was  predominant.  With  these 
they  speedily  became  involved  in  quarrels,  which  the  Quaker  in  Penn- 
sylvania in  the  settled  districts  regarded  as  needless  and  unrighteous 
and  so  excused  themselves  from  contributing  to  the  expense  of  the 
consequent  hostilities. 

The  defeat  of  Braddock  on  the  Qth  of  July,  1755,  opened  the  fron- 
tiers of  Pennsylvania  and  Virginia  to  the  savages,  and  these  Scotch- 
Irish  thus  exposed  to  the  horrors  of  Indian  war,  and  without  support 
from  the  wealthy  Quakers  of  the  east,  abandoned  Pennsylvania  and 
came  down  following  the  foot  of  the  mountains  and  spreading  them- 
selves from  Staunton,  Va.,  to  the  Waxhaws  of  South  Carolina,  from 
which  point  they  peopled  the  upper  country  of  the  state. 

As  Dr.  I'^oote  in  his  sketches  of  North  Carolina  observes,  for 
about  two  centuries  and  a  half  this  race  of  people  had  but  one  set  of 
morals    and    religious    and    political    principles     working    out    the 


SOUTH   CAROLINA.  T,J 

noblest  frame  work  of  society;  obedience  to  the  first  exercise  of 
law,  independence  of  spirit;  a  sense  of  moral  obligations;  strict  at- 
tendence  on  the  worship  of  Almighty  God;  their  choice  of  their  own 
religious  teacher,  with  the  inextinguishable  desire  to  exercise  the 
same  principles  with  regard  to  their  civil  rulers,  believing  that  magis- 
trates govern  by  the  consent  of  the  people  and  by  their  choice. 
These  principles  brought  from  Ireland,  he  says,  bore  the  same  legiti- 
mite  fruit  in  Carolina  as  in  Ulster,  whose  boundaries  travelers  say, 
can  be  recognized  by  the  peace  and  plenty  that  reigns  within. 

But  besides  the  dangers  from  Indian  incursions,  which  these  new 
comers  were  soon  to  learn  they  had  not  left  behind  them  on  the  fron- 
tiers in  Pennsylvania,  there  were  two  other  causes  of  trouble  and  anx- 
iety which  met  them  in  Carolina  —  first,  the  impotence  of  the  gov- 
ernment on  the  coast  to  preserve  law  and  order  in  these  remote  parts 
of  the  province;  and  second  and  worse,  the  recognition  and  establish- 
ment by  law  of  their  old  oppressor,  the  Church  of  England,  as  a  church 
of  state. 

There  was  but  one  court  of  general  jurisdiction  in  the  province 
and  that  was  held  in  Charleston,  and  great  inconvenience  was  felt 
by  those  people,  many  of  whom  were  200  miles  distant.  Witnesses 
and  jurors,  who  were  obliged  to  attend  court,  and  suitors  and  prosecu- 
tors were  often  worn  out  by  the  law's  delay,  insulted  by  the  insolence 
of  office,  and  ruined  by  costs  and  expenses  most  unreasonably  and 
cruelly  exacted.  This  was  owing  to  no  fault  on  the  part  of  the  peo- 
ple of  the  low  country  themselves.  The  general  assembly  was  do- 
ing all  it  could  to  remedy  this  evil  and  provide  courts  for  the  increas- 
ing population  of  the  upper  country;  but  the  Acts  sent  over  were 
disallowed  by  the  Royal  government  in  England  in  the  interest  of  the 
officers  of  the  court,  who  held  patents  for  their  offices  which  would 
be  interfered  with  by  the  erection  of  new  courts,  and  also  because 
the  general  assembly,  endeavoring  to  secure  the  independence  of  the 
judges  of  the  court,  insisted  that  they  should  be  commissioned  dur- 
ing good  behavior  and  not  only  during  the  pleasure  of  the  Crown. 
The  peace  of  Paris  of  1763  greatly  added  to  these  troubles  by  the  dis- 
bandment  of  the  armies  of  England  and  France  in  America,  which 
turned  loose  upon  the  frontier  settlements  numbers  of  lawless  men. 
These  uniting  with  the  thieves  and  outcasts,  always  to  be  found  on 
the  outskirts  of  civilization,  infested  this  part  of  the  province,  and 
led  to  the  organization  of  regulators  by  Thomas  Woodward,  Joseph 
Kirkland  and  Baranby  Pope  and  "others  of  the  best  and  most  or- 
derly inhabitants"  for  the  more  regular,  equal  and  vigorous  as  well 
as  prompt  administration  of  justice.  This  organization,  as  all  such 
must  inevitably  do,  soon  became  itself  an  instrument  of  like  wrong 
and  oppression  as  that  which  it  was  formed  to  repress.  At  length,  in 
1769,  the  evil  was  in  a  measure  redressed  by  the  act  establishing  cir- 
cuit courts  which  was  at  last  allowed  by  the  Royal  government,  the 
general  assembly  having  at  the  instance  of  the  good  people  of  the 
upper  part  of  the  province  abandoned  the  struggle  for  the  commis- 
sions of  the  judges  during  good  behavior  in  order  to   obtain   the 


44vS028 


38  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

courts.  By  this  act  courts  were  to  be  held  at  Orangeburg,  Ninety- 
six  (or  Cambridge),  the  Cheraws,  Georgetown  and  Beaufort  as  well^ 
asat  Charleston.  The  other  cause  of  dissatisfaction  was  still  more' 
difficult  of  removal.     It  was  organic. 

The  Huguenot,  after  his  civil  rights  had  been  recognized  and  es- 
tablished, and  the  first  church  act  of  1704  which  had  imposed  a  religous 
test  upon  office  had  been  set  aside,  had  no  difficulty  in  allying  himself 
with  the  Church  of  England  which  had  befriended  his  people.  He  did 
not  object  to  a  liturgy,  and  readily  adopted  the  translation  of  the 
common  prayer  which  had  been  made  in  the  French  tongue  for  his 
convenience.  Unable  to  support  a  minister  himself,  he  very  willingly 
availed  himself  of  the  service  of  the  Episcopal  clergyman  who  was 
supported  by  the  government.  So  in  the  journals  of  the  churches 
we  find  him  married  by  an  Episcopal  clergyman  as  early  as  1703,  and 
his  children  baptized  in  the  church  as  early  as  1704,  and  him  acting 
as  a  commissioner  under  the  church  act  of  1706.  We  find  him  in  the 
vestry  of  St.  Philip's  church  at  the  very  first  election  of  which  we 
have  a  record  (1732)  and  we  find  him  continuing  as  such  for  the  cen- 
tury and  a  half  since. 

The  case  was  very  different  with  the  Scotch-Irish  Presbyterian. 
The  Church  of  England  had  held  out  no  kindly  hand  to  him.  On  the 
contrary  it  had  rewarded  his  zeal  and  heroism  in  the  protestant  cause 
with  oppression  and  wrong.  It  had  not  sheltered  him  as  a  refugee  as 
it  had  the  Huguenot — on  the  contrar}'  it  had  driven  him  from  his 
home.  He  could  not  use  the  liturgy  which  it  would  impose,  for  that 
had  been  one  of  the  points  upon  which  Knox  had  clifferred  with  the 
English  reformers.  He  had  left  Ireland  because  he  would  not  use  it. 
Was  he  to  do  so  now  in  the  wild  woods  of  Carolina?  True  he  need 
not  do  so  himself  any  more  than  the  Independent  and  Baptist  in 
Charleston;  but  he  objected  to  its  reading  by  ministers  supported  by 
the  public  as  a  reminder  at  least  of  the  church  at  home  which  had 
treated  him  so  badly.  Then  the  system  of  the  government  here  was 
based  upon  it.  He  could  only  be  represented  in  the  legislature  by 
having  the  lands  upon  which  he  had  settled  made  a  part  of  the  parish. 
All  this  was  the  more  distasteful  to  him  because  his  own  social  and 
civil  system  was  based  upon  an  ecclesiastical  polity  of  its  own. 

Mr.  Croker,  in  a  letter  to  Robert  Southey,  asks,  "  Do  you  remem- 
ber my  once  saying  to  you  that  Westminster  Abbey  was  a  part  of  the 
British  Constitution?"  So  the  old  St.  Philip's  church  in  Charleston, 
which  Edmund  Burke  described  as  "spacious  and  executed  in  a  very 
handsome  taste,  exceeding  everything  which  we  have  in  America  ;j 
but  which  was  burnt  in  1835,  might  well  be  said  to  have  been  a  part 
of  the  Constitution  of  .South  Carolina.  In  it  was  the  special  pew  built 
for  the  colonial  governors,  who  sat  there  following  the  "grave  ritual 
brought  from  England's  shore."  At  its  doors,  by  the  wardens,  were 
held  all  the  first  elections.  In  its  vestry  room  the  poor  were  provided 
for,  and  the  observance  of  the  Lord's  day  was  enforced  by  the  war- 
dens. When  the  court  convened,  it  repaired  to  St.  Philip's  to  hear 
the  assize  sermon  preached  before  it.     On  the  day  of  fasting  fixed  by 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  39 

the  Provincial  Congress,  17th  of  February,  1775,  the  commons  house 
■of  assembly,  with  their  mace  before  them,  went  there  in  procession 
where  a  "  pious  and  excellent  sermon  was  delivered  by  the  Rev. 
Robert  Smith."  Near  its  chancel,  under  its  floor,  was  buried  the 
good  governor,  Robert  Johnson,  whom  the  people  had  deposed  as 
governor  under  the  Proprietors  and  welcomed  back  with  acclaim 
when  he  returned  with  the  King's  commission.  Its  heavy  structure, 
lofty  arches  and  massive  pillars,  were  adorned  with  elegant  sepulchral 
monuments  of  the  early  governors  and  great  men  of  the  colony. 

So,  too,  around  the  "Old  Waxhaw  Church"  in  Lancaster,  the  first 
church  above  Orangeburg,  was  founded   the  settlement  which  gave 
tone  and  thought  to  the  whole  upper  country  of  the  state.     Among 
these  Scotch-Irish  who  came  down  and  settled  in  the  Waxhaws  were 
the  Jacksons,   Calhouns    and   Pickens.     Andrew  Jackson   was    born 
there.     Patrick  Calhoun,  the  father  of  John  C.  Calhoun,  first  settled 
there,  and  then  pushed  on  to  the  prairie  country  which  is  now  Abbe- 
ville; and  after  the  massacre  at  Long  Cane,  in  which  several  of  his 
family  were   lost,  he  returned   and   took  refuge  in  the  Waxhaw  con- 
gregation   and    married    there   a   daughter  of    the    Rev.  Alexander 
Craighead,  after  whose  death  and  his  return  to  Abbeville  he  married 
Miss  Caldwell,  the  mother  of  Carolina's  great  statesman.     At  the 
Waxhaws,  too,  Andrew  Pickens  met  Rebecca  Calhoun  whom  he  rnar- 
ried.     Here  at  the   Waxhaw's,  in    Lancaster,  grew  up  William    Rich- 
ardson  Davie,  the   distinguished   partisan   leader   in   the   war  of  the 
Revolution,  governor  of  North  Carolina,  one  of  the  framers  of  the 
Constitution  of  the  United  States,  minister  to  France,  and  founder  of 
the    University    of   North    Carolina.     From    the   same    community, 
though   not   from  the   same  place,  came   Calhoun's   rival,  the  great 
Georgian,  William  H.  Crawford,  so  that  from  this  people  came  three 
of  the  greatest  men  of  these  times,  Jackson,  Calhoun  and  Crawford, 
men  upon  whom  and  around  whom  turned  the  national  politics  of 
their  day,  and  whose  antagonisms  convulsed  the  whole  country.     To 
these  must  be  added  William  Smith,  a  judge  of  the  state  and  United 
States  senator,  whose  "states  rights"  it  is  said  antedated  Calhoun's 
(he  was  born  near  the  North  Carolina  line  in  what  is  now  York  county, 
and  according  to  Judge  O'Neall  was  the  schoolmate  of  Jackson  and 
Crawford  at  the  Rev.  Mr.  Alexander's  school  at   Bullock's   Creek)  — 
and  Dr.  John  Brown,  one  of  the  early  professors  of  the  South  Caro- 
lina college,  and  the  founder  of  the  Presbyterian  church  in  Columbia, 
who  was  also  a  schoolmate  of  Jackson-in  the  Humphrie  school  at  the 
Waxhaw  church,  and  who  together  with  Jackson,  when  they  were  boys 
in  their  teens,  rode  under  Davie  at  Hanging  Rock.     From  the  Wax- 
haws too  came  Stephen  D.  Miller,  governor  and  United  States  sena- 
tor, a  man  of  great  power  in  his  day  and  generation,  in  society,  at  the 
bar  and  in  the  council  of  his  country  —  James  H.  Thornwell,  the  the- 
ologian  and   orator,  president  of  the   South   Carolina   college  —  and 
J.  Marion  Sims,  a  surgeon  of  world  wide  fame,  and  in  his  department 
the  greatest  of  his  time. 

From  the  Waxhaws  these  Scotch-Irish  Presbyterians  pressed  on 


40  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

throughout  the  upper  part  of  the  state,  crossing  the  Catawba.  The 
Adairs,  Allisons,  Brattons,  Adrians,  Blacks,  Boggs,  Brooms,  Buchan- 
ans, Boyces,  Bryces,  Crawfords,  Carrolls,  Carsons,  Chambers,  Crock- 
etts,  Dunlops,  Douglasses,  Erwins,  Flemings,  Irwins,  Ellis,  Hancocks, 
Gastons,  Kirklands,  Kuykendals,  Lathams,  Loves,  Lacys,  Lyles, 
Masseys,  McDaniels,  Mills,  McCans,  McKenzies,  McElhinneys, 
McMullens,  McLures,  McMorrises,  Martins  Neelys,  Ross,  Youngs  and 
others  spread  themselves  over  the  present  counties  of  Lancaster, 
York,  Chester  and  Fairfield.  The  first  three  of  these  counties  were 
so  named  after  counties  in  Pennsylvania,  in  which  the  Scotch-Irish 
had  first  settled  when  coming  to  America.  The  McCrerys,  Greens, 
Hannahs,  Abernathys,  Millers,  Beards,  Wells,  Coffees,  Greshams, 
Bartons,  Youngs,  some  of  the  McLures,  Adams  and  McDaids  settled 
in  Newberry,  near  the  farm  of  John  Duncan,  of  Aberdeen,  Scotland, 
who  had  settled  here  in  1752,  three  years  before  Braddock's  defeat. 
To  these  were  added  the  Caldwells,  Thompsons,  Fairs,  Carmichaels, 
Hunters,  McClellans,  Greggs,  Wilsons,  Connors,  Neals,  McNealls, 
Camerons,  Flemings,  McCallas,  Montgomerys,  Straus,  Spencers, 
Wrights,  Glenns,  Chalmers,  Glasgroves  and  McCrakens.  The  Mer- 
riweathers,  Wardlaws,  Moores,  Browns,  McAlasters  and  Logans, 
with  the  Calhouns,  pushed  on  still  farther  and  settled  in  the  prairie 
region,  now  the  counties  of  Abbeville  and  Edgefield.* 

About  the  same  time  (1764)  South  Carolina  received  a  further 
considerable  acquisition  to  the  population  by  another  German  colony. 
One  Stumpel,  a  Prussian  officer,  induced  some  five  or  six  hundred 
Palatines  to  leave  their  native  country  under  promises  which  he  had, 
or  considered  that  he  had,  from  the  government.  He  was  unable  to 
perform  the  promises  to  them;  and  when  he  had  got  them  as  far  as 
England,  he  fled,  leaving  them  without  money  or  friends  exposed  in 
the  open  field  and  ready  to  perish  through  want.  A  bounty  of  ^300 
was  allowed  them,  and  they  were  assisted  by  public  spirited  citizens 
of  London  in  their  transportation  to  this  colony.  These  Germans 
joined  their  countrymen,  who  had  come  out  before,  and  settled  in 
Orangeburg. 

In  the  same  year  there  was  still  another  addition  made  to  the  pop- 
ulation of  the  colony.  Soon  after  the  peace  of  Paris  the  Rev.  Mr. 
Gibert,  a  popular  Huguenot  preacher,  prevailed  on  a  number  of  per- 
secuted French  families  to  seek  an  asylum  in  South  Carolina.  On 
his  solicitation  the  government  of  England  encouraged  the  project 
and  furnished  the  means  of  transportation.  Mr.  Gibert  repaired  to 
England  and  directed  the  movements  of  the  refugees.  They  found 
it  necessary  to  leave  France  privately  at  different  times  and  in  small 
numbers.  They  were  received  by  the  Carolinians  with  great  kind- 
ness and  hospitality.  The  province  furnished  them  with  the  means 
of  conveyance  to  Long  Cane,  in  what  is  now  Abbeville  county,  and 
vacant  lands  were  laid  out  there  for  their  use.  They  gave  the  places 
assigned  them  the  name  of  New  Bordeaux  and  New  Rochelle  after 

'CNcall's  Annals  —  Logan's  History  of  Upper  Carolina. 


SOUTH   CAROLINA.  4I 

the  capitals  of  the  provinces  from  wliich  most  of  them  emigrated.  To 
each  head  of  a  family  was  assigned  a  half-acre  lot  within  the  town, 
and  as  many  as  174  lots  were  laid  out  as  early  as  April,  1765.  Vine- 
yard lots  were  also  laid  out  adjacent  to  the  limits  of  the  town,  and 
parcels  of  land  (loo  acres  each)  were  given  as  bounty  in  the  township 
called  Hillsborough,  a  section  of  about  two  miles  square  lying  on  both 
sides  of  Little  River,  and  extending  westwardly  to  the  Savannah.  In 
February,  1765,  these  emigrants  had  erected  their  houses  and  com- 
menced to  labor  on  their  half-acre  lots.  Their  nearest  neighbors 
were  the  small  colony  planted  in  1756  by  Patrick  Calhoun,  which  had 
suffered  the  massacre  by  the  Indians  in  1760.  Mr.  Calhoun  for  some 
time  supplied  these  people  with  provisions  for  which  he  was  afterward 
repaid  by  the  council.  They  were  a  pious  and  simple  people,  among 
whom  there  were  few  idlers.  With  the  hum  of  cheerful  voices  and 
the  busy  sounds  of  industry  was  mingled  the  fervent  chanting  of  the 
once  interdicted  psalm.  It  was  the  intention  of  the  promoter  of  this 
emigration  to  establish  the  culture  of  wine  and  silk,  but  hnding  these 
less  successful  than  was  anticipated,  they  devoted  themselves  chiefly 
to  the  raising  of  flax,  Indian  corn  and  tobacco;  but  with  some  silk,  in- 
digo and  the  wine  were  not  wholly  abandoned  for  generations.  The 
Gibert  family  were  most  successful  silk  growers,  and  long  continued 
to  produce  a  beautiful  and  useful  fabric.  Many  persons  for  a  long 
time  supplied  their  own  cellars  with  wine;  but  the  vintage  par  excel- 
lence was  that  of  Mr.  Jean  Nobles,  an  unmarried  gentleman,  the 
remains  of  whose  cellar  and  the  house  above  it,  in  which  he  kept  a 
school,  were  still  pointed  out  a  few  years  ago.  The  Rev.  Mr.  Gibert 
was  the  grandfather  of  the  great  lawyer,  James  L.  Pctigru.  Among 
others  of  these  emigrants  were  Mons.  LeRoy,  Jean  Bellot  and  his 
wife,  Pierre  Moragne,  the  Rev.  Mons.  Boupition,  Pierre  Roger,  Jean 
David,  Pierre  Cobin,  Capt.  Mathew  Beraud,who  is  said  to  have  been 
killed  at  the  siege  of  .Savannah,  Joseph  Bouchillon,  and  Jean  De 
La  Howe,  the  Hippocrates  of  the  new  region  as  he  had  been  called, 
who  having  amassed  a  considerable  fortune,  made,  by  his  last  will,  a 
magnificent  donation  for  a  public  charity  which  is  still  preserved.  To 
him  was  given  the  privilege  of  naming  the  county  which  he  did,  in 
compliment  to  the  French  colony,  after  a  little  town  in  the  north  of 
France,  the  scene  of  some  cruel  persecutions  and  frightful  tragedies 
in  which  the  Huguenots  were  the  victims.  Hence  the  name  of  Abbe- 
ville.* To  this  emigration  the  state  of  South  Carolina  is  indebted 
for  the  family  of  Perrin,  distinguished  alike  in  commercial  business, 
at  the  bar  and  in  war.  Thomas  Perrin,  the  lawyer  and  president  of 
the  Greenville  &  Columbia  railroad;  James  Perrin,  the  jawyer  and 
soldier  who  fell  as  colonel  of  the  ist  Regiment  of  Rifles  at  Chancellors- 
ville;  and  Abner  Perrin,  the  lawyer  and  soldier  who  fell  as  brigadier- 
general  at  the  Wilderness. 

There  was  a  considerable  movement  also  from  Virginia  to  upper 
South  Carolina 'during  the  period  immediately  preceding  the  Revolu- 

*  Address  by  W.  P.  Moragne,  Esq.,  of  New  Bordeaux,  Abbeville,  Nov.  15,  1854. 


42  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

tion.  Anthony  Hampton,  the  father  of  Gen.  Wade  Hampton  of  the 
Revolution,  grandfather  of  Coh  Wade  Hampton,  and  great  grand- 
father of  the  present  Wade  Hampton,  Heutenant-general  of  cavalry 
in  the  Confederate  army,  governor  of  South  Carolina  and  late  United 
States  senator,  was  among  the  first  of  these  emigrants.  He  settled 
with  his  family  on  the  Tyger  river  in  what  is  now  Spartanburg  county. 
He  had  five  sons,  Wade,  Edward,  Henry,  Richard  and  Preston.  Like 
the  Calhouns,  this  family  was  the  victim  of  an  Indian  massacre,  which 
in  their  case  took  place  in  July,  1776,  at  the  commencement  of  the 
Revolution,  and  in  which  Anthony  Hampton  himself  and  his  wife  and 
his  son,  Preston,  and  an  infant  grandson,  Harrison,  were  killed. 
James  Harrison,  the  father  of  the  murdered  boy,  was  Hampton's 
son-in-law.  He  escaped  massacre,  and  from  him  are  descended  the 
Harrison  family  of  Anderson.  Capt.  James  Butler  removed  from 
Prince  William  count}',  Va.,  and  settled  in  the  district  of  Ninety-six,  a 
few  3'ears  before  the  Revolution.  He  was  the  ancestor  of  the  dis- 
tinguished family  of  Butler.  He  had  two  sons,  James  and  William. 
James  the  father  and  James  the  son  were  massacred  by  the  Tories 
during  the  Revolution.  William  served  as  a  captain  of  rangers 
under  Gen.  Pickens  during  the  Revolution  and  was  major-general  of 
militia  during  the  war  of  1812,  and  was  also  member  of  congress.  He 
had  six  sons  and  two  daughters.  His  sons  were  Jam.es,  George,  Will- 
iam, Frank,  Pierce  M.  and  Andrew  Pickens,  all  men  of  distinction 
and  mark.  Pierce  M.  Butler  was  governor  of  the  state  and  fell  at 
the  head  of  the  Palmetto  regiment  in  Mexico  at  the  battle  of 
Cherubusco.  Andrew  Pickens  Butler  was  a  judge  upon  the  state 
bench  and  United  States  senator.  William  Butler  was  a  surgeon  in 
the  United  States  army  and  was  the  father  of  Matthew  Calbreath 
Butler,  distinguished  as  major-general  of  cavalry  in  the  late  war  and 
at  present  United  States  senator,  and  was  the  father  also  of  Col. 
William  Butler  and  Major  O.  P.  Butler,  also  distinguished  officers. 
Jonathan  Wallace,  who  was  born  on  the  Rappahanock  river,  removed 
to  what  is  now  Laurens  county.  He  served  in  the  Continental  forces 
during  the  Revolution,  and  reared  quite  a  family.  Daniel  Wallace, 
his  son,  was  a  very  prominent  citizen  and  member  of  congress,  and 
William  Henry  Wallace,  his  grandson,  is  now  one  of  the  most  dis- 
tinguished citizens  of  the  state  and  a  judge  upon  the  bench;  he  was  a 
brigadier  general  in  the  Confederate  army.  The  Taylors  of  Colum- 
bia, Thomas  and  James,  natives  of  Virginia,  were  the  first  settlers  on 
the  east  side  of  the  Congaree,  and  Col.  Thomas  Taylor,  afterward 
governor,  was  the  first  person  who  with  his  family  settled  within  the 
space  now  covered  by  the  city  of  Columbia.  Gen.  Richard  Winn 
s(!ttled  in  Fairfield,  and  after  him  is  named  the  town  of  Winnsboro. 
The  Richardsons,  .Sumters  and  Boykins,  took  up  lands  on  the  high 
hills  of  -Santee  which  had  been  intended  for  the  Scotch  refugees  from 
Culloden.  The  Canteys,  Kershaws  and  Chestnuts,  were  English,  who 
first  settled  in  Charleston  and  afterward  pushed  up  into  the  interior. 
Capt.  John  Cantey  commanded  a  company  of  militia  when  the  French, 
under   LeFevoure,  invaded  the  colony  in   1706.     Joseph  Cantey,  in 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  43 

1739,  purchased  a  portion  of  Landgrave  Bellenger's  estate  in  what  is 
nov/  Williamsburg,  and  the  family  afterward  settled  in  Camden. 
About  the  year  1755,  three  brothers,  Joseph,  William  and  Eli  Ker- 
shaw, came  out  from  Great  Britain,  bringing  with  them  considerable 
funds.  In  the  year  1758  Joseph  Kershaw  settled  at  a  place  called 
"  Pine  Tree,"  on  the  east  side  of  the  Wateree,  at  the  head  of  naviga- 
tion. John  Chestnut,  Duncan  McRae  and  Zach.  Cantey,  each  of 
whom  were  to  establish  a  wealthy  and  influential  family,  were  em- 
ployed in  his  trading  establishment  there.  Joseph  Kershaw  soon 
became  one  of  the  most  extensive  and  iniluential  proprietors  in  that 
section,  and  it  was  through  his  influence  that  the  town  of  Camden 
was  laid  out  and  the  name  changed  from  "  Pine  Tree."  The  land  on 
which  the  town  of  Cheraw  stands  was  granted  to  Eli  Kershaw.  This 
family  is  now  represented  by  Judge  Joseph  B.  Kershaw,  a  major-gen- 
eral during  the  late  war. 

In  almost  all  of  these  different  colonies,  especially  in  what  is  now 
Kershav/  county,  Quakers  were  to  be  found  whose  peculiar  tenets,  no 
doubt,  had  their  influence  upon  the  communities  in  which  they  lived. 
Gov.  Archdale  was  himself  a  Quaker  and  with  his  assistance,  a 
Quaker  meeting  house  was  erected  in  Charleston  in  i6q6.  In  ac- 
cordance with  the  principles  of  his  sect  he  came  out  to  restore  peace 
and  quietude  to  the  colony,  which  at  the  time,  was  in  a  distracted 
condition,  and  was  partly  successful.  There  were  Quakers  among 
the  settlers  on  the  Waxhaws,  and  Quakers  in  Newberry.  Judge 
O'Neall  gives  a  list  of  the  names  of  the  latter,  among  them  that  of 
his  own  grandfather,  William  O'Neall,  and  Azariah  Pugh,  the  ancestor 
of  Senator  Pugh  of  Ohio.  There,  were  Quakers  also  in  Camden  — 
Joseph  Kershaw  married  one  of  them.  Miss  Sophia  Mathis. 

No  colony  was  ever  more  prosperous  than  South  Carolina  from 
the  termination  of  the  Proprietory  government,  1719,  to  the  Ameri- 
can Revolution  of  1776.  As  Dr.  Ramsay  says,  the  first  and  second 
Georges  were  nursery  fathers  to  the  province.  They  performed  to  it 
the  full-orbed  duty  of  kings,  and  their  paternal  care  was  returned 
with  the  most  ardent  love  and  affection  of  their  subjects  in  Carolina. 
The  colonists  enjoyed  the  protection  of  Great  Britain,  and  in  return 
she  had  a  monopoly  of  their  trade.  The  mother  country  received 
great  benefit  from  this  Intercourse,  and  the  colony  under  her  protect- 
ing care  became  great  and  happy.  The  inhabitants  were  fond  of 
British  manners  even  to  excess  Eor  the  most  part  they  sent  their 
children  to  England  or  Scotland  for  education,  and  spoke  of  those 
countries  under  the  endearing  name  of  home.  Few  countries  have 
at  any  time  exhibited  so  striking  an  instance  of  public  and  private 
prosperity  as  appeared  in  South  Carolina  between  those  years. 

In  the  midst  of  this  prosperity  the  people  of  the  province  were  drawn 
step  by  step  into  the  Revolutionary  war,  which  involved  them  in  every 
species  of  difficulty  and  finally  dissevered  them  from  their  parent  state. 
It  is  beyond  the  scope  of  this  paper  to  go  into  the  merits  of  the  question 
that  led  to  this  rebellion  which  ended  in  successful  revolution;  but  it 
is  certain  and  cannot  be  denied  that  the  mass  of  the  people  of  the  prov- 


44  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

ince  were  not  prepared  for  a  severance  trom  the  mother  country  and 
that  those  in  the  upper  part  had  taken  little  interest  in  the  controver- 
sies v/hich  led  to  it.  The  enforcement  of  the  navigation  act  had  not 
concerned  them.  The  stamp  act  had  not  annoyed  them,  and,  as  they 
used  little  tea,  the  retention  of  duty  upon  it  presented  to  those  who 
thought  at  all  about  it,  a  mere  abstraction  about  which  they  did  not 
care  to  quarrel.  The  old  settlers  on  the  coast  had  real  cause  of  com- 
plaint as  to  the  manner  in  which  almost  every  office  of  honor  or  profit 
was  filled  by  place  m.en  from  England,  to  the  exclusion  of  the  native 
Carolinians;  but  this  was  no  grievance  to  those  of  the  interior  as  they 
had  so  lately  come  into  the  colony  and  were  so  busy  in  settling  their 
new  lands  that  they  had  not  as  yet  time  or  inclination  to  seek  offices. 
What  they  needed  was  peace  and  good  order  which  would  allow  them 
to  develop  the  country.  But  the  people  on  the  coast  had  been  drift- 
ing first  into  opposition  to  the  government  in  England, and  then  into 
rebellion. 

In  response  to  the  call  of  Massachusetts  to  put  a  stop  to  all  im- 
portation from  Great  Britain  until  the  act  for  blocking  up  Boston 
harbor  should  hi  repealed,  circular  letters  were  sent  by  "  some  of  the 
principal  gentlemen  "  of  Charleston  to  every  parish,  and  it  is  said  to 
every  district  in  the  province,  calling  for  a  general  meeting  or  con- 
vention to  be  held  in  Charleston  on  the  6th  of  July,  1774.  Upon  this 
invitation  a  great  number  of  deputies,  some  of  whom  it  is  said  were 
from  almost  every  part  of  South  Carolina,  assembled  on  that  day  in 
the  Exchange  —  the  present  postoffice  in  Charleston.  Drayton,  in  his 
memoirs,  says  that  104  deputies  represented  all  parts  of  the  province 
except  Greenville  county,  .St.  John's  Colleton  and  Christ  Church  par- 
ishes, which  were  without  delegations;  but  this  statement  is  somewhat 
of  an  anachronism,  as  Greenville  county  was  not  established  until 
1785,  two  years  after  the  end  of  the  Revolution.  Indeed,  m  the  list  of 
names  of  those  who  were  members  of  the  committee  that  adopted 
the  resolution  providing  for  the  safety  and  welfare  of  the  province, 
(the  vote  whereon  was  "given  by  each  person  present  and  not  by  par- 
ishes," and  which  list  was  published  in  the  South  Carolina  Gazette  on 
the  nth  of  July,  1774,  by  order  of  the  convention  so  that  "  Lord 
North  might  not  be  misinformed  in  this  case  as  he  had  been  in  others 
by  being  told  that  this  was  the  meeting  of  a  rabble  and  the  election  of 
a  mob  *  *  *  but  ^as  the  largest  body  of  the  most  respectable  in- 
habitants that  had  ever  been  seen  together  on  any  public  occasion  here 
or  perhaps  in  America,")  we  do  not  find  a  single  person  from  beyond 
the  parishes.  Col.  George  Gabriel  Powell  from  .St.  David's  parish, 
what  is  now  Darlington  and  Chesterfield  counties,  presided.  Joseph 
Kershaw  as  a  member  of  the  commons  from  St.  Mark's  parish,  ap- 
pears to  have  been  expected,  but  was  prevented,  it  was  said,  from  at- 
tending by  sickness  or  accident;  unless,  therefore  we  accept  him  as 
the  representative  of  the  upper  country,  because  the  bounds  of  St. 
Mark's  parish  extended  indefinitely  northward,  the  section,  which,  as 
we  have  seen,  had  been  recently  settled  by  the  Scotch-Irish,  was  not 
even  expected  to  be  represented  in   the  provincial  congress  which  in 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  45 

effect  inaugurated  the  Revolution  in  South  Carolina.  But  though 
they  had  nothing  to  do  with  bringing  on  the  struggle,  upon  them  was 
to  fall  the  most  terrible  effects  and  by  them  it  was  to  be  taken  up  and 
maintained  when  the  low  country  had  been  overrun  and  Charleston 
captured  and  occupied  by  British  troops.  It  was  the  country  that  these 
people  occupied  which  was  not  improperly  to  be  designated  "  the 
classic  ground  of  the  American  Revolution." 

The  battle  of  Fort  Moultrie  in  1776,  the  siege  and  reduction  of 
Savannah  in  1778,  the  almost  harmless  invasion  by  Prevost  in  1779 
with  the  exception  of  the  fight  at  Stono,  the  siege  and  capitulation  of 
Charleston  in  1780,  and  Tarleton's  successful  raid  at  Salkehatchie, 
Rantowles,  Monks  Corners  and  Lenuds  Ferry  composed  the  mili- 
tary operations  on  the  coast.  Gen.  Lincoln's  unfortunate  cooping 
up  of  the  army  in  the  lines  of  Charleston  to  inevitable  destruction 
lost  the  state  all  her  regular  forces.  Then  followed  the  disastrous 
battle  of  Camden,  the  slaughter  of  Buford's  men  at  the  Waxhaws, 
and  the  surprise  and  dispersion  of  Sumter  at  Fishing  creek.  There 
was  left  in  South  Carolina  but  one  small  body  of  troops  which  had 
not  been  defeated  or  dispersed,  and  that  was  Davie's  corps  of  par- 
tisans, raised  in  the  Waxhaws  and  equipped  at  his  own  expense, 
which  had  taken  part  in  the  battle  of  the  Stono  where  he  was 
wounded. 

Tarleton's  massacre  of  Buferd's  men  at  the  Waxhaws  turned 
these  people  from  an  attitude  of  almost  indifference  to  the  struggle, 
to  a  fierce  and  determined  participation  in  it.  They  had  had  no  part 
in  bringing  on  the  contest.  Those  Scotch-Irish  Presbyterians  were 
as  jealous  of  the  churchmen  on  the  coast  as  they  had  been  of  the 
churchmen  in  Ireland.  Indeed  they  no  doubt  thought  that  if  they 
were  to  have  a  church  of  state,  they  would  prefer  the  real  thing  and 
Royalty  along  with  it.  With  these  republican  churchmen  on  the  coast 
they  had  not  much  sympathy.  They  had  received  but  little  protec- 
tion from  them  and  had  only  felt  their  government  by  the  exaction 
of  official  fees  and  taxes.  They  had  not  realized  that  all  this  was 
not  the  fault  of  the  general  assembly  in  the  low  country,  but  of  the 
government  in  England  in  protecting  the  patent  rights  and  sinecures 
of  its  favorites  against  the  protests  of  the  colonial  leaders.  All  their 
trouble  and  difficulties  they  attributed  to  those  in  apparent  power  in 
Charleston,  and  they  were  not  disposed  to  follow  them  into  revo- 
lution. But  fortunately,  observes  Judge  Johnson  in  his  life  of  Green, 
"  the  British  felt  too  confident  in  themselves  and  too  much  contempt 
for  their  enemy  to  act  with  moderation  or  policy.  Their  commander, 
flushed  with  victory,  appears  to  have  forgotten  that  a  people  may 
submit  to  conquest,  but  never  to  insult.  They  seemed  to  have  for- 
gotten that  religion,  which  looks  to  another  world  for  its  recompense 
or  enjoyments,  becomes  the  most  formidable  enemy  that  can  be 
raised  up  in  this.  As  the  dissenters  of  New  England  had  the  repu- 
tation of  exciting  the  war,  dissenters  generally  became  the  objects  of 
odium  to  the  enemy  and  their  meeting  houses  were  often  burnt  or 
destroyed."      In  the  Waxhaws  the  minister  was  insulted  and  his  house 


46  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

and  books  burnt;  and  there,  as  in  Williamsburg,  war  was  declared 
against  all  Bibles  which  contained  the  Scotch  version  of  the  Psalms. 
It  was  this  conduct  that"  fired  the  people  of  this  section  and  refilled 
Sumter's  ranks  and  furnished  the  heroes  of  Hanging  Rock,  King's 
Mountain,  Cowpens  and   Blackstocks. 

It  was  this  rising  of  the  Scotch-Irish  in  the  Old  Camden  District 
which  opened  the  way  for  Marion's  famous  partisan  warfare  from  the 
swamps  of  the  Pee  E)ee  and  Santee,  which  recalled  Cornwallis  from 
North  Carolina  and  delayed  him  in  upper  South  Carolina,  and  thus 
preserved  Washington  in  the  Jerseys  from  an  attack  in  his  rear  by 
Cornwallis,  until  the  French  fleet  was  ready  to  co-operate  with  him. 
It  was  this  that  saved  Washington  from  the  destruction  which  Sher- 
man's unopposed  march  through  the  same  county  —  then  stripped  of 
its  defenders  —  brought  upon  Lee  in  Virginia.  The  culminating  vic- 
tory at  the  Eutaws  would  not  have  crowned  the  struggle  in  South 
Carolina  had  not  these  men  risen  in  a  war  which  they  had  no  part  in 
bringing  upon  the  country. 

The  theory  of  state  sovereignty,  and  the  doctrine  of  state  rights, 
nullification  and  secession,  are  generally  regarded  as  the  tenets  of  the 
low  country,  where  they  are  supposed  to  have  been  inculcated  in  the 
interests  of  the  slave  owners,  the  most  of  whom  were  located  in  that 
section.  But  this  theory  and  these  doctrines,  though  not  peculiar  to 
either  section  of  the  state,  has  always  found  its  most  strenuous  sup- 
porters rather  in  the  upper  than  the  lower  country.  There  was  no 
representation  of  the  upper  part  of  the  state  in  the  convention  which 
framed  the  Constitution  of  the  United  States.  Rutledge,  the  two 
Pinckneys  and  Butler,  the  delegates  from  South  Carolina,  were  all 
from  the  low  country,  and  all  but  Butler  from  Charleston.  Rutledge 
and  Butler  were  of  Irish  extraction,  the  two  Pinckneys,  English. 
Butler  had  been  an  officer  in  the  British  army,  had  married  the  daugh- 
ter of  Col.  Thomas  Middleton,  and  had  resigned  his  commission  very 
shortly  before  the  Revolution.  In  the  convention  of  the  state,  which 
adopted  the  constitution  of  the  United  .States,  the  vote  upon  its  adop- 
tion stood  149  in  favor  of  it  and  seventy-three  against  it.  Of  the 
seventy-three  who  followed  Rawlins  Lowndes  in  his  opposition  to  the 
adoption  of  that  instrument  and  entering  the  Union  upon  its  terms, 
sixteen  were  from  the  low  country  and  the  rest  from  the  upper. 
John  Chestnut  was  the  only  one  from  the  district  eastward  of  the 
Watcrce,  Kershaw  and  Lancaster,  who  voted  for  it.  Among  those 
who  opposed  it  were  Thomas  Sumter,  Joseph  Calhoun,  William  But- 
ler, Wade  Hampton,  yEdanus  Burke  and  Thomas  Taylor. 

The  people  of  the  upper  country,  as  we  have  seen,  had  been  slow 
to  join  the  Revolution;  but  they  had  been  drawn  into  the  struggle  and 
by  their  bravery,  heroism  and  stubbornness  the  fight  had  been  won 
at  a  great  cost  to  them  after  it  had  been  lost  and  practically  given  up 
on  the  coast.  They  had  thrown  off  one  distant  government  and 
were  in  no  haste  to  give  uj:)  their  independence  to  another.  "  It  is 
believed,"  said  William  Lougliton  Smith,  the  member  from  Charles- 
ton district,  in  the  very  first  debate   which    took   place  in  congress  — 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  47 

that  on  the  duties  and  imposts,  April,  17S9 —  "  that  the  inhabitants  of 
the  interior  part  of  South  Carolina  are  opposed  to  the  new  govern- 
ment; it  will  be  a  melancholy  circumstance  to  entangle  ourselves  at 
this  time  among  the  shoals  of  discontent."  But  this  is  just  what  the 
new  government  proceeded  to  do;  and  the  debate  on  the  tariff  which 
was  commenced  in  April,  1789,  has  been  continued  these  hundred  years 
with  amplification  and  complication,  but  with  scarcely  a  new  argu- 
ment advanced,  and  certainly  without  a  principle  settled  in  all  this 
time.  Two  characteristics  of  the  Scotch-Irish  led  the  people  ot  the 
upper  part  of  the  state  to  take  a  great  interest  and  decided  stand  on 
this  question.  The  people  on  the  coast  had  been  accustomed  to  the 
helping  hand  of  a  strong  government.  Their  churches  had  been 
built  by  taxation;  and  the  parish  schools  had  been  established  and 
supported  by  the  government.  They  did  not,  therefore,  object  so. 
much  to  the  new  government  undertaking  internal  improvements; 
and  were  not  jealous  of  its  enjoyment  of  a  large  revenue.  Hence  in 
the  commencement  of  the  government  they  were  federalists.  It  was 
very  different  with  the  Scotch-Irish  settlers  in  the  Piedmont.  They 
had  to  build  their  own  churches  and  school-houses  and  to  main- 
tain their  own  minister.  No  parental  government  had  helped  them. 
They  had  even  to  resort  to  regulators  to  administer  rough  jus- 
tice, as  the  courts  were  too  far  away  and  its  processes  too  feeble  and 
expensive  to  maintain  right  for  them  and  to  punish  wrong.  They 
had  learned  to  do  with  a  modicum  of  government;  and  were  not  will- 
ing to  be  taxed,  though  indirectly,  for  the  new  government  against 
which  they  had  voted.  Their  necessities  had  taught  them  with  how 
little  formal  government  society  can  exist;  and  their  Scotch-Irish 
shrewdness  and  thriftiness  made  them  still  more  indisposed  to  pay 
for  a  government  they  did  not  wish.  This  opposition  to  taxation  has 
continued  to  mark  the  character  of  these  people  to  this  day.  In  state 
politics  the  "up  country"  is  always  opposing  expenditures  which  the 
"low  country"  is  willing  to  allow. 

Mr.  Calhoun  was  the  exponent  of  this  policy.  True  it  is  that  in 
the  commencement  of  his  career  he  entertained  and  advocated  views 
in  regard  to  internal  improvements  and  other  national  expenditures 
which  he  had  probably  imbibed,  as  has  been  suggested,  during  his 
sojourn  at  Yale  college  where  he  graduated.  His  maturer  views  on 
the  tariff  and  his  life  work  in  support  of  them  were  in  accordance 
with  the  instinct  and  characteristics  of  his  race;  and  in  the  great  null- 
ification contest  his  chief  support  was  from  his  own  section  of  the 
state.  His  lieutenants  in  the  low  country  were  Hayne,  Hamilton  and 
Turnbull,  the  two  latter  of  Scotch  descent.  Hamilton  had  come  to 
Carolina  as  a  Continental  officer  during  the  Revolution.  Turnbull's 
father  was  a  Scotchman  who  had  come  from  the  West  Indies. 
Neither  belonged  to  the  old  low  country  colonial  stocks.  Hayne 
alone  of  the  nullification  leaders  was  from  that  source.  Abbeville, 
Calhoun's  native  county,  gave  him  a  majority  at  the  election  for 
representative  in  the  legislature  in  October,  1832,  in  which  election 
the  nullification  struggle  took  place,  of  nearly  two  to  one.     Chester, 


48  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

Fairfield,  Laurens,  Newberry  and  Edgefield  all  gave  him  large  ma- 
jorities. Lancaster,  the  birth  place  of  Jackson,  stood  by  its  own  great 
son,  the  president,  but  by  the  small  majority  of  133  out  of  1,131  votes. 
Jackson's  able  lieutenant.  Judge  Smith,  could  only  reduce  Calhoun's 
majority  in  Smith's  own  county,  York  —  he  could  not  overcome  it. 
In  spite  of  all  Smith's  efforts,  York  gave  Calhoun  fifty-two  majority 
out  of  2,768  votes  against  Jackson  and  himself,  both  of  whom  had 
gone  to  school  in  its  borders.  Spartanburg  and  Greenville  in  which 
the  Virginia  emigration  had  been  strong,  gave  large  rnajorities  to  the 
union;  and  so  did  Kershaw  and  Clarendon  under  the  influence  of  the 
Chestnuts  and  Richardsons.  Charleston  was  the  great  battle  ground 
of  the  union  party.  The  contest  there  was  bitter  and  violent,  and  the 
result  exceedingly  close.  Out  of  a  total  vote  of  2,824,  the  nullifiers 
triumphed  by  the  small  majority  of  but  seventy-two.  As  against  Cal- 
houn, McDuffie,  Harper,  Elmore,  Hayne,  Hamilton  and  Turnbull, 
nullifiers,  the  leaders  of  the  union  party  were  Joel  R.  Poinsett,  the 
two  Hugers  (Daniel  Elliott  and  Alfred) ,  James  L.  Pettigru,  Thomas  S. 
Grimke^  the  Pringles  and  Dr.  Joseph  Johnson  in  the  low  country,  and 
the  Richardsons  of  Clarendon,  Judge  David  Johnson,  of  Union,  and 
Judge  O'Xeall,  of  Newberry.  There  were  some  curious  incidents  in 
these  and  the  following  elections  for  the  convention.  Greenville 
sent  to  the  convention,  Henry  Middleton,  a  low  country  union  man. 
Spartanburg  sent  another,  Alfred  Huger;  and  Daniel  Elliott  Huger, 
who  had  been  defeated  in  Charleston,  was  sent  from  Horry,  while 
on  the  other  hand,  St.  Bartholomew  parish  sent  Pranklin  H.  Elmore, 
a  nuUifier  who  had  come  from  Laurens.  The  vote  in  the  whole  state 
stood  24,165  for  nullification  and  16,664  i^or  union,  a  proportion  which 
prevailed  alike  in  the  parishes  as  in  the  upper  country.  So  the  policy 
of  Calhoun  and  the  up  country  leaders  was  carried  by  votes  of  three 
out  of  five  throughout  the  state.  From  this  time  the  influence  of  the 
Scotch-Irish  may  be  said  to  have  been  predominant  in  .South 
Carolina. 

To  the  Englishman  and  the  Huguenot  on  the  coast,  with  whom  the 
Welsh  on  the  Pee  Dee  easily  assimilated,  is  owing  the  social  re- 
finement and  manners  and  to  a  great  extent  the  culture  of  the  peo- 
ple «f  South  Carolina.  Their  early  acquired  wealth  gave  them  the 
leisure  which  is  necessary  to  the  acquirement  and  cultivation  of  a 
high  social  order.  Society  in  the  lower  part  of  the  state  founded 
upon  that  of  Barbadoes  had  already  been  settling  itself  in  its  new 
condition  for  near  100  years  before  the  people  of  the  upper  part  had 
wrestc^d  their  section  from  the  savage  ancl  wild  beasts.  But  it  is  to 
the  .Scotch  Irish  restless  energy,  mental  activity  and  intense  love  of 
freedom  that  is  owing  the  political  tenets  which  have  become  the 
marked  characteristics  of  the  state.  It  is  to  this  element  chiefly 
rather  than  to  the  English  Cavalier  and  the  French  Huguenot  that 
we  owe  the  dauntless  and  defiant  spirit  and  the  fiery  temper  which  Mr. 
Percy  Greg  says  has  in  almost  every  collision  brought  the  Palmetto 
state  to  the  front  as  the  promptest,  fiercest,  most  determined  cham- 
pion of  state  sovreignity.     Each  of  these  peoples  has  given  a  long  line 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  49 

of  illustrious  men  to  the  service  of  Soutli  Carolina,  who  have  main- 
tained her  fame  in  the  history  of  th(^  country  as  statesmen,  soldiers 
and  scholars.  F"irst  came  the  English  with  the  historical  families  of 
the  Bulls,  the  oldest  in  the  state,  two  of  whom,  William  the  father 
and  William  the  son,  were  lieutenant  governors  for  nearly  forty 
years  consecutively  indeed,  very  nearly  all  the  time  of  the  royal 
government  -and  during  much  of  which  they  actually  governed  the 
colony;  then  the  Middletons  and  Pinckneys,  names  scarcely  absent 
from  a  page  of  history  in  two  hundred  years,  the  Izards,  the  Lowndes, 
the  Ciadsclens,  the  Haynes,  the  Draytons,  the  Alstons,  the  Rhetts,  the 
Johnsons,  the  Hamptons,  Earles,  Harrisons,  Sumters,  the  Richard- 
sons,  Chestnuts,  Kershaws,  Canteys  and  a  host  of  others.  From  the 
Huguenot,  the  Manigaults,  the  Prioleaus,  the  Laurens,  Hugers,  Mar- 
ions, Horrys,  Gaillards,  Bacots,  DeSaussures,  Ravencls,  Mazycks 
and  the  Grimkes.  Then  the  long  and  famous  list  of  the  Scotch  and 
Irish  —  commencing  with  the  Barnwells  in  1712  it  continues  with  the 
Rutledges,  Lynches,  Moultries,  Pickens,  Butlers,  Andrew  Jackson,  the 
Calhouns,  Davie,  the  Pringles,  Elliotts,  /P^danus  Burke,  the  Brattons, 
McLures,  Hamiltons,  McDuffie,  Turnbull,  Miller,  Mannings,  Prestons, 
Pettigrew  (Petigru),  Wardlaws,  O'Neall,  the  Greggs,  Hemphills, 
Boyces,  Simpson,  McGowan,  Mclvers,  Witherspoons,  Phornwell, 
Simms,  xAikens,  Magraths.  Simonton,  Conner  and  others. 

The  schools  in  which  the  youths  were  educated  constituted  an 
element  in  the  formation  of  the  character  of  the  people  of  the  state 
and  which  should  not  be  overlooked.  Before  the  revolution,  the 
young  men  of  the  lower  country  were  for  the  most  part  sent  to 
Europe  for  their  education,  and  such  as  could  not  afford  to  do  so 
were  educated  b)'  private  tutors  and  local  schools  of  which  there 
were  many  in  Charleston.  Free  schools  were  established  and  sup- 
ported by  ta.xation  and  private  munificence  in  connection  with  the 
parish  churches.  In  the  upper  part  of  the  state  churches  and  school- 
houses  were'  built  together  by  the  ministers  of  the  Scotch-Irish 
Presbyterians.  The  church  and  the  school,  both  accommodated  at 
first  in  the  rudest  and  most  primitive  structures,  were  almost  insepar- 
ably connected,  and  where  the  pastor  was  located,  in  that  congrega- 
tion there  was  a  classical  school;  but  in  the  last  fifteen  years  of  the 
last  century  institutions  of  higher  learning  had' arisen  as  Dr.  Howe 
in  the  histor}'  of  the  Presbyterian  church  observes,  if  not  in  a  form 
and  with  endowments  which  rendered  them  perfect,  yet  conducted 
with  a  becoming  energy  of  purpose  and  affording  the  means  of  a 
valuable  education  to  those  who  were  to  become  leaders  in  the  church 
or  state. 

On  Chi^istmas  day,  1850,  we  are  told,  the  three  rulers  of  the  Pun 
jab,  that  immense  province  which  had  just  been  added  to  England's 
possessions  in  India,  three  Scotch-Irishmen  who  had  made  their  own 
fortunes  and  PIngland's  in  adding  the  pro\"ince  to  her  domains  —  the 
two  Lawrences,  Lord  John  and  Sir  Henry,  and  Robert  Montgomery  — 
met  at  dinner  at  Lahore.  The  great  triumvirate  of  Lahore  had  also 
been  a  triumvirate  of  boys  at  a  private  college  at  Londonderry. 
A    -4 


i^O  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

The  ladies  had  retired  and  there  had  been  a  few  minutes  silence 
when  Sir  Henry  turned  abruptly  to  his  brother  and  said:  "  I  wonder 
what  the  two  poor  old  Simpsons  are  doing  at  this  moment  and 
whether  they  have  any  better  dinner  than  usual  to-day."  The  Simp- 
sons, it  must  be  observed,  were  twin  brothers  in  very  humble  circum- 
stances, who  had  been  ushers  in  Foyle  college.  Sir  Henry's  sudden 
apostrophe  awakened  many  old  memories  of  the  school  up  at  Lon- 
donderry, and,  after  a  few  remarks  had  been  made  upon  the  singular 
coincidence  that  the  three  men  who  had  been  at  school  together 
as  boys  so  many  years  before  now  found  themselves  associated  to- 
gether once  more  as  the  rulers  of  the  Punjab;  they  made  up  a  purse 
of  £^0  each  and  sent  it  as  a  Christmas  present  to  their  old  teacfhers, 
■whom  it  found  in  great  need.  If  Judge  O'Neall  is  right  in  his  state- 
ment that  Crawford  was  in  part  at  least  educated  at  Dr.  Alexander's 
school,  at  Bullock  Creek,  with  Jackson  and  Smith,*  a  similar  in- 
cident might  have  happened  in  Washington  at  any  time  during  sev- 
eral years  had  Dr.' Alexander  lived  to  see  his  three  school  boys  in 
such  high  places.  For  in  1829,  Jackson  and  Crawford,  with  John 
Ouincy  Adams,  were  rival  candidates  for  the  presidency,  and  both  in 
1833  and  in  1841,  Smith  was  voted  for  as  vice  president.  It  was  in- 
deed more  remarkable  that  this  old  field  school  should  have  produced 
three  men  who  were  to  be  at  the  same  time  so  prominent  in  the 
affairs  of  the  nation.  It  is  remarkable,  too,  that  the  Lawrences  and 
Montgomerys,  Jackson,  Crawford  and  Smith  were  all  of  the  same 
stock.  The  biographies  of  Crawford,  however,  do  not  mention  his 
having  been  at  school  at  Bullock  Creek;  and  it  is  well  known  that 
there  were  no  such  kindly  relations  between  Jackson  and  Crawford 
as  existed  between  Jackson  and  Smith,  which  might  have  softened 
their  rivalry  had  Jackson  and  Crawford  been  schoolmates  when 
boys.  But,  however  that  might  have  been,  it  is  certain  that  Crawford 
did  go  to  Dr.  Waddell's  school  in  Abbeville  district,  so  that  Dr. 
Waddell  educated  at  least  in  part  the  three  great  men,  Calhoun, 
Crawford  and  Jackson. 

This  school  of  Dr.  Waddell's  certainly  had  much  influence  upon 
the  state,  for  it  was  the  singular  fortune  of  the  Presbyterian  minister  — 
the  brother-in-law  of  Calhoun  —  to  have  educated  besides  Crawford 
and  Calhoun,  Hugh  S.  Legare,  George  McDuffte,  Franklin  H.  Elmore, 
James  L.  Petigru,  A.  P.  Butler,  M.  P.  Butler,  Patrick  Noble,  A.  B. 
Longstreet,  David  L.  Wardlaw,  Francis  H.  Wardlaw,  William  F.  Col- 
cock,  James  W.  Miles  and  William  Porcher  Miles. 

It  is  a  curious  and  interesting  fact  that  the  first  instance  in  which 
we  find  the  names  of  the  English,  the  Huguenot  and  the  Scotch-Irish 
stocks  in  the  state  commingled  —  in  which  we  find  together,  the 
names  of  the  up  and  low  country  —  is  in  the  list  of  members  of  the 
Mount  Zion  Society  —  a  society  organized  at  Charleston  during  the 
revolution  in  1777,  "  for  the  purpose  of  founding,  endowing  and  sup- 
porting a  public  school  in  the  district  of  Camden  for  Youth."     In  the 

•CNcall's  Bench  and  Bar,  Vol.  I,  p.  io6. 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  5 1 

preamble  to  the  rules  of  the  society  which  was  signed  by  over  four 
hundred  "  inhabitants  of  the  state,"  as  they  styled  themselves,  it  is 
declared  that  "  the  voice  of  reason  cries  aloud  to  them  to  promote 
knowledge  as  the  firmest  cement  of  a  state."  In  this  list  we  find  such 
names  as  these,  representing  all  parts  of  South  Carolina:  Allison, 
Adair,  Alexander,  Buchannan,  Bennett,  Bocquet,  Burke,  Bull,  Blake, 
Belin,  Calhoun,  Cannon,  Crawford,  Caldwell,  Davie,  Ellison,  Elliott, 
Evans,  Fishburne,  Goodwin,  Gibbs,  Guerard,  Hampton,  Huger, 
Harrison,  Hutson,  Johnson,  Kershaw,  Kennedy,  Logan,  Lining, 
Lynch,  McCrady,  McCorkle,  Mclver,  Moultrie,  O'Hear,  Porroneau, 
Prioleau,  Postell,  Pinckney,  Pringle,  Rutledge,  Strother,  Singleton, 
Simons,  Taylor,  Vanderhorst,  Wren,  Woodward,  Wigfall,  Watts, 
Water,  Williamson  and  Yates.  The  first  president  was  John  Winn. 
He  was  succeeded  by  John  Huger  in  1780,  and  lands  were  given  to 
the  society  for  the  school  by  John  Vanderhorst  and  Richard  Winn. 
The  school  was  organized  by  calling  to  its  presidency  the  Rev. 
Thomas  Harris  McCaule  from  North  Carolina.  He  proposed  to 
erect  the  institution  into  a  college  upon  the  plan  of  Princeton.  His 
plan  was  adopted  and  the  institution  was  incorporated  March  19, 
1785.  In  the  same  act  was  also  incorporated  the  college  of  Cam- 
bridge at  ninety-six  and  the  college  of  Charleston.  Of  the  college  of 
Cambridge  we  have  no  account.  The  Mount  Zion  has  continued  to 
this  day  as  an  institution  in  which  the  youth  of  that  section  are  edu- 
cated, and  the  Charleston  college  has  with  short  intervals  kept  its 
doors  open  from  that  time  to  this,  and  from  its  halls  have  come  many 
men  of  mark  and  influence  in  the  state  and  the  reputations  of  some  of 
whom  have  far  exceeded  its  limit. 

But  the  institution  which  has  done  most  to  mould  and  influence  the 
character  of  the  people  of  the  state  is  doubtless  the  South  Carolina 
college.  The  act  for  the  establishment  of  this  college  was  passed  in 
1801,  and  principally  through  the  advocacy  and  exertions  of  Chancellor 
H.  W.  DeSaussure,  though  its  origin  can  be  traced  far  back  into  the 
fl«/^-revolutionary  period.  From  its  commencement  the  institution  be- 
came to  a  large  extent  the  center  not  only  of  education  but  of  politi- 
cal thought  in  the  state.  Here  gathered  together  the  descendants  of 
the  first  English  settlers  on  the  coast,  who  in  the  new  land  had  ac- 
quired wealth  and  established  a  social  order  of  their  own,  a  social 
order  which,  if  less  ancient  than  that  of  the  old  country,  was  in  no  re- 
spect inferior  to  it  in  culture  and  refinement,  whose  fathers  before 
the  revolution  had  been  generally  educated  in  England  and  on  the 
continent,  and  since  the  revolution  at  Yale,  Harvard  and  Princeton 
—  the  descendants  of  the  Huguenots  who  still  retain  the  softness  of 
manner  of  "  the  gentle  and  profitable  strangers,"  and  who  had  with 
the  English,  formed  the  society  of  the  low  country  and  impressed 
upon  it  their  elegance  and  courtesy  —  the  descendants  of  the  Welsh, 
bringing  with  them  the  courtliness  of  King  Arthur  and  his  round 
table  —  the  descendants  of  the  Palatines  with  their  inherited  socia- 
bility and  tenacity  of  character — and  the  Scotch-Irish  with  their  in- 
tense love  of  liberty,  shrewdness  and  heroism.     Here  came  together 


52  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

the  boys  with  all  these  valuable  and  various  characteristics  to  be 
moulded  into  one  —  the  typical  South  Carolinian.  It  happened  that 
the  college  was  situated  at  the  capital  within  but  a  few  hundred  yards 
of  the  state  house;  and  the  two  formed  almost  parts  of  the  same  in- 
stitution. The  sons  crowded  the  galleries  and  slipped  in  upon  the 
floors  of  the  house  to  hear  their  fathers  in  the  legislature  discuss  the 
great  questions  of  the  day  —  they  looking  themselves  to  the  time 
when  they,  too,  should  go  from  the  college  rooms  to  the  halls  of  the 
assembly —  for  graduation  at  the  college  with  distinction  was  pretty 
sure  to  be  followed  by  an  election  to  the  house  from  some  parish  or 
district. 

The  annual  legislature  was  indeed  to  them  the  opportunity  of 
witnessing  and  observing  the  practical  application  of  the  political 
theories  imbibed  by  them  in  the  lecture  room.  They  witnessed  here 
the  opening  of  the  house — the  bringing  in  of  the  great  silver  mace 
which  Sir  Francis  Nicholson  the  first  governor  under  the  royal 
government  had  brought  over  with  him,  the  same  that  Josiah  Ouincy 
described  in  his  journals  in  1773  as  a  very  superb  and  elegant  one, 
the  same  that  was  borne  before  the  commons  when  on  the  eve  of  the 
Revolution  in  1775  they  went  in  solemn  procession  to  the  old  St. 
Philip's  church  to  invoke  the  guidance  of  the  Almighty  Ruler  of  the 
universe  that  in  their  struggle  for  liberty  they  might  not  fear  the 
power  of  any  adversar}';  and,  as  the  custom  still  is  and  has  ever  been 
they  saw  the  laying  it  on  the  table  before  the  speaker  as  the  house 
opened.  They  watched  the  speaker  in  his  robes  of  state,  who  with 
the  grand  and  dignified  manner  which  had  come  down  to  him  as  a 
part  of  his  office,  presided  over  a  body  of  gentlemen  sitting  before 
him  as  legislators,  deriving  their  seats,  it  might  almost  be  said,  by 
birth  and  education  as  much  as  by  election  —  a  body  surpassed  no- 
where by  its  dignified  conduct  and  decorum  amidst  the  most  exciting 
political  discussions  characteristics  which  have  been  preserved  and 
have  survived  even  the  violent  changes  of  reconstruction.  .Sitting  in 
the  galleries  the  boys  watched  the  conduct  of  parliamentary  business 
and  took  with  them  rulings  of  the  speaker  to  practice  in  the  halls  of 
th(;ir  debating  society.  Here,  too,  they  witnessed  the  inauguration  of 
the  governor,  "the  first  gentleman  of  the  state"  for  his  term,  many 
a  one  no  doubt  aspiring  one  day  to  become  governor  himself  which 
some  of  them  did.  Here  with  their  college  studies  they  imbibed  the 
doctrines  of  state  sovereignty  and  states  rights  and  a  spirit  of  state 
pride  and  a  love  for  her  institutions  and  an  ambition  to  devote  theni- 
selves  to  her  service  and  to  make  themselves  part  of  her  history. 
Here  at  the  inauguration  of  the  college  the  boys  heard  of  "  that 
galaxy"*  of  young  men  whom  South  Carolina  sent  to  Washington  to 
sustain  the  war  of  1812,  i.owndes,  Calhoun  and  Chevcs.  Of  William 
l.owndes,  already  admitted  the  foremost  in  ability  and  influence  in 
the  house,  of  whom  it  was  said  the  highest  antl  best  hopes  of  the 
country  looked  to  him   for  iheir  fulfillment,  antl   whose  character  has 


•Life  of  James  Huclianan,  Vol.  I,  p.  26. 


SOUTH    (AkOI.INA.  53 

been  described  by  an  eminent  writer  as  "  the  ablest,  purest  and  most 
unselfish  statesman  of  his  day."  Of  Calhoun,  who  for  forty  years 
was  to  stand  before  the  country  as  the  great  Carolinian.  Of  Cheves, 
the  compeer  of  both.  Of  Joel  R.  Poinsett,  McDuffie  and  Miller;  of 
Hayne  and  his  great  debate  with  Webster;  and  of  Preston,  the 
greatest  orator  of  all,  who  after  commanding  "the  applause  of  listen- 
ing senates  "  was  himself  to  preside  over  this  college  and  to  crowd 
its  walls  with  students  eager  to  learn  from  the  lips  and  the  daily  ex- 
ample of  the  first  of  orators  the  true  spirit  and  power  of  eloquence. 

This  institution,  first  conceived  and  recommended  by  Lieutenant- 
Governor  Bull  in  1770,  and  urged  by  John  Rutledge  when  South 
Carolina  was  still  a  province,  as  a  political  bond  of  union,  fulfilled  its 
purposes  as  predicted  by  Gov.  John  Drayton.  The  friendship  of  young 
men  from  all  parts  of  the  state  formed  there  has  promoted  and 
strengthened  the  sentiment  of  state  pride  and  patriotism.  Here  it 
was  in  this  college  the  boys  of  the  state  learned  their  politics  with 
the  classics  and  the  sciences  —  politics  wherein  they  were  taught  to 
be  "  intolerant  believers  in  a  very  simple  creed  which  could  be  sum- 
med up  in  one  commandment,  'Love  South  Carolina'"'^  —  a  creed 
which  was  exemplified  in  every  battlefield  of  the  late  war;  for  which 
a  life  was  offered  for  every  vote  cast;  and  for  which  12,000  sons  of 
South  Carolina  laid  down  their  lives.  One  recently  writing  from  New 
England  says,  "  Here  in  the  North,  that  is  naturally  presumptuous 
and  arrogant  in  her  vast  material  power,  and  where  consequently  but 
little  attention  had  been  given  to  the  study  of  the  nature  and  prin- 
ciples of  constitutional  liberty  as  connected  with  the  rights  of  the 
state,  there  is  nevertheless  an  increasing  understanding  and  appreci- 
ation of  the  Confederate  cause,  particularly  here  in  the  New  England 
states  whose  position  and  interest  in  the  Union  are  in  many  respects 
peculiar  and  perhaps  require  that  these  states  should  be  watchful 
guardians  of  the  state's  sovereignty.  Mingled  with  this  increasing 
understanding  and  appreciation  of  the  Confederate  cause  naturally 
comes  also  a  growing  admiration  of  its  devoted  defenders;  and  the 
time  may  yet  be  when  the  northern  as  well  as  the  southern  heart  will 
throb  reverently  to  the  proud  words  upon  the  Confederate  monu- 
ment at  Charleston: 

"  THESE    DIED    FOR    THEIR    STATE."  f 

In  looking  back  upon  the  history  of  South  Carolina  it  will  be  seen 
that  during  the  first  century,  the  colonial  period,  the  province  was 
ruled  entirely  by  the  English  element.  That  during  the  Revo- 
lutionary period  the  Huguenot  became  of  great  and  co-ordinate 
influence.  But  since  the  establishment  of  the  state  we  think  it  ap- 
pears that  the  Scotch-Irish  has  been  the  predominant  race. 

But  after  all,  is  not  South  Carolina  like  the  rest  of  America  ? 

"  America!  half  brother  of  the  world! 
With  something  good  and  bad  of  every  land." 

*  W.  H.  Trescot,  in  Memoriam  Stephen  Elliott. 
t  Lowell  (Mass.)  Weekly  Sun,  June  5,  1886. 


54  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

It  is  out  of  these  different  people  and  characters  that  has  been 
formed  a  society  whose  social  order  is  much  its  own,  and  which  is 
recognized  as  quaint  and  peculiar.  It  has  been  admired  in  the  past 
for  its  purity,  its  refinement,  its  courtesy,  its  truthfulness  and  its 
courage.  Let  it  be  theirs,  who  have  inherited  its  manners  and  im- 
bibed its  spirit,  to  achieve  the  equal  merit  with  those  who  formed  it 
—  that  of  preserving  it  through  these  strange  and  troublesome  times. 


BIOGRAPHICAL     SKRTGHEIB 


OF 


Eminent  ,0  ^prcsentatiue  Soutl}  @rolinian^. 


JOHN    RUTLEDGE. 


John  Rutledge,  one  of  the  most  eminent  statesmen  and  patriots  of 
South  CaroHna,  was  born  in  1739,  his  mother  at  the  date  of  his  birth 
being  only  fifteen  years  of  age.  His  father,  Dr.  John  Rutledge,  emi- 
grated from  Ireland  to  South  Carolina  about  the  year  1735,  and 
married  Miss  Hext.  She  was  left  a  widow  at  an  early  period,  but 
was  an  apt  example  of  an  illustrious  line  of  mothers  who  by  devotion 
to  their  maternal  duties  have  been  honored  and  rewarded  by  the 
greatness  and  virtues  of  their  offspring.  The  earliest  instructor  of 
John  Rutledge  was  David  Rhind,  an  educator  of  considerable  note 
in  South  Carolina  at  that  period.  With  him  young  Rutledge  began 
the  study  of  the  Latin  and  Greek  classics  and  had  made  good  pro- 
gress, subsequently  studying  law  with  James  Parsons.  He  was  ad- 
mitted to  the  bar  and  began  practice  at  Charleston  in  1761.  One  of 
his  first  suits  was  a  breach  of  promise  prosecution,  and  it  afforded  an 
opportunity  for  the  display  of  an  eloquence  which  surprised  judge, 
jury  and  audience.  He  came  at  once  to  be  prominent,  as  a  lawyer 
and  an  orator,  not  growing  into  popularity  by  slow  approaches,  but 
coming  at  once  to  the  front,  and  legal  business  began  from  the  outset 
to  crowd  his  calendar.  Those  who  had  the  most  intricate  cases  came 
to  him  for  counsel  and  his  retaining  fees  were  most  generous  in  pro- 
portions. But  he  had  been  in  practice  only  a  few  years  before  the 
mutterings  of  the  Revolution  began  to  be  audible,  and  in  all  the  pre- 
liminary controversies  which  took  place  between  the  whigs  and 
royalists,  he  took  a  prominent  part  upon  the  side  of  the  former. 
When  the  royalist  governors  undertook  to  dictate  as  to  who  should 
hold  seats  in  the  legislative  assemblies,  particularly  in  the  case  of 
Governor  Boone  in  his  refusal  to  administer  the  oath  of  office  to 
Christopher  Gadsden,  John  Rutledge,  by  his  rare  eloquence  fired  the 
hearts  of  the  people  and  prepared  them  for  the  great  struggle  for 
National  independence.  He  took  an  active  part  in  advocating  the 
meeting  of  the  Continental  congress,  and  he  and  Christopher  Gadsden 
and  Thomas  Lynch  were  appointed  to  represent  South  Carolina  in 


^6  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

that  body.  When  the  congress  met  in  New  York  city  in  1765,  Mr. 
Rutledge  at  the  outset  took  a  prominent  part  in  the  debates  and  his 
fellow  members  from  the  other  states  were  taken  by  surprise  at  his 
eloquent  appeals  against  British  domination.  They  had  not  supposed 
that  the  then  inconsiderable  province  of  South  Carolina  possessed  a 
statesman  of  such  rare  powers  and  erudition.  After  the  repeal  of 
the  obnoxious  stamp  act,  Mr.  Rutledge  only  took  part  in  the  politics 
of  .South  Carolina,  but  his  eloquent  voice  was  not  hushed  in  the  pro- 
vincial legislatures  nor  before  the  courts,  where  he  wielded  an  influ- 
ence and  a  power  that  were  irresistible.  But  when  the  news  of  the 
Boston  port-bill  reached  Charleston,  a  general  meeting  of  the  inhabi- 
tants of  the  province  was  called  to  pledge  its  support  to  the  Bostonians, 
in  which  John  Rutledge  took  a  conspicuous  part.  The  deliberations 
of  this  meeting  were  among  the  first  steps  of  a  decisive  nature  toward 
the  great  Revolutionary  struggle  which  proved  to  be  in  the  near 
future.  The  meeting,  by  choosing  delegates  to  a  congress  of  all  the 
colonies,  fairly  committed  the  province  in  favor  of  resistance  to  the 
demands  of  the  British  government.  Five  representative  men  were 
appointed  to  proceed  to  congress,  and  the  delegation  consisted  of 
John  Rutledge,  his  brother,  Edward  Rutledge,  Christopher  Gadsden, 
Thomas  Lynch  and  Henry  Middleton.  Prom  that  time  until  1776, 
John  Rutledge  continued  to  represent  the  province  in  the  Continental 
congress.  After  that  period  he  returned  to  Charleston  and  was  made 
president  and  commander-in-chief  of  Carolina.  In  that  capacity  he 
rendered  most  important  and  vital  service  to  the  cause  of  the  colonists. 
Mr.  Rutledge  held  this  responsible  position  for  two  years,  when  he 
resigned.  But  the  provincial  legislature  would  not  allow  him  long  to 
remain  in  private  life,  and  at  its  next  session  re-instated  him  in  the  ex- 
ecutive office.  When  the  state  was  invaded  by  General  Provost's  army, 
Governor  Rutledge  kept  alive  the  fires  of  patriotism  in  the  hearts  of 
the  people,  and  took  active  measures  for  the  defense  of  Charleston 
and  the  recovery  of  the  state  from  British  invasion.  In  17S2  he  was 
again  sent  to  congress,  and  during  this  term,  he  was  selected,  in  com- 
pany with  George  Clymer,  to  make  the  tour  of  the  southern  portion 
of  the  country,  to  rouse  the  inhabitants  to  a  sense  of  the  danger  of 
growing  lukewarm  in  the  cause  of  the  independence  of  the  colonies. 
It  was  feared  that  Great  Britain  seeing  the  subsidence  of  opposition 
on  the  part  of  the  colonists,  would  re-commence  the  war  and  again 
undertake  the  work  of  subjugation.  This  deputation  was  instructed 
"  to  make  such  representations  to  the  several  states  southward  of 
i'hiladelphia  as  were  best  adapted  to  their  respective  circumstances 
and  the  present  situation  of  public  affairs,  and  as  might  induce  them 
to  carry  the  requisitions  of  congress  into  effect  with  the  greatest  des- 
patch." This  furnished  an  occasion  for  Mr.  Rutledge  to  make  use 
of  those  rare  powers  of  persuasion  of  which  he  was  such  a  consum- 
mate master,  and  before  the  Virginia  assembly  it  became  a  question 
whether  John  Rutledge,  of  South  Carolina,  or  their  own  Patrick 
Henry,  was  the  most  powerful  and  accomplished  public  speaker. 
Near  the  close  of  Mr.  Rutledge's  congressional  term  he  was  tendered 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  57 

the  appointment  of  minister  plenipotentiary  from  the  United  States 
to  Holland,  but  he  declined  the  proffered  honor.  In  1784,  after  a 
long  service  in  an  executive  and  a  legislative  capacity,  he  was  ap- 
pointed a  judge  of  the  court  of  chancery  of  South  Carolina.  For  this 
high  trust  he  proved  himself  even  better  fitted,  if  possible,  than  for 
his  former  high  positions.  His  profound  knowledge  of  law  and  his 
well  balanced  judgment  peculiarly  fitted  him  for  judicial  duties.  His 
decisions  from  the  bench  were  models  of  clearness  and  perspicuity, 
and  seldom  failed  to  satisfy  even  the  defeated  party  of  their  justice 
and  impartiality.  In  1787  he  was  chosen  a  delegate  to  frame  a 
national  constitution  to  take  the  place  of  the  Articles  of  Confederation, 
and  in  this  capacity  he  rendered  most  effective  service  to  his  country. 
After  the  new  constitution  was  put  in  force,  Mr.  Rutledge  was  ap- 
pointed by  President  Washington  an  associate  justice  of  the  United 
States  supreme  court,  which  position  he  held  till  1791,  when  he  was 
elected  chief  justice  of  the  supreme  court  of  .South  Carolina.  This  hon- 
orable preferment  was  followed  by  one  still  higher  -the  appointment 
of  chief  justice  of  the  United  .States,  but  the  senate  failed  to  confirm 
the  appointment.  This  profound  statesman  and  e.xalted  patriot  closed 
his  eventful  earthly  career  at  the  beginning  of  the  present  century, 
at  the  age  of  about  sixty-one  years.  The  wife  of  John  Rutledge  was 
a  Miss  Grimke,  believed  to  be  a  sister  of  Judge  Grimke  and  a  descend- 
ant of  the  Huguenot  exiles.  They  had  several  children,  one  of  whom, 
General  John  Rutledge,  was  a  United  .States  senator  from  South 
Carolina. 

EDWARD    RUTLEDGE. 

Edward  Rutledge,  who  became  one  of  the  most  distinguished  gov- 
ernors of  South  Carolina,  was  born  at  Charleston,  November  23,  1749. 
He  was  the  son  of  Dr.  John  Rutledge.  He  had  the  benefit  of 
the  instruction  of  David  Smith,  A.  M.,  a  graduate  of  New  Jersey  col- 
lege, having  the  reputation  of  being  one  of  the  most  learned  and  suc- 
cessful teachers  of  the  classics  in  the  country.  Mr.  Rutledge  took  up 
the  study  of  law  in  the  office  of  his  brother,  John  Rutledge,  and  com- 
pleted his  legal  course  at  the  Temple  in  London.  He  returned  to 
Charleston,  after  a  four  years'  absence,  a  full-fledged  barrister,  and 
began  practice  in  that  city.  This  was  in  1773.  The  next  year  he 
was  appointed  a  delegate  to  the  general  congress  which  met  in  Phil- 
adelphia in  .September  of  that  3'ear,  his  colleagues  being  his  brother, 
John,  Henry  Middleton,  Christopher  Gadsden  and  Thomas  Lynch  — 
a  delegation  of  illustrious  individuals.  He  was  chosen  for  three  suc- 
cessive years  to  the  same  office,  and  on  the  memorable  4th  of  July, 
1776,  he  and  Thomas  Heywood,  Jr.,  Thomas  Lynch  and  Arthur  Mid- 
dleton, subscribed  their  names  to  the  Declaration  of  Independence. 
A  few  weeks  before  that  he  had  been  appointed  on  the  first  board  of 
war,  the  other  members  of  the  board  being  John  Adams,  Sherman, 
Harrison  and  Wilson.  He  was  appointed  the  same  year,  with  Dr. 
Franklin    and    John    Adams,  to   treat   with    Lord    Howe,  on   Staten 


58  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

Island,  upon  terms  for  the  restoration  of  peace,  but  the  basis  of  the 
proposal  was  the  absolute  independence  of  the  states.  In  1779  he 
was  again  appointed  a  member  of  congress,  but,  before  he  could 
reach  the  seat  of  government,  was  attacked  by  a  slow  fever  which 
prevented  his  attendance.  He  belonged  to  the  South  Carolina 
militia,  and  held  the  rank  of  lieutenant-colonel,  having  passed 
through  all  the  lower  grades  of  military  rank;  he  commanded  a  com- 
pany of  artillery  in  1779,  when  the  British  were  defeated  and  driven 
from  Port  Royal  island,  in  which  his  gallantry  and  bravery  were  con- 
spicuous. When  Charleston  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  enemy,  in 
May,  1780,  he  was  taken  prisoner  and  confined  at  St.  Augustine,  Fla., 
but  was  e.xchanged  after  an  imprisonment  of  eleven  months'  dura- 
tion. On  his  return  to  South  Carolina  he  was  elected  to  the  general 
assembly,  sitting  at  Jacksonborough.  He  afterward  served  in  the 
council,  and,  in  both  these  positions,  rendered  important  service  to  his 
state.  The  occupation  of  Charleston  by  the  British  kept  him  and  his 
associates  from  returning  to  that  city  until  December  14,  1782,  when 
they  had  the  joyful  satisfaction  of  being  welcomed  home  by  mothers, 
wives,  sisters  and  daughters.  He  resumed  his  law  practice  in  his 
native  city,  and  pursued  the  practice  with  great  assiduity  for  a  long 
course  of  years.  In  1790  he  was  elected  a  member  of  the  convention 
to  frame  a  state  constitution,  and  the  next  year  was  a  member  of  the 
legislature,  elected  under  the  provisions  of  the  organic  act  of  the 
convention.  He  was  the  author  of  the  act  passed  February  19,  1791, 
for  the  abolition  of  the  rights  of  primogeniture  and  for  giving  to 
heirs  an  equitable  distribution  of  the  real  estate  of  intestates  and  for 
other  purposes.  This  was  a  most  important  act  and  entitled  its 
author  to  the  thanks  of  all  coming  generations.  In  1794  he  and 
Gen.  Charles  C.  Pinckne}'  were  respectively  invited  by  Gen.  Wash- 
ington to  a  seat  on  the  bench  of  the  supreme  court  of  the  United 
States,  but  both  declined,  believing  they  could  do  better  service  by 
remaining  in  the  legislature  of  their  state.  In  December,  1798,  Mr. 
Rutledge  was  elected  governor  and  commander-in-chief  in  and  over 
South  Carolina,  but  this  proved  to  be  his  last  official  promotion.  He 
died  January  23,  1800,  just  upon  the  threshold  of  a  new  century.  His 
wife  and  at  least  one  son  survived  him  —  the  former  for  thirty-six  years. 
The  son,  Henry  Middleton  Rutledge,  removed  to  Tennessee,  and 
there  died,  leaving  a  large  family.  Dr.  Ramsay,  the  eminent  his- 
torian of  South  Carolina,  in  his  history  of  that  state,  gives  a  large  re- 
view of  the  life  of  Gov.  Rutledge.  in  which  the  following  passage  occurs: 
"In  the  practice  of  law  Edward  Rutledge  was  directed  by  the  most  up- 
right and  generous  principles.  To  advance  his  personal  interest  was  a 
secondary  object;  to  do  good,  to  promote  peace,  to  heal  breaches,  to 
advance  justice,  was  a  primary  one.  His  powers  of  persuasion  were 
not  be  purchased  to  shield  oppression  or  to  support  iniquity.  When 
he  thought  his  client  had  justice  on  his  side,  he  would  go  all  lengths 
in  vindicating  his  claims;  but  would  not  support  anj'  man,  however 
liberal,  in  prosecuting  unfounded  claims,  or  resisting  those  that  were 
substantially  just.     He  abhorred  the  principle  that  an  advocate  should 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  59 

take  all  advantages  for  his  client,  and  gain  for  him  whatever  he 
could,  whether  right  or  wrong;  or,  on  the  other  hand,  to  assist  him 
with  quirks  and  quibbles  which  ingenuity  can  contrive,  or  the  forms  of 
law  permit,  for  defeating  or  delaying  the  claims  of  suljstantial  jus- 
tice." Gov.  Rutledge  served  his  state  ably,  faithfully,  patriotically, 
and  with  an  utter  abnegation  of  self,  with  a  heart  single  to  the  public 
good. 

HENRY    WILLIAM    DeSAUSSURE. 

This  gentleman  was  descended  from  distinguished  foreign  ances- 
try and  was  a  native  of  Beaufort  district,  being  born  near  Pocotaligo, 
August  i6,  1763.  His  father  was  a  distinguished  soldier,  having  been 
thought  worthy  to  accompany  the  Rutledges,  Gadsdens,  Moultries 
and  others,  after  the  fall  of  Charleston,  as  prisoners  of  war  to  St. 
Augustine,  Fla.  After  the  war,  from  '83  to  '91,  he  was  a  member  of 
the  legislature,  and  for  the  last  two  years  president  of  the  senate. 
Henry  William,  in  his  seventeenth  year,  served  as  a  volunteer  in  the 
defense  of  Charleston,  when  it  was  besieged  by  Sir  Henry  Clinton. 
At  the  fall  of  the  city  he  refused  to  take  protection  and  was  sent  to 
the  prison  ship.  After  four  months  among  these  scenes  of  cruelty 
and  death,  he  was  exchanged  and  sent  to  Philadelphia.  He  studied 
law  under  Mr.  Ingersoll,  of  that  city,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  of 
Philadelphia,  and  in  17S4  he  returned  to  North  Carolina  and  became  a 
member  of  the  bar  of  his  own  state.  Here  he  had  to  encounter  in 
the  vigor  of  their  strength  and  mental  manhood,  the  Rutledges, 
Pinckneys,  Pringles  and  others.  In  the  spring  of  1785  he  married 
Miss  Ford,  of  Morristown,  N.  J.,  a  woman  of  rare  accomplishments 
and  lovable  disposition.  In  1789,  he  was  a  member  of  the  convention 
which  framed  the  constitution  of  the  state,  and  in  1791  he  was  a 
member  of  the  house  of  representatives,  during  which  time  he  effected 
important  changes  in  the  law  in  reference  to  the  rights  of  primogen- 
iture and  the  establishment  of  courts  of  equity.  In  1794,  while 
sojourning  at  the  Sweet  Springs,  Virginia,  where  he  was  seeking 
relief  in  its  healing  waters,  from  an  attack  of  acute  rheumatism,  he 
was  tendered  the  office  of  director  of  the  mint,  by  President  Wash- 
ington, which  office,  by  the  advice  of  his  friend.  Gen.  Hamilton,  he 
accepted.  He  at  once  proceeded  to  Philadelphia,  and  with  charac- 
teristic diligence  and  industry,  soon  made  himself  master  of  the  situ- 
ation, where  he  coined  the  first  gold  ever  issued  by  the  American 
government.  He  retired  from  this  responsible  and  laborious  office  in 
November,  1795.  Upon  his  return  to  Charleston,  in  1795,  he  was 
made  intendant  of  the  city.  In  1800  he  was  returned  to  the  legisla- 
ture, where  he  was  successful  in  establishing  the  South  Carolina  col- 
lege. He  retired  again  from  the  legislature  in  1802,  but  was  again 
induced  to  return  in  1808.  In  the  following  year  he  was  elected  a 
judge  of  the  court  of  equity,  and  to  him  the  whole  system  of  equity 
jurisprudence  in  the  state  owes  its  origin  and  its  dignity.  He  stood 
in  the  same  relation  to   South   Carolina,  in  which    Kent  did   to   New 


6o  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

York.  In  1836,  when  the  court  of  appeals  consisted  of  all  the  judges 
of  both  the  court  of  equity  and  the  court  of  appeals  properly,  he 
took  rank  as  president  of  the  court  of  ten.  Mr.  De  Saussure  resigned 
his  position  on  the  bench  in  December,  1837,  and  in  announcing  his 
resignation.  Gov.  Butler  said  with  great  truth  of  him:  "He  has 
worn  the  sword  of  the  soldier  amidst  the  perils  of  the  Revolution  and 
the  ermine  of  a  virtuous  magistrate  in  peace.  The  one  was  never 
used  but  against  the  enemies  of  his  country,  and  the  other  will 
descend  from  him  without  spot  or  blemish."  A  short  time  after  his 
resignation  his  health  began  rapidly  to  fail,  and  on  the  20th  of  March, 
1839,  he  expired.  The  leading  and  more  prominent  traits  of  charac- 
ter of  Chancellor  DeSaussure  were  his  sense  of  duty  and  benevolence, 
so  that,  while  his  work  as  a  jurist  was  done  with  dispatch,  it  was 
always  done  with  extreme  conscientiousness.  The  labor  which  he 
bestowed  on  the  preparation  of  his  opinions  into  every  niche  and 
corner  whence  light  is  drawn,  mark  his  as  the  eminently  legal  mind. 
It  appears  from  the  returns  of  the  commissioners  in  equity,  in  1830, 
that  of  more  than  2,000  decrees  and  opinions,  made  in  the  state  for 
the  seventy  years  preceding,  nearly  one-half  were  pronounced  by 
Chancellor  DeSaussure.  The  whole  of  his  most  beautiful  life 
may  be  summed  up  in  a  word,  as  a  man  who  knew  his  duty  and  per- 
formed it,  and  w^ho  did  no  one  wrong.  On  the  20th  of  March,  1839, 
he  closed  his  eventful  and  valued  life  at  the  residence  of  his  eldest 
son,  Henry  A.  DeSaussure,  in  the  city  of  Charleston. 

HUGH    SWINTON    LEGARE. 

Among  all  the  eminent  lawyers  of  which  the  state  of  Carolina  may 
well  be  proud,  none  stands  higher  in  the  reverence  and  recollection 
of  her  appreciative  people  than  Hugh  Swinton  Legare.  His  life 
is  full  of  the  memory  of  benefactions  to  his  state  and  people,  but 
his  most  distinguished  triumphs  have  been  at  the  bar,  and  as  a  lawyer 
both  by  instinct  and  education  his  life  was  a  full  and  well  rounded 
success.  He  was  born  in  the  city  of  Charleston,  January  22,  1797,  his 
parents  being  Solomon  Legare  and  Mary  Swinton,  embracing  the 
stern  solidity  of  the  Scotch  borderman  with  the  brilliancy  of  the 
French  Huguenots  —  two  qualities  so  conducive  to  success  in  any  un- 
dertaking. At  the  early  age  of  four  the  boy  fell  a  victim  to  the 
scourge  of  small-pox,  which  blighted  his  joints  and  dwarfed  his 
limbs.  In  spite  of  his  physical  afflictions,  at  the  age  of  thirteen  he 
displayed  unusual  brilliancy  in  the  acquirement  of  classic  and  polite 
literature,  at  which  time  he  was  sent  to  Willington,  and  sat  at  the 
feet  of  the  eminent  Dr.  Waddell  for  two  years,  after  which,  at  the  age 
of  fifteen,  a  small,  decrepit  boy,  but  a  giant  in  intellect,  he  entered 
South  Carolina  coll(>ge,  and  in  a  short  time  made  himself  a  record  as 
one  of  its  most  brilliant  scholars  even  among  the  seniors  of  that  in- 
stitution. He  graduated  with  the  first  honors  of  his  class  in  1814,  at 
the  age  of  eighteen,  when  he  commenced  and  pursued  the  study  of 
law  under  Judge  King,  and  after  having  been  admitted  to  the  bar  he 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  6l 

made  a  tour  lo  luiropc,  aiul  spent  nearly  two  years  in  Ir.mcc,  (Ger- 
many and  Scotland,  very  much  to  his  advantage,  both  as  a  scholar 
and  a  speaker.  Those,  who,  even  at  this  early  age,  had  the  pleasure 
of  hearing  Mr.  Legare  on  the  platform,  declare  that  he  was  a  peer- 
less orator.  In  1821  he  was  elected  to  the  house  of  representatives, 
which  office  he  filled  by  successive  elections  until  1830,  when  he  be- 
came attorney-general  of  the  state.  Following  quickly  upon  his  ele- 
vation to  the  attorney-generalship  came  the  nullification  excitement 
in  the  south,  which  grew  in  bitterness  and  violence  until  it  iiad  ar- 
rayed brother  against  brother,  and  father  against  son,  in  deadly  feud. 
From  considerableof  this  bitterness  Mr.  Legare  was  relieved  by  be- 
ing appointed  charge  d'affairs,  ol  Brussels,  the  duties  of  which  office 
kept  him  in  that  country  for  six  years.  On  his  return  from  l^russels, 
in  1836,  he  was  elected  to  congress,  and  sctrved  two  years  with  great 
distinction,  but  his  whig  sentiments  displeased  his  people,  and  he  was 
thrown  out  in  the  election  in  1838.  He  returned  to  the  bar,  and 
through  the  friendly  influence  of  Mr.  Petigru  was  brought  promi- 
nently forward  in  arguing  the  important  cases  which  occupied  the 
attention  of  the  supreme  court  of  .South  Carolina  from  1S37  to  1841. 
The  transcendent  ability  displayed  in  these  cases  attracted  the  atten- 
tion of  President  Tyler,  who,  in  1841,  appointed  him  attorney-general 
of  the  United  States.  Here  he  was  in  his  element;  he  had  to  deal 
with  great  questions  of  national  importance,  questions  involving  not 
only  the  rights  of  individuals,  but  grave  and  weighty  questions  pre- 
sented by  the  several  states  in  their  separate  sovereignty,  but  he  was 
as  nearly  equal  to  the  great  task  as  any  who  came  before  or  after 
him,  and  \yas  well  on  the  road  to  great  fame  and  fortune  when  the 
fell  destroyer  came  and  he  died  in  the  city  of  Boston,  on  the  20th  of 
June,  1841 ,  and  was  buried  with  great  pohip  and  eclat  at  Mount  Auburn. 
At  a  later  period  Mr.  Richard  Yeadon,  by  the  consent  of  his  sister, 
had  his  remains  removed  to  Magnolia  cemetery,  near  Charleston, 
where  a  fine  monument  was  erected  to  his  memor}-. 

GEORGE    McDUFFIE. 

George  McDuffie  was  a  native  of  Columbia  county,  (ia.,  and  was 
born  about  the  year  1788.  When  quite  young  he  came  under  the 
notice  of  James  Calhoun,  of  Augusta,  Ga.,  who  gave  him  employment 
as  a  clerk  in  his  mercantile  establishment.  Observing  that  the  lad 
was  the  possessor  of  uncommon  talent,  Mr.  Calhoun  mentioned  him 
to  his  brother,  William  Calhoun,  as  a  youth  who  ought  to  have 
better  educational  privileges,  and  that  gentleman,  with  a  generosity 
which  did  him  great  honor,  offered  to  put  young  McDuffie  in  a  way 
to  obtain  a  liberal  education.  He  first  placed  him  in  Dr.  Waddell's 
school  at  Willington,  boarding  him  at  his  own  home  and  bearing  the 
expenses  of  his  tuition.  He  was  in  possession  of  but  a  scanty  ward- 
robe and  was  generally  poverty-stricken,  but  at  this  school,  he  very 
soon  demonstrated  his  superior  aptness  for  learning.  He  was  soon 
fitted  for  college,  his  examination   showing  he  was  qualified  to  enter 


62  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

the  junior  class.  He  graduated  from  the  South  Carolina  college  with 
first  honors,  his  baccalaureate  thesis  being  "  The  Permanence  of  the 
Union."  His  oration  was  published  at  the  request  of  his  fellow  stu- 
dents, but  it  proved  to  be  hardly  in  keeping  with  his  subsequent  course 
in  politics.  He  studied  law  and  was  admitted  to  practice  in  May, 
1814,  and  near  the  close  of  that  year  became  the  law  partner  of  Col. 
Eldred  Simkins,  of  Edgefield,  S.  C.  Availing  himself  of  the  priv- 
ileges of  his  partner's  extensive  practice  and  valuable  library,  he  soon 
began  to  make  his  mark  in  the  profession  and  secured  a  large  prac- 
tice of  his  own.  He  practiced  both  in  the  circuit  and  court  of  appeals, 
and  his  services  were  in  great  deman-d  in  criminal  as  well  as  civil 
cases,  no  matter  how  desperate  or  abstruse  they  might  be.  In  Octo- 
ber, 1818,  Mr.  McDuffie  became  a  member  of  the  house  of  represen- 
tatives of  South  Carolina,  a  tribunal  in  which  his  rare  eloquence  could 
be  brought  into  full  play.  His  speeches  in  that  body  were  fine  speci- 
mens of  powerful  and  fervent  oratory  and  of  finished  rhetoric.  He 
was  elected  a  trustee  of  the  .South  Carolina  college  the  same  year. 
In  October,  1820,  Mr.  McDuffie  was  elected  to  the  national  congress 
to  represent  the  Edgefield  and  Abbeville  district,  and  took  his  seat  in 
December,  1821.  He  had  in  the  meantime  been  unfortunately  en- 
gaged in  a  duel  with  Col.  Cumming,  not  in  accordance  with  his  own 
choice,  but  at  the  instigation  of  too  officious  friends.  In  this  rencontre 
he  was  severely  wounded,  and  this  proved  to  be,  claims  one  of  his 
biographers,  the  turning  point  from  a  serene  and  peaceable  disposi- 
tion to  one  of  extreme  irascibility;  it  changed  the  whole  tenor  of  his 
life.  In  congress,  Mr.  McDuffie  was  in  agreement  with  Mr.  Calhoun 
in  his  construction  of  the  Constitution  —  a  view  inconsisteat  with  that 
which  had  been  the  leading  thought  in  his  graduating  oration.  In  the 
South  Carolina  nullification  convention  Mr.  McDuffie  was  a  leader  in 
the  states  rights  doctrine,  and  believed  that  revolution  was  the  proper 
and  only  solvent  of  the  issue  that  had  arisen  upon  the  subject  of  pro- 
tective duties.  Upon  this  question  he  was  bold  and  outspoken,  and 
afterward  voted  for  the  Clay  compromise  with  great  hesitation.  He 
was  a  supporter  of  Gen.  Jackson  in  the  hotly  contested  presidential 
canvass  between  that  distinguished  gentleman  and  John  Ouincy 
Adams  in  1828,  but  when  Gen.  Jackson,  as  president,  ordered  the  re- 
moval of  the  deposits  of  the  United  States  bank,  Mr.  McDuffie  de- 
nounced the  proceeding  as  "an  act  of  usurpation  under  circumstances 
of  injustice  and  oppression  which  warranted  him  in  saying  that  the 
rights  of  widows  and  orphans  had  been  trampled  in  the  dust  by  the 
foot  of  a  tyrant."  In  1834  Mr.  McDuffie  was  elected  major-general 
of  the  South  Carolina  militia,  and  in  December  of  that  year  was 
chosen  governor  of  the  state.  He  was  elected  president  of  the  board 
of  trustees  of  South  Carolina  college  in  1835,  and  did  much  in  that 
capacity  to  raise  the  institution  from  the  depressed  situation  into 
which  it  had  at  that  time  fallen.  Gen.  McDuffie  was  elected  to  the 
United  .States  senate  in  1S42,  and  his  course  in  that  body  was  signal- 
ized by  his  strong  advocacy  of  the  sub-treasury  scheme  and  of  the  an- 
nexation of  Texas,  both  of  which  measures  had  formerly  met  with 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  63 

his  Strong  opposition,  and,  contrary  to  his  course  in  the  house  of  rep- 
resentatives, he  favored  the  passage  of  the  tariff  act  of  1846.  But  in 
all  these  changes,  his  most  earnest  opponent  was  ready  to  accord  him 
only  an  obedience  to  high-minded  and  honest  convictions.  He  re- 
signed the  office  of  senator  in  1846.  Mr.  McDuffie  was  married,  in 
1829,  to  Miss  Singleton,  a  lady  of  wealth  and  rare  accomplishments, 
the  daughter  of  Col.  Richard  Singleton,  but  she  lived  to  sweeten 
his  cup  of  connubial  bliss  for  only  a  single  year,  leaving  him  a 
daughter,  who  afterward  became  the  wife  of  Col.  Wade  Hampton. 
This  somewhat  eccentric,  but  truly  gifted  and  brilliant  orator  and 
statesman,  died  in  the  spring  of  1851. 

LANGDON    CHEVES. 

Langdon  Cheves,  one  of  the  lirst  men  of  his  time  in  America,  was 
born  on  Rocky  River  district  on  the  17th  day  of  September,  1776. 
He  was  the  only  child  of  his  parents,  Alexander  Cheves,  a  Scotch- 
man, and  Mary  Cheves,  of  Virginia.  From  his  father  he  inherited 
the  rugged  quality  of  strength  and  endurance,  and  a  dash  of  fierce 
Caledonian  courage.  From  his  high-bred  Virginia  mother  he  inherited 
a  devout  religious  nature,  a  high  chivalric  sentiment  and  a  wonderful 
beauty  of  speech  and  grace  of  person  —  qualities  that  in  after  years, 
after  long  days  of  toil  and  hope  deferred,  days  of  poverty  and  dark- 
ness, made  him  worthy  to  become  a  conspicuous  member  of  that  peer- 
less triumvirate  which  South  Carolina  contributed  to  the  congress  of 
the  nation,  Cheves,  Lowndes  and  Calhoun.  The  early  years  of  his 
life  were  passed  amid  the  rural  and  ofttimes  e.xciting  scenes  of  his 
father's  home,  that  gentleman  being  engaged  in  large  trading  transac- 
tions with  the  Indians.  When  he  left  these  scenes  he  went  to  Charles- 
ton, his  mother  having  died  and  his  father  having  contracted  a  second 
marriage  incongenial  to  the  high  spirited  boy,  he  embarked  upon  the 
voyage  of  life  alone.  He  accordingly  engaged  himself  as  a  mer- 
chant's clerk,  and  at  the  age  of  sixteen,  had  risen  by  reason  of  ser- 
vices well  rendered  to  the  enviable  position  of  confidential  clerk. 
He  began  the  study  of  the  law  with  that  eminently  gifted  man,  Will- 
iam Marshall,  afterward  judge  of  the  court  of  equity  of  South  Caro- 
lina. He  was  admitted  to  the  bar,  after  the  most  thorough  and 
careful  training,  in  1797,  and  went  forward  after  a  few  years  to  an  al- 
most unparalleled  success.  In  October,  1810,  he  was  elected  to  con- 
gress, in  company  with  Walds,  Lowndes  and  Calhoun  —  four  of 
of  the  strongest  men  ever  in  congress  at  one  time  from  any  state 
the  Union.  Mr.  Cheves'  speech  in  reply  to  Gaston  and  Webster  in 
their  attack  upon  the  republican  party  was  overwhelming  and  crowned 
that  party  with  a  wreath  of  patriotism  which  has  given  it  national 
ascendency  ever  since.  In  1816  he  was  elected  a  judge  of  the 
court  of  law  of  South  Carolina.  During  his  judicial  term  he  gave 
the  greatest  satisfaction  to  his  people,  but  a  sterner  judge  never 
presided.  In  ]8i9hewas  called  to  the  head  of  the  United  States 
bank,  and  having  inspired  great  confidence   in  that  institution,  left 


64  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

it  to  the  management  of  Nicholas  Biddle,  in  which  Mr.  Biddle  en- 
joyed great  financial  reputation,  but  the  withdrawal  of  the  govern- 
ment deposits  a  few  years  later  demonstrated  the  rottenness  of  that 
institution.  He  was  then  appointed  chief  commissioner  of  claims 
under  the  treaty  of  Ghent,  and  filled  that  office  until  all  the 
claims  were  adjusted.  In  1S30  he  retired  from  public  life  and  re- 
turned to  his  plantation  on  the  Savannah  river.  In  1836  he  was  be- 
reaved by  the  death  of  his  estimable  wife.  He  honored  the  memory 
of  his  wife  by  never  taking  another.  He  died  in  June,  1857,  in  the 
eighty-first  year  of  his  age;  Upon  the  occasion  of  his  funeral  Mr. 
Petigru  drew  the  following  masterly  pen-picture  of  the  great  states- 
man and  jurist:  "The  leading  characteristics  of  his  mind  were 
power  and  grandeur.  He  was  not  only  above  vanity,  but  above  the 
weakness  of  ambition,  and  no  one  ever  saw  him  chuckle  with  the  ex- 
ultation of  triumph.  He  never  lay  in  wait  to  say.  or  excite  surprise, 
by  a  brilliant  thing.  Never  was  there  a  man  more  thoroughly 
proof  against  the  frowns  of  power,  or  the  clamor  of  a  crowd.  Inde- 
pendence of  mind  was  carried  by  him  with  fearless  assertion  of  the 
rights  of  private  judgment,  even  at  the  risk  of  falling  under  the  con- 
demnation of  party.  We  may  form  an  idea  of  the  qualities  of  a 
great  man  by  considering  what  are  the  topics  which  are  laid  to  his 
charge  by  unfriendly  censure,  and  in  Langdon  Cheves  those  things 
which  were  cited  as  blemishes  were  in  fact  the  proof  of  the  greatness 
of  his  character." 

WILLIAM    HENRY    WALLACE, 

judge  of  the  .Seventh  judicial  circuit  of  South  Carolina,  and  one  of 
state's  most  distinguished  and  popular  citizens,  was  born  in  Laurens 
county,  S.  C,  on  March  24th,  1827.  His  parents  were  Gen.  Daniel 
and  Elizabeth  (Davis)  Wallace,  the  former  being  a  native  of  Laurens, 
and  the  latter  of  Greenville,  county,  S.  C.  The  grandfather  of  Judge 
Wallace  was  Jonathan  Wallace,  who  was  the  first  of  the  family  to 
come  to  South  Carolina.  He  was  born  on  the  Rappahannock  river 
in  Virginia,  and  before  the  Revolutionary  war  he  removed  to  Lau- 
rens county,  S.  C,  where  he  settled  and  was  a  planter  for  many  years. 
He  served  with  the  Continental  forces  during  the  Revolutionary 
war.  He  reared  quite  a  family,  of  which  Daniel  Wallace  was  the 
youngest  son.  Daniel  Wallace,  father  of  judge  Wallace,  was  one  of 
the  prominent  men  of  the  state  during  his  day.  He  was  born  in 
1801,  and  died  in  1859.  He  was  given  a  common  school  education 
only,  but  being  possessed  of  more  than  ordinary  talent  and  ability  he 
soon  took  rank  with  the  leading  men  of  his  section.  In  1833  he  re- 
moved to  Union  county.  He  served  several  terms  with  distinction 
in  the  state  legislature,  and  was  for  several  years  a  major-general  of 
militia.  He  was  elected  to  congress  in  1848  from  the  old  Pinckney 
district,  and  in  1850  was  re-elected,  serving  altogether  four  years. 
He  was  an  ardent  states  rights  man,  and  was  one  of  the  staunchest 
support(;rs  of  that  doctrine  from  1832  until  his  death. 


i^""^ 


1^-^^- 


SOUTH    CAROLINA. 


65 


He  was  a  planter  by  avocation,  was  a  man  of  strong  character, 
great  industry,  fond  of  books,  etc.  Upon  leaving  congress  he  retired 
to  his  plantation,  but  his  prominence  continuecl,  and  had  he  desired 
he  would  undoubtedly  have  been  called  to  accept  political  honors 
even  greater  than  those  \u:  had  already-  received. 

Elizabeth  Uavis,  wife  of  Gen.  Wallace,  was  born  in  iSoS,  and  died 
in  1840.  To  the  union  five  children  were  born,  one  son  and  four 
daughters — of  whom  the  son,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  and  two 
daughters,  are  living.  Gen.  Wallace  was  married  a  second  time  to 
Mrs.  Griffin  (>ur  Nance,  oi  Newberryj,  and  to  this  marriage  a  son 
and  daughter  were  born,  both  of  whom  survive. 

Judge  Wallace  was  the  eldest  son  of  his  father.  1  le  was  reared  in 
Union  county,  and  attended  the  Union  academy,  a  classical  school, 
for  several  years,  and  for  one  year  following  he  attended  the  high 
school  at  Cokesbury,  Abbeville  county,  a  famous  school  of  that 
period.  In  the  fall  of  1846,  he  entered  the  South  Carolina  college, 
at  Columbia,  in  the  first  class  which  entered  that  institution  under 
the  presidency  of  William  C.  Preston,  and  in  December,  1849,  gradu- 
ated with  Judge  Charles  H.  Simonton,  the  late  Gen.  James  Conner, 
Major  T.  G.  Barker,  Col.  D.  W.  Aiken,  M.  C,  T.  E.  Wannamaker. 
William  Holt,  Col.  Thomas  W.  (clover,  deceased,  and  several  others 
who  became  prominent  and  tilled  positions  of  trust. 

After  leaving  college,  Judge  Wallace  joined  his  father  in  Wash- 
ington, where  in  the  spring  of  1850  he  was  married  to  Miss  .Sarah 
I")unlap,  who  was  born  in  Newberry,  S.  C.  Miss  Dunlap  was  the 
daughter  of  Robert  I^unlap,  a  lawyer  of  Newberry,  and  a  brother  of 
lames  Uunlap,  who  was  appointed  governor  of  Florida,  b}'  Andrew 
Jackson,  but  who  died  on  his  way  to  that  state  to  assume  the  position. 
William  Dunlap,  the  father  of  Ilobert  and  James,  was  a  Revolution- 
ary soldier,  whose  name  was  borne  by  the  late  chief  justice,  William 
Dunlap  .Simpson.  He  was  the  grandson  of  John  Hunter,  who  came 
to  South  Carolina  from  Belfast,  Ireland,  before  the  Revolution  —  a 
man  of  letters,  and  a  planter,  a  member  of  the  South  Carolina  legis- 
lature and  United  States  senator  from  South  Carolina,  in  1801.  The 
wife  of  Robert  Dunlap,  and  mother  of  Mrs.  Wallace  was  Miss  Nance, 
of  Newberry,  a  sister  of  Drayton  Nance,  one  of  Newberry's  most 
prominent  citizens,  and  a  granddaughter  of  Col.  William  Rutherford, 
another  Revolutionary  soldier,  who  gave  the  land  on  which  the  town 
of  Newberry  stands. 

To  the  union  of  Judge  Wallace  and  wife,  three  daughters  and  one 
son  have  been  born,  all  of  whom  survive.  The  eldest  daughter  is 
the  wife  of  e.\-Gov.  John  C.  Sheppard,  of  South  Carolina.  The 
youngest  daughter  is  the  wife  of  James  H.  Maxwell,  merchant,  of 
Greenville.  The  two  other  children  are  unmarried,  the  son.  Daniel 
Hunter  Wallace,  now  a  student. 

In  1850,  following  his  marriage.  Judge  Wallace  returned  to  Union 

county   and   settled   on   a   plantation,  where   he  remained  until  1857, 

following  planting  during  that   period  e.xclusively,  and   meeting  with 

great  success.     Becoming  tired  of   the    seclusion  of  the    plantation. 

A— =; 


66  SOUTH   CAROLINA. 

Judge  Wallace  purchased  a  home  in  Union  and  removed  to  that  city, 
retaiding  the  plantation.  Upon  coming  to  Union  he  purchased  the 
Union  Journal  newspaper,  which  he  changed  into  the  Union  Times, 
and  associating  Charles  VV.  Boyd  with  him,  a  brilliant  young  man, 
who  had  taken  first  honors  in  the  South  Carolina  college,  and  had 
just  returned  from  studying  at  the  German  universities.  At  the  time 
of  engaging  in  the  newspaper  business,  Judge  Wallace  and  young 
Boyd  began  reading  law,  and  in  the  spring  of  1859,  both  were  ad- 
mitted to  the  bar.  They  engaged  in  the  practice  of  law  as  partners. 
In  the  fall  of  1860,  Judge  Wallace  was  elected  to  the  South  Carolina 
legislature,  and  there  voted  for  the  bill  which  called  the  convention 
that  passed  the  ordinance  of  secession.  Upon  the  expiration  of  his 
term  in  the  legislature  Judge  Wallace  enlisted  as  a  private  in  Com- 
pany A,  of  the  Eighteenth  South  Carolina  volunteers.  Just  a  few 
days  after  his  enlistment  as  a  private  he  was  appointed  adjutant  of 
the  regiment  by  Col.  James  M.  Gadberry,  afterward  killed  at  Second 
Manassas.  Before  leaving  camp  of  instruction,  the  regiment  was  re- 
organized under  act  of  congress,  and  the  men  were  allowed  to  elect 
the  field  officers,  and  the  lieutenant-colonel  in  the  meantime  having 
resigned.  Judge  Wallace  was  elected  lieutenant-colonel  in  May,  1861. 
Two  weeks  later  the  regiment  was  ordered  to  Virginia.  At  Second 
Manassas,  Col.  Gadberry  being  killed.  Judge  Wallace  was  made 
colonel  of  the  regiment,  and  with  that  regiment  as  part  of  Evans' 
brigade,  he  participated  in  all  the  campaigns  of  northern  Virginia,  and 
upon  the  retirement  of  Gen.  Evans,  in  1864,  Judge  Wallace  was  made 
brigadier-general.  He  remained  in  the  army  of  northern  Virginia, 
occupied  lines  in  front  of  Petersburg  until  they  were  evacuated  by 
Gen.  Lee,  and  the  retreat  began  which  ended  at  Appomatox  Court 
House.  On  the  night  before  the  battle  at  Appomatox  Court  House, 
Judge  Wallace  was  placed  in  command,  by  order  of  Gen.  Gordon,  of 
Gen.  Bushrod  Johnson's  division,  being  again  promoted  over  two 
ranking  brigadiers,  and  the  next  day  his  command  was  engaged  with 
the  enemy  and  drove  them  back  a  mile  into  the  woods.  The  surren- 
der of  Lee's  army  was  then  made,  and  the  last  firing  by  infantry  of 
the  Army  of  Northern  Virginia  was  by  troops  in  Gen.  Wallace's 
command. 

Three  days  after  the  surrender  of  Appomatox,  Gen.  W^allace  re- 
turned home  and  engaged  in  the  practice  of  law,  carrying  on  plant- 
ing at  the  same  time.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Perry  convention  in 
1865,  and  the  same  fall  was,  without  his  knowledge  or  solicitation, 
elected  to  the  legislature.  When  the  re-construction  measures  were 
applied  to  South  Carolina,  he  was  made  chairman  and  organizer  of 
the  county  to  fight  the  measures,  and  was  a  hard  worker  in  time  and 
out  to  arouse  the  people  from  their  apathy  and  to  a  proper  appreci- 
ation of  their  political  condition.  In  season  and  out  of  season  he 
made  speeches  and  did  all  in  his  power  to  arouse  the  people  to  de- 
liver themselves  from  the  radical  government.  In  1872  a  compromise 
was  made  with  the  republicans,  by  which  a  compromise  ticket,  com- 
posed of   independent   republicans  and  democrats,  was  sent  to  the 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  67 

legislature,  on  which  was  Judge  Wallace  and  his  body  servant,  John 
Wallace,  the  latter  lieing  a  republican.  Judge  Wallace  and  Major 
B.  H.  Rice,  deceased,  of  Union,  were  the  first  democrats  elected  to 
the  house  from  any  county  where  there  was  a  large  republican  ma- 
jority. In  that  house  were  not  more  than  twenty  or  twenty-five  dem- 
ocrats. In  going  to  the  legislature  Judge  Wallace  was  influenced  by 
the  hope  not  to  effect  much  in  the  legislative  work,  but  to  come  in 
contact  with  democrats  whom  he  might  meet  in  Columbia  and  urge 
them  to  make  an  effort  to  become  members  of  the  legislature,  giving 
them  a  practical  illustration  and  lesson  in  his  own  cond\ict.  The 
plan  of  compromise  effected  in  Union  county  was  about  as  follows: 
The  democrat  and  independent  republican  convention  met  simul- 
taneously in  Union,  and  the  democrats  would  nominate  certain  men  on 
the  county  legislative  ticket  and  leave  blanks  to  be  filled  by  the  inde- 
pendent republicans,  which  was  done,  and  the  ticket  then  made  up 
was  voted  for.  The  same  plan  was  followed  in  1874,  and  Judge  Wal- 
lace was  again  elected  to  the  legislature.  In  1876,  Union,  with  the  bal- 
ance of  the  state,  made  straight-out  legislative  nominations,  and  [udge 
Wallace  was  again  elected  and  the  legislature  was  democratic.  Upon 
the  assembling  of  the  legislature  the  democratic  members  from 
Laurens  and  Edgefield  were  refused  admittance  into  the  hall,  and 
the  other  democratic  members  would  not  go  in  unless  compelled  by 
law,  or  the  entire  democratic  representation  was  admitted,  and  they 
assembled  in  Carolina  hall,  and  having  a  full  constitutional  quorum, 
organized  the  South  Carolina  house  of  representatives,  by  making 
Judge  Wallace,  speaker,  and  John  T.  Sloan,  clerk.  Judge  Wallace 
was  elected  circuit  judge  on  December  7,  1877. 

When  the  people  of  South  Carolina  in  1876,  determined  to  over- 
throw, at  any  cost,  the  radical  government  of  strangers  and  negroes  — 
out-casts  and  thieves  which  had  been  imposed  upon  them  by  the  re- 
construction measures  and  which  had  acquired  for  the  proud  old 
cornmonwealth,  the  name  and  style  of  the  "  prostrate  state,"  the 
leaders  they  needed  were  men  possessing  first  of  all,  courage;  for  the 
odds  and  the  dangers  to  be  faced  were  formidable  and  terrible. 
One  shudders  yet  to  think  of  the  fearful  outcome,  which  was  risked. 
But  courage  fortunately  was  not  only  a  common  quality  among  the 
people,  but  it  was  one  which  had  already  been  exhibited  and  illus- 
trated upon  an  hundred  battlefields,  and  in  the  possession  of  an  un- 
questioned reputation  for  which  every  leader  was  secure.  He  who 
had  led  Carolinians  on  the  fields  of  Virginia  needed  not  now  to  give 
assurance  of  his  fearlessness  —  that  was  assumed  and  quietly  counted 
upon.  Fortunately  for  South  Carolina  there  still  sat  at  almost  every 
fire-side  a  veteran  and  a  hero  who  knew  what  fighting  was  and  while 
honestly  dreading  it  for  his  dear  ones,  had  not  forgotten  how  to  con- 
duct himself  if  again  it  was  forced  upon  him.  But  there  was  another 
class  —  the  young  men  who  had  grown  up  since  the  war  ready  to 
avenge  the  wrongs  which  had  been  heaped  upon  the  people,  and  to 
show  that  they  had  submitted  so  long  from  no  want  of  a  courage  as 


68  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

great  as  that  which  their  fathers  and  brothers  had  already  proved. 
To  these  the  presence  and  control  of  the  old  war  leaders  was  of  the 
greatest  consequence.  To  them,  however,  as  well  as  to  the  old  sol- 
diers, Wade  Hampton  was  still  a  hero  and  one  to  command  as  of 
right.  There  could  be  no  disgrace  in  obeying  the  requests  which  had 
all  the  force  to  them  of  orders  of  Hampton  and  his  lieutenants.  But 
courage  was  only  the  first  and  indispensable  requisite  in  the  leaders 
of  the  times;  others  more  rare  were  equally  necessary  —  and  these 
were  patience  and  wisdom.  They  who  would  guide  the  storm  must 
not  only  b'e  able  to  strike  with  boldness  and  vigor;  if  necessary,  they 
must  have  the  patience  to  endure,  and  the  wisdom  to  do.  When  a 
great  deed  has  been  done  it  is  easy  to  appreciate  its  magnitude  and 
to  observe  its  results.  But  when  a  danger  is  averted,  it  is  often  un- 
known and  always  more  difficult  to  realize.  "  What's  done  we  partly 
may  compute,  but  know  not  what's  avoided."  Gen.  Wallace  was  one 
of  these  leaders.  A  gentleman  of  the  highest  character  and  profes- 
sional position,  he  had  not  waited  for  office  when  the  war  broke  out, 
but  had  enlisted  as  a  private  and  had  risen  to  the  command  of  his 
regiment  and  then  to  the^osition  of  brigadier-general  and  upon  more 
than  one  occasion  had  had  a  command  equal  to  that  of  division.  He 
had  been  among  the  first  to  obtain  a  footing  for  the  return  of  demo- 
crats to  power  under  the  re-construction  measures  by  consenting  to 
serve  in  the  house  of  representatives,  when  to  do  so  was  to  subject 
one's  self  to  the  contamination  of  all  that  was  hateful  and  disgusting 
to  one  of  his  character.  But  he  had  endured  even  this  for  the  good 
of  his  state  and  now  that  the  democrats  were  to  organize  a  house,  he 
was  by  unanimous  consent  chosen  as  the  person  to  preside.  The 
learning  of  the  lawyer,  the  tact  of  the  parliamentarian,  the  courage 
and  prompt  decision  of  the  soldier,  and  the  habit  of  command,  all 
jnited  with  a  manner  which  peculiarly  fitted  him  for  the  position  of 
iipeaker  of  the  house,  which  was  to  pass  into  history  as  the  Wallace 
House.  The  journals  of  the  house  contain  the  most  important  pages 
In  the  history  of  our  people.  In  them  are  recorded  the  events  upon 
which  the  fate  of  South  Carolina  depended.  How  much  those  events 
were  controlled  and  directed  by  Gen.  Wallace  as  the  presiding  officer 
v'ill  perhaps  never  be  known.  But  it  is  certain,  they  were  largely  in- 
fluenced by  his  prudence,  tact  and  firmness.  Immediately  after  the 
restoration  of  the  government  of  the  state  to  its  own  people.  Gen.  Wal- 
lace was  elected  judge  of  the  Seventh  circuit,  a  position  which  he  held 
by  continuous  re-elections  for  fifteen  years.  Upon  the  bench,  judge 
Wallace  has  continued  to  exercise  all  those  qualities  which  he  had 
exhibited  in  his  former  career.  To  the  characteristics  of  a  careful, 
conscientious  and  learned  judge,  he  adds  that  of  a  most  admiraiile 
presiding  officer.  He  presides  with  dignity  and  firmness,  hears  with 
patience  and  graciousness,  and  decides  with  promptness  and  clearness. 
His  ability  and  eminent  fitness  for  the  position  encourage  his  numer- 
ous friends  in  the  hope  and  (;\peclation  of  seeing  him  some  day  on 
the  suprcMHc  IxmicIi  of  the  state. 


SOUTH    (  AKOI.INA.  69 


BENJAMIN    FRANKLIN    PERRY* 

was  born  November  20,  1805,  in  what  is  now  Oconee  county,  but  was 
then  part  of  Pendleton  district.  He  was  of  Revolutionary  stock,  his 
father  being  a  native  of  Massachusetts,  of  English  descent,  who 
fought  in  the  Continental  army,  and  his  mother,  Miss  Foster,  a 
daughter  of  John  Foster,  of  Virginia,  who  was  a  lieutenant  in  the 
regular  American  army.  He  and  Commodore  Oliver  Perry  were  of 
common  ancestry,  springing  from  the  same  English  stock. 

Gov.  Perry's  father  came  from  Charleston,  whither  he  went  in 
1 784,  met  his  wife  in  Greenville,  and  was  married  there.  He  removed 
to  Oconee  and  engaged  in  farming.  B.  F.  Perry  worked  on  his  fath- 
er's farm  and  went  to  school  until  he  was  sixteen,  when  he  was  sent 
to  Asheville,  N.  C,  where  he  studied  languages,  making  astonishing 
progress  by  the  great  capacity  for  labor,  and  the  retentive  memory 
developed  even  at  that  early  age.  He  learned  the  Latin  grammar  in 
one  week.  While  at  Asheville,  when  only  sixteen,  he  wrote  and  pub- 
lished an  article  advocating  the  claims  of  Mr.  Calhoun  for  the  presi- 
dency, thus  early  showing  the  interest  he  felt  in  his  country's  welfare. 
Mr.  Calhoun  at  that  time  was  opposed  to  states  rights.  He  came  to 
Greenville,  then  a  small  backwoods  village,  in  1824,  and  began  the 
study  of  law  in  the  office  of  Judge  Earle.  At  the  age  of  nineteen  he 
was  chosen  to  deliver  an  oration  on  the  4th  of  July  at  Greenville. 

In  1827  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar,  having  finished  his  course 
under  Col.  James  Gregg,  of  Columbia.  He  returned  to  Greenville 
and  began  the  practice  of  law  for  the  western  circuit.  In  1832  he  first 
became  conspicuous  in  politics,  and  appeared  as  a  leader  in  the  fight 
for  the  preservation  of  the  Union  that  he  continued  to  wage  twenty- 
eight  years  against  the  overwhelming  sentiment  of  the  state.  He 
became  the  editor  of  the  Mountaineer,  and  quickly  made  it  the  recog- 
nized organ  of  the  union  party  of  the  state.  Immense  majorities  of 
the  people  were  against  him,  led  by  almost  all  the  talent,  learning 
and  social  and  political  power,  with  John  C.  Calhoun,  the  idol  of  the 
state,  at  their  head,  promulgating  his  theories  of  nullification,  and 
finding  almost  unanimous  endorsement.  Gov.  Perry  was  a  delegate 
to  the  union  convention  held  at  Columbia  in  1832,  and  represented 
that  county,  being  elected  at  the  head  of  the  ticket,  in  the  general 
convention  of  the  people  of  the  state  called  in  the  fall  of  the  same 
year. 

It  was  during  this  period  that  the  famous  duel  with  Bynum  oc- 
curred. It  was  caused  by  a  political  quarrel,  and  with  the  spirit  and 
the  code  of  morals  of  the  time  it  could  not  be  avoided.  Gov.  Perry 
rarely  alluded  to  it  afterward,  and  then  always  with  sorrow,  but  it  is 
understood  that  the  quarrel  was  accepted  by  him  as  a  deliberate  test 
of  his  courage,  intended  to  destroy  his  influence  if  he  failed  to  endure 
.  it  successfully.     All  accounts   agree   that  he  bore  himself  with  good 

"This   sketch  of  exGov.  B.  F.  Perry  was    wriueii  just  after  his   death   by  .^.  B.  Williams,  and  pub- 
lished in  the  Greenville  Neivs. 


70 


SOUTH    CAROLINA. 


temper,  unfaltering  courage  and  dignity,  and  that  while  he  deplored 
the  unfortunate  result  to  the  end  of  his  life,  and  from  that  time  per- 
sistently refused  to  engage  in  affairs  of  honor,  he  could  justly  be  held 
blameless. 

In  1S34  Gov.  Perry,  then  twenty-nine  years  old,  was  the  union 
nominee  for  congress  in  this  district,  then  Mr.  Calhoun's,  against 
Warren  R.  Davis,  and  was  defeated  by  a  majority  of  sixty  in  a  poll 
of  7,000.  Mr.  Davis  dying  before  he  could  take  his  seat.  Gov.  Perry 
again  became  the  candidate  of  his  party  against  Gen.  Thompson, 
but  was  disabled  by  an  accident  early  in  the  canvass,  and  again  suf- 
fered defeat.  In  1S36  he  was  elected  to  the  stare  legislature  without 
opposition.  There  he  maintained  and  was  the  leading  exponent  of 
the  principles  he  had  always  held.  He  opposed  the  agitation  of  the 
slavery  question,  and  was  a  warm  and  conspicuous  advocate  of  the 
Louisville  &  Cincinnati  railroad.  He  was  re-elected  in  1838,  and 
as  chairman  of  the  committee  on  claims  became  noted  for  his  cease- 
less guardianship  of  the  state's  interests  and  his  unrelenting  hostility 
to  all  that  was  tainted  with  extravagance  or  subject  to  suspicion.  On 
the  floor  he  was  the  leader  of  the  element  that  persistently  de- 
manded and  fought  for  changes  in  the  system  of  state  government 
and  the  increase  of  the  power  of  the  people.  All  prisoners  were 
then  confined  in  the  county  jails,  the  governor  and  presidential  elect- 
ors were  chosen  by  the  legislature,  and  by  the  parish -system,  the 
lower  part  of  the  state  was  given  what  Gov.  Perry  and  those  who 
followed  him  believed  to  be  undue  representation  in  the  senate. 
Against  all  these  things  he  fought,  urging  the  establishment  of  a 
penitentiary,  the  choice  of  governor  and  electors  by  popular  vote, 
and  the  equalization  of  the  representation  of  the  up  country  and 
low  country.  He  was  almost  invariably  defeated  in  the  legislature, 
but  retained  the  confidence  and  support  of  the  people  he  represented. 

In  1844  he  was  elected  to  the  state  senate,  and  while  a  member  of 
that  body  voted  alone  against  the  resolution  ordering  the  expulsion 
from  the  state,  of  Mr.  Hoar,  who  was  sent  here  by  the  state  of  Mas- 
sachusetts. Every  other  senator  voted  for  it,  but  Gov.  Perry  spoke 
energetically  against  it,  and  had  his  solitary  vote  recorded  on  the 
negative  side,  declaring  that  hostile  majorities  had  no  terrors  for  him 
while  he  was  conscientiously  performing  his  duty.  He  was  defeated 
by  Gov.  Orr  in  another  contest  for  congress,  the  stand  of  the  latter 
in  favor  of  Gen.  Taylor  securing  for  him  the  whig  vote  in  addition 
to  the  part  of  the  democratic  vote  he  commanded.  Gov.  Perry  was 
chosen  by  the  legislature  an  elector  at  large  for  this  state  to  vote  for 
Cass  for  president.  He  was  one  of  the  fathers  of  the  Greenville  & 
Columbia  railroad,  and  his  powerful  influence  and  untiring  energy 
contributed  much  to  its  successful  Iniilding. 

In  1850  the  secession  and  disunion  feeling  rose  so  high  in  South 
Carolina  that  it  was  said  the  state  was  a  unit  in  breaking  up  the  gov- 
ernment and  forming  a  new  confederacy.  Governor  Perry,  however, 
rcmain(;d  "faithful  amongst  the  faithless,"  and  boldly  i)roclaimcd  his 
opposition  to  secession  and  disunion,  as  destructive  of  liberty  and  the 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  7  I 

very  institutions  of  the  south  for  the  preservation  of  vvliich  tlie  Union 
was  to  be  dissolved.  He  suggested  the  propriety  of  estabHshing  a 
union  paper  at  Greenville  after  every  newspaper  in  the  state  had 
gone  over  to  secession  and  espoused  the  cause  of  disunion.  He 
thought  it  would  be  a  rallying  point  for  the  dism,embered  and  broken 
union  party  throughout  the  state,  and  perhaps  be  the  means  of  check- 
ing disunion.  Some  of  his  personal  friends  came  to  him  and  said  if 
he  persevered  in  establishing  his  newspaper,  neither  his  life  nor  his 
property  would  be  safe.  His  reply  deserves  being  repeated.  He 
said:  "  I  will  go  on  with  the  paper  if  it  sinks  my  fortune  and  sacri- 
fices my  life!"  The  crowning  glory  of  Gov.  Perry's  life  is  the 
more  than  Roman  courage  with  which  he  took  this  position.  No  one 
living  out  of  the  state  can  adequately  appreciate  the  terrific  excite- 
ment of  the  people  at  this  dangerous  crisis.  Gov.  Perry  boldly 
assumed  the  editorial  department  of  the  paper.  The  difficult  and 
dangerous  path  which  was  before  him,  he  trod  with  courage,  patriot- 
ism, wisdom  and  high  courtesy,  which  have  won  the  respect  and 
admiration  of  even  his  opponents. 

He  was  again  elected  to  the  legislature  and  he  and  his  two  col- 
leagues from  this  county  were  the  only  union  men  in  the  body,  this 
being  the  one  county  that  stood  for  that  side.  In  the  house  Governor 
Perry  delivered  a  ringing,  bold  speech,  defending  the  Union  and  de- 
nouncing the  efforts  to  break  it,  and  declared  that  he  intended  to 
have  that  speech  printed  and  published,  and  handed  down  as  a  legacy 
to  his  country  and  his  children  —  a  promise  which  he  faithfully  kept. 
It  was  the  first  check  the  secession  movement  received  in  this  state 
at  that  time,  and  was  copied  and  quoted  from  one  end  of  the  country 
to  the  other.  He  was  a  member  of  the  state  convention  in  185 1,  and 
as  a  member  of  the  committee  of  twenty-one  appointed  to  prepare 
business,  prepared  and  submitted  an  able  minority  report  dissenting 
from  the  resolutions  prepared  and  presented  by  Judge  Cheves, 
which  defended  the  right  of  secession  but  declined  to  use  it  at  that 
time. 

In  i860.  Gov.  Perry  was  one  of  the  delegates  from  this  state  to  the 
famous  Charleston  convention  of  the  democratic  party.  He  refused 
to  withdraw  with  the  other  delegates  from  the  state  and  remained, 
voting  steadily  for  R.  M.  T.  Hunter,  of  Virginia,  as  the  candidate  of 
the  party  for  president.  The  galleries  hissed  him  every  time  he  rose 
to  vote,  and  when  he  rose  to  speak  the  hissing  became  so  loud  and 
continuous  that  he  could  with  difficulty  proceed.  The  chairman, 
Mr.  Gushing,  threatened  to  clear  the  galleries,  but  the  man  who 
had  faced  and  defied  angry  multitudes,  and  put  his  life  and  property 
in  jeopardy  a  score  of  times,  was  not  the  one  to  be  frightened  by  such 
demonstrations.  "  Let  them  remain,  Mr.  Chairman,"  he  said  in  the 
deep,  strong  tones  and  deliberate  manner  always  characteristic  of 
him,  "  I  would  like  them  to  hear  what  I  have  to  say."  And  they  did 
hear  him  while  he  spoke  with  all  his  power  for  the  unity  of  the  great 
democratic  party,  and  declared  that  on  its  success  depended  the  life 
of  the  Union.     As  is  well  remembered  his    urging   was  of  no  avail. 


72 


SOUTH    CAROLINA. 


The  party  split  and  nominated   two  candidates,  and  Abraham   Lin- 
coln was  elected. 

In  iS6o,  an  election  was  ordered  for  a  convention  of  the  people  of 
South  Carolina  to  declare  the  Union  dissolved.  Gov.  Perry  fought 
secession  then  as  he  had  fought  it  and  nullification  before.  He  pre- 
dicted the  war  and  the  defeat  of  the  south,  and  urged  that  it  was  folly 
to  secede  with  a  democratic  majority  in  congress,  in  the  supreme 
court  and  in  the  country.  But  the  wave  overpowered  him.  He  went 
down  flying  his  colors  to  the  last  and  raising  his  voice  for  the  Union. 
Greenville  county  was  carried  along  in  the  rush,  and  B.  F.  Perry^ 
James  P.  Boyce  and  Chief  Justice  O'Neall,  the  union  candidates  for 
the  convention,  were  defeated.  Gov.  Perry  being  beaten  in  his  own 
county  the  first  time  in  thirty  years.  But  when  the  secession  ordi- 
nance was  adopted  he  yielded  to  the  will  of  the  majority  and  went 
with  his  state.  "  You  are  all  going  to  the  devil,  and  I  will  go  with 
you,"  was  his  good-humored  announcement  of  his  purpose.  From 
that  time  he  was  unswerving  in  his  loyalty  to  the  Confederacy.  Being 
then  fifty-six  years  old  he  could  not  enter  active  service  himself,  but 
his  eldest  son  was  sent  to  the  front,  and  Gov.  Perry  supported  the 
government  with  voice,  service  and  purse.  During  the  war  he  served 
as  a  member  of  the  legislature.  Confederate  commissioner,  district 
attorney  and  district  judge. 

In  the  misfortunes  brought  on  by  disregard  of  his  advice  Gov. 
Perry  shared  with  his  people.  He  stood  by  them  with  conspicuous 
firmness  and  boldness  in  the  dark  hours  after  the  war.  He  was  not 
only  with  the  people,  but  felt  with  them,  and  some  of  his  speeches  of 
that  time  gave  evidence  of  the  bitterness  that  was  then  over  the 
spirit  of  the  south.  But  without  the  solicitation  of  himself  or  his 
friends  he  was  chosen  by  President  Johnson  the  provisional  governor 
of  the  state.  The  appointment  was  received  with  universal  satisfac- 
tion. Gov.  Perry's  consistent  record  as  a  Union  man  won  for  him  the 
good-will  of  the  north,  and  he  already  possessed  the  full  confidence 
of  the  people  of  this  state.  His  strength  of  character  and  intellect, 
and  cool,  sound  judgment  fitted  him  well  to  guide  the  state  through 
that  stormy  time.  Quiet  dignity  and  the  purpose  to  restore  the  state 
to  peace  and  prosperity  marked  his  conduct  during  his  administration 
of  si.\  months.  He  ignored  all  party  claims  and  alliances,  appointed 
to  fill  the  offices  those  persons  who  had  occupied  them  at  the  close 
of  the  war,  obtained  an  order  abolishing  the  military  tribunals  that 
had  been  trj'ing  civil  and  criminal  cases,  so  far  as  white  persons  were 
concerned,  and  restored  the  confidence  of  the  people  by  refusing  to 
levy  or  collect  taxes,  and  using  the  pardoning  power  liberally.  Under 
his  government  the  first  election  after  the  war  was  held,  resulting  in 
the  choice  of  the  Hon.  J.  L.  Orr.  Meantime  Gov.  Perry  had  labored 
actively  in  behalf  of  the  state  with  the  Federal  administration,  and 
succeedc;d  in  making  an  impression  upon  the  president  and  Secretary 
Seward,  which  doubtless  did  much  to  mitigate  the  rigor  of  her  treat- 
ment. The  legislature  elected  and  in  session  during  (jov.  Perry's 
term  did  much  of  the  work  he  had  given  his  energies  to  against  such 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  73 

opposinir  odds  durin<T  many  years.  The  parish  system  he  had  fought 
so  hard  was  aboUshed,  the  riglit  of  electing  governor  and  presidential 
electors  was  given  to  the  people,  the  penitentiary  was  established, 
and  the  courts  of  law  and  equity  were  amalgamated,  and  the  state 
was  separated  from  all  connection  with  banks.  At  the  expiration  of 
his  services  as  governor  he  returned  to  Greenville,  but  he  continued 
his  active  interest  in  public  affairs,  and  his  efforts  to  improve  the 
condition  of  his  state  and  people.  He  was  elected  to  the  United 
States  senate,  but,  like  the  other  southern  senators,  was  denied  the 
seat.  His  faithful  and  heroic  stand  for  the  Union,  made  at  far 
greater  sacrifice  and  against  worse  odds  and  more  danger  than  any 
man  then  on  the  floor  of  the  senate  had  endured,  was  forgot  or  dis- 
regarded. Men  who  had  been  disunionists  while  he  was  facing  furi- 
ous mobs  and  enduring  banishment  from  honors  and  almost  from 
friendships,  and  holding  his  faith  in  and  love  for  the  Union  solitary 
in  a  crowd  of  angered  opponents,  voted  to  shut  him  out  of  the  senate 
chamber  because  he  refused  to  desert  his  people  in  the  humiliation 
and  desolation  he  foresaw  coming  on  them.  He  was  a  bitter  oppon- 
ent of  the  re-construction  measure,  and  wrote  and  spoke  strongly  to 
prove  that  the  people  would  be  better  under  an  indefinite  military 
rule  than  under  negro  and  carpet-bagger  government  —  a  conclusion 
which  all  white  people  had  reached  by  1876,  when  their  campaign 
cry  was,  "  Hampton  or  a  military  governor!" 

In  1867  he  was  a  delegate  to  the  Philadelphia  convention.  In 
1868  he  represented  the  state  in  the  national  democratic  convention 
that  nominated  Seymour  and  Blair.  The  people  of  his  state  —  as  if 
eager  to  atone  for  the  injustice  of  the  past  and  to  express  their  con- 
fidence and  affection  ancl  their  appreciation  of  the  vindication  of  his 
wisdom  brought  by  time  and  events  —  continued  to  heap  honors  on 
him.  The  democratic  convention  of  the  Fourth  congressional  dis- 
trict, then  composed  of  York,  Chester,  Fairfield,  Union,  Spartanburg, 
Laurens,  Greenville,  Pickens  and  Oconee  counties,  met  at  Columbia, 
in  September,  1872,  and  unanimously  tendered  him  the  nomination 
for  the  Federal  house  of  representatives.  The  nomination  was 
unanimously  endorsed  by  the  press  and  the  people  of  the  state,  and 
Gov.  Perry  accepted  the  leadership  of  the  forlorn  hope  as  he  ac- 
cepted every  duty,  and  made  a  thorough  canvass  of  the  large  district. 
His  fate  was  that  of  all  other  democratic  candidates  of  the  time,  but 
his  indomitable  spirit  was  not  broken  by  defeat,  and  immediately  af- 
ter the  election  he  published  an  address  to  the  voters  urging  them  to 
oppose  the  radical  government  and  continue  to  fight  it,  and  denounc- 
ing the  corruption  of  the  party  in  power  in  good,  round  English 
terms,  not  forgetting  to  upbraid  the  white  people  for  the  apathy  and 
timidity  they  were  showing.  His  last  prominent  public  service  was 
in  1876,  when,  at  the  age  of  seventy-one,  he  went  as  one  of  the  South 
Carolina  delegation  to  the  St.  Louis  convention  by  which  Tilden 
and   Hendricks  were  nominated. 

Gov.  Perry's  political  career  is  that  most  known  and  interesting 
to  the  public,  but  through  long  years  it  was  a  succession  of  apparent 


74 


SOUTH    CAROLINA. 


failures.  In  the  practice  of  his  profession  in  which  he  was  matched 
against  single  antagonists  and  not  against  a  legion  of  politicians  and 
orators  and  angry  multitudes  of  people,  he  was  uniformly  successful. 
He  took  a  high  place  at  the  bar  early  in  life  and  retained  it  to  the 
end,  winning  honor  and  money.  His  practice  was  always  marked  by 
conscientious  devotion  to  his  cause,  careful  study,  and  strong  logical 
handling.  He  was  always  a  dignified  and  courteous  lawyer,  giving 
others  all  the  respect  they  merited  and  rigidly  exacting  like  treat- 
ment, conforming  his  conduct  to  the  highest  standards  of  profes- 
sional ethics.  He  was  employed  by  Gen.  Thompson,  in  1851,  to  as- 
sist in  the  defense  of  Dr.  Gardiner,  indicted  in  the  District  of  Colum- 
bia for  perjury  in  presenting  false  claims  against  the  Mexican  gov- 
ernment. It  was  a  famous  case  at  the  time  and  offered  fees  then 
considered  immense.  But  Gov.  Perry,  after  spending  several  weeks 
investigating  the  case,  became  convinced  of  Gardiner's'  guilt  and 
promptly  returned  home.  When  he  became  convinced  that  the  ju- 
diciary of  this  state  was  corrupt  he  retired  almost  entirely  from  a.c- 
tive  practice,  and  sought  the  retirement  of  his  farm  "  Sans  Souci " 
near  Greenville  city,  where  he  has  lived  since  and  where  he  died. 

Gov.  Perry  during  his  life  had  many  friends  and  many  enemies. 
He  was  not  an  effusive  man  and  made  little  display  of  his  friendships, 
but  they  were  valuable  and  enduring.  He  was  a  "  plain,  blunt  man," 
and  when  he  disliked  or  distrusted  made  no  secret  of  it.  Stubborn 
in  his  opinions  he  was  always  willing  to  concede  honesty  to  his  op- 
ponents, and  to  give  courtesy  while  it  was  appreciated  and  recipro- 
cated. His  fighting  was  all  done  fairly  and  openly.  Of  scrupulous 
integrity  and  with  unspotted  purity  of  character,  he  hated  rascality 
and  meannesss  or  anything  he  took  for  it  with  an  unrelenting  hatred, 
and  was  always  ready  to  lead  warfare  against  it.  He  did  not  often 
win  friends;  he  commanded  them  by  the  force  of  his  character  and 
his  unswerving  loyalty. 

He  married,  in  1837,  in  the  city  of  Charleston,  Miss  Elizabeth  F. 
McCall,  daughter  of  Hext  McCall,  and  a  niece  of  Robert  Y.  Hayne. 
They  had  seven  children,  of  whom  four  survive  —  Mrs.  William 
Beattie,  Representative  W.  H.  Perry,  Dr.  Hext  M.  Perry,  of  Philadel- 
phia, and  B.  F.  Perry,  Jr.  Mrs.  Perry  survives  the  governor;  on  her, 
more  especially,  his  death  comes  with  fearful  force,  and  while  the 
sympathy  of  hundreds  of  friends  throughout  the  country  are  with  the 
entire  family,  a  special  measure  of  it  will  be  for  her  who  has  so  many 
years  illustrated  the  devotion  and  love  of  which  woman  is  capable  as 
wife  and  mother. 

Gov.  Perry  was  a  man  of  pure  life,  simple  tastes  and  temperate 
habits.  During  the  last  ten  years  most  of  his  time  has  been  spent  at 
his  place  in  the  country,  where  he  had  built  one  of  the  handsomest 
residences  in  the  state.  He  usually  drove  into  town  in  his  carriage, 
received  his  mail,  remained  in  the  office  of  his  law  firm,  composed  of 
himself,  W.  II.  Perry  and  Julius  H.  I  Icyward,  a  few  hours  in  the  fore- 
noon, and  returned  to  his  home.  There  he  had  one  of  the  most 
complete  libraries  in  the  country,  covering  the  whole  range  of  litcra- 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  75 

ture,  and  he  devoted  himself  to  making  new  literary  acquaintances 
and  renewing  old  ones.  He  was  an  eager  buyer  and  reader  of  new 
books,  and  a  prolific  writer  for  the  press,  although  he  rarely  appeared 
in  print  during  the  last  years  of  his  life,  except  when  his  interest  was 
especially  aroused  in  some  matter  of  local  or  general  moment.  At 
one  time  he  prepared  and  published  in  newspapers  a  series  of  his- 
torical sketches  of  this  section  of  the  state,  and  reminiscences  of  the 
manj'  distinguished  men  he  had  known  and  been  associated  with. 
Some  of  these  have  been  compiled  and  printed  in  book  form  by  Dr. 
Hext  M.  I-*erry,  preceded  by  a  brief  biography  of  the  governor, 
making  a  volume  of  much  interest.  Gov.  Perry  left  doubtless  ma- 
terial for  many  other  volumes  of  historical  interest,  including  news- 
paper files,  unpublished  sketches  and  memoirs,  a  carefully  kept  diary 
of  his  life,  and  many  of  his  speeches  and  more  important  published 
articles. 

He  was  not  a  communicant,  but  was  a  zealous  friend  and  sup- 
porter of  Christ  Episcopal  church,  where  his  family  attended.  Dur- 
ing all  his  life  he  gave  much  attention  to  religion,  and  his  conduct 
was  conformed  to  the  teachings  of  Christianity,  in  which  he  was  a 
sincere  and  earnest  believer. 

The  last  years  of  his  life  were  very  tranquil  and  happy  in  the  so- 
ciety of  his  family,  the  friends  he  delighted  to  welcome  to  the  hos- 
pitable halls  of  "  Sans  Souci,"  his  books  and  his  writings,  peacefully 
busy,  with  few  cares,  and  an  honest  record  and  useful  life  to  look 
back  on,  only  awaiting  the  summons  he  knew  must  soon  come. 

Gov.  Perry  died  December  3,  1886.  Had  he  lived  until  April  27, 
1887,  he  would  have  reached  the  fiftieth  anniversary  of  his  wedding. 
Since  his  death  his  wife  has  published  several  volumes  relating  to 
the  history  of  South  Carolina  and  Gov.  Perry's  connection  with  it. 
With  characteristic  devotion  to  her  husband's  talents  she  has  pub- 
lished, in  all,  six  volumes,  which  e.\hibit  facts  pertaining  to  the  his- 
tory of  the  state  during  its  critical  period  that  can  not  be  found  in 
any  other  source. 

The  six  volumes  have  the  following  titles:  "In  Memoriam," 
"Biographical  Sketches  of  Eminent  American  Statesmen,"  "  Second 
Series  Reminiscences  of  Public  Men,"  and  two  series  of  his  letters. 
These  letters  exhibit  an  affection  and  devotion  to  his  wife,  rarely 
equaled. 

These  volumes  contain  facts  pertaining  to  the  history  of  South 
Carolina,  over  a  period  of  half  a  century,  or  from  1816  until  after  the 
re-construction  period,  which  does  not  exist  in  any  other  works.  He 
continued  to  write  until  his  death. 

JAMES    F.    IZLAR. 

Prominent  among  the  proud  names  of  South  Carolina  may  be_ 
found  that  of  Izlar.  For  four  generations  the  family  has  been  closely 
identified  with  the  development  of  the  "  Palmetto  State."  The  pres- 
ent head  of  the  family  is  Judge  James  F.  Izlar,  who  was  born  in 


y6  SOUTH    CAROMNA. 

Orangeburg  county,  S.  C,  November  ::5,  1S32.  William  H.  and  Julia 
(Pou)  Izlar,  his  parents,  were  of  Swiss  and  Scotch  descent,  respect- 
ively, and  were  both  natives  of  Orangeburg  county.  Jacob  Izlar,  the 
great-grandfather  of  our  subject,  came  to  South  Carojina  when  a. 
mere  lad,  and  underwent  all  the  hardships  incident  to  pioneer  life  in 
the  eighteenth  century.  William  and  Julia  Izlar  were  married  in 
1829,  and  seven  boys  and  three  girls  were  born  to  them,  the  sons  and 
two  of  the  daughters  still  survive.  Judge  Izlar  is  the  eldest  son.  His 
education  was  obtained  in  the  schools  of  Orangeburg  county  up  to 
his  seventeenth  year,  when  he  entered  Emory  college  at  Oxford,  Ga. 
This  eminent  institution  of  learning  was  established  and  fostered  by 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  and  was  selected  by  the  parents  of 
our  subject  for  the  reason  that  they  were  earnest  members  of  that 
denomination.  He  entered  the  freshman  class  in  1849,  and  was 
graduated  in  1854  with  the  first  honors  of  his  class,  although  then  but 
a  little  past  his  twenty-first  year.  The  boy's  early  life  had-been  spent 
on  his  father's  plantation,  the  latter  having  been  one  of  the  most  suc- 
cessful planters  of  his  day,  and  it  was  there  that  he  laid  the  founda- 
tion for  honest,  earnest  effort.  After  completing  his  collegiate  course 
he  turned  his  attention  to  educational  pursuits  and  was  thus  engaged 
until  1855,  when  he  began  the  study  of  law  under  the  tutelage  of 
Col.  Thomas  J.  Glover,  son  of  Judge  Thomas  Worth  Glover,  who  at 
that  time  was  one  of  the  judges  of  the  circuit  court.  Col.  Thomas  J. 
Glover  lost  his  life  at  the  second  battle  of  Manassas,  at  which  time 
he  was  colonel  of  the  First  South  Carolina  regiment.  After  reading 
for  a  period  of  two  years  Judge  Izlar  was  admitted  to  the  bar  at 
Columbia,  S.  C,  to  practice  in  the  court  of  laws.  At  that  time  the 
examination  was  conducted  before  the  court  of  appeals,  consisting  of 
all  the  law  judges  sitting  in  bank.  In  1858  he  was  admitted  to  prac- 
tice in  the  court  of  equity,  having  passed  the  required  examination 
before  the  court.  At  the  time  of  his  admission  the  court  of  laws  and 
court  of  equity  were  two  distinct  bodies  in  South  Carolina,  and  it  was 
necessary  to  pass  two  examinations.  Having  received  his  license  to 
practice  in  both  courts  our  subject  opened  an  office  at  Orangeburg, 
and  from  the  very  first  was  successful,  although  in  those  days  of  great 
lawyers  it  was  a  hard  task  for  a  young  man  to  establish  a  practice. 

When  South  Carolina  seceded.  Judge  Izlar  volunteered  in  the 
First  regiment  of  South  Carolina  volunteers,  for  a  period  of  twelve 
months.  The  regiment  was  under  the  command  of  Col.  Hagood. 
Mr.  Izlar  entered  the  service  as  third  lieutenant  of  the  Edisto  rifles, 
a  company  enlisted  at  Orangeburg,  and  which  proved  one  of  the  best 
organizations  in  the  Confederate  service.  The  organization  is  still 
kept  up  by  the  few  survivors  and  the  descendants  of  its  dead,  and 
William  L.  Izlar,  the  eldest  .son  of  Judge  Izlar,  is  at  present  a  lieuten- 
ant of  the  company.  At  the  end  of  the  first  twelve  months'  enlist- 
ment, the  Edisto  rifles  were  assigned  to  the  Twenty-fifth  South  Caro- 
lina regiment,  commanded  by  Col.  Charles  H.  Simonton,  now  judge 
of  the  United  States  district  court  of  South  Carolina,  having  been 
appointed  by  President  Cleveland.     At  the  time  of  the  formation  of 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  77 

this  reiriment  Lieut.  Izlar  was  i)ronioted  to  the  captaincy  of  the 
Edisto  rifles,  which  command  he  held  until  the  close  of  the  war. 
The  Twenty-fifth  regiment  served  on  the  coast  of  South  Carolina, 
and  was  on  duty  at  Fort  .Sumter,  and  later  at  Fort  Wagner.  The 
company  composed  a  portion  of  the  garrison  at  Wagner  during  the 
last  days  of  the  siege,  and  only  left  it  on  the  night  of  the  evacuation. 
In  1863,  the  Twenty-fifth  regiment  went  to  Virginia  and  participated 
at  Walthal  Junction  near  Petersburg,  Drury's  Bluff,  near  Richmond, 
and  later  at  Coal  Harbor,  Weldon  Road,  and  in  the  trenches  around 
Petersburg.  In  December,  1864,  the  regiment  was  sent  to  Wilming- 
ton, N.  C,  and  the  Edisto  rifles  were  stationed  at  Fort  F"isher,  where 
Capt.  Izlar  was  captured  on  the  night  of  January  15,  1865.  He  was 
held  as  a  prisoner  of  war  at  Fort  Columbus,  on  Governor's  Island, 
N.  Y.,  until  his  parolment  in  March,  1865.  Here  his  military  career 
ended  after  a  continuous  service  of  four  years,  during  which  time  he 
conducted  himself  with  honor  as  a  loyal  son  of  the  south.  A  very 
remarkable  incident  in  his  war  history  is  the  fact  that  in  his  company 
Capt.  Izlar  had  four  brothers,  all  of  whom  took  part  in  every  engage- 
ment of  the  Edisto  rifles  and  are  to-day  living.  Returning  to  his 
home  at  the  close  of  the  struggle  Capt.  Izlar  found  the  devastations 
of  the  war  had  left  him  penniless.  He  found  Orangeburg  garrisoned 
by  Federal  troops  and  all  in  confusion.  In  1866,  he  succeeded  in  get- 
ting possession  of  his  law  office  which  had  been  doing  duty  as  a  pro- 
vost marshal's  office,  and  again  began  the  practice  of  law.  After  a 
time  he  formed  a  partnership  with  Samuel  Dibble,  under  the  firm 
name  of  Izlar  &  Dibble.  They  were  associated  together  for  eleven 
years,  at  the  expiration  of  which  period  Mr.  Dibble  was  elected  to  con- 
gress. After  the  dissolution  of  this  partnership  Capt.  Izlar  continued 
his  practice  alone  until  1S87,  when  William  L.  Izlar,  his  eldest  son, 
and  William  L.  Glaze,  both  prominent  young  attorneys,  entered  into 
co-partnership  with  him  under  the  firm  name  of  Izlar  &  Glaze.  In 
i8Sq,  the  senior  member  was  elected  judge  of  the  first  circuit,  com- 
posed of  the  counties  of  Orangeburg,  Berkeley  and  Charleston,  by 
the  general  assembly  of  the  state,  and  the  partnership  was  then  dis- 
solved. In  1880  he  was  elected  to  the  state  senate  from  Orangeburg 
county,  and  was  re-elected  in  1884,  and  again  in  1888,  and  was  serv- 
ing his  third  term  when  called  to  the  bench.  In  1866  he  was  chosen 
member  of  the  democratic  state  executive  committee,  and  served  in 
that  capacity  continuously  for  twenty  years,  with  the  e.xception  of 
four  years,  from  1874  to  1878,  during  which  time  he  was  chairman  of 
the  Orangeburg  county  executive  committee,  and  from  18S6  to  1888, 
when  he  refused  the  appointment. 

During  the  sixteen  years  of  his  service  Judge  Izlar  was  chairman 
of  the  state  committee  for  ten  years,  and  was  filling  that  office  at  the 
time  of  his  election  as  circuit  judge.  Judge  Izlar  is  a  staunch  demo- 
crat of  the  Jeffersonian  type,  and  has  been  prominently  identified 
with  that  wing  of  the  democracy  since  his  early  manhood.  In  1880 
he  was  honored  by  an  election  as  trustee  of  the  South  Carolina  uni- 
versity, at  Columbia,  having  been   chosen  by  the  general   assembly. 


78  SOUTH    CAROLtNA. 

and  he  held  that  trust  until  November,  i8qo.  He  was  a  member  of 
the  democratic  national  convention  at  Baltimore,  when  Horace  Greely 
was  nominated  for  the  presidency,  and  again  in  Chicago  when  Grover 
Cleveland  was  chosen  as  the  candidate  of  the  party.  The  South  Car- 
olina delegation  was  divided  between  Cleveland  and  Bayard,  but 
Judge  Izlar  supported  Mr.  Cleveland  with  his  characteristic  fidelity. 
He  is  a  prominent  Mason  and  Odd  Fellow,  having  taken  the  thirty- 
second  degree  in  masonry,  and  has  held  the  office  of  grand  master  of 
the  state.  After  the  war  he  was  appointed  brigadier-general  of  the 
state  troops,  and  later  was  promoted  to  major-general.  He  has  served 
as  mayor  of  Orangeburg,  and  since  1866  has  been  more  or  less  hon- 
ored by  the  people  in  public  office.  In  1886,  at  the  organization  of 
the  bank  of  Orangeburg,  Judge  Izlar  was  made  its  president  and  still 
holds  that  office.  As  a  lawyer  he  is  considered  as  one  of  the  leading 
jurists  of  the  south.  On  the  24th  of  February,  1859,  he  was  so  for- 
tunate as  to  form  a  marriage  alliance  with  Miss  Frances  M.  A.  Lov- 
ell,  daughter  of  Edward  S.  and  Caroline  O.  Lovell.  Edward  Lovell 
was  a  brother  of  Major  Christopher  Lovell,  of  the  United  States* 
army,  and  also  of  Roberts  Lovell,  an  officer  of  the  United  States 
navy.  Mrs.  Izlar  is  a  grandniece  of  ex-Secretary  of  War  Joel  R. 
Poinsett.  Of  the  ten  children  born  to  this  union,  seven  are  living: 
William  Lovell,  Julia  Caroline  Oliveros  (wife  of  Dr.  B.  P.  Oliveros, 
of  Savannah,  Ga.),  Dr.  Roberts  Poinsett,  now  a  physician  of  Ocala, 
Fla.,  Oswald  Sydney,  a  student  in  the  South  Carolina  university, 
Mary  Frances,  Annie  Lillian  and  Marie  Virginia. 

GOV.   JOHNSON    HAGOOD. 

The  subject  of  this  biography  is  one  of  South  Carolina's  most  dis- 
tinguished sons.  Gov.  Hagood  was  born  in  Barnwell  county,  S.  C, 
on  February  21,  1829.  His  family  is  of  English  extraction,  and  set- 
tled originally  in  Virginia,  but  prior  to  the  Revolutionary  war,  removed 
to  South  Carolina,  locating  in  the  ninety-sixth  district.  Early  in  the 
present  century,  Johnson  Hagood,  the  grandfather  after  whom  he 
was  named,  removed  from  Charleston,  where  he  was  a  prominent 
lawyer,  to  Barnwell  county,  and  there  his  son.  Dr.  James  O.  Hagood, 
was,  previous  to  the  civil  war,  a  successful  planter.  Dr.  Hagood  prac- 
ticed his  profession  of  medicine  for  more  than  fifty  years,  and  by  his 
uniform  success  and  sound  judgment  gained  the  respect  and  esteem 
of  the  large  and  intelligent  community  in  which  he  resided.  His 
death  occurred  in  January,  1873.  Gov.  Hagood's  early  education  was 
received  at  the  Richmond  academy,  in  Augusta,  Ga.,  and  at  the  age 
of  sixteen  years  he  entered  the  Citadel,  the  state  military  academy 
at  Charleston,  where  he  graduated  in  November,  1847,  with  the 
highest  honors  of  his  class.  After  graduation  he  studied  law  under 
the  Hon.  Edmund  Bellinger,  a  distinguished  lawyer  of  his  day,  and 
in  1850  was  admitted  to  the  bar.  In  185 1  he  was  appointed  by  Gov. 
John  H.  Means,  deputy  adjutant  general  of  militia,  one  portion  of  his 
duties  consisting  of  drilling  the   militia  at  its  various   encampments 


J} 


BRANT  S  FULLER.  P_ 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  7Q 

scattered  over  the  state.  In  December,  185 1,  he  was  elected  by  the 
legislature  commissioner  in  equity  for  Barnwell  district,  which  import- 
ant legal  office  he  held  until  the  breaking  out  of  hostilities  in  1861, 
when  he  resigned  to  enter  the  Confederate  army.  During  the  decade 
prior  to  the  late  war,  he  also  engaged  in  cultivating  his  plantation. 
When  the  state  seceded  he  was  brigadier-general  of  militia,  and  was 
at  once  elected  colonel  of  the  First  South  Carolina  volunteers  and 
took  part  in  the  bombardment  of  Fort  Sumter  under  Gen.  Beaure- 
gard in  April,  1861.  He  was  then  transferred  from  the  South  Carolina 
volunteers  to  the  Confederate  states  army,  still  retaining  rank  as 
colonel.  He  was  present  at  the  first  battle  of  Manassas  (Bull  Run). 
Returning  to  South  Carolina  he  was  engaged  in  the  operations  around 
Charleston  and  at  the  battle  of  Secessionville,  June,  1862.  Immedi- 
ately after  that  battle  he  was  promoted  by  President  Davis  to  the 
rank  of  brigadier-general,  and  served  on  the  coast  of  South  Carolina 
until  May,  1864,  being  engaged  in  the  defense  of  Charleston  during 
Gen.  Gilmore's  siege  of  that  city,  and  in  the  defense  of  Fort  Wagner 
and  the  operations  on  James  Island.  In  May,  1864,  he  was,  with  his 
command,  withdrawn  from  Charleston  and  ordered  to  Petersburg,  Va., 
where  he  arrived  May  7th,  and  at  Walthall  Junction,  a  few  miles  be- 
yond, met  the  advance  forces  of  Gen.  B.  F.  Butler,  consisting  of  five 
brigades.  With  1,500  of  his  men,  supported  by  1,100  men  of  Johnson's 
Tennessee  brigade,  he  repulsed  them  in  the  open  field,  many  of  his 
most  gallant  field  and  staff  officers  being  killed  or  wounded.  This 
gave  time  for  the  concentration  of  troops  from  the  southward  for  the 
defense  of  Petersburg  against  Butler's  advance.  He  served  under 
Gen.  Beauregard  at  Petersburg  and  afterward  under  the  same  general 
in  Hoke's  division  at  Drury's  Bluff  against  Butler,  and  in  the  oper- 
ations at  Bermuda  Hundreds.  During  the  latter  period  he  was 
instrumental  in  the  erection  of  a  battery  at  Howlett's  House  on  the 
James  river  which,  sweeping  Butler's  transports  in  the  bend  of  the 
river,  caused  him  to  conceive  the  idea  of  cutting  the  famous  Dutch 
Gap  canal  to  escape,  in  his  further  advance  up  the  river,  the  fire  of 
this  battery.  The  first  pieces  with  which  the  battery  was  mounted 
were  two  twejity-pound  Parrots  captured  by  Hagood's  brigade  at 
the  battle  of  Drury's  Bluff.  After  Gen.  Beauregard  had  succeeded 
in  "bottling  up"  Butler  in  the  Peninsula  of  Bermuda  Hundred, 
Gen.  Hagood's  brigade,  with  its  division,  was  ordered  to  join 
Gen.  Lee.  It  reached  him  at  Cold  Harbor  just  prior  to  the  bat- 
tle of  June,  1864,  in  which  it  was  actively  engaged.  At  the  siege 
of  Petersburg  which  ensued,  this  brigade  served  in  the  trenches  at 
one  time  sixty-seven  days  without  relief,  and  in  that  period  was  re- 
duced by  casualities  and  disease  from  2,300  m.en  to  700  present  for 
duty.  At  another  time  the  next  officer  in  rank  to  the  brigadier  pres- 
ent for  duty  was  a  captain;  and  four  of  the  five  regiments  were  com- 
manded by  lieutenants.  At  a  later  period  during  the  month  of  Au- 
gust, in  the  fighting  on  the  Weldon  Road,  Gen.  Hagood  became  the 
hero  c^  as  daring  and  gallant  an  exploit  as  is  found  in  the  history  of 
the  war.     His  command  had  been  ordered  to  charge  the  enemy,  and 


go  SOUT}J    CAROLINA. 

when  the  line  of  their  works  had  been  reached,  some  200  of  his  men 
having  gotten  into  a  re-entering  angle  where  they  were  exposed  to  a 
severe  cross-five,  a   line   was   pushed   out   surrounding  them,  and  a 
mounted   officer  of  the  enemy,  galloping  out  of  a  sally-port,  seized 
the  colors  of  the   Eleventh  regiment  and  called  upon  them  to  surren- 
der.    Several  officers  and  men  prepared  to  do  so,  but  had   not  been 
carried  in,  when  Gen.   Hagood.   whose   horse   had  been    previously 
shot,  proceeding  toward  them  called  upon  his  men  to  shoot   the  offi- 
cer.    In  the  confusion  they  seemed  bewildered  and  failed  to  do  so. 
The  general  having  now  come  up  to  the  spot,  demanded  the   colors 
telling  the  officer  he  was  free  to  return  to  his  troops.      Instead  of  so 
doing^  he  commenced  to  argue  about   the   desperate   position  of  the 
smalt  band  of  Confederates.     Gen.   Hagood,  cutting  him   short,  de- 
manded a  direct  answer,  and  receiving  a  decisive   negative,  shot   him 
from  his  horse.     His  orderly,  .Stoney,  seized   the   falling  colors,  and 
the  general  springing  into  the  saddle  of  his    adversary,  succeeded  in 
withdrawing  his  men  with  as  little  loss  as  could  have  been   expected 
from  the  terrific  fire  to  which  they  were  exposed   in   retiring.     Some 
years  after  the  war  it  was  a  pleasing  incident  to  Gen.    Hagood,  that, 
by  furnishing  a  statement  of  the  facts  herein  narrated,  he  was  enabled 
to  assist  in  procuring  a  pension  from  the  l/nited  States  government 
for  the  gallant  officer  with  whom  the  fortune  of  war  had   placed  him 
in  conflict  and  who  had  survived  the  wound  inflicted.     Gen.    Beaure- 
gard, in  forwarding  a  report  of  this  affair   to  Gen.    Lee,  remarked: 
"  Such   an   act  of  galhintry  as   herein   described,  and  of  devotion  to 
one's  flag,  reflects  the  highest  credit  upon  the  officer  who  performs  it, 
and  should  be  held  up  to  the  army  as  worthy  of  imitation  under  simi- 
lar circumstances.     Brig. -Gen.   Hagood  is   a  brave    and    meritorious 
officer,  who    has  distinguished  himself  already   at   Battery   Wagner 
and  Drury's   Bluff  and  participated    actively   in  the  battles  of  Ware 
Bottom  Church,  Cold   Harbor   and   Petersburg,  June  16  and  17,  1864, 
and  I  respectfully  recommend  him  for  promotion  at  the  earliest  op- 
portunity."     Gen.  Hagood  bore  generous  testimony  ro  the  good  con- 
duct of  his  orderly,  Private  j.   D.  Stoney,  in   the   affair,  and   recom- 
mended him  for  a  commission,  which  he  afterward  obtained.   Shortly 
before  Christmas,  1864,  Gen.    Hagood  was  ordered  to  re-enforce  the 
troops  in   North  Carolina,  and  was  engaged  in  the  operations  around 
Wilmington,  and  afterward  in  Cien.  Hoke's  division  at  the  battles  of 
Kingston  and   Bentonville.     Retiring  before  overwhelming  numbers 
Gen.  Hagood's  command  surrendered  with  Gen.  Johnston  at  Greens- 
boro, .\.  C.     His  brigade  entered  the  war  4,500  strong  and  at  its  con- 
clusion only  499  veterans  remained  of  that  gallant  band  including  him- 
self and  his  staff.     At  the  termination  of  hostilities.  Gen.  Hagood  re- 
turned to  the  active  supervision  of  his  planting  interests,  but  he  was 
not  long  permitted  to  devote  his  entire   time  and  attention   to  his 
private  affairs.     In  1871,  the  burden  of  taxation   under  the  profligate 
and   iniciuitious   carpet-bag   rule   in  .South   Carolina   having  become 
well-nigh   intolerable,   Gt:n.    llagocjd    l)ecame  a  delegate  to  the  state 
tax-jjayers'  convention  held  at  Columbia,  and  composed  of  the  most 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  8l 

intelligent  and  responsible  men  in  the  state.  The  convention  was 
called  to  consider  the  enormous  and  increasing  state  debt,  and  to 
ascertain,  if  possible,  its  actual  amount  and  what  portion  of  it 
had  been  legally  contracted.  A  false  statement  of  the  state's  lia- 
bilities was  placed  before  them  by  Gov.  R.  K.  Scott  and  the 
state  officers,  and  a  false  set  of  books  were  produced  profess- 
ing to  give  correct  details.  Upon  the  evidence  submitted,  the 
convention  declared  a  certain  portion  of  the  debt  valid  and  bind- 
ing and  the  rest  fraudulent.  It  appeared  that  the  taxable  value  of 
the  property  of  the  state  in  i860  was  $400,000,000,  and  the  taxes  were 
then  only  $392,000;  in  1871  the  taxable  property  had  been  reduced  to 
$184,000,000,  while  the  taxes  had  increased  to  $2,000,000,  so  that  while 
the  property  had  been  reduced  to  less  than  half  its  former  value,  the 
taxes  had  been  increased  five-fold.  And  this  curious  anomaly  ex- 
isted, without  a  parallel  in  representative  government,  that  those  who 
imposed  the  taxes  did  not  pay  them,  and  those  who  paid  them  had 
no  voice  in  imposing  them.  Property  was  assessed  without  being 
seen,  on  an  average  of  at  least  twice,  and  sometimes  even  five  times 
its  value,  from  which  no  redress  could  be  obtained  from  the  commis- 
sioners. The  state  debt  had  been  increased  from  in  round  numbers, 
$5,400,000,  in  1867,  to  $20,000,000  in  1871,  by  the  issue  of  bonds,  the 
existence  of  a  large  portion  of  which  had  previous  to  the  investiga- 
tions of  the  convention  been  unsuspected  and  kept  studiously  con- 
cealed by  the  guilty  officials.  The  legislature  had  relinquished  to 
private  individuals,  without  consideration,  its  lien  upon  the  Blue 
Ridge  railroad,  and  in  the  case  of  the  Greenville  &  Columbia  rail- 
road, whose  stock  had  been  purchased  by  a  disreputable  ring  from 
private  individuals  at  a  nominal  price,  they  authorized  the  sale  of  the 
stock  held  by  the  state  in  the  same  company  to  the  ring,  of  which 
high  state  officials  were  members.  The  money  to  make  these  pur- 
chases was  raised  by  hypothecating  state  bonds,  so  that  the  corpora- 
tion passed  into  the  hands  of  private  individuals,  who  never  paid  one 
cent  out  of  their  own  pockets  for  the  stock.  The  republicans  them- 
selves afterward  repudiated  a  large  portion  of  the  debt.  On  the  20th 
of  February,  1871,  Gen.  Hagood  was  appointed  one  of  a  committee 
to  investigate  the  condition  and  administration  of  the  assets  of  the 
bank  of  the  state  of  South  Carolina.  In  this  they  labored  under 
great  difficulties  from  inability  to  send  for  persons  and  papers  or  to 
compel  the  attendance  of  witnesses,  and  from  the  refusal  of  the  then 
receiver  to  furnish  any  information  whatever.  The  committee  re- 
ported that  the  funds  of  the  bank  had  been  loaned  to  various  indi- 
viduals on  totally  inadequate  security,  that  repeated  changes  had  been 
made  in  the  receivership  for  no  other  purpose  apparently  than  to  en- 
able each  successive  one  to  receive  his  commission,  and  that  bor- 
rowers of  the  currency  assets  of  the  bank  had  been  allowed  to  repay 
their  loans  in  the  greatly  depreciated  bills  of  the  bank  at  par.  An- 
other flagrant  piece  of  fraud  connected  with  the  state  bank,  which 
however,  did  not  come  within  the  scope  of  the  committee's  report, 
was  that  at  the  end  of  a  year  and  a  half  of  the  widest  publicity  given 
A — 6 


82  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

to  an  order  notifying  holders  of  the  bills  of  the  bank  to  present  them, 
something  less  than  $500,000  had  been  so  presented.  The  legislat- 
ure voted  to  issue  state  bonds  to  redeem  the  bills,  and  appointed  a 
legislative  committee  to  count  them.  This  committee  reported  that 
they  had  found  $1,258,550  in  notes,  and  in  spite  of  the  fact  that  less 
than  $500,000  could  be  found  previously  after  eighteen  months'  vigor- 
ous search,  passed  an  act  authorizing  the  issue  of  bonds  for  $1,258,550. 
Bonds  were  printed  and  issued  by  the  executive  department  for  this 
specific  purpose  of  the  face  value  of  $1,590,000,  but  in  whose  hands 
the  balance  of  $331,450  remained,  it  was  impossible  to  discover.     In 

1876,  Gen.  Hagood  was  nominated  on  the  democratic  ticket  for  comp- 
troller-general of  the  state,  and  by  his  patient,  prudent  and  cour- 
ageous course  during  the  exciting  campaign  that  followed,  contributed 
largely  to  secure  the  great  moral  triumph  of  law  and  order,  and  the 
downfall  of  the  corrupt  radical  rule  in  the  old  "  Palmetto  State." 
His  management  as  county  chairman  of  the  campaign  in  Barnwell, 
was  perfect  in  its  organization  and  such  as  to  gain  the  confidence 
of  all  moderate  republicans  as  well  as  democrats.  The  colored 
voters  flocked  in  large  numbers  to  the  democratic  standard  and 
joined  the  democratic  clubs,  and  although  hitherto  there  had  been 
a  republican  majority  of  i,Soo,  almost  wholly  colored,  the  county 
was  carried  by  a  majority  of  more  than  1,100  for  the  democratic 
ticket.  Of  the  negroes,  at  least  a  third  voted  the  Hampton  ticket, 
while  another  third  abstained  from  voting  at  all,  leaving  only  one- 
third  who  still  supported  the  existing  government.  Only  seven  white 
men  in  the  county  voted  the  republican  ticket.  More  than  two 
thousand  mounted  men  in  red  shirts,  the  democratic  uniform,  escorted 
Gen.  Hampton  through  Barnwell  county,  camping  from  time  to  time 
at  various  points  where  he  stopped  to  speak,  and  the  enthusiasm  of 
all  classes  was  unexampled  in  the  history  of  the  state.  During  the 
time  of  the  Ellenton  riots,  Gen.  Hagood  was  placed  by  the  republi- 
can. Judge  Wiggins,  in  command  of  an  armed  posse  to  repress  the 
disturbance.  And  during  the  uncertain  and  perilous  time  between 
the  election  in  November,  1876,  and  the  recognition  of  the  Hampton 
government  by  President  Hayes,  when  any  moment  might  have  pre- 
cipitated a  collision  between  the  rival  parties,  Gov.  Hampton  called 
only  two  of  the  state  officers  to  his  regular  assistance  —  Gen.  Hagood 
and  Atty.-Gen.  James  Connor.  Acting  in  entire  accord  with  Gov. 
Hampton,  they  were  both  an  advisory  council  and  his  executive  of- 
ficers during  the  existence  of  the  dual  governments.  It  was  largely 
through  the?  influence  of  Gov.  Hagood  that  over  a  thousand  of  the 
negroes  of  his  county  at  the  time  united  in  the  voluntary  contribu- 
tion by  the  citizens  of  the  state,  of  one-tenth  of  the  taxes  they  had 
paid  the  previous  year  to  the  support  of  Hampton's  government  be- 
fore.it  had  been  formally  recognized  by  President  Hayes.     In  May, 

1877,  he  formally  took  possession  of  his  office  in  the  state  capitol,  and 
at  once  entert^d  upon  the  duties  of  the  same.  He  applied  himself  to 
the  task  of  thoroughly  organizing  and  systematizing  his  department, 
which  task  he  successfully  accomplished.     At  the  regular  election  in 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  83 

1878,  his  admirable  conduct  of  the  office  was  recognized  and  rewarded 
by  a  re-election,  and  he   continued   in   this  office  another  two  years, 
only  to  be  still  more  honored  by  the  people,  who,  in  1880,  nominated 
and  elected  him  governor  of  the  state.     I  lis   inaugural  address  was 
pronounced  by  all  as  a  state  paper  of  no  ordinary  ability.     It  was  said 
that  it  was  characteristic  of  the  man.     Brief,  practical,  suggestive,  it 
discarded  generalities  and  addressing  itself  to  the  matter  in  hand, 
set  forth  succinctly  the  present  condition  of  the  state,  marked  the 
improvements  which  had  been  the  fruits  of  honest  government  since 
1876,  and  indicated  in  what  direction,  in  his  opinion,  further  progress 
could  be  made.     Concluding,  he  said:     "These  happy  results  —  this 
restoration  of  the  state  to  the  methods  of  good  government,  this 
hopeful  industry  of  all  classes  of  our  people  and  rapid  advance  in 
prosperity  are  due  under  the  providence  of  God  to  the  resumption  of 
the  chief  control  of  our  local  affairs  by  that  portion  of  our  citizens  in 
whom  the  capacity  of  self-government  is  an  inheritance  derived  from 
a  thousand  years  of  a  free  ancestry.     It  stands  in  striking  contrast  to 
the  wretched  period  of  riotous  misrule  which  preceded  it  under  the 
domination    of   the  lately  enfranchised   freedmen.     South  Carolina 
can  not  and  will  not  again  become  a  prostrate  state.     The  God-given 
right  of  self-preservation  inheres  in  communities  as  well  as  individ- 
uals.    It   is   higher  than  law  and   older  than   constitutions;   but  the 
problem  with  us  to-day  is  to  preserve  the  life  of  the  state  within  the 
conditions  that  surround  us.     It  is  true  that  never  before  in  all   their 
history  have  free  institutions  been  subjected  to  such  a  strain  as  the 
re-construction  acts  of  the  national  government  placed   upon  them 
here;  but  the   political  equality  of  all   men  in  South  Carolina  is  now 
as  fi.xed  a  feature  in  her  policy  as  is  the  Blue  Ridge  in  her  geography. 
It  can  neither  be  suppressed  nor  evaded.    The  solution  of  the  problem 
requires  the  wisest  thought,  the  gravest  counsel.     It  seems  to  me  that 
I  see  it  in  firmness,  moderation,  justice.     Let  these  characterize  every 
act  of  legislation.     It  is  my   duty  as  governor  'to  take  care  that  the 
laws   are  faithfully  e.xecuted   in  mercy.'     I  repeat  the  pledge  made 
before  my  election — that  in  the  discharge  of  this  high  trust  I  shall 
know  neither  white  man  nor  colored  man,  but  only  citizens  of  South 
Carolina  alike  amenable  to  her  laws  and  entitled  to  their  protection." 

Gov.  fiagood's  administration  upon  these  lines  was  a  success.  Not- 
withstanding his  e.xpressed  desire  to  retire  at  the  end  of  his  term, 
the  disposition  of  the  people  of  the  state  was  strong  for  his  re-election 
as  their  chief  executive,  and  it  was  upon  his  declaration  that  he  would 
not  accept  a  re-nomination  that  they  began  to  look  elsewhere  for  his 
successor.  The  press  of  the  state,  upon  his  retirement,  without  ex- 
ception, generously  voiced  the  approval  he  had  earned.  Some  ex- 
tracts from  its  utterances  are  given: 

Charleston  Ncivs  and  Courier,  December  5,  1882:  "The  term  of 
office  of  Gov.  Johnson  Hagood  ends  to-day,  and  he  retires  from  pub- 
lic office.  Gov.  Hagood  was  not  in  any  sense  a  candidate  for  office 
when  he  was  nominated  as  a  candidate  for  comptroller-general,  in 
1876.     There  was  so  slight  a  chance  at  that  time  that  the  democratic 


84  SOUTH   CAROLINA. 

candidate  would  be  elected,  that  it  was  somewhat  difficult  to  find 
suitable  nominees.  But  he  did  not  feel  at  liberty  to  decline  to  do  his 
part,  and  so  obeyed  the  order  of  the  convention  as  he  has  always 
obeyed  the  mandate  of  the  state.  In  1878  he  was  re-nominated  and 
re-elected.  During  the  four  years  that  he  was  comptroller-general 
he  perfected  the  organization  of  the  fiscal  department,  established 
rules  for  the  government  of  subordinate  officers,  codified  the  laws 
and  decisions  relating  to  the  department,  and  adjusted  the  whole 
machinery  so  that  it  should  work  smoothly  and  regularly.  For  the 
office  of  governor  Gen.  Hagood  was  a  candidate  in  the  high  and  hon- 
orable sense.  It  was  known  that  he  desired  the  nomination  and  that 
he  would  be  proud  to  receive  it.  Having  been  brought  into  public 
life  without  any  desire  on  his  part,  he  felt  that  it  would  round  off  his 
political  career  and  satisfy  his  ambition  to  be  governor  of  South 
Carolina  for  one  term.  He  was  nominated  and  elected,  and  was  not, 
either  proximately  or  remotely  a  candidate  for  re-election.  As  gov- 
ernor. Gen.  Hagood  was  as  diligent,  as  attentive  and  methodical  as 
he  was  while  comptroller-general.  It  was  a  business-like  administra- 
tion, not  a  political  administration.  Loyal  to  the  core  to  the  dem- 
ocratic part}'  and  devoted  to  its  interests,  he  was  a  faithful  governor 
of  the  whole  people.  There  was  no  effort  to  make  his  influence  as 
governor  felt  for  personal  ends.  There  was  no  meretricious  display 
of  pomp  or  circumstance.  The  chief  magistrate  of  the  common- 
wealth, he  remembered  always  the  source  of  his  power  and  the  foun- 
dation of  his  authority.  Gov.  Hagood  takes  with  him  into  private 
life  the  cordial  respect  of  his  fellow  citizens.  They  had  always  ad- 
mired him  for  his  qualities  as  a  soldier,  and  they  now  admire  him,  in 
addition,  for  fidelity  and  ability  in  the  discharge  of  complex  and 
weighty  duties,  both  as  comptroller-general  and  governor  of  the 
state." 

Ahivberry  Herald:  "  Of  Johnson  Hagood,  the  retiring  governor, 
Ave  desire  to  say  that  he  goes  out  of  the  e.xecutive  office  with  a  record 
of  which  any  man  may  well  be  proud.  His  term  of  office  has  not 
been  marked  by  anything  brilliant  or  dashing,  for  there  has  been  no 
occasion  for  it.  The  duties  of  the  office  have  been  discharged  con- 
scientiously, ably  and  impartially,  with  no  attempt  at  display,  no  pre- 
tended statecraft,  no  sky-rocketing  of  any  sort;  but  in  plain,  simple 
business  way  as  an  honest,  moderate  and  capable  man  attends  to  his 
own  business  affairs.  South  Carolina  has  never  had  a  better  gover- 
nor than  Johnson  Hagood,  and  the  hearts  of  the  people  will  follow 
him  into  his  retirement  with  sincere  wishes  for  his  future  welfare  and 
prosperity." 

Lancaster  Journal:  "  Gov.  Hagood  goes  out  of  office  with  a 
record  of  which  any  man  might  well  be  proud.  As  the  chief  execu- 
tive of  our  state,  he  has  won  new  honors  and  new  renown.  He  has 
guided  the  ship  of  state  clear  of  every  snag,  and  he  hands  over  his 
office  to  his  successor  without  a  blot  upon  its  fair  and  untarnished 
democratic  record.  A  man  of  fine  ability,  strong  convictions  and 
clear  head,  he  has  given  to  the  people  of  our  state  a  government 


SOUTH   CAROLINA.  85 

which  has  added  to  their  prosperity,  strengthened  their  resources  and 
made  peaceful  and  happy  their  homes.  Though  unostentatious  and 
rather  reserved,  he  is  yet  the  very  soul  of  practical  wisdom,  high 
honor  and  reverence  for  duty.  South  Carolina  loves  Johnson  Ha- 
good  and  further  honors  await  him  when  his  services  are  com- 
manded.    May  happiness  and  long  life  bless  him." 

The  Greenville  Netvs:  .  .  .  "This  is  Gov.  Hagood's  last  annual 
message,  and  it  is  an  appropriate  conclusion  for  the  history  of  his 
public  service  for  the  past  six  years.  Clear,  honest,  carefully  pre- 
pared and  condensed,  plain,  business-like  and  powerful  with  the 
weight  of  facts  and  figures,  it  accords  with  every  public  paper  he  has 
written  in  being  a  reflection  of  his  character  and  methods.  If  there 
ever  was  a  man  who  could  retire  from  the  public  service  with  a  clear 
and  approving  conscience,  it  is  Johnson  Hagood.  He  can  look  with 
his  honest  eyes  frankly  into  the  face  of  the  people  and  challenge 
criticism  and  rigid  scrutiny  of  every  hour  of  his  official  life.  As 
comptroller-general  for  four  years,  such  as  were  never  known  before 
and  will  never  be  known  again  in  the  history  of  the  state,  he  was  em- 
phatically successful  and  pre-eminently  useful  to  his  state.  No  more 
honorable  or  benefical  service  than  his  was  ever  done  for  a  common- 
wealth by  a  citizen.  He  found  the  finances  chaos.  He  left  them  in 
perfect  order.  When  he  took  them  they  were  tainted  with  fraud  and 
inclosed  in  a  net-work  of  mystery  and  doubt  thrown  about  them  by 
incompetency  and  villainy.  When  he  gave  them  to  his  successor 
they  were  beyond  even  the  shadow  of  suspicion  to  the  most  ignorant 
citizen,  and  are  open  to  the  inspection  of  the  world.  South  Carolina 
did  not  pay  off  Gen.  Hagood  by  making  him  governor.  The  people 
simply  testified  by  the  bestowal  upon  him  of  the  highest  place  then 
within  their  power  to  give,  their  appreciation  of  his  service  and  their 
confidence  in  him  as  a  man  and  an  officer  resulting  from  his  tried 
abilities  and  character.  His  term  as  governor  has  been  a  placid  and 
uneventful  one,  and  his  only  record  in  that  office  is  an  unostentatious 
and  fearless  performance  of  his  whole  duty  and  contributing  very 
much  honest  wisdom  and  plain,  hard  common-sense  to  the  manage- 
ment of  affairs.  '  Gov.  Hagood  '  will  probably  sound  more  loudly 
in  the  history  of  the  state  in  the  future,  and  for  that  reason  it  is  well 
that  he  should  have  worn  the  title,  but  the  people  of  to-day  know 
that  the  man  who  is  really  honorable  and  to  be  honored,  and  who 
has  done  the  real,  permanent,  invaluable  service  is  Johnson  Hagood, 

comptroller-general  of  South  Carolina Gov.  Hagood's 

administration  has  been  a  success  if  the  object  of  government  is  to 
give  peace,  order  and  effective  and  honest  handling  of  the  public 
finances.  The  governor  is  a  man  of  unimpeachable  purity,  proven 
ability  and  courage,  true  as  steel  and  unwavering  in  the  performance 
of  his  duties." 

Ex-Gov.  Hagood,  since  the  close  of  his  administration,  has  taken 
little  part  in  active  politics.  Without  further  aspiration  for  office,  he 
took  his  position  in  the  ranks  and  has  then  simply  sought  to  do  as 
a  citizen,  his  duty  to  his  party  and  to  his  country.     His  attention  has 


86  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

been  chiefly  given  to  his  agricultural  pursuits  and  to  the  development 
of  the  local  enterprises  and  industries  of  his  county  of  Barnwell. 
He  has  been  instrumental  there  in  the  establishment  of  a  building 
and  improvement  association,  of  an  oil  and  fertilizer  factory,  of  a 
bank  which  has  greatly  promoted  the  Interests  of  his  fellow  farmers, 
and  of  a  graded  school  which  has  been  the  subject  of  encomium  by 
the  state  superintendent  of  education.  The  governor  has  always 
taken  a  deep  interest  in  agriculture  and  in  education.  In  1S69  he  was 
elected  the  first  president  since  the  war  of  the  South  Carolina  State 
Agricultural  and  Mechanical  society,  holding  that  office  for  four 
years,  when  he  declined  re-election.  He  was  also  for  two  terms 
chairman  of  the  State  Board  of  Agriculture.  He  has  been  a  pioneer 
in  and  a  strong  advocate  for  that  diversification  of  our  farming  in- 
dustry, to  which  much  of  its  present  success  is  due;  and  his  contribu- 
tions to  the  agricultural  press,  together  with  his  own  success  in  the 
new  departure,  notably  in  grass  culture  and  stock  farming,  has  con- 
tributed much  to  that  end.  Beside  his  interest  in  the  common 
schools,  he  was,  while  in  office,  a  warm  supporter  of  the  university  of 
the  state,  and  has  since  1876  been  chairman  of  the  board  of  visitors, 
charged  with  the  sole  supervision  and  control  of  that  branch  of  it 
known  as  the  South  Carolina  State  Military  academy.  To  the  wel- 
fare of  this  school  —  his  alma  mater  —  his  time  and  his  services  have 
been  given  without  stint.  Gov.  Hagood,  in  1854,  married  Eloise, 
daughter  of  Judge  A.  P.  Butler,  then  United  States  senator,  and  of 
whom  the  present  United  .States  senator  from  .South  Carolina,  Hon. 
M.  C.  Butler,  is  the  nephew.     He  has  one  son,  Butler  Hagood. 


BENJAMIN    CONWAY    GARLINGTON. 

Benjamin  Conway  Garlington,  third  son  of  John  and  Susan  Wash- 
ington Garlington,  was  born  at  Laurens  Court  House,  S.  C,  Novem- 
ber 4,  1836.  He  received  his  education  at  the  town  academy,  at  the 
South  Carolina  college  and  the  University  of  Virginia.  He  graduated 
in  law  at  the  University  of  Virginia,  and  was  admitted  in  Columbia, 
to  the  courts  of  South  Carolina.  While  preparing  to  open  a  law 
office  in  his  native  town,  a  call  was  made  by  the  governor  of  the  state 
for  soldiers  to  ciefend  her  borders  from  an  invading  foe;  he  was 
among  the  first  to  offer  himself,  and  the  noble  company  of  "  State 
Guards"  of  which  he  was  captain.  The  offer  was,  of  course,  accepted, 
and  the  "  State  Guards"  became,  when  mustered  into  the  service  of 
the  Confederate  states.  Company  A,  Third  regiment  South  Carolina 
infantry.  From  the  bombardment  of  Fort  Sumter  to  the  battles 
around  Richmond,  in  1862,  Capt.  Garlington  was  not  absent,  even 
once,  from  the  post  of  duty.  .Such  attention  to  his  command,  such 
devotion  to  the  sacred  cause  in  which  he  was  engaged,  could  not  fail 
to  produce  its  legitimate  results.  In  the  re-organization  of  the  regi- 
ment he  was  elected  lieutenant-colonel.  In  this  command,  one  of 
the  most  efficient  in  material,  drill  and  disciijline,  he  l)ore  the  reputa 


SOUTH    CAROIJNA.  87 

tion  of  an  officer  of  rare  and  extraordinary  promise.  At  the  battle 
of  Savage  Station,  June  29,  1862,  he  fell  mortally  wounded,  and  died 
on  the  field.  In  the  charge  in  which  he  lost  his  life,  it  is  said  that  he 
was  conspicuously  prominent,  animating  and  encouraging  his  men. 
And  when  his  vitals  had  been  pierced  by  a  minnie-ball,  he  announced 
with  the  coolest  intrepidity  his  condition  to  those  around  him,  and  then 
urged  them  forward  with  the  words,  "Charge,  boys,  charge  !  For- 
ward, my  brave  men  !  "  When  night  came  on  and  Gen.  Sumner  had 
withdrawn  across  White  Oak  Swamp,  Col.  Garlington's  comrades 
found  him  lying  straight  upon  his  back,  with  his  hands  folded  upon 
his  breast,  and  his  sword  standing  with  the  point  in  the  ground  by  his 
side.  How  cool  and  self  possessed  must  have  been  his  mind  at  the 
time  !  His  attitude  and  features  bespoke  no  thought  of  fear  or  even 
pain,  so  calm  was  he  in  that  awful  death  hour,  when  left  alone  with 
his  God  ! 

Col.  Garlington  was  a  man  of  high  promise  both  in  the  profession 
which  he  had  chosen  and  in  that  which  was  thrust  upon  him  by  the  event 
of  the  war.  That  he  was  efficient  in  the  school  of  the  soldier  and  in 
all  the  high  qualities  of  the  officer,  those  of  his  gallant  command  who 
survive  will  testify.  That  he  was  possessed  of  the  truest  courage, 
the  circumstances  of  his  death  abundantly  proves.  Had  he  been  per- 
mitted to  consummate  the  life  that  was  opening  before  him,  he  must, 
with  abilities  that  fitted  him  for  the  field  and  the  forum,  have  taken 
a  position  in  his  state  among  the  most  honored  of  her  sons.  His 
aged  parents,  three  brothers,  Creswell,  Stobo,  and  John,  and  two  sis- 
ters, Mrs.  John  L.  Young,  of  Union,  and  Mrs.  R.  W.  Simpson,  of 
Pendleton,  mourned  his  loss  from  their  circle.  John,  his  youngest 
brother,  was  killed  at  the  battle  of  Fredericksburg,  on  December  13, 
1862,  and  of  the  four  brothers  who,  at  once  and  together  answered 
their  country's  call,  only  two  survived.  Conway  and  John  lie 
buried  in  the  cemetery  at  Laurens,  the  removal  of  their  bodies  from 
the  battle  fields  affording  a  melancholy  pleasure  to  their  bereaved 
parents. 

Colonel  Garlington  inherited  a  long  line  of  distinguished  ancestry, 
both  in  Virginia  and  South  Carolina.  He  is  a  lineal  descendant  of 
Col.  Edwin  Conway,  and  of  Col.  Joseph  Ball,  of  "  Epping  Poorest," 
Va.,  of  Christopher  Garlington,  whose  land  grants  in  Northumber- 
land county,  Va.,  date  June  4th,  1663,  and  who  was  vestryman  of 
Yeoconnico  Parish  in  16S3;  and  of  John  Washington  (brother  of 
Lawrence)  who  emigrated  to  Virginia  and  settled  on  the  Rappahan- 
nock in  1653.  He  is  also  a  lineal  descendant  of  Rev.  Archibald 
Stobo,  who  for  the  persecutions  of  his  church,  Presbyterian,  left  his 
home,  in  Stobo  Castle,  Scotland,  and  landed  in  Charleston  in  1700, 
where  for  some  years  he  was  pastor  of  the  old  Circular  church  of 
that  city.  He  was  a  man  of  commanding  form,  handsome  face,  and 
elegant  manners;  possessed  of  a  clear  and  vigorous  intellect  and  was 
a  graceful  orator.  Long  will  his  friends  remember  his  last  address 
to  the  "State  Guards"  before  they  left  their  homes  for  the  uncertain 
field,  and  especially  the  quotation:     "And  we'll  comeback   in  glory, 


88  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

or  come  not  again!"     Sad  indeed  is  the  remembrance  that  he  "  came 
not  again." 

Reared  in  the  lap  of  affluence,  gratified  in  all  his  wishes,  beloved 
by  all,  his  young  life  was  as  a  sunbeam,  shedding  light  and  happiness 
on  those  who  came  within  its  influence.  In  the  social  circle  he  was 
full  of  life  and  humor.  His  conversation  was  chaste,  and  his  habits 
were  strictly  temperate.  His  high  principles,  generous  disposition 
and  courteous  bearing  preserved  for  him  in  the  army  the  popularity 
which  he  had  at  home.  Col.  Garlington's  man-servant  who  had 
played  with  him  and  watched  over  him  in  childhood  was  deeply  dis- 
tressed when  he  heard  that  his  "young  master"  was  going  into  the 
war,  insisted  on  going  with  him,  and  served  him  faithfully  through 
all  the  hardships  of  his  soldier  life. 

JOHN  GARLINGTON,  JR. 

Another  son  of  John  and  Susan  Washington  Garlington,  was  John, 
born  June  iSth,  1840.  He  was  blessed  with  a  genial,  refined  nature, 
and  talents  of  no  ordinary  grade;  was  modest,  unselfish  and  brave, 
with  a  high  sense  of  honor  and  firmness  of  principle.  With  these 
endowments  and  surrounded  with  affluence  and  family  influence  his 
young  life  was  bright  and  happy  and  gave  promise  of  an  honorable, 
useful  and  successful  future.  After  a  careful  preliminary  education, 
he  entered  the  University  of  North  Carolina  and  while  yet  a  student 
in  that  institution,  at  the  first  call  to  arms  of  his  country,  he  returned 
to  his  home  and  volunteered  in  the  "State  Guards,"  a  noble  company 
of  which  his  brother  was  captain.  Having  three  other  brothers 
already  enlisted,  his  parents  endeavored  to  persuade  him  to  return 
to  his  studies  at  the  university;  but  with  a  cool  determination,  he 
listened  not  to  their  tender  pleadings,  nor  to  the  allurements  of  a 
life  of  ease,  but  promptly  took  up  the  hardships  of  the  soldier  life. 
He  served  under  his  brother,  who  was  first  in  command  of  the  "State 
Guards,"  and  afterward  colonel  of  the  regiment,  through  many 
battles  and  it  was  his  painful  duty  after  the  battle  of  Savage  Station 
to  bury  his  body  and  send  the  sad  telegram  to  his  parents  at  home. 
After  having  passed  safely  through  the  battles  of  Manassas  Plains, 
the  battles  around  Richmond,  the  battle  of  Malvern  Hill,  of  Mary- 
land Heights,  and  of  Sharpsburg,  in  several  of  which  his  regiment, 
the  Third  South  Carolina,  was  exposed  to  the  hottest  fire  and 
suffered  heavily,  he  fell  at  Fredericksburg  in  the  thickest  of  the 
fight,  near  the  old  home  of  his  great-grandparents,  on  the  13th  of 
December,  1862;  fell  no  less  beloved,  no  less  regretted  than  his  older 
and  more  distinguished  brother. 

GOVERNOR    MILLEDGE   LUKE   BONHAM. 

Milledge  L.  Bonham,  deceased,  was  born  in  Edgefield  district,  S.C., 
May  6,  1815.  He  received  a  classical  education,  graduating  from  the 
South  Carolina  college  in  his  twentieth  year,  with  second  honors  of 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  8q 

his  class.  Singularly  enough,  Charles  P.  Sullivan,  who  took  first 
honors,  was  afterward  ch^feated  by  Gen.  Bonham  in  an  election  for 
representative  in  the  thirty-fifth  congress. 

Young  Bonham  began  the  study  of  law  but  was  interrupted  in 
1836  by  the  Seminole  war,  in  which  he  immediately  volunteered,  ren- 
dering efficient  service  as  an  aide  to  Gen.  Bull  and  as  adjutant-general 
of  the  South  Carolina  brigade.  The  war  over  he  returned  to  his  law 
studies,  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  Columbia  in  1837,  and  commenced 
practice  at  Edgefield  C.  H.  He  was  eminently  successful  in  his  pro- 
fession, which  he  practiced  with  honor  and  profit  until  the  breaking 
out  of  the  Mexican  war  in  1846.  He  served  in  that  war  with  dis- 
tinguished gallantry,  commanding  the  Twelfth  regiment  of  United 
States  infantry,  and  having  Winheld  S.  Hancock  as  his  adjutant. 
Resuming  the  practice  of  law  he  was  soon  elected  solicitor  for  the 
southern  circuit,  which  he  filled  from  1848  to  1850.  Meanwhile  he 
had  become  major-general  of  the  state  militia,  had  served  four  years 
in  the  legislature  and  was  steadily  growing  in  public  favor.  In  1856 
he  was  elected  representative  in  the  thirty-fifth  congress  as  a  "states 
rights  democrat,"  receiving  1,600  majority  over  Charles  P.  Sullivan, 
and  was  re-elected  to  the  thirty-sixth  congress  without  opposition, 
serving  from  December  7,  1S57,  until  he  withdrew  with  the  other 
members  of  the  South  Carolina  delegation,  December  21,  i860.  Gen. 
Bonham  served  as  a  commissioner  from  South  Carolina  to  Mississippi, 
and  took  a  prominent  part  in  the  secession  movement,  and  at  a  mass 
meeting  for  the  discussion  of  secession  held  at  Abbeville,  made  per- 
haps the  most  eloquent  and  effective  speech  of  his  life. 

Upon  the  secession  of  South  Carolina,  Gen.  Bonham  was  detailed 
as  major-general  to  command  the  South  Carolina  troops.  At  the 
first  call  to  arms  he  hurried  on  to  Virginia  and  was  ordered  by  Gov. 
Pickens  to  report  to  Gov.  Letcher,  of  X'irginia,  who  detailed  him  to 
report  to  Gen.  Lee. 

He  was  appointed  brigadier-general  and  placed  in  command  of 
the  First  brigade.  First  corps,  of  the  then  army  of  the  Potomac,  con- 
sisting at  Bull  Run  of  Kershaw's  Second,  Williams'  Third,  Bacon's 
Seventh  and  Cosh's  Eighth  regiments  of  South  Carolina  volunteers; 
of  Shield's  and  Del  Kemper's  batteries,  and  of  several  companies  of 
Virginia  cavalry  under  Col.  Radford. 

Gen.  Lee  wrote  him  on  May  22:  "I  need  not  call  the  attention  of 
one  so  experienced  as  yourself  to  the  necessity  of  preventing  the 
troops  from  all  interference  with  the  rights  and  property  of  the  cit- 
izens of  the  state,  and  of  enforcing  rigid  discipline  and  obedience  to 
orders.  But  it  is  proper  for  me  to  state  to  you  that  the  policy  of  the 
state  at  present  is  strictly  defensive.  *  *  *  Great  reliance  is  placed 
on  your  discretion  and  judgment  in  the  application  of  your  force." 

Gen.  Bonham  acted  with  rare  judgment  and  conspicuous  gallantry 
at  the  battles  of  Blackburn's  Ford  and  Bull  Run.  Gen.  Lee's  "great 
reliance  "  on  his  "  discretion  "  was  not  misplaced,  and  Gen.  Beauregard, 
in  his  official  report  of  the  battle  of  Bull  Run,  returns  thanks  "to 
Brigadier-Generals  Bonham  and  Ewell,  and  to  Col.  Cocke  and  the 


90  SOUTH   CAROLINA. 

officers  under  them,  for  the  ability  shown  in  conducting  and  executing 
the, retrograde  movements  on  Bull  Run,  directed  in  my  orders  of  the 
8th  of  July  —  movements  on  which  hung  the  fortunes  of  the  army." 

General  Bonham  was  called  from  the  army  to  serve  the  state  as  rep- 
resentative in  the  Confederate  congress,  and  was  in  turn  called  thence 
to  receive  the  highest  office  in  her  gift  —  that  of  governor  of  South 
Carolina.  At  the  expiration  of  his  term  as  governor,  in  1864,  Gen. 
Bonham  returned  to  the  Confederate  army,  in  which  he  was  re-ap- 
pointed brigadier-general,  and  served  to  the  end  of  the  war.  Broken 
in  fortunes  but  not  in  spirit,  he  resumed  the  practice  of  law  after  the 
war,  served  in  the  legislature  in  1865  and  1866,  and  in  1868  was  elected 
a  delegate  to  the  national  democratic  convention.  Later  in  life  he 
rendered  his  state  valuable  service  as  railroad  commissioner,  which  of- 
fice he  held  at  the  time  of  his  death.  His  death  occurred  August  27, 
i8go.  Gov.  Bonham  was  married  on  November  13,  1845,  at  Edge- 
field, S.  C,  to  Ann  Patience  Griffin,  daughter  of  Nathan  L.  Griffin,  a 
distinguished  member  of  the  state  bar,  who  was  prominent  in  politics 
and  served  in  both  branches  of  the  state  legislature.  To  their  union 
fourteen  children  were  born,  of  whom  eight  are  living,  four  sons  and 
four  daughters.  M.  L.  Bonham,  Jr.,  was  born  at  Edgefield  on  Oc- 
tober 16,  1854.  He  was  educated  at  Edgefield,  S.  C,  and  graduated 
from  the  Carolina  Military  Institute  in  February,  1876,  with  the  rank  of 
adjutant  of  the  battalion  of  cadets.  He  next  read  law  with  Col.  Robert 
Aldrich,  of  Barnwell,  S.  C,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  Febru- 
ary, 1877.  He  practiced  law  at  Ninety-six,  S.C.,  and  edited  the  Gnardian 
newspaper.  In  January,  1879,  he  moved  to  Newberry,  where  he  also 
practiced  law  and  edited  the  Ncivbcrry  News.  In  January,  1880,  he 
removed  to  Abbeville  and  practiced  law  until  January,  1S81,  at  which 
time  he  was  appointed  master  for  that  county  by  Gov.  Hagood,  which 
office  he  held  until  February,  1885,  when  he  declined  re-appointment, 
returning  to  the  practice  of  his  profession.  In  August,  1S86,  he  was 
elected  adjutant  and  inspector  general  of  South  Carolina,  to  fill  the 
unexpired  term  of  Gen.  Manigault,  and  was  re-elected  in  November 
of  the  same  year  at  regular  election,  and  again  in  1888,  his  term  ex- 
piring in  1891. 

BRIGADIER-GENERAL    MAXCY    GREGG 

was  born  in  Columbia,  .S.  C.  He  was  the  son  of  Col.  James  Gregg,  a 
Iawyei*of  that  city,  who  for  many  years  practiced  his  profession  with 
distinction  and  success,  and  gained  by  his  sterling  virtues  even  a  higher 
social  than  professional  reputation.  Gen.  Gregg  completed  his  edu- 
cation at  the  South  Carolina  college,  where  he  graduated  with  the 
first  honors  of  his  class.  He  followed  in  the  footsteps  of  his  father, 
and  became  a  lawyer  in  the  ensuing  year.  He  was  taken  into  co- 
partnership by  his  father,  and  continued,  with  a  single  intermission,  to 
practice  that  profession  until  the  breaking  out  of  the  late  war. 

The  intermission  referred  to  occurred  in  the  year  1846,  when  he 
was  appointed  major  in  a  regiment  of  the  second   levy  of  volunteers 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  QI 

sent  to  Mexico.  The  regiment  to  which  he  was  attached  experienced 
a  good  many  delays  in  its  transportation,  and  so  did  not  arrive  in 
time  to  take  part  in  any  of  the  great  battles  of  that  war.  Indeed,  the 
better  opinion  is  that  it  was  never  regularly  engaged.  Major  Gregg, 
however,  earned  distinction  by  the  excellent  capacity  he  exhibited  in 
drill,  discipline  and  the  general  conduct  of  affairs.  Returning  at  the 
close  of  the  war,  he  resumed  the  practice  of  law,  which  he  pursued, 
with  marked  success,  until  the  winter  of  i860. 

At  that  time  he  was  elected  a  delegate  from  Richland  district  to 
the  state  convention  which  executed  the  ordinance  of  secession  from 
the  United  States.  The  convention  soon  authorized  the  raising  of  a 
volunteer  regiment  of  infantry,  to  be  enlisted  for  the  period  of  six 
months.     Col.  Gregg  was  appointed  to  its  command. 

This  regiment,  known  as  the  First  regiment  South  Carolina  vol- 
unteers, was  distributed  on  Sullivan's  and  Morris's  Island,  near  Charles- 
ton, until  a  few  weeks  after  the  bombardment  and  reduction  of  Fort 
Sumter  by  the  Confederate  forces;  then  it  was  ordered  to  Virginia, 
whence,  after  a  stay  of  some  two  months  about  Fairfax  Court  House 
and  Centreville,  it  returned  to  South  Carolina  and  disbanded,  its 
term  of  service  having  expired. 

Col.  Gregg  at  once  organized  a  new  regiment,  partly  from  com- 
panies of  the  old  regiment,  partly  from  new  volunteer  companies. 
With  this  regiment  he  returned  to  Richmond,  whence  he  was  ordered 
to  Suffolk,  Va.  In  December,  1861,  he  was  appointed  brigadier-gen- 
eral in  the  provisional  army  of  the  Confederate  states,  and  ordered 
to  .South  Carolina,  where  he  took  command  of  the  Twelfth,  Thir- 
teenth and  Fourteenth  regiments.  South  Carolina  volunteers.  With 
this  brigade  he  was  ordered  to  Virginia  in  the  spring  of  1862.  In  June 
he  was  added  to  the  army  of  northern  Virginia,  with  which  he  con- 
tinued until  his  death  on  December  14,  1862. 

Gen.  Gregg's  military  history  has  been  given  in  "  Gregg's  South 
Carolina  Brigade,"  for  it  is,  in  the  main,  identical  with  the  history  of 
the  brigade.  His  character  becomes  the  object  of  greatest  interest  in 
this  place. 

VVe  may  form  a  very  accurate  opinion  of  him  as  an  officer,  from  the 
descriptions  of  the  battles  of  1862.  The  charges  at  Cold  Harbor, 
Frazier's  Farm  and  Sharpsburg,  the  steady  advance  at  Shepherdstown, 
the  unyielding  pertinacity  at  Manassas,  the  stoical  fortitude  at  Fred- 
ericksburg, give  a  fine  idea  of  him  in  battle.  He  combined  all  the 
admirable  qualities  of  boldness  and  prudence,  activity  and  self-pos- 
session, dashing  gallantry  and  imperturbable  obstinacy.  He  never  ap- 
prehended failure,  he  never  dreamed  of  fear.  It  was  enough  for  him 
to  know  that  a  point  ought  to  be  carried.  He  at  once  set  about  it, 
and  infusing  his  own  ardor  and  earnestness  into  his  command,  swept 
away  all  opposing  obstacles.  He  was,  of  all  men  the  most  worthy  of 
Napoleon's  encomium  of  Ney,  "  the  bravest  of  the  brave."  He  pre- 
sented at  Cold  Harbor  the  sublimest  spectacle  ever  seen.  He  had  di- 
rected the  withdrawal  of  a  portion  of  the  brigade  from  the  murderous 


92  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

concentric  fire  of  the  enemy,  but  seemed  to  think  that  they  retired 
too  rapidly  or  in  too  great  disorder.  In  the  midst  of  the  most  fatal 
fusilade  ever  witnessed,  he  rode  up  to  the  line  and  drew  his  sword, 
calling  to  them  in  a  voice  that  rose  above  the  whole  din  of  battle,  to 
make  a  stand.  His  horse  reared  in  an  ecstasy  of  excitement  and 
terror,  and  then  was  presented  the  noblest  equestrian  statute  of  the 
world.  The  horse  poised  himself  upon  his  hind  feet,  beating  the  air 
with  his  forelegs,  his  nostrils  distended  and  his  eyes  rolling  fire.  The 
rider  sat  motionless  as  marble,  and  raised  to  his  full  height,  his  left 
hand  grasping  the  reins  like  a  vice,  his  right  extended  to  arm's-length, 
pointing  forward  with  a  sword  that  dazzled  with  its  brilliancy,  and  his 
whole  countenance  lighted  with  a  zeal  and  energy,  a  power  that  com- 
manded and  inspired  all  men's  hearts. 

Yet  this  was,  by  no  means,  his  highest  quality  as  a  soldier.  He  was 
unsurpassed  in  drill  and  as  a  disciplinarian.  A  regiment  or  a  brigade 
in  his  hands  was  a  machine,  where  all  parts  worked  together  in  thor- 
ough efficiency  and  smoothest  harmony.  He  set  an  example  of  in- 
dustry, promptness  and  self-control,  and  created  and  maintained  sim- 
ilar qualities  in  his  subordinates. 

Nor  were  his  military  traits,  great  as  they  were,  superior  or  even 
equal  to  his  social  ones.  The  most  obvious  of  these  was  his  justice. 
There  was  never  any  one  known,  however  a  stranger  to  Gen.  Gregg, 
however  unsympathetic  with  him,  who  was  not  impressed  in  his  every 
action,  with  his  plain,  careful,  unswerving,  unselfish  equit}'.  If  he  was 
Ney  on  the  battlefield,  he  was  Rhadamanthus  in  judgment. 

His  intellect  was  first-rate.  He  handled  nothing  that  he  did  not 
master.  In  addition  to  the  profession  of  the  law,  he  was  intimate 
with  the  classics,  especially  Greek  literature  and  philosophy,  with  the 
general  branches  which  constitute  an  elegant  education,  and  even 
pushed  his  inquiries  into  the  less  inviting  sciences  of  botany  and  or- 
nithology. He  had  an  observatory  constructed  on  his  house  at  Col- 
umbia, for  astronomical  purposes. 

So  far  the  world  knows  him.  The  features  of  the  head,  and  the 
common  qualities  of  the  heart,  employed  in  the  daily  affairs  of  life, 
were  patent  to  all.  Around  the  inner  circle  of  sentiment,  natural 
modesty  or  prudent  reserve  had  drawn  a  line  impassable  to  most  men. 
Hence  many,  who  knew  him  long  and  admired  him  highly,  were  ac- 
customed to  regard  him  as  rather  deficient  in  gentle  and  delicate 
emotions.  There  is  reason  to  assert  that  no  man  was  more  generous, 
more  confiding  (when  anyone  at  all  deserved  it),  more  tender,  even, 
than  Gen.  Gregg.  He  was,  through  life,  a  most  dutiful  and  attentive 
son,  a  most  affectionate  brother;  and  in  the  army  he  had  many  of  the 
warmest  attachments.  After  the  battle  of  Cold  Harbor  he  was  seen 
weeping  bitterly  over  the  graves  of  members  of  his  old  regiment. 

Of  his  religious  sentiments  little  is  known.  But  there  is  every  rea- 
son to  believe  that  he  died  a  serene  and  happy  Christian.  His  last 
message  to  his  sisters  was,  that  they  must  not  grieve  for  him,  but  pre- 
pare to  meet  him  in  heaven! 


^XL 


^T^iy?^ 


'jf^76^^^^itZ/L 


SOUTH   CAROLINA.  93 

ALEXANDER    C.    HASKELL. 

Among  the  names  conspicuous  in  the  annals  of  South  CaroHna, 
there  are  but  few  connected  with  more  honorable  fame  than  that  of 
Haskell.  During  the  days  of  the  Revolution,  this  name  became 
known  in  the  Palmetto  state.  Elnathan  Haskell  took  a  leading  part 
in  the  war  for  independence,  and  attained  the  rank  of  major.  At  the 
close  of  the  war  he  settled  in  St.  Matthew's  Parish,  near  Ft.  Mott,  in 
South  Carolina.  He  married  Charlotte  Thomson,  a  daughter  of 
Col.  William  Thomson,  who  commanded  the  Rifle  rangers,  organized 
in  this  state  in  1775.  Maj.  Haskell's  death  occurred  December  21, 
1825,  at  Zante,  his  home  place  in  Orangeburg  county.  Among  his 
children  was  Charles  Thomson  Haskell,  born  in  1802.  The  latter 
was  a  planter,  and  was  celebrated  in  many  portions  of  the  state  for 
the  hospitality,  which  formerly  pertained  so  extensively  to  that  class 
of  southern  citizens.  His  marriage,  which  occurred  December  i, 
1830,  to  Sophia  L.  Cheves,  a  daughter  of  Hon.  Langdon  Cheves,  re- 
sulted in  the  birth  of  ten  children,  six  of  whom  are  now  living.  One 
of  these,  Alexander  C.  Haskell,  is  the  special  subject  of  this  mention. 
But  few  men  have  acquired  as  high  a  reputation  in  which  ability,  in- 
dustry and  integrity  are  required,  and  in  as  many  callings,  as  Judge 
Haskell.  He  was  born  in  what  is  now  Abbeville  county,  S.  C, 
September  22,  1839,  the  fifth  child  of  his  parents.  In  early 
years  he  was  educated  at  home  under  private  instructors,  and  at 
about  the  age  of  fifteen  attended  school  for  a  time  at  Charleston.  In 
1856  he  entered  South  Carolina  college  at  Columbia,  from  which  in- 
stitution he  was  graduated  in  1S60,  with  the  second  honors  of  his 
class.  Among  his  classmates  was  T.  M.  Logan,  a  brigadier-general 
in  the  Confederate  army,  now  living  in  New  York.  In  January,  1861, 
Mr.  Haskell  enlisted  as  a  private  in  Company  D,  First  regiment,  of 
the  South  Carolina  volunteer  infantry,  under  the  command  of  Col. 
Maxcy  Gregg.  The  original  term  of  enlistment  for  the  regiment 
was  six  months,  at  the  expiration  of  which  time  the  regiment  was  re- 
organized and  Mr.  Haskell  was  appointed  as  adjutant  of  the  regiment, 
which  rank  he  held  until  November,  1861.  At  that  time  Col.  Gregg 
was  made  brigadier-general,  and  Adjt.  Haskell  was  appointed  his 
chief  of  staff,  a  position  he  held  until  Gen.  Gregg  was  killed  at 
Fredericksburg  in  1862.  He  continued  in  the  same  position  under 
Gen.  Gregg's  successor.  Gen.  Samuel  McGowan,  and  also  under  Gen. 
Abner  Perrin.  In  March,  1864,  Mr.  Haskell  was  given  command  of 
the  Seventh  regiment,  South  Carolina  cavalry,  with  the  rank  of 
colonel,  and  he  continued  in  this  capacity  until  the  surrender  at  Ap- 
pomatox.  Col.  Haskell  was  detailed  by  Gen.  Lee  to  surrender  the 
Confederate  cavalry  to  Gen.  Merritt  of  the  Federal  army.  During 
his  term  of  service.  Col.  Haskell  was  engaged  in  the  battles  of  Antie- 
tam,  Fredericksburg,  Chancellorsville,  Cold  Harbor  and  many  other 
important  engagements  incident  to  the  campaign  in  which  his  com- 
mand  took    part.     At   the    battle   of    Cold    Harbor   he    was   badly 


94 


SOUTH    CAROLINA. 


wounded,    in    May,   1S64,   and    still   carries    the   ball.     He    was   also 
wounded  and  left  on  the  field  for  dead  at  Darbytown,  near  Richmond, 
October  7,  1864.    At  Chancellorsville,  in  May,  1863,  and  at  Fredericks- 
burg, on  December  12,  1862,  he  received  wounds.     Returning  from 
the  army  at  the  close  of  the   war.  Col.  Haskell  commenced  teaching 
school  at  Abbeville,  S.  C.     At  the  same  time   he  was  engaged   in  the 
study  of  law,  which  profession  he  had  decided  to  follow.     In  Decem- 
ber,  1865,  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar,  and  in  the   same  year   was 
elected  to  the  legislature  from  his  native  county,  where  he  served  a 
period  of  two  years.     He  continued  teaching  school  and  practicing 
law  until    1867,  when   he  was   elected  judge  of  the   district  court  at 
Abbeville.     But  he  resigned  this  position  in   September  of  the    same 
year  to  accept  a  professorship  of  law  in  the  South  Carolina  univer- 
sity to  which  he   had    been  elected  the  preceding  July.     The    duties 
which  devolved  upon  him   in  this  new  capacity  were  met  with  much 
abilit}'  and  he  continued  to  discharge  them  until  July,  1868.     At  that 
time  the  state  convention  requested  him  to  be  an  elector  in  the  presi- 
dential contest  between  Grant  and  Seymour,  the  acceptance  of  which 
seemed   to  call  for  his  resignation  of  the  law  professorship.     He  at 
once  began  an  active  and  stirring  canvass  of  the  state  for  the  demo- 
cratic ticket,  which  resulted  in  much  good  for  his  party.    At  the  close 
of  the  campaign.  Col.  Haskell  opened  a  law  office  in  Columbia,  and 
the  following  year  formed  a  partnership  with  Joseph  D.  Pope,  which 
lasted  until  the  last  month  of  1S77,  at  which  time  he  was  chosen  asso- 
ciate justice  of  the  supreme   bench  of  South  Carolina,  a  position  he 
held  for  two  years.     His  career  upon  the  bench  was  marked  by  emi- 
nent fairness  and  profound  knowledge  of  the  law,  and  won  for  him 
much  distinction  as  a  jurist.     He   was  elected   for  the  term   of  four 
years,  but  resigned  to  accept  the  presidency  of  the  Charlotte,  Colum- 
bia &  Augusta  R.  R.,  an  office  he  continued  to  hold  until  December, 
1889.     In  addition  to  this  he  was  in  1883,  selected  for  president  of  the 
Columbia  &  Greenville  R.  R.,  the  duties  of  which  place  he  discharged 
for  a  period  of  six  years.     Judge   Haskell's  qualifications   as  a  busi- 
ness man  and  financier  were   duly  recognized,  when  at  the  organiza- 
tion of  the  Loan  &  Exchange  bank,  of  South  Carolina,  in  1886,  he 
was  chosen  president,  which  position  he  has  satisfactorily  filled  to  the 
present  time.    From  1887  to  1889,  Judge  Haskell  was  one  of  the  gov- 
ernmerit  directors  of  the  Union  Pacific  R.  R.,  and  was  chairman  of  the 
committee   which  reported   to  the   government   the  best  method  of 
dealing  with  that  road.     This  report  was  afterward  re-iterated  by  a 
special  commission  appointed  to  investigate  the  relations  of  this  road 
with  the  government.     During   the    memorable    campaign    of   1876, 
judge  Haskell  acted  as  chairman  of  the    democratic   state  executive 
committee,  and  his  management   of  the  affairs   at  that  time  were 
universally   commended   as   wise  and  efficient.     At  its  close  he  was 
chosen  to  represent  the  state   at  Washington   to  secure  the  recogni- 
tion of  Gen.  Hampton  as  governor  of  .South  Carolina.     The  success 
which  attended  the    efforts  and  the  government  established    by  the 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  95 

vote  of  the  people  of  the  state,  arc  well  known  and  were  largely 
brought  about  by  the  skillful  manner  in  which  Judge  Haskell  pre- 
sented the  cause  of   his  state. 

The  married  life  of  Judge  Haskell  began  in  1861,  when  Rebecca  C, 
daughter  of  John  Singleton,  of  Richland  county,  became  his  wife. 
She  bore  him  one  daughter  and  died  in  1S62,  much  lamented.  His 
second  marriage  occurred  in  November,  1870,  Alice  V.  Alexander 
being  his  bride.  She  is  a  daughter  of  A.  L.  Ale.xander,  of  Washing- 
ton, Ga.,  and  sister  of  Gen.  E.  P.  Ale.xander,  of  Savannah.  By  this 
wife  Judge  Haskell  is  the  father  of  ten  children. 

JOHN    C.    HASKELL. 

John  C.  Haskell  was  born  in  Abbeville,  .S.  C,  October  4,  1S42,  and 
was  educated  at  home  until  1859,  when  he  entered  South  Carolina 
college  at  Columbia.  There  he  remained  until  1861,  when  he  enlisted 
in  April  in  the  Confederate  army  and  was  appointed  junior  second 
lieutenant  in  Company  A,  regular  artillery.  The  company  was  first 
stationed  at  Fort  Moultrie,  but  it  was  afterward  changed  to  a  light 
artillery,  and  after  the  fall  of  Port  Sumter  was  sent  to  Virginia.  Mr. 
Haskell  remained  with  the  company  until  December,  1861,  when  he 
resigned  his  position  and  was  appointed  an  aide  on  Gen.  Joseph  E. 
Johntson's  staff,  which  position  he  held  for  only  a  short  time.  He 
was  then  transferred  to  Gen.  W.  G.  Smith's  staff,  who  then  held  com- 
mand of  the  Valley  army,  and  served  with  him  until  the  battle  of 
Seven  Pines,  rising  to  the  rank  of  major.  He  was  then  with  Gen. 
Longstreet  at  Gaines  Mill,  where  he  lost  his  right  arm.  After  his 
recovery  from  this  wound  he  returned  to  the  army  and  remained  at 
Gen.  R.  E.  Lee's  headquarters  until  the  battle  of  Fredericksburg  in 
December,  1862.  In  this  battle  Major  Haskell's  horse  was  killed 
under  him,  and  in  falling  he  was  so  injured  that  he  was  compelled  to 
return  to  Richmond.  Some  time  in  February,  1863,  he  was  given  the 
command  of  the  North  Carolina  artillery,  and  served  under  Gen.  D.  H. 
Hill  during  the  winter  campaign  in  that  state.  After  this  campaign 
was  over  he  joined  Gen.  Longstreet's  corps,  and  was  assigned  to  the 
command  of  a  battalion,  thus  serving  until  the  close  of  the  war,  in 
the  meantime  being  promoted  to  the  rank  of  colonel.  On  the  night 
of  October  20,  1864,  when  Gen.  Lee  attempted  to  turn  Grant's  right. 
Col.  Haskell  was  severely  wounded  in  the  head,  laying  him  up  a 
month  or  so.  At  the  surrender  of  Appomatox,  Col  Haskell  surren- 
dered the  artillery  of  thearmy  as  amember  of  the  commission  of  which 
Gen.  Lee  was  the  head.  Returning  from  the  army  he  married  Miss 
Sarah  Hampton,  a  daughter  of  Gen.  Wade  Hampton,  and  went  at 
once  to  Mississippi,  where  he  engaged  in  the  occupation  of  a  planter 
for  seven  years.  In  1877  he  took  up  his  residence  in  Columbia,  S.C., 
and  was  immediately  elected  to  the  state  legislature.  He  has  been 
several  times  re-elected,  the  last  time  in  1890.  He  was  admitted  to 
the  bar  in  1879,  and  has  ever  since  practiced  his  profession.  From 
1883  up  to  1890,  he  acted  as  counsel  for  several  railroad  companies, 


g6  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

but  resigned  that  line  of  practice  in  1890.  In  all  his  relations  in  life, 
Col.  Haskell  has  evinced  noble  characteristics.  In  the  war  he  was  in 
all  the  principal  battles  except  those  which  occurred  while  he  was 
disabled  by  wounds,  and  though  early  deprived  of  his  right  arm,  he 
bore  himself  bravely.  As  a  legislator  and  a  counselor  he  has  exhib- 
ited rare  ability,  and  an  integrity  of  character  unimpeachable.  He 
has  a  family  of  four  children  —  three  sons  and  one  daughter. 

WILLIAM   H.   LYLES. 

William  H.  Lyles  was  born  in  Fairfield  county,  S.  C,  July  i,  1853, 
and  received  his  early  education  in  the  schools  of  that  county.  He 
then  continued  his  studies  at  Greenville,  S.  C,  and  at  Mount  Zion 
institute,  at  Winnsboro,  S.  C,  and  on  leaving  this  institution  in  1871, 
he  began  farming  in  Fairfield  county,  which  occupation  he  continued 
until  his  twenty-first  year.  While  on  the  farm  his  whole  attention 
was  not  given  to  tilling  the  soil.  His  brain  and  mind  were  active  in 
other  lines,  and  during  this  time  he  accomplished  the  study  of  law 
so  successful!}^  under  Col.  James  H.  Rion,  at  Winnsboro,  that  he 
was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  November,  1874,  and  entered  into  the  ac- 
tive duties  of  his  profession  in  Columbia,  S.  C,  in  January,  1875.  I" 
1884  he  formed  a  partnership  with  Edgar  C.  Haynsworth,  which 
partnership  still  continues.  Mr.  Lyles,  while  not  an  aggressive  parti- 
san, has  always  taken  an  active  interest  in  state  and  national  politics. 
In  1885  he  was  elected  to  the  legislature  from  Richland  county  to  fill 
an  unexpired  term  and  served  one  year.  In  the  campaign  of  1890 
he  was  the  chairman  of  the  democratic  state  committee  of  the  "  true 
democracy,"  and  served  with  distinction  and  credit  to  himself  and 
his  party.  He  has  been  several  times  a  delegate  to  state  conven- 
tions. In  1877  the  subject  of  this  sketch  was  married  to  Miss 
Miriam  M.  Sloan,  the  daughter  of  Jo-Berry  Sloan,  of  Anderson, 
S.  C,  and  to  whom  were  born  six  children  as  follows:  Mary,  Sarah, 
Jo-Berry,  William  H.,  Jr.,  Preston  Earle  and  Miriam.  Mr.  Lyles' 
father,  William  S.  Lyles,  was  born  in  F"airfield  county,  S.  C,  in  1820. 
He  was  a  successful  planter  and  was  several  times  elected  to  the 
state  legislature.  He  was  also  a  member  of  that  famous  convention 
which  met  in  Columbia,  S.  C,  in  i860,  and  took  the  state  out  of  the 
Union.  He  was  married  twice,  the  first  time  to  Mary  Woodward,  of 
Winnsboro,  .S.  C,  by  whom  he  had  two  children,  Mary  (deceased), 
wife  of  Spartan  D.  Goodlett,  of  Greenville,  S.  C,  and  Sallie,  wife  of 
John  C.  Feaster,  of  Fairfield  county,  S.  C.  After  the  death  of  his 
first  wife  he  was  married  to  Sarah  Haynsworth,  daughter  of  William 
Haynsworth,  of  Sumter,  S.  C,  and  to  them  were  born  five  children, 
as  follows:  Susan  (deceased),  wife  of  G.  B.  Pearson,  of  Fairfield, 
S.  C;  an  infant  daughter,  deceased;  Fanny,  deceased;  William  H., 
and  Florence,  wife  of  M.  L.  Kinard,  of  Columbia,  S.  C.  Mr.  Lyles, 
Sr.,  died  in  1863.  His  father,  Thomas  Lyles  (the  grandfather  of  the 
subject  of  this  sketch),  was  born  in  Fairfield,  S.  C,  one  of  seven 
brothers,  sons  of  Col.  Aramus  Lyles,  a  colonel  in  the  Revolutionary 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  97 

war,  and  son  of  Col.  Aranuis  Lylcs,  who  came  over  from  Roanoke 
valley, .Va.,  to  South  Carolina,  in  the  eighteenth  century  and  settled 
on  Broad  river  in  Fairheld  county,  on  lands  that  are  still  in  the  pos- 
session of  the  family. 

COLONEL    WILLIAM    WALLACE. 

Colonel  William  Wallace  was  born  in  Columbia,  S.  C,  November  i6, 
1824,  receiving  his  education  in  the  Columbia  Male  academy  and  in 
South  Carolina  university.  From  the  latter  institution  he  graduated 
in  1844.  Among  his  class-mates  were  James  Carlisle,  now  president 
of  Wofford  college,  at  Spartanburg;  Patrick  H.  Nelson,  who  took 
first  honors  and  who  raised  a  battalion  and  went  into  the  Confederate 
service  in  which  he  lost  his  life;  Dr.  A.  J.  Witherspoon,  chaplain  of 
the  Seaman's  Bethel,  in  New  Orleans;  Edward  Noble,  son  of  ex-Gov. 
Noble,  who  located  in  Abbeville,  where  he  became  a  distinguished 
lawyer.  After  his  graduation  Col.  Wallace  studied  law  under  Chan- 
cellor James  J.  Caldwell,  in  Columbia,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar 
in  1S46.  He  opened  a  law  office  in  Columbia  with  Augustus  Porcher, 
a  class-mate,  as  a  partner,  and  this  firm  continued  about  two  years, 
when  Mr.  Porcher  was  elected  commissioner  in  equity  and  Col.  Wal- 
lace then  formed  a  partnership  with  James  P.  Adams,  the  firm  con- 
tinuing five  or  six  years.  Then  this  partnership  was  dissolved  and 
Col.  VVallace  took  Mr.  John  S.  Green  as  a  law  partner,  this  firm  con- 
tinuing only  a  few  years,  Mr.  Green  being  elected  a  judge.  Since 
then  Col.  Wallace  has  had  no  partner  and  has  only  practiced  his 
profession  as  a  means  of  occupying  his  time,  his  principal  business 
being  the  settling  up  of  estates.  Ever  since  184S  he  has  carried  on 
the  occupation  of  a  planter  in  connection  with  his  law  practice, 
though  not  residing  on  his  plantation.  In  April,  1861,  he  enlisted  in 
the  Confederate  service,  raising  a  company  of  volunteers  and  holding 
at  that  time  the  rank  of  general  of  the  state  militia.  At  the  call  for 
troops  he  ordered  out  the  Twenty-third  regiment  of  state  militia 
and  was  the  first  man  of  that  regiment  who  volunteered.  He  was 
elected  captain  of  the  Columbia  Grays,  which  afterward  became 
Company  C  of  the  Second  South  Carolina  regiment  of  volunteers. 
Col.  Kershaw  commanding.  In  1863  Mr.  Wallace  was  promoted  to 
the  rank  of  major,  and  after  the  battle  of  Chancellorsville  to  that  of 
lieutenant-colonel,  and  to  that  of  colonel  after  the  battle  of  Benton- 
ville.  He  was  in  the  following  battles:  Bull  Run,  First  Manassas, 
Williamsburg,  Antietam,  Fredericksburg,  Chancellorsville  and  in  all 
the  battles  of  Virginia,  at  Knoxville,  Gettysburg,  Chattanooga,  the 
Wilderness,  North  Anna  and  Second  Cold  Harbor  in  which  he  was 
called  upon  by  Gen.  Kershaw  to  stop  a  gap  which  had  been  made  on 
his  right  flank  by  the  Federals.  Col.  Wallace  took  his  regiment 
which  had  been  reduced  from  1,000  to  126 -and  charged  on  2,000 
Federals,  who  had  driven  out  two  Georgia  brigades  from  their  en- 
trenchments, drawing  out  the  Federals  and  capturing  the  colors  of 
the  Forty-ninth  New  York,  which  with  the  One  Hundred  and  Twelfth 

A— 7 


q8  south    CAROLINA. 

regiment  had  captured  the  entrenchments.  Col.  Wallace  was 
wounded  at  the  battle  of  Gettysburg,  a  flesh  wound  in  the  arm,  and 
at  Charleston,  W.  V^a.,  in  the  foot.  Returning  home  from  the  army 
he  went  to  Newberry  county,  S.  C,  and  engaged  in  planting,  which 
pursuit  he  has  ever  since  followed.  He  was  elected  to  the  legisla- 
ture from  Richland  county,  S.  C,  three  terms  before  the  war,  and  in 
the  convention  of  the  people  of  South  Carolina,  held  in  Columbia, 
September,  1S65,  Mr.  William  Wallace,  of  Richland  county,  intro- 
duced the  following  resolution,  which  was  adopted:  "Whereas,  by  the 
fortunes  of  war  our  noble  and  beloved  chief  magistrate,  Jefferson 
Davis,  is  now  languishing  in  prison  awaiting  his  trial  for  treason;  and 
whereas,  the  fanatics  of  the  north,  not  satisfied  with  the  widespread 
ruin  and  desolation  which  they  have  caused,  are  shrieking  for  his 
blood;  resolved,  that  it  is  the  paramount  duty  of  South  Carolina, 
who  led  the  way  in  our  late  struggle  for  independence,  and  for  which 
struggle  he  is  now  suffering,  to  use  every  lawful  means  in  her  power 
to  avert  the  doom  which  threatens  him.  Resolved,  that  to  this  end, 
a  deputation  of  members  of  this  body,  be  sent  to  the  cit}'  of  Wash- 
ington, on  behalf  of  the  people  of  South  Carolina,  to  ask  his 
excellency,  the  president  of  the  United  States,  to  extend  to  the  Hon- 
orable Jefferson  Davis,  that  clemency  which  he  has  shown  to  us,  who 
are  equally  the  sharers  of  his  guilt,  if  guilt  there  be,  and  which  is 
accomplishing  so  much  toward  restoring  the  peace  and  harmony  of 
the  Union."  He  was  elected  to  the  next  legislature  succeeding  this 
convention.  In  1881  he  was  elected  to  the  state  senate  for  four  j-ears, 
which  finished  up  his  official  career.  Col.  Wallace  supported  B.  R. 
Tilman  for  governor  in  the  election  of  1890.  In  1S48  he  was  married 
to  Victoria  C.  McLemon,  daughter  of  Dr.  John  McLemon,  of 
Florida,  and  they  had  eight  children,  of  whom  these  survive.  Their 
Christian  names  are:  Andrew,  Bruce,  William,  Edward,  Barton  and 
Margaret  I.,  widow  of  Rev.  W.  A.  Caldwell.  Mrs.  W^allace  died  in 
September,  1873,  and  in  December,  1S76,  Col.  Wallace  married  for 
his  second  wife  Mrs.  Fannie  C.  Mobley,  nee  Means,  widow  of  Dr. 
John  G.  Mobley.  The  name  of  his  father  was  Andrew  Wallace, 
born  in  Kirkcudbrightshire,  Scotland,  in  17S3.  He  came  to  Colum- 
bia in  1802  and  followed  planting  and  merchandising  during  the  re- 
mainder of  his  life.  He  died  in  December,  1862,  leaving  an  estate 
valued  at  $500,000.  He  was  married  in  1808  to  Sallie  Clefton  Pat- 
rick, of  Southampton,  Va.,  and  they  had  eleven  children,  of  whom 
five  are  still  living.  Their  names  are  Dr.  John  Wallace,  of  Wallace- 
ville,  S.  C;  Mrs.  Ellen  Pearson,  widow  of  John  H.  Pearson,  of 
Columbia;  Mrs.  Emma  Murdock,  widow  of  Dr.  John  .S.  Murdock,  of 
Jacksonville,  Fla.;  Miss  Eliza  Wallace  and  Col.  William  Wallace. 
Th(-  mother  of  this  family  died  in  C()luml)ia  in  1883. 

COLONEL    SAMUEL    WICLIFF   MELTON 

was  born  in  Yorkville,  S.  C,  February  7,  1830.  Receiving  his  early 
education  in  Yorkville,  he  graduated   from   the   South    Carolina  col- 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  99 

lege. in  the  class  of  1852.  He  edited  the  Chester  Standard,  published 
in  Chester,  in  1853  and  1854.  Then  he  returned  to  Yorkville  and  es- 
tablished the  Yorkvillc  Enquirer  on.  January  i,  1855,  running  it  till 
1858,  when  he  sold  out  to  Lewis  M.  Grist,  who  now  conducts  it.  In 
the  meantime,  in  1857,  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar  and  commenced 
the  practice  of  law  with  his  l^rother,  C.  D.  Melton,  at  Chester,  con- 
tinuing until  the  war  broke  out.  He  then  enlisted  in  the  Confederate 
army  in  April,  1861,  on  the  staff  of  Major  M.  L.  Bonham,  as  aide-de- 
camp,  accompanying  him  to  Virginia,  and  remaining  with  him  till 
after  the  first  battle  of  Bull  Run.  After  this  he  went  on  the  staff  of 
Major-Gen.  Gustavus  W.  Smith,  commanding  the  Second  corps,  he 
having  the  rank  of  major.  He  remained  with  Gen.  Smith  until  F"eb- 
ruary,  1863,  and  was  then  assigned  to  duty  in  the  office  of  the  adju- 
tant and  inspector-general  of  the  Confederate  army,  at  Richmond, 
Va.,  where  he  remained  until  the  close  of  the  war.  He  was  in  the 
first  battle  of  Bull  Run,  in  the  Peninsular  campaign,  in  the  battles 
around  Richmond,  at  -Seven  Pines,  the  campaign  in  1863,  in  North 
Carolina,  and  temporarily  on  the  staff  of  Gen.  Beauregard  at  the  bat- 
tle of  Drury's  Bluff.  The  chief  duties,  however,  from  early  in  1863, 
till  the  close  of  the  war,  were  in  the  adjutant-general's  office,  in 
Richmond.  When  the  war  was  over,  he,  v.'ith  his  brother,  in  Janu- 
ary, 1866,  resumed  the  practice  of  law,  which  continued  till  his  elec- 
tion to  the  office  of  circuit  judge  of  the  Fifth  judicial  circuit,  in 
February,  1870.  At  the  following  annual  election  in  1872,  he  was 
elected  attorney-general  of  the  state,  holding  the  position  for  four 
years,  when  he  resigned.  He  returned  to  the  practice  of  his  profession, 
forming  a  partnership  with  Gen.  Daniel  N.  Chamberlain  and  John 
Wingate,  which  partnership  continued  until  Gen.  Chamberlain's 
election  as  governor,  in  1874,  though  the  firm  name  remained  the 
same.  In  May,  1876,  he  resigned  his  position  as  attorney-general, 
and  forming  a  partnership  with  John  Wingate  resumed  the  practice 
of  law  in  Columbia,  which  continued  till  1879,  when  a  partnership 
with  W.  A.  Clark  was  formed  and  they  practiced  law  together  until 
1884.  In  May,  1881,  he  was  appointed  United  States  district  attor- 
ney of  South  Carolina,  by  President  Garfield,  and  held  the  office  un- 
til the  expiration  of  the  term  in  May,  18S5,  since  which  time  he  has 
been  practicing  law  with  his  son,  Lawson  D.  Melton.  Mr.  Melton 
was  married  in  May,  1857,  to  Miss  Mary  H.,  daughter  of  Joshua  D. 
Goove,  of  Yorkville,  and  by  her  has  had  seven  children,  all  of  whom 
are  now  living,  as  follows:  Lawson  D.,  Mary  H.  G.,  wife  of  Prof.  W.  B. 
Burney;  Anna  F.,  wife  of  J.  C.  Haile  of  Columbus,  Ga.;  Samuel  W., 
Kate  D.,  George  W.,  and  Cyrus  D.  Melton.  His  father's  name  was 
Samuel  Melton,  a  native  of  Pennsylvania  county,  Va.,  born  in  1789, 
and  came  to  South  Carolina  in  181 2.  He  was  married  near  York- 
ville, in  1814,  to  Sarah  T.  Davis,  by  whom  he  had  ten  children,  of 
whom  three  survive  as  follows:  Samuel  W.,  Mary  E.,  wife  of  Capt. 
F.  M.  Galbraith,  of  Chester,  and  Ada,  widow  of  N.  Alpheus  Milton, 
late  of  Houston,  Tex.  Mr.  Melton's  father  died  in  i860,  and  his 
mother  in  1854.     Samuel  W.  Melton  is  a  conservative  republican  in 


lOO  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

politics.  Judge  Melton,  while  attorney-general  of  the  state,  is 
credited  with  a  most  efficient  administration  of  that  important 
trust.  When  he  assumed  the  duties  of  the  office,  the  debi  of  the 
state  was  about  $21,000,000,  made  up  in  a  large  measure  of  fraudulent 
obligations  issued  during  the  administration  of  Gov.  Scott.  When 
he  left  the  office  of  attorney-general,  the  debt  had  been  reduced  to 
less  than  seven  millions  of  dollars.  This  achievement  was  due  in  a 
great  measure  to  the  untiring  efforts  of  this  officer  in  spite  of  the  pro- 
test of  a  great  majority  of  his  party.  He  is  an  ardent  advocate  of  the 
purity  of  the  ballot-box,  but  has  never  been  classed  among  the  office 
seekers.  He  is  one  of  those  conscientious  men  who  have  the  courage 
of  their  convictions,  holding  tenaciously  to  a  purpose,  and  he  has 
gained  and  is  gaining  ground  in  the  direction  of  bringing  about  fair 
election  and  honest  count. 

ROBERT  W.  SHAND. 

Robert  VV.  Shand  was  born  in  Columbia,  .S.  C,  F"ebruary  27,  1840. 
He  received  his  education  in  Columbia,  graduating  from  the  South 
Carolina  college  in  1859.  After  graduating,  he  studied  law  in  the 
office  of  Gen.  Maxcy  Gregg  of  Columbia,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar 
in  May,  1861.  He  enlisted  in  June,  1861,  in  Company  C,  Second  regi- 
ment. South  Carolina  volunteers,  Col.  Joseph  B.  Kershaw,  who  is 
now  circuit  judge,  commanding.  Mr.  Shand  went  into  the  army  as  a 
private  and  was  soon  appointed  sergeant.  He  continued  in  the  army 
till  February,  1863,  when  he  was  discharged  on  account  of  ill  health. 
He  was  in  the  first  battle  of  Bull  Run,  Savage  Station,  Maryland 
Heights,  Antietam,  Fredericksburg  and  numerous  other  minor  en- 
gagements. After  the  war  he  taught  school  in  Greenville  county,  S.  C, 
for  about  a  year  and  then  came  to  Columbia  in  January,  1866,  and 
commenced  the  practice  of  law.  In  August,  of  the  same  year,  he 
moved  to  Union,  S.  C  where  he  practiced  law  seventeen  years.  In 
December,  1877,  he  was  elected  to  the  legislature  from  Union  county 
to  till  the  vacancy  caused  b}'  the  election  of  William  H.  Wallace  to  the 
circuit  judgeship.  In  1878,  Mr.  Shand  was  re-elected  to  the  legislature 
and  in  September,  1879,  resigned,  having  been  appointed  to  the  office 
of  reporter  of  the  supreme  court,  which  position  he  has  ever  since 
held.  He  was  married  in  the  spring  of  1863  to  Louisa  C.  Edwards, 
daughter  of  Dr.  Philip  Gadsden  Edwards,  of  Charleston,  S.  C,  and  to 
them  were  born  nine  children,  of  whom  six  survive,  as  follows:  Gads- 
den E.,  Louisa,  Robert  C,  .Stead  I.,  Mary  W.,  and  William  M.  His 
father  was  Rev.  Peter  J.  Shand,  D.  D.,  an  P^jiscopal  clergyman,  born 
in  Charleston  in  1800,  and  who  died  in  Columbia  in  1886,  having  been 
for  fifty-two  years  and  nine  months,  rector  of  Trinit}'  church  in 
Columbia.  Rev.  Peter  J.  .Shand  was  married  in  January,  1833,  to  Mary 
Wright,  and  to  them  wc:re  born  three  children  as  follows:  Nanna, 
wife  of  Robert  Wilson,  D.  I).,  of  Charleston;  Rebecca  W.  and 
Robert  W.  Mr.  SIkuuI's  mother  dic^d  in  1876  at  the  age  of  seventy- 
nine  years. 


/U^a^C^ 


O-^-i^y'^-y^X^/^ 


c 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  Id 

JUDGE    WILLIAM    DUNLAP  SIMPSON, 

chief-justice  uf  the  supreme  court  of  Soutli  Carolina,  and  one  of  the 
state's  most  distinguished  and  liighly  honored  citizens,  was  born  in 
Laurens  county,  S.  C,  on  October  27,  1S23,  and  is  a  representative 
descendant  of  one  of  the  leading  eminent  families  of  upper  South 
Carolina,  the  name  of  Simpson  having  figured  prominently  in  the 
history  of  the  Palmetto  state  for  over  a  century.  The  first  of  tlie 
family  to  come  to  America  was  Col.  John  Simpson,  \yho  was  a  native 
of  Belfast,  Ireland,  where  he  was  reared  to  manhood.  His  ancestors 
were  the  Scotch-Presbyterian  Simpsons,  who  left  Scotland  and  set- 
tled in  Ireland,  where  they  became  well-to-do  citizens.  Col.  John 
Simpson  was  given  a  fair  education,  and  upon  reaching  his  majority 
was  married  in  Belfast,  to  Mary  Wells,  who  was  of  English  birth, 
and  soon  afterward,  at  about  the  close  of  the  American  Continental 
war,  they  came  to  this  country  and  located  in  Laurens  county,  S.  C. 
What  money  he  brought  with  him  he  invested  in  a  plantation,  upon 
which  he  located,  giving  his  home  the  name  of  Belfast,  in  honor  of 
his  native  city.  He  engaged  in  merchandising  in  connection  with 
planting,  and  being  possessed  of  good  business  ability  prospered  all 
through  life,  acquiring  a  large  fortune,  lie  was  quite  prominent  in 
his  adopted  country,  and  was  often  honored  with  public  office,  serving 
in  the  state  legislature,  and  as  a  colonel  of  militia  for  many  years. 
The  strong,  sterling  traits  of  character  peculiar  to  the  Scotch  were 
possessed  by  Col.  Simpson,  and  his  influence  was  strong  and  always 
lent  in  behalf  of  worthy  movements  and  objects  in  life.  The  mar- 
riage of  Col.  Simpson  and  Mary  Wells  was  blessed  with  three  sons 
and  four  daughters,  all  of  whom  survived  the  parents.  The  mother 
dying,  the  colonel  was  again  married,  his  second  wife  being  the  widow 
of  Judge  Hunter,  but  no  children  were  born  to  this  union.  Col. 
Simpson  died  in  1S18.  All  the  daughters  of  Col.  .Simpson  grew  to 
womanhood,  and  were  married  to  representative  men  of  their  locali- 
ties, one  becoming  the  wife  of  Gen.  John  K.  Griffin,  of  Laurens 
county,  who  was  a  brigadier-general  of  militia,  and  also  represented 
the  Fourth  congressional  district  of  South  Carolina  in  congress  for 
several  years;  another  became  the  wife  of  Dr.  John  Nichols,  who 
was  prominent  in  medicine  and  agriculture  in  Laurens  county; 
another  became  the  wife  of  Thomas  Wright,  who  was  a  general  of 
militia  and  a  planter,  and  another  was  married  to  Anthony  Griffin, 
a  large  planter  and  slave-holder.  All  are  now  dead,  but  have  many 
worthy  descendants.  The  three  sons  of  Col.  Simpson  were  W.  W., 
John  W.  and  Richard  F.  W.  W.  Simpson,  the  eldest,  was  a  large  plan- 
ter of  Laurens  county.  He  was  quite  prominent,  and  served  as  tax 
collector  and  judge  of  the  ordinary  court  of  his  county;  Richard  F. 
Simpson,  the  youngest,  was  educated  at  South  Carolina  college,  and 
then  read  law,  w^as  admitted  to  practice  and  for  a  few  years  was  one 
of  the  leading  members  of  the  Laurens  county  bar.  Subsequently 
he  removed  to  Pendleton,  Anderson  county,  S.  C,  where  he  was 
elected  to    represent    the    Fourth    district    in   congress.     He   was  a 


I02  SOUTH   CAROLINA. 

neighbor  and  intimate  friend  of  Jolin  C.  Calhoun,  serving  in  con- 
gress with  that  distinguished  Carolinian.  Before  leaving  Laurens 
county  he  erected  the  first  cotton  factory  in  that  county.  John  W. 
Simpson,  the  father  of  Judge  Simpson,  was  the  second  son.  He  was 
educated  at  the  South  Carolina  college,  and  then  took  up  medicine, 
and  graduated  at  Jefferson  medical  college  of  Philadelphia.  For  a 
number  of  years  he  was  a  successful  practicing  physician  of  Belfast, 
Laurens  county.  He  was  married  to  Elizabeth  Saterwhite,  who  was 
from  Virginia,  and  to  their  union  two  sons  were  born,  J.  Wistar  and 
William  Dunlap.  After  the  death  of  his  wife,  which  occurred  when 
her  youngest  son  was  an  infant.  Dr.  Simpson  contracted  a  second 
marriage,  and  became  the  father  of  several  more  children.  His 
death  occurred  in  i8S6,  at  the  age  of  eighty-four  years. 

The  boyhood  days  of  Judge  Simpson  were  spent  in  Laurens 
count)',  where  he  received  his  primary'  education,  being  prepared  for 
college  in  the  local  academy.  He  entered  the  South  Carolina  college 
at  Columbia,  from  which  he  graduated  with  distinction  in  1843.  He 
next  entered  Harvard  law  school,  when  that  department  was  under 
the  charge  of  Joseph  Story  and  Simon  Greenleaf,  but  on  account  of 
ill  health  he  attended  but  a  single  session.  Returning  home  he  en- 
tered the  law  office  of  the  Hon.  Henry  Young,  one  of  the  most  prom- 
inent and  successful  lawyers  of  the  western  circuit  (who  later  became 
his  father-in-law),  and  read  law  until  he  was  admitted  to  practice  in 
1846.  He  began  practicing  as  a  partner  of  his  preceptor,  and  this 
partnership,  which  was  a  most  agreeable  and  successful  one,  was  only 
terminated  by  the  death  of  the  senior  member,  which  occurred 
shortly  after  the  late  war.  Previous  to  the  war  Judge  Simpson  was 
quite  prominent  in  politics,  and  represented  Laurens  county  in  the 
state  legislature  several  times,  and  was  a  member  of  the  senate  when 
South  Carolina  seceded  from  the  Union.  He  promptlj'  entered  the 
Confederate  army  at  the  beginning  of  the  war,  and  was  at  the  siege 
of  Fort  .Sumter  as  an  aide  upon  the  staff  of  Gen.  Bonham.  After 
the  first  battle  of  Manassas,  he  returned  to  Laurens  countj-,  where  he 
was  elected  major  of  the  Fourteenth  South  Carolina  regiment,  of 
which  he  afterward  became  lieutenant-colonel,  his  superior  officer, 
Lieut. -Col.  McGowan,  now  associate  justice,  being  colonel,  and  we 
may  here  say  that  no  two  officers  maintained  a  closer  or  more  cordial 
relation  to  each  other  than  these  two,  and  it  is  pleasing  to  see  them 
now  working  together  upon  the  supreme  bench,  with  the  same  zeal 
for  the  best  interests  of  their  state  in  time  of  peace  as  that  which 
characterized  them  in  time  of  war.  With  his  regiment  he  was  or- 
dered to  Virginia,  where  the  Fourteenth  was  attached  to  Gregg's 
brigade.  He  participated  in  both  battles  of  Bull  Run,  Seven  Days' 
Plight,  Cold  Harbor,  P'razicr's  Farm,  Malvern  Hill,  Harper's  Ferry, 
Antietam,  and  various  other  engagements.  Though  continually  on 
active  duty,  never  missing  an  engagement  while  in  the  field,  he  es- 
caped injury,  except  being  slightly  wounded  at  Germantown,  and 
had  the  bow  of  his  cravat  shot  away  at  Cold  Harbor.  In  1863  Gen. 
Bonham.  th(Mi  respresenting  the  Laurens  county  district  in  the  Con- 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  IO3 

federate  congress,  was  chosen  governor  of  South  Carolina,  and  Judge 
Simpson   was  chosen  to  succeed  that  distinguished  soldier    as   con- 
gressman, having  been  nominated  and  placed  in  the  field  without  his 
solicitation  or  even  knowledge,  and  elected  by  a  large  vote  both  from 
the  soldiers  at  the  front  and  the  citizens  at  home,  and  was  subse- 
quently re-elected,  and  served  until  the  close  of  the  war.     Previous  to 
that  period   Judge  Simpson  was  in    comfortable  circumstances,  but 
after  the   war   he    returned  to  Laurens  county  ruined  in    fortune. 
However,  with  characteristic  energy  and  pride,  he   resumed   his  law 
practice  in  partnership  with  his  brother,  J.  Wistar  Simpson,  with  his 
former  vigor  and  success.     In  iS68  he  was  a  delegate  to  the  national 
democratic  convention  in  New  York  city,  when  Seymour  and  Blair 
were  nominated,  and  the  same  year  he   himself  was  nominated  for 
congress  in  the  Fourth  district,  and  was  successful  in  the  election, 
defeating  his  republican  opponent,  Hon.  A.  S.  Wallace,  by  a  majority 
of  4,800  votes.     He  was  duly  commissioned  by  Gov.  Scott,  a  repub- 
lican, but  the  republican  house  of  congress  refused  to  permit  him  to 
take  his  seat  in  that  body,  upon  the  grounds  that  he  was  disqualified 
under   the    fourteenth  constitutional  amendment,  and  Mr.  Wallace 
was  admitted.     During  the  memorable  and  eventful  campaign  of  1876, 
he  was,  without  his  knowledge,  nominated  for  lieutenant-governor, 
with  Gen.  Wade  Hampton  as  governor,  and  went  with  the  general  on 
his  magnificent  and  successful  canvass  of  the  state,  visiting  most  of 
the  thirty-two  counties.  Judge  Simpson  making  several  speeches  in 
each.     By  virtue  of  his  office  of  lieutenant-governor,  he  was  president 
of  the  state  senate,  and  presided  over  that  body  during  the  critical 
and  troublesome  times  when  Gov.  Chamberlain  attempted  to  hold 
over  into  Gov.  Hampton's  elect  time.     And  it   was  in   assuming  the 
duties  as  president  of  the  state  senate  that  Judge  Simpson  displayed 
his  courage  and  ability  to  meet  any  emergency  or  crisis   in   public 
affairs,    by    successfully    preventing   the    opposition    from    retaining 
power,  which  had  been  voted  away  from  them  by  the  people.     It  was 
on  the  opening  day  of  the  legislature,  on  April  24,  1877,  after  the  re- 
tiring lieutenant-governor  had  made  his  farewell  address  to  the  sen- 
ate, and  had  called  to  the  chair  the  president  pro  tempore,  and  Lieut. - 
Gov.-elect  Simpson  had  been  announced  as  being  present  and  ready  to 
assume  his  official  duties,  that  the  republicans  attempted  to  continue 
control  of  the  senate  by  preventing  Judge  Simpson  from  presiding,  on 
the  grounds  that  the  oath  of  office  had  not  been  administered  to  him, 
when   as   a   matter  of  fact  he  had  already  taken  the  oath  and  fully 
qualified.     However,  he  cut  short  all  proceedings  by  announcing  from 
the  chair,  in  a  clear,  ringing  voice,  the  tones  of  which  penetrated 
every  corner  of  the  senate  chamber,  the  following:     "  I  desire  to  an- 
nounce that  I  have  already  taken  the  requisite  oath  and  have  been 
duly  qualified  as  lieutenant-governor  of  the  state,  and  I  can  not  con- 
sent to  take  the  oath  a  second  time.     I  regret  that  I  have  been  com- 
pelled to  take  this  ground,  but  under  the  constitution  of  the  state  I 
am  the  presiding  officer  of  the  senate,  to  which  position  I  have  been 
duly  elected  and  qualified."     A  few  minutes  later,  in  the  proceedings, 


I04  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

when   the  republicans,   realizing  they   had  no  ordinary  man  to  deal 
with,  and  in  order  to  gain  time  to  make  plans  for  gaining  their  end, 
proposed  a  delay  in  the  deliberations  of  the  senate  by  adjournment. 
The  lieutenant-governor  again  put  an  end  to  their  scheming  and  ma- 
neuvering by  declaring  in  firm,  measured  tones,  which  carried  with 
them  conviction:     "  I  would  ask  the  senate  in  courtesy  to  me  not  to 
press   upon  me  the   unpleasantness  C)f  this  position.     I  fully  thought 
that  it  was  understood  that  I  did   not  intend  to  take  the  oath  again, 
and  in  view  of  this  position  I  ask  the  courtesy  of  the  senate.     And  I 
will  add  furthermore,  that  there  is  no  power  on  earth  that  can  compel 
me  to  take  that  oath  a  second  time."    Then  commenced  the  struggle  of 
seating  the  democratic  senators-elect  from  Edgefield,  Barnwell,  Abbe- 
ville and  Laurens,  whom   the   republican   senators,  with   the  view  of 
preserving  their  majority,  had  kept  out  of  their  seats  up  to  that  time. 
But  after  a  prolonged  fight,  the    republicans    interposing    dilatory 
motions  of  every  description,  Mr.  Simpson  succeeded  in  administer- 
ing the  oath  of  office  to  said  senators-elect,  and   from   that   moment 
the  back-bone  of  the  republicans  was  broken,  and  the  senate  brought 
into  harmonious  relations  with  the  Wallace  house,  which  had  already 
achieved  supremacy  in  the  other  wing  of  the   capitol.     The  prompt 
and  courageous  action  of  judge  Simpson,  at  this  critical  time,  contrib- 
uted largely  to  the  eradication  of  the  unlawful  opposition  of  the  cor- 
rupt, but  strongly  entrenched  ring,  that  had  so  long  ruled  and  robbed 
the  state,  by  the  assistance  of,  and  sanctioned  by,  the  Federal  govern- 
ment.   In  1878  both  Judge  Simpson  and  Gov.  Hampton  were  re-elected, 
and  in  1879,  when  Gov.  Hampton  was  elected  to   the   United   States 
senate,  Judge  Simpson,  by  virtue  of  his  office  of  lieutenant-governor, 
succeeded  him  as  governor.     In  assuming  the   duties  of  chief  execu- 
tive of  the  state,  Judge  Simpson  was  no  novice,  as  he  had  discharged 
the  duties  of  that  office  during  Gov.  Hampton's  protracted   illness, 
and  he  at  once  entered  upon   his  administration   with   characteristic 
energy  and  ability.     His  long  e.xperience  in  public  life  fitted  him  for 
the  responsible  position,  as  he  was  familiar  with  the  condition  of  the 
affairs  of  the  state,  and  with  the  pressing  needs  of  the  people,  and 
being  imbued  with  progressive  ideas  he   at   once   set   himself  to   the 
herculean  task  of  improving  the  wretched  state  of  affairs  then  exist- 
ing.   That  he  was  equal  to  the  task,  was  clearly  demonstrated  before 
he  left  the  office.     In  his  first  message  to  the  legislature  he  strongly 
recommended  and  urged  the  material  improvement  of  the  country, 
and  pointed  out  in  a  plain   manner   how   this  could   be  best  accomp- 
lished; and  all  of  his  subsequent  state  papers  were  able  and  earnest, 
teeming  with  valuable  suggestions  and  recommendations  looking  to 
the  benefit  and  improvement  of  the  condition  of  the  people  of  the 
state,  and  many  and  lasting  benefits  resulted  from  his  administration. 
He   recommended   the   fence   bill,  which   became  a  law,  and   proved 
very  beneficial.     The  organization  of  the  Agricultural   Bureau  was 
another  of  his  recommendations,  likewise  the  Fish  Commission,  and 
many  others.    His  friendship  for,  and  devotion  to,  the  educational  in- 
terests of  the   state    were    demonstrated    when   he   championed  the 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  IO5 

cause  of,  and  was  one  of  the  staunchest  friends  and  supporters  of,  the 
South  Carolina  college,  when  the  life  of  that  time-honored  institution 
of  learning  was  threatened,  and  his  action  during  those  dark  days  of 
the  college's  existence  is  remembered  and  appreciated  by  all  friends 
of  education  in  the  state. 

In  1879,  while  governor,  Judge  .Simpson  was  elected  to  the  high 
and  honorable  position  of  chief-justice  of  the  state  supreme  court  for 
a  term  of  six  years,  and  in  1880  he  resigned  the  governorship  and 
donned  the  judicial  robes.  In  1S86  he  was  honored  by  a  unanimous 
re-election  as  chief-justice,  and  he  Is  at  present  discharging  the  du- 
ties of  that  responsible  position  with  entire  satisfaction.  His  ju- 
dicial opinions,  up  to  the  present  time,  may  be  found  in  Shand's 
South  Carolina  Reports,  from  the  fourteenth  to  the  thirty-second 
volumes  inclusive,  and  are  distinguished  for  conciseness  and  per- 
spicuity, leaving  no  doubt  as  to  what  is  decided.  They  will  com- 
pare favorably  in  style,  clearness  and  ability  with  the  best  opinions 
of  the  leading  judges  of  the  country.  Judge  Simpson  has  passed 
through  a  long  life  of  public  service  to  his  state,  during  which 
time  he  has  universally  acquitted  himself  with  credit  and  distinc- 
tion. He  holds  to  the  idea  that  public  office  is  a  public  trust, 
and  in  discharging  the  various  duties  he  has  been  called  upon 
to  do,  has  been  governed  by  that  idea,  and  no  public  official  has 
ever  been  more  accessible.  His  career  as  a  lawyer,  law-maker  and 
expounder  of  laws  has  been  successful  to  a  marked  degree,  while  his 
discharge  of  the  duties  of  the  chief  executive  office  of  the  common- 
wealth was  such  as  to  win  for  him  the  highest  encomiums  of  the 
whole  people  of  the  state.  As  a  lawyer,  Judge  Simpson  was  able, 
eloquent  and  successful;  as  a  legislator  he  was  conscientious,  honest 
and  useful;  as  a  soldier,  brave,  brilliant  and  faithful;  as  chief  execu- 
tive, competent,  energetic  and  progressive,  and  of  great  and  lasting 
benefit  to  his  state,  and  as  chief-justice  he  is  profound,  impartial  and 
just,  discharging  his  duties  as  he  understands  them  in  an  independent, 
fearless  manner,  and  giving  universal  satisfaction.  As  a  man.  Judge 
Simpson  is  one  of  the  most  congenial  it  falls  to  the  lot  of  the  average 
man  to  meet,  courteous,  affable  and  kind,  strong  in  his  friendships  and 
attachments,  liberal  in  his  views  and  progressive  in  ideas,  it  is  no 
wonder  that  the  people  of  South  Carolina  delight  to  honor  him. 
Judge  Simpson  was  married  in  March,  1847,  to  Jane  E.,  daughter  of 
the  Hon.  Henry  C.  Young,  and  a  native  of  Laurens  county,  S.  C.  To 
this  union  eight  children  have  been  born,  five  sons  and  three  daugh- 
ters, seven  of  whom  are  living.  Judge  Simpson  is  a  member  of  the 
Masonic  fraternity,  and  is  an  elder  in  the  Presbyterian  church.* 

COLONEL    JOHN    T.  SLOAN,    JR., 

one  of  the  prominent  and  influential  citizens  of  Richland  county, 
was  born  at  Pendleton,  S.  C,  June  5,  1846,  and  was  educated  at  the 
Pendleton  Male  academy.     When  seventeen  years  of  age  he  left  that 

*  Since  the  above  sketch  was  written,  death  has  robbed  South  Carolina  of  this  distinguished  citizen. 


I06  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

institution,  and  entered  the  Confederate  army  as  a  member  of  tlie 
Rutledge  Mounted  Rifles,  Company  A,  Seventh  South  Carolina 
cavalry,  Col.  Haskell  commanding.  For  a  short  time  he  served  on 
the  coast  of  South  Carolina  when  his  company  was  ordered  to  Vir- 
ginia. He  participated  in  the  frequent  encounters  with  the  enemy, 
among  which  were  Second  Cold  Harbor,  Riddle's  Shop,  Malvern 
Hill,  Fassett  Mill,  Samaria  Church  and  the  many  engagements  around 
Richmond.  At  Appomatox  Court  House  he  was  taken  prisoner,  and 
surrendered  with  Gen.  Robert  E.  Lee's  army,  April  lo,  1865.  He 
carried  the  last  order  of  Gen.  Gary  to  a  captain  of  the  artillery,  to 
open  fire  on  the  enemy.  This  was  the  last  order  carried  in  the  army 
of  Northern  Virginia,  the  last  of  Gen.  Lee's  army  having  surrendered 
previous  to  the  issuing  of  that  order.  After  being  paroled,  Col. 
Sloan  returned  to  his  home  in  Pendleton  and  re-entered  the  school 
he  had  left  to  join  the  army.  In  the  fall  of  1S66  he  was  appointed 
assistant  clerk  of  the  house  of  representatives.  In  the  beginning  of 
that  year  he  entered  the  university  of  South  Carolina,  and  graduated 
the  next  year  with  the  highest  distinction.  He  then  entered  the  law 
school  under  Judge  Alexander  C.  Haskell,  and  graduated  with  high 
honor.  In  college  he  was  president  of  the  Clariosophic  society,  and 
among  the  students  he  was  deservedly  popular.  After  graduating 
from  the  law  school,  being  somewhat  straitened  financially,  he  ac- 
cepted the  position  of  Columbia  correspondent  of  the  veteran  jour- 
nal, TIic  Charleston  Courier,  writing  under  the  iiovi  dc  photic  of 
"  Claude."  For  giving  a  truthful  exposition  of  the  fraud  and  cor- 
ruption of  the  radical  legislature,  he  was  expelled  from  the  hall  of 
the  house  of  representatives  by  order  of  that  body,  in  the  spring  of 
i86g.  At  a  general  term  of  the  supreme  court  of  South  Carolina, 
held  on  the  nth  of  March,  i86g,  he  was  admitted  to  practice  in  all 
courts  of  the  state,  and  in  1871  he  was  admitted  to  practice  before 
the  United  States  district  and  circuit  courts.  His  practice  is  large 
and  lucrative,  and  he  is  retained  on  one  side  or  the  other  side  of 
many  of  the  most  important  cases  which  come  up  for  adjudication  in 
the  courts  of  the  middle  section  of  the  state.  In  1S74  Col.  .Sloan  was 
elected  to  the  state  legislature  from  Richland  county  on  the  demo- 
cratic ticket,  and  on  repeated  occasions  served  as  speaker  pro  tern., 
exhibiting  such  knowledge  of  parliamentar\'  practice  as  to  command 
admiration  from  all  sides.  He  held  that  office  when  the  effort  was 
made  in  1S75  to  oust  Cordoza  from  the  state  treasuryship  in  order  to 
obtain  possession  of  the  treasury,  and  by  his  well-directed  rulings, 
sustained  by  the  democrats  and  better  class  of  republicans,  the  at- 
tempt to  impeach  Cordoza  was  foiled.  He  was  elected  stjlicitor 
of  the  Central  National  bank  and  one  of  its  directors  in  1S80.  In 
1882  he.  was  elected  city  attorney  of  Columbia  and  served  two  years. 
He  has  traveled  through  England,  Ireland,  .Scotland  and  all  the 
principal  countries  of  the  continent  and  there  are  few  men  of  his 
age  who  have  so  great  a  knowledge  of  foreign  scenes,  and  none  could 
have  made  a  better  or  more  profitable  use  of  such  opportunities. 
He  has  been   president  of  the  -South  Carolina  club,  lieutenant  of  the 


:,.MTE§      L   o   omit. 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  IO7 

governor's  guard,  and  is  still  an  honorary  member;  was  on  Gov. 
Wade  Hampton's  staff  in  1876  with  the  rank  of  lieutenant-colonel, 
is  solicitor  of  the  Independent  Fire  Engine  Co.,  of  the  Workingman's 
Building  and  Loan  Association  and  of  other  associations.  Though 
he  has  a  large  general  practice,  his  specialties  are  real  estate  issues 
and  collections,  and  in  these  branches  his  knowledge  is  thorough  and 
exhaustive.  Col.  Sloan  is  the  fourth  son  of  Col.  John  T.  Sloan,  Sr., 
the  veteran  clerk  of  the  house  of  representatives.  He  is  descended 
from  Huguenot  stock  on  the  maternal,  and  Scotch-Irish  on  the 
paternal,  side.  The  Sloan  family  left  Scotland  in  1745,  going  to  the 
north  of  Ireland,  and  thence,  before  the  Revolutionary  war,  to  the 
United  States.  He  married  Jeanie  T.,  the  youngest  daughter  of 
Col.  Robert  Beverly,  of  Fauquier  county,  Va.,  one  of  the  wealthiest 
and  most  prominent  families  in  the  Old  Dominion.  They  have  three 
children:  Robert  Beverly,  Annie  Whitner  and  John  T.  Sloan,  Jr. 
Mr.  Sloan  was  elected  state  senator  in  i8qo,  and  was  appointed  chair- 
man of  two  important  committees.  He  is  cultured,  genial,  a  pleas- 
ing and  instructive  conversationalist  and  is  one  of  the  old-school 
South  Carolina  gentlemen. 

COLONEL    JAMES    LAWRENCE    ORR, 

one  of  the  foremost  members  of  the  Greenville  bar,  was  born  in 
Abbeville  county,  S.  C,  on  the  29th  of  August,  1S52.  He  is  the  son 
of  Hon.  James  L.  Orr,  ex-congressman,  ex-speaker  of  the  national 
house  of  representatives,  and  ex-governor  of  South  Carolina.  The 
father  was  born  at  Craytonville,  Anderson  county,  S.  C,  May  12, 
1822.  He  was  the  son  of  Christopher  and  Martha  (McCann)  Orr, 
both  of  whom  were  born  in  Pendleton  district,  now  Anderson  county, 
S.  C.  Christopher  Orr  gave  his  attention  to  merchandising  and 
farming  during  his  entire  life.  He  carried  on  the  mercantile  business 
at  Anderson  for  probably  as  many  as  forty  years,  being  the  most 
prominent  merchant  at  that  place.  At  the  same  time  he  also  had  ex- 
tensive interests  upon  his  plantations  in  the  vicinity  of  Anderson. 
About  ten  years  before  the  breaking  out  of  the  civil  war,  he  removed 
to  Mississippi,  where  the  remainder  of  his  life  was  spent.  He  there 
became  the  possessor  of  his  large  plantation  interests,  giving  them 
his  undivided  attention  until  his  death,  which  occurred  in  1863.  His 
wife  died  in  1861.  Christopher  Orr  was  the  son  of  Capt.  Jehu  Orr, 
who  was  the  commander  of  a  cavalry  company  .in  the  Continental 
army  throughout  the  Revolutionary  war.  He  was  born  in  Bucks 
county,  Penn.,  but  in  early  manhood  settled  in  Wake  county,  N.  C, 
where  he  lived  until  the  close  of  the  Revolution.  He  afterward  re- 
moved to  South  Carolina,  settling  in  Pendleton  district,  where  he 
was  married  to  Jane  Butcher  Clinkscales.  His'occupation  was  farm- 
ing and  merchandising.  He  died  in  1824.  His  wife  survived  him  for 
many  years,  her  death  occurring  at  the  advanced  age  of  ninety-five 
years.  At  his  death  Christopher  Orr  left  five  children  surviving  him, 
namely,  Jane  Stewart,  who  married   Dr.  William  Henry  Calhoun,  of 


I08  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

Abbeville  county,  whose  death  occurred  in  1866.  His  widow  still 
survives,  residing  at  Verona,  Miss.  The  second  is  Hon.  James  L.Orr, 
the  father  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch;  the  third,  Dr.  Harvey  C.  Orr, 
a  prominent  physician  at  Tupelo,  Miss.;  the  fourth,  Elvira,  who  mar- 
ried Gen.  Joel  S.  Miller,  of  Spartanburg,  S.  C,  both  of  whom  are 
now  deceased;  the  fifth  and  youngest  is  Judge  Jehu  A.  Orr,  who 
served  as  a  colonel  in  the 'Confederate  army,  as  a  member  of  the 
Confederate  congress,  and  later  as  a  circuit  judge  in  the  Mississippi 
courts.  He  now  resides  at  Columbus,  in  that  state,  where  he  has  an  ex- 
tensive law  practice.  James  L.  Orr,  the  subject  of  the  present  sketch, 
was  reared  to  manhood  in  Anderson,  S.  C,  attending  the  schools  of 
that  place  till  he  reached  the  age  of  fifteen  years.  He  entered  the 
Kings  Mountain  Military  academy  at  Yorkville,  S.  C,  in  November, 
1867,  graduating  in  1869.  After  his  graduation  he  spent  a  year  on  a 
farm  near  Anderson,  and  in  the  autumn  of  1870,  entered  the  univer- 
sity of  Virginia,  where  he  spent  two  years,  devoting  the  first  to 
academic  studies,  and  the  secdnd  to  the  study  of  law.  Thus  equipped, 
in  the  autumn  of  1872,  he  entered  the  law  ofiice  of  McGowan  & 
Parker,  of  Abbeville,  and  remained  with  that  firm  until  January, 
1873,  when  he  went  as  the  private  secretary  of  his  father,  and  second 
secretary  of  legation,  to  .St.  Petersburg,  Russia,  his  father  being 
United  States  minister  to  that  foreign  court.  The  father  died  in 
Russia  in  May  of  the  same  year,  whereupon  the  son  returned  home 
and  resumed  his  law  studies.  He  was  admitted  to  the  bar  Novem- 
ber 8,  1873,  and  immediately  after  entered  into  a  co-partnership  with 
Judge  J.  P.  Reed,  of  Anderson.  In  the  autumn  of  1874  he  was 
chosen  a  member  of  the  state  legislature,  in  which  he  served  two 
terms.  In  1876  he  was  appointed  chairman  of  the  committee  to  cap- 
ture the  Mackey  house  at  Columbia,  or  to  be  more  explicit,  to  cap- 
ture the  republican  house,  of  which  Mr.  Mackey  was  the  speaker. 
At  the  head  of  his  committee  Col.  Orr  forced  open  the  door  and  was 
the  first  to  enter  the  house,  he  and  his  party  taking  possession  of 
the  house  and  finally  triumphing  over  their  opponents.  Gen.  Hamp- 
ton was  inaugurated  as  governor  and  Gen.  Butler  was  sent  to  repre- 
sent the  state  in  the  United  States  senate.  Subsequently  Col.  Orr  was 
appointed  chairman  of  the  committee  on  privileges  and  election,  and 
was  a  member  of  the  judiciary  committee.  He  took  an  active  part  in 
the  re-construction  of  state  affairs,  but  declined  a  re-election  to  the 
legislature  in  which  he  had  rendered  such  efticient  service  to  his  state. 
At  the  close  of  his  term  he  resumed  the  practice  of  his  chosen  pro- 
fession at  Anderson,  but  removed  to  Greenville  in  1880,  when  he  be- 
came at  once  a  conspicuous  and  honored  member  of  the  bar  of  that 
city.  In  June,  18S1,  Gov.  Hagoocl  appointed  him  solicitor  of  the  Eighth 
judicial  circuit,  and  in  the  autumn  of  1S84  he  was  elected  to  the  same 
position,  serving  therein  for  the  term  of  seven  and  one-half  years, 
but  declining  a  re-election.  At  the  democratic  state  convention,  held 
in  the  autumn  of  1888,  he  was  choscMi  its  ijcrmanent  chairman.  He 
was  appointed  a  member  of  Gov.  Hampton's  staff  in  1876,  and  served 
thereon  for  two  years.     This  position  conferred  upon  him  the  title  of 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  lOQ 

colonel,  by  which  military  cognomen  he  has  ever  since  been  recog- 
nized. At  the  present  time  he  is  actively  engaged  in  the  practice  of 
the  legal  profession,  being  a  member  of  the  law  firm  of  Wells  &  Orr, 
one  of  the  ablest  and  most  favorably  known  law  firms  in  the  state. 
It  makes  corporation  and  commercial  law  a  specialty,  and  has  an  ex- 
tensive clientage  in  issues  therein  involved.  Col.  Orr  is  president  of 
the  Greenville  News  company,  the  Paris  Mountain  Hotel  company, 
the  Greenville  Gas  and  Electric  Light  company,  and  is  a  director  in 
three  of  the  Greenville  banks,  as  well  as  in  the  largest  cotton  mill  of 
that  city.  Col.  Orr  was  married  November  12,  1873,  to  Bettie  B. 
Hammett,  second  daughter  of  Col.  H.  P.  Hammett,  of  Greenville. 
Si.x  children  now  living  have  been  born  to  them,  as  follows:  Floride, 
James  Lawrence,  Jr.,  Eloise,  Henry  Hammett,  Marshall  Pinckneyand 
George  Duncan.  Col.  Orr  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity 
and  of  the  Knights  of  Honor.  He  is  an  active  member  of  the  board 
of  trustees  of  Clemson  Agricultural  college,  to  which  position  he  was 
chosen  by  the  state  legislature,  and  is  a  member  of  the  executive 
committee  of  that  board.  He  is  an  efficient  and  laudable  worker 
toward  the  establishment  of  an  educational  institution  which  shall  be 
an  honor  to  the  state  of  South  Carolina,  and  which  shall  be  second 
to  no  institution  of  its  class  in  the  country.  He  is  also  a  member  of 
the  board  of  trustees  of  the  South  Carolina  Medical  college  of 
Charleston  a  position  he  has  held  for  the  past  four  years.  He  is  also 
a  member  of  the  board  of  visitors  of  Converse  college,  of  Spartan- 
burg. It  will  thus  be  seen  that  Col.  Orr  has  been  closely  identified 
with  the  political  affairs  of  South  Carolina,  and  has  taken  and  is  tak- 
ing a  most  creditable  and  praiseworthy  interest  in  the  educational 
progress  in  all  its  departments.  .Such  a  man  cannot  fail  to  earn  an  envi- 
able recognition  from  all  of  his  fellow  citizens,  and  be  abundantly 
entitled  to  the  preferments  which  have  been  tendered  to  him  by  the 
authorities  of  the  state. 

HON.   WILLIAM   HAYNE   PERRY, 

congressman  from  the  Fourth  district  of  South  Carolina,  was  born 
in  the  city  of  Greenville,  on  the  gth  of  June,  1839.  He  is  the  son  and 
eldest  child  of  ex-Gov.  Benjamin  F.  Perry  and  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Frances 
Perry,  a  niece  of  Robert  Y.  Hayne,  distinguished  as  the  compeer  of 
Daniel  Webster  in  the  United  States  senate,  and  afterward  the  hon- 
ored governor  of  South  Carolina.  He  received  his  early  education 
in  the  elementary  schools  of  his  native  city,  and  at  an  early  age 
entered  the  Furman  university,  where  he  remained  for  several  years, 
successfully  continuing  his  studies  until  he  was  graduated.  He  was 
then  sent  to  the  South  Carolina  college  at  Columbia,  where  he  remained 
not  more  than  five  or  six  months  in  the  junior  class,  the  exercises  of 
the  college  being  suspended  at  this  time  on  account  of  an  insurrection 
among  the  students.  He  was  then  sent  north  by  his  father,  where  he 
entered  the  junior  class  at  Harvard  university,  Cambridge.  At  the 
end  of  two  years  he  graduated  with  distinguished  honors  in  a  large 


no  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

class,  and  was  appointed  fifth  orator  on  the  occasion  of  the  commence- 
ment exercises  of  the  university.  Upon  his  return  home,  he  at  once 
began  reading  law,  and  after  years  of  study,  was  admitted  to  the  bar 
of  Columbia,  and  commenced  the  practice  of  his  profession  in  co- 
partnership with  his  father.  Shortly  afterward,  South  Carolina 
seceded  from  the  Union,  and  he  immediately  entered  the  service  as  a 
private  in  a  troop  of  cavalry  known  as  the  Brooks  troop,  afterward 
incorporated  in  the  Hampton  Legion  and  commanded  by  the  dis- 
tinguished general  of  that  name.  He  served  during  the  whole  war 
in  this  troop,  under  the  leadership  of  Stewart,  Hampton  and  Butler, 
with  great  bravery  and  credit  to  himself,  in  most  of  the  battles  fought 
by  the  army  of  northern  V^irginia.  On  account  of  his  popularity  with 
his  comrades,  at  the  re-organization  of  the  troop  to  which  he  belonged, 
he  was  elected  first-lieutenant  of  his  company.  Near  the  close  of  the 
war,  his  company  in  the  meantime  having  been  attached  to  the  Second 
South  Carolina  regiment  of  cavalry,  he  was  transferred  with  this  com- 
mand to  defend  the  sea  coast  of  South  Carolina,  and  was  in  various 
severe  engagements  with  the  enemy.  He  acted  as  adjutant  of  his 
regiment  while  on  the  coast,  and  served  as  such  to  the  end  of  the 
war,  being  on  duty  in  and  around  Wilmington,  N.  C,  at  the  time  of 
the  surrender  of  Johnston's  army.  In  all  the  qualities  of  the  soldier 
he  had  no  superior,  and  on  several  occasions  his  conduct  was  such  as 
to  elicit  the  special  notice  and  commendation  of  his  superior  officers. 
None  were  more  brave,  none  more  modest.  On  returning  home 
after  the  surrender  of  the  Confederate  armies,  he  resumed  the  prac- 
tice of  his  profession  in  connection  with  his  father,  and  was  at  once 
elected  a  member  of  the  state  convention  at  the  head  of  the  ticket, 
being  shortly  afterward  made  a  member  of  the  legislature.  He  par- 
ticipated with  the  democratic  party  in  all  the  political  questions  of  the 
period  of  re-construction.  In  1868,  he  was  elected  solicitor  of  the 
western  circuit  by  an  immense  majority  over  his  opponent,  and  dis- 
charged the  duties  of  this  office  for  four  years  with  great  ability, 
firmness  and  fairness.  In  1872,  Col.  Perry  lost  his  election  by  the 
infamous  negro  vote  of  Abbeville,  which  county  had  been  added  to 
his  circuit  for  the  express  purpose  of  defeating  him.  With  renewed 
energy  and  zeal  he  devoted  himself  to  his  profession,  and  had  a  large 
commanding  practice,  his  father,  meantime,  having  in  a  great  meas- 
ure withdrawn  from  the  practice  before  the  courts.  Col.  Perry  was 
elected  state  senator  from  Greenville  county  in  iSSo,  and  served  his 
county  for  four  years  in  this  capacity,  declining  a  re-election  for  the 
same.  By  a  unanimous  vote,  his  name  for  the  second  time  was  pre- 
sented to  the  congressional  convention  as  a  candidate  for  congress, 
and  on  November  4,  1SS4,  he  was  elected  to  represent  the  Fourth  con- 
gressional district  of  South  Carolina.  He  has  been  twice  re-elected 
to  congress,  and  declined  a  fourth  election  in  the  fall  of  i8c)o.  His 
term  expired  on  March  4,  iSgi.  At  the  time  of  his  nomination  in 
1884,  he  stood  at  the  head  of  the  bar.  in  Greenville,  and  was  a  promi- 
nent figure  in  the  front  ranks  of  his  legal  brethren  of  the  state.  At 
the  close  of  his  congressional  career,  he  hopes  to  resume  the  law 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  Ill 

practice.  During  his  last  term  he  was  successful  in  securing  an  ap- 
propriation of  $100,000  for  a  public  building  in  Greenville,  which  is 
now  in  the  course  of  erection  and  which  will  be  a  lasting  monument 
to  the  memory  of  a  noble  man  —  William  llayne  Perry.  It  will  thus 
be  seen  that  his  native  county  has  bestowed  upon  him  nearly  every 
office  in  her  gift,  and  the  trust  that  has  been  reposed  in  him  to  such  a 
great  extent,  has  in  no  wise  been  misplaced.  He  was  appointed 
colonel  of  cavalry  by  Gov.  Orr  after  the  war,  and  in  1881  Gov.  Hagood 
made  him  one  of  his  aides.  "As  a  public  man  Col.  Perry  has  proved 
himself  a  wise  and  careful  legislator,  noted  for  his  quiet,  but  aetive 
and  practical  usefulness.  Reared  by  his  father  in  that  school  of  polit- 
ical ethics  and  statesmanship,  in  which  he  belonged,  and  was  a  leader, 
in  the  pure  and  better  days  of  Carolina's  histor}',  he  has  none  of  the 
sordid  and  selfish  arts  of  the  demagogue  and  political  trickster.  As 
a  professional  man  and  practitioner  he  is  honorable,  fair  and  consci- 
entious; as  an  advocate,  without  being  rhetorical,  he  has  great  weight 
and  influence  before  a  jury.  In  character  he  is  manly,  truthful  and 
modest,  and  enjoys  a^  personal  character,  admired  by  all  who  know 
him,  for  the  purity  and  dignity  of  his  private  life."  Col.  Perry  was 
married  in  1888  to  Miss  Louise,  daughter  of  Hon.  John  Bankhead, 
member  of  congress  from  Alabama.  Three  miles  from  the  city  of 
Greenville,  at  his  valuable  country  seat,  ".Sans  Souci",  a  home  of 
beauty,  comfort  and  hospitality,  and  memorable  as  the  home  of  his 
distinguished  father.  Col.  Perry  enjoys  relaxation  from  the  cares  of 
his  profession  and  leads  the  life  of  a  country  gentleman,  surrounded 
by  the  charms  of  a  home  presided  over  by  taste,  culture  and  refine- 
ment. 

CAPTAIN    GEORGE    G.    WELLS, 

a  prominent  member  of  the  Greenville,  S.  C,  bar,  was  born  in  the 
city  in  which  he  resides,  October  25,  1S39,  the  son  of  Obed  H.  Wells, 
the  founder,  and  for  twenty-eight  years  the  publisher  of  the  Green- 
ville Mountaineer.  The  latter  was  born  at  Greenfield,  Mass.,  in  1804, 
and  was  a  son  of  Patrick  Wells,  a  native  of  Wales,  and  a  sea  captain 
by  pursuit,  being  lost  at  sea.  Obed  H.  Wells  came  to  South  Caro- 
lina from  Massachusetts,  in  1822,  and  located  at  Greenville,  where  at 
the  age  of  twenty-one  he  married  Miss  Amelia  Headden.  He  spent 
the  remainder  of  his  life  here,  devoting  his  attention  almost  exclus- 
ively to  journalism.  His  death  occurred  in  1857.  He  was  a  member 
of  the  Odd  Fellows  lodge,  and  of  the  Baptist  church.  Politically 
he  was  a  democrat,  being,  however,  a  strong  Union  man.  Amelia 
Headden,  the  mother  of  Capt.  George  G.  Wells,  was  born  in  Chert- 
sey,  England,  in  1808,  and  came  to  America  with  her  parents,  Joseph 
and  Elizabeth  Headden,  in  about  the  year  1818.  The  family  landed 
at  Charleston,  S.  C,  and  resided  there  for  a  short  time,  thence  re- 
moving to  Greenville,  where  Miss  Headden  met  and  married  Obed  H. 
Wells.  She  died  in  1869,  a  devout  Christian,  being  a  member  of  the 
Baptist  church.  Capt.  George  G.  Wells  has  resided  at  Greenville  all 
his  life,  receiving  his  earlier  education  in  its  schools.     Later  he  at- 


112  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

tended  Furman  university  for  one  year.  At  the  age  of  nineteen 
years  he  entered  the  South  CaroHna  MiHtary  academy,  from  which 
he  graduated,  with  honors,  in  1862.  He  had  already  served  in  the 
Confederate  army,  having  been  at  Fort  Sumter  when  it  surrendered. 
After  his  graduation  he  became  lieutenant  in  the  Confederate  ser- 
vice, but  was  subsequently  promoted  to  the  rank  of  captain,  holding 
the  position  until  the  close  of  the  war.  His  service  was  confined  to 
V^irginia,- North  Carolina  and  the  South  Carolina  coast.  He  was  at 
Charleston  on  the  night  that  Gilmore's  Battery  Swamp  Angel, 
opened  tire  on  the  city.  When  peace  was  declared,  he  returned  to 
Greenville,  and  for  a  short  time  gave  his  attention  to  school  teaching, 
at  the  same  time  devoting  his  leisure  hours  to  the  study  of  law,  hav- 
ing determined  to  fit  himself  for  the  legal  profession.  In  1867  he  was 
admitted  to  the  bar,  at  once  entering  upon  the  practice  of  the  law. 
He  has  devoted  his  undivided  attention  to  it  ever  since,  having  pur- 
sued its  practice  during  the  whole  time  at  Greenville,  being  an  hon- 
ored and  prominent  member  of  its  bar.  He  is  the  senior  member 
of  the  firm  of  Wells  &  Orr,  his  partner  being  Col.  James  L.  Orr. 
The  firm  is  in  the  enjoyment  of  a  large  and  lucrative  practice,  rank- 
ing among  the  leading  and  ablest  law  firms  of  the  state.  As  a  citi- 
zen of  Greenville,  Capt.  Wells  is  most  highly  esteemed,  being  a 
straightforward,  upright  man,  whose  character  is  beyond  reproach. 
He  has  persistently  avoided  political  service,  though  he  has  been 
frequently  urged  to  become  a  candidate  for  high  positions.  His  prac- 
tice, of  which  he  is  very  fond,  has  claimed  his  whole  attention.  Some 
of  the  offices  with  which  his  name  has  been  connected  are  those  of 
state  senator  and  congressman,  thus  showing  his  standing  in  the 
county  of  his  residence.  In  June,  1870,  Miss  Mary  J.,  the  daughter 
of  Col.  John  W.  Hill,  then  of  F'lorida,  but  formerly  of  South  Carolina, 
became  his  wife.  Their  children  are  as  follows:  Anna  S.,  Mary  H., 
Archie  H.,  Maggie  May,  George  G.,  Emma  W.,  Clara  T.,  and  Law- 
rence O.,  all  of  whom  are  living  with  the  exception  of  the  eldest, 
Anna  S.,  who  died  in  .September,  iSqo,  aged  nineteen  years.  In  the 
month  of  June  preceding  her  death  she  had  graduated  from  the 
Greenville  Female  college.  Capt.  Wells  is  a  democrat  in  politics,  and 
in  his  religious  belief  is  a  Baptist,  being  an  official  member  of  that 
church.  He  is  superintendent  of  the  Greenville  Baptist  Sabbath 
school,  the  largest  .Sabbath  school  in  the  state,  and  among  the  largest 
in  the  south.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  and  Chi  Psi  fraterni- 
ties. The  position  of  attorney  for  the  Richmond  &  Danville  railroad 
and  the  Peoples'  bank  he  acceptably  holds,  while  the  firm  of  which 
he  is  a  member,  is  retained  by  a  number  of  important  corporations. 
Capt.  Wells  is  one  of  the  trustees  of  the  Furman  university  and 
Greenville  P^emale  college. 

EX-GOVERNOR    J.    L.    ORR. 

James  L.  Orr,  son  of  Christopher  anil  Martha  McCann  Orr,  was 
born    at   Craytonville,    Anderson    (then    Pendleton    district),    S.   C, 


SOUTH    CAKOLINA.  II3 

May  12,  1822.  His  great-grandfather,  Robert  Orr,  emigrated  from 
Ireland,  to  Bucks  county,  Penn.,  in  1730,  and  after  some  years  re- 
moved to  Wake  county,  N.  C.  He  was  a  Revolutionary  soldier,  as 
was  his  son,  Jehu,  the  grandfather  of  James  L.  He  was  sent  to  a 
country  school,  and  afterward  to  the  Anderson  academy.  Out  of 
school  hours  he  assisted  his  father  as  salesman  and  book-keeper. 
His  acquaintance  with  the  people  of  his  county,  and  the  knowledge 
of  human  nature  acquired  by  this  training,  were  invaluable  to  him  in 
after  life.  In  his  eighteenth  year  he  went  to  the  university  of  Vir- 
ginia, where  he  was  graduated  in  philosophy,  political  economy, 
belles  letters,  medical  jurisprudence,  and  where  he  commenced  the 
study  of  law.  In  1842  he  entered  the  law  office  of  Judge  Whitner 
(then  solicitor  of  the  western  circuit),  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar 
in  May,  1843.  He  opened  an  office  in  Anderson,  and  soon  had  a  re- 
spectable practice.  He  also  edited  the  Anderson  Gazette.  In  1844  he 
was  elected  to  the  legislature,  having  received  a  greater  majority 
than  any  man  in  the  state,  and  that  in  a  district  which  had  given  a 
decided  whig  majority  in  1S40.  He  served  two  terms.  His  first 
speech  was  made  in  opposition  to  the  "  Bluffton  movement."  This 
proposed  to  again  commit  South  Carolina  to  a  nullification  of  the 
tariff  of  1842.  Thus  early  did  he  identify  himself  with  the  opposition 
to  separate  state  action.  This  speech  was  characterized  by  one  of  the 
principal  journals  as  "  the  boldest,  plainest  and  most  sensible  speech 
of  the  whole  discussion."  He  was  an  earnest  advocate  of  giving  the 
choice  of  presidential  electors  to  the  people.  (In  .South  Carolina 
they  were  then  elected  by  the  legislature.)  The  bill  was  carried  in 
the  house,  where  population  was  represented,  but  defeated  in  the 
senate,  where  territorial  area  alone  secured  representation.  He  ad- 
vocated a  liberal  and  enlarged  system  of  internal  improvements, 
'^and  a  general  reform  of  the  free  school  system.  In  1848  he  became 
a  candidate  for  congress.  His  opponent  had  taken  the  field  several 
months  in  advance  of  him,  and  was  a  lawyer  of  talent  and  profes- 
sional reputation,  and  ,of  great  experience  in  political  affairs,  having 
been  many  years  in  the  state  legislature.  Being  both  democrats,  the 
contest  turned  e.xclusivel}'  on  personal  popularity.  The  campaign 
was  active  and  exciting.  In  October  Mr.  Orr  bore  off  the  honors  by 
700  majority.  Few  men  at  the  age  of  twenty-six  have  received  so 
flattering  a  testimonial.  From  that  time  until  1858,  when  he  de- 
clined to  serve  again,  he  was  re-elected  without  opposition.  He 
took  his  seat  at  the  opening  of  the  thirty-first  congress.  "There 
were  giants  in  those  days."  Iji  the  senate  were  Calhoun,  Cla}',  Web- 
ster, Douglas,  Cass,  Benton,  and  many  more  of  high  reputation. 
While  in  the  house  were  Winthrop,  Toombs,  Stephens,  Clingman, 
McDowell,  Bayly  and  others  of  eminent  ability.  Mr.  Orr,  with  be- 
coming modesty,  spoke  very  little  during  this  session.  The  principal 
speech  made  by  him  was  upon  the  agitation  of  the  slavery  question, 
and  its  dangerous  tendencies  against  the  perpetuity  of  the  Union. 
During  this  session  the  "compromise  measures"  were  passed,  Mr. 
Orr  voting  against  most  of  their  features.  These  measures  were 
A— 8 


114  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

generally  condemned  in  South  Carolina.  When  he  returned  home 
he  found  a  formidable  party  organized  in  favor  of  South  Carolina 
seceding  alone  from  the  Union.  A  constitutional  convention  was 
called,  Mr.  Orr  advising  against  the  call.  His  own  congressional  dis- 
trict had  nominated  delegates  in  favor  of  secession  two  to  one.  Not- 
withstanding his  belief  that  he  was  in  a  meager  minority,  he  boldly 
proclaimed  his  opposition  to  the  secession  policy,  and  warned  his  con- 
stituents warmly  and  most  earnestly  of  the  disasters  which  would 
immediately  ensue  if  their  proposed  policy  were  carried  out.  While 
he  admitted  the  right  of  a  state  to  secede  from  the  Union,  believing 
it  to  be  the  highest  attribute  of  sovereignty,  and  the  only  effectual 
shield  of  states  rights  against  the  despotism  of  consolidation,  he  at- 
tended a  general  convention  held  by  delegates  from  the  Southern 
Rights  associations  of  this  state.  This  convention  numbered  some 
450  members,  and  was  distinguished  for  its  intelligence,  integrity  and 
high  moral  worth,  but  represented  the  extreme  views  of  the  ultra 
party  in  South  Carolina.  Resolutions  were  offered  reflecting  the 
opinions  of  the  majority.  Mr.  Orr  introduced  opposing  resolutions, 
making  a  fearless  and  manly  speech,  and  giving  an  exhibition  of  moral 
courage,  which  won  for  him  the  admiration  even  of  those  who  widely 
differed  from  him  in  feeling.  This  speech  was  published  by  the  ex- 
ecutive committee  of  the  co-operative  party,  and  circulated  through- 
out the  state,  and  proved  most  effective.  The  convention  opened 
the  campaign,  and  there  was  but  one  newspaper  in  the  state  opposing 
secession.  Mr.  Orr  made  a  most  earnest  canvass,  which  lasted  two 
months,  meeting  the  ablest  secession  leaders  in  public  discussion. 
His  party  carried  the  state  by  8,000  majority,  and  he  was  triumph- 
antly sustained  by  the  constituency  which  his  opponents  had  threat- 
ened would  visit  him  with  ostracism.  In  congress  he  was  an 
indefatigable  worker,  but  always  found  time  to  extend  courtesy,  and 
often  hospitality,  to  South  Carolinians  visiting  Washington.  He  was 
appointee!  chairman  of  the  committee  on  Indian  Affairs,  and  intro- 
duced a  bill  looking  to  their  domestication  and  civilization,  which  ac- 
complished much  in  changing  the  policy  of  the  government  toward 
the  semi-civilized  Indians.  This  decaying  race  never  had  a  truer 
friend,  and  many  years  afterward,  when  he  visited  the  northwest,  he 
received  an  ovation  from  them. 

In  1854  the  Anti-Catholic  abomination,  Know-nothing-ism,  was 
sweeping  over  the  country,  and  let  it  be  remembered  to  the  credit  of 
Stephen  A.  Douglas  and  James  L.  Orr,  that  they  were  the  first  pub- 
lic men  in  the  United  States,  who  made  a  bold  and  fearless  assault 
on  its  insidious  principles.  On  the  4th  of  July  Mr.  Orr  addressed 
the  democracy  of  Philadelphia  from  the  Independence  hall,  and 
when  he  opened  his  batteries  on  this  new  heresy,  he  excited  the  en- 
thusiasm of  thousands  of  hearers.  This  speech  was  published  and 
widely  circulated.  I  le  was  elected  speaker  of  the  thirty-fifth  congress, 
and  presided  with  marked  fairness  and  ability.  At  the  conclusion  of 
that  congress  he  returned  to  his  home  at  Anderson,  expecting  to  de- 
vote  the  remainder  of  his  life  to  the  prnrtice  of  his  profession,  and 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  II5 

the  enjoyment  of  his  family.     But  the  stirring  events  of  that   mo- 
mentous  time   prevented  the   realization  of  these  pleasant  anticipa- 
tions.    After  struggling  for  si.xteen  years  against  the  secession  policy, 
he  was  forced,  as  were  many  othersof  his  section,  to  go  with  the  tide, 
as  further  opposition    would  have   caused  that  mountain  region  to 
suffer   the   horrors   of    east    Tennessee    guerrilla   warfare.     It   was 
surely  better  for  all  to  engage  in  a  common,  though  desperate  cause, 
than   for  brother  to  fight  against  brother.     Although   Mr.  Orr  had 
foretold  the  result,  he  did  all  that  was  possible  to  prevent  the  fulfil- 
ment of  his  predictions,  and  the  short-lived   southern   Confederacy 
had  no  harder  working  supporter  than  himself.     He  was  elected  col- 
onel of  Orr's  Regiment  Rifles,  and  won  the  affection  of  his  men  by 
his  care    for  their  welfare,  and  their  respect  by  his   fairness.     For 
some   months  he  was  in  command  of  the  harbor  at  Charleston.     In 
December,  1861,  he  was  elected  Confederate   senator,  and  in   Febru- 
ary, 1S62,  went  to  Richmond,  where  he  spent  most  of  his  time  till  the 
end.     He  was  untiring  in  his  exertions  for  the  comfort  of  the  South 
Carolina  soldiers,  while  in  the  council  chamber,  but  who  shall  tell  of 
those  stormy  times,  when  he  urged^with  all  his  might  and  by  every 
argument  he  could  use,  the   making  of  a  treaty  of  peace  with  the 
United  States,  while   such  a  treaty  was  still   possible.     Even  this  ap- 
peal to  the  instinct  of  self  preservation  was  worse  than  wasted,  the 
favorable  moment  passed  forever,  and  the  next  opportunity  we  had 
of  making  terms,  was  at  Appomatox. 

In  September,  1865,  a  convention  was  called  by  provisional  Gov. 
Perry,  and  in  accordance  with  the  constitution  then  adopted,  the  next 
governor  was  elected  by  the  people.  Heretofore  the  legislature  had 
chosen  the  governor.  Mr.  Orr  was  elected  and  entered  upon  the  dis- 
charge of  his  duties  November  29th,  1S65.  The  state  had  been  for 
months  under  the  jurisdiction  of  provost  courts  and  military  commis- 
sioners. No  civil  court  had  been  held  for  more  than  a  year,  outlaws 
and  desperadoes  roamed  over  the  land,  outraging  the  persons  and 
property  of  citizens.  Gov.  Orr  gave  to  the  work  of  re-organization 
every  power  of  mind  and  body,  and  with  the  practical  common  sense 
which  had  ever  characterized  him,  resolutely  did  the  best  he  could 
with  the  resources  at  command.  He  used  every  endeavor  to  pro- 
mote good  feeling  between  the  whites  and  blacks,  and  during  the 
two  years  and  nine  months  of  his  administration,  there  was  no  race 
riot  in  South  Carolina. 

In  January,  1867,  he  went  to  Washington  to  hold  a  conference  with 
a  number  of  senators  and  congressmen.  Finding  that  a  qualified  or  a 
universal  suffrage  amendment  to  the  constitution  would  certainly  be 
passed,  he  returned  to  South  Carolina,  and  urged  on  the  people  the 
necessity  of  giving  suffrage,  with  educational  or  property  qualifica- 
tion, to  the  negroes.  The  leaders  of  the  movement  in  congress  hav- 
ing agreed  not  to  press  universal  suffrage,  if  qualified  suffrage  was 
granted  to  the  blacks,  this  advice  brought  down  a  storm  of  abuse 
on  him,  which  showed  so  unmistakably  the  temper  of  the  majority  in 
South  Carolina,  that  the  Howard  amendment  was  passed,  and  also  a 


Il6  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

supplemental  act,  dividing  the  ten  southern  states  into  five  military 
districts.  Gov.  Orr  promptly  endeavored  to  secure  the  co-operation 
of  the  military  commands,  and  thus  avoid  conflict  with  this  superior 
power,  so  far  succeeding  that  they  rarely  interfered  with  the  adminis- 
tration of  criminal  law,  and  where  they  were  appealed  to,  to  inter- 
pose their  authority,  they  generally  referred  the  matter  to  him  for 
final  decision.  His  course  of  conciliation  often  enabled  him  to  inter- 
vene for  the  benefit  of  the  citizen,  in  whose  case  the  rigor  of  military 
power  might- have  been  oppressive,  and  to  secure  modification  of 
military  orders  that  would  have  borne  heavily  on  communities.  By 
his  earnest  remonstrance  the  taxes  imposed  by  the  military  were  not 
only  materially  reduced,  but  levied  on  a  more  equitable  basis,  and  he 
was  enabled  to  secure  support  for  the  public  institutions.  He  urged 
all  white  citizens  who  had  not  been  disfranchised  to  register,  and  vote 
for  their  best  man  to  represent  them  in  the  state  convention.  But 
the  strange  delusion  seemed  to  pervade  the  public  mind,  that  the 
convention  would  not  meet,  and  that  if  it  did  its  action  would  be 
nugatory.  Very  few  went  to  the  polls,  they  ignored  their  opportunity, 
and  surrendered  to  strangers,  and  to  the  colored  people,  the  selection 
of  delegates  to  the  constitutional  convention,  perhaps  the  first  in- 
stance in  the  history  of  a  free,  intelligent  people,  where  the  ballot 
having  been  given  them,  they  refused  its  exercise.  His  successor, 
R.  K.  Scott,  was  inaugurated  in  July,  1868,  and  from  that  time  till 
1876,  the  republican  party  had  absolute  control  of  the  state.  The 
extravagence  and  corruption  of  the  "Carpet  Bag"  government  in 
South  Carolina  is  a  matter  of  history.  Mr.  Orr,  knowing  the  impos- 
sibility of  electing  a  democrat,  advocated  the  choice  of  a  moderate 
republican  to  succeed  Scott,  hoping  that  enough  honest  republicans 
and  thinking  democrats  would  unite  to  make  this  possible.  His  hope 
was  disappointed.  He  was  denounced,  his  motives  impugned,  and 
harsh  and  unjust  criticism  followed  his  earnest  effort,  and  a  "scala- 
wag" was  elected  governor.  During  1866  and  1S67,  he  held  the  office 
of  grand-master  of  Masons  of  South  Carolina.  Two  months  after 
the  close  of  his  term  as  governor,  while  traveling  in  the  northwest, 
he  was  elected  judge  of  the  Eighth  circuit  of  South  Carolina.  He 
was  strongly  urged  by  old  and  new  friends  to  accept  this  position,  as 
in  the  then  chaotic  condition  of  affairs,  it  was  felt  that  his  learning, 
moral  courage  and  hard  common  sense  would  be  of  inestimable  ad- 
vantage to  the  circuit.  He  held  that  the  debts  contracted  prior  to 
and  during  the  war  should  be  scaled  to  the  basis  of  the  existing 
wealth,  and  resources  of  the  country.  No  one  could  question  that  the 
war  destroyed  more  than  one-half  the  value  of  the  property  in  the 
south,  and  while  various  causes  just  after  the  close  of  the  war  pro- 
duced a  depreciation  of  at  least  one-half  of  that  half.  If  an  individ- 
ual chanced  at  the  commencement  of  the  struggle  to  have  his  whole 
estate  inv(;sted  in  loans  on  bonds  and  mortgages,  there  could  l)e  no 
justice  which  would  require  that  the  note  or  bond-holder  shouUl  not 
suffer  at  least  pro  rata  with  the  debtor,  whose  property  was  ruined  not 
by  his  own  act,  but  by   the  calamities  of  the  war  and   the  act  of  the 


SOUl  M    CAROLINA.  1 17 

government.  This  view  was  universally  adopted  by  the  juries,  and 
was  acceptable  to  the  litigants,  and  aided  many  to  pay  their  debts, 
who,  if  the  letter  of  the  law  had  been  enforced,  would  have  gone  into 
bankruptcy.  Indeed,  only  a  few  chronic  grumblers  failed  to  see  the 
wisdom  and  fairness  of  Judge  Orr's  opinions.  The  juries  adopted 
his  view  and  found  verdicts  for  fifty  per  cent. 

In  December,  1872,  he  resigned  the  judgeship  to  accept  the  posi- 
tion of  minister  to  Russia,  tendered  him  by  President  Grant.  He 
sailed  in  January,  and  was  presented  to  the  czar  in  February  The 
interview  was  most  satisfactory,  and  Prime  Minister  Gortschakoff 
was  pleased  to  say  that  his  majesty  had  been  more  favorably  im- 
pressed by  Mr.  Orr  than  by  any  minister  sent  from  the  United  States 
government.  The  change  from  the  mild  climate  of  South  Carolina 
to  the  rigors  of  St.  Petersburg,  proved  too  severe  for  his  constitution. 
He  died  suddenly  from  congestion  of  the  lungs,  on  the  5th  of  May, 
1873,  attended  by  his  eldest  son.  A  funeral  service  was  held  at  the 
English  chapel  in  St.  Petersburg,  attended  by  all  the  English  and 
American  residents,  and  a  handsome  floral  column  was  placed  on  his 
casket,  by  order  of  the  empress.  When  his  remains  reached  New 
York,  N.  Y.,  they  were  met  by  a  delegation  of  Masons  and  other  cit- 
izens, and  after  lying  in  state  at  the  city  hall,  were  accorded  a  mag- 
nificent Masonic  funeral.  A  large  deputation  of  citizens  of  Anderson 
met  the  remains  in  Columbia,  and  accompanied  them  home,  where, 
on  the  19th  of  June,  they  were  laid  to  rest,  in  presence  of  the  wife 
of  his  youth,  his  five  children,  and  an  immense  number  who  came 
from  all  parts  of  the  country;  his  old  friends  remembering  only  his 
uprightness  of  soul  and  kindness  of  heart,  and  mourning  his  untimely 
death.  He  was  not  quite  fifty-one  years  of  age,  but  he  lived  long 
enough  to  see  the  success  of  many  of  his  measures  and  opinions,  which 
outlived  the  censure  bestowed  on  them  and  their  author.  Though 
sometimes  feeling  the  bitterness  of  undeserved  antagonism,  he  always 
received  the  sympathy  and  support  of  many  warm  friends,  who  in  the 
darkest  moments,  never  relaxed  their  confidence  in  the  earnestness 
and  honesty  of  his  purpose  to  protect  and  promote  the  interests  of 
the  people  of  South  Carolina. 

GENERAL   C.  C.   PINCKNEY 

lived  at  a  period  when  in  the  section  of  the  country  where  he  was 
reared,  a  finished  classical  education  was  considered  an  indispensable 
accomplishment  either  for  a  man  of  business,  or  of  leisure.  He  was 
descended  from  an  ancestry  who  came  from  England  to  South  Caro- 
lina in  i6q2.  His  father,  Charles  Pinckney,  who  was  known  as  Chief- 
Justice  Pinckney,  was  twice  married,  his  second  wnfe,  the  mother  of 
the  subject  of  this  sketch,  was  Eliza  Lucas,  daughter  of  George  Lucas, 
a  colonel  in  the  British  army. 

Charles  C.  Pinckney  was  born  at  Charleston,  S.  C,  February  25, 
1746.  When  he  was  but  seven  years  of  age,  he  was  taken,  with  his 
brother  Thomas,  to   England,  by  his  father,  to  be  educated.     After 


Il8  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

about  five  years'  private  instruction  he  was  fitted  for  Westminster, 
and  in  1758,  he  entered  that  celebrated  institution,  then  under  the 
care  of  a  distinguished  scholar,  Dr.  Markham.  By  industrious  appli- 
cation and  correct  deportment,  he  soon  won  the  respect  and  regard  of 
his  teacher,  who  entertained  a  high  estimate  of  his  character  and 
abilities.  From  Westminster  he  was  removed  to  Oxford,  where  he 
was  under  the  private  tutorage  of  the  renowned  Dr.  Cyril  Jackson, 
and  where  he  had  the  benefit  of  the  law  lectures  of  Judge  Blackstone. 
He  left  Oxford  at  the  age  of  eighteen,  with  the  reputation  of  being 
one  of  its  finest  scholars.  From  that  renowned  university  he  entered 
the  Temple,  as  a  law  student,  where  he  still  maintained  his  studious 
habits.  During  the  last  year  of  his  stay  abroad  he  visited  France 
and  Germany,  devoting  nine  months  to  the  study  of  military  science 
at  the  Royal  academy  of  Caen.  In  1769,  he  returned  to  South  Caro- 
lina, his  old  affection  for  his  native  soil  having  remained  undimmed 
by  his  sixteen  years'  absence,  his  patriotism  sharpened  by  his  indig- 
nation at  the  passage  of  the  stamp  act,  while  he  still  dwelt  on 
British  soil. 

On  the  19th  of  Januar\',  1770,  the  provincial  courts  granted  him  a 
commission  to  practice  law,  and  in  1773,  he  received  the  high  com- 
pliment of  being  appointed  the  substitute  of  Sir  Egerton  Lee,  His 
Majesty's  attorney-general,  to  act  in  his  stead  in  the  district  and  pre- 
cinct courts  of  Camden,  Georgetown  and  Cheraws.  His  prospects  for 
eminence,  as  well  as  emoluments,  were  most  flattering,  but  they  were 
at  once  dispelled  by  the  overshadowing  approach  of  the  Revolution- 
ary struggle.  South  Carolina,  on  hearing  of  the  outbreak  on  the 
plains  of  Lexington,  was  ablaze  with  excitement,  and  a  provincial 
congress  was  at  once  summoned  to  meet  in  Charleston.  It  assembled 
on  the  first  of  June,  1775,  and  from  the  known  military  qualifications 
of  Gen.  Pinckney,  he  was  made  captain  in  the  First  regiment,  under 
that  stern  republican,  Christopher  Gadsden,  as  colonel.  He  imme- 
diately inaugurated  a  recruiting  station  at  Newbern,  N.  C,  and  was 
soon  promoted  to  the  rank  of  colonel  of  his  regiment.  Col.  Gadsden 
having  been  raised  to  the  rank  of  brigadier-general.  The  triumphant 
defense  of  Fort  Moultrie,  for  a  time  restored  quiet  to  South  Caro- 
lina, offensive  operations  on  the  part  of  the  British  being  transferred 
to  New  York,  and  Gen.  Pinckney,  desiring  more  active  service,  joined 
the  northern  army.  He  was  appointed  aide  to  Gen.  Washington,  and 
in  that  capacity  was  present  at  the  battles  of  Brandywine  and  Ger- 
mantown.  The  military  lessons  there  learned  were  of  great  service 
to  him  in  his  subsequent  career.  When  danger  again  threatened  his 
native  state,  he  returned  home  and  resumed  command  of  his  regi- 
ment. He  was  soon  required  to  join  Gen.  Howe's  army,  for  the 
defense  of  Georgia,  where  he  rendered  most  important  service. 

When  the  British  admiral,  y\rbuthnot,  threatened  an  attack  on 
Fort  Moultrie,  Gen.  Pinckney  was  in  command  of  that  fortress,  and 
anticipated  a  grand  opportunity  to  bring  his  military  tactics  into  full 
play,  but  a  storm  having  interposed,  the  British  fleet  was  obliged  to 
sail  past  the  fort  without   opening  fire  upon   it;  but   Geji.    Pinckney 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  IIQ 

gave  the  passing  vessels  a  parting  salute,  which  inflicted  considerable 
injury  upon  them.  When  Charleston  was  threatened  by  an  over- 
shadowing force  of  the  enemy,  Gen.  Pinckney  counseled  resistance 
to  the  last  extremity,  but  he  was  overruled,  and  the  city  capitulated 
in  May,  1780,  the  little  army  of  Gen.  Pinckney  being  made  prisoners 
and  confined  at  Haddrel's  Point,  about  two  miles  from  Charleston. 
Here  they  endured  untold  privations,  and  in  these  extremities  over- 
tures were  made  to  the  officers  to  abandon  the  cause  of  American 
independence.  In  reply  to  an  invitation  of  this  character,  proffered 
by  Major  Money,  of  the  British  arm}',  to  Gen.  Pinckney,  he  repelled 
it  in  the  following  noble  terms:  "  I  entered  into  this  cause  after  re- 
flection and  through  principle.  My  heart  is  altogether  American, 
and  neither  severity,  nor  favor,  nor  poverty,  nor  affluence,  can  ever 
induce  me  to  swerve  from  it."  To  another  British  officer  he  said: 
"The  freedom  and  independence  of  my  country  are  the  gods  of  my 
idolatry."  Soon  after  this  he  was  exchanged  and  peace  was  declared, 
but  nevertheless,  he  was  raised  to  the  brevet  rank  of  brigadier- 
general. 

Peace  restored,  Gen.  Pinckney  resumed  the  practice  of  his  pro- 
fession under  the  natural  embarrassments  of  a  fortune  wrecked  by 
the  ravages  of  war.  He  found,  too,  that  the  younger  class  of  attor- 
neys had  taken  the  places  of  those  whom  the  casualties  of  the  war 
had  withdrawn  from  practice.  The  new  practitioners  were  far 
inferior  in  point  of  education  to  those  whose  places  they  had  assumed, 
the  exigencies  of  the  war  having  broken  in  upon  the  regular  course 
of  law  studies.  Though  such  able  scholars  as  Gen.  Pinckney  might 
have  placed  themselves  at  the  head  of  the  profession,  he  preferred 
to  try  and  raise  his  young  contemporaries  to  his  own  high  plane,  and, 
in  such  an  undertaking,  made  himself  very  serviceable  to  the  pro- 
fession at  large.  Though  his  income  became  large,  he  made  it  a 
point  of  principle,  instilled  in  his  mind  by  his  venerated  father, 
always  in  his  practice  to  befriend  the  widow  and  the  fatherless,  and 
he  would  never  exact  or  accept  a  fee  from  that  class  of  clients.  He 
was  offered  a  place  on  the  supreme  bench  by  Gen.  Washington,  as 
well  as  the  post  of  secretary  of  war,  to  succeed  Gen.  Kno.x,  both  of 
which  honorable  positions  he  declined,  but  after  a  most  pressing 
solicitation  from  Gen.  W^ashington,  in  his  private  capacity,  he  was  in- 
duced to  accept  the  mission  to  France  in  1796.  On  arriving  at  Paris, 
he  had  to  submit  to  some  indignities,  and  to  meet  a  cold  reception  on 
the  part  of  the  French  minister  of  foreign  affairs,  and  he  immedi- 
ately asked  for  his  recall.  His  stay  was,  therefore,  short  at  the 
French  capital,  but  during  that  brief  period  he  exhibited  an  ability 
as  well  as  a  spirit  of  patience  and  forbearance  which  did  him  great 
honor.  While  in  this  position,  he  gave  utterance  to  that  immortal 
sentiment,  which  became  a  household  expression:  "  Millions  for  de- 
fense, not  a  cent  for  tribute."  Though  his  mission  did  not  accom- 
plish the  objects  desired,  it  was  owing  to  no  lack  of  ability  or  of  diplo- 
matic fitness  on  the  part  of  Gen.  Pinckney.  He  returned  to  America, 
arriving  at  Paulus  Hook,  October  12,  1798,  where  he  was  received  by 


I20  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

a  large  concourse  of  citizens  amidst  the  greatest  enthusiasm.  Soon 
after  this,  he  received  the  commission  of  major-general  in  the  United 
States  arm}',  the  appointment  doubtless  being  prompted  by  the  war 
spirit  which  was  then  dominant  throughout  the  country.  This  was 
an  honor  in  which  he  shared  with  only  three  other  conspicuous  indi- 
viduals, Washington,  Hamilton  and  Knox.  Gen.  Pinckney  was 
proffered  many  other  distinctions,  but  his  inclination  for  public  posi- 
tions only  extended  to  a  strong  desire  to  serve  his  country,  and  be  of 
use  to  his  countrymen.  In  his  later  years  he  evinced  a  taste  for  the 
sciences,  particularly  for  botany  and  chemistry,  and  he  had  a  labora- 
tory fitted  up  and  supplied  with  philosophical  apparatus,  where  he  spent 
several  hours  of  each  da}'. 

He  was  twice  married,  first  to  Sarah,  daughter  of  Henry  Middle- 
ton;  of  her  three  daughters  were  born.  His  second  wife  was  a  de- 
scendant of  Sir  Nathaniel  Johnson,  one  of  the  proprietary  governors 
of  South  Carolina.     She  had  no  children. 

This  most  venerated  citizen,  profound  scholar,  able  lawyer  and 
accomplished  and  gallant  general,  closed  his  brilliant  career  on  the 
i6th  of  August,  1825,  having  reached  his  eightieth  year. 

COLONEL   JESSE    W.    NORRIS, 

a  planter  of  Anderson  county,  S.  C,  was  born  in  that  county,  June  6, 
1817,  the  son  of  Ezekiel  S.  Norris,  a  native  of  Abbeville  county,  and 
a  farmer  by  occupation.  He  came  to  his  death  in  1877.  Upon  the 
paternal  side,  the  family  is  of  Irish  descent.  The  maiden  name  of 
the  mother  of  Col.  Norris,  was  Lucy  Ria  Keys,  daughter  of  Peter 
Keys,  who  was  a  native  of  Ireland.  She  died  in  1882.  Col.  Norris, 
the  subject  of  this  sketch,  was  reared  in  Anderson  county.  While  in 
his  youth  he  attended  the  Pendleton  Manual  Labor  school  about 
three  years.  After  this,  he  pursued  his  studies  under  Wesley  Lev- 
erett,  a  well-known  educator  of  that  day,  some  two  or  three  years. 
In  1837  or  '38  he  entered  the  university  of  Virginia,  which  he  at- 
tended two  years,  taking  besides  other  studies,  a  primary  course  in 
law.  While  there  he  was  a  classmate  of  Judge  James  L.  Orr.  He 
then  entered  the  law  office  of  Judge  Joseph  N.  Whitner,  where  he 
remained  some  three  or  four  years  pursuing  his  legal  studies,  and  at- 
tending to  the  clerical  work  of  the  office.  He  at  once  began  the 
practice  of  his  profession  at  a  place  called  Pickens,  in  what  is  now 
Oconee  county.  He  then  practiced  his  profession  successfully  until 
the  breaking  out  of  the  war,  when  he  entered  the  Confederate  ser- 
vice in  1863,  in  Company  A,  Eighth  South  Carolina  state  troops  as 
a  private,  serving  until  the  close  of  hostilities.  His  theatre  of  action 
was  wholly  within  the  state  of  .South  Carolina.  In  1864,  after  the 
surrender  of  Charleston,  he  was  detailed  to  an  enrolling  office,  and 
stationed  at  Anderson.  Since  the  war  he  has  devoted  his  attention 
to  farming  in  Anderson  county.  In  1869  he  located  on  his  present 
plantation,  five  miles  and  a  half  southeast  of  /\nderson,  the  place  be- 
ing known  as  Varennes,  where  he  has  ever  since  lived.     Col.  Norris 


SOUTH   CAROLINA.  121 

Has  been  a  prosperous  and  successful  farmer  and  has  amassed  quite 
a  fortune.  He  has  devoted  much  attention  to  the  bankinf^  businc'ss 
in  a  private  way.  He  is  a  director  of  the  National  banl<;  of  binder- 
son,  a  stockholder  in  the  Anderson  cotton  mills,  the  Anderson  Shoe 
&  Leather  company,  and  the  Pendleton  manufacturing  company.  In 
the  latter  enterprise,  he  is  the  partner  of  A.  J.  Sitton,  whose  sketch 
appears  elsewhere  in  this  work.  Col.  Norris  is  a  stockholder  in  the 
railroads,  which  pass  through  Anderson.  He  is  one  of  Anderson 
county's  solid  and  substantial  men.  In  politics  he  subscribes  to  the 
democratic  faith.  He  has  taken  an  active  part  in  the  Farmers' 
Alliance,  and  served  as  president  of  the  county  alliance  from  the  time 
of  its  organization  up  to  July,  iSqo.  He  is  also  ex-president  of  a 
subordinate  lodge.  Prior  to  the  war,  he  served  one  term  in  the  lower 
branch  of  the  state  legislature,  representing  the  counties  of  Anderson 
and  Pickens.  Since  the  war  he  has  served  as  a  member  of  the  board 
of  county  commissioners.  He  is  an  elder  in  the  Presbyterian  church, 
a  distinction  he  has  enjoyed  for  some  years.  He  is  a  Mason  and  a  past 
master;  he  is  also  a  member  of  the  Sons  of  Temperance.  Col. 
Norris  has  been  twice  married,  his  first  wife  being  Louisa  Lesley,  of 
Abbeville  county,  and  his  second  wife,  Susan  Sim.pson,  of  Anderson 
county.  Both  are  deceased.  He  has  three  daughters  living,  two  of 
whom  are  the  daughters  of  his  first  wife.  Col.  Norris  has  done  good 
journalistic  work,  having  been  for  several  years,  while  practicing  law 
in  Pickens  county,  one  of  the  editors  of  the  Kcoivee  Courier,  a  paper 
which  still  lives,  and  of  which  he  was  one  of  the  founders.  As 
farmer,  student,  legislator,  soldier,  lawyer,  journalist  and  citizen,  he 
has  held  a  representative  place  and  has  entitled  himself  to,  and  en- 
joys the  respect  of  his  fellow  men. 

COLONEL   RICHARD    WRIGHT    SIMPSON. 

Colonel  Richard  Wright  Simpson,  member  of  the  Anderson  bar, 
was  born  at  Pendleton,  near  his  present  residence,  September  1 1,  1S40. 
His  father  was  Hon.  Richard  F.Simpson,  and  ex-congressman,  and  a 
major  in  the  Creek  Indian  war.  He  died  in  1882.  The  maiden  name 
of  his  mother  was  Margaret  Taliaferro,  a  native  of  Anderson  county, 
and  daughter  of  Zachariah  Taliaferro,  a  lawyer  by  profession,  and  a 
native  of  Virginia,  who  removed  from  that  state  to  South  Carolina, 
and  subsequently  located  in  the  old  Pendleton  district.  His  wife's 
name  was  Margaret  C Carter,  also  a  Virginian  by  birth.  Zachariah 
Taliaferro  was  a  brother  of  Judge  Benjamin  Taliaferro,  a  colonel  in 
the  Revolutionary  war,  who  removed  from  Virginia  to  Georgia,  and 
became  prominent  in  legal  and  judicial  circles  of  that  state.  The 
father  of  Zachariah  and  Benjamin  Taliaferro  was  Zachariah  Talia- 
ferro, a  native  of  Carolina  county,  Va.,  and  a  Revolutionary  soldier. 
The  progenitors  of  the  Taliaferro  family,  in  America,  settled  in  V^ir- 
ginia  in  1653.  The  father  of  Col.  Simpson  was  born  in  Laurens 
county,  in  1798,  and  graduated  from  the  South  Carolina  college  when 
he  was  but  eighteen  years  of  age.     He  studied  law,  was  admitted  to 


122  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

the  bar,  and  practiced  law  for  a  number  of  years  at  Laurens  C.  H. 
He  served  in  the  Florida  Indian  war,  and  was  at  different  times  a 
member  of  both  branches  of  the  South  Carolina  legislature.  He  was 
for  three  terms  a  member  of  the  national  house  of  representatives, 
from  1842  to  1848.  He  retired  from  political  life  on  account  of  an  ac- 
cident, which  befell  him  from  being  thrown  from  a  carriage.  He  was 
a  member  of  the  South  Carolina  secession  convention.  He  had  been 
a  great  admirer  of  John  C.  Calhoun,  and  was  a  great  secession  advo- 
cate and  a  strong  supporter  of  the  Confederacy.  At  the  close  of  the 
war  he  was  in  favor  of  bur3'ing  the  past  and  accepting  the  result,  and 
he  conducted  himself  in  accordance  with  that  position  as  long  as  he 
lived.  His  father,  William  Simpson,  was  a  native  of  Ireland.  He 
settled  in  Laurens  county,  and  left  surviving,  a  large  famil}'.  Rich- 
ard F.  Simpson  and  his  brother.  Dr.  John  .Simpson,  the  father  of  the 
late  chief-justice  of  South  Carolina,  W.  D.  Simpson,  were  the  two 
3'oungest  members  of  this  large  family.  Col.  Richard  W.  Simpson,  the 
subject  of  this  sketch,  was  reared  on  a  farm  in  Anderson  county,  near 
Pendleton.  He  graduated  from  Wofford  college  in  1861.  From  col- 
lege he  entered  the  service  of  the  Confederate  army,  enlisting  in 
Company  A,  Third  South  Carolina  regiment.  It  was  one  of  the  first 
Confederate  regiments  that  entered  V^irginia.  He  served  in  it  be- 
tween one  and  two  years,  when,  owing  to  poor  health,  he  was  dis- 
charged. After  having  partially  recovered  his  health,  he  joined  Maj. 
Adams'  battalion  of  cavalry.  He  was  offered  official  positions,  but 
declined  in  every  instance  on  account  of  poor  health.  He  was  again 
discharged  on  account  of  his  health,  and  from  that  time  until  the  close 
of  the  war,  he  served  in  other  departments  of  the  Confederate  gov- 
ernment. He  was  married  during  the  war,  in  1863,  to  Miss  Maria 
Louisa  Garlington,  of  Laurens,  daughter  of  John  Garlington,  Esq. 
She  is  still  living.  From  1865  to  1874,  Col.  Simpson  devoted  himself 
to  agricultural  pursuits  in  Anderson  county.  In  the  latter  year,  his 
health  having  improved,  he  was  elected  to  the  state  legislature,  and 
in  1875,  was  admitted  to  the  bar.  He  was  re-elected  to  the  legisla- 
ture in  1876.  He  was  one  of  the  seven  men  who  in  1876,  broke  down 
the  door  of  the  house  of  representatives,  while  the  radical  house  was 
in  session,  and  let  the  white  democrats  in.  He  was  one  of  the  most 
active  spirits  of  that  revolution  which  restored  the  state  to  white  rule. 
He  was  a  member  of  what  was  known  as  the  "  Wallace  house,"  in 
1876,  at  the  time  of  the  dual  legislature,  and  was  locked  up  with  it  in 
the  legislative  hall  for  four  days  and  nights.  He  served  as  chairman 
of  the  committee  of  ways  and  means,  during  the  life  of  the  Wallace 
house,  and  was  also  chairman  of  two  other  important  committees. 
After  the  Hampton  government  was  recognized  by  President  Hayes, 
Col.  .Simpson  was  chiefly  instrumental  in  adjusting  the  financial  'obli- 
gations of  the  state  left  by  the  radical  party.  The  correctness  of  his 
position  upon  the  financial  question  of  the  state,  has  been  abund- 
antly proven  by  the  fact,  that  it  is  now  recognized  by  all,  as  the 
inauguration  of  the  high  financial  plane  upon  which  the  state  rests 
to-day.     He  was  recognized  as  one  of  the  most  active  and  inlUuMitial 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  '  I23 

legislators  of  the  state  during  this  epoch  of  its  history,  and  was  fore- 
most in  every  movement  and  measure,  that  tended  to  establish  the 
new  order  of  things.  In  1877  he  was  appointed  a  member  of  Gov. 
Hampton's  staff,  with  the  rank  of  colonel  of  cavalry.  This  position, 
as  well  as  all  other  political  positions,  came  wholly  unsought.  He 
was  never  a  candidate  in  his  life,  and  his  elections  in  every  instance, 
came  from  the  spontaneous  action  of  his  friends.  Since  the  close  of 
his  last  term  in  the  legislature,  he  has  constantly  refrained  from,  and 
refused  any  political  preferment,  and  has  devoted  his  whole  attention 
to  his  law  practice,  which  is  very  extensive.  He  is  one  of  the  ablest 
and  most  distinguished  members  of  the  Anderson  county  bar._  He  is 
a  member  of  the  firm  of  VYhitner  &  Simpson,  one  of  the  leading  law 
firms  in  the  state.  In  1877,  as  a  member  of  the  legislature,  he  began 
the  advocacy  of  the  establishment  of  an  agricultural  college  in  South 
Carolina.  He  has  labored  industriously  for  the  accomplishment  of 
that  purpose,  and  his  efforts  in  that  direction  have  not  proven  fruit- 
less. In  1887,  he  became  the  confidential  attorney  of  Hon.  Thomas  G. 
Clemson,  son-in-law  of  John  C.  Calhoun,  and  the  then  owner  of  the 
Calhoun  homestead.  Col.  Simpson  wrote  the  will  of  that  gentleman, 
and  was  appointed  his  e.xecutor.  In  the  will,  provision  is  made  for 
the  establishment  of  an  agricultural  college,  and  Col.  Simpson  was 
named  in  the  will  as  one  of  the  trustees.  Mr.  Clemson  died  in  April, 
188S.  Col.  Simpson,  as  executor  of  the  estate,  was  defendant  in  the 
celebrated  case  of  Gideon  Lee,  guardian,  against  Simpson,  executor, 
an  action  brought  to  set  aside  Mr.  Clemson's  will.  Though  it  was 
carried  to  the  supreme  court  of  the  United  States,  Col.  Simpson  won 
all  the  way  through.  The  will  was  sustained,  and  the  college_  estab- 
lished. Upon  the  organization  of  the  board  of  trustees.  Col.  Simpson 
was  elected  its  president,  which  position  he  now  holds.  The  site  of 
this  college,  which  is  now  in  the  course  of  erection,  is  the  old  home- 
stead of  John  C.  Calhoun,  in  Oconee  county.  When  completed,  it 
will  be  one  of  the  finest  institutions  of  the  kind  in  theUnited  States, 
and  it  will  be  the  best  endowed.  Col.  Simpson's  politics  are  demo- 
cratic. He  is  an  official  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church, 
south.  He  has  taken  thirty  degrees  in  Masonry.  He  is  a  stock- 
holder in  the  Farmers'  and  Merchants'  bank,  of  Anderson.  Col. 
and  Mrs.  Simpson  have  a  family  of  nine  children  living,  three  of 
whom  are  sons. 

JAMES    L.    TRIBBLE, 

one  of  the  members  of  the  Anderson  bar,  was  born  on  a  farm  in 
Abbeville  county,  S.  C.  He  is  the  son  of  Capt.  S.  M.  Tribble, 
also  a  native  of  Abbeville  county,  born  in  1825,  who  served  as  a 
captain  of  the  state  militia  prior  to  the  war  of  1861.  His  occu- 
pation was  that  of  a  farmer.  His  death  took  place  in  1S77.  He  was 
the  son  of  L.  W.  Tribble,  also  a  farmer,  who  removed  from  \'irginia 
to  South  Carolina  in  early  times.  The  mother  of  the  subject  of  this 
sketch,  before  married,  was  Miss  Ann  Webster,  daughter  of  James  R. 


124  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

Webster.  Mr.  Tribble's  mother  died  in  1863.  Mr.  Tribble  was 
reared  on  a  farm  in  Abbeville  county,  where  he  lived  until  he  arrived 
at  the  age  of  twenty  years.  He  had  few  educational  advantages  in 
his  youth.  At  the  age  of  twenty-one  he  entered  a  school,  taught  by 
Capt.  J.  B.  Patrick,  a  noted  educator,  the  school  being  located  at 
Greenville,  S.  C.  He  attended  this  school  nine  months,  then  spent 
three  months  in  Furman  university.  He  then  taught  school  eight 
months,  after  which  he  attended  Richmond  college  two  sessions, 
studying  law  and  graduating  from  the  law  department  at  the  end  of 
the  second  session.  He  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  February,  1875, 
and  immediately  entered  upon  the  practice  of  law  at  Anderson,  and 
has  continued  in  its  active  practice  at  that  place  ever  since,  devoting 
his  sole  attention  to  the  profession.  He  rose  rapidly  in  reputation  as 
an  attorney,  and  has  attained  a  high  place  in  the  Anderson  bar,  being 
held  as  one  of  the  ablest  and  most  successful  of  its  lawyers.  He  has 
entirely  ignored  politics,  wisely  choosing  professional,  rather  than 
political  preferments.  His  first  partner  was  Col.  James  L.  Orr,  now  of 
Greenville.  In  iSSo,  he  formed  a  partnership  with  Col.  Joseph  N. 
Brown,  which  continued  four  years.  In  August,  iSgo,  he  formed  a 
partnership  with  George  E.  Prince,  and  the  firm  of  Tribble  &  Prince 
still  exists,  and  is  justly  reputed  to  be  one  of  the  foremost  law  firms 
in  the  state.  Mr.  Tribble  pays  much  attention  to  the  equity  side  of 
the  law,  at  the  practice  of  which  he  is  eminently  successful.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  Anderson  County  Bar  association,  a  democrat  in  pol- 
itics, avoiding  all  political  service  and  association,  except  the  two 
years  he  was  mayor  of  the  city  of  Anderson.  He  is  an  official  mem- 
ber of  the  Baptist  church,  a  Royal  Arch  Mason  and  past  master  in  his 
lodge.  He  also  belongs  to  the  Knights  of  Pythias  and  the  Knights  of 
Honor,  and  is  past  chancellor  commander  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias. 
He  is  a  stockholder  in  the  Farmers'  and  Merchants'  bank,  of  Anderson, 
of  which,  the  firm  of  Tribble  &  Prince  are  attorneys.  He  is  also  a  stock- 
holder in  the  Anderson  Cotton  mills,  Anderson  Shoe  &  Leather  com- 
pany, and  is  a  member  of  the  board  of  directors  of  the  latter  com- 
pany. The  positions  of  vice-president  and  director  of  the  Anderson 
Hotel  company  are  his,  while  he  holds  the  position  of  director  of  the 
Anderson  Educational  association,  of  which  he  is  also  secretary  and 
treasurer. 

STEPHEN    D.    MILLER 

was  born  in  the  so-called  Waxhaw  settlement,  of  the  Lancaster  dis- 
trict, S.  C,  in  May,  1787.  He  was  the  son  of  William  and  Margaret 
(White)  Miller,  and  his  ancestors  were  immigrants  from  the  north  of 
Ireland,  of  the  Scotch  type  of  Presbyterians.  They  came  to  this 
country  to  enjoy  perfect  liberty  of  conscience,  and  were  ready  to  go 
to  extremities  to  maintain  both  civil  and  religious  rights.  The  father 
of  Stephen  U.  Miller  died  when  he,  the  son,  was  quite  young,  and  he 
was  placed  under  the  care  and  was  reared  by  his  mother's  relatives. 
His  early  education  was  entrusted  to  Rev.  Mr.  Coreser,  a  fine  and 
versatile  scholar,  who  not  only  gave  his  young  pupil  good  and  tlior- 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  125 

ough  classical  instruction,  but  gave  him  Scriptural  lessons  by  way  of 
a  religious  education.  He  made  rapid  progress  in  both  directions. 
He  was  fitted  for,  and  graduated  from  South  Carolina  college  in  the 
class  of  1808. 

Mr.  Miller  studied  law  at  the  office  of  John  S.  Richardson,  in  .Sum- 
ter, and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  iSii,  at  Columbia.  He  began 
practice  in  the  .Sumter  district,  succeeding  to  the  business  of  his  law 
preceptor,  Mr.  Richardson,  that  gentleman  having  been  elected  in  the 
preceding  year,  to  the  office  of  attorney-general  of  the  state.  He 
resided  in  .Statesburg,  where  he  had  an  office,  and  also  opened  an 
office  at  Summerville. 

About  the  year  1814,  Mr.  Miller  was  joined  in  marriage  with  Miss 
Dick,  of  Sumter.  She  lived  to  bear  him  three  sons,  but  died  in  1819. 
In  1818,  he  was  elected  to  congress  in  place  of  Judge  Richardson,  who 
had  been  elected  to  represent  the  Sumter  district,  but  who  declined 
to  serve  in  that  capacity,  chiefly  on  the  ground  of  the  pressure  of  his 
own  private  business.  During  Mr.  Miller's  first  session  in  congress 
he  was  called  home  on  the  melancholy  errand  of  attending  his  be- 
loved, dying  wife,  an  event  which  occurred  as  above  stated.  While 
in  congress,  he  was  one  of  the  South  Carolina  statesmen  who  opposed 
Mr.  Calhoun's  states  rights  doctrines.  At  the  e.xpiration  of  his  con- 
gressional term,  he  returned  to  his  law  practice,  in  which  he  did  a 
large  business  in  the  Sumter,  Lancaster  and  Kershaw  districts.  While 
practicing  in  the  latter  named  district,  he  made  the  acquaintance  of 
Miss  Mary  Boykin,  and  in  May,  1821,  she  became  his  second  wife. 
The  next  year  he  was  elected  a  state  senator  to  represent  the  Sumter 
district  in  that  branch  of  the  legislature.  He  served  three  successive 
terms,  when,  in  1828,  he  was  elected  governor.  At  the  close  of  his 
gubernatorial  term,  in  1830,  he  was  elected  to  the  United  States  sen- 
ate for  six  years,  but  ill-health  compelled  him  to  resign  after  holding 
this  office  two  years. 

Mr.  Miller  was  a  member  of  the  convention  which  passed  the 
nullification  ordinance,  as  well  as  that  which  assembled  to  rescind 
that  ordinance,  and  in  both  conventions  he  appears  to  have  acted  in 
a  moderate  way  with  the  nullifiers.  In  1835  Gov.  Miller  removed  to 
a  plantation  in  Mississippi,  which  he  had  previously  purchased,  taking 
with  him  a  large  number  of  slaves  for  its  cultivation.  He  was  and 
had  been  for  some  time  previously  in  precarious  health,  and  his  re-' 
moval  thither  was  doubtless  with  a  hope  of  restoration;  if  so,  it 
proved  a  delusive  hope.  After  a  manful  struggle  with  disease,  in 
which  his  natural  cheerfulness  of  disposition  was  an  important  ally, 
he  finally  obeyed  the  dread  summons,  March  8,  1838,  in  the  fifty-first 
year  of  his  age.  As  yet  his  family  had  not  joined  him,  and  he  died 
at  the  home  of  his  nephew,  Maj.  Charles  M.  Hart,  of  Raymond, 
Miss.  He  left  surviving  him  his  excellent  wife,  one  son  and  three 
daughters.  Of  his  three  sons  by  his  first  wife  only  one,  Elias  Dick 
Miller,  reached  manhood;  he  was  a  young  man  of  rare  qualities.  He 
entered  South  Carolina  college,  and,  among  his  fellow  students,  he 
was  the  object  of  love  and  admiration.     But  so  bright  and  promising 


126  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

an  example  of  manhood  was  not  to  be  spared,  and  he  died  in  his 
sophomore  year,  in  1832,  deeply  lamented  by  all  who  knew  him.  His 
death  was  the  cause  of  poignant  sorrow  on  the  part  of  his  father, 
from  the  effects  of  which  he  never  recovered.  Though  not  an  elo- 
quent speaker,  Mr.  Miller  was  an  able  advocate  at  the  bar,  and  was 
an  excellent  counselor.  As  a  member  of  the  state  legislature  and  in 
congress  he  wielded  an  extensive  influence.  In  private  life  he  was  an 
exemplary  citizen  and  a  true,  devoted  and  valued  friend. 

JUDGE    JOSEPH    N.    WHITNER. 

Joseph  N.  Whitner,  third  son  of  Joseph  and  Elizabeth  Whitner, 
was  born  at  his  father's  residence,  near  Pendleton  village,  in  South 
Carolina,  the  nth  day  of  April,  1799.  The  late  Gov.  Perry,  in  his 
"  Reminiscences,"  says  he  was  born  on  George's  creek,  in  Pickens 
district,  near  Greenville  Court  House,  where  his  father  then  resided. 
But  this  is  a  mistake.  Mrs.  North,  relict  of  John  L.  North,  told  the 
writer,  in  the  presence  of  Judge  Whitner,  that  he  was  born  in  the 
house  in  which  she  then  resided,  about  three  miles  from  Pendleton  vil- 
lage, which  his  father  had  previously  sold  to  Mr.  North,  and  in  which 
both  families  resided  until  Judge  Whitner's  father  could  build  a  fam- 
ily residence  on  an  adjoining  farm.  The  place  is  still  in  the  posses- 
sion of  one  of  the  relatives  of  Mrs.  North,  to  whom  she  devised  it. 
Pendleton  district  was  laid  out  as  one  of  the  municipal  subdivisions 
of  the  state,  by  act  of  the  legislature  in  1789,  and  Pendleton  village, 
established  as  the  district  seat  or  court  house  town,  thenceforth  be- 
came, for  more  than  half  a  century,  a  place  of  residence  for  the  gentry 
of  the  country,  and  a  favorite  summer  resort  for  many  of  the  wealthy 
families  of  Charleston  and  the  sea  coast.  Gen.  Pickens  and  Gen. 
Anderson,  of  Revolutionary  memory,  Mr.  John  C.  Calhoun  and  other 
distinguished  gentlemen,  made  their  homes  in  the  immediate  vicinity. 
And  the  Hugers,  Pinckneys,  Elliotts,  Stuarts,  and  other  families  from 
the  low  country',  had  their  houses  there.  Pendleton  village  had  its 
"circulating  library"  as  early  as  1S08,  of  which  Mr.  Joseph  Whitner, 
the  father,  was  for  some  time  a  trustee  or  commissioner,  and  its 
"jockey  club"  for  the  amusement  of  the  gentlemen  of  the  surround- 
ing country,  both  incorporated  by  act  of  the  legislature.  It  is  to  be 
presumed  from  the  general  intelligence  of  the  people  who  made  up 
the  communit}',  that  it  enjoyed  superior  educational  advantages. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch,  after  receiving  the  usual  preliminary 
education,  was  matriculated  at  the  South  Carolina  college  at  Colum- 
bia, the  capital  of  the  state,  and  was  graduated  with  distinction  from 
that  institution  in  the  class  of  1819.  I  lis  contemporaries  and  life-long 
friends,  Francis  Hugh  Wardlaw,  afterward  of  the  chancery  bench  of 
the  state,  was  graduated  from  the  same  class  with  the  first  honor, 
Judtre  D.  L.  Wardlaw,  of  the  law  bench,  in  the  class  preceding.  After 
graduating,  young  Whitner  read  law,  and  for  a  few  years  practiced 
his  profession  at  old  Cambridge,  in  Abbeville  district,  near  the  old 
British  fort  of  Ninety-Six,  of  the  war  of  independence.     While  resid- 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  I  27 

ing  here,  an  incident  occurred  in  his  life  which  strongly  illustrates 
the  natural  benevolence  of  his  character.  From  his  associations  at 
Pendleton,  he  perhaps,  naturally  acquired  a  fondness  for  horse-racing, 
in  that  day  a  favorite  sport  with  the  gentry,  and  which  had  not  fallen 
into  the  hands  of  professionals.  Hiring  from  a  friend  a  young  negro 
boy  to  ride  a  comparatively  untrained  colt  in  a  race  at  Cambridge, 
the  boy  was  thrown  and  had  one  of  his  legs  broken.  It  healed  one 
or  tw6  inches  shorter  than  the  other,  partially  maiming  the  boy  for 
life.  He  at  once  bought  the  boy,  made  him  his  body  servant,  and 
later  in  life,  his  coachman,  in  which  capacity  he  served  until  his  death, 
which  happened  only  a  few  years  before  that  of  his  master.  Leaving 
Cambridge,  which  was  situated  in  a  malarial  country,  he  returned  to 
Pendleton,  where  he  soon  afterward  formed  a  partnership  with  Judge 
Earle,  then  a  prominent  lawyer  and  solicitor  of  the  circuit.  In  a  short 
time  he  was  elected  a  representative  in  the  state  legislature,  and  sub- 
sequently, to  the  state  senate,  from  Pendleton  district. 

It  was  while  serving  in  the  state  senate  (1S26)  that  Pendleton  dis- 
trict was  sub-divided  into  the  districts  of  Anderson  and  Pickens,  a 
measure  in  which  he  took  a  deep  interest,  and  for  whose  success  he 
was  largely  instrumental.  In  1830  his  friend  and  associate,  B.  J. 
Earle,  was  elected  to  the  law  bench  of  the  state,  and  was  succeeded 
as  solicitor  by  Judge  Whitner,  who  continuously  filled  that  office 
until  1850,  when  he  was  himself  elected  to  the  same  bench.  His 
friend,  the  late  Gov.  Orr,  who  was  also  his  law  student,  said  of  him 
as  solicitor,  that  he  never  pressed  for  a  conviction  when  he  doubted 
the  guilt  of  the  accused,  and  the  result  was  that,  when  he  did,  he 
rarely  failed  to  carry  the  jury  with  him.  It  was  somewhere  about 
this  time  he  was  elected  brigadier-general  of  the  state  militia,  an 
office  much  sought  by  ambitious  young  men  of  the  day,  as  a  stepping 
stone  to  future  preferment;  and  thenceforth,  until  his  elevation  to  the 
bench,  he  was  popularly  known  as  '"Gen.  Whitner,"  and  so  adhesive 
were  these  old  militia  titles  that  it  stuck  to  him  with  many  of  his  old 
friends  among  the  masses  after  he  became  a  judge. 

In  fanuary,  1830,  he  was  married  to  Elizabeth  Hampton,  only 
daughter  of  Air.  James  Harrison,  a  gentleman  of  considerable  private 
fortune,  who  lived  at  the  old  town  of  Andersonville,  at  the  head  of 
the  Savannah  river,  and  carried  on  there  many  private  industries, 
besides  owning  a  large  mercantile  and  planting  interest.  By  this 
marriage  he  allied  himself  to  the  Hamptons,  Harrisons  and  Earles, 
all  prominent  families  in  the  state.  The  town  of  Anderson  (now 
a  city),  having  been  established  as  the  court  house  town  of  the 
new  district  of  Anderson,  Gen.  Whitner  removed  there  after  his 
marriage,  and  entered  upon  a  long  and  prosperous  career  at  the  bar, 
which  only  terminated  with  his  elevation  to  the  bench.  Only  once 
after  he  became  solicitor  was  his  name  presented  for  political  office, 
and  that  was  for  congress  in  1838,  during  the  sub-treasury  excite- 
ment, in  opposition  to  the  incumbent,  Gen.  Waddy  Thompson,  after- 
ward minister  to  Mexico,  under  Tyler's  administration.  He  was  in- 
duced to  make  the  race  by  Mr.  Calhoun  and  his  political  friends, 


128  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

much  against  his  own  wishes,  as  Gov.  Perry  says  in  his  sicetches,  and 
because  he  was  at  the  time,  perhaps,  the  most  popular  man  in  the 
congressional  district.  He  took  but  little  personal  interest  in  the 
race  and  few  regretted  his  defeat  less  than  he  did.  His  ambition 
was  in  the  line  of  his  profession.  He  was  the  warm  personal  and 
political  friend  of  Mr.  Calhoun,  and  after  the  latter's  death  was 
called  upon  more  than  once  to  act  as  the  confidential  friend  and 
adviser  of  his  widow  and  family. 

In  politics  he  belonged  to  the  states  rights  school,  was  a  nullifier 
in  1832,  a  delegate  to  the  southern  "  Co-operation"  convention,  that 
met  in  Nashville,  Tenn.,  in  1850,  and  a  member  of  the  secession  con- 
vention of  1860-  He  was  an  ardent  southern  man,  and  believed  that 
public  sentiment  of  the  northern  states  was  yearly  growing  stronger 
in  favor  of  a  centralized  government,  and  more  and  more  antagonis- 
tic to  the  interests  of  the  south.  He  was  therefore  earnestly  in  favor 
of  the  withdrawal  of  the  southern  states  from  the  Federal  union, 
and,  in  his  relation  of  private  citizen,  zealously  supported  the  south- 
ern Confederacy  while  he  lived.  With  these  views  and  at  his  time 
of  life,  it  was  perhaps  fortunate  for  him  that  he  did  not  survive  the 
final  issue,  and  was  spared  the  mortification  of  witnessing  the  degra- 
dation of  his  state  in  the  days  of  re-construction  and  the  first  few 
years  of  its  rehabitation  as  a  member  of  the  general  government. 
He  died  the  31st  day  of  March,  1864,  leaving  surviving  him  five  sons, 
all  of  whom  were  in  the  southern  army,  three  daughters,  and  his  wife. 
About  the  time  of  his  marriage  he  united  himself  to  the  Presbyter- 
ian church,  of  which  he  remained  through  life  a  most  exemplary 
and  devoted  member.  He  was  a  man  of  the  strongest  religious  con- 
victions, uniting  an  earnest  piety  with  a  broad  charit}'  and  large  be- 
nevolence. He  was,  indeed,  the  highest  type  of  the  Christian  gen- 
tleman, eminentl}'  just  in  his  dealings  with  others,  nicely  conscien- 
tious in  the  discharge  of  every  duty,  firm  and  unwavering  where 
principle  was  concerned,  yet  kind,  considerate  and  even  gentle  to  the 
faults  of  others.  The  Rev.  Dr.  Palmer,  formerly  of  this  state,  but 
now  of  New  Orleans,  his  intimate  friend,  spoke  of  him  in  his  funeral 
discourse  as  one  "  combining  all  the  firmness  of  a  man  with  the  gen- 
tleness of  a  woman."  Gov.  Perry  in  his  "  Reminiscences  "  says  of 
him:     "Judge  Whitner  was  one  of  the  kindest,   most    amiable    and 

best  of  men Never  was  there  a  more  conscientious  man  in 

the  discharge  of  all  his  duties  in  every  relation  of  his  life,  whether 
public  or  private."  Such,  in  brief,  was  his  character,  which,  with  his 
intellectual  endowments,  social  and  official  position,  secured  for  him 
a  commanding  influence  in  the  community  in  which  he  lived,  and 
caused  him  to  be  universally  regretted  when  he  died. 

B.    F.    WHITNER. 

Major  Whitner,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  was  reared  in  Ander- 
son, where  he  has  resided  all  his  life,  occupying  at  this  time  the  old 
family  homestead,  the  place  of  his  birth.     He  graduated  with  distinc- 


SOUTH    (AROMNA.  129 

tioii  from  the  South  Carolina  college,  in  1855.  He  at  once  took  up 
the  study  of  law  in  the  office  of  his  uncle,  Gen.  James  W.  Harrison, 
and  in  December,  1857,  was  admitted  to  the  bar.  He  immediately 
entered  into  partnership  with  his  uncle,  and  began  the  practice  of  his 
profession.  In  December,  1858,  he  married  Miss  Annie  Church,  of 
Athens,  Ga.,  youngest  daughter  of  Rev.  Dr.  Church,  chancellor  of  the 
Georgia  state  university.  In  1S60,  he  was  elected  a  member  of  the 
popular  branch  of  the  state  legislature,  and  was  an  interested  ob- 
server of  the  events  that  resulted  in  the  secession  of  his  state.  He 
entered  the  military  service  in  the  spring  of  1 861,  in  the  first  troops 
enlisted  by  his  state,  joining  a  company  commanded  by  his  brother, 
but  was  soon  called  to  the  staff  of  Gen.  M.  L.  Bonham,  who  com- 
manded the  first  state  troops  that  entered  Virginia,  and  formed  the 
nucleus  of  the  southern  army  that  fought  the  first  battle  of  Manassas. 
Upon  the  organization  of  the  southern  troops  into  the  Confederate 
army.  Gen.  Bonham  lost  his  command  as  a  major-general  of  state 
troops,  and  his  staff  was  disbanded.  Maj.  Whitner  having  returned 
home,  re-entered  the  service  in  the  spring  of  1862,  on  the  coast  of  his 
state,  where  he  remained  until  the  spring  of  1864,  when  he  joined  the 
army  of  northern  Virginia,  on  the  personal  staff  of  Gen.  M.  W.  Gary, 
who  commanded  a  brigade  of  cavalry.  Here  he  remained  until  a 
month  or  two  before  the  surrender  of  Gen.  Lee  at  Appomatox,  hav- 
ing participated  in  the  engagements  of  his  command  in  front  of  Rich- 
mond. At  the  close  of  the  war,  and  as  soon  as  the  courts  were  re- 
opened, he  resumed  the  practice  of  his  profession  in  his  native  village, 
and  has  devoted  himself  to  it  ever  since.  He  has  been  most  success- 
ful in  his  chosen  avocation,  and  ranks  as  one  of  the  ablest  lawyers  in 
the  upper  portion  of  the  state.  His  practice,  though  general  in  char- 
acter, has  turned  largely  to  the  equity  side  of  the  profession,  and  as 
an  equity  lawyer  he  holds  a  foremost  position,  being  generally  retained 
in  all  the  more  important  cases  on  that  side  of  the  court.  Enjoying 
a  lucrative  practice,  and  finding  in  his  profession  the  mental  stimulus 
and  intellectual  pursuit  congenial  to  his  taste,  he  has  never  largely 
entered  into  politics  on  his  own  behalf.  He  took  an  active  part  in 
the  Hampton  campaign  of  1876,  for  the  restoration  of  honest  govern- 
ment in  his  state.  He  was  once  a  candidate  for  the  state  senate,  and 
came  within  eleven  votes  of  securing  the  nomination  of  his  party  in 
the  primaries,  out  of  a  vote  of  about  3,500;  and  once  his  claims  were 
unsuccessfully  pressed  before  the  legislature  by  his  friends  for  a  posi- 
tion on  the  bench.  In  political  faith  he  is,  and  always  has  been,  a 
democrat,  thoroughly  imbued  with  its  leading  principles,  such  as  the 
right  of  local  self-government,  free  from  Federal  control,  and  a  tariff 
for  revenue  only.  He  has  been  prominent  in  the  councils  of  his  party, 
and  has  repeatedly  been  a  delegate  to  its  conventions,  both  local  and 
state.  In  1880  he  was  a  delegate  to  the  national  democratic  conven- 
tion that  nominated  Gen.  VV.  S.  Hancock  for  president. 

For  several  years  after  the  close  of  the  war   Major  Whitner  re- 
lieved   the  tedium  of    professional    life    by  engaging  more    or   less 
actively    in    farming,   though    rather   for    pleasure    than    for    profit. 
.\— 9 


130  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

While  engaged  in  this  pursuit  he  had  his  attention  directed  to  the 
necessity  of  a  change  of  the  law  (in  force  in  his  state,  from  its  first 
settlement),  which  required  cultivated  lands  to  be  fenced  in  and  per- 
mitted live  stock  to  run  at  large.  As  early  as  1S69,  he  began  to  ad- 
vocate the  change  of  confining  the  stock,  and  after  using  his  influence 
with  friendly  members  of  the  state  legislature,  and  actively  canvass- 
ing his  county  in  its  behalf,  had  the  satisfaction  of  seeing  the  present 
"stock  law,"  as  it  is  called,  adopted  in  his  own  county,  in  1878,  the 
pioneer  county  in  this  revolutionary  movement.  One  county  after 
another  adopted  it  until  finally  the  legislature  made  it  the  general 
law  of  the  state.  No  single  law  has  done  so  much  to  advance  the 
agricultural  interests  of  the  state,  and  some  of  Major  Whitner's 
friends  most  familiar  with  the  facts,  have  claimed  for  him  the  distinc- 
tion of  being  entitled  to  be  considered  the  author  of  the  agitation 
W'hich  led  to  its  adoption.  He,  himself,  concedes  that  others,  friendly 
to  the  measure,  did  fully  as  much,  if  not  more,  to  its  establishment  as 
a  law. 

Major  Whitner  took  an  active  interest  in  the  organization  of  the 
State  Bar  association,  of  which  he  is  still  a  member,  and  it  is  as  a 
lawyer  he  is  best  known  in  his  state.  He  was  one  of  the  originators 
and  directors  of  the  Savannah  Valley  railroad,  running  from  xVnder- 
son  to  Augusta,  and  continued  to  be  one  of  its  directors  until  consoli- 
dated with  the  Port  Royal  &  Western  Carolina  Railway.  He  was 
from  its  organization  its  general  counsel  until  the  consolidation,  and 
still  represents  it  as  local  counsel.  His  vyife  died  in  February',  1S76, 
leaving  surviving  her  six  children,  four  sons  and  two  daughters,  all 
of  whom  still  survive  except  the  oldest  daughter. 

HON.  A.    G.   MAGRATH. 

Andrew  Gordon  Magrath,  one  of  South  Carolina's  most  distin- 
guished jurists,  was  born  in  Charleston,  February  8,  1813.  As  his 
name  indicates,  Mr.  Magrath  is  of  Irish  descent,  his  father  having 
been  a  soldier  in  the  Irish  Rebellion  of  1798,  for  which  he  was  ar- 
rested by  the  British  government,  but  having  effected  his  escape 
fled  to  this  country,  where  he  engaged  in  merchandising  in  the  city 
of  Charleston,  and  died  at  a  most  advanced  age.  The  subject  of  our 
sketch  received  his  primary  education  at  Bishop  England's  school  in 
Charleston,  and  in  1829,  he  entered  in  the  South  Carolina  college, 
graduating  at  the  head  of  his  class  in  1831,  being  a  classmate  of  Rev. 
Dr.  James  H.  Thornwell,  the  distinguished  Presbyterian  divine.  He 
studied  law  under  the  celebrated  James  L.  Petigru,  and  in  1834,  en- 
tered the  law  school  at  Harvard  university,  graduating  under  the 
tutorage  of  Judge  Story.  In  1840,  he  was  elected  to  the  state  legisla- 
ture, and  was  called  upon  to  perform  a  similar  service  for  his  state  in 
1842,  at  the  expiration  of  which,  however,  he  retired  from  politics 
with  a  view  of  devoting  all  his  time  and  talent  to  his  increasing  law 
fjractice.  Upon  the  exciting  political  issues  of  the  day,  he  contributed 
largely  to  the  press,  the  most  famous  among  these  papers  being  a  de- 


^^"^^ 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  I3I 

fense  of  the  rights  of  slave-holding  states  in  newly  acquired  territory 
of  the  government. 

In  the  Taylor-Cass  carnpaign  he  supported  Taylor,  and  in  1856,  he 
was  elected  a  delegate  of  the  state  at  large  to  the  national  democratic 
convention  at  Cincinnati,  but  before  the  meeting  of  that  body,  he  was 
appointed  by  President  Pierce  as  district  judge  of  South  Carolina. 
He  remained  on  the  Federal  bench  until  i860  and  the  election  of 
President  Lincoln.  At  this  momentous  period  when  the  muttering  of 
national  discontent  began  to  find  expression  in  that  bitter  sentiment 
which  precipitated  the  war  and  disrupted  the  Union,  Judge  Magrath, 
consistent  with  his  loyal  southern  sentiments,  tendered  his  resigna- 
tion to  President  Buchanan,  on  November  7,  of  that  year.  In  his 
letter  of  resignation,  he  speaks  as  follows:  "*  *  *  Should  that 
conflict  arise,  I  shall  not  hesitate  in  my  conduct.  I  shall  devote  my 
best  energies  to  sustain  South  Carolina  in  whatever  position  she  may 
resolve  to  occupy  in  this  crisis."  It  must  be  said  that  the  resignation 
of  Judge  Magrath  was  the  first  official  overt  act  which  gave  expres- 
sion to  the  sentiments  of  the  state  and  determined  the  position  of 
her  eminent  men,  with  reference  to  the  terrible  conflict  that  came  all 
too  soon.  Wherever  the  news  of  his  resignation  was  heralded 
through  the  state,  it  was  received  with  the  wildest  demonstrations 
of  joy,  and  one  of  the  most  enthusiastic  and  largest  meetings  of  citi- 
zens ever  held  in  Charleston  was  the  one  which  met  to  ratify  and 
confirm  his  act  of  resignation. 

Immediately  following  this  Judge  Magrath  was  elected  a  dele- 
gate to  the  convention  which  passed  the  ordinance  of  secession,  and 
while  still  a  member  of  that  body  was  made  a  mem.ber  of  Gov.  Pick- 
ens' staff.  Upon  the  establishment  of  the  Confederate  government  he 
was  appointed  a  judge.  In  this  position  he  was  often  called  upon  to 
decide  questions  as  to  the  right  of  the  government  to  confiscate  the 
property  of  its  alien  enemies  with  reference  to  belligerent  vessels 
bearing  commissions  of  the  Confederate  states,  and  other'grave 
questions.  He  was  elected  governor  of  the  state  in  November,  1864, 
and  was  inaugurated  in  December  of  the  same  year.  That  event  is 
described  as  a  gala  day  for  the  people  of  South  Carolina.  Such  a 
concourse  of  people  was  never  seen  on  the  streets  of  Charleston  be- 
fore or  since,  and  within  the  sound  of  the  enemy's  guns  and  the 
range  of  his  shells,  he  was  proclaimed  governor  amid  the  shouts  of 
applause  of  his  loyal  people. 

The  inaugural  address  of  Gov.  Magrath  upon  that  occasion,  though 
too  extended  to  give  in  so  short  a  sketch  as  this,  deserves  to  rank 
among  the  masterpieces  of  forensic  eloquence  in  this  or  any  other 
age.  It  was  a  defense  of  his  people's  position,  a  masterly  disserta- 
tion upon  the  law  of  the  situation,  and  a  withering  arraignment  of 
the  invaders  of  the  state's  sovereignty.  It  reads  like  one  of  Burke's 
defenses  or  Bradshaw's  prosecutions,  and  more  beautiful  than  either, 
like  one  of  the  mosaic  word-paintings  of  Macaulay.  During  his  ten- 
ure of  the  gubernatorial  ofiftce.  South  Carolina  passed  through  purga- 
torial fires  of  her  existence.     Her  treasury  was  bankrupt,  the  foot  of 


132  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

the  northern  invader  was  upon  her  hearthstone,  his  mailed  hand 
was  at  her  throat,  and  her  substance  wasted  by  the  fortunes  of  an  un- 
equal war.  At  the  fall  of  the  Confederacy,  in  April,  1S65,  Gov.  Ma- 
grath  was  arrested  by  order  of  the  United  States  government.  His 
companions  in  prison  were  Hon.  R.  M.  T.  Hunter,  of  Virginia,  Hon. 
D.  L.  Yulle  and  Gov.  Allison,  of  Florida,  Gov.  Clark,  of  Mississippi, 
Hon.  G.  A.  Trenholm  and  Gen.  Mercer,  of  Georgia.  After  his  re- 
lease from  imprisonment  he  returned  to  Charleston  and  re-established 
himself  in  the  practice  of  the  law,  where  he  has  since  resided. 

THEODORE^  GAILLARD    BARKER, 

born  in  Charleston,  S.  C,  August  24,  1832.  On  his  mother's  side,  his 
ancestors  were  Scotch-Irish.  His  paternal  grandfather,  Joseph  Sanford 
Barker,  was  born  in  Rhode  Island,  and  there  connected  with  the  fam- 
ilies of  Rogers  and  Sanford,  of  New  England;  while  through  his 
father's  mother,  his  Gaillard  lineage  traced  to  the  emigrant,  Pierre 
Gaillard,  a  French  Protestant  refugee,  who  fled  from  France  upon 
the  revocation  of  the  edict  of  Nantes,  in  16S5,  and  settled  in  South 
Carolina.  The  spirit  of  "protest"  against  tyrannies,  thus  came  into 
his  blood  from  three  distinct  streams  of  Protestants  —  Irish,  English, 
and  French.  His  father  was  Samuel  Gaillard  Barker,  a  man  of  cul- 
ture, who  practiced  law  in  Charleston  for  a  number  of  years,  was  the 
partner  of  Mitchell  King,  and  the  contemporary  of  Hugh  S.  Legare, 
James  L.  Petigru,  Thomas  Grimke,  Benjamin  F.  Dunkin,  and  Edward 
McCrady.  Mr.  Barker,  the  elder,  retired  from  the  bar,  and,  after 
engaging  successfully  in  mercantile  pursuits,  ended  his  career  as  a 
cotton  planter  on  the  seaboard  of  South  Carolina.  His  son  was  in- 
debted to  his  father  for  the  best  part  of  his  education,  and,  from  his 
careful  training  and  teaching,  he  derived  his  highest  aspirations  in 
his  career  in  life.  The  subject  of  this  sketch  showed  a  certain  pre- 
cocity of  mind  in  his  early  childhood,  which  was  stimulated  by  his 
father's  intluence  to  a  degree  which  the  son  often  regretted  in  after 
years,  when  his  strength  came  to  be  tested  in  competition  with  older 
boys  and  men  in  life.  He  was  placed  at  a  man's  school  before  he 
reached  his  seventh  year.  From  his  seventh  to  his  fourteenth  year, 
he  spent  at  the  flourishing  school  of  an  English  teacher,  named  Chris- 
topher Cotes,  where  most  of  the  boys  of  wealthy  parents  of  Charleston 
and  the  seaboard  country  were  educated.  At  fourteen  years,  his 
classmates,  all  older  than  himself,  had  left  school  for  college  or  gone 
to  other  places.  A  year  was  spent  in  preparation  for  college,  under 
his  father's  direction,  and  the  private  tuition  of  Mr.  William  J.  Rivers, 
who  was  afterward  Prof.  Rivers.  At  fifteen,  he  entered  the  sopho- 
more class — ^near  the  end  of  the  sophomore  year — in  the  South  Car- 
olina college,  then  under  the  presidency  of  the  Hon.  William  C. 
Preston,  who  taught  elocution  and  belles  letters,  with  the  distin- 
guished divine,  James  1 1.  Thornwell,  as  professor  of  moral  ])hilosophy. 
At  the  age  of  seventeen,  Theodore  G.  Barker  was  graduated  in  the 
class  of  1849.     Among  his  classmates  were  Charles  H.  Simonton,  now 


yA-^^rz/^- 


''liZ^C^/ 


.>^^ 


BRANT*   FULLER    PUB? 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  1 33 

United  States  district  judge,  James  Conner,  known  to  fame  as  Gen. 
Conner,  and  Tliomas  J.  Glover,  who,  as  a  colonel  in  the  Confederate 
army,  was  killed  at  the  head  of  his  regiment,  in  the  second  battle  of 
Manassas.  Precluded  by  want  of  years  from  entering  the  bar  at  the 
same  time  with  his  college  classmates,  Mr.  Barker  spent  the  next  four 
years  in  the  study  of  law,  in  the  office  of  Hon.  Robert  Munro,  after- 
ward Judge  Munro,  and  engaged  also  in  teaching  school.  In  Decem- 
ber, 1853,  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar  and  practiced  law  in  Charleston, 
until  the  state  of  South  Carolina  seceded  from  the  Union  in  December, 
i860.  He  had  formed  a  co-partnership  with  Charles  H.  .Simonton,  a 
short  time  before  the  war  commenced,  under  the  firm  name  of 
Simonton  &  Barker.  When  the  state  seceded,  he  was  appointed 
adjutant  of  the  regiment  of  rifles  by  his  friend  Col.  J.  Johnston  I^etti- 
grew,  and  served  in  Castle  Pinckney,  at  Secessionville,  on  Morris 
Island,  and  on  Sullivan's  Island,  from  December,  i860,  until  after  the 
fall  of  Fort  Sumter,  in  April,  1861.  In  May,  1861,  the  Hampton 
legion  was  organized  under  Col.  Wade  Hampton,  Lt.-Col.  Ben. 
Johnson  and  Major  Griffin,  and  Lieut.  Barker  became  adjutant  of 
the  legion.  This  command,  having  been  organized,  left  Columbus, 
S.  C,  in  May,  1S61,  for  Richmond,  Va.,  where  the  troops  were  gath- 
ered in  camp  of  instruction  for  several  weeks  previous  to  the  first 
battle.  The  infantry  companies  of  the  Hampton  legion  reached 
Manassas  Junction  before  dawn,  on  the  morning  of  the  battle  of  Man- 
assas (known  also  as  the  battle  of  Bull  RunJ,  and  was  marched  at 
once  to  the  point  of  conflict  on  the  turnpike  road  in  front  of  the 
"  Robinson"  house.  It  there  remained,  engaged  in  the  fight,  near  the 
"Robinson"  and  "  Henry"  houses,  until  the  end  of  the  conflict,  and 
was  with  the  advance  line  of  Confederates  when  the  pursuit  of  the 
Federal  troops  was  stopped  after  sundown.  Mr.  Barker  continued  as 
adjutant  under  Col.  Hampton,  until  the  latter's  assignment  to  the 
command  of  a  brigade,  when  he  became  the  adjutant-general  of  Hamp- 
ton's cavalry  brigade,  with  the  rank  of  captain,  and  afterward  was 
adjutant-general  of  Hampton  cavalry  division,  with  the  rank  of  major, 
and  served  with  the  cavalry  of  the  army  of  northern  \'irginia  until 
the  war  ended. 

After  the  surrender  of  the  Confederate  armies,  Major  Barker  re- 
turned to  South  Carolina,  and,  as  soon  as  civil  life  was  re-estab- 
lished, resumed  the  practice  of  law  in  Charleston,  S.  C,  which  he 
pursued  until  his  withdrawal  from  practice  in  the  year  1890.  After 
the  war  the  law  partnership  of  Simonton  &  Barker  was  resumed,  and 
continued  until  1886,  when  Col.  Charles  H.  Simonton  was  elected 
judge  of  the  Federal  court.  The  career  of  the  firm  was  blessed  with 
a  relatively  full  measure  of  success.  In  1874  Mr.  Barker  was  led,  by 
a  taste  for  agricultural  life  and  by  a  chain  of  accidents,  to  invest  in 
rice  planting  on  Cooper  river,  beginning  with  the  effort  to  reclaim 
the  rice  lands  of  "  Mulberry"  plantation,  which  had  been  the  prop- 
erty of  his  grandfather,  Thomas  Milliken,  and  the  place  where  his 
holiday  months,  as  a  school-boy,  had  benn  spent.  His  planting  in- 
terests were  managed  by  an  agent,   Mr.  Peter  Nelson,  an  emigrant 


134  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

from  Denmark,  whom  chance  had  brought  to  Cooper  river,  after 
the  war,  and  who,  without  anything  in  previous  life  or  training  to 
adapt  liim  to  the  work,  developed  an  extraordinary  ability  in  the 
management  of  negro  labor,  under  the  new  order  of  things,  and  an 
unusual  skill  in  the  business  of  cultivating  rice.  To  the  faithful 
friendship  and  fidelity  of  Mr.  Nelson,  the  ventures  of  Mr.  Barker  in 
rice  planting  on  Cooper  river,  owed,  in  a  great  measure,  the  success 
which  attended  them,  and  which  induced  their  extension  to  a  wider 
range.  Mr.  Barker  also  purchased,  in  1879,  some  abandoned  rice 
lands  on  the  Edisto  or  Pon  Pon  river,  which  he  reclaimed  and  re- 
stored to  cultivation,  and  his  business  there  was  conducted  success- 
fully under  the  management  of  his  nephew,  Samuel  G.  Fitzsimons. 
These  ventures  were  not  suffered  to  interrupt  the  practice  of  the 
law,  and  Mr.  Barker  took  part  in  the  details  of  planting  only  oc- 
casionally, and  to  a  limited  extent,  until  he  retired  from  the  bar, 
in  i8qo. 

When,  during -the  threatening  and  anxious  days  of  what  is  known 
as  the  period  of  re-construction  in  South  Carolina,  the  attitude  of  the 
negro  population,  misled  by  political  adventurers,  constantly  menaced 
the  peace  and  good  order  of  society  in  Charleston,  and  along  the  sea- 
board, the  white  people  in  that  section  of  the  state  were  left  without 
the  protection  of  a  state  or  municipal  police  force;  indeed,  negro 
riots  were  frequent  and  the  negroes  were  tempted  and  goaded  into 
conflicts  with  the  white  people  by  a  political  army  of  the  worst  and 
most  radical  republican  leaders,  backed  by  the  power  of  the  United 
States  marshal  and  his  deputies,  the  state  sheriff  and  his  deputies, 
the  trial  justices  and  their  constabulary,  and  the  entire  city  police 
force,  all  of  which  forces  were  in  the  hands  of  aggressive  republicans, 
seeking  to  furnish  food  for  the  "  outrage  mills "  and  excuse  any 
argument  for  measures  of  military  despotism  and  political  tyranny, 
in  partnership  with  sectional  politicians,  in  the  pursuit  of  their  party 
purposes.  The  necessity  arose  for  some  organized  protection  of  the 
women  and  children  and  the  property  of  the  white  citizens  of 
Charleston,  and  gradually  a  volunteer  police  force  was  improvised  by 
the  formation,  at  first,  of  "  ward  clubs,"  and,  when  these  were  found 
not  to  be  effective,  afterward  of  "  rifle  clubs,"  which  during  the  daj'S 
of  radical  and  negro  rule  in  South  Carolina  continued,  from  iS6g  to 
1876,  to  be  the  onl^'  police  protection  of  the  white  population  against 
the  constant  threat  of  mob  violence  and  race  conflict.  Major  Barker, 
assisted  by  men  who  had  served  in  the  Confederate  army,  formed 
the  "Carolina  Rifle  club,"  in  Charleston,  in  1S69,  the  first  rifle  club 
organization  formed  in  the  state,  and  upon  the  model  of  which  all 
the  others  were  afterward  organized.  In  order  to  escape  the  inter- 
ference of  the  United  States  and  state  authorities,  and  of  the  repub- 
lican party,  these  rifle  clubs  had  to  be  formed  ostensibly  for  social 
purposes  and  for  rifle  practice,  and  the  fortunate  accident  of  the 
previous  existence  of  such  a  club  among  the  German  population  of 
Charleston,  was  used  as  the  pretext  for  similar  (purely  social)  clubs. 

Major  Barker  was  elected  the  first  president  of  the  Carolina  Rifle 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  135 

club  in  1869,  and   under  the  color  of  acting  as  an  escort,  on  their  an- 
nual festival,  to  the  German  Rifle  club  or  Schutzengeshellshaft  (an 
organization  which  had  been  formed  for  rifle  practice  and  social  en- 
joyment before  the  war),  the  first  parade  of  the  Carolina  Rille  clul) 
was  made.     It  was  the  first  parade,  after  the  war,  of  men  under  arms, 
in  the  state,  meaning  of  course  ex-Confederates.     It  was  resented  by 
the  radical  leaders  of  the  republican  party,  and  was  watched  jealously 
by  the  officers  of  the  city  police,  during  the  parade.     It  was  reported 
at  the  time  that  orders  were  actually  issued  to  arrest  the  officers  of 
the  Carolina  Rifle  club,  and  to  prevent  the  parade,  but  they  were  not 
carried  out.     In  the  stormy  days  of  1876,  these  rifle  clubs  had  in- 
creased in  numbers,  and  a  general  organization  of  all  the  clubs  under 
Gen.  James  Conner  had  been  formed,  with  a  view  to  possible  emer- 
gencies, requiring  a  protective  military  force.     In  the  absence  of  Gen. 
Conner  from  the  city,  in  the  summer  of  1876,  on  political  campaign 
duty,  in  the  upper  counties  of  the  state,  the  clubs  composing  this  or- 
ganization, had  been   directed  to  report  to  Major  Barker,  to  be  used 
in  a  certain  named  contingency,    "  of  which  ample  notice  would  be 
given,"  and  which,  it  was  thought,  might  arise  in  connection  with  the 
threat  of  the  radical  leaders  to  impose  a  negro  judge  upon  the  com- 
munity.    The  occasion  thus  anticipated  did  not  arise,  but  on  Septem- 
ber  4,    1876,    a    sudden   and    unexpected    negro   riot   broke    out    in 
Charleston,  at  ten  o'clock  at  night,  in  connection  with  an  angry  politi- 
cal meeting  in  one  of  the  wards  of  the  city.    It  was  wholly  unexpected 
so  far  as  the  whites  were  concerned,  but  was  evidently  pre-arranged 
by  the  leaders  of  the  negro  mob.    The  result  showed  that  the  negroes 
had  been  thoroughly  organized,  drilled,  and,   to  a  considerable  ex- 
tent  armed.     Their   system    of    communication,    and    of    extending 
notice  and  summons  to  meet,  were  singularly  perfect.     The  whites 
were   almost  without  organization,  wholly  without  drill  or  prepara- 
tion, and  were  poorly  armed,  as  was  discovered  after  the  emergency  was 
upon  them.   The  entire  upper  portion  of  the  city,  within  an  hour  after 
the  first  disturbance,  was  in  absolute  possession  of  a  howling  mob 
of  negroes,  who  occupied  the  streets,  attacking  white  men  whenever 
encountered,  and  threatening  the  lives  and  property  of  the  commu- 
nity.    An  attempt  was  made  by  Major  Barker  to  gather  together  an 
armed  force  of  volunteers  among  the  white  men  in  the  lower  wards, 
but  as  no  such  event  had  been  anticipated,  and  no  organization  or 
preparation  for  any  such  emergency  had  been  previously  made,  or 
thought  of,  and  as  no  plan  of  summoning  the  members  of  the  various 
rifle  clubs,  who  were  at  their  homes,  scattered  throughout  the  city, 
had  been  arranged,  the  effort  was  unsuccessful.     The  white  men  had 
all  gone  to  their  homes,  and  by  the  time  that  about  forty  men  had 
come  together  at  a  point  of  rendezvous,  directed  by  Major  Barker,  the 
riot  was  over  and  the  rioters  were  dispersing  to  their  homes.     The 
next  day  Major  Barker  began  the  work  of  organization  and  arming 
the  rifle  clubs,  and  preparing  to  meet  the  emergency,  as  well  as  times 
and  limited  means  allowed.     He  found  the  rifle  clubs  collectively  was 
an  organization,  existing  only  in  name,  and  that  in  most  of  the  clubs 


136  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

there  was  want  of  discipline,  and  that  they  were  generally  without 
arms  or  ammunition.  Notwithstanding  these  defects,  on  the  next 
night,  and  the  three  nights  following  the  riot,  detachments  of  these 
clubs,  infantry,  artillery  and  cavalry,  were  posted  in  different  parts  of 
the  city,  and  a  system  of  communication  with  headquarters  inaugur- 
ated. For  four  days  and  nights  the  white  men  of  these  organizations 
were  on  guard  for  the  protection  of  the  city,  and  although  the 
negroes  continued  to  be  aggressive  and  insulting,  and  the  blood  of 
the  white  men  was  roused  to  the  utmost  point  of  endurance,  the  pre- 
ventive measures,  which  were  taken,  and  which  were  maintained  by 
the  improvised  volunteer  force  acting  independently  of  the  consti- 
tuted authorities,  state  and  municipal,  were  happily  successful  in 
averting  further  rioting  and  bloodshed.  On  the  Sth  of  September, 
Gen.  Conner  returned  to  Charleston,  and  the  command  of  the  rifle 
clubs  was  resigned  by  Major  Barker  into  his  hands. 

Major  Barker  served  one  term  in  the  legislature,  as  a  representa- 
tive from  Charleston,  in  1866,  before  the  enforcement  of  the  re-con- 
struction acts  of  congress,  by  which  the  state  governments  were 
broken  up  by  the  military  power  of  the  United  States.  Be3ond  the 
episodes  of  the  war  and  of  the  period  of  re-construction,  which  have 
been  referred  to  above,  the  life  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch  has  been 
the  uneventful  one  of  a  lawyer  —  one  who  has  steadily  avoided  po- 
litical life  and  refused  public  office,  and  has  taken  part  in  political 
work  only  upon  special  occasion.  When  the  political  revolution  in 
the  state  government  was  commenced  in  1876,  by  what  is  known  as 
the  movement  of  the  straight-out  democrats,  under  the  leadership  of 
Gen.  Wade  Hampton,  as  the  candidate  for  governor,  against  Dan- 
iel H.  Chamberlain,  as  the  candidate  of  the  state  republican  party. 
Major  Barker  took  part  in  the  movement  and  in  the  public  speaking 
of  the  campaign.  After  the  election  of  Hampton,  when  the  contest 
began  in  the  courts,  and  the  memorable  campaign  of  lawsuits  was  en- 
tered upon,  involving  the  title  to  the  executive  and  legislative  de- 
partments of  the  state  government.  Major  Barker  joined  Gen.  James 
Conner,  Hon.  Leroy  F.  Youmans,  Major  John  T.  Rhett  and  other 
lawyers,  who  took  charge  of  the  legal  fight  at  Columbia,  and  partici- 
pated with  them  in  the  varied  issues  and  proceedings,  which  marked 
that  contest,  and  which  resulted  in  establishing  the  title  of  the  Hamp- 
ton government,  and  restored  white  supremacy  in  the  state  of  South 
Carolina. 

Major  Barker  w^as  a  delegate  from  Charleston  to  the  state  demo- 
cratic convention  in  1876,  which  nominated  Gen.  Wade  Hampton  as 
the  candidate  of  the  straight-out  democracy  for  governor,  with  a  full 
executive  legislative  and  congressional  ticket.  When  the  call  was 
made  in  the  congressional  convention  for  the  name  of  a  candidate 
for  congress  in  the  congressional  district,  in  which  Charleston  county 
was  included,  no  response  was  made.  One  gentleman  after  another 
was  nominated  and  declined,  and  the  report  of  the  congressional 
convention  was  on  the  point  of  being  made  to  the  general  conven- 
tion, with  no  candidate  from  the  low  country  to  oppose  the  republi- 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  I37 

can  nominee.  In  this  juncture  Major  Barker  nominated  himself,  and 
offered  to  make  the  contest,  which  was  then  believed  to  be  a  forlorn 
hope,  or  rather,  to  involve  certain  defeat.  At  the  same  time  he  an- 
nounced that  he  would  withdraw  in  favor  of  any  other  democrat  of 
good  character  who  would  make  the  race.  After  the  Hampton 
movement  began  the  complexion  of  affairs  changed  rapidly,  and  the 
democratic  ticket  was  launched  into  the  campaign  with  great  hopes 
and  promise  of  success.  In  the  course  of  a  few  weeks  the  Hon. 
M.  P.  O'Connor  consented  to  run  for  congress,  and  Major  Barker 
withdrew  in  his  favor.  Major  Barker  has  on  several  occasions  been 
urged  to  become  a  candidate  for  congress,  but  he  has  always  de- 
clined the  honor.  In  the  national  democratic  convention,  at  Cincin- 
nati in  iSSo,  Major  Barker  represented  the  state  of  South  Carolina, 
as  delegate  from  the  state  at  large,  along  with  Gen.  Wade  Hampton, 
Gen.  M.  C.  Butler  and  Gen.  John  Bratton  —  the  other  delegates 
from  the  state  at  large. 

MAJOR    WILLIAM    H.    BRAWLEY. 

Prominent  among  the  representative  men  of  South  Carolina  is 
Maj.  William  H.  Brawley,  a  leading  member  of  the  Charleston  bar, 
and  representative  to  congress  from  the  First  South  Carolina  con- 
gressional district.  Maj.  Brawley  is  a  native  of  South  Carolina,  and 
was  born  on  May  13,  1841,  at  Chester.  His  early  education  was  se- 
cured in  the  academy  at  Chester,  from  which  he  entered  South  Car- 
olina college,  at  Columbia,  where  he  was  graduated  in  1S60.  In 
April,  1S61,  he  entered  the  Confederate  army  as  a  private,  joining  the 
Sixth  regiment  of  South  Carolina  volunteers.  After  participating  in 
the  siege  of  Port  Sumter  his  regiment  was  ordered  to  Virginia,  and 
became  a  part  of  the  army  of  northern  Virginia.  With  the  regiment 
he  arrived  on  the  battlefield  of  the  first  Manassas  during  the  first 
day's  fighting,  and  after  that  engagement  was  with  his  regiment  until 
after  the  first  day's  fight  at  Seven  Pines,  where,  at  about  dark  on  that 
day,  he  was  so  seriously  wounded  in  the  right  arm  that  on  the  follow- 
ing day  the  member  was  amputated  below  the  elbow.  He  was  con- 
fined in  the  hospital  for  about  three  months,  and  then  returned  to 
his  home.  His  father  having  died  in  the  meantime,  Maj.  Brawley 
took  charge  of  the  plantation,  and  conducted  the  same  until  1864, 
when,  not  having  recovered  his  health,  he  determined  to  go  abroad, 
and  in  March  of  that  year  ran  the  Federal  blockade  at  Wilmington, 
and  went  to  Europe.  He  remained  abroad  until  November,  1S65, 
spending  most  of  the  time  in  London  and  Paris  and  traveling  on  the 
continent.  Upon  returning  home,  Maj.  Brawley  began  reading  law 
in  the  office  of  his  uncle,  Mr.  James  Hemphill,  at  Chester,  and  in 
May,  1S66,  was  admitted  to  the  bar.  Immediately  after  his  admission 
to  the  bar  he  formed  a  co-partnership  with  Mr.  Samuel  McAliley,  of 
Chester,  the  leading  lawyer  of  that  circuit.  In  1868,  Maj.  Braw- 
ley was  elected  solicitor  of  the  Chester  circuit,  and  was  re-elected 
in    1872.     In    1874   he    resigned    the   solicitorship    and    removed    to 


138  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

Charleston,    where    he    formed    a    co-partnership    in    law    with    the 
Hon.  W.  D.  Porter,  one  of  the  eminent  men  of  South  Carolina. 

Upon  the  dissolution  of  this  firm,  Major  Brawle}'  formed  a  part- 
nership with  Joseph  W.  Barnwell,  and  with  that  gentleman  continues 
to  practice  under  the  firm  name  of  Brawley  &  Barnwell.  In  1882, 
Major  Brawley  was  elected  to  the  state  legislature,  and  was  re-elected 
in  18S4,  1886,  18SS,  and  served  in  that  body  with  distinction.  He  re- 
signed his  seat  in  the  legislature,  and  in  1890  was  elected  to  represent 
the  First  congressional  district  in  the  fifty-second  congress.  Major 
Brawley  is  a  director  of  the  South  Carolina  R.  R.  Co.,  and  of  the 
Charleston  &  Savannah  R.  R.  Co.,  of  which  he  is  also  general  counsel. 
Major  Brawley  has  since  his  residence  in  Charleston  figured  as  one 
of  the  most  prominent  and  influential  citizens,  having  identified  him- 
self with  the  best  interests  of  the  city.  His  enterprise  and  public 
spiritedness  is  recognized,  as  he  has  always  been  ready  to  contribute 
his  share  toward  the  development  of  all  worthy  enterprises  calculated 
to  be  of  benefit  and  value  to  the  growth  of  Charleston.  As  a  lawyer 
Major  Brawley  ranks  among  the  leaders  of  the  local  bar,  being  able, 
eloquent  and  logical,  and  his  success  has  been  gratifying  to  his  friends. 
As  a  legislator  he  has  distinguished  himself  by  his  ability  and  faith- 
fulness to  duty,  which  he  discharges  in  an  independent  and  fearless 
manner,  always  looking  to  the  best  interests  of  those  whom  he  rep- 
resents. So  far  his  life  has  been  eminently  successful,  and  that  his 
future  may  be  a  continuation  of  success  and  advancement  is  the  wish 
of  his  many  friends. 

GENERAL  JAMES  CONNER. 

General  James  Conner,  son  of  the  late  Henry  W.  Conner,  was 
born  in  Charleston  on  the  ist  of  September,  1829.  He  was  graduated 
at  the  South  Carolina  college  in  1849,  ''i  the  same  class  with  Col.  D. 
Wyatt  Aiken,  M.  C,  Maj.  Theodore  G.  Barker,  Col.Chas.  H.  Simon- 
ton,  and  Judge  William  H.  Wallace.  After  his  graduation  he  read 
law  under  the  Hon.  James  L.  Petigru,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  on 
January  22,  1852.  His  knowledge  of  his  profession  and  his  ability'  as 
a  pleader  were  speedily  recognized,  and  in  1856  he  was  appointed 
United  States  district-attorney  for  the  district  of  South  Carolina,  the 
Hon.  A.  G.  Magrath  then  being  district  judge.  Soon  after  his  ap- 
pointment a  number  of  novel  and  highly  important  questions  were 
presented  for  adjudication  in  relation  especially  to  the  slave  trade. 
District-Attorney  Conner  conducted  the  prosecution  of  Capt.  Corrie 
in  the  proceedings  in  regard  to  the  Wanderer,  which  had  brought  a 
cargo  of  slaves  to  this  state.  He  also  prosecuted  Judge  T.  J.  Mackey 
for  participation  in  the  filibustering  e.xpedition  of  Gen.  Walker,  "the 
grey-eyed  man  of  destiny."  In  the  discharge  of  his  arduous  duties, 
District-y\ttorney  Conner  justified  the  expectation  of  those  who  had  the 
highest  opinion  of  his  talent  and  his  industry.  In  December,  i860, 
the  political  agitation  in  the  state  and  the  expected  withdrawal  of  the 
state  from  the  Union,  caused  Gen.  Conner  to  resign  the  office  of  dis- 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  I  3Q 

trict-attorney.  In  tendering  his  resignation  he  said:  "  P"or  all  that 
has  been  done  I  have  neither  apology  to  make  nor  explanation  to  of- 
fer. The  record  is  clear  and  speaks  for  itself.  What  the  future  will 
bring  forth,  none  can  tell.  The  reasons  which  have  governed  me  in 
the  present  step  are  satisfactory  to  my  own  judgment.  It  is  neither 
necessary  nor  appropriate  further  to  allude  to  them  within  the  walls 
of  a  court  of  justice."  Afterward  Gen.  Conner  was  a  member  of  a 
committee,  consisting  of  himself.  Judge  Magrath,  and  the  Hon.  W.  F. 
Colcock,  who  were  charged  to  visit  Columbia  and  urge  the  legisla- 
ture, then  in  session,  to  call  a  convention  of  the  people  to  consider 
the  necessity. of  immediate  secession.  From  the  time  of  the  passage 
of  the  secession  ordinance.  Gen.  Conner  took  no  active  part  in  poli- 
tics, but  applied  himself  with  characteristic  energy  to  preparation 
for  active  service  in  the  army.  Upon  the  formation  of  the  Con- 
federate States  government,  Gen.  Conner  was  appointed  Confeder- 
ate States  district-attorney  for  this  district.  He  declined  positively  to 
leave  the  field,  and  the  duties  of  the  office  were  discharged  by  Mr.  C. 
Richardson  Miles  and  Col.  Samuel  Lord,  Jr.,  Gen.  Conner  remaining 
titular  district-attorney.  Gen.  Conner  went  into  service  as  captain  of 
the  Montgomery  guards,  and  in  May,  1861,  was  chosen  captain  of 
Company  A,  Washington  Light  Infantry,  Hampton  Legion.  On 
July  21,  1861,  he  became  major,  and  in  June,  1S62,  he  was  appointed 
colonel  of  the  Tw'enty-second  North  Carolina  regiment.  Being  dis- 
abled for  field  duty,  he  was  detailed  as  one  of  the  judges  of  the  mili- 
tary court  of  the  Second  corps,  with  the  rank  of  colonel  of  cavalry. 
On  June  ist,  1S64,  he  was  commissioned  brigadier-general,  and  by  as- 
signment, commanded  McGowan's  brigade  and  Lane's  brigade.  Sub- 
sequently, as  acting  major-general,  he  commanded  a  division  consist- 
ing of  the  brigades  of  McGowan,  Lane,  and  Bushrod  Johnson.  On 
the  return  of  Gen.  McGowan  to  duty,  Gen.  Conner  was  assigned  per- 
manentl}'  to  the  command  of  Kershaw's  old  brigade.  Gen.  Conner  was 
in  the  following  engagements:  Fort  Sumter,  in  1861,  First  Manassas, 
Yorktown,  New  Stone  Point,  West  Point,  Seven  Pines,  Mechanicsville, 
Chancellorsville,  Riddle's  .Shop,  Darby's  Farm,  Fussell's  Mill,  Peters- 
burg, Jerusalem  Plankroad,  Ream's  Station,  Winchester,  Fort  Repub- 
lic and  Cedar  Run.  Gen.  Conner  was  severely  wounded  in  the  leg 
at  the  battle  of  Mechanicsville,  on  June  26,  1862,  and  was  again 
wounded  in  the  same  leg  at  Cedar  Run,  on  October  12,  1864,  when 
amputation  became  necessary.  Returning  to  Charleston  when  hos- 
tilities had  ceased,  he  resumed  the  practice  of  his  profession,  forming 
a  co-partnership  with  the  Hon.  W.  D.  Porter.  This  co-partnership 
was  dissolved  in  1874.  Gen.  Conner  was  assistant  counsel  of  the 
South  Carolina  railroad  until  the  death  of  Mr.  Petigru,  whom  he  suc- 
ceeded as  solicitor  of  the  road,  and  continued  to  hold  that  position 
until  the  appointment  of  a  receiver  by  the  United  States  court,  in  1878. 
He  was  also  solicitor  for  the  bank  of  Charleston  from  the  time  of  Mr. 
Petigru's  death.  In  November,  1878,  Gen.  Conner  was  appointed  re- 
ceiver of  the  Greenville  &  Columbia  railroad  company,  and  managed 
that  important  line  successfully  and  to   the  complete   satisfaction  of 


I40  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

the  public,  until  it  was  acquired  by  the  present  Columbia  &  Green- 
ville railroad  company.  Gen.  Conner  was  elected  one  of  the  directors 
of  the  new  company,  and  appointed  the  company's  general  counsel. 

At  the  bar  Gen.  Conner  was  distinguished  by  qualities  and  habits 
which  are  far  from  common.  Approaching  every  case  with  an  un- 
biased mind,  and  forming  his  opinion  of  its  merits  without  regard  to 
his  own  immediate  interests  or  the  feelings  of  his  client,  there  was  no 
danger  that  he  would  leave  those  whom  he  represented  In  false  se- 
curity. They  were  made  acquainted  with  the  weakness  as  well  as 
the  strength  of  their  position,  and  could  then  decide  for  themselves 
whether  to  proceed  or  not.  In  the  preparation  of  cases  he  was  pains- 
taking and  exact,  working  with  a  method  which  insured  good  results. 
Order  was  the  first  law  of  his  nature.  But  he  was  more  than  methodi- 
cal and  orderly.  To  quickness  of  apprehension,  he  added  extraordi- 
nary clearness  in  the  presentation  of  a  subject.  His  arguments  were 
strong  and  compact,  as  well  as  clear.  Yet  they  were  not  cold.  When 
opposition  quickened  the  flow  of  blood  in  his  veins  and  he  felt  that 
fierce  joy  of  the  combat  which  is  the  inheritance  of  his  race,  the  words 
rushed  from  his  lips  with  the  overwhelming  force  of  the  avalanche. 
It  was  noticeable  that  in  law,  as  in  war  and  in  politics,  he  was  emi- 
nently a  fair  fighter.  Sharp  practice  of  every  sort  he  abhorred.  No 
court  was  ever  misled  by  him,  and  he  could  no  more  misquote  a  case 
than  he  could  misstate  a  fact.  That  he  was  courageous  and  uncom- 
promising as  an  advocate,  it  is  unnecessary  to  say. 

The  capacity  for  business  which  stood  Gen.  Conner  in  good  stead 
at  the  bar,  found  ample  scope  while  he  was  receiver  of  the  Greenville 
&  Columbia  railroad.  Mastering  the  details,  and  comprehending  and 
applying  the  principles  of  railroad  management,  he  held  his  own  with 
ease  amongst  men  who  had  made  railroads  the  study  of  their  lives. 
There  are  men  whose  minds  are  narrowed  by  the  practice  of  law,  but  he 
was  not  one  of  these.  In  the  management  of  a  railroad  as  at  the  bar, 
the  forms  and  methods  of  action  were  his  servants,  not  his  masters. 
And  so  was  it  throughout  his  career  in  war.  The  first  step  was  to  pre- 
pare thoroughly  for  the  expected  work.  While  others  were  speech- 
making  and  debating.  Gen.  Conner  was  studying  tactics  and  strategy. 
A  civilian  all  his  life,  saving  his  command  of  a  volunteer  company, 
the  Montgomery  guards  of  Charleston,  he  went  into  active  service 
an  instructed  soldier. 

Promotion,  as  we  have  shown,  came  to  Gen.  Conner  quickly.  Cool, 
self-reliant,  quick  to  decide  and  prompt  to  move,  he  was  implicitly 
trusted  by  his  men  as  well  as  by  his  superior  officers.  Upon  the 
wounding  of  Gen.  (then  colonel)  Hampton  at  the  first  battle  of  Man- 
assas, the  command  of  the  legion  was  given  by  Col.  Hampton  to 
Capt.  James  Conner,  the  senior  officer  present.  He  led  the  legion  in 
the  charge  in  which  Ricketts's  battery  was  captured.  With  each  suc- 
cessive engagement.  Gen.  Conner's  reputation  grew  brighter.  The 
wound  he  received  at  Mechanicsville  was  severe  and  painful,  but  he 
refused  to  accept  promotion  to  the  rank  of  brigadier-general  until  he 
should  l)e  able  to  take  command  in  the  field. 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  141 

General  Conner  received  repeated  marks  of  the  esteem  and  trust 
of  Gen.  Lee,  and  by  him,  under  peculiarly  flattering  circumstances, 
he  was  placed  in  command  of  Kershaw's  old  brigade.  The  brigade 
knew  him  and  liked  him,  and  the  improvement  in  the  morale  of  the 
command  was  so  rapid  and  marked  as  to  attract  general  attention. 
When  he  received  the  wound  which  permanently  disabled  him,  the 
grief  of  the  command  was  intense,  men  in  the  ranks  crying  out  that 
they  would  cheerfully  have  given  their  life  to  save  his.  It  must  not 
be  supposed  that  he  won  popularity  by  undue  indulgence.  On  the 
contrary  he  was  rigid  in  his  requirements.  Every  officer  and  soldier 
was  required  to  know  his  duty,  and  do  it,  and  severe  punishment  fol- 
lowed swiftly  after  any  omission  or  neglect.  But  his  requirements 
never  went  beyond  what  was  strictly  necessary  to  make  the  command 
an  effective  weapon,  and  the  soldiers  knew  that  their  general  asked 
from  them  no  sacrifice  he  himself  did  not  gladly  make.  While  Gen. 
Conner  had  not  military  genius,  he  was  the  arm  with  which  genius 
strikes,  and  it  can  not  be  doubted  that  only  his  honorable  wounds 
prevented  him  from  rising  to  a  higher  rank  than  that  which  he  attained. 
This  was  his  ambition.  In  no  undertaking  was  he  willing  to  halt  short 
of  the  farthest  point  to  which  study,  earnestness  and  fidelity  could 
carry  him. 

To  the  people  of  South  Carolina  Gen.  Conner  was  justly  dear,  and 
at  no  time  did  his  popularity  wane.  The  people  trusted  him,  and 
among  the  battle-scarred  heroes  of  the  state,  few,  if  an}',  were  nearer 
to  the  public  heart.  For  political  ofiice  he  had  no  liking,  and  while 
he  was  always  ready  to  give  his  assistance  to  his  fellow-countrymen, 
he  was  disposed  to  hold  aloof  from  the  intrigues  of  conventions  and 
the  contentions  of  political  canvasses.  In  1870,  however,  he  went  ac- 
tively into  the  state  canvass,  m  behalf  of  the  union  reform  ticket, 
Gen.  M.  C.  Butler  (now  United  States  senator)  being  the  candidate 
for  lieutenant-governor.  To  what  is  known  as  the  straight-out  move- 
ment in  1876,  culminating  in  the  nomination  of  Gen.  Hampton  as  the 
democratic  candidate  for  governor,  Gen.  Conner  was  steadily  opposed. 
In  his  view  the  needed  reforms  could  be  more  surely  reached  by  ab- 
staining from  making  a  party  nomination  for  governor,  and  concen- 
trating the  party  strength  upon  the  election  for  members  of  the  leg- 
islature. This  he  believed  to  be  wiser  than  to  stake  the  fortunes  of 
the  democracy  and  the  hopes  of  the  people  on  the  election  of  a  full 
democratic  ticket,  which  would  require  the  campaign  to  take  the  shape 
and  encounter  the  hazards  of  political  revolution.  He  consented  to 
be  B.  delegate  to  the  state  convention  which  met  in  May,  1876,  in  order 
that  his  influence  might  be  thrown  against  premature  nominations. 
On  the  floor  he  was  pitted  against  Gen.  Gary,  who  advocated  the 
adoption  of  resolutions  committing  the  democracy  to  the  nomination 
of  "straight-out  democrats  for  the  state  and  Federal  offices."  Gen. 
Conner  advised,  in  a  speech  that  was  listened  to  with  the  deepest 
attention,  that  no  policy  should  then  be  declared,  but  that  the  party 
should  go  on  and  make  its  organization  as  thorough  and  effective  as 
possible,  and  "wait  and  watch  the  development  of  events."     This 


142  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

course  was  taken,  and  Gen.  Conner  was  elected  chairman  of  the  state 
democratic  executive  committee.     In  August,  a  second  convention  of 
the  democratic   party  met  in  Columbia,  and   nominated  a  full  demo- 
cratic ticket,  with  Gen.  Hampton  at  the  head.     The  opinions  of  Gen. 
Conner   had   not  changed,  but   he  acquiesced  in  the  decision  of  the 
convention,  and,  in  token  of  his  readiness  to  cast  his  lot  with  that  of 
his  people  accepted  the  nomination  for  attorney-general.     From  that 
time  he  was  the  principal  adviser  of  Gen.   Hampton,  going  into  the 
struggle  without  grudging  the  cost.    The  history  of  the  canvass  need 
not  be  recounted  here.     For  the   immediate  purpose  it  is  enough  to 
say  that  in  Charleston,  Gen.  Conner  was  a  tower  of  strength  to  the 
people.     During  the  excitement  caused  by  the  Cainhoy  massacre  and 
the  negro  riots  before  and  after  the  election,  he  was  in  command  of 
the  rifle  clubs  which   had   dispersed,  to   outward   appearance,  at  the 
mandate  of  President   Grant.     They  kept  guard   in   their  armories 
night   after  night  for  anxious  months,  and  were  the  only  protection 
the  people  had,  and  the  only  guaranty  of  order  and  security.     Gen. 
Conner  was  the  controlling  spirit.     It  was  said  of  him  then  that  there 
were  other  men  in  the  state  whose  command  would  unhesitatingly  be 
obeyed  when  they  ordered  an  advance,  but  that  at  Gen.  Conner's 
word   the  column  would  instantly  halt,  whatever  the  impetuosity  of 
the  charge.     He  could  restrain  where  others  could  only  stimulate  and 
excite.     It   needed  rare  self-control  to  be  silent  and  passive  in  those 
fearful  days.     No  influence  less  powerful  than  that  of  Gen.  Conner 
could  have  saved  Charleston  from  the  horrors  of  civil  war.     The  elec- 
tion over  and  won,  the  next  task  was  to  secure  the  results  of  the  vic- 
tory.    Gov.  Chamberlain  claimed  that  he  was  elected,  and  he  was 
hedged  about  with  bayonets.     The  strain  was  terrible.     Gen.  Conner 
was  the  official  counselor  of  Gen.  Hampton  and  his  colleagues,  and 
there  was  hardly  a  day  when  a  bloody  struggle  might  not  have  been 
precipitated  by  some  careless  act.     For  contests  in  the  courts  and  for 
armed  conflicts  it  was  necessary  to  be  equally  prepared.    At  last  Gen. 
Hampton  took  possession  of  the  state  house,  the  United  States  troops 
having  been  withdrawn.     There  was  then  in  prospect  a  long  contro- 
versy with  such  of  the   republican  candidates  as  remained  in  their 
offices,  still  asserting  that  they  had  been  elected.     Throughout  the 
proceedings   from  first  to  last  —  now  in   Columbia  before   the  state 
board  of  canvassers,  now  in  Washington  in  conference  with  the  dem- 
ocratic senators,  now  in  the  United  States  court  and  the  supreme  court 
of  the  state,  now  in  Charleston  attending  to  such  private  business  as 
could  not  be  neglected  —  Gen.  Conner  was  incessantly  at  work.    None 
could  surpass  him  in  his  fidelity  to  his  chief.  Gen.  Hampton,  or  in  his 
loyalty  to  the  state.     He  resigned  the  office  of  attorney-general  in 
December,  1877. 

In  transmitting  the  resignation  of  Gen.  Conner  to  the  legislature 
Gov.  Hampton  said:  "The  arduous  duties  of  this  officer  have  been 
discharged  with  a  zeal,  energy  and  patriotism,  which  could  not  have 
been  surpassed,  while  his  counsel  has  been  of  incalculable  assistance 
to  me  during  the  past  year.     I  le  has  won  the  respect,  esteem  and  affcc- 


c/Z-^i^^-^2:^ 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  I43 

tion  of  our  people,  and  he  will  carry  to  his  retirement  the  confidence  of 
all  with  whom  he  has  been  associated,  as  well  as  the  consciousness  of 
having  done  his  whole  duty."  The  general  assembly  adopted  the  fol- 
lowing concurrent  resolution: 

"  VViiEKKAS,  This  general  assembly  has  received  notice  of  the  res- 
ignation of  Atty.-Gen.  Conner,  and,  whereas,  it  is  the  sense  of  the 
general  assembly  that  General  Conner  has,  in  the  conduct  of  the  ar- 
duous and  delicate  duties  entrusted  to  him,  deserved  the  gratitude  of 
this  state.     Therefore, 

''Be  it  resolved.  By  the  house  of  representatives,  the  senate  con- 
curring, that  the  thanks  of  this  general  assembly  are  hereby  tendered 
to  Atty.-Gen.  Conner  in  the  name  of  the  people  of  this  state." 

The  words  of  Gov.  Hampton  and  the  terms  of  the  resolution  of 
the  general  assembly  expressed,  as  such  utterances  rarely  do,  both 
the  sentiments  of  the  individual  and  the  feeling  of  the  state. 

From  the  time  of  his  resignation  as  attorney-general,  Gen.  Conner 
refused  to  entertain  any  proposition  to  nominate  him  for  any  public 
ofifice.  His  only  subsequent  appearance  in  state  politics,  we  believe, 
was  as  a  delegate  to  the  state  convention  of  1880,  when  he  advocated 
the  immediate  nomination  of  candidates  for  state  offices.  The  con- 
vention decided  to  do  this,  and  Gen.  Hagood  and  his  colleagues  be- 
came the  candidates  of  the  party.  It  was  earnestly  desired  that 
Gen.  Conner  should  become  a  candidate  for  chief-justice  of  the  state, 
upon  the  expiration  of  the  term  of  Chief-Justice  Willard.  But  he  was 
not  at  liberty  so  to  dispose  of  his  remaining  years.  The  wound  he 
had  received  in  1864  exhausted  his  strength,  and  he  was  attacked  by 
a  disease  which  could  have  no  other  than  a  fatal  termination.  It  was 
his  duty,  he  felt,  to  devote  the  rest  of  his  days  to  making  a. suitable 
provision  for  those  dependent  on  him,  and  to  this  end  he  bent  every 
energy  of  his  nature,  working  with  a  restless  assiduity  that  would 
have  exhausted  many  a  more  robust  man.  There  was  no  regard  for 
self,  no  thought  that  hy  sparing  himself  his  life  might  be  prolonged. 
It  seemed  that  he  was  determined  not  to  die  until  his  self-imposed 
task  should  be  accomplished,  and  with  iron  will  and  grim  tenacity  he 
labored  on  in  defiance  of  physical  weakness  and  the  pain  by  which  he 
was  racked. 

JUDGE   EDWARD   FROST. 

Judge  Edward  Frost,  deceased,  was  one  of  the  prominent  and  rep- 
resentative men  of  his  day.  In  South  Carolina,  he  having  achieved 
distinction  at  the  bar,  upon  the  bench  and  in  the  legislative  halls  of 
his  state,  as  well  as  in  the  private  walks  of  life.  He  was  born  in 
Charleston,  in  iSoi,  and  was  the  son  of  the  Rev.  Thomas  Frost,  the 
well-known  Episcopal  minister  of  that  city.  After  spending  two 
years  at  Yale  college  Judge  Frost  read  law,  and  while  still  a  young 
man,  in  1823,  was  admitted  to  the  bar.  He  at  once  entered  upon  the 
practice,  and  for  twenty  years  was  one  of  the  leading  and  most  suc- 
cessful members  of  the  South  Carolina  bar.  He  took  an  active  part 
in  public  affairs;  served  as  United  States  district-attorney  until  1832, 


144  SOUTH   CAROLINA. 

when  he  resigned;  at  an  early  period  in  his  career  he  was  elected  to 
represent  Charleston  in  the  state  legislature,  and  was  repeatedly  re- 
elected, serving  until  1S43,  when  he  resigned.  He  was  twice  elected 
chairman  of  the  Charleston  delegation,  which  was  an  uncommon 
evidence  of  popularity,  and  was  also  chosen  chairman  of  the  house 
judiciary  committee,  a  position  he  filled  with  great  acceptance  and 
ability,  discharging  the  functions  of  that  distinguished  post  with 
learning  and  judgment  of  rare  order.  In  1843  he  was  elevated  to 
the  law  bench  of  the  state  for  life,  where  he  sat  with  the  eminent 
men  who  then  composed  that  bench.  In  1853  Judge  Frost  resigned 
the  position  upon  the  bench,  after  ten  years  of  faithful  and  valuable 
service  to  his  state,  and  the  following  year  was  elected  president  of 
the  Blue  Ridge  railway  company,  which  was  at  that  time  the 
largest  enterprise  ever  undertaken  in  the  state.  His  interest  in  in- 
ternal improvements  in  South  Carolina  was  warm  and  decided,  and 
the  completion  of  the  Blue  Ridge  railway  by  which  the  products  of 
the  west  might  be  brought  to  Charleston,  was  an  object  of  his  earn- 
est devotion,  and  to  which  he  gave  much  of  his  time  and  ability.  But 
the  beginning  of  hostilities  between  the  north  and  south  put  a  stop 
to  the  construction  of  the  road,  and  after  the  war,  when  the  hope  of 
completing  the  same  had  passed,  his  private  affairs  were  pressing 
him,  and  Judge  Frost  resigned  the  presidenc}'  of  the  company. 
Judge  Frost  was  one  of  a  committee  sent  from  South  Carolina  to 
Washington  after  the  war,  to  interview  President  Johnson  as  to  the 
establishment  of  a  provisional  government  in  the  state,  and  the  elec- 
tion of  a  governor.  He  was  a  member  of  the  state  convention  in 
1865,  to  form  a  new  constitution  for  South  Carolina,  and  participated 
extensively  in  the  heated  debates  of  that  convention,  which  was  com- 
posed of  the  ablest  men  in  the  state.  He  opposed  the  black  code  law, 
passed  by  that  convention,  and  offered  a  resolution  against  the  same 
which  was  supported  by  himself  and  one  other  delegate  only.  Judge 
Frost  died  on  July  21st,  1868.  Few  men  enjoyed  such  universal 
popularity,  and  all  his  acquaintances  were  friends.  From  his  youth 
he  was  beloved  and  esteemed  by  his  fellow  citizens  for  the  purity  of 
his  character,  the  elevation  of  his  sentiments  and  his  unswerving 
truthfulness  and  fidelity.  As  a  judge,  he  was  learned,  able  and  fear- 
less, and  his  administration  of  the  law  was  characterized  with  such 
purity  and  integrity  as  have  not  been  surpassed  by  any  magistrate  upon 
whose  shoulders  rested  the  ermine.  He  was  one  of  the  chief  men 
of  his  state,  and  gave  tone  and  character  to  a  community.  Con- 
scientiousness, a  sense  of  duty  and  a  reverence  for  the  right  controlled 
all  his  actions.  His  fellow  citizens  had  unbounded  confidence  in  his 
motives  and  the  e.xcellence  of  his  judgment.  As  a  citizen  and  mag- 
istrate he  performed  every  duty  and  filled  every  relation,  not  only 
without  reproach,  but  with  perfect  acceptance. 

COLONEL  JAMES  SIMONS 

was  Ijorn  in  Charleston,  S.  C,  on  November  30,  1839.  1  lis  early  edu- 
cation was  received  at  private   schools   in   the   city,  and   he   entered 


QaA^  UUl/u>OC  9'   ^LlJ-u^  (XaJU 


BRANT&FLI 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  145 

the  South  Carolina  college  in  December,  1856.  lie  left  the  South 
Carolina  college  in  1858  and  went  to  the  university  of  Leipzic,  where 
he  completed  his  classical  education.  In  1S60  he  left  Germany 
and  returned  to  Charleston,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  just  at  the 
opening  of  the  war.  He  volunteered  for  the  war  and  was  elected 
first  lieutenant  of  the  German  volunteers,  a  company  raised  by  the 
Germans  of  Charleston  for  the  army  of  north  Virginia.  The  com- 
pany was  assigned  as  Company  H,  to  the  infantry  battalion  of  Hamp- 
ton's Legion.  The  company  was  afterward  changed  into  an  artillery 
company,  and  served  in  Virginia  until  near  the  close  of  the  war,  when 
it  was  ordered  south.  At  the  close  of  the  war  Capt.  Simons  was  in 
command  of  the  company.  After  the  war  Capt.  Simons  commenced 
the  practice  of  law  with  his  father,  Gen.  James  Simons,  under  the 
firm  name  of  Simons  &  Simons,  and  during  the  past  few  years  has 
been  practicing  his  profession  as  a  member  of  the  firm  of  Simons  & 
Siegling.  Capt.  Simons  was  elected  by  the  democrats  to  the  legisla- 
ture in  1S78  from  Charleston  county,  and  in  18S0  he  was  re-elected, 
and  was  chairman  of  the  Charleston  delegation.  In  the  house  of 
representatives  Capt.  Simons  has  been  a  member  of  the  judiciary 
committee  and  was  chairman  of  the  committee  on  rules.  As  chair- 
man of  such  committee  he  reported  the  rules  under  which  the  house 
is  now  governed.  He  was  again  returned  to  the  legislature  from  this 
county  in  1882,  and  was  elected  speaker  of  the  house  that  year.  Mr. 
Simonton,  the  chairman  of  the  committee  of  the  whole,  said,  in  1882, 
in  presenting  the  resolutions  that  had  been  adopted  thanking  Speaker 
Simons  for  the  "  marked  ability,  high  courtesy  and  unvarying  im- 
partiality" with  which  he  had  discharged  the  functions  of  his  im- 
portant office,  "  that  in  Gen.  James  Simons  the  older  members  had 
recognized  the  best  model  of  the  typical  speaker,"  while  his  son,  the 
subject  of  the  resolutions,  had  shown  that  he  has  "  inherited  those 
high  qualifications,"  and  "  bids  fair  to  emulate,  if  he  cannot  surpass, 
the  reputation  of  his  father."  He  has  been  returned  to  every  session 
of  the  legislature  since  his  first  election  to  that  office  in  1882.  Col. 
Simons  is  past  master  of  Strict  Observance  lodge.  No.  73,  A.  F.  & 
A.  M.,  an  honorary  member  of  the  German  Rifle  club  and  first  lieu- 
tenant of  the  German  Artillery,  S.  C.  V. 

AUGUSTINE    T.    SMYTHE 

was  born  in  the  city  of  Charleston,  on  the  5th  day  of  October,  1842. 
He  was  the  son  of  the  Rev.  Thomas  Smythe,  D.  D.,  Presbyterian 
minister,  who  for  over  forty  years  had  been  the  pastor  of  the 
Second  Presbyterian  church  in  the  city  of  Charleston.  Dr.  Symthe 
was  originally  from  Belfast,  Ireland.  His  mother  was  the  eldest 
daughter  of  James  Adger,  who  for  many  years  had  been  prominent 
as  a  merchant  in  the  city  of  Charleston.  Mr.  Smythe's  earl}'  educa- 
tion was  under  the  charge  principally  of  Prof.  A.  Sachtleben,  whose 
school  he  attended,  and  from  which  school  he  entered  the  South 
Carolina  college,  in  i860.  He  remained  in  the  South  Carolina  col- 
A — 10 


146  SOUTH   CAROLINA. 

lege  until  the  breaking  out  of  the  war,  when  he  left  it  to  enter 
the  Confederate  States  army.  He  was  with  the  College  cadets,  a 
corps  composed  of  the  young  men  of  the  South  Carolina  college, 
during  the  first  attack  of  Fort  Sumter.  Shortly  after  leaving  that 
corps,  he  enlisted  in  the  Washington  light  infantry,  Company  A,  which 
was  attached  to  the  Twenty-fifth  or  Eutaw  regiment,  South  Carolina 
volunteers,  under  the  charge  of  Capt.  Charles  A.  Simonton.  With 
this  command  he  served  during  the  war,  at  various  points  along  the 
coast,  being  engaged  in  the  battle  of  Secessionville,  and  the  other  en- 
gagements on  the  islands  in  and  around  Charleston.  He  was  trans- 
ferred from  this  command  to  the  .Signal  corps,  and  was  present  in 
Fort  Sumter  and  Battery  Wagner,  in  the  city  of  Charleston,  during 
the  siege  of  those  places,  and  the  several  attacks  upon  them  by  the 
Federal  fleet.  Upon  the  evacuation  of  Charleston,  Mr.  Smythe  went 
with  the  Confederate  army  to  North  Carolina,  and  was  there  at  the 
time  of  its  surrender  by  Gen.  Joseph  E.  Johnston.  At  the  close  of 
the  war,  Mr.  Smythe  commenced  the  study  of  law  in  the  office  of 
Simonton  &  Barker,  in  the  city  of  Charleston,  and  was  called  to  the 
bar  in  the  year  1867.  He  at  once  commenced  the  practice  of  his  pro- 
fession in  the  city  of  Charleston,  where  he  has  ever  since  continued. 
He  has  been  engaged  in  cases  of  more  or  less  prominence,  particu- 
larly in  the  celebrated  case  of  the  state  against  the  Pacific  Guano  Co., 
in  which  the  whole  question  of  the  rights  of  the  state  to  the  phos- 
phate deposit  in  its  streams,  and  the  extent  of  its  boundaries,  in  such 
tidal  streams,  wis  discussed  and  settled. 

In  the  year  1880,  Mr.  Smythe  was  elected  as  one  of  the  senators 
from  the  city  of  Charleston,  in  the  state  legislature,  a  position  which 
he  has  continued  to  fill,  and  is  still  filling,  having  been  twice  unani- 
mously re-elected.  He  has  for  the  last  eight  years,  been  chairman 
of  the  judiciary  committee  of  the  senate,  and  has  been  active  in  all 
legislation  which  has  come  before  the  body.  In  addition  to  these 
political  engagements,  Mr.  Smythe  has  been  active  in  every  other 
line.  He  was  for  years  an  active  and  energetic  member  of  the  vol- 
unteer fire  department,  and  also  took  great  interest  in  the  militia 
of  the  city,  having  been  for  years,  captain  of  the  Washington  artil- 
lery. His  interest  in  Masonry  has  been  very  great.  He  has  been 
honored  with  the  election  of  grand  master  of  the  state,  and  also 
grand  high  priest,  past  eminent  commander  of  the  South  Carolina 
commandery.  No.  i,  and  has  advanced  to  the  thirty-second  degree  in 
the  ancient  and  accepted  Scottish  Rite. 

JUDGE   CHARLES   HENRY   SIMONTON. 

Among  the  most  prominent  of  South  Carolina's  representative  citi- 
zens, is  Judge  Charles  Henry  Simonton,  of  Charleston,  who,  for  a 
quarter  of  a  century,  has  figured  conspicuously  in  the  history  of  the 
state  as  lawyer,  legislator,  soldier  and  jurist.  He  is  a  descendant  of  one 
of  the  old  families  of  the  Carolinas.  The  first  of  the  family  in  South 
Carolina  was  the  great-grand  father  of  Judge  Simonton,  who  was  one 


0f"'-  'N 


^^^^^^.i^-^-^^:^ 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  1 47 

of  the  Scotch-Irish  of  Pennsylvania'.  He  left  that  state  after  Gen. 
Braddock's  defeat,  coming  south  and  engaging  in  planting.  The 
father  of  Judge  Simonton  was  Charles  S.  Simonton,  who  was  long  a 
well-known  citizen  and  merchant  of  Charleston.  He  was  a  native  of 
Fairfield,  and  was  born  in  1789.  About  1810  he  removed  to  Charles- 
ton, dying  in  that  city  in  1838.  I  lis  wife  was  Elizabeth  Ross,  a  native 
of  Ireland,  who  was  brought  to  America  early  in  life,  and  was  reared 
in  Richland  district.  Judge  Simonton  is  a  Charlestonian  by  birth,  and 
was  born  July  11,  1829.  After  passing  through  the  high  school,  he 
became  a  student  at  Charleston  college,  but  the  same  year  entered 
the  South  Carolina  college  at  Columbia.  P'rom  this  college  he  was 
graduated  in  1849,  with  first  honors  in  a  large  class,  many  of  the 
members  of  which  became  prominent  and  distinguished  citizens  of 
the  state.  After  leaving  college,  he  taught  school  for  about  one  year 
with  William  J.  Rivers,  of  Charleston.  He  then  read  law  with  the 
late  Judge  Robert  Monro,  and  was  admitted  to  practice  in  1851. 
Practicing  his  profession  alone  until  1857,  he  formed  a  partnership 
with  Theodore  G.  Barker,  which  firm,  under  the  name  of  Simonton  & 
Barker,  continued  until  1886,  when  it  was  terminated  by  Judge  Sim- 
onton's  appointment  to  the  bench  of  the  Federal  court  of  the  district 
of  South  Carolina.  His  public  career  began  in  1S51-2,  when  he  filled 
the  position  of  assistant  clerk  of  the  South  Carolina  house  of  repre- 
sentatives. In  1858,  he  was  elected  a  member  of  the  legislature,  and 
successively  re-elected  until  i860.  When  the  war  broke  out  in  1861, 
he  entered  the  Confederate  army  as  captain  of  the  Washington  light 
infantry,  and  in  1862  was  elected  colonel  of  the  Twenty-fifth  regiment 
South  Carolina  volunteers,  commanding  that  regiment  the  balance  of 
the  war.  In  February,  1865,  he  was  taken  prisoner  at  Town  Creek, 
below  Wilmington,  N.  C,  and  was  held  until  the  following  August. 
At  the  close  of  the  war  he  resumed  the  practice  of  law  at  Charleston, 
and  in  1865  was  elected  a  member  of  the  constitutional  convention  of 
the  state.  The  same  year  he  was  elected  to  the  legislature  and  chosen 
speaker  of  the  house.  He  continued  a  member  of  the  legislature 
until  the  state  was  taken  possession  of  by  the  military  governor,  but 
in  1877,  was  again  elected  to  the  legislature  and  re-elected  consecu- 
tively until  1886,  and  served  during  that  time  as  chairman  of  the 
judiciary  committee  of  the  house.  On  September  6,  1SS6,  he  was  ap- 
pointed by  President  Cleveland  to  the  position  of  district  judge  of  the 
United  States  court  for  the  district  of  South  Carolina.  In  1868,  he 
was  a  member  of  the  democratic  national  committee,  and  was  a  dele- 
gate to  the  democratic  national  convention  that  year.  Probably  no 
other  citizen  of  Charleston  has  been  so  prominently  identified  with 
various  interests  of  a  public  nature,  as  has  Judge  Simonton.  He  has 
always  been  interested  in  educational  matters,  and  has  given  much 
time  and  attention  to  the  development  and  advancement  of  the  schools 
of  the  city  and  state.  He  has  served  as  chairman  of  the  Charleston 
city  board  of  school  commissioners,  president  of  the  board  of  trustees 
of  the  Charleston  Medical  college,  and  president  of  the  Charleston 
Library  society.     He  has  also  served  as  a  commissioner  of  the  Orphan 


I4S  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

House  of  Charleston,  an  institution  in  which  he  is  still  much  interested. 
Other  positions  which  he  has  filled  were  those  of  solicitor  of  the  Peo- 
ple's bank  of  Charleston,  from  1S52,  until  it  was  dissolved  after  the 
war;  solicitor  of  the  People's  National  bank  from  its  incorporation 
until  1886;  director  of  the  Stono  Phosphate  company,  of  which  he 
was  one  of  the  original  members  and  incorporators.  He  is  also  pres- 
ident of  the  Charleston  club,  the  leading  social  organization  of 
Charleston.  Judge  Simonton  was  married  in  1852,  to  a  daughter  of 
Judge  T.  W.  Glover,  deceased,  of  Orangeburg,  S.  C.  As  one  of  the 
most  able  and  distinguished  members  of  the  bar  of  South  Carolina, 
Judge  Simonton  holds  a  first  place.  His  career  as  a  lawyer,  legislator, 
and  judge,  has  been  uniformly  successful;  as  a  citizen,  he  is  exceed- 
ingly popular;  as  a  man  he  is  without  reproach,  a  patriot  without 
stain,  and  a  soldier  without  fear.  In  every  position  of  trust  to  which 
he  has  so  far  been  called  by  the  partiality  of  the  people,  he  has  shown 
himself  worthy  of  their  confidence  and  respect,  and  the  ability  with 
which  he  has  discharged  every  dot}'  has  fully  justified  that  confidence. 

GENERAL  B.  H.  RUTLEDGE. 

Gen.  B.  H.  Rutledge  was  born  in  Statesburg,  Sumter  district, 
S.  C,  June  4,  1829.  His  father  was  Benjamin  H.  Rutledge,  and  the 
maiden  name  of  his  mother  was  Alice  Ann  Weston.  He  attended 
school  at  Edgehill,  but  at  nine  years  of  age  was  placed  under  a  pri- 
vate tutor,  William  Keating  Stuart.  At  the  age  of  fifteen  young 
Rutledge  left  home  and  went  to  Dr.  Muhlenburg's  academy,  at 
"  College  Point,"  Long  Island.  There  he  remained  a  year  and  a 
half,  after  which  he  entered  the  sophomore  class  in  Yale  college. 
From  that  institution  he  graduated  in  1S4S  with  distinguished  hon- 
ors, though  the  youngest  member  of  his  class.  He  took  a  brief  post 
graduate  course,  remaining  nine  months  for  the  study  of  philosophy 
and  metaphysics,  under  the  tutorage  of  Rev.  Noah  Porter,  afterward 
president  of  the  college.  Mr.  Rutl^idge  then  returned  to  South  Car- 
olina, and  entered  the  law  office  of  Messrs.  Petigru  &  Lesesne;  was 
admitted  to  the  bar,  and  set  out  for  a  European  tour  for  the  next 
eight  months,  after  which  he  returned  home  and  began  the  practice  of 
the  legal  profession.  But  clients  were  not  plenty,  and  he  was  three 
years  without  a  case,  when  he  went  into  partnership  with  William 
Whaley,  Esq.,  and  business  began  to  present  itself.  The  Wappetaw 
church  case  was  the  first  really  important  case  which  he  argued  that 
brought  him  into  public  notice,  and  attracted  the  attention  of  his 
contemporaries  of  the  bar.  (ien.  Rutledge  was  several  times  solicited 
to  stand  as  a  candidate  for  the  state  legislature,  but  he  steadily  de- 
clined that  honor.  The  first  public  body  he  attended,  as  a  member, 
was  when  he  was  chosen  as  a  delegate  to  the  secession  convention. 
He  was  the  youngest  man  in  that  body,  and  was  one  of  the  signers  of 
the  secession  ordinance.  In  1858  he  married  Eleanor  Marian, 
daughter  of  Oliver  H.  Middleton,  granddaughter  of  Gov.  Middleton, 
and  great-granddaughter  of  Arthur  Middleton.     In  the  same  year  of 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  149 

his  marriage  he  was  chosen  captain  of  the  Charleston  light  dragoons. 
Shortly  after  the  passage  of  the  ordinance  of  secession  he  left  the 
convention  and  took  command  of  his  company  as  state  troops,  and 
was  stationed  on  Sullivan's  Island,  where  he  remained  until  after  the 
fall  of  Fort  Sumter.  When  the  attack  was  made  upon  the  forts  at 
Port  Royal  he  was  ordered  with  his  command  to  that  section,  and  re- 
mained there  for  several  months.  The  company  was  re-organized 
for  the  war,  and  Mr.  Rutledge  was  elected  captain,  and  thus  became 
an  officer  of  the  Confederate  army.  While  in  that  department  the 
battle  of  Pocotaligo  was  fought,  and  in  the  official  account  of  that  en- 
gagement Capt.  Rutledge  was  honorably  mentioned  for  gallant  con- 
duct. Some  months  later  he  was  promoted  to  the  rank  of  colonel 
and  put  in  command  of  a  regiment,  composed  of  Stoke's  battalion, 
four  companies,  Emanuel's  battalion,  four  companies,  and  the  light 
dragoons,  and  Capt.  Thomas  Pinckney's  company.  In  May,  1864, 
Col.  Rutledge  was  ordered  with  his  regiment  to  Virginia,  and  took 
part  in  the  battles  of  Hawes  .Shop,  Cold  Harbor,  the  two  days'  fight 
at  Trevillians  (where  Sheridan  was  defeated),  the  affair  at  White 
House,  the  battles  of  Nances  Shops.  Gravely  Run,  Reams  Station  and 
of  Burgess's  Mill.  In  December,  1864,  he  was  ordered  to  South  Car- 
olina, and  took  part  in  the  affairs  around  Columbia,  and  the  perpet- 
ual fighting  in  retreat  in  front  of  the  Federal  army.  While  in  South 
Carolina  he  led  a  successful  cavalry  charge  at  Cantey's  farm,  and  in 
North  Carolina  participated  in  affairs  at  Fayetteville  and  in  other 
skirmishes  too  numerous  to  recount.  After  the  close  of  war  he  re- 
sumed the  practice  of  the  law,  and  formed  a  partnership  with  Mr. 
Young,  and  they  pursued  their  law  practice  with  great  success.  He  was 
urged  to  go  to  the  state  convention  for  the  re-organization  of  the 
government,  but  declined,  because  he  knew  that  the  ordinance  of  se- 
cession had  to  be  repealed,  and  preferred  it  should  be  done  by  others 
who  had  not  signed  it.  In  1870  Gen.  Rutledge  was  appointed  presi- 
dential elector  for  his  congressional  district,  and  was  the  first  who 
undertook  to  address  the  colored  people  in  the  low  country.  He 
stumped  the  whole  congressional  district.  In  1872  he  took  a  very 
prominent  part  in  the  Carpenter  and  Butler  state  canvass,  and  again 
stumped  the  whole  low  country  in  support  of  what  was  known  as  the 
reform  canvass.  About  this  time  he  went  to  the  tax  payers'  conven- 
tion and  was  appointed  on  the  committee  to  draft  the  memorial,  and 
was  also  one  of  the  delegates  who  went  to  Washington  to  interview 
Gen.  Grant  about  it.  After  the  war  Col.  Rutledge  was  elected  cap- 
tain of  the  Light  Dragoons  Charitable  association.  Subsequently  he 
was  called  upon  in  the  troublous  times  that  disturbed  the  state  to 
re-organize  the  light  dragoons  as  a  sabre  club.  He  complied  with  the 
request  and  was  made  president  of  the  club.  In  1S76,  in  the  Hamp- 
ton canvass,  he  was  desperately  ill  at  its  beginning,  but  took  a  full 
part  in  the  most  exciting  period  of  it.  He  spoke  repeatedly  and  es- 
pecially at  the  meeting  in  Charleston,  urging  his  auditors  to  pledge 
themselves  to  stand  by  Hampton  and  eject  Chamberlain.  After 
Hampton  was  seated  he  requested  Mr.  Rutledge  to  raise  a  mounted 


150  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

brigade  between  the  Santee  and  Savannah  to  protect  the  country  and 
preserve  order,  which  he  did.  In  the  same  year  he  was  sent  to. the 
legislature  at  the  head  of  the  ticket,  served  that  term  and  was  re- 
elected and  served  another  term.  When  the  state  volunteer  troops 
were  organized  he  was  appointed  senior  major-general.  In  Cleve- 
land's administration  he  was  again  appointed  presidential  elector  and 
was  elected.  Some  time  prior  to  this  he  was  elected  president  of  the 
Survivors'  association,  of  Charleston.  While  in  the  legislature  Gen. 
Rutledge  took  an  active  part  in  the  debates,  especially  on  the  bond 
question,  settlement  of  state  debt,  the  usury  laws,  etc.  In  1880  he 
was  nominated  for  the  state  senate,  but  declined  to  run.  On  several 
occasions  he  was  urged  to  run  for  judicial  positions  which  he  was  as- 
sured there  would  be  no  difficulty  in  securing,  but  always  steadily 
declined,  looking  upon  such  a  position  as  not  suited  to  his  taste. 
Since  the  war  he  has  made  addresses  before  literar}' and  professional 
bodies,  in  colleges  and  lyceums,  delivered  memorial  addresses,  taken 
part  in  nearly  all  the  political  canvasses  and  in  every  sort  of  social, 
military  and  political  assemblages,  besides  the  legal  speaking  which 
is  incident  to  his  profession. 

THE  McCRADY  FAMILY. 

The  first  of  this  family  who  came  to  America  was  Edward  Mc- 
Crady,  of  Antrim,  Ireland.  He  was  a  man  of  education,  had  been  a 
tutor  by  profession.  Tradition  gives  a  romance  as  the  cause  of  his 
immigration.  He  followed  the  ladj'  who  was  afterward  his  wife, 
Eliza  Campbell,  of  Scotland,  to  this  country,  and  married  her  in 
Philadelphia.  He  was  a  man  of  some  means,  and  first  settled  in  Al- 
bany, N.  Y.,  where  he  purchased  real  estate,  thence  moved  to 
Charleston,  some  time  before  the  Revolution.  He  took  an  active 
part  in  the  Revolution,  and  was  among  the  first  of  those  who,  after 
the  capitulation  of  Charleston,  in  1780,  were  in  violation  of  their 
paroles,  arrested  by  the  British  authorities,  and  first  imprisoned  in  the 
prisonship,  and  afterward  exiled  to  St.  Augustine,  Fla.,  where  they 
were  kept  until  the  war  was  practically  over.  He  was  one  of  the 
few  of  those  who  occupied  no  official  position  —  a  fact  which  indi- 
cates that  it  was  his  personal  character  and  influence  which  rendered 
him  obnoxious  to  the  British  rule.  He  was  one  of  the  original  mem- 
bers of  the  Mount  Zion  society  —  the  first  member  of  it  from  the 
low  country  —  a  society  which  was  organized  for  the  purpose  of  es- 
tablishing a  school  in  what  was  then  known  as  the  Camden  district  — 
at  what  is  now  the  town  of  Winnsboro;  and  was  also  a  member  of 
the  F"ellowship  society,  which  was  then  engaged  in  making  the  first 
effort  to  establish  a  lunatic  asylum  and  hos|)ital  in  this  country.  He 
owned  a  farm,  and  negroes,  in  Christ  Church  parish,  and  other  lands 
in  Spartanburg  and  on  Edisto  Island,  and  considerable  real  estate 
in  Charleston.  He  died  September  16,  1794,  and  was  buried  in  the 
churchyard  of  .St.  Philips,  of  which  church  he  was  a  meml^er.  He 
left  liut  one  child  li\-ing  at  his  death,  a  son  John,  a  sketch  of  whom 
follows: 


(Zc/xwc<^'Vu/ G 


\.eiJiu/ 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  I5I 

JOHN  McCRADY. 

son  of  Edward  and  Eliza,  was  born  June  13,  1775.  He  was  sent  at 
an  early  age  to  Princeton  college,  where  he  graduated  with  distinc- 
tion in  the  class  of  1791.  Upon  his  return  home  he  at  once  com- 
menced the  preparatory  study  for  admission  to  the  bar,  in  the  office 
of  Gen.  Charles  Cotesworth  Pinckney,  and  was  admitted  to  practice 
on  the  29th  of  September,  1796.  Gen.  Pinckney's  appointment  as 
minister  to  France,  about  this  time,  opened  a  large  practice  to  Mr. 
McCrady,  and  his  brother-in-law,  William  Johnson,  who  had  been 
admitted  to  the  bar  the  year  before,  from  Gen.  Pinckney's  office,  and 
Mr.  Johnson's  elevation  to  the  bench  in  1799,  left  other  large  business 
upon  Mr.  McCrady.  His  devotion  to  it  sacrificed  his  life.  He  died 
on  June  the  12th,  1803.  A  most  flattering  tradition,  both  of  his  char- 
acter and  reputation,  still  survives  him,  and  that  there  should  be  pre- 
served such  a  remembrance  of  so  short  a  career  is  in  itself  strong 
pfroof  of  the  ability  and  success  with  which  it  was  run.  Col.  William 
Drayton,  an  eminent  member  of  the  same  profession,  thus  sketches 
his  mind  and  character  in  a  paper  written  immediately  after  his 
death: 

"Nature  had  gifted  Mr.  McCrady  with  a  vigorous  understanding,  clear  in  its  perceptions,  solid  and 
discriminative  in  its  judgment.  His  strong  and  correct  mind  stood  not  in  need  of,  and  disdained  all 
arlilicial  resources,  and  they  who  have  heard  him  in  debate,  armed  with  no  other  intellectual  weapon 
than  manliness  of  diction  and  nervous,  unsophisticated  argument  can  testify  that  lie  was  copious  witliout 
verbosity,  logical  without  dryness,  and  eloquent  without  parade  of  metaphor  or  the  pomp  of  rhetorical 
flourish.  These  were  the  prominent  features  of  his  mind.  The  characteristics  of  the  heart  were  candor, 
liberality  and  a  nice  sense  of  honor.  To  these  recommendations  of  a  higher  order  were  added  the  minor, 
though  perhaps  not  less  alluring  attractions  of  a  vivacious  disposition  and  an  accommodating  temper,  a 
genuine  vein  of  poignant  humor,  accompanied  by  unvarying  good  nature." 

Mr.  Charles  Eraser,  in  his  Reminiscences  of  Charleston,  speaks 
of  him  as  an  earnest  and  energetic  speaker,  with  great  manliness  of 
diction  and  eloquence  without  the  parade  of  ornament.  Mr.  Mc- 
Crady was  devoted  to  his  profession;  he  held  no  public  office,  except 
that  of  warden  of  the  city  of  Charleston  in  1799.  He  married  in 
1797,  Jane  Johnson,  the  daughter  of  William  Johnson,  who  was  one 
of  the  earliest  patriots  in  the  Revolution,  and  who  had  been  a  prisoner 
in  St.  Augustine  with  his  (John  McCrady's)  father.  Mr.  McCrady 
left  four  children,  one  son,  Edward,  a  sketch  of  whom  follows  this,  and 
three  daughters:  Eliza,  the  wife  of  John  Bonneau;  .Sarah,  the  wife 
of  Henry  Trescot,  and  mother  of  the  Hon.  William  Henry  Tres- 
cot,  now  of  Washington,  D.  C,  and  of  the  late  Dr.  George  E.  Tres- 
cot, of  Greenville,  S.  C,  and  Jane,  who  was  unmarried. 

EDWARD  McCRADY, 

the  son  of  John,  was  born  March  i6th,  1802.  He  was  not  quite  two 
'  years  of  age  at  the  death  of  his  father.  He  was  reared  under  the  care 
of  his  grandfather,  William  Johnson,  and  was  prepared  for  college 
by  the  Rev-  Thomas  Frost,  and  was  sent  to  Yale  college  at  the  age 
of  fifteen,  and  graduated  there  In  1820.  He  is  now  the  oldest  living 
graduate  of  that  great  university.  He  studied  law,  at  first  under 
the  direction  of  his  uncle,  William  Johnson,  associate  justice  of  the 


152  SOUTH   CAROLINA. 

supreme  court  of  the  United  States,  and  afterward  completed  his 
course  under  the  direction  of  the  Hon.  Mitchell  King,  with  whom 
he  practiced  for  a  short  time  after  his  admission  to  the  bar  in  1824. 
JMr.  McCrady  warml}'  espoused  the  Union  side  in  the  nullification 
struggle  in  1S32,  in  which  his  friends,  the  Hon.  Joel  R.  Poinsett  and 
Dr.  Joseph  Johnson,  were  so  conspicuous  leaders.  He  was  chairman 
of  the  committee  of  correspondence  of  the  union  party  in  Charles- 
ton, and  as  such  issued  a  circular  taking  the  ground  (which  was  af- 
terward embodied  in  ,a  resolution  introduced  by  the  Hon.  Henrj' 
Middleton  in  the  nullification  convention)  that,  as  the  sovereignty  of 
the  state  resides  in  the  aggregate  body  of  the  freemen,  a  convention 
apportioned  in  a  compound  ratio  of  population  and  property  for 
the  purpose  of  taxation  was  not  adequate  or  competent  to  exercise 
the  highest  attribute  of  sovereignty.  He  attended  that  convention 
as  one  of  the  agents  of  the  administration,  reporting  to  Washington 
the  transactions  of  each  day.  He  had  also  a  seat  in  the  union  con- 
vention, which  met  at  Columbia  at  the  same  time. 

After  the  compromise  between  Jackson  and  the  nullifiers  at  the 
intercession  of  Virginia,  whereupon  the  ordinance  of  nullification 
was  rescinded  by  the  convention  at  its  re-assembling  in  March,  1833, 
another  question  came  up  which  aroused  again  all  the  party  feeling. 
The  convention  passed  an  ordinance  empowering  the  general 
assembly  to  provide  for,  the  administration  of  oaths  of  allegiance  to 
all  officers  of  the  state,  and  the  general  assembly  immediately  passed 
the  act.  The  union  party  resisted  the  imposition  of  this  oath,  alleg- 
ing that  disunion  was  the  real  meaning  of  the  action  of  the  conven- 
tion; and,  to  test  the  question,  Mr.  McCrady  was  elected  an  officer 
of  the  Washington  Light  Infantry,  then,  as  now,  one  of  the  most 
prominent  military  organizations  in  the  state,  anci  applied  to  Col. 
Hunt,  the  commander  of  the  regiment,  for  his  commission.  Col. 
Hunt  tendered  to  him  the  oath,  which  he  declined  to  take,  and  he 
thereupon  demanded  his  commission,  without  it.  This  was  refused, 
and  Mr.  McCrady  applied  for  a  mandamus.  The  report  of  the  case 
occupies  282  pages  of  the  second  volume  of  Hill's  Law  Reports.  It 
is  entitled  The  State  ex  relatione  McCrady  vs.  Hrint,  but  it  was  really 
the  cause  of  the  Union  Party  ai^ainst  the  N^illijicatioii  Party.  It  was 
elaborately  argued  by  all  the  leading  members  of  the  bar  at  that 
time.  Mr.  Thomas  F.  Grimke,  in  opening  his  argument  for  Mr. 
McCrady,  said: 

"  I  feel  that  it  is  not  only  my  friend  the  relator  who  summons  me  here,  but  that  I  come  to  speak  in 
behalf  of  all  those  who  think  with  him.  1  feel  that  I  represent  not  them  only,  but  even  those  of  our 
fellow  citizens  who  differ  with  us.  *  *  *  I  feel  that  I  stand  nut  here  m  a  private  but  in  a  public 
cause,  not  in  the  case  of  a  citizen,  but  of  my  country" — and  so  Mr.  Fetigru,  for  Mr.  McCrady,  declared: 
"The  parties  to  the  record  are  .Mr.  McCrady  and  Col.  Hunt,  and  the  office  about  which  the  dispute  arises 
is  one  of  minor  importance.  »  )■  »  •  Between  the  parties  to  the  record  there  is  in  fact  no' dispute. 
Col.  Hunt  consents  to  make  the  (|ucstion  for  the  sake  of  all  who  have  an  interest  in  common  with  the 
plaintiff;  and  .Mr.  McCrady  pursues  his  right  in  behalf  of  thousands  of  his  fellow  citizens  for  the  pur- 
pose of  testing  the  validity  of  a  law  which  incapacitates  them  from  oflice." 

The  decision  of  the  court  in  Mr.  McCrady's  favor  led  to  the  over- 
throw of  the  court  as  then  constituted,  and  to  an  amendment  of  the 
constitution.      Mr.   McCrady   was    appointed  United    States   tlistrict 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  I  53 

attorney  in  1839,  and  held  that  office,  which  withdrew  him  from  all 
state  affairs,  until  1S50,  when,  convinced  that  resistance  should  be 
made  to  the  encroachments  of  the  northern  states  lipon  the  institu- 
tions of  the  south,  and  determining  to  join  the  Southern  Rights  as- 
sociation, an  association  of  the  conservatives  of  that  day,  who  were 
opposed  to  the  secession  party,  but  in  favor  of  co-operation  between 
the  southern  states  in  the  maintenance  of  their  institutions,  he  re- 
signed the  office.  His  resignation  produced  a  great  effect  at  the  time 
upon  public  sentiment,  as  Mr.  McCrady  had  been  so  pronounced  and 
active  a  supporter  of  the  Union  in  the  nullification  struggle.  No  one 
could  be  found  to  accept  the  office  he  had  vacated  until  Mr.  Petigru, 
after  some  time,  came  to  the  assistance  of  the  United  States  govern- 
ment and  volunteered  nominally  to  assume  its  duties.  Mr.  McCrady 
followed  up  his  resignation  by  the  publication  of  a  pamphlet  entitled, 
"Our  Mission.  Is  it  to  be  Accomplished  by  the  Perpetuation  of  our 
Present  Union?"  In  this  he  reviewed  the  question  as  considered  by 
the  light  of  revealed  religion.  Tracing  the  historical  analogy  be- 
tween the  twelve  tribes  of  Israel,  and  the  states,  even  to  the  subdi- 
vision of  one  of  them,  Carolina,  into  two,  thus  completing  the  analogy 
to  the  tribes  of  Judah  and  Benjamin,  he  avowed  the  conclusion  to 
which  he  had  so  reluctantly  come,  but  now  earnestly  desired  a  disso- 
lution of  this  Union  between  the  slave-holding  and  non-slave-holding 
states. 

Mr.  McCrady  was,  immediately  upon  his  resignation,  elected  to 
the  legislature,  and  in  that  body  voted  for  the  act  to  provide  for  the 
appointment  of  deputies  to  a  southern  congress,  and  to  call  a  conven- 
tion of  the  people.  In  the  legislature  of  185 1,  Mr.  McCrady  urged 
the  preparation  of  the  state  for  the  coming  struggle,  for  he  never 
believed  in  the  illusive  doctrine  of  peaceful  secession.  In  his  view, 
the  constitution  was  a  treaty  between  sovereign  states,  which,  if  not 
by  its  express  terms  perpetual,  as  was  declared  in  the  articles  of  the 
confederation,  was  to  last  until  dissolved  by  the  same  power  which 
ordained  it,  unless  violated.  He  recognized  the  right  of  a  state  as  a 
sovereignty,  which  had  entered  into  this  treaty  to  judge  of  the  ques- 
tion whether  the  treaty  had  been  violated,  and  if  in  her  judgment 
violated,  to  withdraw  from  the  Union  it  formed.  But,  on  the  other 
hand,  he  equally  recognized  the  right  of  the  other  states  to  maintain 
that  the  constitution  had  not  been  violated,  and  to  insist  upon  its 
maintenance.  Secession,  therefore,  to  him,  meant  war,  and  he  was 
unwilling  to  move  until  the  state  was  ready  for  hostilities.  When, 
therefore,  the  legislature  of  1851  adjourned  without  making  military 
preparations,  though  $3,000,000  was  appropriated  for  the  purpose,  he 
opposed  in  the  convention  the  resolution  adopted  which  declared  that 
in  the  exercise  of  the  sovereign  will,  it  was  the  right  of  the  state, 
without  let,  hindrance,  or  molestation  from  any  power  whatsoever,  to 
secede  from  the  Federal  Union. 

In  a  letter  to  the  Mercury,  May  10,  1852,  in  answer  to  strictures 
upon  this  vote,  Mr.  McCrady  thus  stated  her  position: 


154  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

"  Sovereign  atid  independent  states  may  enter  into  compact  with  each  other  and  mutually  assume  ob- 
ligations which  they  are  bound  to  observe  and  perform.  If  any  of  the  states,  without  the  consent  of  the 
other  parlies,  insist  upon  tlie  abrogation  of  a  compact  solemnly  made  between  them,  slie  must  have  real 
cause  for  so  doing,  or  she  breaks  her  faith.  (Jf  the  justice  and  sufficiency  of  her  cause,  she  may  be,  and 
is  a  judge,  and  the  only  judge  for  herself  and  her  citizens  or  subjects,  but  the  other  sovereign  parties  to 
the  compact  she  would  abrogate  are  not  bound  or  concluded  by  her  judgment,  having  an  equal  sovereign 
right  to  judge  for  themselves.  The  justice  of  tiie  cause  alone  can  make  the  abrogation  of  a  compact  right. 
A  seceding  state  is  not  necessarily  infallible,  any  more  than  those  from  whom  she  secedes.  If  she  be 
wrong,  if  the  other  parties  to  the  compact  have  scrupulously  observed  such  terms  on  their  part,  they  would 
have  perfect  right  to  require  her  to  abide  by  her  engagement,  even  if  disadvantageous  to  her,  and  if  she 
persisted,  they  would  also  have  perfect  right,  as  the  one  only  remedy  among  sovereigns  who  have  no  tri- 
bunal whereto  to  resort  for  judgnienl,  to  enforce  her  to  the  observance  of  the  comj^act  on  her  pari,  and  to  lei 
and  hiiuler  her  from  abrogating  it  if  they  could,  and  to  make  war  upon  her  until  she  consented  to  do  them 
justice."  *''*''  "  The  only  just  consequence  of  her  accession  to  the  Federal  Union  as  a  sovereign, 
appears  to  me  to  be  her  right  to  secede  as  a  sovereign,  with  all  the  attributes,  but  also  with  all  the  res]ion- 
sibilities,  of  a  sovereign.  The  cliief  atlribule  of  sovereigns  in  this  aspect  is  the  right  of  the  stale  to  decide 
aulhoritalively  and  conclusively  for  herself  and  for  her  citizens  when  and  why  they  will  secede.  Her  de- 
cision must  necessarily  bind  all  who,  in  the  providence  of  God,  stand  to  her  in  the  relation  of  citizens  or 
subjects." 

This  he  considered  the  doctrine  of  Calhoun,  as  enunciated  in  his 
work  (page  301).     He  concluded: 

"  Having  always  considered  the  right  of  the  stale  to  secede  as  sovereign,  as  the  chief  corner-stone  of 
the  structure  of  our  national  liberties  and  its  universal  recognition,  ihe  surest  refuge  and  best  defence 
against  aggressions  of  the  Federal  government,  I  cannot  but  regard  the  terms  of  the  ordinance  as  most 
unfortunate.  Tlie  extravagant  assertion  of  a  right  brings  it  into  douiU  as  well  as  disrepute.  Truth  is 
never  in  so  great  danger  as  when  propounded  to  unwilling  minds  in  an  erroneous  form.  The  ori-linance 
appears  to  me  to  represent  the  most  favorable  opportunity  to  those  who  deny  the  right  of  secession  to 
assert  it  with  advantage."  etc.,  etc. 

Mr.  McCrady  had  been  opposed  to  the  whole  doctrine  of  nullifica- 
tion. He  did  not  believe  in  the  right  of  a  state  to  remain  in  the 
Union  and  to  refuse  to  obey  the  laws  enacted  by  it,  however  unjust. 
He  had  opposed  the  exaction  of  an  oath  which  at  the  time  he  regard- 
ed as  a  step  to  disunion  for  which  he  was  not  then  prepared;  but  he 
believed  in  the  sovereignty  of  the  state  and  her  right  to  secede,  sub- 
ject to  the  right  of  the  other  states  to  resist  her  doing  so  as  a  viola- 
tion of  a  treaty.  Mr.  McCrady  had  not  lost  the  confidence  or  support 
of  the  people  by  his  vote  and  the  doctrine  of  his  letter  against  the  prev- 
alent view  of  the  right  of  secession;  and  he  was  returned  again  to 
the  legislature  in  1852,  and  continued  to  represent  the  city  in  sev- 
eral legislatures.  As  chairman  of  the  committee  on  federal  rela- 
tions, one  of  the  most  important  during  that  period,  he  made  an 
elaborate  report  upon  a  communication  of  Her  Britannic  Majesty's 
consul  relative  to  the  law  of  the  state  prohibiting  free  negroes  and 
persons  of  color  coming  into  it,  as  it  affected  the  class  of  persons 
entering  the  ports  of  South  Carolina  in  trading  vessels  or  in  cases  of 
distress,  and  who  had  been  under  such  circumstances  taken  from  the 
protection  of  the  British  flag  and  imprisoned  in  the  common  jail.  The 
report,  which  was  agreed  to  and  published  by  the  legislature,  main- 
tained the  right  and  expediency  of  the  law,  except  in  cases  in  which 
the  vessels  when  driven  into  our  ports  by  stress  of  weather  or  unfore- 
seen accident,  provided  in  this  case  the  colored  seamen  confined 
themselves  within  such  vessels  under  their  own  flag.  It  recom- 
mended, however,  that  special  provisions  should  be  made  for  the 
safekeeping  of  such  colored  seamen,  and  that  they  should  be  kept 
ajjart  from  tht;  prisoners  in  her  jails. 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  I  55 

He  was  again  elected  a  member  of  the  convention  of  i860,  and 
voted  for  the  ordinance  of  secession,  as  he  believed  that  that  move- 
ment could  no  longer  be  delayed  without  anarchy  at  home.  He 
served  again  in  the  legislature  in  1S64  and  1865.  During  the  war, 
Mr.  McCrady  was  engaged  in  two  important  cases  connected  with  the 
struggle.  The  first  was  that  arising  under  the  Sequestration  Act  of 
the  Confederate  government.  Mr.  McCrady  earnestly  opposed  this 
law,  both  in  his  personal  and  professional  character.  He  resisted  its 
enforcement  himself  and  declined  to  answer  as  to  the  property  of 
other  enemies  or  not  which  had  been  committed  to  his  care,  and 
under  his  advice  all  his  clients  did  likewise.  With  Mr.  James  L.  Pet- 
igru  and  Mr.  Nelson  Mitchell,  he  vigorously  fought  these  cases. 
His  argument,  which  has  been  preserved,  is  one  of  great  ability,  and 
when  the  decision  of  the  court  was  made  sustaining  the  act,  by  an  ap- 
peal to  the  supreme  court  provided  by  the  constitution  of  the  Con- 
federate States  but  not  yet  in  existence,  he  prevented  its  enforcement 
upon  his  clients.  It  was  his  satisfaction  that  no  client  of  his  had  lost 
by  this  act  a  dollar  which  had  been  committed  to  his  care  or  to  the 
care  of  those  whom  he  represented.  In  the  other  case,  he  undertook, 
at  the  request  of  Gov.  Bonham,  to  represent  negro  soldiers  who 
had  been  taken  prisoners,  and  against  whom  proceedings  were  taken 
under  the  laws  relating  to  negro  insurrection.  With  Mr.  Nelson 
Mitchell  he  appeared  before  the  court  of  magistrates  and  made 
objection  to  its  jurisdiction,  which  was  sustained,  and  the  negroes  re- 
turned to  the  military  authorities  as  prisoners  of  war. 

Mr.  McCrady  has  occupied  no  official  position  since  the  war;  but 
has  kept  up  his  interest  in  public  affairs,  never  failing  to  vote  even 
at  a  primary  election.  His  last  public  service  was  as  chairman  of  the 
committee  of  the  Charleston  bar  appointed  to  resist  the  seating  of 
the  infamous  Moses  and  Whipper  upon  the  bench  of  the  state,  to 
which  they  were  elected  by  the  last  legislature  which  sat  under  the 
radical  rule  of  the  state.  We  are  indebted  to  the  Hon.  Charles 
Richardson  Miles,  late  attorney-general  of  the  state,  for  the  follow- 
ing sketch  of  Mr.  McCrady  as  a  lawyer: 

"  Mr.  McCrady  has  filled  man}'  positions  of  usefulness,  and  done 
many  good  services  to  his  state  and  people,  but  his  widest  and  high- 
est reputation  is  as  a  lawyer.  The  son  of  a  lawyer,  who,  in  his  short 
career  at  the  bar,  had  made  a  strong  impression,  the  nephew  of  Judge 
William  Johnson  of  the  United  States  supreme  court,  under  whom  he 
studied,  the  pupil  and  partner  of  Hon.  Alitchell  King,  Mr.  McCrady 
was  by  inheritance  and  training,  a  lawyer.  Having  been  admitted  to 
the  bar  in  1824,  he  is  the  lawj'er  of  oldest  standing  in  the  state.  His 
only  contemporary  at  the  bar  who  survives,  is  the  Hon.  Alexander 
Mazyck,  who  is  now  in  his  ninety-first  year,  and  who  lives  in  London, 
Canada.  Mr.  McCrady's  study  and  training  in  the  learning  of  the 
common  law,  were  thorough,  and  especially  in  the  knowledge  of  the 
law  of  real  property,  he  was  without  a  superior  among  his  contempo- 
raries at  a  bar,  which  adorned  the  profession  at  its  brightest  epoch. 
With  this  learning  he  was  so  thoroughly  imbued,  that  it  was  always  ini- 


156  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

mediately  available,  and  it  enabled  him  at  once  to  perceive  the  prin- 
ciples involved  in  a  case;  and  to  find  the  cases  or  authority  sustaining 
the  principles,  was  an  easy  labor.  It  was  customary  for  him  to  say  to 
lawyers  who  consulted  him,  as  he  was  most  accessible,  especially  to 
his  juniors,  'this  is  the  principle  —  you  will  easily  find  the  authorities 
to  support  it.'  From  the  thoroughness  of  his  knowledge  in  this 
branch  of  the  law,  he  was  especially  fond  of  conveyancing,  in  which 
he  was  very  skilful.  He  used  to  say  that  it  had  become  the  habit  of 
the  profession  to  resort  to  proceedings  in  equity  to  settle  many  things 
which  could  and  should  be  done  by  careful  conveyancing.  His  prac- 
tice was  largely  in  the  court  of  equity,  in  suits  involving  the  construc- 
tion of  wills  and  deeds.  His  most  marked  characteristic  as  a  lawyer, 
was  his  earnestness  of  conviction,  and  the  thoroughness  with  which 
he  identified  himself  with  the  cause  of  his  client.  He  was  constitu- 
tionally brave,  and  this  quality  was  as  conspicuous  in  his  career  as  a 
lawyer  as  in  all  the  transactions  of  his  life.  While  Mr.  McCrady  was 
distinguished  and  successful  in  the  conduct  of  litigation,  he  was,  per- 
haps, most  successful  and  useful  as  an  adviser.  He  secured  the  ab- 
solute confidence  of  his  clients,  and  by  many  of  them  he  was  consulted 
and  they  were  guided  by  his  advice  in  almost  all  the  most  important 
transactions  of  their  lives.  This  large  influence  was  mainly  due  to 
the  elevation  of  his  moral  nature,  which  he  never  subordinated  to 
considerations  of  expediency  or  pecuniary  advantage.  Mr.  McCrady 
so  completely  regulated  his  life  by  conscientious  rules,  that  he  was  in 
his  exterior,  seemingly  austere,  but  those  who  enjoyed  familiar  asso- 
ciation with  him,  appreciated  the  true  gentleness  and  affection  of  his 
nature,  as  to  those,  his  friendship  was  very  dear  and  its  memory  will 
be  ever  highly  cherished.  To  the  young  men  of  the  profession,  he 
was  always  happy  to  listen,  and  to  give  them  counsel  and  advice,  and 
to  many  of  them  he  was  a  very  encyclopedia  of  law,  which  they 
were  ever  at  liberty  to  consult,  and  to  which  they  referred  without 
hesitation. 

"  His  life  was  absorbed  by  his  duties  and  his  family,  and  his  cir- 
cle of  familiar  friends  was  small;  but  to  such  friends,  and  especially 
to  those  of  his  early  life,  he  was  thoroughly  staunch,  and  his  interest 
and  affection  never  flagged  or  lessened.  While  never  robust  in 
health,  _Mr.  McCrady  continued  in  the  active  discharge  of  the  exact- 
ing duties  of  his  profession  for  an  unusually  long  period.  The  pres- 
ervation of  his  intellectual  activity  was,  I  think,  due  to  his  realization 
of  the  prudent  limits  which  should  be  put  upon  professional  work, 
while  there  was  no  consciousness  of  failing  powers,  and  the  firmness 
with  which  he  restrained  himself  within  his  self-imposed  bounds. 
He  found  his  best  rest  and  relaxation  from  professional  labor,  not  in 
pursuit  of  pleasure  or  in  idleness,  but  in  change  of  labor;  and  he 
kept  up  not  only  an  active  interest,  l)ut  sustained  work  in  many  de- 
partments of  thought  and  study. 

"After  a  life  protracted  to  the  longest  span,  spent  in  one'  com- 
munity, his  whole  duty  to  which  was  c;vcr  clone,  and  guided  and  gov- 
ered  by  the  highest  intellectual,  moral  and   religious  standards,  he 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  I  57 

still  survives,  a  shining  example  of  what  the  bar  of  South  Carolina 
has  ever  been.  Mr.  McCrady  was  a  member  of  the  legislature  in  1859, 
when  the  "  Separate  Court  of  Appeals"  of  three  judges  was  substituted 
for  the  courts  of  appeal  at  law  and  in  equity,  consisting,  respectively,  of 
all  the  circuit  judges  and  all  the  chancellors.  Mr.  McCrady  prepared 
and  advocated  a  plan  for  a  court  of  appeals  —  of  four  judges  — 
three  permanent,  and  the  fourth  the  eight  circuit  judges  in  rotation. 
This  he  thought  would  better  secure  stability  of  decisions  than  a  sys- 
tem in  which  two  judges  of  the  supreme  court  might  overrule  the  de- 
cision of  possibly  more  than  one  circuit  judge.  If  a  court  of  four 
judges  should  be  equally  divided,  while  the  circuit  decision  in  that 
case  would  stand,  the  question  would  be  open  for  future  decision  by 
a  majority  of  the  court.  He  also  considered  that  it  would  be  an  ad- 
vantage to  have  on  the  appeal  court  one  judge  who  was  experienced 
in  nisi  priiis  trials.  There  are  many  of  the  profession  who  still  think 
this  a  better  system  than  a  separate  court  of  three  judges." 

Mr.  McCrady  has  been  as  thorough  a  theologian  as  a  lawyer,  and 
has  devoted  still  more  of  his  time  to  the  service  of  the  church  than 
to  that  of  the  state.  He  is  widely  and  deeply  read  in  church  history, 
and  has  been  recognized  throughout  the  United  States  as  one  of 
the  most  learned  laymen  in  the  Episcopal  church.  He  represented 
St.  Philips,  the  mother  church  of  the  diocese  for  fifty  years  in  the 
diocesan  convention,  was  a  member  of  the  standing  committee  of 
the  diocese  for  forty,  and  a  deputy  to  the  general  convention  (in- 
cluding the  southern  council  during  the  war)  for  over  thirty.  His 
last  years  have  been  devoted,  in  a  great  measure,  to  the  study  and 
discussion  of  the  question  in  regard  to  the  admission  of  negroes  into 
the  councils  of  the  church.  In  this  discussion  Mr.  McCrady  has 
written  much  and  ably.  He  has  also  been  a  contributor  to  the  church 
reviews  and  periodicals  upon  other  religious  subjects.  Two  of  his 
recent  articles  are  remarkable,  one  on  the  "  Litany  "  in  1882,  and  the 
other  a  review  of  Drummond's  "  Natural  Law  in  the  Spiritual 
World";  the  latter  of  which,  written  in  his  eighty-fourth  year,  is  ex- 
traordinary for  the  closeness  of  its  reasoning  and  the  terseness  of 
its  expression.  This  last  article  has  been  pronounced  by  a  competent 
critic  the  best  review  written  in  this  country  or  in  England  of  that 
great  work. 

Mr.  McCrady  married  in  1829,  Louisa  Rebecca  Lane,  the  daugh- 
ter of  Robert  Lane,  an  English  merchant,  who  had  settled  in 
Charleston,  and  Louisa  de  Berniere.  He  has  had  a  large  fam- 
ily of  children,  of  whom  four  sons  and  four  daughters  reached 
the  age  of  maturity.  Of  his  sons,  John  and  Edward,  sketches  will 
be  found  below.  His  third  son,  Thomas,  was  at  an  early  age  an  offi- 
cer in  the  Confederate  army  in  which  he  served  with  distinction,  hav- 
ing been  twice  severely  wounded,  receiving  his  second  wound  in  bat- 
tle while  on  crutches  and  on  leave  of  absence  from  his  post.  He 
died  on  the  28th  of  March,  1882,  aged  thirty-nine  years.  The  simple 
fact  which  was  observed  at  the  time,  that  St.  Philips  church  was 
more  closely  crowded  at  his   funeral  services  than  it  had  ever  been 


158  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

since  the  burial  of  Callioun,  attests  the  regard  in  which  he  was  held 
by  the  community.  Mr.  McCrad3''s  fourth  son,  Col.  Louis  de 
Berniere  McCrady,  is  a  prominent  member  of  the  bar,  associated  in 
the  practice  of  the  law  with  his  father,  his  brother  Edward,  and  his 
brother-in-law  Thomas  \V.  Bacot,  who  form  the  legal  firm  of  Mc- 
Crady, Sons  &  Bacot.  Of  Mr.  McCrady's  four  daughters,  one, 
(Louisa  de  Berniere)  is  the  wife  of  Thomas  W.  Bacot,  Esq.,  above 
mentioned;  the  others,  Ellen  Madeline,  Jane  and  Mary  Margaret, 
are  single. 

PROF.  JOHN  McCRADY. 

Professor  John  McCrady,  the  eldest  son  of  Edward  McCrady,  of 
the  next  preceding  sketch,  was  born  in  Charleston,  S.  C,  on  the  15th 
of  October,  1831,  and  was  educated  at  the  school  of  Samuel  Burns  and 
the  Charleston  college.  His  classmates  and  companions  at  school 
and  college  were  the  poets,  Paul  Llayne  and  William  Henr}-  Timrod. 
He  was  himself,  perhaps,  not  inferior  in  poetic  ability,  but  science  de- 
manded his  life  and  he  seldom  indulged  his  muse.  Upon  his  gradu- 
ation in  1850,  he  commenced  the  study  of  law  with  his  father,  but  was 
soon  attracted  to  scientific  pursuits.  Dr.  Gabriel  E.  Manigault,  pro- 
fessor of  natural  history  and  curator  of  the  museum  of  the  Charles- 
ton college,  in  a  sketch  of  the  Elliott  society  of  natural  history,  gives 
this  account  of  Prof.  McCrady's  introduction  to  the  study  of  that 
branch  of  science: 

"  Professor  McCrady,  soon  after  graduation  at  the  Charleston  col- 
lege, in  1850,  was  attracted  to  the  subject  of  zoology;  first,  by  Dr.  Ed- 
mund Ravenel,  who  was  a  conchologistof  some  repute,  and  afterward 
by  Agassiz  during  his  lectures  at  the  medical  college.  The  latter 
proposed  to  him  that  he  should  attend  the  anatomical  lectures  during 
the  winter,  and  then  join  him  in  the  summer  at  Cambridge  and  other 
places  on  the  New  England  coast,  when  he  could  familiarize  himself 
with  their  marine  zoology.  In  this  way  Prof.  McCrady  visited  Cam- 
bridge as  a  student  under  Agassiz  for  three  successive  summers,  and 
when  he  returned  in  1854  he  was  one  of  the  few  '  American  natural- 
ists who  had  been  thoroughly  trained  as  such  under  the  instruction  of 
Prof.  Agassiz.  The  results  were  immediately  apparent  as  soon  as  he 
undertook  to  make  original  observations  of  his  own.' 

"  In  1856,  William  Porcher  Miles,  the  assistant  professor  of  mathe- 
matics in  the  Charleston  college,  having  been  elected  mayor  of  the 
city  of  Charleston,  Prof.  McCrady  was  appointed  to  his  place.  In 
addition,  however,  to  the  duties  of  his  chair  of  mathematics,  he  pur- 
sued his  scientific  researches.  Dr.  Manigault  says:  He  became  an 
enthusiastic  supporter  of  the  Elliott  society  as  soon  as  it  was  estab- 
lished, and  his  name  is  among  the  list  of  the  curators  for  the  first 
year.  His  paper  on  the  medusae  occupies  over  ico  pages  of  the 
proceedings.  The  observations  were  made  principally  on  Sullivan's 
Island,  and  they  required  over  two  years  to  complete.  They  mark 
an  event  in  the  history  of  zoology'  at  the  south,  inasmuch  as  natural- 
ists who  preceded  McCrady  confined  themselves  to  describing  spe- 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  I  59 

cies  almost  exclusively  among  the  vertebratcd  animals;  whereas  Mc- 
Crady,  with  the  assistance  of  the  microscope,  studied  out  carefully 
the  development  of  the  various  medusae  from  the  ovum  to  the  adult 
state.  The  consequence  was  that  he  was  able  to  eliminate  many  forms 
which  were  thought  to  be  distinct  species,  but  which  upon  careful  ex- 
amination, were  found  to  be  the  same  animal  in  various  stages  of 
growth.  The  animal  sub-kingdon  to  which  sea-blubbers  belong  is 
that  of  the  celentcrates  or  hollow-boweled.  At  the  time  referred  to, 
that  subdivision  of  the  animal  kingdom  had  only  been  slightly  inves- 
tigated in  America,  and  Prof.  McCrady's  paper  has  frequently  been 
commented  on  since  as  never  having  been  exceeded  in  its  accuracy." 

The  volume  of  the  proceedings  of  the  Elliott  society,  from  1S56, 
to  the  commencement  of  the  late  war  is  composed  almost  entirely 
of  his  work.  Two-thirds  of  the  papers  were  read  by  him.  Prof. 
McCrady  continued  thus  engaged  until  the  breaking  out  of  the  war, 
upon  the  secession  of  the  state,  when  disregarding  the  exemption  of 
his  profession  as  a  teacher,  he  at  once  laid  down  his  scientific  work 
and  went  into  the  military  service.  He  was  with  the  detachment  of 
state  troops  under  Col.  Pettigrew,  which  took  possession  of  Castle 
Pinckney,  on  the  evening  of  the  27th  of  December,  i860 — the  very 
first  act  in  the  war.  Learning  that  two  companies  detailed  for  that 
service,  supposed  to  be  a  most  dangerous  one,  were  those  in  which 
were  his  two  brothers,  Edward  and  Thomas,  he  smuggled  himself  on 
the  transport  which  was  to  take  the  troops  across  the  harbor,  to  the 
attack  of  the  castle,  and  coming  out  after  the  steamer  was  well  on 
her  way,  it  was  too  late  to  prevent  his  joining  the  party.  He  volun- 
teered then  as  an  engineer,  and  built  the  battery  at  Cumming's  Point, 
on  Morris's  Island,  which  was  the  most  seriously  engaged  in  the  bom- 
bardment of  Fort  Sumter,  of  the  13th  of  April,  1S61.  He  was  at  the 
battery  of  Fort  Johnson,  and  present  when  the  gun  was  fired  from 
that  fort,  the  signal  for  the  commencement  of  the  bombardment. 
Soon  after,  he  entered  the  service  of  the  Confederate  government  as 
an  engineer,  and  rose  to  the  rank  of  major  in  that  branch  of  the  ser- 
vice. He  served  upon  the  military  staff  of  Gen.  Beauregard,  and  was 
in_  charge  of  the  construction  of  the  fortification  around  Savannah, 
joining  the  army  of  Gen.  Joseph  E.  Johnston,  after  the  evacuation  of 
that  city.  He  was  thus  in  the  war  from  its  very  inception  to  its  end, 
and  attained  the  reputation  of  a  most  able  and  skillful  military  en- 
gineer. His  manuscripts  and  books,  the  result  of  his  scientific  re- 
searches and  labors  of  the  seven  years  before  the  war,  were  burnt  in 
Columbia,  when  that  city  was  sacked  by  Sherman. 

At  the  close  of  the  war  he  was  again  elected  professor  of  mathe- 
matics in  the  Charleston  college,  and  filled  that  chair,  until  he  was 
called  to  Harvard  university.  In  1873,  Prof.  McCrady,  at  the  in- 
stance of  Prof.  Louis  Agassiz,  was  invited  to  accept  the  position  of 
assistant  to  his  great  master  at  that  institution.  This  he  did,  and 
upon  the  death  of  Agassiz,  he  was  appointed  his  successor  in  the 
chair  of  zoology.     He  held  this  position  for  four  years,  delivering  a 


l6o  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

course  of  lectures  before  the  theological  school  of  the  university 
during  some  part  of  this  time.  In  August,  1877,  Prof.  McCrady  was 
elected  professor  of  biology  and  the  relation  of  science  and  relig- 
ion, in  the  University  of  the  South,  at  Sewanee,  Tenn.,  and  spent  the 
remainder  of  his  life  at  that  institution.  How  highly  he  was  esteemed, 
and  how  much  loved,  and  how  great  the  work  he  was  doing  there,  the 
following  memorial  tributes  will  best  tell.  He  was  taken  very  ill  in 
September,  18S1,  and  while  only  partially  recovered,  the  house  in 
which  he  lived,  and  a  large  part  of  his  manuscripts,  with  his  library, 
were  burnt.  This  shock,  and  the  dangerous  illness  of  a  member  of 
his  family,  arrested  his  recovery.  He  died  at  Nashville,  Tenn.,  on 
the  i6th  of  October,  18S1. 

(ChavlGsion  iVgzas  afir/  Coitri^r.)  "Tiie  news  was  received  in  Lhis  city  last  evening  of  tlie  death  of 
Prof,  [olin  McCrady,  whicli  toolc  place  at  Nashville,  yesterday  afternoon.  He  was  born  in  Charleston  in 
1S31,  and  had  j\ist  completed  his  fiftieth  year  at  the  time  of  his  death.  A  graduate  of  Charleston  college, 
he  early  devoted  himself  to  the  scientific  and  philosophic  studies  in  which  he  was  to  attain  such  eminence. 
In  the  late  war  he  served  as  major  of  engineers  on  the  staff  of  (jen.  Beauregard,  and  had  in  special  charge 
the  district  of  (Jeorgia.  Under  his  plans  and  directions  the  forlificalions  around  Savannah  were  con- 
structed. At  the  burning  of  Cohimbia  by  Sherman's  troops,  he  lost  his  valuable  library  and  Mss.,  with 
the  recorded  thoughts  and  observations  of  years.  After  the  war,  for  some  time,  he  held  the  position  of 
professor  of  mathematics  in  the  Charleston  college,  and  there  earned  the  unbounded  admiration  of  his 
students  by  the  clearness  and  thoroughness  of  his  instructions.  At  an  early  age  he  had  impressed  the 
late  Prof.  Agassiz,  whose  student  he  was,  with  the  solidity  and  extent  of  his  intellectual  attainments  and 
the  originality  and  grasp  of  his  scientific  and  philosophic  conceptions.  Their  mutual  esteem  led  to  a 
friendship  that  ended  only  with  the  death  of  Agassiz.  .So  earnest  was  the  faith  of  .-\gassiz  in  his  friend's 
ability  and  learning,  that  in  1873,  he  was  instrumental  in  procuring  for  Prof.  McCrady  a  chair  as  his  own 
assistant  at  Harvard  university.  In  the  world  of  thought  his  t.alent  made  itself  so  felt  that  after  the  death 
of  .Agassiz,  he  was  chosen  as  his  successor  in  the  chair  of  zoology.  This  post  he  left  to  accept  the  profes- 
sorship of  the  relations  lietween  science  and  religion  at  the  University  of  the  South,  at  Sewanee,  Tenn. 
In  his  new  position  he  applied  himself  to  the  perfecting  of  what  he  considered  his  life's  task  and  the  crown 
of  his  labors — the  demonstration  of  the  perfect  harmony  between  the  results  of  science  and  the  revealed 
religion,  and  the  entire  dependence  of  the  former  on  the  latter. 

"The  chair  at  Sewanee,  Prof.  McCrady  accepted  upon  the  material  guarantees  which  he  considered  nec- 
essary, and  under  an  agreement  to  devote  only  certain  months  to  his  work  there,  leaving  him  for  a  large 
part  of  the  ye.ar  free  to  pursue  his  studies  uninterrupted,  or  to  devote  himself  to  labors  elsewhere.  Little 
more  than  a  year  afterward  the  university  fell  into  financial  difficulties,  and  the  appeal  was  made  to  him, 
for  the  sake  of  the  university,  not  only  to  cancel  his  first  agreement  and  guarantees,  but  to  devote  his  whole 
time  to  the  university,  undertaking  other  and  distinct  branches  of  instruction  from  his  particular  chair, 
and  for  that  to  accept  a  much  smaller  compensation  than  was  first  agreed  on,  and  that  too  to  be  uncertain 
and  contingent.  He  never  hesitated.  Other  and  more  profitable  jilaces  were  open  to  him,  but  with  un- 
flinching self-sacrifice  he  remained  at  his  post,  and  gave  to  the  university  the  advantage  of  his  reputation 
and  his  services  when  it  was  recognized  that  his  loss  would  have  been  simply  irreparable. 

"The  clearness  and  brilliancy  of  his  lectures,  and  the  singular  origin.ility  of  Prof.  McCrady's  philo- 
sophic thought  and  system,  now  attained  a  fuller  recognition  in  the  scientific  worhl,  and  last  winter,  by 
engagement,  he  delivered  a  series  of  lectures  for  the  Johns  Hopkins  university  in  Ballimore.  In  these  he 
outlined  his  philosophical  system,  and  left  an  imj^ression  that  will  not  easily  pass  aw.ay.  One  qualified  to 
judge,  who  then  heard  him,  said  that  '  his  genius  came  nearer  to  inspiration  than  anything  he  had  ever 
heard  before  or  read.'  .Among  many  students  and  professors  at  Sewanee,  his  great  ability  caused  him  lo 
be  regarded  with  profound  respect,  and  his  sterling  qualities  created  in  the  hearts  of  his  students  an  affec- 
tion and  admiration  that  cannot  be  expressed. 

"  His  intelleclual  labor  was  incessant.  Every  moment  he  could  steal  from  his  needed  rest  and  press- 
ing occupation  was  devoled  to  the  ac(|uisition  of  knowledge  and  the  pursuit  of  original  investigation.  The 
strain  was  too  great.  His  physical  system  gradually  became  undermined,  and  an  attack  of  illness  in  .Au- 
gust last,  which  at  one  time  threatened  a  fatal  termination,  iuterrupteil  his  labors.  Following  upon  this 
cime  the  burning  of  his  home  at  Sewanee,  in  the  dead  of  the  night,  with  the  great  consequent  loss  and 
the  shock  of  the  danger  to  his  invaluable  Mss.  and  library.  A  day  or  so  after  lie  reccivetl  the  intelligence 
of  the  dangerous  illness  of  a  daughter,  and  he  was  hastily  summoned  lo  Nashville.  There  he  was  taken 
with  the  last  and  fatal  attack.  It  was  borne  with  unshaken  firmness  and  Christian  fortitude,  an  endurance 
that  never  wavered  in  the  midst  of  excruciating  pain.  With  him  has  passed  away  a  mind  of  singular 
originality,  of  wide  attainments,  and  of  earnest  devotion  to  the  chosen  work  of  his  life. 
Yet  leaving  here,  a  name  we  trust. 
That  will  not  perish  with  the  dust." 


SOUTH   CAROLINA.  i6r 

Extracts  I'roin  an  address  of  the  Rev.  Dr.  William  P.  Du  Bosc,  at 
the  memorial  service  held  at  Sewanee,  upon  the  occasion  of  his 
death: 

"  \Vc  feel,  professors  as  well  as  stiidenls,  tint  wc  have  lost  a  teacher  —  a  master  at  whose  feet  we 
have  been  happy  to  sit.  We  all  feel  that  a  jjreat  man  —  1  wonder  how  many  of  us  realize  how  (jreat  a 
man  —  has  fallen  among  us? 

"The  physical  anil  natural  sciences,  mathematics,  piycholo;^y,  ontology,  philology,  ethnology,  mythol- 
ogy, all  nature,  all  books  —  the  Book  —  we  all  rememljer  how  tanriliarly  he  drew  his  illustrations  and 
proofs  Ironi  each  and  all  of  them.  If  realizing  the  principle  that  to  know  something  of  all,  it  was  neces- 
sary to  know  all  of  something,  he  selected  the  particular  science  of  zoology  and  made  a  reputation  for 
himself  as  a  specialist  in  th.it  branch  of  research;  zoology  to  him  w.as  not  an  end  but  only  a  means  to  an 
end.  If  in  his  special  research  he  discovered  particular  facts,  it  was  only  that  from  these  facts  he  might 
ascend  again  to  that  grand  induction,  that  universal  law  which  was  to  him  the  substance  of  truth  —  truth 
which  in  its  essence  is  all  one,  in  its  highest  unity,  at  once  natural  aud  supernatural,  the  logical  expression 
of  the  mind,  the  thought,  the  will,  the  law,  the  logos  of  (iod.  It  is  easy  enough  to  talk  of  the  unity  of 
all  tilings,  but  to  be  able  to  see  all  things  in  their  unity,  to  grasp  the  one  law  that  runs  through  all,  to 
enter  into  the  counsel  of  the  one  mind  that  animates  all,  to  coaiprehend  God  in  the  secret  of  his  working, 
belongs  alone  to  the  highest  philosophy. 

"  .\m\  Mr.  McCrady  was  a  profound  investigator,  not  only  of  the  natural,  but  of  the  spiritual  creation 
of  God,  not  only  of  the  universe,  but  of  Christianity.  He  saw  that  in  the  highest  sense  they,  too,  are  one, 
the  expression  of  one  mind  and  one  law.  As  he  loved  to  express  it:  the  logos  of  Christianity  is  one  and 
the  same  with  the  logos  of  the  universe.  He  who  understands  both,  cannot  believe  and  accept  one  with- 
out believing  and  accepting  the  other." 

Address  by  Bishop  Gallaher,  of  Louisiana,  in  Christ  church,  Ale.K- 
andria,  November,  1881: 

"This  gre.^t  Christian  scholar  died  on  the  i6lh  of  October,  in  Nashville. 

"The  sentence  just  written  will  carry  sorrow  to  the  hearts  of  a  great  number  of  earnest  and  thout^ht- 
ful  people  who  had  learned  to  look  to  this  man,  with  coutidence  well  founded,  for  the  popularization  of  a 
Christian  science  and  a  Christian  philosophy. 

"  For  one  who  knew  hnn  as  the  writer  did,  it  is  diflicult  to  speak  calmly  and  quietly  of  this  modest, 
learned  and  godly  man,  who  has  been  summoned  away  from  us  to  a  world  of  higher  thought  and  clearer 
vision  than  ours.  .\nd  when  men  who  did  know  try  to  tell  others  of  him,  something  may  be  conceded  to 
an  affection  and  a  reverence  which  were  generated  by  qualities  of  a  most  exceptional  kind.  John  McCrady, 
in  the  last  years  of  his  life,  was  in  the  .Sewanee  forests.  His  little  lecture  room  would  not  hold  sixty  men. 
He  could  hold  the  most  .accomplished  and  cultured  audiences  spell-bound  by  his  lucid  speech  and  lofty 
thought.  He  could  teach  the  teachers  in  universities  of  highest  rank.  He  could  make  men  feel  that 
Christianity  is  the  purest  form  of  intellectual  life.  .A.nd  he  could  do  all  this  without  betraying  a  conscious- 
ness of  his  marvelous  ability.  Modest  and  wdse,  able  and  lowly  minded,  this  was  John  McCrady,  a  man 
of  men,  knight-errant  of  truth,  the  bond-servant  of  our  master,  Christ.  The  grief  is  not  that  he  is  dead 
and  gone  from  us,  but  that  he  lived  to  die  as  he  did  —  unknown  to  the  great  number  of  those  for  whom 
he  gave  his  life,  unknown  by  communities  he  would  have  made  famous  in  the  world  of  thought.  Oh, 
brothers,  you  would  not  believe  that  there  was  a  man  in  the  Sewanee  woods  who  was  the  first  of  Ameri- 
can biologists.  Vou  would  not  remember  that  the  favorite  pupil  and  successor  of  .\gassiz  was  then  doing 
heroic  work  for  you  and  Christ's  religion,  doing  it  brilliantly  and  powerfully,  as  no  man  that  you  have 
can  do  it. 

"Yes,  the  knowledge  gained  will  not  die.  It  will  grow  from  more  to  more,  but  many  a  year  will 
.  come  and  go  before  you  will  find  another  man  to  speak  and  feel  as  did  this  man  who,  after  fifty  years  of 
life,  rests. 

"  He  had  sounded  all  the  depths  and  shoals  of  modern  science,  and  then  with  the  spoils  of  his  long 
study,  came  to  kneel  with  the  humblest  at  the  foot  of  the  cross.  He  might  have  had  fame  and  wealth 
and  power  — he  preferred  to  teach  young  men  to  love  truth  and  worship  God. 

"  Xot  long  ago,  the  medical  world  assembled  to  raise  a  monument  to  the  great  surgeon,  McDowell, 
the  country  doctor  of  ICentucky.  Fifty  years  hence,  another  band  will  climb  the  .Sewanee  heights,  and 
plant  ou  the  Cumberland  rocks  a  shaft  that  shall  strive  and  strive  in  vain  to  tell  the  nobility  and  great- 
ness of  John  McCrady,  of  South  Carolina." 

Professor  McCrady  married  Sarah  Dismukes,  a  daughter  of  Paul 
Dismukes,  of  Tennessee  (and  a  granddaughter  of  Thomas  Lynch,  a 
distinguished  patriot  of  the  Revolution  and  member  of  the  conti- 
nental congress — whose  son,  Thomas,  elected  as  his  successor,  was 
one  of  the  signers  of  the  Declaration  of  Independence).  He  left 
one  son,  Edward  McCrady,  now  a  student  of  divinity  in  the  Univer- 
sity of  the  South,  and  four  daughters,  one  of  whom,  Louisa  Rebecca, 
.\ — II 


l62  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

is  the  wife  of  William  H.  Barnwell,  and  another,  Sabina  Lynch,  is 
the  wife  of  Theodore  S.  Fitzsimmons.  The  other  two  daughters, 
Esther  Lynch  Bowman  and  Catherine  de  Berniere,  are  unmarried. 

EDWARD  McCRADY,  JUNIOR,* 

was  born  at  Charleston,  S.  C,  April  S,  1833.  iTe  is  the  second  son  of 
Edward  McCrady.  Educated  at  the  school  of  Samuel  Burns,  in  his 
native  city,  he  was  graduated  from  the  Charleston  college  in  1853, 
studied  law  in  his  father's  office,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1S55. 
A  close  student,  not  only  of  his  chosen  profession,  but  also  of  the 
political  history  of  his  country  and  state,  Mr.  McCrady  was  early 
impressed  with  the  uncertain  tenure  of  the  Federal  bond,  and  the 
prospect  of  a  rupture  with  the  general  government.  These  impres- 
sions led  to  an  interest  in  military  affairs  and  a  study  of  military  sub- 
jects. In  1854,  he  was  elected  major  of  the  battalion  of  rifles.  South 
Carolina  militia,  and  the  next  year  contributed  articles  on  the  neces- 
sity of  militia  reform,  which  led  to  his  appointment  on  commission  to 
examine  the  militia  system  of  the  state,  under  resolution  of  the  legis- 
lature of  1859.  In  1S60,  he  resigned  his  commission  as  major  of  the 
rifle  battalion,  and  accepted  the  captaincy  in  a  company  of  guards. 
He  entered  the  state  military  service  at  the  taking  of  Castle  Pinckney, 
December  27,  i860,  and  served  until  the  surrender  of  Fort  Sumter, 
April  13,  1861.  He  entered  the  Confederate  service  as  captain  of  the 
Irish  volunteers,  June  27, 1861,  and  was  ordered  to  Virginia  in  July,  1861, 
and  in  August,  1S61,  joined  Gregg's  First  regiment  South  Carolina 
volunteers;  promoted  major  December  14,  1S61,  and  upon  the  fall  of 
Lieut.-Col.  A.  M.Smith,  was  commissioned  lieutenant-colonel  June  27, 
1862.  When  the  battles  around  Richmond  commenced.  Col.  McCrady 
was  in  Richmond,  sick  in  bed,  but,  determined  to  share  in  that  im- 
portant movement,  expressed  his  determination  to  join  his  command 
in  the  field.  His  surgeon  positively  refused  permission,  assured  him 
that  he  could  be  of  no  possible  use  in  the  lines,  and  predicted  death 
as  the  penalty  of  the  attempt.  Too  weak  to  ride  on  horseback  to  the 
front.  Col.  McCrady  hired  a  carriage  and  had  himself  driven  to  the 
lines,  joining  his  brigade  just  as  the  battle  of  Cold  Harbor  began,  and 
reported  to  Gen.  Gregg  for  duty.  Unable  to  walk,  Gen.  Gregg 
ordered  him  to  serve  on  his  staff,so  that  he  might  remain  mounted. 
In  the  discharge  of  the  duties  thus  assumed,  he  shared  the  fortunes 
of  his  command  during  the  action,  rendering  valuable  service,  but 
fainting  three  times  upon  the  field,  and  after  the  battle,  was  taken 
back  to  his  sick  bed,  in  Richmond,  to  linger  for  weeks  from  typhoid 
fever.  On  July  30th,  scarcely  recovered  and  very  feeble,  he  rejoined 
his  command,  and  was  present  in  command  of  his  regiment  at  Cedar 
Run,  August  Qth,  and  at  Second  Manassas,  August  28th,  29th  and  30th, 
at  which  latter  place  he  was  severely  wounded  in  the  head  on  the 
third  day.  Narrowly  escaping  death  from  this  wound,  he  missed  the 
Maryland  campaign,  rejoining  his  brigade  after  its  return  to  Virginia, 

'  By  w.  R.  D. 


SnsfbyJT  S  K^^rianJ^  ^- 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  163 

during  the  affair  at  Snicker's  Gap,  October  30th.  Was  present  for 
duty  at  the  battle  of  I'rcdericksburg,  December  13,  1862,  and  rendered 
good  service  in  aiding  to  repulse  the  Federal  attack  on  Gregg's  brig- 
ade, in  which  that  general  was  killed.  On  January  27,  1863,  at  camp, 
on  Morse's  Neck,  he  was  seriously  injured  by  a  falling  tree,  and  ren- 
dered unfit  for  further  action  in  field  duty.  Rejoining  his  command 
several  times  only  to  find  himself  physically  disabled  and  unfit  for 
duty,  he  saw  the  last  actual  engagement  at  Mine  Run,  December, 
1863,  and  in  March,  1864,  was  transferred  to  command  of  the  camp  of 
instruction  at  Madison,  Fla.,  where  he  served  until  April,  1865,  when 
on  his  way  to  rejoin  the  army  of  Virginia,  he  heard  of  Lee's  sur- 
render. 

In  October  1865,  he  resumed  the  practice  of  law,  in  partnership 
with  his  father,  in  Charleston.  In  1867,  he  organized  the  Survivors' 
association  of  Charleston,  and  in  1869  succeeded  Col.  P.  C.  Gaillard 
in  the  presidency.  Was  also  chairman  of  the  executive  committee 
of  the  State  association  in  1869,  and  as  such  commenced  the  work  of 
recovering  and  collecting  historical  materials  of  the  war.  In  1870  he 
made  a  report  to  the  meeting  of  the  Survivors'  association  at 
Columbia,  which  report  forms  the  basis  of  all  the  information  we 
now  have  of  the  troops  of  the  state.  Diligently  and  successfully  en- 
gaged in  the  practice  of  law,  Mr.  McCrady  still  found  time  to  keep 
abreast  of  the  age  in  matters  legal,  political  and  religious,  and  to  con- 
tribute to  the  current  literature  of  the  day,  reviews,  letters,  articles, 
essays  and  speeches  on  those  subjects  which  have  attracted  public 
attention,  directed  thought,  moulded  opinion  and  influenced  action. 
Among  these  the  principal  are: 

I.  Upon  legal  subjects:  An  article  in  the  American  Law  Review, 
Boston,  1872,  on  "Doubtful  Points  in  our  Bankrupt  Law."  An  essay, 
"An  Inquiry  into  the  Subject  of  the  Territorial  Limits  and  Jurisdic- 
tion of  the  Circuit  Courts  of  the  United  States,"  1873,  which  has  been 
re-published  by  Judge  Hughes  of  Virginia  as  an  appendi.v  to  his 
Circuit  Reports  U.  S.,  3  Vol.  1879.  An  article  in  the  Southern  Law 
Review  on  "Private  Communications  to  Judges,"  1874.  An  article 
in  the  same  Review  on  the  "  Responsibility  of  Newspapers,"  187s.  A 
paper  on  the  "  Re-organization  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  the  United 
States" — re-published  in  the  Central  Law  Journal,  1S75. 
.  2.  Upon  political  subjects:  A  pamphlet  "  Review  of  the  resolutions 
of  the  press  conference,"  1870.  This  pamphlet  contained  a  series  of 
articles  upon  the  resolutions  of  the  conference  recognizing  the  right 
of  citizens  of  color  to  the  suffrage.  The  daily  papers  of  the  cit3^of 
Charleston  refused  their  publication,  whereupon  they  went  rapidly 
through  two  editions  in  pamphlet  form  and  were  largely  re-published 
elsewhere.  An  article  on  the  registration  of  electors,  in  1879.  An 
address  before  the  students  of  Erskine  college,  Due  West,  on  "  The 
necessity  of  education  as  the  basis  of  our  political  system,"  18S0. 
Pamphlet,  "The  necessity  of  raising  the  standard  of  citizenship  and 
the  right  of  the  general  assembly  to  impose  qualifications  upon  elec- 
tors," 1881.     An  address  to  the  South  Carolina  military  academy  at 


l64  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

the  commencement  of  1887,  upon  the  subject  of  the  necessity  and  true 
use  of  the  primary  government.  Letter  upon  "  Roads  and  rail- 
roads," in  1883,  and  articles,  "Some  studies  of  the  railroad  problem," 
in  the  Dixie  Magazine,  Ajtlanta,  1885. 

3.  Upon  historical  subjects:  An  address  before  the  survivors  of 
Co.  A.  First  Regiment  S.  C.  V.,  VVilliston,  S.  C,  "  The  real  cause  of 
the  war,  "  18S2,  re-published  in  the  southern  historical  papers,  1889. 
"  Education  in  South  Carolina  prior  to  the_  Revolution,"  a  paper  read 
before  the  historical  society  of  South  Carolina,  1883,  pamphlet,  IV. 
Vol.  historical  collections.  "Gregg's  brigade  of  South  Carolinians 
at  the  .Second  Manassas.  "  An  address  before  the  survivors  of  the 
Twelfth  regiment  S.C.V.  18S4,  re-published  in  the  southern  historical 
papers,  1883.  "  History  of  the  medical  profession  in  South  Carolina," 
address  before  the  medical  college  of  South  Carolina  1885.  Address 
before  the  association  army  of  northern  Virgina,  Richmond,  Va.,  1886, 
on  the  "  Formation,  organization  and  characteristics  of  the  army  of 
northern  Virginia,"  in  the  southern  historical  papers,  1887.  "Heroesof 
old  Camden  district,"  "South  Carolina,  1776-1861,  "  an  address  to 
the  survivors  of  P'airfield  county,  delivered  at  Winnsboro,  South 
Carolina,  1888,  southern  historical  papers,  1889.  "The  peopling  of 
the  state, "  an  address  before  the  literary  society  of  Statesburg, 
South  Carolina,  1889.  "The  historical  sketch  of  South  Carolina  "at 
the  opening  of  this  volume. 

In  1880,  Mr.  McCrady  was  elected  a  member  of  the  legislature  for 
Charleston  county,  and  re-elected  for  several  legislatures.  Admir- 
ably equipped  for  the  place,  and  enjoying  the  respect  and  confidence 
of  his  fellow-legislators,  he  was  able  to  take  an  active  and  influential 
part  in  all  important  measures  coming  before  the  house,  and  to  in- 
troduce and  secure  the  passage  of  some  much  needed  and  valuable 
legislation.  In  1882,  he  introduced  and  carried  through  the  legisla- 
ture, an  act  to  establish  a  Confederate  bureau  in  the  office  of  the  ad- 
jutant-general of  the  state,  for  the  collection  of  war  records,  and  to 
this  bureau,  Mr.  McCrad}'  presented  all  the  material  on  that  subject 
which  he  had  so  laboriously  and  diligently  collected.  Thanks  to  this 
act  and  his  previous  industry,  the  record  of  the  South  Carolinia  sol- 
diers in  the  Confederate  service  is  well-nigh  complete,  and  for  this 
work  of  value  alike  as  a  heritage  to  the  people  of  the  state  and  a 
mine  of  historical  research  and  collated  established  facts,  Mr.  Mc- 
Crady is  entitled  to  the  credit.  He  also  took  an  active  part  in  pass- 
ing and  perfecting  the  railroad  laws  of  the  state,  the  stock  law  and 
local  option  laws,  introduced  the  resolution  endorsing  civil  service 
reform,  and  did  effective  service  in  favor  of  the  "bill  to  prevent 
duelling."  He  was  chairman  of  the  committee  on  privileges  and 
elections,  and  a  member  of  the  judiciary  and  railroad  committee. 
Appointed  in  1S82  major-general  of  South  Carolina  militia,  he  had 
much  to  do  with  bringing  the  militia  of  the  coast  region  up  to  a  high 
state  of  efficiency  and  value.  Professionally,  Mr.  McCrady  took  part 
in  all  the  political  trials  since  re-construction,  made  the  question  as 
to  the  test  oath  to  jurors,  arguing  that  as  "  Rebellion  "  was  a  crime  in 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  165 

the  eye  of  the  law,  no  one  could  be  asked  on  his  voir  dirCf  after  hav- 
ing been  brought  into  court  by  subpcena,  whether  he  had  been  guilty 
of  rebellion  —  a  point  which  was  afterward  sustained  by  the  United 
States  supreme  court.  He  took  active  part  in  the  defense  of  the 
stockholders  of  the  banks  broken  by  the  war,  and  made  before  the 
supreme  court  of  the  United  .States  an  argument  which  is  said  to  have 
gained  the  case  for  the  stockholders.  His  services  in  these  cases,  and 
his  arguments  in  the  McKeegan  will  case  and  the  Davie  will  case, 
with  others,  have  defined  his  place  at  the  bar  of  his  native  city. 

The  political  campaign  of  1876,  resulting  in  the  election  of  Gen. 
Hampton,  governor,  and  a  complete  transfer  of  the  state  to  the  hands 
of  the  white  population,  did  not  alter  the  relative  strength  of  the  two 
parties  or  races  in  the  state.  The  negroes  were  still  vastly  in  the  ma- 
jority, and  their  return  to  power,  with  all  that  their  government  of 
the  state  implied,  could  only  be  prevented-' under  the  then  existing 
election  laws  by  the  constant  use  of  most  questionable  and  most  de- 
moralizing methods  at  the  polls,  a  choice  between  fraud  and  violence 
was  all  that  was  left  to  the  most  conscientious  democrat,  and  the  con- 
stant recurrence  of  struggles  to  be  decided  by  such  means,  was  en- 
dangering the  political  virtue  of  the  purest  and  best  of  our  political 
workers.  Besides,  it  was  only  a  question  of  time,  when  such  methods 
would  involve  the  state  with  the  general  government,  and  result  in 
the  loss  of  all  the  ground  gained  in  1876.  No  one  in  the  state  more 
fully  and  intelligently  comprehended  the  situation  than  Mr.  McCrady, 
and  none  other  so  earnestly  set  out  to  remedy  the  evil.  So  that  we 
find  him  as  early  as  1879,  printing  in  pamphlet  form,  his  first  paper 
on  "The  Registration  of  Electors,"  followed  in  18S0  by  his  address 
before  Erskine  college  at  Due  West,  on  "  The  Necessity  of  Education 
as  the  Basis  of  our  Political  System,"  and  in  1881,  by  his  essay  on 
"  The  Necessity  of  Raising  the  Standard  of  Citizenship,  and  the  Right 
of  the  General  Assembly  to  Impose  Qualifications  upon  Electors," 
also  printed  in  pamphlet  form  and  widely  distributed  in  the  state,  es- 
pecially among  the  members-elect  to  the  legislature.  Having  thus 
prepared  the  public  mind  for  the  change,  and  being  himself  elected 
in  1880,  a  member  of  the  legislature,  in  1881,  he  submitted  to  the 
committee  of  the 'general  assembly,  appointed  on  that  subject,  a 
draft  of  the  eight  box  registration  law,  the  very  first  effort,  at  least  in 
this  section,  at  ballot  reform. 

After  a  long,  and,  strange  to  say,  bitterly  contested  fight  in  the 
legislature,  the  present  election  law  of  the  state  was  placed  upon  the 
statute  books  principally  hy  Mr.  McCrady's  influence,  and  has  re- 
sulted in  giving  at  least  ten  years  of  peace  and  prosperity  to  the 
state,  and  in  the  cultivation  of  the  friendliest  relations  between  the 
whites  and  blacks.  This  law,  which  is,  in  reality,  the  application  of 
an  educational  test  to  voters,  has,  as  Mr.  McCrady  foresaw  and  pre- 
dicted, confined  the  suffrage  to  intelligent  electors,  has  removed  all 
necessity  for  fraud  or  violence,  has  assured  white  supremacy  in  the 
state  and  relieved  the  fears  of  a  race  war,  which  so  constantly  and 
persistently  menaced  the  peace  of  the  state  under  the  old  election 


l66  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

laws.  It  was  not,  as  has  been  charged,  a  law  to  deprive  the  negro  of 
his  right  of  suffrage;  but  in  reality  a  law  designed  and  intended  to 
elevate  the  standard  of  citizenship,  white  and  black  alike,  and  to  pro- 
tect all  electors  at  the  polls  when  qualified  to  exercise  the  high  and 
and  important  right  of  suffrage.  Ten  years'  experience  has  fully 
justified  these  claims,  and  entitle  Mr.  McCrady  to  the  gratitude  of 
all  classes  in  the  state  for  his  labor  and  success  in  this  important  mat- 
ter of  legislation.  Gen.  McCrady  is  now  vice-president  of  the  South 
Carolina  Historical  society,  trustee  of  the  Medical  college  of  Charles- 
ton, of  the  Charleston  Library  society,  and  has  been  for  eighteen 
years  vestryman  of  St.  Philips  church;  is  now  chairman  of  the  ves- 
try and  delegate  to  the  convention,  and  succeeded  his  father  as  dele- 
gate to  the  general  convention  in  the  United  States  for  the  diocese. 

His  father  and  he  have  been  associated  in  the  practice  of  law  for 
thirty-six  years;  the  law  firm  now  consists  of  Edward  McCrady,  Ed- 
ward McCrady,  Jr.,  T.  W.  Bacot,  and  Louis  de  B.  McCrady,  under 
the  firm  name  of  McCrady,  Sons  &  Bacot.  It  is  remarkable  in  this 
age  of  progression  and  change  to  note  that  in  almost  every  position 
of  life,  Edward  McCrady,  Jr.,  has  succeeded  his  father,  Edward  Mc- 
Crad}^  and  so  singularly  alike  and  consistent  have  their  two  lives 
been  treading  with  like  steps  the  self-same  paths,  that  to  them  may 
well  be  applied  what  is  said  of  the  Byings  in  Cook's  History  of 
Party,  volume  3,  page  268:  "  In  popularity  or  through  odium  he  (the 
father)  still  retained  his  consistency,  and  so  well  had  he  impressed 
upon  his  son  the  character  he  himself  bore,  that  in  reading  the  par- 
liamentary debates  we  must  have  recourse  to  extraneous  sources  to 
discover  where  the  father's  course  ended  and  where  the  son's  began." 

Mr.  McCrady  married,  in  1863,  Mary  Eraser,  daughter  of  Maj. 
Allen  J.  Davie,  an  officer  of  the  war  of  1812,  and  granddaughter  of 
Gen.  William  R.  Davie,  a  famous  partisan  leader  of  the  Revolution, 
minister  to  France  and  governor  of  North  Carolina,  a  sketch  of 
whose  life  will  he  found  in  this  work. 

BENJAMIN   T.  ELMORE. 

Benjamin,  the  eldest  son  of  T.  Elmore  and  .Sarah  Saxon,  first 
saw  the  light  of  day  in  Laurens  district,  S.  C.  His  father  fought 
in  the  Revolutionary  war  with  distinction.  He  came,  first,  to 
South  Carolina  in  company  with  Gen.  Greene.  In  1810  Benjamin 
graduated  from  the  South  Carolina  college,  with  the  class  of  which 
James  Dallet  had  the  first  honor,  William  Lowry  the  second,  and 
Chancellor  Job  Johnson  the  third.  At  the  commencement  of  the 
war  of  1812  he  was  commissioned  a  first  lieutenant,  and  served 
gallantly  in  the  campaigns  of  Eort  Moultrie  and  during  the  war.  In 
consideration  of  gallant  and  meritorious  conduct  he  was  promoted 
to  the  rank  of  captain.  When  "  grim-visaged  war  had  smoothed  his 
wrinkled  front"  he  returned  to  Ncwberr}',  where  he  studied  law  in 
the  oKicc  of  Anderson  Crenshaw,  Esq.,  and  was  admitted  to  practice 
at  Columbia  in  1815.     He  opened  an  office  at  Laurens,  but  gave  but 


SOUTH   CAROLINA.  167 

little  of  his  time  to  the  practice  of  law,  having  about  this  time  pre- 
sented himself  as  a  candidate  for  treasurer  of  the  upper  division  of 
the  state,  to  which  office  he  was  elected.  After  this  he  was  twice 
comptroller-general,  serving  during  the  years  1823,  '24,  '25  and  '26. 

Mr.  Elmore  was  married  to  Sarah  Aurora,  daughter  of  Judge 
Brevard.  As  captain  of  a  company  he  conducted  a  successful  cam- 
paign against  the  Seminole  Indians  of  Florida.  Capt.  Elmore  was  a 
most  pleasant  and  congenial  man,  fond  of  his  friends,  jovial  and  hos- 
pitable; but  his  military  and  office  habits  unfitted  him  for  any  of  the 
more  active  callings  of  life,  of  which,  indeed,  he  felt  no  necessity,  as 
he  had  large  financial  ability,  which  will  be  fully  attested  by  his 
returns  as  comptroller-general.  He  was  a  kind-hearted  man,  fond 
of  conviviality,  and  his  early  death  has  been,  by  some,  attributed  to 
his  convivial  habits.  His  death  occurred  at  Limestone  Springs,  in 
1840,  his  amiable  and  most  accomplished  widow  surviving  him. 

By  those  who  knew  him,  Mr.  Elmore  will  be  remembered  more 
for  the  genuine  good  qualities  of  heart,  of  which  he  was  possessed, 
than  for  the  more  conspicuous  attractions  which  are  the  creations  of 
ambition.  He  neither  sought  nor  achieved  that  flattering  height  in 
public  life  which  is  ofttimes  secured  at  the  peril  of  a  good  name  and 
the  sacrifice  of  the  tenderest  ties  of  friendship;  he  lived  among  and 
for  his  friends,  recognizing  every  man  as  his  neighbor,  and  his  ample 
means  were  always  at  their  command.  The  lives  of  the  eminent 
statesmen  make  men  free  and  patriotic;  but  the  lives  of  such  men  as 
Mr.  Elmore  make  men  happy,  and  the  secret  of  a  life  is  read  in  his 
people's  hearts. 

WADDY  THOMPSON 

was  elected  a  judge  of  the  court  of  equity  in  1S05,  to  succeed  Judge 
Marshall,  who  died  the  same  year.  Judge  Thompson  was  a  Virgin- 
ian by  birth,  having  been  brought  up  and  educated  on  the  "sacred 
soil."  He  was  a  very  thorough  lawyer,  and  man  of  great  literary  er- 
udition. He  had  a  strong,  well-balanced,  clear,  legal  mind,  and  oft- 
times  decided  cases  without  waiting  for  the  arguments,  yet  he  was 
never  charged  with  partisanism.  He  largely  disclaimed  in  his  decrees 
the  affectation  of  learning,  frequently  reasoning  out  his  decisions 
without  reference  to  authorities.  For  many  years  he  was  an  eminent 
chancellor  in  the  court  of  appeals  in  equity.  From  the  general  refer- 
ence which  North  Carolina  biographers  make  to  a  "court  of  appeals 
in  equity,"  it  would  seem,  as  indeed  the  writer  believes  was  a  fact, 
that  there  were  two  courts  of  concurrent  jurisdiction  as  the  court  of 
last  resort,  one  taking  cognizance  of  law,  and  the  other  of  equity  pro- 
ceedings. This  practice  was  large!}'  prevalent  in  all  the  colonial  states, 
the  practice  coming  directly  from  the  English  procedure,  as  is  indeed 
the  case  in  all  the  southern  states  where  the  doctrine  of  the  common 
law  has  been  preserved  in  its  integrity,  and  where  the  so-called  "  New 
York  code"  has  not  been  adopted.  Over  the  highest  court  of  equity, 
Judge  Thompson  was,  therefore,  thought  competent  to  preside,  and 


l68  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

if  it  is  considered  that  in  this  court  he  encountered  all  that  grand  array 
of  "special  pleaders"  which  has  made  the  bar  of  South  Carolina 
famous  the  world  over,  one  may  be  able  to  form  some  estimate  of  his 
qualities  as  a  judge.  In  1824  he  was  elected  to  the  supreme  bench,  in 
company  with  Judge  DeSaussure,  which  position  he  held  until  his 
death  a  few  years  later. 

COLONEL  BEAUFORT  WATTS  BALL, 

one  of    the    leading  and    distinguished    members    of    the    Laurens 
county  bar,  was  born  on  a  farm  in  the  southern  portion  of  Laurens 
county,  S.  C,  on  the  Saluda  river,  November  16,  1830.     He  is  a  son 
of  John  Ball,  who  was  also  a  native  of  Laurens  county,  and  a  planter 
by  occupation.     He  died  while  the  subject  of  this  sketch  was  in   his 
infancy.     He  was  the  son  of  George  Ball,  a  native  of- Virginia,  who 
removed  to  South  Carolina  immediately  after  the  Revolutionary  war. 
The  family  of  Mr.  Ball  on  both  sides  is  of  English  descent.     Col. 
Ball's  mother's  maiden  name  was  Narcissa  Watts,  daughter  of  Capt. 
John  Watts,  a  native  of  \'irginia,  and  a  captain  of  militia,  who  also  re- 
moved to   South  Carolina  immediately  after  the  Revolutionary  war. 
She  died  in  1869.     The  younger  days  of  Col.  Beaufort  W.  Ball  were 
spent  on  a  farm  in  Laurens  county.     He  was  chiefly  reared  by  an 
uncle,  a  brother  of  his  mother,  Col.  Beaufort  T.  Watts,  who  was  once 
secretary  of  state   in  South   Carolina,  and   later  charge  d'  ajf aires  to 
the  Republic  of  Colombia,  S.  A.     Col.  Ball  received  his  early  school- 
ing  in   the   country   schools.     In    1847    he  entered   Erskine  college, 
where   he  remained  two  years.     He  then  entered   South  Carolina 
college,  from  which  he  graduated  with  the  degree  of  A.  B.  in    De- 
cember, 18^1.     About  a  year  later  he  took  up  the  study  of  law,  and 
in  May,  1854,  was  admitted  to  the  bar.     He  at  once  began  practice 
in  Laurens,  which  has  ever  since  been  the  place  of  his  practice.     In 
the   spring  of  1S61,  he  entered  the  Confederate   army,  in  which  he 
remained  throughout  the  war.     During  nearly  all  his  term  of  service 
he  was  with   Hampton's  legion.     In  1S62  he  was  promoted   from  a 
private  to  the  rank  of  adjutant.     In  May,  1864,  he  was  made  assistant 
adjutant-general  of  Gary's  cavalry  brigade.     He  was  with  Gen.  Lee 
at  the  surrender  of    Appomatox,  and  was  once  slightly  wounded. 
Returning,   after  the  war,  to  Laurens,  he  resumed  his  law  practice. 
In    politics.  Col.    Ball  is  a   Jeffersonian    democrat,  and  is  in  hearty 
accord  with  the  old  school  ijrinciples  of  the  party.     In  1865,  he  was  a 
member  of  the  constitutional  convention,  and,  during  the  two  ensu- 
ing years  was  a  representative    in  the  state   legislature.      He   was 
elected  intendant  of  Laurens  and  served  one  term.     In  1876  he  was 
elected  solicitor  of  the  Seventh  judicial  circuit,  of  South  Carolina, 
serving  a  term  of  four  years.     He  was  a  candidate,  in   1884,  for  rep- 
resentative   in    congress   before   the   democratic   convention  of   the 
fourth   congressional   district.      There   were    five   other   candidates 
before  the  convention,  but  after  two  days'  balloting  the  number  was 
reduced  to  ihree^Col.  Ball,  Col.  W.  H.  Perry,  and  Col.  Henry  Gail- 


M  W^ 


d^^^ 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  169 

lard.  The  majority  of  the  convention  d(;cicled  to  put  the  names  of 
these  three  in  a  hat,  and  have  a  man  blindfolded  draw  from  the  hat, 
the  first  name  drawn  to  be  the  nominee  of  the  convention. ,  Capt. 
G.  W.  Shell  was  the  person  designated  to  do  the  drawing,  and  he 
drew  the  name  of  Col.  W.  H.  Perry,  and  he  was  accordingly  made 
the  candidate  of  the  convention.  Col.  Ball  was  chairman  of  the 
democratic  county  central  committee  from  1876  till  18S6.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity  which  he  joined  in  1852,  and  in 
which  he  has  taken  both  the  chapter  and  the  council  degrees.  He 
served  as  grand  master  of  the  state  in  1875,  and  has  served  as  master 
of  his  lodge  for  several  years,  still  holding  that  position.  He  is  an 
official  member  of  the  Presbyterian  church.  As  a  lawyer,  Col.  Ball 
has  made  for  himself  a  reputation  possessed  by  but  few  of  his  profes- 
sion in  the  state.  While  his  practice  has  been  of  a  general  nature, 
his  special  attention  has  been  directed  to  the  criminal  branch  of  the 
law  for  the  practice  of  which  he  possesses  peculiar  qualifications.  No 
other  attorney  in  the  state,  probably,  has  had  more  of  this  practice  or 
been  more  successful  in  its  prosecution.  He  is  one  of  South  Caro- 
lina's ablest  and  oldest  attorneys.  Col.  Ball  was  married,  November 
27,  1867,  to  Miss  Eliza  Watts,  daughter  of  William  D.  Watts,  Esq.,  a 
planter  of  Laurens  county.  They  have  two  children  living  —  a  son 
and  a  daughter,  the  former  of  whom,  William  Watts  Ball,  is  the  part- 
ner of  his  father  in  the  practice  of  the  law. 

COLONEL  JOHN  W.  FERGUSON, 

for  two  terms  state  senator  from  Laurens  county,  S.  C,  was  born  in 
Newberry,  on  the  2Qth  day  of  November,  1835.  He  is  the  son  of  Dr. 
George  P^erguson,  a  native  of  Laurens  county  and  a  graduate  of  the 
medical  college  at  Lexington,  Ky.  He  died  when  his  son  John  W. 
was  two  years  of  age.  The  father  of  Dr.  George  was  Ward  Fergu- 
son, a  native  of  Virginia,  who  removed  from  that  state  to  Laurens 
county.  He  was  a  farmer  by  occupation,  and  was  of  Scotch  descent. 
John  W.  Ferguson's  mother's  maiden  name  was  Mary  Peterson,  a 
native  of  Newberry  and  of  Danish  descent.  She  died  when  her  son 
was  seven  years  of  age.  John  W.  Ferguson  was  reared  to  manhood 
in  his  native  count3^  the  greater  part  of  his  time  being  spent  in  the 
city  of  Newberry.  Both  his  parents  having  passed  away  in  his  early 
youth,  he  resided  with  the  relatives  of  his  mother.  His  first  education 
was  received  in  the  common  schools  of  the  county,  but  at  fourteen 
he  entered  a  Presbyterian  male  academy  at  Greenwood,  S.  C,  taught 
by  Dr.  Isaac  Auld,  who  at  that  time  had  gained  much  eminence  as  an 
educator.  Here  he  remained  four  years,  after  which  he  entered 
Oglethorpe  university  at  Milledgeville,  Ga.  He  graduated  from  this 
institution  in  1856,  then  at  the  age  of  twenty.  Returning  to  his  home 
he  took  up  the  vocatiori'of  teacher,  which  he  followed  for  one  year  in 
the  lower  part  of  Newberry  county,  in  what  is  known  as  the  Chin- 
piquin  section.  He  was  chosen  as  principal  of  the  male  academy  at 
Cross  Hill,  Laurens  county,  which  position  he  held  until  the  breaking 


170  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

out  of  the  war,  and  while  there  he  devoted  his  leisure  time  to  the  study 
of  law  under  Col.  B.  W.  Ball,  of  Laurens.  He  was  opposed  to  seces- 
sion, but  went  with  the  tide  of  his  state,  and  in  the  spring  of  1861,  en- 
listed in  Company  F,  of  the  Third  regiment  of  the  South  Carolina 
volunteers.  Here  he  served  some  three  or  four  months,  when  he  was 
discharged  on  account  of  physical  disability.  On  his  return  home  he 
resumed  teaching,  which  he  followed  until  September,  1S64,  when  he 
re-entered  the  militai'}'  service  as  a  member  of  the  state  troops,  and 
upon  the  organization  of  the  Fourth  regiment  of  the  state  troops,  he 
was  chosen  major.  One  month  later,  the  colonel  of  the  regiment 
resigned  and  Mr.  Ferguson  was  elected  to  the  colonelcy.  He  held 
this  rank  until  the  close  of  the  war.  All  this  time  he  carried  a  dis- 
charge and  his  service  was  consequently  voluntary  on  his  part.  In 
1866  he  was  chosen  principal  of  the  male  academy  at  Laurens. 
Meanwhile  he  had  been  admitted  to  the  bar,  namely  in  May,  1868, 
but  he  retained  his  position  as  principal  of  the  Laurens  male  academy 
until  {872.  He  was  then  elected  a  professor  in  the  Laurensville 
female  college.  He  resigned  this  position  in  1874,  and  entered  upon 
the  practice  of  law  which  he  has  ever  since  followed.  His  success  in 
his  chosen  profession  has  been  marked,  and  he  is  now  recognized  as 
one  of  the  foremost  attorneys  in  the  state.  He  is  the  local  attorney 
for  the  Richmond  &  Danville  railway  company,  to  which  he  renders 
effective  service.  His  politics  are  democratic.  He  was  elected  in  No- 
vember, 1880,  a  state  senator  from  Laurens  county,  and  served  in  that 
position  four  years,  declining  another  election.  In  188S,  however,  he 
was  again  persuaded  to  make  the  race  for  state  senator  and  was  suc- 
cessful. He  is  now  serving  his  second  term.  He  has  once  held  the 
office  of  mayor  of  the  city  of  Laurens.  He  is  an  official  member  of 
the  Presbyterian  church,  is  a  director  in  the  National  bank  of  Laur- 
ens, and  one  of  the  trustees  of  the  South  Carolina  college.  He  is  a 
stockholder  in  the  Laurens  oil  mill,  is  one  of  the  trustees  of  the  Lau- 
rensville female  college  and  a  member  of  the  Masonic  order,  in  which 
he  has  taken  the  chapter  and  council  degrees.  Col.  Ferguson  was 
married  December  30,  1869,  to  Miss  Mary  Dorroh,  daughter  of  Dr. 
W.  M.  Dorroh,  of  Newberry  county.  They  have  four  children,  three 
of  whom  are  boys. 

COLONEL  JOHN  LAURENS  MANNING  IRBY 

was  born  in  Laurens  county,  S.  C,  September  10,  1854.  His  primary 
education  was  acquired  at  the  academy  in  his  native  county,  and  he 
afterward  attended  Princeton  one  year,  then  entered  the  University  of 
Virginia,  spending  three  years  at  that  institution,  leaving  it  in  1873. 
He  then  studied  law  in  the  office  of  Henry  Mclver,  at  present  (1890), 
judge  of  the  supreme  court  of  South  Carolina.  In  1876,  he  was  ad- 
mitted to  the  bar,  and  opened  a  law  office  at  Laurens,  where  he  prac- 
ticed two  years.  At  the  expiration  of  that  time  he  retired  to  a  farm, 
and  has  been  engaged  in  the  farming  occupation  ever  since.  In  1876, 
he  was  an  ardent  and  effective  supporter  of  Wade  1  lampton,  for  gov- 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  I71 

ernor.  That  campaign  ended,  he  quit  politics  for  a  decade,  confining 
himself  to  his  own  private  affairs.  But  in  1886,  he  was  elected  to  the 
legislature  from  Laurens  county,  and  was  re-elected  in  1888.  His 
aptitude  for  leadershi])  was  at  once  recognized  in  the  house  of  repre- 
sentatives, and  he  took  a  prominent  part  in  the  legislation  of  that 
body.  He  was  a  member  of  the  state  executive  committee,  as  well 
as  of  the  Chesterfield  county  committee,  though  that  body  was  from 
the  beginning  opposed  to  the  policy  pursued  by  Gov.  Hampton  and 
his  political  adherents.  This  state  of  the  public  sentiment  of  the 
county,  caused  Col.  Irby  to  quit  the  county,  and  return  to  Laurens 
county,  where  he  could  more  effectively  support  Gen.  Hampton  for 
governor.  In  i8go.  Col.  Irby  was  again  elected  to  the  legislature,  practi- 
cally without  opposition,  to  represent  Laurens  county.  He  was  made 
speaker  of  the  house  by  a  unanimous  vote.  To  Col.  Irby,  Capt.  Shell, 
and  Gov.  Tillman,  more  than  to  any  others,  is  the  credit  due  for  the 
success  of  the  Reform  or  Farmers'  movement  in  the  state,  in  the  cam- 
paign of  1S90.  In  the  August  and  September  conventions  for  that  year. 
Col.  Irby  was  appointed  chairman  of  the  state  democratic  e.xecutive 
committee,  and  thus  was  imposed  upon  him  the  responsiblity  of  con- 
ducting the  campaign.  Most  nobly  did  he  sustain  the  confidence  and 
trust  reposed  in  him  by  his  party  in  the  achievement  of  the  splendid 
culmination  of  the  reform  movement.  Failure  is  not  incorporated 
in  Col.  Irby's  constitution,  and  triumphantly  did  he  vindicate  that 
characteristic  in  the  success  of  this  movement.  In  1876,  Col.  Irby 
was  married  to  Nannie  McFarland,  of  Cheraw,  S.  C.  They  have 
been  blessed  with  a  family  of  six  children,  whose  names  are:  Julia, 
William  C,  Gary  Pope,  J.  L.  M.,  Jr.,  Pierce  Shaw  and  Henry  Gratton 
Tillman,  the  last  son  being  named  in  honor  of  Gov.  Tillman.  The 
father  of  Col.  Irby,  was  James  H.  Irby,  a  descendant  of  one  of  the 
heroes  of  the  Revolution.  He  was  born  in  Laurens  county,  and  was 
a  lawyer  by  profession.  Though  he  died  in  i860,  his  record  shows  that 
he  was  opposed  to  secession.  He  was  married  to  Miss  Henrietta  Earle, 
a  first  cousin  of  Gov.  Hugh  .S.  Thompson,  and  of  ex-Attorney-General 
Joseph  H.  Earle.  They  had  eleven  children,  of  whom  Col.  Irby  Was 
the  eighth  in  the  order  of  birth.  Col.  James  H.  Irby,  in  1854,  was 
elected  lieutenant-governor  of  South  Carolina,  and  In  1858  lacked 
only  one  vote  of  being  elected  governor.  At  his  death,  in  i860,  he 
left  an  estate  of  the  value  of  $500,000.  He  was  a  graduate  of  South 
Carolina  college,  and  was  in  the  widest  sense  of  the  term  a  self-made 
man,  having  an  exhaustless  store  of  sound  common  sense,  correct 
judgment,  and  an  innate  knowlege  of  human  nature.  His  widow,  the 
honored  mother  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  still  survives.  The 
grandfather  of  Col.  Irby,  was  a  native  South  Carolinian,  and  was  a 
captain  in  the  Revolutionary  war.  The  great-grandfather  of  Col. 
Irby,  on  the  maternal  side,  was  Judge  Thompson,  of  Greenville,  S.  C. 

COLONEL  JAMES  DRAYTON  NANCE. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  born  in  Newberry,  S.  C,  October 
10,  1837,  and  was  the  son  of  Drayton  and  Lucy  (Williams)  Nance. 


172  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

He  received  his  school  education  at  Newberry,  and  was  graduated 
from  the  Citadel  military  academy  at  Charleston.  In  1S59  he  was 
admitted  to  the  bar  and  began  the  practice  of  law  at  Newberry.  In 
the  winter  of  1860-61  he  was  unanimously  elected  captain  of  the 
"  Quitman  Rifles,"  an  infantry  company  formed  at  Newberry,  and 
afterward  incorporated  into  the  Third  regiment.  South  Carolina 
volunteers.  With  his  company  he  was  mustered  into  the  Confeder- 
ate service  at  Columbia  in  April,  1S61.  With  his  company  he  was 
at  the  first  battle  of  Manassas.  On  May  16,  1862,  upon  the  re-organ- 
ization of  the  Third  regiment  he  was  chosen  its  colonel,  a  position 
which  he  filled  until  his  death.  As  colonel  he  commanded  the  regi- 
ment in  the  battles  of  Seven  Pines,  Savage  Station,  Malcolm  Hill, 
Marjdand  Heights,  Sharpsburg,  Fredericksburg  (where  he  was 
wounded),  Gettysburg,  Chickamauga,  Knoxville  and  the  Wilderness, 
where,  on  the  6th  of  May,  1864,  he  was  instantly  killed.  His  body 
was  brought  home  and  was  interred  with  fitting  honors.  He  was  a 
brilliant  and  brave  officer,  and  rendered  marked  service  in  the  field 
of  battle  to  the  cause  of  the  Confederacy,  and  had  he  lived  would  have 
risen  to  higher  position  and  greater  honor,  as  at  his  death  it  was  gener- 
ally understood  that  a  commission  as  brigadier-general  had  already 
been  decided  upon  as  his  just  dues  by  his  superiors.  At  the  age  of 
seventeen  years  Col.  Nance  united  with  the  Baptist  church  at  New- 
berry, and  from  that  time  until  his  death  was  distinguished  for  his 
Christian  consistency. 

COLONEL  RICHARD  CANNON  WATTS 

is  a  native  of  Laurens  county,  being  born  there  on  the  15th  of  March, 
1853.  His  father,  John  Watts,  also  a  native  of  Laurens  county,  was 
by  occupation  a  planter,  and  was  born  in  1808.  He  died  in  1857.  He 
was  the  son  of  James  Watts,  a  native  of  Virginia,  and  a  soldier  in  the 
Revolutionary  war.  He  came  to  South  Carolina  Immediately  after 
the  close  of  the  war,  and  settled  on  Saluda  river,  in  Laurens  county, 
where  he  engaged  in  planting,  and  where  he  spent  the  remainder  of 
his  life.  He  had  a  brother,  John  Watts,  who  also  removed  from 
Virginia  and  settled  in  Laurens  county.  A  son  of  John  Watts,  whose 
name  was  Beaufort  T.  Watts,  served  as  secretary  of  the  legation  at 
St.  Petersburg,  under  Arthur  Middleton,  then  United  States  minister 
to  Russia.  After  serving  in  that  capacity  four  years,  Beaufort  T. 
Watts  served  eight  years  as  United  States  minister  to  New  Granada, 
South  America.  He  subsequenty  served  as  secretary  of  state  in 
South  Carolina,  and  also  a  quartermaster-general  of  this  state.  He 
died  in  1868.  Another  brother  of  the  family  was  a  grandfather  of 
Thomas  H.  Watts,  removed  from  Virginia  to  Alabama,  and  was  twice 
chosen  governor  of  that  state.  He  was  afterward  attorney-general 
of  the  southern  Confederacy.  A  brother  of  John  Watts,  uncle  of  the 
subject  of  this  sketch,  whose  name  was  William  1).  Watts,  served  as 
probate  judge  of  Laurens  county  twenty  years,  and  was  a  member  of 
the  South  Carolina  convention  which  adopted  the  ordinance  of  seces- 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  1 73 

sion.     He  died  in  1861.     A  nephew  of  John  Watts,  whose  name  was 
Col.  J.  Washington  Watts,  was  a  member  of  Gen.  Young's  staff  dur- 
ing the  war,  and  served  several  terms  in  the  South  Carolina  legisla- 
ture.    A  son  of  Judge  William  D.  Watts,  whose  name  was  John  W. 
Watts,  served  as  a  captain  in  the  Confederate  army,  and  was  sheriff 
of  Laurens  county.     The  paternal  branch  of  the  family  was  of  Welsh 
and  English  descent.     Many  of  its  members  were  prominent  in  the 
early  history  of  South  Carolina.     The  mother  of  Col.   Watts  was 
Elizabeth  C,  the  daughter  of  Col.  Richard  Cannon,  a  wealthy  planter 
of  Newberry  county.     She  was  a  niece  of  Col.  George  S.  Cannon,  who 
served  as  colonel  of  the  state  militia  prior  to  the  war,  and  was  a 
member  of  the  legislature  from  Newberry  county.    Her  second  cousin 
was  the  wife  of  ex-Gov.  Ross,  of  Te.xas.     She  is  also  related  to  the 
Garys,  a  prominent  South  Carolina  family.     On  the  maternal  side 
the  family  is  of  Scotch  descent,  Lord  Lindsey  being  a  relative  of  the 
family.     Col.  Richard  C.  Watts,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  is  the  sixth 
of  seven  children,  four  daughters  and  two  sons.     Five  —  two  sons  and 
three  daughters  —  are  still  living.     The  eldest  son,  James  Watts,  stood 
highest  in  his  class  in  South  Carolina  college  during  his  two  years' 
attendance.     He  left  college  to  enter  the  civil  war,  but  shortly  after 
died  of  sickness.     The  second  son.  Major  William  A.  Watts,  is  pres- 
ent cashier  of  the  People's  Loan  &  Exchange  bank,  of  Laurens.    Col. 
Watts  has  spent  his  whole  life  in  Laurens  county,  and  was  educated 
at  the  Laurensville  male  academy  and  the  University  of  Virginia.    He 
read  law  with  Col.  B.  W.  Ball,  of  Laurens,  and  was  admitted  to  the 
bar  in  1873  under  a  special  act  of  the  legislature,  he  being  only  twenty 
years  of  age.     For  six  years  he  was  the  law  partner  of  Hon.  Young  J. 
Pope,  present  attorney-general  of  South  Carolina.     He  was  then  for 
ten  years  partner  of  Col.  Ball,  his  former  preceptor.     He  has  always 
been  recognized  as  one  of  the  ablest  and  most  successful  members  of 
the  Laurens  county  bar,  and  one  of  the  leading  attorneys  in  the  upper 
section  of  the  state.     His  practice  has  been  a  lucrative  one.     He  is  a 
member  of  the  South  Carolina  bar  association,  his  politics  are  demo- 
cratic, and  he  took  a  very  active  part  in  releasing  the  state  from  negro 
domination  in  1876.     In  1877,  he  was  appointed  as  aide  on  the  staff 
of  Gov.  Wade  Hampton,  with  the  rank  of  lieutenant-colonel,  and 
served  as  chief  of  staff  during  the  gubernatorial  term  of  Gov.  W.  D. 
Simpson.     He  is  a  member  of  the  South  Carolina  club,  serving  as  its 
president  in  1879.     In  December,  1890,  he  wasnominated  in  the  pri- 
mary convention  for  a  seat  in  the  state  legislature  (and  elected  with- 
out opposition)  made  vacant  by  the  resignation  of  United  States 
Senator  John  L.  M.  Irby.     He  is  a  member  of  the  South  Carolina 
Farmers'  association,  and  was  very  prominent  in  the  Tillman  movement 
of  1890.     He  was  a  member  of  the  farmers'  convention  which  sug- 
gested the  nomination  of  Gov.  Tillman,  and  of  the  democratic  con- 
vention which  nominated  him.     Col.  Watts  was  one  of  Gov.  Tillman's 
enthusiastic  supporters.     He  is  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  church, 
of  the  Masonic  lodge,  in  which  he  has  also  taken  the  chapter  and 
council  degrees,  past  master  of  his  lodge  and  past  high  grand  priest 


174 


SOUTH    CAROLINA. 


of  the  grand  chapter  of  South  CaroHna.  He  is  a  prominent  member 
of  the  general  grand  chapter  of  the  United  States.  He  is  a  stock- 
holder in  the  National  bank  and  the  People's  Loan  &  Exchange  bank, 
of  Laurens;  is  one  of  the  editors  and  proprietors  of  the  Laurensville 
Herald,  and  is  a  heavy  real  estate  owner,  having  in  all  5,000  acres  of 
land  in  Laurens  and  Chesterfield  counties.  In  1881,  he  was  joined  in 
marriage  with  Miss  Alleine  Cash,  daughter  of  Col.  E.  B.  Cash,  late 
one  of  the  foremost  and  wealthiest  planters  of  the  state.  They  have 
four  children,  one  son  and  three  daughters. 

CHRISTOPHER  GUSTAVUS  MEMMINGER. 

This  distinguished  son  of  South  Carolina,  though  born  in  Wur- 
temburg,  Germany,  was  among  her  most  honorable  and  patriotic 
citizens.  He  was  born  on  the  7th  of  January,  1803,  and  was  the  son 
of  Christopher  Godfrey  Memminger,  at  one  time  a  captain  in  the 
army  of  the  elector  of  Suabia.  Our  subject's  grandfather  was  an  offi- 
cer in  the  University  of  Babenhausen.  August  Goebert,  the  mana- 
ger of  the  railway  systems  of  Belgium,  married  a  cousin  of  Mr. 
Memminger.  At  the  early  age  of  four  years  Mr.  Memminger  was 
left  an  orphan,  and  was  placed  in  an  asylum  at  Charleston.  At 
the  age  of  nine  years  he  was  adopted  by  Mr.  Thomas  Bennett, 
afterward  governor  of  South  Carolina,  introduced  into  his  family, 
and  brought  up  with  the  same  care  and  training  as  that  of  his  own 
children.  As  soon  as  he  had  finished  his  collegiate  course  he  studied 
law  under  Mr.  Bennett,  and  after  three  or  four  years  of  study  com- 
menced a  most  brilliant  career  in  the  field  of  politics,  and  at  the  bar. 
In  1832,  when  the  question  of  nullification  was  exciting  the  leading 
minds  of  the  south,  he  espoused  the  union  party  in  the  state,  and 
published  a  most  withering  satire  on  his  side  of  the  question,  enti- 
tled, the  "  Book  of  Nullification."  In  1836  he  was  elected  to  the 
house  of  representatives  from  the  city  of  Charleston,  which  office  he 
held  for  four  years.  In  the  great  money  panic  of  that  year,  in 
which  all  the  banks  of  the  state  suspended  specie  payment,  he  was 
largely  instrumental  in  securing  the  forfeiture  of  the  charters  of  all 
the  suspended  banks.  In  1854  he  undertook  the  colossal  task  of  re- 
forming the  public  school  system  of  the  state.  Up  to  that  time  the 
system  consisted  of  a  few  "  charity  schools,"  hardly  worthy  of  the 
name.  Mr.  Memminger  went  north  to  examine  the  system  there,  in 
order  to  conduct  the  schools  in  their  integrity.  He  returned  home, 
presented  a  bill  in  the  legislature  levying  an  educational  tax,  and  in 
spite  of  strong  opposition,  carried  it,  and  put  the  school  system  of  the 
state  on  a  strong  and  enduring  basis.  Immediately  after  the  passage 
of  the  ordinance  of  secession  Mr.  Memminger  was  appointed  a 
member  of  the  celebrated  Confederate  congress,  at  Montgomery, 
Ala.,  and  he  it  was,  who  as  chairman  of  the  committee,  drafted  the 
constitution  of  the  Confederate  States.  Upon  the  organization  of 
the  government  he  was  appointed  secretary  of  the  Confederate 
treasury,  which  he  managed  with  a  skill  and  ability  almost  seemingly 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  I  75 

impossible  with  the  means  at  hand.  Through  his  unfaiHng  re- 
sources the  treasury  was  eked  out  for  nearly  five  years,  never,  in  the 
words  of  Jefferson  Davis,  "  having  sufficient  for  the  day  that  is  pass- 
ing over."  He  first  adopted  the  plan  of  issuing  Confederate  notes 
to  be  taken  up  by  bonds,  a  method  afterward  employed  by  Secretary 
Chase  in  the  United  States  treasury,  with  great  success.  Having 
shared  the  evil  fortune  of  his  fallen  brothers  in  the  disastrous  results 
of  the  war,  he  returned,  in  1867,  to  the  practice  of  the  law,  and  since 
that  time  he  has  rendered  the  state  important  service,  although  he 
has  studiously  avoided  politics.  He  has  organized  a  company  for 
the  development  of  the  phosphatic  beds  of  the  state,  from  which  has 
grown  the  immense  fertilizer  industry  of  South  Carolina.  He  re- 
organized and  re-opened  the  South  Carolina  college,  which  is  at  this 
time  in  a  prosperous  condition,  and  from  which  some  of  the  most  il- 
lustrious men  of  the  state  have  graduated.  In  his  religious  views, 
in  common  with  all  the  higher  classes  of  the  south,  Mr.  Memminger 
was  an  Episcopalian,  and  stood  high  in  connection  with  official  action 
of  that  church  in  South  Carolina.  In  all  the  rush  of  his  public  life 
Mr.  Memminger  found  time  to  devote  to  his  most  happy  and  inter- 
esting family  circle.  He  has  been  twice  married,  first,  to  Miss  Mary 
Wilkinson,  of  Virginia,  a  niece  of  Commodore  Wilkinson,  and  sec- 
ond, to  Sarah  A.,  the  sister  of  his  first  wife,  in  1878.  There  are  eight 
children  of  the  two  unions  living:  Dr.  Thomas  Bennett  Memmin- 
ger, a  physician  of  St.  Louis;  Rev.  Robert  Withers  Memminger,  a 
distinguished  divine  of  Charleston,  and  author  of  "  What  is  Relig- 
ion?" "Present  Issues,"  and  "Greatness";  Christopher  Gustavus 
Memminger,  an  orange  grower,  of  Florida;  Allard  Memminger, 
analytical  chemist;  Ellen  Memminger;  Mary,  wife  of  Mr.  Van  Cotte, 
an  engineer  of  Brussels,  and  Virginia,  wife  of  Ralph  J.  Middleton, 
Jr.,  of  Charleston. 

MAJOR  STILES  PLUMER  DENDY, 

a  prominent  member  of  the  bar  of  Walhalla,  v/as  born  in  Pickens 
district,  now  Oconee  county,  S.  C,  May  28,  1S39.  He  was  the  son  of 
Capt.  James  H.  Dendy,  a  native  of  Laurens  county,  who  for  sixteen 
years  served  as  ordinary  of  the  old  Pickens  district.  The  father  died 
in  1846.  On  the  father's  side  the  lineage  of  the  family  began  in 
Scotland.  The  maiden  name  of  Major  Dendy's  mother  was  Eliza- 
beth Knox,  a  native  of  what  is  now  Oconee  county,  S.  C,  born  in 
1804.  She  was  the  daughter  of  John  Knox,  a  native  of  Ireland,  and 
died  in  December,  1880.  Maj.  Dendy  spent  his  boyhood  days  on  the 
old  Dendy  homestead  in  Oconee  county.  He  received  his  earlier 
schooling  in  the  country  academies,  and  in  1859,  entered  the  Thalian 
academy,  under  the  supervision  of  the  Rev.  John  L.  Kennedy,  a 
famous  institution  of  that  day,  where  he  entered  upon  the  study  of 
the  classics,  remaining  there  during  one  session.  Then,  in  the  fall  of 
1859,  he  entered  the  Pendleton  male  academy,  where  he  completed 
his  preparatory  course  under  Prof.  W.  J.  Ligon,  late  of  Anderson. 


176  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

In  the  early  part  of  1S61  he  entered  the  freshman  class  of  the  South 
Carolina  college,  at  Columbia,  and  attended  one  session.  The  war 
having  come  on,  a  company  of  cadets  was  organized  in  the  college 
of  which  he  became  a  member.  This  military  organization  sought 
permission  from  the  governor  to  go  to  Charleston  at  the  time  of  the 
bombardment  of  Fort  Sumter.  This  was  granted  and  the  cadets 
proceeded  to  Charleston  and  witnessed  the  bombardment  but  took 
no  part  in  it.  After  the  reduction  of  the  fort  they  returned  to  college 
and  continued  their  studies  until  the  close  of  the  session,  in  July,  1861. 
Maj.  Dendy  then  returned  home,  and  the  war  having  been  fully  in- 
augurated, in  the  fall  of  1S61,  he  concluded  not  to  re-enter  college, 
but  instead  to  enter  the  Confederate  service,  which  he  did.  He  as- 
sisted in  the  organization  of  Company  C,  Second  regiment,  South 
Carolina  rifles,  in  which  he  became  first  lieutenant.  The  regiment 
became  a  part  of  Jenkins'  brigade,  Hood's  division,  Longstreet's 
corps,  army  of  northern  Virginia.  It  was  mustered  into  service  No- 
vember 2,  i86ii  The  regiment  was  first  ordered  to  Sullivan's  Island, 
where  it  was  placed  under  command  of  Col.  James  L.  Orr.  Maj.  Dendy 
served  in  this  regiment  until  the  close  of  the  war.  He  was  twice 
promoted,  first  to  captain,  last  to  major,  serving  in  the  latter  capacity 
during  the  last  two  years  of  the  war.  He  participated  in  several 
leading  battles  of  the  war,  but  escaped  without  being  wounded  except 
in  the  battle  of  the  Wilderness,  when  he  suffered  a  slight  wound. 
From  the  war  he  returned  home  and  took  a  brief  review  of  his 
literary  studies  at  a  country  academy.  In  1S67  he  went  to  Carnes- 
ville,  Ga.,  where  for  a  year  and  a  half  he  taught  a  classical  school, 
and,  at  the  same  time,  pursued  the  study  of  law  under  Judge  John  B. 
Estes.  In  the  fall  of  1868  he  entered  the  law  department  of  the  Uni- 
versity of  Virginia,  where  he  remained  two  years,  pursuing  legal  and 
philosophical  studies.  Returning  to  his  home  in  Oconee  county,  he 
was  admitted  to  the  bar  at  Walhalla,  in  the  fall  of  1870.  Shortly 
after  his  admission  to  practice  he  was  elected  to  the  ofifice  of  probate 
judge  and  subsequently  was  twice  re-elected,  serving  three  terms  of 
two  years  each.  Meanwhile,  November  2,  1871,  he  was  joined  in 
marriage  with  Miss  Alice  E.  Sitton,  of  Pendleton,  the  daughter  of 
John  B.  Sitton,  Esq.  His  place  of  residence  has  been  at  VValhalla 
since  1871.  After  retiring  from  the  office  of  probate  judge,  he  de- 
voted his  time  wholly  to  the  practice  of  law  until  1880.  In  that  year 
he  was  elected  a  member  of  the  lower  branch  of  the  state  legislature, 
serving  therein  two  years.  Aside  from  this  he  has  pursued  his  legal 
practice  uninterruptedly,  the  same  being  of  a  general  character,  and 
great  success  has  crowned  his  labors.  He  is  one  of  the  foremost 
lawyers  in  the  upper  portion  of  the  state.  He  is  a  democrat  in 
politics,  and  a  Presbyterian  in  religious  faith,  being  an  elder  and  a 
very  prominent  worker  in  that  church.  In  1876  he  represented  the 
presbytery  of  South  Carolina  in  the  general  assembly  of  the  Southern 
Presbyterian  church,  which  met  at  Savannah,  Ga.  In  1881  he  repre- 
sented the  South  Carolina  presbytery  in  the  general  assembly  which 
met  at  Staunton,  Va.,  and  in  1888,  he  represented  the  same  body  in 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  I  7/ 

the  general  assembly  which  met  at  Baltimore,  and  by  virtue  of  this 
office  he  represented  his  presbytery  in  the  centennial  of  the  organ- 
ization of  the  general  assembly  of  the  Presbyterian  church  in  the 
United  States  of  America,  which  was  held  at  Philadelphia  in  May, 
1888.  Major  Dendy  is  a  prominent  Free  Mason,  having  taken 
both  the  chapter  and  council  degrees,  and  being  at  present  the  senior 
warden  of  the  grand  lodge  of  South  Carolina.  He  is  the  present 
master  of  his  lodge  and  has  served  in  that  capacity  for  a  number  of 
years;  he  is  also  the  present  high  priest  of  his  chapter  and  a  past 
thrice  illustrious  grand  master  of  his  council.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Dendy 
have  been  blessed  with  three  children,  two  of  whom  are  daughters. 
Both  daughters  are  students  in  Converse  college,  at  Spartanburg, 
while  the  son,  who  is  the  youngest,  at  present  remains  at  home  with 
his  parents. 

COLONEL  WILLIAM  CALHOUN  KEITH, 

late  a  distinguished  lawyer,  an  able  editor,  and  a  highly  esteemed  cit- 
izen of  Walhalla,  S.  C,  was  born  in  what  is  now  Oconee  county,  S.  C, 
February  6,  1836.  He  received  a  good  elementary  education,  one  of 
his  teachers  being  the  Rev.  J.  L.  Kennedy,  an  eminent  educator  of 
that  day.  Later  he  pursued  his  studies  for  a  short  time  at  P^urman 
university,  after  which,  in  1853,  he  entered  the  freshman  class  of  South 
Carolina  college.  He  had  as  contemporaries  there  such  men  as  Hon. 
M.  C.  Butler  and  Capt.  H.  L.  McGowan,  but  notwithstanding  such 
famous  competitors,  he  stood  at  the  head  of  his  class.  He  graduated 
in  1857,  and  at  once  entered  upon  the  study  of  law  with  his  brother. 
Col.  E.  M.  Keith,  of  Pickens,  S.  C.  He  afterward  read  law  a  few 
months  in  the  office  of  Judge  J.  J.  Norton.  In  response  to  the  call  for 
troops  by  the  state  of  South  Carolina,  he  entered  the  Confederate 
service  July  18,  1861,  taking  rank  as  sergeant  in  Company  A,  Orr's 
regiment  of  rifles.  He  was  subsequently  elected  lieutenant  of  his 
company,  and  was  finally  made  adjutant  of  the  regiment,  which  posi- 
tion he  held  until  he  was  captured  near  the  close  of  the  war.  For  a 
considerable  time  after  Lee's  surrender  he  suffered  in  a  northern 
prison.  Throughout  his  entire  military  career  he  served  his  country 
with  distinguished  zeal  and  patriotism,  maintaining  that  same  popu- 
larity which  characterized  his  v,diole  life.  At  the  close  of  the  war  he 
resumed  his  law  studies,  and  was  soon  admitted  to  the  bar.  He 
shortly  afterward  formed  a  law  partnership  with  the  Hon.  J.  P.  Reed. 
In  point  of  brilliancy  and  effectiveness  in  his  profession,  his  record  as  a 
lawyer  has  never  been  surpassed  and  rarely  ever  equalled  in  the  state. 
In  the  pursuit  of  his  calling  he  gained  both  honor  and  competence. 
No  man  had  greater  strength  or  influence  before  a  jury,  and  his  legal 
brethren,  both  at  the  bar  and  upon  the  bench,  were  delighted  and  in- 
structed by  the  ingenuity  of  his  arguments  and  his  profound  knowl- 
edge of  the  law.  His  success  at  the  bar  was  due  to  his  marked  sagacity, 
his  searching  investigation  of  all  cases  intrusted  to  his  care,  his  cor- 
rect conclusions,  and  the  clear,  forcible  and  logical  manner  in  which 
he  presented  them  to  the  courts.     Throughout  almost  his  entire  pro- 

A 12 


178  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

fessional  career  he  was  a  resident  of  Walhalla,  at  which  place  he  died, 
and  at  the  bar  of  which  he  was  the  recognized  leader.  His  practice, 
however,  was  by  no  means  conhned  to  Oconee  county.  His  fame  as 
a  successful  advocate  became  wide-spread,  and  with  it  his  practice 
grew  until  it  extended  over  a  considerable  portion  of  the  state. 
Though  skilled  and  accomplished  in  every  department  of  the  law  it 
was  in  the  practice  of  the  criminal  branch  that  he  was  more  particu- 
larly strong  and  effective.  As  a  criminal  lawyer  he  was  second  to 
none  in  the  state,  and  he  had  few,  if  any,  peers.  He  defended  more 
than  twenty  persons  for  murder,  all  of  whom  were  acquitted. 
Learned,  eloquent,  logical,  his  pleas  for  the  lives  of  his  clients  always 
carried  conviction  to  the  minds  of  the  jury.  His  advocacy  was  char- 
acterized by  a  thorough  knowledge  of  the  law,  a  quick  and  direct 
application  of  the  law  to  the  evidence,  and  it  was  strengthened  and 
enriched  by  apt  and  effective  illustrations  drawn  not  only  from  fa- 
miliar scenes  in  life,  but  also  from  the  broad  fields  of  ancient  and  mod- 
ern historj'.  Not  onh'  did  he  distinguish  himself  at  the  bar,  but  also 
during  his  brief,  yet  brilliant,  career,  did  he  display  superior  talent  as 
an  editor  and  a  politician.  For  nearly  twenty  years  prior  to  his  death 
he  was  one  of  the  editors  and  proprietors  of  the  Keowee  Courier,  and 
though  the  circulation  of  this  paper  was  confined  chiefly  to  Oconee 
county,  he  wielded  an  influence  in  its  editorial  columns  that  was  felt 
throughout  the  state.  He  gained  a  fine  reputation  as  a  writer  for  the 
press,  and  though  bold  and  fearless  in  giving  expression  to  his  opin- 
ions, he  was  always  considerate  of  the  feelings  and  positions  of  those 
who  might  differ  from  him.  He  was  never  personal  nor  offensive, 
but  wielded  a  trenchant  pen  with  marked  ability,  and  it  is  safe  to  say 
that  had  he  devoted  his  whole  attention  to  journalism  he  would  have 
acquired  both  honor  and  prominence  in  the  journalistic  field. 
Throughout  his  entire  career  Col.  Keith  was  a  consistent  democrat; 
he  was  one  of  the  leaders  of  that  party  in  the  upper  part  of  the  state, 
and  exerted  a  strong  influence,  both  in  private  councils  and  upon  the 
stump.  Shortly  after  the  close  of  the  war  he  was  elected  to  the  lower 
branch  of  the  state  legislature,  and  rendered  good  service  to  his  con- 
stituents in  that  body.  He  was  one  of  the  few  members  who  voted 
against  what  was  then  known  as  the  "  Black  Code,"  the  passage  of 
which  contributed  much  to  force  re-construction  upon  the  south.  He 
was  appointed  by  Gov.  Orr  colonel  of  a  militia  regiment,  but  re-con- 
struction soon  followed  and  the  militia  was  not  re-organized.  In 
i86cS  Pickens  district  was  divided  in  two,  and  from  that  portion  of  it 
now  known  as  Oconee  county.  Col.  Keith  was  sent  to  the  house  of 
representatives  in  1869.  He  was  re-elected  to  the  house,  after  which 
he  was  elected  to  the  state  senate,  where  he  did  faithful  and  effective 
service  for  four  years.  He  was  returned  to  the  legislature  as  long  as 
he  would  consent  to  be  a  candidate,  and  was  repeatedly  urged  to  rep- 
resent his  county  in  that  body  after  he  had  determined  to  retire.  For 
many  years  he  ably  filled  the  chairmanship  of  the  democratic  county 
committee,  and  from  that  position  also,  he  voluntarily  retired.  Dur- 
ing the  memorable  campaign  of  1876,  he  held  that  position  and  exer- 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  1  79 

cised  a  powerful  influence  toward  harmonizing  and  unifying  the  democ- 
racy of  the  county.  Col.  Keith  was  a  member  of  the  Methodist 
church.  He  was  deeply  imbued  with  the  religious  feeling.  His  home 
was  always  open  to  his  friends,  and  the  ministers  of  all  denominations 
were  cordially  invited  to  the  enjoyment  of  his  generous  hospitality. 
He  contributed  liberally  for  church  purposes,  and  to  promote  the 
moral  improvement  of  the  people.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Masonic 
fraternity;  was  a  full  man,  an  exact  man,  and  every  one  with  whom 
he  came  in  contact,  whether  his  ally  or  opponent,  knew  and  felt  him 
to  be  a  man  of  superior  talents,  a  profound  reasoner,  a  brilliant  law- 
yer, and  a  capable  and  fully  equipped  man  of  affairs.  But  it  was  his 
inborn  honesty,  courtesy,  gentleness  and  manly  congeniality  that  en- 
deared him  to  all  whose  pleasure  and  privilege  it  was  to  enjoy  his 
acquaintance.  The  father  of  Col.  Keith,  Major  William  L.  Keith, 
served  for  nearly  thirty  years  as  clerk  of  the  court  in  Pickens  district. 
Col.  Keith  died  at  his  home  in  Walhalla,  February  7,  1889,  and  was 
interred  in  the  Baptist  cemetery  of  that  place,  in  which  an  appropri- 
ate monument  has  since  been  erected  to  his  memory  by  his  wife. 
Her  maiden  name  was  Elizabeth  M.  Reid,  daughter  of  Samuel  Reid, 
Esq.,  and  ex-sheriff  of  Pickens  district.  She  still  survives,  and  to- 
gether with  nine  children  left  to  her  sole  care  upon  the  death  of  her 
distinguished  husband,  occupies  the  family  residence  in  Walhalla. 
She  proved  to  be  a  most  worthy  helpmeet  to  her  illustrious  compan- 
ion, and  her  devotion  to  him  while  living,  though  of  the  most  tender 
and  affectionate  character,  did  not  surpass  her  constancy  to  his  mem- 
ory since  his  death. 

COLONEL  JAMES  WILLIAM  LIVINGSTON, 

late  an  honored  and  distinguished  citizen  of  Seneca,  S.  C,  was  born 
in  Abbeville  county,  S.  C,  August  12,  1832,  being  the  son  of  Dr.  John  F. 
Livingston,  a  physician  by  profession.  Col.  Livingston's  mother  was 
Miss  Amanda  Brooks  before  her  marriage.  The  early  life  of  Col. 
Livingston  was  chiefly  spent  in  the  town  of  Abbeville,  to  which  his 
parents  removed  when  he  was  yet  a  small  child.  He  entered  the 
South  Carolina  college  in  1S49,  and  graduated  in  1S52.  He  then 
studied  law  at  Abbeville,  under  Judge  Thomson,  and  was  admitted 
to  the  bar,  after  which  he  began  the  practice  of  his  profession  in  that 
place.  In  1858  he  married  Miss  Clara  Kilpatrick,  the  accomplished 
daughter  of  John  C.  Kilpatrick,  and  sister  of  Col.  Frank  VVhitner 
Kilpatrick,  who  was  killed  in  the  battle  of  Lookout  Mountain.  Im- 
mediately after  his  marriage  Col.  Livingston  removed  to  a  farm  in 
what  is  now  Oconee  county,  and  turned  his  attention  to  agriculture. 
Upon  the  breaking  out  of  the  civil  war  he  entered  the  service  of  the 
Confederate  government,  having  organized  Company  A  of  Orr's  regi- 
ment of  rifles,  of  which  he  was  chosen  captain.  He  commanded  his 
company,  however,  only  a  few  months,  having  been,  by  reason  of  a 
vacancy,  promoted  to  the  rank  of  major.  In  that  capacity  he  served 
about  one  year,  when  he  was  promoted  to  the  colonelcy  of  Orr's 
regiment.     Ill  health  obliged  him  to  resign  in  October,  1862,  and  re- 


l8o  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

turn  home.  He  never  fully  regained  his  health,  continuing  to  reside 
on  his  farm  until  1874.  In  that  year  he  removed  with  his  family  to 
Seneca,  but  still  retained  possession  of  his  farm,  which  he  continued 
to  own  until  his  death.  It  is  still  in  the  possession  of  his  surviving 
wife.  He  was  elected  to  the  lower  branch  of  the  state  legislature  in 
the  fall  of  1874,  shortly  after  he  removed  to  Seneca.  He  served  one 
term  in  the  house,  and  in  1876  was  elected  to  the  state  senate,  serving 
in  that  body  a  term  of  four  years.  Upon  the  close  of  his  senatorial 
term  he  became  editor  and  proprietor  of  the  Seneca  Free  Press,  which 
he  published  some  three  or  four  years.  He  was  a  democrat  in  poli- 
tics, and  was  one  of  the  active  members  of  that  party  in  his  section 
of  the  state.  For  a  number  of  years  prior  to  his  death  he  was  an 
elder  in  the  Presbyterian  church.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Masonic 
lodge.  His  death  occurred  August  25,  1886.  His  widow  and  seven 
children  survive  him.  Three  of  the  children  are  sons,  and  of  the 
daughters  two  are  married.  Mrs.  Livingston  is  a  member  of  the 
Presbyterian  church. 

JUDGE  JOSEPH  J.  NORTON. 

Among  the  prominent  and  representative  citizens  of  South  Caro- 
lina is  Judge  Joseph  J.  Norton,  being  born  of  Miles  M.  and  N.  Frances 
Norton,  in  Old  Pendleton,  S.  C,  June  13,  1835.  His  great-grand- 
father, William  Norton,  coming  from  Pennsylvania,  became  a  citizen 
of  South  Carolina,  over  a  hundred  years  ago,  and  his  descendants 
are  scattered  over  the  southern  and  northwestern  states.  His  son, 
Jeptha,  grandfather  of  Judge  Norton,  was  a  captain  in  the  Revolu- 
tionary war,  and  was  also  a  member  of  the  legislature.  Capt.  Miles  M. 
Norton  was  a  merchant  of  large  business  at  Old  Pickens  Court 
House,  having  removed  there  while  his  son,  the  judge,  was  an  in- 
fant, and  there  served  as  commissioner  in  equity  for  more  than  fifteen 
years.  On  his  mother's  side.  Judge  Norton  descended  from  the  good 
family  of  Grisham.  His  grandfather  was  one  of  the  most  prominent 
men  of  Old  Pendleton,  and  an  extensive  land  owner,  selling  in  1845, 
to  the  German  settlement  society,  16,000  acres,  upon  which  the  pres- 
ent town  of  Walhalla  is  situated.  Judge  Norton's  education  began 
at  an  early  age,  under  the  tutorship  of  the  Rev.  John  L.  Kennedy,* 
and  he  continued  school  at  that  place  till  seventeen  years  old,  when 
he  being  an  only  child,  his  parents  went  with  him  to  Athens,  Ga., 
where  he  graduated  from  the  university,  in  1855.'  Returning  to  Old 
Pickens,  he  at  once  began  to  study  law  under  Gov.  Perry,  and  was 
admitted  to  the  bar  in  1856,  at  the  age  of  twenty-one  years,  and  de- 
voted his  time  and  talents  to  the  practice  and  study  of  his  profession 
until  1861.  When  the  call  for  volunteers  was  made,  he  was  among 
the  first,  with  his  father.  Miles  M.  Norton,  to  organize  companies, 
and  at  the  head  of  Company  C,  and  E,  Orr's  rifles,  respectively,  the 
father  and  son,  being  the  only  male  members  of  their  families,  bade 
adieu  to  home  to  espouse  the  cause  of  their  country  on  the  battle- 
fields of  Virginia.    Thus  the  father  and  only  son  entered  the  army,  and 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  lol 

were  foremost  and  prominent  in  the  battles  around  Richmond,  until 
death,  by  a  wound  in  the  second  battle  of  Manassas  ended  the  gal- 
lant services  of  the  father,  in  which  battle  Cols.  Marshall  and  Ledbet- 
ter  were  killed,  whereupon  Col.  Norton  assumed  command  of  the 
regiment.  With  equal  devotion  and  patriotism  he  continued  in  the 
army,  participating  in  every  battle  in  which  Orr's  regiment  was  en- 
gaged, up  to  the  memorable  battle  of  Fredericksburg,  when  in  the 
midst  of  the  battle  he  received  a  wound  in  the  right  arm.  Shifting 
his  sword  from  his  right  to  his  left  hand,  he  gallantly  led  his  regiment 
until  he  received  a  serious  wound  in  his  left  arm  which  resulted  in 
amputation.  Thus  disabled  for  active  service,  having  received  five 
wounds,  he  returned  to  his  native  state  with  an  empty  sleeve,  and 
took  charge  of  the  enrolling  department  of  Pickens  district. 

After  the  war  closed  Juclge  Norton  recommenced  the  active  prac- 
tice of  law  at  Old  Pickens,  and  continued  there  till  the  district  was 
divided,  when  he  moved  to  Walhalla,  in  1868,  where  he  continued  his 
large  and  lucrative  practice  till  his  election  as  judge  of  the  Eighth  ju- 
dicial circuit,  in  18S6.  Being  elected  over  some  of  the  brightest 
talent  of  the  state.  Judge  Norton  has  proved  the  wisdom  of  his 
friends  in  electing,  and  re-electing  him  in  1890,  to  fill  this  position. 
To  show  how  much  he  is  appreciated  as  judge,  from  very  many  com- 
plimentary notices  in  the  state  press,  we  select  three:  "Judge  Norton 
comes  to  us  with  only  fifteen  days'  experience  on  the  bench.  But  it 
would  be  hard  to  make  any  one  not  acquainted  with  the  fact  believe 
that  he  was  a  new  judge  from  the  ease  and  dignity  with  which  he  fills 
the  judicial  chair,  and  the  legal  acumen  which  he  displays  ininstantly 
comprehending  and  deciding  the  most  intricate  points  which  some- 
times arise  during  the  progress  of  the  trial  of  a  cause." —  Cor.  A^cias 
and  Courier.  "  No  man  stands  higher  than  he  in  the  estimation  of 
the  bar  and  people,  and  the  supreme  court  has  acquired  the  habit  of 
sustaining  his  positions,  some  of  them  taken  against  the  judg- 
ment of  the  most  brilliant  and  distinguished  lawyers.  We  see 
praise  of  his  decisions,  bearings  and  methods  of  doing  business 
wherever  he  goes.  Oconee  has  abtmdant  reason  to  be  proud  of 
this  son  of  hers." —  Greenville  Nezvs.  "  He  is  strict  yet  courteous, 
dignified  yet  affable.  He  is  firm  in  his  rulings  yet  they  are  given 
in  the  most  pleasant  manner." —  The  County  Record.  Very  seldom 
reversed  by  the  supreme  court,  the  press  all  over  the  state  with 
no  exception,  unite  in  saying  that  the  fairness,  the  justice,  the  firm- 
ness combined  with  gentleness,  the  expeditiousness  and  the  knowl- 
edge of  law,  combined  with  his  fine  social  qualities,  place  him  among 
the  most  honored  and  respected  of  the  judiciary. 

Judge  Norton  represented  his  county  in  the  state  legislature  just 
after  the  war,  but  since  then  refusing  all  political  offices,  he  is  always 
ready  with  his  wise  counsels  and  his  means  to  advance  the  cause  of 
good  government  of  his  beloved  state.  As  a  Christian  gentleman, 
Judge  Norton's  light  shines  upon  all  who  come  within  his  reach, 
elected  ruling  elder  in  the  Presbyterian  church,  at  the  age  of  twenty- 
one  years,  he  has  continuously  performed  the  duties  of  that  office  in 


l82  SOUTH   CAROLINA. 

a  manner  worthy  of  being  copied,  giving  liberally  of  his  means,  time 
and  talents.  No  one  knows  the  judge  till  they  see  him  in  his  home 
life,  affectionate,  gentle,  considering  nothing  a  trouble  that  gives 
pleasure  to  those  he  loves.  He  was  most  happily  married  in  March, 
i860,  to  Miss  T.  A.  Campbell,  daughter  of  Dr.  R.  E.  Campbell,  one  of 
the  wealthiest  and  most  prominent  men  of  Laurens  county.  To 
them  four  children  were  born,  three  of  whom  survive,  two  daughters 
and  one  son.  Judge  Norton  taken  in  every  position  in  life,  is  found 
to  be  a  man  of  irreproachable  character,  pure-hearted,  generous, 
clear-headed,  conscientious,  ever  ready  to  do  his  duty. 

COLONEL  ROBERT  ANDERSON  THOMPSON, 

a  leading  attorney  of  VValhalla,  S.  C,  was  born  in  Pickens  county,  S.  C, 
June  13,  1828.  His  father  was  Capt.  Charles  Thompson,  a  native  of 
Union  county,  and  by  occupation  a  farmer.  Capt.  Thompson  was 
the  son  of  William  Thompson,  of  Irish  nationality  and  a  farmer  by 
occupation.  His  death  occurred  while  a  resident  of  Alabama.  Capt. 
Thompson,  father  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  died  in  Pickens 
county,  having  reached  the  age  of  seventy-three  years.  His  wife 
was  Mahala  Gaines,  a  native  of  what  is  now  Pickens  county.  She  was 
the  daughter  of  Rev.  Robert  Gaines,  a  minister  of  the  Methodist  per- 
suasion, and  a  native  of  Virginia.  She  died  at  the  home  of  her  son, 
the  subject  of  this  sketch,  in  Walhalla,  April,  1882,  aged  seventy-one 
years.  Col.  Thompson  was  reared  on  a  farm  until  he  arrived  at  the 
age  of  fourteen,  receiving  a  good  common  school  education.  At  that 
age  he  went  to  Pendleton  and  there  served  a  four  years'  apprentice- 
ship at  the  printer's  trade  in  the  office  of  the  Pendleton  Messenger,  one 
of  the  oldest  papers  in  the  upper  part  of  the  state,  having  been  es- 
tablished in  1807.  He  followed  his  trade  in  some  three  or  four  dif- 
ferent places,  until  1849,  when  he  returned  to  Pendleton  and  took  a 
proprietory  interest  in  the  Messenger  at  that  place.  He  was  con- 
nected with  this  paper  as  joint  proprietor  about  three  years.  In  1853, 
he  went  to  Pickens  C.  H.,  where  shortly  afterward  he  became  the 
sole  proprietor  and  sole  editor  of  the  Keoivee  Courier,  which  had  been 
established  in  1849.  He  continued  in  this  double  relation  from  1853 
until  1868.  He  has  been  connected  with  this  paper  continuously  ever 
since  1853,  but  as  sole  editor  and  proprietor  only  until  1868.  In  that 
year  he  removed  the  establishment  to  Walhalla,  where,  immediately 
after  he  sold  an  interest  in  it.  Ever  since  that  period.  Col.  Thomp- 
son has  been  a  joint  proprietor  and  associate  editor  of  the  paper. 
He  was  elected  in  1853,  a  commissioner  in  equity  for  Pickens  district, 
by  the  state  legislature,  serving  in  that  capacity  constantly  up  to  1868. 
The  office  was  discontinued  that  year  by  legislative  enactment.  In 
i860,  Col.  Thompson  was  a  member  of  the  South  Carolina  secession 
convention,  and  in  the  fall  of  1861,  entered  the  Confederate  service, 
a  captain  of  Company  B,  .Second  South  Carolina  rifie  regiment,  com- 
manded by  Col.  John  V.  Moore.  This  regiment  belonged  to  Jenkin's 
brigade,  I  lood's  division,  Longstreet's  corps,  army  of  northern  Vir- 


SOUTH   CAROLINA.  183 

ginia.  Col.  Thompson  continued  to  hold  the  rank  of  captain  until 
the  fall  of  1862,  when  he  was  promoted  to  the  rank  of  lieutenant-colo- 
nel. He  had  commanded  his  company  in  the  battle  of  Seven  Pines, 
but  after  that  battle  he  acted  in  a  higher  capacity.  Col.  Moore  was 
killed  at  Second  Manassas,  after  which  Col.  Thompson  was  the  act- 
ing lieutenant-colonel  at  times,  and  at  other  times  the  acting  colonel 
until  he  was  made  lieutenant-colonel  in  the  fall  of  1862.  Late  in 
1S63,  he  resigned  this  position  on  account  of  ill  health  and  retired  to 
his  home.  Not  having  fully  regained  his  health  until  after  the  close 
of  the  war,  he  never  re-entered  the  service.  During  his  military 
career  he  participated  in  all  the  battles  in  the  vicinity  of  Richmond,  and 
in  the  battle  of  Fredericksburg.  In  the  fall  of  1868  he  removed  to 
Walhalla,  where  he  has  ever  since  resided.  Col.  Thompson  had  given 
much  attention  to  the  study  of  law,  both  before  and  after  the  war, 
and  in  1872,  was  admitted  to  the  bar  and  began  the  active  practice  of 
the  profession,  associating  himself  with  Judge  Samuel  McGowan,  as 
his  law  partner.  He  has  continued  in  the  practice  ever  since,  divid- 
ing his  attention  between  his  law  practice  and  journalism.  Abundant 
success  has  attended  him  at  the  bar,  giving  him  rank  among  the 
ablest  practitioners  of  the  state.  Col.  Thompson  holds  to  the  demo- 
cratic faith  in  politics,  and  since  1876,  has  taken  an  active  part  therein, 
wielding  a  great  influence,  both  through  the  medium  of  the  press  and 
in  the  arena  of  public  debate.  He  has  held  the  position  of  chairman 
of  the  democratic  central  committee  of  Oconee  county  for  several 
years.  His  law  practice  has  been  general  in  its  nature.  Thompson 
&  Jaynes  is  the  title  of  the  law  firm,  of  which  he  is  the  senior  mem- 
ber, his  junior  partner,  Robert  T.  Jaynes,  being  a  bright  and  promis- 
ing young  practitioner.  This  firm  is  associated  with  that  of  Wells  & 
Orr,  of  Greenville,  one  of  the  ablest  legal  firms  in  the  state.  In  re- 
ligion. Col.  Thompson  subscribes  to  the  Presbyterian  creed,  being  a 
member  of  that  church.  He  is  a  Royal  Arch  Mason,  having  been 
initiated  at  Pendleton  in  1850,  and  has  served  as  the  master  of  the 
lodge  at  Pickens  during  almost  the  entire  time  of  his  residence  there. 
He  is  a  past  high  priest  of  the  chapter  at  Walhalla,  and  has  taken 
the  degrees  in  the  council,  making  nine  in  all,  is  a  member  of  the 
K.  of  H.,  and  the  Knights  of  the  Golden  Rule.  In  his  business  rela- 
tions he  is  a  member  of  the  Walhalla  Building  &  Loan  association 
and  a  stockholder  in  the  Seneca  oil  mill.  He  has  taken  an  active 
part  in  the  educational  affairs,  having  served  as  public  school  trustee 
during  most  of  the  time  since  1853.  He  is  a  member  of  the  South 
Carolina  Bar  association.  Col.  Thompson  was  married  in  Oc- 
tober, 1S57,  to  Miss  L.  Rose  Starritt,  of  Clarksville,  Ga.  They  have 
seven  living  children,  four  of  whom  are  sons. 

BENJAMIN  ELLIOTT. 

He  whose  name  stands  at  the  head  of  this  sketch  was  among  the 
most  conspicuous  class  of  South  Carolinians  who  have  lived  within  the 
past  half  century.     He  was  born  in  Charleston,  in  1786,  being  the  eld- 


184  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

est  child  of  Thomas  Odingsell  Elliott  and  Mary  Pinckney,  who  was  a 
sister  of  Hon.  Charles  Pinckney.  The  ancestors  of  Mr.  Elliott  on 
both  sides,  weie  representatives  of  the  best  and  oldest  blood  of  South 
Carolina.  At  an  early  age,  Mr.  Elliott  exhibited  a  marked  literary 
turn  of  mind  which  pervaded  his  youth  and  inspired  his  maturer 
years.  At  an  early  age  he  entered  Princeton  college,  where  he  grad- 
uated with  distinction,  for  a  couple  of  years  after  which  he  devoted 
himself  to  literature,  becoming  a  graceful  writer  and  a  fluent  speaker. 
He  read  law  under  Hon.  Thomas  Parker,  and  was  admitted  to  the 
bariniSio.  Shortly  after  this  he  married  Katherine  O.  Savage,  by 
whom  he  had  six  children  —  three  sons  and  three  daughters.  He  began 
the  practice  in  co-partnership  with  the  celebrated  Robert  Y.  Hayne. 
So  profound  a  scholar  was  Mr.  Elliott  that  his  contemporaries  said 
of  him  that  he  was  a  walking  library,  not  only  of  the  law,  but  general 
and  classic  literature.  Mr.  Elliott  'was  the  author  of  a  number  of 
works,  political,  historical  and  literary  productions,  among  them  a 
pamphlet  entitled  "  A  Refutation  of  the  Calumnies  Circulated  Against 
the  Southern  and  Western  States  in  Regard  to  the  Institution  of 
Slavery,"  a  work  which  at  the  time  attracted  universal  attention,  and 
elicited  most  favorable  comment  alike  for  its  literary  merit  and  the 
truth  and  fairness  presented  in  the  paper.  This  was  the  first  and 
certainly  the  ablest  defense  ever  made  in  behalf  of  the  south  against 
the  calumnies  of  unprincipled  northern  politicians.  In  his  political 
ideas  he  was  of  the  uncompromising  Jeffersonian  school,  as  will  be 
seen  from  many  of  his  public  speeches  and  orations  as  well  as  from 
his  published  works.  In  1S14  he  published  a  pamphlet  entitled,  "  A 
Sketch  of  the  Means  and  Benefits  of  Prosecuting  this  War  against 
Great  Britain,"  in  this  also  was  shown  great  literary  power.  As  a 
purely  classical  writer,  the  ability  of  Mr.  Elliott  can  be  estimated  by 
the  perusal  of  a  beautiful  criticism  by  him  upon  a  translation  of  the 
Hon.  John  L.  Wilson  of  the  interesting  allegory  of  "  Cupid  and 
Psyche,"  from  the  "Metamorphoses  of  the  Golden  Alps  "  of  Apuleius. 
In  the  difficulties  between  .South  Carolina  and  the  general  govern- 
ment in  relation  to  the  tariff  and  other  usurpations  by  that  govern- 
ment, Mr.  Elliott  adopted  the  doctrines  of  his  state  which  he  de- 
fended with  enthusiasm,  patriotism  and  ability,  all  through  the 
stormy  period  of  nullification.  In  the  family  circle,  Mr.  Elliott's 
splendid  qualities  of  heart  were  well  brought  out;  and  as  a  citizen  he 
was  universally  loved  and  respected.  He  departed  this  life  in  1836, 
at  the  age  of  fifty-five  years. 

MAJOR  T.  E.  DUDLEY, 

of  Marlborough  county,  .S.  C,  is  one  of  the  leading  attorneys  of  that 
section  of  the  state,  and  is  the  oldest  living  native  male  resident  of 
Bennettsville,  his  birth  having  taken  place  on  the  5th  day  of  Novem- 
ber, 1836.  His  parents  were  Christopher  W.  and  Rebecca  P.  (Rob- 
eson) Dudley,  the  former  a  native  of  Cumberland  county,  N.  C,  and 
the  latter  of  Chesterfield  county,  S.  C.     Christopher  W.  Dudley  was 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  185 

an  able  lawyer,  and  in  1855  retired.  For  about  twelve  years  he  rep- 
resented his  district  in  the  state  senate  havinj^-  been  a  member  of  the 
house  of  representatives  for  several  years  preceding  his  election  to 
the  senate;  for  the  years  1837- 1838  he  served  as  state  reporter,  and 
in  all  his  public  life  evinced  great  talents,  and  the  most  rigid  integ- 
rity. He  died  January  15th,  1881,  at  the  age  of  seventy-two  years. 
As  a  member  of  the  Baptist  church  he  was  active  and  consistent,  and 
died  firmly  believing  in  his  Redeemer's  power  to  save.  The  widow 
survives  him  at  the  advanced  age  of  seventy-four  years.  Robeson 
county  was  named  in  honor  of  Maj.  Robeson,  the  maternal  great- 
grandfather of  Maj.  Dudley.  The  only  two  surviving  direct  descend- 
ants of  her  father,  Peter  Lord  Robeson,  being  Maj.  William  L.  Rob- 
eson, seventy-nine  years  of  age,  and  Mrs.  Rebecca  (Robeson)  Dudley. 
Christopher  Dudley  accompanied  his  parents  to  Darlington  county, 
S.  C,  from  North  Carolina  when  he  was  but  twelve  years  of  age. 
Four  years  later  he  was  engaged  in  teaching  school  in  Marion  county, 
S.  C,  and  his  rise  in  life  was  rapid.  Maj.  T.  E.  Dudley  is  the  oldest 
of  ten  children,  all  of  whom  are  living  with  the  exception  of  one  who 
died  at  the  age  of  forty-two  years,  in  1881.  Our  subject  was  com- 
pelled to  abandon  his  studies  at  the  state  military  college  at  Charles- 
ton on  account  of  a  trouble  with  his  eyes.  At  this  time  he  was 
eighteen  years  old,  and  for  the  two  following  years  he  held  a  clerk- 
ship with  a  mercantile  house,  in  Bennettsville,  S.  C,  after  which  he 
began  the  study  of  law  under  Chancellor  W.  D.  Johnson,  now  of 
Marion  county,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  on  November  23rd,  1858. 
He  formed  a  partnership  with  his  former  preceptor  in  the  law,  which 
lasted  until  1866,  when  that  gentleman  was  made  chancellor  of  the 
state.  Mr.  Dudley  was  one  of  the  first  to  volunteer  in  the  Confeder- 
ate service  from  Marlborough  county,  having  enlisted  before  the  fall  of 
Sumter.  He  served  in  Company  G,  Eighth  regiment,  S.  C.  volunteer 
infantry.  Col.  E.  B.  C.  Cash  commanding,  and  was  soon  elected  to  the 
office  of  orderly  sergeant;  and  November  igth,  1861,  was  appointed 
sergeant-major  of  the  regiment.  He  continued  in  this  position  until 
the  re-organization  of  the  army  in  May,  1862,  when  defeated  for 
major  of  the  regiment  he  re-joined  his  company  as  a  private.  May 
27th,  1862,  he  was  detailed  for  special  duty  at  brigade  headquarters, 
and  while  at  Winchester,  October  ist,  1862,  shortly  after  the  battle  of 
Antietam,  he  was  promoted  to  assistant  commissary  of  subsistence, 
with  the  rank  of  captain,  and  assigned  to  the  Twenty-sixth  S.  C. 
regiment  volunteer  infantry, commanded  by  Col.  A.  D.  Smith,  at  Church 
Flats,  S.  C;  September  29,  1862,  he  was  discharged  from  the  army  of 
northern  Virginia;  July  31,  1863,  was  retired  by  act  of  congress,  and 
returning  home,  he  was  appointed  enrolling  otiicer  in  the  conscript 
service,  and  assigned  to  Georgetown,  S.  C,  with  the  rank  of  second 
lieutenant,  receiving  his  commission  September  22,  1863;  and  was  re- 
commissioned  captain  October  i,  1863,  and  stationed  at  Florence, 
S.  C.  The  close  of  the  war  found  him  on  duty  at  Camden,  S.  C. 
Maj.  Dudley  either  participated  in  or  was  present  on  duty  in  many 
fierce  engagements,  among  them  being  First  Manassas,  Seven  Pines, 


l86  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

seven  days'  fight  around  Richmond,  Maryland  Heights,  Antietam, 
Jackson  and  others.  Returning  home  he  resumed  the  practice  of  law 
with  Chancellor  Johnson,  and  at  the  time  of  the  election  of  his  part- 
ner to  the  office  of  chancellor,  formed  a  partnership  with  Judge 
Henry  Mclver,  this  firm  continuing  until  the  latter  was  elected  to  the 
state  supreme  bench,  in  1877.  Mr.  H.  H.  Newton  then  became  asso- 
ciated with  him,  and  the  connection  was  sustained  until  January  i, 
iSqi.  Mr.  Dudley  has  made  a  success  at  the  bar,  especially  as  an  office 
lawyer,  and  is  a  busines  man  of  fair  ability.  For  a  time  he  held  the 
office  of  deputy  solicitor  of  the  county.  He  is  a  stock-holder  in  the 
Bennettsville  Building  &  Loan  association,  Marlborough  bank,  and  also 
in  the  .S.  C.  &  Pacific  R.  R.  In  May,  1863,  Miss  Amelia,  daughter  of 
the  late  Sight  Townsend,  became  his  wife,  and  nine  children  have 
blessed  their  union,  viz.:  Capt.  Julius  T.,  Carlos  T.,  a  junior  in  the 
state  university,  Janie  R.,  Beuna  Vista,  Florence  M.,  Christopher 
W.,  and  three  others  now  deceased.  The  family  are  valued  commun- 
icants of  the  Presbyterian  church,  and  Maj.  Dudley  held  the  office 
of  deacon  for  eighteen  years  in  Bennettsville  church,  and  is  now  an 
elder,  and  he  is  also  a  member  of  the  Masonic  order,  the  K.  of  H., 
and  the  L.  of  H.,  and  has  never  aspired  to  civil  office,  choosing  rather 
to  retain  his  independence  of  character  and  allegiance  to  his  pro- 
fession. 

COLONEL  KNOX  LIVINGSTON. 

Col.  Knox  Livingston,  attorney-at-law  and  one  of  the  prominent 
men  of  this  portion  of  the  state,  was  born  in  Madison  county,  Fla., 
January  i,  1850,  on  the  first  day  of  the  week,  the  month  and  the 
year.  His  parents  were  Col.  D.  G.  Livingston  and  Rhoda  (Town- 
send)  Livingston,  the  father  a  native  of  Glen  Deurnell,  Argleshire, 
Scotland,  a  merchant  and  planter.  He  came  to  America  in  1826,  and 
settled  in  Richmond  county,  later  moving  to  Marlborough  district, 
where  he  married  and  lived  until  1845,  when  he  removed  to  Madison 
county,  Fla.,  where  he  lived  until  his  death  in  1866.  He  came  to  this 
country  a  poor  bo3^  but  succeeded  in  amassing  a  considerable  for- 
tune, the  most  of  which  was  lost  by  the  results  of  the  war.  He  was 
noted  as  a  public  spirited  and  energetic  citizen,  and  held  many  posi- 
tions of  profit  and  trust.  He  was  prominent  in  church  affairs,  and  no 
man  yielded  more  influence  for  good  in  the  section  in  which  he  lived. 
At  his  death  he  was  fifty-two  years  of  age.  His  wife  was  a  daughter 
of  .Samuel  Townsend,  who  was  for  many  years  tax  collector  of  Marl- 
borough district,  and  who  was  a  descendant  of  Revolutionary  stock. 
She  was  a  woman  of  uncommon  intellegence,  having  received  no 
greater  advantages  than  others,  and  she  was  a  worthy  helpmeet  for 
her  husband.  In  the  raising  of  her  children  she  was  particularly 
careful,  and  endeavored  to  instill  into  their  minds  those  lessons  of 
wisdom  and  truth  which  should  be  their  guide  in  after  life.  She 
passed  from  labor  to  reward  in  18S6,  aged  sixty-eight  years,  a  devoted 
and  exemplary  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church.  These 
parents  had  eleven  children,  seven  of  whom   arc  still  living.     Col. 


SOUTH   CAROLINA.  187 

Knox  Livingston,  our  subject,  was  educated  at  the  university  of 
North  Carohna,  and  read  law  under  the  tutelage  of  Judge  E.J.Vann, 
of  Florida,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  of  that  state  by  a  special  act 
of  the  legislature,  he  being  still  a  minor.  At  the  instance  of  a  cousin, 
Samuel  J.  Townsend,  he  came  to  Bennettsville  in  1S70,  and  continued 
the  study  of  law  under  Judge  Hudson.  In  September,  1S70,  he  was 
admitted  to  the  bar  of  South  Carolina,  and  immediately  formed  a 
partnership  with  Judge  Hudson,  the  firm  name  being  Hudson,  Liv- 
ingston &  Newton.  'Fhis  co-partnership  continued  until  1872,  when 
our  subject  withdrew  and  formed  a  partnership  with  Capt.  Harris 
Covington,  who  was  deservedly  regarded  as  one  of  the  most  brilliant 
men  that  the  section  had  ever  produced.  Our  subject  continued  with 
the  captain  until  his  death  in  1876,  since  which  time  he  has  practiced 
alone,  with  the  exception  of  one  or  two  years  as  the  partner  of  Judge 
Townsend.  In  addition  to  his  office  in  Marlborough,  he  was  a  mem- 
ber of  a  firm  in  Marion,  of  which  Capt.  W.  J.  McKerall  was  a  local 
partner,  and  at  present  is  the  senior  member  of  the  firm  of  Living- 
ston &  Mclver,  of  Cheraw,  S.  C.  Col.  Livingston  has  been  very  suc- 
cessful in  his  chosen  calling,  and  as  proof  of  this  he  now  has  the 
largest  practice  of  any  attorney  in  the  county.  He  has  a  good  repu- 
tation wherever  known,  not  only  as  an  advocate,  but  also  as  a  legal 
adviser.  Not  to  mention  the  numerous  cases  in  which  he  has  won 
distinction  he  represented  the  defendants  in  the  case  of  Steenbergen 
versus  the  C.  F.  &  Y.  V.  railroad,  in  which  the  jurisdiction  of  the 
state  courts  in  matters  of  inter-state  commerce  was  first  judicially  es- 
tablished. His  arguments  in  the  case  against  Evans  and  others,  in- 
volving the  construction  of  a  deed  to  the  late  land  commissioner  also 
attracted  considerable  attention.  As  a  citizen,  Col.  Livingston  is 
well  to  the  front  in  all  such  enterprises  as  promise  for  the  best  wel- 
fare of  the  community.  That  he  has  so  well  succeeded  in  business 
is  not  due  to  blind  luck,  but  to  the  real  energy  and  good  business 
sagacity.  He  was  elected  warden  of  Bennettsville  in  1874,  was 
elected  intendant  several  times,  and  upon  the  renewal  of  the  charter 
of  the  town,  was  chosen  mayor,  holding  the  office  for  four  years.  In 
1883  he  was  elected  to  the  legislature,  but  declined  a  re-election  in 
1885,  owing  to  the  demands  of  his  profession.  He  has  been  a  member 
of  every  convention  since  the  ".Straight  Out"  convention  of  1S76,  in 
which  he  gave  his  vote  for  Gen.  Wade  Hampton  for  governor.  He 
had  the  honor  of  placing  in  nomination  Hon.  Hugh  H.  Thompson 
for  governor  of  South  Carolina,  also  the  Hon.  J.  P.  Richardson  for 
the  same  office.  Both  were  elected.  While  a  member  of  the  house. 
Col.  Livingston  was  one  of  the  committee  on  the  judiciary,  and  of  priv- 
ilges  and  elections,  and  took  a  leading  part  in  the  debates  and  in 
forming  the  laws  in  these  two  sessions.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
board  of  trustees  of  the  Marlborough  educational  society,  having  in 
charge  the  two  graded  schools,  white  and  colored.  He  takes  great 
interest  in  these  institutions,  and  does  all  in  his  power  to  advance 
their  welfare  and  make  them  a  success.  In  18S3  he  was  appointed  a 
member  of  the  personal  staff  of  Gov.  Thompson,  with  the  rank  of 


1 88  •  SOUTH   CAROLINA. 

lieutenant-colonel,  and  in  i8S8  was  selected  as  a  delegate  to  repre- 
sent the  state  at  the  first  southern  emigration  convention  which  met 
at  Asheville.  He  was  also  selected  to  receive,  on  behalf  of  the  .state, 
the  diploma  presented  by  the  Augusta  exposition  for  the  best  exhibit 
ever  made  by  a  state,  sharing  the  honors  of  the  occasion  with  the 
lamented  Grady  who  presented  the  diploma  and  made  one  of  his 
most  eloquent  addresses.  Col.  Livingston  was  married  in  Columbia, 
S.  C,  November  30,  1871,  to  Miss  Ella  A.  Wells,  the  daughter  of 
Jeth  Wells,  for  many  years  a  very  prominent  cotton  merchant  and 
influential  citizen  of  Columbia.  Mrs.  Livingston  is  a  lady  of  rare  in- 
telligence, education  and  refinement.  She  is  a  graduate  of  the  Co- 
lumbia female  college,  and  is  possessed  of  that  culture  which  comes 
from  an  acquaintance  with  schools  anci  books.  The  home  of  Colonel 
and  Mrs.  Livingston  has  been  blessed  by  the  birth  of  five  children: 
The  eldest,  a  daughter,  is  a  member  of  the  senior  class  of  the  Colum- 
bia female  college;  Rhoda  is  a  member  of  the  graduating  class  of 
the  Marlborough  graded  school.  These  3'oung  ladies  have  taken 
the  first  honors  in  their  respective  classes;  Vann  Smith  is  a  bright 
and  promising  boy  of  eight  summers,  and  two  others,  Knox  and 
Ella,  died  in  childhood.  The  parents  are  members  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church,  Mrs.  Livingston  taking  a  deep  interest  in  charita- 
ble works.  Fraternally,  Col.  Livingston  has  been  master  of  the 
Marlborough  lodge  of  Masons;  he  is  a  member  of  the  Knights  of 
Honor.  His  position,  influence  and  abilities  have  ever  been  at  the 
service  and  well  appreciated  by  the  people  of  his  community  and 
state.  He  is  the  possessor  of  a  "fine  library  in  which  the  works  of  the 
best  authors  of  the  different  ages  are  found. 

JOHN  LOWNDES  McLAURIN. 

The  Hon.  John  Lowndes  McLaurin,  a  member  of  the  prominent 
law  firm  of  Townsend  &  McLaurin,  is  a  South  Carolinian  by  birth,  hav- 
ing been  born  in  Marlborough  county  on  the  Qth  of  May,  1S60.  Both 
his  father's  and  mother's  family  were  old  and  influential  connections 
of  the  Palmetto  state.  The  Hon.  Philip  B.  McLaurin,  his  father, 
was  an  eminent  attorney,  and  an  extensive  planter.  He  represented 
his  county  for  two  terms  in  the  state  legislature,  and  held  a  captain's 
commission  in  the  Confederate  army.  Having  been  taken  ill  while  in 
the  southern  service  on  the  coast,  he  returned  to  his  home  where 
he_  died  in  February,  1863.  Captain  McLaurin  was  a  man  of  great 
ability,  and  a  scholar  of  unusual  erudition.  He  was  graduated  from 
Davidson  college  in  1853,  and  immediately  took  his  place  in  the  world 
as  a  lawyer,  and  rapidly  rose  to  the  front  ranks  of  his  profession,  hav- 
ing been  elected  to  the  legislature  when  but  twenty-one  years  of  age. 
Cut  off  by  death  in  his  thirty-fourth  year,  what  promised  to  be  a  most 
brilliant  and  honorable  career  was  ended.  He  married  Miss.  T.  J. 
Weatherly  in  early  manhood,  and  three  children  resulted,  John 
Lowndes  being  the  eldest,  Thomas,  who  died  in  Englewood,  N.  J.,  at 
the  age  of  thirteen,  and  Margaret,  wife  of  T.  Crosland.    The  mother 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  1 89 

was  a  daughter  of  the  late  Col.  T.  C.  Weatherly.  She  married  for 
her  second  husband,  Mr.  W.  S.  Mowrey,  of  Charleston,  S.  C,  in  1867, 
and  they  now  reside  in  Englewood,  N.  J.  A  more  extended  mention 
of  the  origin  of  this  family  appears  in  another  place  in  this  work. 
John  L.  McLaurin,  of  whom  we  write  more  particularly,  obtained  his 
early  schooling  in  Bennettsville,  and  later  in  the  Bethel  military 
academy,  and  after  the  death  of  his  only  brother,  rejoined  his  mother 
in  New  Jersey,  and  soon  after  entered  the  sophomore  class  at  Swath- 
more  college.  In  1877  he  returned  to  the  south,  and  in  1879  was 
graduated  from  the  Carolina  military  institute  at  Charlotte.  Enter- 
ing the  law  department  of  the  University  of  Virginia,  he  completed 
the  full  course  there,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1882.  Some- 
time subsequent  Mr.  McLaurin  became  associated  with  Judge  C.  P. 
Townsend  in  the  practice  of  his  profession,  and  that  happy  partner- 
ship has  since  been  in  force.  In  1890  Mr.  McLaurin  was  elected  to 
the  house  of  representatives  of  South  Carolina,  and  he  is  a  member  of 
the  judiciary  committee,  and  also  on  the  committee  of  privileges  and 
elections.  lie  holds  the  office  of  chief  of  ordinance  on  the  staff  of 
Gov.  Tillman,  with  the  rank  of  colonel,  and  is  also  captain  of  the  vol- 
unteer company  of  Marlborough  county,  known  as  the  Gordon  rifles. 
On  the  19th  of  February,  1883,  his  marriage  to  Miss  Nora  Breeden, 
daughter  of  Mr.  T.  J.  Breeden,  of  Marlborough  county,  was  solem- 
nized, and  has  been  blessed  by  the  birth  of  four  children,  their  names 
being,  Thomas  B.,  Bessie  B.,  John  B.  and  Emma  G.,  the  last  men- 
tioned being  twins.  Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  McLaurin  are  communicants 
of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  south. 

HON.  H.  H.  NEWTON. 

The  Hon.  H.  H.  Newton,  one  of  the  leading  lawyers  of  South 
Carolina,  is  a  native  of  Marlborough  county,  that  state,  where  he  now 
resides,  the  date  of  his  birth  being  February  i6th,  1845,  and  his  par- 
ents the  Rev.  Cornelius  and  Dorcas  (Purnell)  Newton.  The  Rev. 
Cornelius  Newton  was  a  local  preacher  in  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church,  south.  He  was  a  planter  and  slave-holder,  and  for  more 
than  fifty  years  was  engaged  in  ministerial  work,  living  a  retired  but 
useful  life.  Dorcas  Purnell  Newton  was  the  daughter  of  Rev.  Robert 
Purnell,  who  was  also  a  local  minister  in  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church,  south.  He  was  a  large  slave-holder  and  a  leading  man  in 
the  community  adjacent  to  Bennettsville.  Cornelius  Newton  died 
in  1S79,  at  the  advanced  age  of  eighty -one  years,  his  wife  having 
preceded  him  to  rest,  March  22nd,  1872,  aged  seventy-four  years. 
These  parents  had  fourteen  children,  H.  H.,  our  subject,  being  the 
seventh  son  and  fourteenth  child.  The  outbreak  of  the  civil  war 
found  him  a  student  in  the  Palmetto  academy,  but  he  abandoned  his 
studies  to  offer  his  services  to  the  southern  cause,  January  22d,  1862, 
at  which  time  he  enlisted  in  Company  E,  Fourth  South  Carolina 
cavalry.  Although  but  sixteen  years  old  at  the  time  of  his  enlist- 
ment, he  served  with  valor  and  faithfulness  until  wounded  in  Haw- 


igO  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

shop  battle,  May  2Sth,  1864,  and  forced  to  retire  after  two  and  one- 
half  years  of  constant  hard  service.  When  Sherman  marched 
through  South  Carolina,  Mr.  Newton  rejoined  his  old  command, 
although  not  yet  recovered  from  his  wounds.  The  war  closing, 
he  completed  his  preparation  for  the  sophomore  class  of  Wofford 
college,  in  1866,  and  in  iS6g,  was  graduated  from  that  institution.  He 
then  taught  school  for  a  year,  during  which  time  every  spare  moment 
was  devoted  to  the  study  of  the  law,  and  September  iQth,  1870,  he 
was  admitted  to  the  bar,  and  at  once  began  active  practice  in  part- 
nership with  Judge  Hudson  and  Mr.  Livingston,  at  Bennettsville. 
The  firm  was  changed  in  1S72  by  the  retirement  of  Mr.  Livingston, 
and  January  ist,  1876,  Judge  Hudson  also  retired.  In  June  of  the 
following  year  Mr.  Newton  became  associated  with  Mr.  T.  E.  Dudley, 
the  firm  name  being  Dudley  &  Newton,  and  they  continued  together 
until  January  ist,  1891.  Mr.  Newton's  political  career  began  on  the 
15th  of  August,  1876,  when  he  was  made  a  member  of  the  democratic 
straight-out  convention  at  Columbia,  which  nominated  Wade  Hamp- 
ton for  governor  of  the  state.  In  1878  we  find  him  in  editorial  charge  of 
the  Marlboro  Planter,  a  journal  which  he  most  ably  conducted  for  two 
years,  when  increasing  practice  and  business  cares  necessitated  his 
retirement  from  the  journalistic  field.  In  1880  he  was  elected  to  the 
state  legislature,  in  opposition  to  the  independents,  and  served  one 
term,  when  he  declined  a  re-election.  He  was  the  author  of  the 
famous  "stock"  law  which  passed  the  first  session  in  1880,  for  Marl- 
borough county,  and  at  the  session  of  1S81  the  bill  was  made  astatelaw, 
although  it  met  with  the  most  strenuous  opposition.  And  he  also 
served  as  a  member  of  the  railroad  committee  appointed  to  prepare 
suitable  legislation  for  the  general  assembly  of  1881;  and  in  addition 
to  this  honor  was  appointed  to  the  committees  on  judiciary  and 
claims.  His  appointment  by  Gov.  Thompson  to  the  office  of  solicitor 
of  the  Fourth  circuit,  to  fill  the  unexpired  term  of  G.  W.  Dargan, 
January  20th,  1883,  was  received  with  the  greatest  satisfaction  by 
the  people,  and  his  discharge  of  the  duties  of  that  position  brought 
him  into  continued  prominence  and  favor,  for  in  1884  he  was  elected 
to  fill  the  ofifice  for  the  full  term  of  four  years.  In  1888  he  was  a 
candidate  for  congress,  but  was  defeated  by  a  small  majority  by  Mr. 
Dargan.  Since  that  time  Mr.  Newton  has  devoted  himself  exclus- 
ively to  his  practice,  with  the  exception  of  one  year,  while  president 
of  the  Marlborough  Cotton  Oil  company.  He  has  been  married  three 
times,  first  to  Miss  Martha  Johnson,  daughter  of  Mr.  A.  G.  Johnson, 
of  Bennettsville.  She  died  February  ist,  1875,  aged  twenty-four 
years,  leaving  one  child,  Hope  Hull.  His  second  marriage  was  to 
Miss  Mary  E.,  daughter  of  John  A.  McRae,  and  Mary  W.,  Anna  L., 
and  Elizabeth,  were  born  to  this  union.  Anna  L.  died  Decem- 
ber 24,  1887,  and  the  mother  died  January  30th,  1888,  at  the  age  of 
thirty-five  years.  By  his  marriage  to  Mrs.  Katie  (McCall)  Monroe, 
one  daughter  has  been  born,  viz.:  Katie  Monroe.  Both  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Newton  are  communicants  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church, 
south,  and  he  is  a  steward  in  the    same,  and    has  represented  his 


I 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  I9I 

church  in  several  annual   conferences,  and  in  1882  was  a  member  of 
the  general  conference. 

HON.  C.  P.  TOWNSEND. 

One  of  the  most  prominent  public  men  of  Marlborough  county, 
S.  C,  is  the  Hon.  C.  P.  Townsend,  of  Bennettsville.  Mr.  Townsend 
first  saw  the  light  in  Marlborough  county,  July  i,  1S35,  and  is  a  son 
of  Meekin  and  Rachel  (Pearson)  Townsend,  both  parents  being 
natives  of  the  same  county. 

Meekin  Townsend  was  a  prominent  merchant  and  manufacturer 
of  his  day,  and  was  most  highly  respected  throughout  the  state.  He 
held  the  office  of  sheriff  of  Marlborough  county  for  one  term,  and 
for  some  time  was  commissioner  of  public  buildings.  He  was  the 
owner  of  the  Marlborough  cotton  factory,  which  was  burned  down  in 
1850,  and  never  rebuilt.  Soon  after  this,  in  December,  1851,  at  the 
age  of  forty-five  years,  he  was  stricken  by  death.  His  wife  still  sur- 
vives him,  at  the  advanced  age  of  seventy-seven  years. 

Hon.  C.  P.  Townsend  was  one  of  six  children  born  to  this  union. 
He  was  prepared  for  college  in  Bennettsville,  and,  in  1854,  was  gradu- 
ated from  the  South  Carolina  college.  For  the  next  eighteen  months 
he  was  engaged  as  a  school  teacher  in  Clarendon  county,  and  in  May, 
1856,  we  find  him  one  of  several  young  men  who  went  out  from  that 
section  to  Leavenworth,  Kan.,  under  the  auspices  of  the  southern 
association.  He  remained  there  one  year,  and  took  part  in  the 
troubles  which  were  then  brewing  in  that  territory.  While  in  Kansas, 
Mr.  Townsend  read  law  under  the  tutelage  of  Judge  Payne,  a  terri- 
torial judge,  and,  returning  home,  was  admitted  to  the  bar  of  his 
native  state  in  December,  1857.  Settling  at  Bennettsville,  he  has 
since  made  that  city  his  home.  In  1858,  he  represented  the  county 
in  the  state  legislature,  and,  again  in  the  years  1S59,  '62-'63.  In 
April,  1861,  his  services  were  offered  to  the  Confederate  government, 
when  he  enlisted  in  the  Eighth  Regiment,  South  Carolina  infantry. 
After  a  faithful  service  of  four  years,  he  surrendered  with  Johnson's 
forces,  at  Goldsboro,  N.  C.  Returning  to  his  home,  he  was  elected  a 
commissioner  in  equity,  in  1866,  and  served  until  1869,  when  the  office 
was  abolished  by  the  new  constitution.  In  1871  he  was  elected  judge 
of  the  Fourth  judicial  district  of  South  Carolina,  and,  serving  four 
years,  was  re-elected  in  1875.  I''^  ^'^77  there  was  a  re-organization  of 
the  judiciary  in  the  state,  under  a  decision  of  the  supreme  court,  and 
his  position  was  vacated.  After  leaving  the  bench,  Judge  Townsend 
resumed  his  large  practice,  and  has  since  given  his  attention  to  the 
practice  of  the  law. 

Judge  Townsend  has  been  twice  married.  His  first  union  was  to 
Miss  Amanda  McConnel,  in  November,  i860,  and  eight  children  were 
the  offspring,  viz.:  Shadie  M.,  wife  of  T.  W.  Baucher;  Floride  L., 
who  married  D.  L.  Fraser;  Fannie,  died  in  i88q  of  consumption,  at 
the  age  of  seventeen  years;  Nellie  M.,  B.  D.,  Florence  L.,  Edgar  M. 
and  Rachel  J.     The  mother  died  in  1887,  aged  forty-five  years.     She 


192  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

was  a  consistent  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  south, 
and  was  a  most  estimable  and  cultured  lady.  In  October,  1889,  Miss 
Nannie  Henley,  of  Pittsboro,  N.  C,  became  his  wife,  and  one  child, 
C.  P.,  has  been  born  into  their  home.  Judge  Townsend  has  been  a 
member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  south,  for  many  years, 
and  is  a  trustee  of  the  church  at  Bennettsville;  and  he  is  also  a  prom- 
inent member  of  the  Masonic  order,  having  been  connected  with 
that  fraternity  for  the  past  thirty  years.  He  has  been  a  deputy 
grand  master  of  the  grand  lodge  of  the  state,  and  has  been  a  priest 
of  Marlborough  chapter  of  the  Royal  Arch  Masons. 

HON.  JOEL  R.  POINSETT. 

The  subject  of  this  memoir  was  born  of  illustrious  parentage  on 
the  22d  day  of  March,  1779.  At  the  close  of  the  Revolutionary  war 
he  was,  at  the  instance  of  his  father,  taken  to  England,  where  he 
received  the  rudiments  of  his  classical  education.  In  1788,  he  returned 
to  this  country  and  was  placed  under  the  mental  and  moral  training 
of  the  then  celebrated  Dr.  Dwight,  at  Greenhill,  in  Connecticut.  He 
afterward  attended  school  at  Wandsworth,  near  London.  After 
having  taken  an  eminent  station  among  his  fellow  students,  he  was 
sent  to  Edinburgh  college  and  attended  the  medical  lectures.  He 
was  interrupted  in  the  course  of  his  study  by  frequent  attacks  of 
extreme  indisposition,  and  upon  the  counsel  of  friends,  went  to 
Lisbon  for  his  health.  Convinced  that  his  health  would  not  permit 
the  espousal  of  a  sedentary  calling,  he  took  up  the  study  of  military 
science,  with  the  view  of  engaging  in  the  active  life  of  a  soldier.  In 
the  military  school  at  Woolwich,  England,  he  studied  and  became 
proficient  In  the  higher  branches  of  mathematics,  fortifications  and 
gunnery.  In  the  spring  of  iSoo,  his  health  having  been  restored,  and 
finding  his  father  extremely  averse  to  his  entering  the  army  in  times 
of  peace,  he  returned  once  more  to  Charleston,  and  placed  himself 
under  the  legal  tutorage  of  M.  DeSaussure,  at  a  later  period  chan- 
cellor of  the  state  of  South  Carolina.  In  1S01-2,  after  close  applica- 
tion to  the  study  of  the  law,  he  embarked  at  Baltimore  for  Havre. 
He  visited  Paris  and  Switzerland  in  the  winter  of  1802,  and  was  pres- 
ent during  the  struggle  which  took  place  to  re-establish  the  old 
government  of  the  Helvetia  confederacy.  Pursuing  his  journey 
through  P'rance  and  Italy,  he  suddenly  learned  of  the  death  of  his 
father.  Shortly  after  the  death  of  his  father,  he  again  returned  to 
Europe,  visiting  St.  Petersburg,  and  becoming  a  welcome  guest  at 
the  palace  of  the  Emperor  Alexander.  He  remained  in  Europe  until 
the  insult  offered  our  flag  by  the  attack  upon  the  Chesapeake; 
considering  war  between  America  and  Great  Britain  inevitable,  he 
returned  and  offered  his  services  to  his  country  through  Mr.  Madison, 
at  that  time  president.  He  was  sent  by  President  Madison  to  South 
America  to  ascertain  the  real  condition  of  that  people  and  their  pros- 
pects of  success  in  the  revolution  just  commenced.  He  repaired  to 
Rio  Janerio,  where  he  was  received  by  the  governing  junta  with  great 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  I  93 

distinction.  He  then  crossed  the  continent  to  ChiH,  which  became 
the  theater  of  some  of  the  most  extraordinary  actions  of  his  life. 
He  found  the  government  in  the  hands  of  the  Carreras,  who,  shortly 
after  his  arrival,  declared  war  upon  Spain.  While  in  Chili  the  sub- 
ject of  declaring  war  against  the  United  States  was  secretly  discussed 
by  the  cortes  of  Spain,  and  the  Spanish  authorities- in  Peru  proceeded 
to  act  as  if  war  were  already  declared.  They  captured  and  con- 
demned ten  American  whaling  ships.  Indignant  at  these  acts,  Mr. 
Poinsett  accepted  the  command  of  a  small  force  offered  him  by  the 
government  of  Chili,  which  he  took  to  Talca  and  liberated  the 
vessels  detained  there.  After  the  declaration  of  peace  with  Great 
Britain,  he  returned  to  Charleston,  where  he  became  the  head  of  sev- 
eral enterprises  connected  with  the  internal  improvement  of  the  state, 
to  superintend  which  he  had  refused  a  foreign  portfolio  from  Presi- 
dent Monroe.  In  182 1  he  was  elected  to  congress  from  the  Charles- 
ton district.  Upon  the  election  of  President  Adams  he  was  made 
minister  plenipotentiary  to  Mexico,  about  which  time  he  had  con- 
ferred upon  him  by  Columbia  (N.  Y.)  college,  in  company  with  Mr. 
Calhoun  and  Mr.  Elliott,  the  degree  of  doctor  of  laws.  After  remain- 
ing in  Mexico  for  eighteen  months,  he  was  recalled  by  President 
Jackson,  who,  in  his  next  annual  message,  referred  to  him  and  his 
ministry  in  most  complimentary  terms. 

COLONEL  JOHN  GARY  EVANS 

was  born  in  Cokesbury,  Abbeville  county,  S.  C,  on  the  15th  of  Octo- 
ber, 1863.  He  is  the  second  son  of  the  marriage  of  Gen.  N.G.  Evans 
and  Miss  Ann  Victoria  Gary.  He  is  named  for  his  uncle,  John  H. 
Gary,  a  gallant  captain  in  the  Confederate  army,  who  was  killed  at 
Battery  Wagner  while  defending  Charleston  harbor.  Col.  Evans 
was  prepared  for  college  at  the  Cokesbury  conference  school,  a  school 
noted  for  the  number  of  prominent  South  Carolinians  who  have  re- 
ceived their  early  training  under  its  auspices.  He  entered  Union  col- 
lege at  Schenectady,  N.  Y.,  in  October,  1880,  leaving  in  1882.  He  was 
elected  president  of  his  class  in  his  junior  year,  a  marked  compliment 
especially  to  a  southern  boy.  He  was  a  favorite  of  his  uncle  and 
guardian.  Gen.  M.  W.  Gar3^  of  Edgefield,  and  most  of  his  vacations 
were  spent  with  him  at  his  bachelor  home.  He  was  devoted  to  his 
uncle  and  guardian,  and  has  inherited  to  a  great  degree  his  features 
and  characteristics.  After  the  death  of  his  uncle,  Gen.  Gary,  young 
Evans  left  college  and  entered  the  law  of^ce  of  his  uncle,  Major 
William  T.  Gary,  of  Augusta,  Ga.  After  his  admission  to  the  bar  he 
returned  to  South  Carolina  in  1886,  and  opened  a  law  office  at  Aiken 
Court  House.  He  was  no  stranger  to  the  people  of  Aiken  county 
when  it  became  known  that  he  was  the  son  of  "Shanks"  Evans,  and 
nephew  of  Mart  Gary,  and  his  practice  at  once  became  a  lucrative 
one.  Naturally,  he  at  once  manifested  an  interest  in  the  politics  of 
his  county  and  state,  and  his  services  were  soon  recognized  by  his 
people,  who  sent  him  as  their  representative  to  the  legislature  in  No- 
A— 13 


1 94  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

vember,  1888.  He  was  elected  by  a  most  flattering  vote,  being  beaten 
for  first  place  upon  his  ticket  by  only  twenty-five  votes.  Upon  his  en- 
trance into  the  legislature  he  at  once  took  a  deep  interest  in  educa- 
tion and  the  common  school  system  of  the  state.  He  succeeded  in 
passing  two  of  the  most  important  measures  in  years  affecting  this 
system.  Although  by  several  years  the  youngest  member  of  the  house, 
he  took  part  in  all  of  the  important  debates,  and  always  commanded 
the  attention  of  his  hearers.  He  succeeded  in  repealing  the  civil 
rights  law,  passed  b}'  the  republicans  while  in  power,  which  caused 
considerable  comment  among  northern  newspapers.  In  the  memor- 
able campaign  of  1890,  he  espoused  the  cause  of  the  farmers,  and  was 
re-elected  to'the  legislature  by  a  handsome  majority.  He  was  one  oT 
the  recognized  leaders  of  the  house  at  this  session,  having  in  charge 
most  of  the  leading  measures  of  reform.  He  was  opposed  to  the  re- 
nomination  of  Wade  Hampton  as  United  States  senator  from  South 
Carolina,  and  was  one  of  the  managers  of  Senator  Irby's  campaign. 
In  politics,  as  one  would  naturally  infer,  Col.  Evans  is  an  ardent  fol- 
lower of  the  principles  of  straight-out  democracy,  as  laid  down  by  his 
distinguished  uncle.  Gen.  Gary.  He  is  an  aggressive  fighter,  and  well 
equipped  for  his  chosen  profession,  as  well  as  a  political  leader.  He 
was  appointed  judge-advocate-general  on  Gov.  Tillman's  staff,  whom 
he  supported  for  governor  in  the  campaign  of  iSgo.  Col.  Evans  is 
alive  to  the  business  interests  of  his  county,  and  is  a  director  in  sev- 
eral of  its  industrial  institutions.  He  is  unmarried,  domestic  in  his 
tastes  and  devoted  to  his  family. 

JAMES  THOMAS  ALDRICH, 

the  fourth  son  of  Robert  and  Ann  (Hawkins)  Aldrich,  was  born  in 
Charleston,  S.  C,  in  1819.  He  attended  the  city  schools  until  he  was 
sixteen  years  of  age,  when,  owing  to  the  slender  means  of  his  father, 
he  had  to  begin  work.  He  was  employed  for  a  year  or  two  as  an  as- 
sistant accountant,  in  the  building  of  Fort  Sumter.  Though  he  left 
school  thus  early  he  was  always  a  great  student,  and  soon  acquired 
an  education.  In  1840  he  moved  to  Barnwell  C.  H.,  S.  C, 
studied  law  with  his  elder  brother.  Judge  A.  P.  Aldrich;  was  admit- 
ted to  the  bar  in  1842,  and  began  the  practice  of  law.  He  was  emi- 
nently successful  and  soon  gained  a  high  position  at  the  bar.  In  1847 
he  married  Isabel  C,  the  third  daughter  of  the  late  Hon.  Angus  Pat- 
terson. The  issue  of  their  marriage  is:.  Anna,  the  wife  of  Dr.  C.  B. 
Anderson;  James,  now  a  circuit  judge  in  South  Carolina;  Hannah  M., 
now  the  wife  of  Dr.  H.  H.  Wyman;  Isabel  P.,  now  the  wife 
of  W.  A.  Holnian,  Esq.,  and  Julia  C,  the  widow  of  the 
late  Thomas  N.Baker.  His  daughters  all  married  men  of  high 
character  and  ability.  His  widow  is  still  living.  In  1861  he  enlisted 
in  the  Confederate  army,  but  owing  to  bad  health  and  defective 
sight,  he  was  assigned  to  service  in  Columbia,  to  perform  office  work. 
During  the  war  he,  on  several  occasions,  represented  the  government 
n  legal  matters.     After  the  war,  with  no  fortune  left,  in  poverty  and 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  I95 

broken  health,  he  resolutely  began  to  practice  again.  His  success 
was  great;  but  the  strain  was  too  severe,  his  health  gave  way,  his 
sight  failed,  and  in  1875  he  died. 

It  was  said  that  he  would  have  been  the  next  chancellor  in  South 
Carolina  when  the  war  came  on.  His  reputation  as  a  profound  lawyer 
was  made  before  he  was  fort}/ years  of  age,  soon  aftert  hat  the  war  and 
its  consequence  interfered  with  his  career.  Like  so  many  of  his  name 
he  was  fond  of  poetry,  and  many  verses  from  his  facile  pen  attest 
his  talent  in  this  department  of  literature.  His  charity  knew  no 
bounds.  It  is  said  that  he  defended  the  first  negro  tried  in  South  Caro- 
lina as  a  "citizen"  of  the  state:  He" did  it  without  fee  or  reward,  because 
the  negro  was  poor  and  friendless.  The  negro  was  acquitted.  Mr. 
Aldrich  was  noted  for  his  kindness  and  charity;  in  him  the  poor,  to 
the  extent  of  his  means,  had  a  friend,  and  the  oppressed  a  fearless 
advocate.  When  aroused  he  was  every  inch  a  lawyer,  tall,  handsome, 
dignified,  eloquent,  fluent  of  speech,  a  master  of  the  law,  despising 
artifice,  standing  upon  the  true  merits  of  his  case,  he  seldom  lost  a 
cause. 

One  generation  has  passed  and  another  come  upon  the  stage  since 
Mr.  Aldrich  died;  but  many  who  knew  him  well  still  linger, and  when- 
ever they  mention  his  name  they  speak  of  him  In  tender  terms,  and 
regret  that  his  career,  so  full  of  hope  and  promise,  was  cut  short 
untimely  for  his  growing  fame,  and  the  good  of  the  state. 

COLONEL  GEORGE  WILLIAM  CROFT, 

a  prominent  attorney  of  Aiken,  S.  C,  was  born  in  Newberry  county, 
in  1846.  His  father's  name  was  Theodore  Croft,  and  his  mother's 
maiden  name  was  Eliza  W.  D'Ovdey.  They  were  both" natives  of 
South  Carolina.  Theodore  was  the  son  of  Edward  Croft,  a  native 
of  Charleston.  Edward  was  the  son  of  George  Croft,  a  native  of 
Virginia,  and  a  Revolutionary  soldier.  He  served  under  Gen.  Marion, 
one  of  the  bravest  and  most  intrepid  generals  in  the  Revolutionary 
struggles.  George  Croft  settled  near  Charleston,  after  the  war,  where 
he  engaged  in  planting.  His  eldest  son,  Edward  Croft,  fitted  himself 
for  the  profession  of  law,  in  Charleston,  and  rapidly  rose  to  promi- 
nence, securing  a  practice  at  once  extensive,  profitable  and  honorable. 
At  fifty  years  of  age  he  retired  with  a  fortune  of  $150,000,  at  that  time 
considered  a  large  estate.  After  retiring  from  practice,  he  removed 
to  Greenville,  and  there  remained  until  his  death,  in  1851.  He  never 
gave  any  attention  to  politics.  He  was  married  to  Miss  Ploride  Gail- 
lard,  a  sister  of  Judge  Gaillard,  of  South  Carolina,  and  Senator  John 
Gaillard,  who  was  for  many  years  senator  from  that  state.  Dr.  Theo- 
dore Croft  was  born  in  1812,  and  received  his  early  education  in 
Charleston.  He  read  medicine  there,  and  then  entered  the  medical 
college  at  Lexington,  Ky.,  graduating  therefrom  in  1833.  He  began 
practice  near  Hamburg.  He  inherited  an  ample  fortune  soon  after 
commencing  practice,  and  shortly  abandoned  the  profession.  He  spent 
the  greater  part  of  his  life  in  Greenville,  where  he  died,  in  1870.     He 


ig6  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

was  married  in  1834,  to  the  mother  of  Col.  Croft,  the  subject  of  this 
sketch,  and  she  bore  him  four  sons  and  one  daughter.  One  son  died 
in  the  Confederate  service,  and  the  mother  is  now  deceased.  Col. 
George  W.  Croft  was  educated  in  the  schools  of  Greenville,  and  then 
entered  the  South  Carolina  military  academy.  During  the  last  year 
of  the  war  he  was  called  into  active  service,  and  participated  in  several 
small  battles,  the  most  important  being  Paulefiney  Bridge,  on  the 
C.  &  S.  R.  R.,  with  a  force  of  3,000,  and  the  enemy  a  much  larger 
one.  After  the  close  of  the  war  he  entered  the  University  of  Vir- 
ginia, and  attended  that  institution  during  1866  and  1867.  In  1868, 
he  entered  the  law  office  of  Gov.  Perry,  of  Greenville,  and  was  admit- 
ted to  the  bar  in  the  fall  of  1869.  In  the  following  year  he  began 
practice  in  Aiken,  and  here  he  has  remained  ever  since.  He  took  an 
active  part  in  politics  in  1S70,  and,  in  1876  was  elected  chairman  of 
the  democratic  county  committee,  a  place  which  he  held  till  1882. 
In  iSSo,  he  was  a  presidential  elector  for  South  Carolina.  He  was 
commander  of  a  company  in  the  riots  of  1876,  and  was  tried  before 
Chief-Justice  Waite  of  Charleston,  and  was  honorably  acquitted.  In 
1880,  he  was  elected  state  senator,  and  served  an  unexpired  term  of 
one  year.  He  was  elected  to  the  lower  house  of  the  legislature  in 
1882,  and  served  for  one  term  of  two  years.  Since  that  time  he  has 
taken  no  active  part  in  politics.  He  was  married  in  April,  1873,  to 
Florence  C.  McMahon,  of  Courtland,  Ala.  They  have  had  eight 
sons,  six  of  whom  are  now  living.  They  are  both  members  of  the 
church  of  England,  and  he  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity. 
In  December,  1890,  he  was  elected  member  of  the  State  Bar  associa- 
tion. His  practice,  as  an  attorney,  has  been  varied  and  extensive, 
and  he  has  met  with  eminent  success.  He  had  not  practiced  in  Aiken 
more  than  one  j^ear  before  he  had  all  the  business  he  could  attend 
to.  His  title  of  colonel  was  conferred  upon  him  by  his  having  been 
appointed  upon  Gov.  Thompson's  staff,  with  that  rank. 

PHILIP  A.  EMANUEL. 

Among  the  prominent  j'oung  attorneys  of  the  state,  appears  the 
name  of  Philip  A.  Emanuel.  He  was  born  in  Marlborough  county, 
S.  C,  in  1847.  His  parents,  Simeon  and  Maria  (Cochran)  Emanuel, 
were  both  natives  of  the  state,  his  father  having  been  born  in  the  city 
of  Charleston.  He  died  when  his  son  Philip  was  a  child  and  very  little 
is  known  of  the  grandparents.  Simeon  Emanuel  received  a  limited 
education  in  the  schools  of  the  state,  and  on  reaching  his  majority 
engaged  in  merchandising  and  farming,  operating  a  general  store  at 
Marlborough,  continuing  in  that  business  until  he  had  amassed  a  hand- 
some property.  He  died  in  1871.  In  182 1  he  was  married  and  had  a 
large  family  of  children,  his  wife's  death  occurring  some  time  prev- 
ious to  his  own.  Philip  A.  P'manuel  received  his  early  education  in 
the  public  schools,  but  principally  at  the  hands  of  a  private  tutor  in 
Brownville,  Marlborough  county,  and  comi^letcd  it  by  a  course  in  the 
Hillsborough  military  academy,  entering  there  in  the  early  part  of  1861. 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  •  1 97 

He  remained  until  1S63,  when  the  excitement  of  the  war  caused  him 
and  several  of  his  college  companions  to  form  a  company,  desert  the 
college  and  offer  their  services  to  Gen.  Beauregard,  then  stationed  at 
Charleston.  A  demand  was  made  by  the  college  officers  for  their  re- 
turn which  prevented  the  Confederate  general  from  receiving  them. 
He  soon  entered  the  Hampton  legion  stationed  in  Virginia,  doing 
service  in  the  battles  around  Richmond.  When  the  Confederate  force 
surrendered  at  Appomatox,  in  April,  1865,  he  was  paroled  and  re- 
turned home,  being  confined  to  the  house  for  some  time  with  typhus 
fever.  After  his  recovery  he  engaged  in  cotton  speculation,  in  which 
he  was  very  successful,  and  went  to  New  York  city  to  enter  business, 
but  was  obliged  to  return  to  the  south  on  account  of  his  health.  In 
1S65  he  accepted  a  position  as  salesman  for  one  of  the  largest  whole- 
sale houses  in  Charleston.  This  position  he  held  until  December, 
1868,  when  he  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Amelia  J.  Wilson, 
whose  father  was  one  of  the  largest  cotton  planters  on  Johns  Island 
near  Charleston.  Soon  after  his  marriage  he  resigned  his  position  as 
salesman  and  engaged  in  Sea  island  cotton  planting.  This  he  fol- 
lowed for  some  years  in  the  vicinity  of  Charleston.  In  1876  he  began 
the  study  of  law,  always  having  had  a  desire  to  follow  that  profession. 
He  soon  removed  to  Aiken,  then  but  a  new  county  seat,  entering  the 
law  office  of  D.  S.  Henderson,  with  whom  he  remained  for  some 
months.  He  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1877,  and  at  once  began  the 
practice  which  he  has  followed  continuously  ever  since,  with  more 
than  ordinary  success.  On  becoming  a  resident  of  Aiken,  Mr.  Eman- 
uel invested  largely  in  the  fields  of  kaolin  clay,  and  water  powers 
surrounding  the  city,  to  enhance  the  value  of  his  property.  He  began 
experimenting  with  the  clay  which  he  found  to  contain  a  large  per 
cent,  of  aluminium.  He  has  been  so  far  successful  as  to  discover  a 
process  by  which  the  metal  can  be  produced  at  a  very  reasonable  ex- 
pense from  clay.  The  processes  for  extracting  aluminia  and  convert- 
ing the  same  to  metal  have  been  submitted  to  the  most  eminent  chem- 
ists of  the  country  and  pronounced  worthy  of  a  full  test.  Patents  are 
granted  and  others  allowed,  and  some  are  pending  in  the  United 
States  patent  office.  He  also  discovered  a  mixture  to  be  applied  to 
steam  boilers  preventing  them  from  corroding.  He  has  invented  an 
electric  crucible  also.  He  has  not  aspired  to  become  an  inventor,  but 
his  experiments  were  carried  on  from  a  love  of  science  and  to  develop 
the  property  in  which  he  is  interested.  He  is  unlike  many  lawyers, 
inasmuch  as  he  has  never  taken  any  active  part  in  politics.  He 
has  taken  a  lively  interest  in  the  developments  of  the  mineral  re- 
sources of  his  state.  He  is  a  member  of,  and  elder  in,  the  Presbyter- 
ian church,  and  since  becoming  a  resident  of  Aiken,  has  made  many 
warm  personal  friends,  and  gained  for  himself  a  wide  reputation  in 
this  and  adjoining  counties  by  his  success  in  the  practice  of  his  chosen 
profession. 

HON.  D.  S.  HENDERSON 
was  born  in  Walterborough,  Colleton  county,  S.  C,  in  1S49.     His  fath- 
er's name  was  Daniel  S.  Henderson,  and  his  mother's  maiden  name  was 


igS  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

Caroline  R.  Webb,  both  of  whom  were  natives  of  South  Carolina. 
The  father  was  of  Scotch-Irish  descent.  Daniel  S.  Henderson  was 
born  in  Charleston  and  spent  the  early  years  of  his  life  in  that  city, 
and  there  too  he  received  his  early  education  in  the  city  schools. 
He  graduated  from  the  South  Carolina  college  and  began  the  study 
of  law  in  Charleston.  He  gained  prominence  in  the  practice  of  his 
profession,  and  served  several  terms  in  the  state  legislature.  He 
died  in  1864.  D.  S.  Henderson,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  received 
his  education  in  the  local  schools  and  then  entered  Charleston  col- 
lege, from  which  he  graduated  in  1S70  with  first  honors.  He  began 
the  study  of  law  in  Simons  &  Siegling's  of-fice  in  Charleston,  remain- 
ing with  them  one  year  and  a  half.  From  there  he  went  to  Chester, 
S.  C,  where  he  taught  school  as  principal  of  the  male  academy,  pur- 
suing his  law  studies  during  his  unengaged  intervals.  He  was  ad- 
mitted to  the  bar  in  Chester  in  1872,  and  began  practice  in  Aiken  in 
October  of  that  year.  He  was  one  of  the  first  attorneys  to  open  an 
office  in  that  city  upon  the  formation  of  a  new  coiinty.  He  formed  a 
partnership  with  W.  P.  Finley,  the  firm  name  being  Finley  &  Hender- 
son. These  gentlemen  did  the  largest  business  of  any  law  firm  in 
their  section  of  the  state  until  1876,  when  Mr.  Finley  died.  For  a 
year  after  this  event  Mr.  Henderson  did  business  alone,  then  took  in 
his  brother,  E.  P.  Henderson,  and  the  firm  was  known  as  Henderson 
&  Bro.  Every  volume  of  the  supreme  court  reports  from  1872  to 
1891  shows  from  one  to  six  cases  each  year  argued  before  the  court 
by  Mr.  Henderson  or  his  law  partner,  and  the  records  of  the  criminal 
and  civil  courts  in  his  own  and  the  adjoining  counties  show  a  very 
large  amount  of  business  done  by  him  and  his  firm.  He  has  acted 
as  member  from  Aiken  county  in  every  democratic  state  convention, 
except  two,  since  1873.  He  was  a  delegate  to  the  Chicago  conven- 
tion that  nominated  Grover  Cleveland  for  president  in  1884.  He 
was  elected  to  the  state  senate  in  1880,  serving  six  years,  and  declin- 
ing to  serve  longer  on  account  of  business.  While  senator  he  was 
chairman  of  the  committee  on  education,  and  a  member  of  the  judici- 
ary committee.  He  was  also  on  other  important  committees,  and 
always  took  an  active  part  in  the  debates  on  public  questions.  He 
was  the  author  of  the  famous  bill  to  prevent  dueling  in  the  state,  and 
championed  and  secured  the  adoption  of  the  test  oath  proposed  by  the 
legislature  to  be  taken  by  every  state  officer,  from  the  highest  to  the 
lowest,  never  to  engage  in  a  duel.  He  has  been  a  trustee  of  the 
South  Carolina  college  and  of  the  Presbyterian  theological  seminary 
at  Columbia.  He  is  an  elder  of  the  Presbyterian  church,  and  presi- 
dent of  the  Aiken  institute.  He  was  married,  in  1876,  to  Miss  Ripley, 
daughter  of  T.  R.  Ripley,  a  merchant  of  Atlanta,  Ga.,  and  they  have 
three  sons.  He  started  out  in  his  business  and  professional  career 
with  nothing  but  ready  hands,  a  strong  will  and  an  active  brain,  and 
has  rapidly  risen  in  his  profession.  His  firm  is  now  one  of  the  lead- 
ing law  firms  of  the  state,  and  enjoys  the  confidence  and  good  will 
of  the  people,  and  does  a  most  extensive  business  in  the  western 
circuit  of  the  state. 


SOUTH   CAROLINA.  igg 

FRANKLIN   H.  ELMORE. 

The  illustrious  subject  of  this  sketch  was  born  in  Laurens  district, 
in  1799,  being  the  second  son  of  Gen.  John  A.  Elmore,  a  famous 
fighter  of  the  Revolution.  I  le  was  educated  in  the  University  of  South 
Carolina,  from  which  institution  he  graduated  in  1819.  He  studied 
law  at  Laurens  Court  House,  and  in  his  youth  was  elected  to  the  cap- 
taincy of  a  light  infantry  company.  In  the  fall  of  1821,  he  was  ad- 
mitted to  the  bar,  and  settled  at  Walterborough.  He  was  elected 
solicitor  of  the  southeastern  circuit  court  in  182S,  which  office  he  con- 
ducted with  great  personal  distinction.  In  1824,  he  was  appointed  by 
Gov.  Manning  as  one  of  his  aides,  with  the  rank  of  colonel,  and  it  was 
he  who  commanded  the  brilliant  cortege,  which  in  1825,  received  and 
conducted  Gen.  La  Fayette  through  the  state.  He  married,  in  Colum- 
bia, Harriet,  the  daughter  of  Gen.  Taylor,  a  lady  distinguished  for 
her  many  charms  of  character  and  person.  In  1834,  when  the  national 
congress  was  composed  of  some  of  the  ablest  men  the  nation  ever 
produced,  Mr.  Elmore  was  elected  to  a  seat  in  that  august  body. 
His  career  in  congress  for  four  years  was  one  of  most  distinguished 
brilliancy;  among  the  conjrcrcs  of  Calhoun,  whom  he  succeeded  as  a 
member  of  the  United  States  senate,  Mr.  Elmore  rendered  most 
efficient  service  to  his  state  and  to  the  nation.  His  reputation  was 
national,  at  that  period.  His  name  was  a  household  word,  identi- 
fied with  the  men  and  measures  looking  more  largely  to  his  country's 
good.  In  a  very  short  time  after  Mr.  Elmore  reached  the  national 
capital  to  take  the  seat  made  vacant'by  the  great  high  priest  of  the 
American  tariff  system,  John  C.  Calhoun,  he  closed  at  this  early  age, 
his  useful  and  honored  life,  he  having  died  in  Washington,  in  June, 
1850,  a  widow  and  several  children  surviving  him.  Upon  the  announce- 
ment of  his  death  in  the  senate  lengthy  eulogies  upon  his  life  were 
delivered  by  such  men  as  Butler,  his  colleague.  Hunter,  Yule  and 
Daniel  Webster.  In  Mr.  Webster's  speech  upon  that  occasion,  these 
words  occur:  "  Sir,  I  had  the  good  fortune  to  become  acquainted 
with  Mr.  Elmore  when  he  was  a  leading  member  of  congress.  I  had 
formed  a  very  favorable  opinion  of  his  character  as  a  man  of  integ- 
rity and  uprightness,  of  great  respectability  and  great  talent.  I  re- 
gret his  departure  from  the  councils  of  the  nation,  because  a  person 
with  his  qualifications  and  his  habits  of  business,  grows  ever}'  day 
more  useful  in  our  political  circles.  It  happened  to  me,  sir,  some 
years  afterward  to  form  a  personal  and  more  private  acquaintance 
with  the  deceased.  I  had  the  pleasure  of  seeing  him  among  his  own 
friends,  and  of  cultivating  his  acquaintance  in  the  midst  of  those  cir- 
cles of  social  life  in  which  he  was  regarded  as  a  treasure  and  an  or- 
nament. I  shall  treasure  his  memory  as  a  valuable  and  able  public 
man,  and  a  gentleman  entitled  to  high  estimation  in  all  the  relations 
of  life."  In  the  lower  house,  Mr.  Woodward,  in  the  course  of  a  bril- 
liant tribute  to  Mr.  Elmore,  said:  "  I  cannot  refrain  from  remarking 
how  striking  and  impressive  is  the  thought  that,  having  been  called 
so  unexpectedly  to  take  the  place  of  his  great  predecessor,  he  should 


200  SOUTH   CAROLINA. 

also  have  been  called  so  speedily  to  follow  his  footsteps  to  the  grave, 
as  if  drawn  by  some  strong  affinity,  as  though  he  had  been  beckoned 
still  onward  to  a  happier  state  by  the  friendly  spirit  of  a  just  man 
made  perfect.  *  *  *  xIt,^  intellectual  endowments  of  Col. 
Elmore,  his  mental  culture  and  acquirements,  his  elevated  character, 
the  purity  of  his  morals,  his  unexceptionable  good-humor  and  breed- 
ing, and  the  perfection  of  his  social  qualities,  all  conspired  to  bind  his 
feliowmen  to  him,  some  by  one  law  of  human  sympathy,  some  by  an- 
other." His  body  was  conducted  by  congressional  committees  to 
Columbia,  and  deposited  in  the  Presbyterian  church-yard.  His  death 
was  universally  lamented  throughout  the  state  and  at  Washington,  a 
new  career  of  usefulness,  wherein  his  great  qualities  might  find  full 
play,  was  just  opening  to  him,  when  death  at  such  an  early  age  cut 
short  his  career. 

JUDGE  JAMES  S.  COTHRAN, 

ex-circuit  judge  of  the  Eighth  judicial  circuit,  was  born  in  Abbeville 
county,  S.  C,  August  8,  1S30.  His  parents.  Wade  S.  and  Frances  E. 
(Sproull)  Cothran,  were  also  natives  of , South  Carolina,  the  former 
being  the  son  of  Samuel  Cothran,  a  native  of  Woodbury,  Conn. 
The  family  trace  their  lineage  back  to  the  clan  Campbells  of  Scot- 
land, and  they  are  among  the  first  settlers  of  the  United  States,  lo- 
cating near  Woodbury.  Samuel  Cothran  was  a  farmer  by  occupa- 
tion, which  he  followed  in  Connecticut  until  the  year  1801,  when  he 
moved  south  and  settled  in  Hamburg  county,  but  afterward  moved 
into  Abbeville  county.  Here  he  followed  planting  until  his  death. 
He  was  the  father  of  three  sons  and  one  daughter,  all  of  whom  are 
deceased.  Wade  S.  Cothran  was  born  in  1805.  He  received  an  or- 
dinary education  in  the  schools  of  this  county  and  state.  When 
quite  young  he  gave  his  attention  to  farming  and  merchandising,  and 
followed  these  occupations  through  life.  He  was  united  in  marriage 
in  182S,  with  Miss  Frances  Sproull,  daughter  of  James  Sproull.  Her 
family  were  descendants  of  the  Caldwells,  who  were  among  the  most 
prominent  men  of  the  state.  To  this  union  were  born  three  sons  and 
three  daughters.  The  father  died  in  1877,  and  his  wife,  in  1S68. 
Judge  Cothran  received  his  early  education  in  the  county  schools, 
and  completed  it  at  the  Georgia  university,  graduating  from  there  in 
1852.  Fie  entered  the  law  office  of  McGowan  &  Perrin,  of  Abbe- 
ville, and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  December,  1854.  He  began 
practice  at  once,  following  it  until  the  breaking  out  of  the  civil  war. 
Jul}',  1861,  he  enlisted  in  Orr's  South  Carolina  regiment  of  rifles  as  a 
private,  and  served  until  the  surrender  of  Lee's  army,  having  risen 
to  the  rank  of  captain.  His  service  was  in  the  army  of  northern 
Virginia,  and  he  was  in  all  the  important  battles  of  the  western  cam- 
paign, being  wounded  first  in  the  battle  of  Second  Manassas,  Au- 
gust 29,  1862,  having  his  right  wrist  broken  by  a  ball.  His  next 
wound  was  at  Chancellorsville,  May  2,  1863,  when  he  was  shot  through 
the  right  wrist.  Again,  in  May,  1864,  near  Spottsylvania,  he  was  shot 
through  the    face,  but   fortunately  was   not  disfigured.      After   the 


SOUTH    CAROIJNA.  20I 

close  of  the  war,  Capt.  Cothran  return(!cl  to  his  home  in  Aljljcville 
and  resumed  the  practice  of  his  profession,  which  he  followed  until 
1876,  when  he  was  elected  solicitor  for  the  Eighth  judicial  district 
and  served  in  that  capacity  four  years.  In  1880  he  was  re-elected, 
but  in  May,  18S1,  he  was  appointed  by  Gov.  Hagood  to  fill  the  un- 
expired term  of  less  than  a  year,  caused  by  the  death  of  Judge  P. 
Thompson.  After  filling  this  term  he  was  elected  b}'  the  legislature, 
in  December,  1881,  for  the  full  term  of  four  years.  Again,  in  De- 
cember, 1885,  Judge  Cothran  was  chosen  for  another  term  of  four 
years  without  opposition.  While  on  the  bench,  in  1886,  he  was  elected 
to  congress  and  was  re-elected  in  1888.  During  his  term  of  service 
in  congress  he  served  on  the  committee  of  foreign  affairs  and  presi- 
dential electors.  In  December,  1889,  he  accepted  the  office  of  divis- 
ion counsel  of  the  Richmond  &  Danville  railroad  for  the  South 
Carolina  division  and  declined  to  serve  longer  in  congress.  Judge 
Cothran  first  took  an  active  part  in  politics  in  1876,  when  he  was 
elected  chairman  of  the  democratic  county  central  committee,  the 
campaign  resulting  in  the  election  of  Gen.  Wade  Hampton  for  gov- 
ernor. In  all  the  following  years  he  rendered  efficient  aid  in  the 
elections.  In  July,  1855,  Judge  Cothran  was  married  to  Miss  Emma  C, 
the  daughter  of  Hon.  Thomas  C.  Perrin,  who  was  for  years  a  mem- 
ber of  the  state  senate  and  a  distinguished  lawyer.  The  issue  of 
this  marriage  was  the  birth  of  four  sons  and  one  daughter.  The 
sons  are:  Thomas  P.,  now  practicing  at  the  bar;  Wade  S.,  now  en- 
gaged in  business  in  Asheville;  James  S.,  Jr.,  graduated  from  South 
Carolina  university  in  June,  1890,  and  now  at  Cornell  university 
fitting  himself  for  a  mechanical  engineer.  The  youngest,  William 
Cothran,  i^  at  the  South  Carolina  university.  Judge  Cothran  and 
Mrs.  Cothran  are  members  of  the  Presbyterian  church,  of  which  he 
is  an  elder.  He  is  a  stockholder  in  various  enterprises  in  Asheville; 
the  bank,  oil  mill,  cotton  ginery  and  others.  He  has  been  very  suc- 
cessful in  all  his  business  enterprises. 

LIEUTENANT-GOVERNOR  EUGENE  BLACKBURN  GARY 

was  born  .at  Cokesbury,  Abbeville  county,  S.  C,  on  the  22d  of  Au- 
gust, 1854.  He  attended  the  schools  at  that  place  until  the  year  1872, 
when  he  went  to  the  South  Carolina  university,  and  that  year  re- 
ceived his  diploma  in  the  classical  branches.  At  the  age  of  eighteen, 
he  commenced  the  study  of  law,  under  his  uncle.  Gen.  M.  W.  Gary, 
of  Edgefield,  .S.  C,  and  was  admitted  to  the  practice  a  few  weeks  af- 
ter attaining  his  majority.  After  graduating  at  the  South  Carolina 
university,  he  taught  school  one  year  at  I  lodges,  S.  C.  Shortly  after 
being  admitted  to  the  bar,  Lieut. -Gov.  Gary  located  at  Abbeville  Court 
House  for  the  purpose  of  practicing  his  profession,  which  he  has  done 
continuously  since  that  time.  As  a  lawyer  he  ranks  among  the  most 
prominent  in  his  profession  in  South  Carolina.  He  has  been  engaged 
in  a  great  many  important  cases,  and  some  of  the  most  important 
principles  of  law  in  South  Carolina  have  been  settled  by  the  supreme 


202  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

court  in  cases  argued  by  him.  Lieut. -Gov.  Gary  carried  to  the  su- 
preme court,  the  first  appeal  in  his  state,  from  a  verdict  of  man- 
slaughter. It  was  in  a  case  argued  by  him  in  the  supreme  court,  that 
settled  the  law  in  regard  to  self-defense  in  South  Carolina.  More 
than  ten  years  ago,  he  was  the  attorney  for  Hon.  D.  Wyatt  Aiken, 
when  his  seat  in  congress  was  contested  by  Gen.  Carlos  J.  Stolbrand. 
The  contest  resulted  in  a  victory  for  Hon.  D.  Wyatt  Aiken,  and  also 
for  his  attorney  who  managed  the  case  with  a  great  deal  of  skill. 
He  is  a  forcible  and  effective  speaker  before  a  jury,  and  this  has 
caused  him  to  be  employed  in  a  number  of  capital  cases  not  confined 
to  his  own  state.  Out  of  the  many  capital  cases  defended  by  him,  he 
has  never  yet  had  a  client  to  suffer  the  death  penalty,  although  the 
testimony  was  strong  against  many  of  them.  In  Masonry,  the  lieu- 
tenant-governor is  a  bright  and  conspicuous  figure.  He  was  twice 
worshipful  master  of  his  lodge,  was  for  several  years  grand  marshal, 
and  is  now  serving  his  third  term  as  district  deputy  grand  master. 
He  has  been  very  active  in  politics  since  he  came  to  Abbeville.  The 
first  article  published  in  the  newspapers  in  Abbeville  county  in  behalf 
of  what  was  known  in  1876  as  "  straight-out  democracy,"  was  written 
by  him.  This  word  in  i8go,  had  quite  a  different  meaning,  and  was 
applied  to  those  who  fought  the  regular  democracy.  In  1882,  he  was 
elected  county  chairman,  having  as  his  opponent.  Senator  Maxwell, 
who  was  regarded  as  one  of  the  most  popular  men  in  the  county.  He 
was  unanimously  re-elected  county  chairman  in  1S8S,  and  also  in  iSqo. 
Lieutenant-Governor  Gary  has  served  twice  as  a  member  of  the 
state  democratic  e.xecutive  committee,  and  in  1S89,  was  unanimously 
nominated  by  the  county  convention  to  fill  the  unexpired  term  of 
Hon.  R.  E.  Hill,  in  the  legislature,  and  was  duly  elected.  While  a  mem- 
ber of  the  legislature  he  made  sevei'al  speeches  that  attracted  atten- 
tion, and  perhaps  it  was  in  a  great  measure  due  to  them  that,  at  the 
next  election  he  was  elected  to  a  higher  place.  He  was  one  of  the 
•  first  men  to  enter  the  political  arena  in  1890,  and  stumped  the  state 
with  Gov.  Tillman.  His  clarion  voice  touched  the  popular  chord 
many  times,  as  was  evidenced  by  the  tremendous  applause  which  he 
received,  when  he  spoke.  Lieut.-Gov.  Gary  won  the  applause  of  those 
who  did  not  agree  with  him  in  politics,  by  his  fairness  and  prompt- 
ness as  the  presiding  officer  of  the  senate.  A  distinguished  son  of 
an  adjoining  state  who  had  high  official  position,  wrote  to  him  when 
he  returned  from  the  senate,  as  follows:  "  Have  read  with  much 
pleasure,  the  commendations  of  the  press,  touching  the  manner,  skill 
and  impartiality  of  your  presiding  in  the  senate  of  your  state.  I  must 
add  a  word  of  my  own.  I  saw  you  presiding  during  three  days  — 
your  promptness  and  accurac}'  were  only  equalled  by  the  fairness  and 
perfect  impartiality  of  your  rulings.  The  judicial  character  of  your  em- 
inent position  was  never  for  one-  moment  lost,  no  observer  could 
tell  your  sentiments  towards  any  meml)er,  any  motion  or  any  meas- 
ure^ — an  admirable  endowment  of  that  temper  which  should  char- 
acterize the  presiding  officer  of  a  deliberative  assembly.  I  can  not 
but  think  your  course  will  have  gained  you  many  friend^,  since  it  has 


SOUTH    CAROIJNA.  203 

challenged  universal  respect,"  etc.  The  following  was  clipped  from  the 
leading  daily  paper  in  the  state,  and  one  which  had  opposed  bitterly, 
the  nomination  of  Lieut. -Gov.  Gary.  "*  *  *  There  is  no  disguis- 
ing the  fact  either,  that  Lieut.-Gov.  Gary  has  impressed  the  senate 
favorably.  Mr.  Gary  is  now  perfectly  at  home  in  the  chair  of  the 
senate,  and  has  filled  his  position  impartially  on  all  measures,  and  in 
all  debates.  Personally  he  is  very  highly  esteemed,  and  will  be  an 
all-round  success." 

The  high  esteem  in  which  he  is  held  by  his  people  is  shown  by  the 
fact  that  he  was  serenaded  by  the  people  of  his  town  when  he  was  nom- 
inated for  lieutenant-governor,  regardless  of  the  fact  that  many  of 
the  crowd  differed  with  him  in  the  campaign.  He  is  a  descendant  of 
the  Witherspoon  family  on  his  grandmother's  side,  and  of  the  Black- 
burn family  on  his  mother's  side.  His  grandfather  was  a  physician, 
and  for  j^ears  represented  Abbeville  county  in  the  legislature.  Dr. 
F".  F.  Gary  was  his  father.  Dr.  Gary  was  for  many  years  a  director 
of  the  Greenville  &  Columbia  railroad  company,  was  twice  a  mem- 
ber of  the  legislature,  chairman  of  the  medical  committee  in  the 
house  of  representatives,  for  many  years  chairman  of  the  state  board 
of  health,  twice  president  of  the  Abbeville  county  medical  society 
and  president  of  the  state  medical  association.  He  was  likewise 
grand  high  priest  of  the  grand  chapter  of  South  Carolina.  He  died 
in  1887. 

Colonel  S.  M.  G.  Gary,  his  father's  brother,  was  a  distinguished 
lawyer  of  Ocala,  Fla.  He  died  in  1886.  Gen.  Martin  W.  Gary, 
another  brother,  is  known  throughout  the  entire  country.  He  was 
the  originator  of  the  movement  that  redeemed  .South  Carolina  from 
negro  domination  in  1876,  and  to  him  more  than  to  any  other  one 
man  is  due  the  credit  of  that  victory.  He  was  a  major-general  in 
the  Confederate  army,  and  died  in  1881,  on  the  anniversary  of  the 
day  he  refused  to  surrender  his  sword  at  the  close  of  the  war. 

Dr.  Thomas  P.  Gary,  another  of  his  father's  brothers,  lived  in 
Florida,  and  was  at  the  time  of  his  death  (in  1891)  president  of  the 
state  medical  association  of  Florida.  He  served  as  mayor  of  his 
city  for  eleven  terms. 

Captain  John  H.  Gary,  another  brother,  was  captain  of  the  South 
Carolina  college  cadets,  and  was  killed  at  Battery  Wagner  in  1863. 

Major  William  T.  Gary,  another  brother,  is  now  living  in  Augusta, 
Ga.,  and  is  a  lawyer  of  great  reputation.  He  was  the  first  president 
of  the  famous  South  Carolina  club,  which  gives  an  annual  ball  at 
Columbia  during  fair  week.  Major  Gary  represented  Richmond 
county  in  the  Georgia  legislature  and  was  regarded  as  one  of  the 
ablest  members  of  that  body. 

Lieutenant-Governor  Gary  has  two  brothers  and  a  sister,  Mrs. 
James  M.  Euson,  of  Charleston.  His  brother,  Hon.  Ernest  Gary,  is 
serving  his  third  term  in  the  legislature  of  South  Carolina,  and  is 
chairman  of  the  judiciary  committee.  His  brother,  Hon.  Frank  B. 
Gary,  is  also  a  member  of  the  legislature  of  South  Carolina,  and  is 
chairman  of  the  committee   on  engrossed  bills.     Lieut.-Gov.  Gary 


204  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

married  Miss  Eliza  Tusten,  in  1S77.  Tliey  now  have  four  children, 
having  lost  two.  The  young  lieutenant-governor  of  South  Carolina 
certainly  has  a  bright  future  before  him. 

GENERAL   MARTIN   WITHERSPOON    GARY. 

Few  men  in  the  world's  history,  fewer  still  in  our  own  country,  and 
none  who  supported  the  Confederate  cause  can  boast  of  a  more  bril- 
liant record  than  the  above,  who  died  after  a  few  hours'  illness  at  his 
home  in  Edgefield,  at  2  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  the  gth  of  April, 
1881,  the  anniversary  of  the  most  memorable  day  in  his  career,  when 
on  Lee's  surrender  he  refused  to  deliver  his  sword  to  conquerors,  but 
with  the  reply,  "South  Carolinians  never  surrender,"  delivering  his 
command  over  to  a  subordinate,  turned  his  horse's  head,  cut  his  path 
through  the  enemy's  lines,  and  made  his  way  homeward.  It  is  indeed 
said  of  him  that  he  never  accepted  pardon  or  parole.  Mart  Gary, 
as  he  was  familiarly  known  to  all,  the  third  son  of  Dr.  Thomas  Reeder 
Gary  and  Mary  Ann  Porter,  was  born  in  1831  at  Cokesbury,  Abbeville 
county,  S.  C.  He  attended  the  well-known  high  school  of  that  place 
and  entered  South  Carolina  college  in  Decem.ber,  1S50.  Two  years 
later,  in  consequence  of  an  unsuccessful  attempt  to  induce  the  faculty 
to  do  away  with  the  commons  hall,  he  left  the  college  with  a  number 
of  his  fellow  students  and  entered  the  junior  class  at  Harvard,  from 
where  he  graduated  with  distinction  in  1854.  Returning  to  South 
Carolina,  he  pursued  the  study  of  law  under  Chancellor  Carroll,  at 
Edgefield,  in  1855  was  admitted  to  the  bar  and  quickly  acquired  suc- 
cess as  a  lawyer.  The  general  was  a  member  of  the  South  Carolina 
legislature  in  i860  and  '61,  and  made  a  strong  speech  in  support  of  a 
proposition  to  call  a  convention  to  adopt  an  ordinance,  justifying  the 
secession  of  South  Carolina  from  the  Federal  union.  Secession  be- 
ing accomplished,  he  went  at  once  into  service  as  captain  of  the 
Watson  guards,  Company  B,  Hampton  legion.  At  First  Manassas 
the  command  of  the  legion  devolved  upon  the  gallant  Gary,  when 
Col.  Wade  Hampton  and  Capt.  Conner  had  been  disabled  and  Lieut.- 
Col.  Johnson  killed.  He  was  with  the  command  in  the  subsequent 
engagements  until  the  re-organization  in  1862,  when  he  was  elected 
lieutenant-colonel  of  the  infantry  of  the  legion,  consisting  of  eight 
companies.  In  the  battles  around  Richmond,  at  Second  Manassas, 
Boonesboro  Gap  and  Sharpsburg,  he  shared  the  fortunes  of  his  men, 
after  which  campaign  the  battalion  was  increased  to  a  full  regiment 
and  attached  to  Jenkins'  brigade.  He  served  with  the  regiment  and 
brigade  at  Fredericksburg,  Suffolk,  Chickamauga,  Bean's  and  Camp- 
bell's Stations  and  at  the  siege  of  Knoxville.  The  legion  was  then 
ordered  to  be  mounted  to  act  as  cavalry  or  mounted  infantry.  This 
was  speedily  done,  and  Col.  Gary  was  placed  in  command  of  all  the 
cavalry  on  the  north  side  of  the  James  river.  After  the  fight  at  Rid- 
dle's .Shop  in  June,  1864,  he  was  promoted  to  the  rank  of  brigadier- 
general,  his  brigade  consisting  of  the  Hampton  legion,  the  Seventh 
South  Carolina,  Seventh  Georgia,  and  Twenty-fourth  Virginia.     In 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  2O5 

all  the  heavy  fighting  on  the  north  side,  Gen.  Gary  led  the  brigade, 
and  shortly  before;  the  evacuation  of  Riclimond,  was  promoted  to  the 
rank  of  major-general.  His  brigade  was  part  of  the  rear  guard  on 
the  retreat,  and  was  fighting  incessantly.  When  the  surrender  had 
been  agreed  upon,  he  made  his  way  through  the  lines  and  joined 
Davis's  party  at  Greensboro'.  Taking  command  of  about  200  men  of 
the  brigade,  whom  he  met  here  on  their  way  to  Virginia,  he  escorted 
the  president  and  the  Confederate  cabinet  to  Cokesbury,  S.  C.,  where 
his  escort  was  dismissed.  The  cabinet  held  their  second  last  meeting 
in  his  mother's  house  here,  and  were  dismissed  at  Armsted  Burt's 
residence  in  Abbeville.  On  the  characteristics  and  qualities  of  the 
general  as  a  soldier,  we  quote  a  memoir  written  by  a  member  of  his 
staff:  "  Gen.  Gary  could  not  be  called  a  red-tape  disciplinarian.  He 
had  no  faith  in  the  pomp  of  war  and  his  study  was  not  to  make  a 
cheap  reputation  by  the  imposition  of  unnecessary  restrictions,  but  to 
alleviate  the  hard  lot  of  his  soldiers  while  in  camp,  by  the  allowance 
of  every  liberty  and  indulgegce  consistent  with  the  demands  of  the 
service.  No  man,  however,  laid  greater  stress  upon  the  essentials  of 
real  discipline.  Rank  and  file  were  made  to  feel  that  whatever  was 
required  of  them  must  be  done  and  thoroughly  done,  and  that  for 
neglect  or  disobedience  of  an  order,  no  excuse  would  be  received. 
Human  life  and  the  purposes  of  the  war  he  regarded  as  too  sacred 
to  be  trifled  with,  and  he  made  it  S  rule  never  to  receive  apologies  or 
e.xplanations  from  his  subordinate  officers  for  neglect,  inattention  or 
mistake.  There  was  no  pride  of  rank  about  him.  Promotion  failed 
to  lift  him  above,  for  he  was  fully  in  sympathy  with  the  humblest 
private  in  the  ranks.  There  was  nothing  assuming  or  'stuck  up' 
about  the  man.  Perhaps  something  of  dignity  was  wanting,  but  his 
familiar  bearing  endeared  him  to  his  men.  He  rested  his  authority 
not  so  much  upon  his  rank  as  upon  his  conscious  ability  and  superior 
fitness  for  command.  No  general  officer  was  more  familiar  with,  or 
more  accessible  to,  his  men.  He  recognized  the  high  character  of  the 
Confederate  private  and  respected  his  rights  and  feelings." 

The  war  over  he  returned  to  Edgefield,  resuming  the  practice  of 
the  law  with  his  brother,  Major  W.  T.  Gary,  now  a  resident  in  Au- 
gusta, Ga.,  and  member  of  the  Georgia  legislature,  and  soon  obtained 
a  lucrative  business.  At  the  same  time  he  engaged  in  planting,  and 
in  a  few  years  amassed  considerable  property.  Apart  from  his  attend- 
ance as  a  delegate  at  the  taxpayers'  convention,  where  he  warmly 
advocated  immigration,  as  the  rational,  practical  and  legitimate  solu- 
tion of  the  social  and  political  problem  in  this  state,  he  Took  an  active 
part  in  politics  till  1S76,  when  he  and  Gen.  Buller  were  the  foremost 
advocates  of  the  straight-out  policy  and  the  nomination  of  Hampton  for 
governor,  and  to  him,  more  tl. an  to  any  other  person  in  South  Carolina, 
is  due  the  exceptional  glory  of  saving  that  commonwealth  from  the 
"organized  hell"  of  re-construction,  rescuing  civilization  from  consti- 
tuted barbarism,  and  making  it  possible  for  others  to  wear  and  hold 
the  honors  of  place  and  preferment  that  they  now  enjoy.  In  that 
eventful  year  he  took  charge  of  the  campaign  in  Edgefield  county, 


2o6  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

where  Gov.  Chamberlain  was  met  and  discomfited  by  Gen.  Gar}'  with 
the  red  shirts.  The  enforced  "division  of  time"  at  the  Edgefield 
meeting  in  August,  1876,  noticed  at  length  in  the  Edgef\e\d  Adz'er/iscr, 
in  a  red  ink  issue  of  the  15th  of  August,  1878,  the  most  novel  and  ex- 
citing scene  that  ever  occurred  in  the  history  of  politics,  discomfited 
the  republicans  ever3'where  and  encouraged  the  democrats.  Edge- 
field was  carried  by  over  3,000  democratic  majority.  Gen.  Gary  was 
elected  as  state  senator  from  Edgefield  county,  sitting  four  years  in 
the  senate,  and  declining  re-election.  In  1S80,  he  was  regarded  as  a 
candidate  for  governor,  but  in  the  convention  declined  to  allow  his 
name  to  be  presented,  and  had  he  lived,  would  have  been  overwhelm- 
ingly elected  to  that  high  and  responsible  position. 

General  Gary's  merits  as  a  lawyer  are  attested  by  the  confidence 
of  his  clients.  Before  a  jurj'  he  was  particularly  effective,  being  a 
picturesque  speaker,  and  knowing  intuitively  how  to  touch  the  sym- 
pathies of  his  audience.  In  public  life  he  was  outspoken  and  true  to 
the  principles  he  professed,  and  wag.  one  of  those  few  examples  of 
politicians  who  did  not  use  his  tongue  to  disguise  his  heart  or  mind. 
In  the  senate  he  was  violently  opposed  to  the  election  of  Judge  Wil- 
lard,  insisting  that  democrats  could  not  be  bound  even  by  a  party 
caucus  to  support' a  republican.  He  was  the  champion  of  the  usury 
laws,  and  events  have  demonstrated  the  wisdom  of  his  course,  now  in  full 
and  harmonious  operation,  and  went  as  far  as  any  in  the  re-adjust- 
ment of  the  state  debt.  He  was  opposed  to  making  any  appropria- 
tions for  the  support  of  the  Claflin  and  the  South  Carolina  universi- 
ties, one  of  his  axioms  being  that  the  political  differences  in  South 
Carolina  are  due  to  an  antagonism  of  race  that  cannot  be  eliminated 
from  our  politics. 

The  General  was  above  all  a  man  of  firm  convictions  and  out- 
spoken opinions.  His  was  not  a  nature  of  compromise  or  concession, 
where  principal  was  concerned,  and  yet  some  prejudiced  opponents 
held  that  he  lacked  conservatism  and  moderation.  Frequently  ex- 
travagant in  speech,  there  was  a  balance-wheel  of  common  sense  in 
his  nature  which  chastened  an  impetuous  nature  and  guided  his  career 
aright.  He  was  generous,  frank,  manly  and  true,  and  was  held  by  his 
friends  in  high  esteem.  Foibles  he  had,  as  all  have,  but  his  good  qual- 
ities far  surpassed  whatever  was  imperfect  in  his  nature.  He  lacked 
reverence,  perhaps,  and  missed,  it  is  thought,  some  of  the  divinest 
gifts  and  blessings,  but  his  natural  virtues  were  rare  and  radiant.  He 
had  one  trait  of  character  that  proved  him  to  be  at  the  core  a  good 
man.  Never  married,  he  was  the  best  of  brothers  and  most  affec- 
tionate of  sons.  Beyond  even  the  devotion  to  his  countr}^  were  the 
love  and  care  for  his  mother. 

True,  Martin  Witherspoon  Gary  had  in  his  own  generation  and 
state  many  enemies;  but  this  is  only  another  proof  of  his  Inherent 
greatness,  for  If  we  look  back  In  history  do  we  not  find  that  those  who 
led  and  fought  the  principles  which  have  at  times  threatened  the 
overthrow  of  states  and  empires,  re-constructed  society  and  advanced 
the  intelligence  and  freedom  of  the  world,  had  the  strongest  prcju- 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  2O7 

dice  and  solid  opposition  of  ages  of  thought  to  contend  against. 
The  Spanisli  i)riest  who  unaided  carried  the  liglit  of  Christian  civili- 
zation far  beyond  the  Euphrates  and  the  Ganges,  long  before  Amer- 
ica was  discovered,  or  the  Portuguese  navigator  rounded  the  cape  of 
Good  Hope,  made  enemies  of  the  greatest  minds  in  European  mon- 
archies; the  Erfurt  monk  who,  fighting  for  liberty  and  freedom  of 
thought,  established  creeds  that  have  continued  to  rule  the  destinies 
of  the  civilized  world,  found  that  in  his  own  land  he  had  foes  to  battle 
whose  power  and  strenuous  efforts  would  have  led  captive  the  masses 
of  all  nations;  the  Virginian  who  established  the  independence  of  this 
continent,  made  war  himself  against  factions  and  misfortunes  which 
at  one  time  threatened  to  ruin  his  good  name  and  his  country's  cause. 
Gen.  Gary,  whose  name  is  well-known  to  the  world  as  a  soldier,  will 
be  remembered  by  coming  generations,  and  linked  with  that  triumph 
establishing  a  government  which  restored  South  Carolina,  after  being 
over-run  by  hostile  armies  and  African  barbarity,  to  its  original  place 
among  the  nations  of  the  globe. 

JUDGE  DAVID  LEWIS  WARDLAW. 

One  of  South  Carolina's  most  eminent  citizens  was  Judge  D.  L.Ward- 
law,  of  Abbeville,  who  distinguished  himself  alike  at  the  bar,  on  the 
bench  and  in  the  legislative  halls  of  his  state.  Judge  Wardlaw  was 
born  at  Abbeville  on  March  28,  1799,  and  was  of  Scotch-Irish  descent. 
When  a  boy  of  ten  years  he  became  a  student  at  the  academy  at  Wil- 
lington,  then  in  charge  of  that  noted  educator,  the  Rev.  Moses  Wad- 
dell  who  was  the  preceptor  of  Calhoun,  Crawford,  McDuffie,  Petigru, 
Legare  and  others  who  in  after  life  distinguished  themselves  and 
their  state.  At  the  age  of  fifteen  years  Judge  Wardlaw  was  entered 
for  the  junior  class  at  the  South  Carolina  college,  and  two  years  later 
was  graduated  with  first  honors  of  his  class.  In  early  youth  Judge 
Wardlaw  exhibited  that  power  of  concentration  of  mind,  that  fond- 
ness for  knowledge,  that  aptitude  to  acquire,  that  patient  studiousness 
which  gave  him  excellence  in  his  studies,  and  distinction  in  his  classes, 
and  when  he  graduated  his  acquirements  in  the  languages,  the  scien- 
ces, and  in  polite  and  general  literature,  were  as  remarkable  for  their 
range  as  they  were  rare  for  their  completeness.  Upon  leaving  col- 
lege he  applied  himself  to  the  study  of  law,  and  in  1820,  when  but 
twenty-one  years  of  age  was  admitted  to  the  bar.  And  so  complete 
and  practical  was  his  knowledge  of  law,  that  at  the  first  term  of  court 
after  his  admission  to  the  bar  he  displayed  so  much  learning  and 
ability,  such  power  and  promise,  as  attracted  the  attention  of  the 
court,  and  excited  the  admiration  of  the  public.  He  became  the  law 
partner,  immediately  following  his  admission  to  practice,  of  that  able 
and  distinguished  lawyer,  Patrick  Noble,  who  later  in  life  was  honored 
with  an  election  to  the  governorship  of  the  state. 

While  yet  a  young  man  Judge  Wardlaw  took  rank  as  one  of  the 
foremost  men  of  his  county,  and  in  1826  he  was  elected  to  represent 
his  native  district  in  the  legislature,  and  was  continued  as  a  member 


i 


2oS  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

of  that  body  until  1841,  with  the  exception  of  the  session  of  1830.  In 
1S36  he  was  elected  speaker  of  the  house  of  representatives,  and 
continued  to  preside  over  that  body  until  he  ceased  to  be  a  member. 
In  December,  1841,  he  was  elected  one  of  the  circuit  judges  of  the 
state,  and  in  1865  was  elected  to  a  position  on  the  bench  of  the  court 
of  appeals  as  an  associate  justice,  a  position  he  had  several  years 
before  declined.  He  held  this  office  until  the  court  of  appeals  was 
abolished  in  1868.  Judge  Wardlaw  was  a  member  of  the  state  con- 
ventions of  1852-1860  and  1865,  and  was  president  of  the  latter  con- 
vention. From  1836  to  1868  he  was  a  trustee  of  the  South  Carolina 
college.  His  death  occurred  June  8,  1873.  The  cast  and  structure  of 
Judge  Wardlaw's  intellect  were  singularly  adapted  for  eminence  at 
the  bar,  and  in  no  position  in  his  life  did  he  achieve  triumphs  more 
numerous  or  more  brilliant.  Fullness,  exactness,  and  minuteness  of 
legal  knowledge,  clear,  penetrating  perception,  vigorous  logic,  pro- 
digious power  of  research,  elegant  precision,  were  weapons  in  for- 
ensic conflict  which  no  combatant  could  parry  and  few  could  with- 
stand. To  these  elements  of  skill  and  strength  he  added  a  sublime 
sense  of  justice,  a  grand  love  of  truth,  a  lofty  scorn  of  all  that  was 
unmanly  or  mean.  Thus  armed  and  fortified  he  defended  with  the 
art  and  the  heroism  of  a  master  the  salient  points  of  his  own  case, 
and  assailed  with  the  ponderous  blows  of  a  giant  the  defenses  of  his 
adversary.  With  such  armor  and  such  weapons,  his  earnest,  urbane 
manner,  his  forcible,  fervid  argumentation,  his  superb  rhetoric, 
rarely  failed  to  convince  the  court  or  to  conciliate  the  jury.  The 
leadership  of  the  bar  in  the  whole  up-country  was  the  early  and 
splendid  reward  of  forensic  powers  so  commanding  and  so  incon- 
testible. 

In  the  legislative  halls  of  his  state,  he  won  honors  easily.  In  the 
debates  of  the  house  his  scholarly  attainments,  his  polished  elocu- 
tion, the  range  and  force  of  his  arguments,  the  grace  and  courtesy  of 
his  manner,  and  the  precise  information  and  practical  illustration 
which  he  brought  into  the  discussion,  earned  for  him  a  consideration 
and  an  influence  which  but  few  of  his  competitors  ever  acquired. 
The  speakership  of  the  house  was  the  handsome  recognition  of 
services  so  eminent  and  of  qualifications  so  conspicuous.  But  it  was 
on  the  bench  interpreting  the  law,  upholding  its  majesty  and  dispens- 
ing its  justice  that  the  colossal  proportions  of  his  intellectual  stature 
were  best  seen.  To  this,  his  greatest,  most  fondly  cherished,  and 
last  office,  the  goal  of  his  ambition,  and  the  enthusiasm  of  his  life,  he 
came,  in  the  mature  vigor  of  his  intellect,  bringing  to  its  great  duties 
the  stores  of  knowledge  which  had  been  gathered  and  hoarded  from 
all  other  stations  in  his  brilliant  career. 

Judge  Wardlaw  devoted  much  of  his  respite  from  the  labors  of 
the  court  to  literary  and  miscellaneous  reading.  He  was  in  the 
strictest  sense  a  student,  a  student  by  nature,  a  student  by  training, 
a  student  by  habit.  But  fond  as  he  was  of  literature  and  general 
information,  these  were  but  diversions  and  amusements.  Jurispru- 
dence was  the  great  study  and  business  of  his  life. 


tl 


'7 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  209 

JUDGE  SAMUEL  McGOWAN. 

Of  the  many  prominent  representative  men  of  South  Caroh'na, 
few,  if  any,  have  played  a  more  conspicuous  part  in  the  hite  history 
of  the  old  Palmetto  state  than  Judge  Samuel  McGowan,  of  Abbe- 
ville, who  has  distinguished  himself  alike  as  a  soldier,  lawyer,  jurist, 
and  judge,  and  who  now  occupies  an  honored  place  on  the  supreme 
bench  of  that  state.  .Samuel  McGowan  was  born  of  .Scotch-Irish 
parents  in  Laurens  county,  S.  C,  on  October  9th,  iSig.  lie  gradu- 
ated with  distinction  in  the  South  Carolina  college,  in  1841.  Read 
law  at  Abbeville  with  his  friend.  Col.  T.  C.  Perrin,  who  at  once  took 
him  into  partnership  and  invited  him  to  share  equally  his  large  prac- 
tice. He  soon  gave  promise  of  being  distinguished  in  his  profession, 
but  in  1846,  hllecl  with  the  fire  of  patriotism,  he  entered  the  famous 
Palmetto  regiment,  and  started  for  the  Mexican  war  as  a  private 
soldier.  He  was  relieved  from  that  position  by  the  president  of  the 
United  States  (James  K.  Polk),  who  appointed  him  on  the  general 
quartermaster's  staff  of  the  army,  with  the  rank  of  captain,  in  which 
capacity  he  served  for  the  whole  war  —  first  on  the  staff  of  Gen. 
Quitman,  and  afterward  successively  on  that  of  Gen.  Worth  and 
Gen.  Twiggs,  of  the  regular  army.  He  acted  as  volunteer  aide  to 
Gen.  Quitman  at  the  storming  of  Chepultapec  and  the  capture  of  the 
Garita  de  Belen  leading  into  the  city  of  Mexico,  and  was  compli- 
mented for  his  gallant  services  on  that  occasion.  After  the  treaty 
of  Guadaloupe  Hidalgo,  which  terminated  the  war,  he  returned  and 
resumed  the  practice  of  the  law  with  Mr.  Perrin,  at  Abbeville.  He 
married  the  eldest  daughter  of  Judge  D.  L.  Wardlaw,  of  that  town; 
acquired  an  excellent  and  lucrative  practive;  became  major-general 
of  the  first  division  of  South  Carolina  militia,  and  represented  the 
old  district  of  Abbeville  for  twelve  consecutive  years  in  the  lower 
house  of  the  state  legislature — part  of  the  time  being  chairman  of 
the  committee  on  education,  ancl  part  as  chairman  of  the  committee 
on  the  military,  embracing  a  supervision  of  the  affairs  of  the  state 
military  academy. 

On  the  secession  of  South  Carolina,  in  i860,  ten  volunteer  regi- 
ments of  infantry  were  raised  by  the  public  authorities  for  state  de- 
fense, and  divided  into  four  brigades.  The  subject  of  our  sketch  was 
appointed  by  Gov.  Pickens  to  the  command  of  one  of  these  brigades, 
and  in  that  capacity  he  assisted  Gen.  Beauregard  in  the  capture  of 
Fort  Sumter,  in  April,  1S61.  Soon  after  this,  his  state  commission, 
lapsing  by  the  transfer  of  his  command  to  Confederate  service,  he 
joined  Brig. -Gen.  Bonham,  at  Centreville,  Va.,  as  aide  dc  ca^np,  and 
served  with  him  in  the  battles  of  Bull  Run  ancl  Manassas  Plains. 
Immediately  after  these  battles  he  returned  to  South  Carolina,  where 
he  was  elected  lieutenant-colonel  of  the  Fourteenth  South  Carolina 
volunteers.  In  the  spring  of  1862,  on  the  coast  of  South  Carolina, 
Col.  James  Jones,  the  commander  of  the  regiment  (Fourteenth),  re- 
signed his  commission,  and  Lieut.-Col.  McGowan  was  promoted  to 
the  colonelcy.  Soon  after  he  carried  his  regiment  to  Virginia  and 
A — 14 


210  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

thenceforth  it  became  an  integral  part  of  the  famous  army  of  northern 
Virginia. 

Colonel  McGowan  was  in  all  the  battles  around  Richmond  in  which 
his  regiment  was  engaged.  He  was  wounded  at  Cold  Harbor,  but  did 
not  leave  his  regiment  until  after  the  subsequent  battle  of  Malvern 
Hills.  He  was  recommended  for  promotion  by  Gen.  Gregg,  for  his 
gallantry  in  these  battles.  In  his  official  report  of  the  battle  of  Cold 
Harbor,  Gen.  Gregg  says:  "  The  Fourteenth  regiment,  Col.  McGowan, 
now  arrived  on  the  field  at  the  moment  it  was  so  greatly  needed, 
stopping  the  fire  of  Crenshaw's  battery  for  a  short  time.  To  allow  a 
passage  through  the  guns,  I  ordered  the  Fourteenth  forward.  Tired 
as  they  were  by  two  days  and  three  nights  of  outpost  duty,  and  by 
a  rapid  march  under  a  burning  sun,  they  recovered  strength  at  once 
and  advanced,  with  a  cheer,  at  the  double  quick.  Leading  his  regi- 
ment to  the  right  of  the  Thirteenth,  across  the  hollow.  Col.  McGowan 
arrived  just  in  time  to  repulse  the  advancing  enemy,  and  prevent  them 
from  establishing  a  battery  on  the  edge  of  the  open  ground  on  the 
brow  of  the  hill.  The  Fourteenth  maintained  its  position  gallantly 
to  the  end  of  the  battle,"  etc. 

General  Hill  says  of  the  same  battle:  "  Desperate  but  unavailing 
attempts  to  force  the  enemy's  position  were  made.  The  Fourteenth 
South  Carolina,  Col.  McGowan  (having  hurried  up  from  picket  duty 
on  the  other  side  of  the  Chickahominy  and  arriving  in  the  thick  of 
the  fight) ,  made  several  daring  charges."  At  Frazier's  Farm,  Gen.  Hill 
says:  "  The  brigade  of  Gen.  Featherstone  having  become  very  much 
scattered  and  forced  back.  Col.  McGowan,  of  the  Fourteenth  South 
Carolina,  retrieved  our  ground."  • 

Colonel  McGowan  was  in  the  campaign  of  Cedar  Run  and  that  of 
Second  Manassas,  in  which  last  battle  he  was  wounded.  Returning 
to  his  regiment  in  the  autumn,  he  remained  with  it  during  the  march 
from  the  vallej',  and  was  present  at  the  battle  of  Fredericksburg, 
where  Gen.  Gregg,  commanding  the  brigade,  was  killed.  Col.  Mc- 
Gowan's  regiment  being  a  part  of  the  brigade,  he  was  appointed 
brigadier-general  to  succeed  him,  and  afterward  in  that  capacity  he 
commanded  the  brigade  until  the  end  of  the  war,  being  several  times 
wounded  and  very  severely,  especially  at  the  battle  of  Chancellors- 
ville  and  in  the  bloody  angle  at  Spottsylvania  Court  House. 

The  promotion  of  Col.  McGowan  was  very  complimentary  to  him, 
as  it  was  made  without  any  special  application,  and  there  were  other 
gallant  officers  in  the  brigade  who  ranked  him.  After  Appomatox 
Gen.  McGowan  returned  home,  and  again  resumed  the  practice  of  the 
law  at  Abbeville  with  William  H.  Parker,  Esq.,  and  this  partnership 
continued  ten  years  (from  i86q  to  1S79). 

General  McGowan  was  a  member  of  the  re-construction  convention 
which  met  in  Columbia,  S.  C,  in  .September,  1865,  and  was  then  nom- 
inated for  congress.  He  was  elected,  but  not  allowed  to  take  his 
seat.  He  was  again  nominated  at  the  ne.xt  election,  but  was  counted 
out.  He  was  an  elector  at  large  on  the  Tilden  and  Hendricks  ticket, 
and  in  the  interest  of  those  gentlemen  and  the  democratic  party,  he 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  211 

canvassed  the  whole  state,  from  the  seaboard  to  the  mountains.     In 

1878  he  again  went  to  the  state  legislature,  and  during  the  session  of 

1879  was  elected  associate  justice  of  the  supreme  court,  which  posi- 
tion he  still  holds. 

From  this  meagre  outline  it  is  manifest  that  Judge  McGowan 
won  his  distinction  by  faithful  service  during  the  most  eventful  period 
in  the  history  of  the  country,  and  that  he  is  fairly  entitled  to  be  con- 
sidered as  a  representative  man  of  his  state.  As  a  military  man.  Gen. 
McGowan  was  very  successful.  Although  not  as  rigid  and  severe  as 
some  others  in  his  discipline  and  management  of  citizen  soldiers 
fresh  from  home,  he  excelled  most  officers  of  equal  rank  in  efficiency. 
He  was  an  excellent  drill  master;  a  constant  maintainer  of  good 
order  and  regularity;  and  his  great  merit  always  succeeded  in  inspir- 
ing confidence  in  himself  and  imparting  to  others  the  magnetism  of 
his  own  enthusiasm.  He  only  ordered  his  command  to  follow  where 
he  led. 

Of  Gen.  McGovvan's  character  as  a  lawyer  and  a  public  man,  it  is 
hardly  necessary  to  say  more  than  has  been  said,  that  he  practiced 
his  profession  with  great  success  and  profit  for  years  before  the  war, 
and  that  he  acquired  and  retained  the  entire  confidence  of  his  con- 
stituency. If  in  either  of  these  pursuits  there  were  characteristics  in 
him  more  marked  than  all  others,  they  were  a  quickness  of  apprehen- 
sion and  promptness  and  energy  of  action.  As  a  lawyer,  he  mani- 
fested great  acuteness  in  perceiving  the  prominent  points  of  a  case, 
and  ingenuity  in  putting  them  together.  This  faculty,  assisted  by  an 
earnest,  clear  and  powerful  delivery,  rendered  him  peculiarl}^  influen- 
tial with  the  jury.  Similar  traits  characterize  him  as  a  public  man, 
Scorning  demagoguery  in  all  its  forms,  he  was  always  plain,  earnest 
and  whole-souled  in  politics,  a  ready  speaker,  an  affable  gentleman, 
and  therefore  at  all  times  one  of  the  most  popular  of  men. 

But  it  is  as  a  magistrate  of  the  supreme  courts,  holding  the  scales 
of  justice  with  a  firm  hand,  that  Judge  McGowan  is  most  distin- 
guished and  will  be  best  known  in  after  times.  His  high  sense  of 
justice,  as  well  as  his  robust  intellect  and  good  heart,  eminently 
qualify  him  for  the  discharge  of  the  delicate  and  responsible  duties 
of  judge.  It  has  been  well  said:  "That  the  office  of  judge  has 
always  been  regarded  with  respect  and  consideration.  Great  and 
good  men  have  at  all  times  in  South  Carolina  performed  its  duties 
and  won  its  honors.  If  duty  be  attended  by  responsibility,  if  dignity 
be  attached  to  station  and  power,  the  judicial^uthority  to  coerce  and 
restrain,  to  counsel  and  command  the  legislative  and  executive  de- 
partments of  the  government,  to  interpret  the  legislative  will  and  its 
great  function,  to  dispense  justice,  constitute  it  an  office  of  the  high- 
est dignity  and  the  greatest  responsibility."  Without  attempting  to 
single  out  or  specify  any  particular  opinions  of  Judge  McGowan,  it 
may  be  enough  to  say  that  they  are  all  embraced  in  the  twenty  vol- 
umes of  the  South  Carolina  Reports  (Shand)  from  numbers  13  to  33. 
These  permanent  memorials  which  will  go  down  to  posterity  afford 
the  best  measure  of  his  industry  and  learning,  and  of  the  strength  of 


212  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

his  intellect  as  well  as  of  his  high  sense  of  justice.  But  it  may  be  said 
with  perfect  truth  that,  taken  as  a  whole,  they  will  be  found  to  be 
equal  to  those  of  any  one  of  the  long  list  of  distinguished  judges  and 
chancellors  who  adorn  the  judicial  annals  of  South  Carolina. 

JOSIAH  JAMES  EVANS. 

This  eminent  lawyer  was  born  in  the  district  of  Marlborough  on 
the  27th  day  of  November,  1786.  He  was  descended  from  Welsh 
parentage,  who  settled  the  Welsh  Neck,  on  Pee  Dee.  Judge  Evans 
received  his  academical  education  at  Fayetteville,  N.  C,  and  was 
among  the  earliest  pupils  of  the  North  Carolina  college.  He  studied 
law  under  his  uncle,  Mr.  Hansen.  He  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in 
181 1,  and  was  appointed  commissioner  in  equity  for  the  Cheraw  dis- 
trict the  same  year.  He  served  in  the  house  of  representatives  in 
18 1 2  and  1 81 3,  and  in  1S14  was  appointed  by  Gov.  Allston,  one  of  his 
aides,  which  gave  him  the  rank  and  title  of  colonel.  About  this  time 
he  married  Miss  DeWitt,  of  Society  Hill,  where  he  removed  and 
at  once  entered  upon  a  lucrative  law  practice  which  increased  every 
year,  until  he  was  elected  judge.  A  couple  of  years  later  he  was  re- 
turned to  the  house  of  representatives,  and  in  181 7,  was  elected 
solicitor  of  the  eastern  circuit  of  the  state.  In  1818,  he  was  elected  a 
trustee  of  the  .South  Carolina  college,  and  continued  in  that  office 
until  his  promotion  to  the  United  States  senate,  in  1852.  In  Decem- 
ber, 1829,  he  was  elected  a  circuit  judge,  and  in  1S35,  he  was  elected 
a  member  of  the  court  of  appeals.  It  was  in  1S52  that  he  was  elected 
to  the  United  States  senate,  which  office  he  held  with  great  honor  to 
himself  and  his  constituency,  till  death  cut  short  his  career  at  his 
lodging,  in  the  city  of  Washington,  on  the  6th  of  May,  1858,  in  the 
seventy-second  year  of  his  age.  Of  his  career  in  the  senate  a  short 
extract  from  the  speech  of  Mr.  Hale,  of  New  Hampshire,  upon  the 
occasion  of  his  death,  may  serve  to  give  expression  of  the  esteem  in 
which  he  was  held  in  that  august  body,  it  being  remembered  that  Mr. 
Hale  was  his  bitter  political  opponent:  "When  I  first  met  Judge 
Evans  on  the  floor  of  the  senate  he  realized  to  my  mind  more  fully 
than  any  other  man  whom  it  has  ever  been  my  fortune  to  meet,  the 
ideal  which  I  had  formed  in  my  youth  of  an  old  Roman  senator."  Mr. 
Wilson,  of  Massachusetts,  said:  "  In  the  committee  room  I  learned 
to  appreciate  his  character  even  more  fully  than  I  had  when  in  the 
senate  chamber.  I  learned  to  respect,  to  admire  and  to  love  him." 
Judge  Evans,  in  his  domestic  relations,  was  a  model  man.  He  was  a 
large  slave-owner,  but  a  kind  and  most  indulgent  master.  He  died 
leaving  an  immense  fortune,  the  result  of  thrift  and  good  business 
habits. 

ROBERT  BENTHAM  BOYLSTON. 

Robert  Bentham  Boylston  was  born  in  Charleston,  S.C.,  Novem- 
ber 22,  1822.  He  was  the  eldest  son  of  Dr.  Henry  and  Mrs.  M.  E. 
Boylston,  and  the  great-grandson  of  Ward  Nicholas  Boylston,  of  Bos- 


■^f- 


./^-^ZS 


fl 


.SOUTH    CAROT.INA.  213 

ton,  well  known  as  a  patron  of  literature,  and  distinj^uished  for  his 
munificent  endowment  of  Cambridge  college,  now  Harvard  university, 
and  for  his  gifts  to  the  city  of  Boston. 

Mr.  Boylston  was  endowed  with  talents  of  no  ordinary  kind,  and 
having  cultured  and  refined  parents,  no  expense  was  spared  on  his 
education.  At  school  and  academy,  he  invariably  took  the  first  stand, 
often  endangering  his  health  by  his  earnest  application  to  study,  and 
eager  thirst  for  knowledge.  The  facts  so  obtained  were  laid  away 
in  his  marvelous  memory,  in  such  order,  that  thirty  years  after  they 
would  often  be  recalled  with  page  and  line.  At  sixteen  he  entered 
Columbia  college,  South  Carolina,  and  although  the  youngest  of  his 
class  (nineteen  years  of  age),  bore  off  the  second  honors  in  the  fine, 
large  class,  which  graduated  in  1841.  He  studied  law  and  was  ad- 
mitted to  the  bar  at  the  required  age,  twenty-one.  Thus  equipped, 
he  was  the  architect  of  his  own  fortune.  After  practicing  his  profes- 
sion in  Mason,  S.  C,  for  a  short  while,  he  was  elected  commissioner  in 
equity  for  that  county,  for  the  duties  of  which  office  his  exact  business 
qualities  admirably  fitted  him.  At  twenty-four  he  married  Miss  Susan 
Cloud,  of  Winnsboro,  Fairfield  county,  and  an  eligible  opening  pre 
senting  itself,  he  removed  to  that  place,  where  he  soon  attained  a 
high  reputation  in  his  profession.  In  1852  he  was  elected  to  the  leg- 
islature and  was  made  chairman  of  the  judiciary  committee,  a  place 
held  until  chosen  to  fill  the  honored  position  of  speaker  of  the  house 
of  representatives,  which  position  he  held  at  the  time  of  his  death 
In  the  language  of  Gen.  McGowan,  his  life  long  friend,"  At  this  time 
he  was  still  as  fresh  as  a  boy,  the  idol  of  a  sweet  and  happy  home,  the 
pride  of  his  family  and  the  delight  of  his  friends,  with  high  social 
position  and  genial  nature  to  enjoy  it,  full  of  talent  and  distinguished 
beyond  his  years,  with  laurels  literary,  professional  and  political  en 
circling  his  brow."  From  the  time  he  entered  college  to  the  day  oi 
his  death,  he  was  a  man  of  labor.  As  a  citizen  he  was  public-spirited 
and  patriotic;  as  a  legislator  he  seemed  to  have  an  intuitive  knowl- 
edge of  the  forms  of  order  and  all  kinds  of  parliamentary  proceed- 
ings. His  judgment  was  clear  and  memory  retentive.  When  cal- 
endars and  journals  failed  he  was  referred  to  as  infallible.  In  the 
noble  profession  to  which  he  devoted  his  life,  he  was  a  model,  quick, 
clear,  discriminating  and  learned.  To  an  analytical  mind  and  full 
memory  he  added  system  and  industry,  and  he  relied  exclusively  upon 
justice  and  law.  His  pleadings  were  scientific  and  his  composition 
elegant,  and  his  style  fulfilled  the  requisites  of  Mr.  Wirt's  short  rule, 
"  aptc,  distinctc,  ornati!' 

But  soon  the  cloud  of  war  overspread  the  land,  and  Mr.  Boylston 
chafed  to  be  in  active  service,  but  the  state  of  his  health,  always  del- 
icate and  unreliable  from  that  "  night  fiend,"  asthma,  prevented  his 
performing  the  duties  of  the  camp,  and  he  was  appointed  president 
of  the  court-martial,  with  the  rank  of  colonel.  This  position  he  held 
when  the  hopes  of  the  Confederacy  were  blasted  at  Appomatox.  He 
returned  to  his  state,  broken  in  health,  to  find  himself  ruined  in  for- 
tune—  his  beautiful  home  made  desolate,  and  his  family  reduced  to 


214  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

want  by  the  devastating  march  of  Sherman.  He  contemplated  the 
ruin,  but  greatest  ruin  of  all,  he  laid  down  his  life  September  4th, 
1865,  at  the  early  age  of  fortj'-two,  leaving  a  widow,  three  sons  and  a 
daughter,  to  mourn  their  irreparable  loss;  of  that  once  happy  circle, 
his  widow  alone  remains.  Two  grandchildren  survive  the  oldest 
son. 

At  the  time  the  war  divided  this  country,  Mr.  Boylston  held  the 
office  of  grandsire  of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows  of 
United  .States  of  America.  Among  the  proceedings  at  the  meeting 
of  the  grand  lodge  of  the  United  States  held  at  Baltimore,  in  Sep- 
tember, 1865,  is  found  the  following  tribute  to  his  memory: 

"  P.  G.  Sire  Boylston  possessed  social  qualities  of  a  high  order. 
Few  could  resist  the  warmth  of  his  cordial,  genial  manners,  or  the 
charms  of  his  conversational  powers.  Still  fewer  of  his  contempor- 
aries could  resist  his  power  in  debate — clear,  logical  and  convincing; 
to  admit  his  premises  was  to  adopt  his  conclusion,  and  j'et,  such  was 
his  urbanity  of  manner,  that  though  he  seldom  went  out  of  debate 
except  as  a  conqueror,  no  instance  is  remembered  in  which  his  de- 
feated opponent  ever  took  exception  to  what  he  had  said.  It  seemed 
as  if  nature,  in  the  prodigalit}'  of  her  gifts  to  her  favored  son,  had 
denied  him  no  qualification  to  make  him  eminent  in  every  walk  of 
life. 

"But  he  has  gone!  We  revere  his  memory,  we  lament  his  death. 
He  lies  in  his  untimely  grave,  beneath  the  soil  of  his  own  loved  South 
Carolina,  and  the  evergreens,  through  which  the  winds  of  heaven 
whisper  their  sweet  requiem,  wave  over  the  mouldering  remains  of 
no  purer  or  nobler  spirit  than  of  Robert  B.  Boylston." 

ALEXANDER    S.  DOUGLASS. 

Few  men  have  attained  a  more  substantial  success  at  the  bar  of 
Fairfield  county,  S.  C,  than  the  Hon.  Ale.xander  S.Douglass.  Mr. 
Douglass  is  a  native  of  Fairfield  county,  having  been  born  there,  on 
the  25th  of  December,  1833.  The  family  is  one  of  the  oldest  and 
most  influential  in  that  portion  of  the  state.  His  father  was  Alex- 
ander Douglass,  who  was  also  born  and  reared  in  Fairfield  county, 
where  he  spent  an  honorable  and  active  life  as  an  agriculturist.  He 
was  the  son  of  Alexander  Douglass,  who  settled  in  .South  Carolina, 
about.  1790,  having  come  to  this  country  from  Ireland,  and  was  of 
Scotch  descent.  He  was  a  planter,  and  came  to  be  recognized  in  the 
community  as  an  able  and  intelligent  man.  Alexander  Douglass, 
Jr.,  married  Jennette  .Simonton,  a  daughter  of  Mr.  John  Simon- 
ton,  of  b'airfield  county,  and  a  relative  of  Judge  Simonton,  whose 
sketch  appears  elsewhere  in  this  work.  Her  mother  was  Martha 
Strong,  who  was  closely  related  to  Jane  Gaston,  a  South  Carolinian, 
who  distinguished  herself  for  valor  and  patriotism  during  the  Revo- 
lution. .Seven  children  were  born  to  the  union  of  vYlcxander  and 
Jennette  Douglass.  Of  the  two  sons  born  to  them,  our  subject  is  the 
youngest.     He  was  reared  upon  his  father's  ])lantation,  and,  in  the 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  215 

neighboring  schools,  laid  a  solid  foundation  for  the  exhaustive  study 
of  later  years.  In  1853,  at  the  age  of  nineteen,  he  graduated  from 
Erskine  college,  at  Abbeville,  S-  C,  and  immediately  thereafter  en- 
tered the  law  office  of  E.\-Gov.  B.  F.  Perry,  at  Greenville,  S.  C. 
Subsequently  entering  the  University  of  Virginia,  he  completed  a  law 
course  there,  and  after  several  months'  study,  under  R.  B.  Boylston, 
at  Winnsboro,  was  admitted  to  the  bar,  by  the  law  court  of  appeals, 
at  Columbia,  in  1855,  and  by  the  equity  court  of  appeals,  in  1856. 
In  the  meantime,  Mr.  Douglass  had  become  a  resident  of  Spartan- 
burg, and  here,  in  January,  1857,  he  became  associated  with  John  H. 
Evins,  in  the  publication  of  the  Spartanburg  Express.  Early  in  the 
year  1S59,  he  purchased  the  office  and  plant  of  that  paper,  and  con- 
tinued its  publication  until  1861,  when  he  laid  aside  his  business  in- 
terests to  take  up  arms  in  defense  of  his  state  at  the  outbreak  of  the 
Civil  war,  having  at  that  time  become  a  junior  second  lieutenant,  in 
Company  C,  Thirteenth  South  Carolina  volunteer  infantry.  He  was 
subsequently  promoted  to  the  rank  of  first  lieutenant,  and  was  with 
the  great  Lee  at  Appomatox,  having  served  through  all  the  years  of  the 
struggle  with  faithfulness  and  valor.  In  1866  Mr.  Douglass  resumed 
his  profession  of  law,  having  taken  up  his  residence  at  Winnsboro, 
S.  C.  In  political  faith  he  has  always  been  a  staunch  democrat,  and, 
as  such,  has  been  honored  by  his  party  with  different  offices  of  honor 
and  trust.  In  the  years  1882-3,  he  served  as  a  member  of  the  state 
legislature,  and  his  career  in  that  body  was  marked  by  the  same 
fidelity  to  the  people  as  has  ever  characterized  his  life.  Not  seeking 
political  favors,  he  has  not  been  in  office  to  any  great  extent,  prefer- 
ring to  devote  his  time  and  best  energies  to  his  calling,  in  the  law. 
In  1860,  Mr.  Douglass  was  first  married  to  Miss  Mary  E.  Byers, 
of  Union  district,  S.  C.,  who  died  in  1867,  leaving,  as  the  issue  of  the 
marriage,  two  sons,  one  of  whom  is  associated  with  his  father  in  the 
practice  of  law.  In  1878  he  was  again  most  happily  married,  to 
Miss  Sallie  M.  McCants,  of  Winnsboro,  S.  C,  and  three  surviving 
children  are  the  issue  of  this  union.  The  family  are  valued  members 
of  the  Presbyterian  church,  and  are  held  in  the  highest  esteem  by  the 
community  at  large. 

REV.  LAUGHLIN  McDONALD. 

The  Rev.  Laughlin  McDonald  was  born  in  Elbert,  <-iow  Mart, 
county,  Georgia,  October  3rd,  1810.  He  was  graduated  from  Miami 
university,  Ohio,  in  the  fall  of  1836,  and  under  the  Rev.  E.  E.  Pressly, 
D.  D.,  of  Due  West,  was  fitted  for  the  ministry,  receiving  his  license 
to  preach  in  Laurens  county,  S.  C,  October  5th,  1838,  by  the  second 
presbytery  of  the  Associate'  Reformed  synod  of  the  south.  On  the 
15th  of  October,  1839,  he  was  transferred  from  the  second  to  the  first 
presbytery,  and  was  ordained  at  Tirzah  church,  York  county,  S.  C, 
December  loth,  1839,  and  was  installed  as  pastor  of  Tirzah  church 
and  Union  congregation,  in  Chester  county,  at  the  same  time.  Oc- 
tober 4th,  i85i,on  account  of  failing  health,  he  resigned  from  Tirzah 


2l6  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

church.  September  loth,  1S53,  he  accepted  a  call  from  Neely's  Creek 
congregation  in  York  county,  and  on  September  5th,  1870,  he  de- 
mitted  both  Union  and  Neely's  Creek  congregations.  Mr.  McDonald 
was  one  of  the  most  distinguished  clergymen  in  his  church,  and  his 
death,  March  26th,  1S74,  was  mourned  by  the  entire  congregation. 
Of  magnificent  build,  courtly  manners  and  rare  intellect;  with  an 
earnest  conviction  that  his  sacred  calling  was  the  highest  on  earth, 
he  left  a  record  as  clean  and  pure  as  ever  comes  from  the  dead.  He 
was  descended  from  an  old  and  influential  southern  family.  His  an- 
cestors came  from  Scotland  in  1760,  and  first  settled  in  North  Caro- 
lina, but  later  removed  to  Elbert,  now  Hart,  county,  Ga.  John  Mc- 
Donald, the  father  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  married  Margaret 
McCurry,  and  they  were  the  parents  of  nine  children,  viz.:  Hugh, 
Nanc}',  Angus,  Laughlin,  John,  Daniel,  Margaret,  Flora  and  Roder- 
ick. John  and  Margaret  McDonald,  the  parents,  were  members  of 
the  Associate  Reform  church  at  Gencrostee,  Anderson  county,  S.  C, 
and  were  people  of  piety  and  probity.  J.  E.  McDonald,  the  son  of 
the  Rev.  Laughlin  McDonald,  was  born  in  Chester  county,  S.  C, 
December  J5th,  1856.  His  mother's  maiden  name  was  Melissa  L. 
Stinson.  J.  E.  McDonald  lived  in  his  native  count}'  until  his  fourteenth 
year,  when  he  accompanied  his  parents  to  Fairfield  county,  and  it 
was  in  the  common  schools  of  the  latter  county  that  the  lad  received 
his  preliminary  education.  In  the  fall  of  1874  he  entered  Erskine 
college,  and  was  graduated  therefrom  in  July,  1877,  having  completed 
a  thorough  classical  course.  He  returned  to  the  parental  roof,  and 
in  September,  1877,  began  the  study  of  law.  In  January  of  the  fol- 
lowing year  he  entered  the  law  ofifice  of  Messrs.  McCants  &  Doug- 
lass, at  Winnsboro,  and  remained  under  their  excellent  tutelage  for 
two  years.  January  i6th,  1878,  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar.  In  the 
fall  of  1882,  Mr.  McDonald  became  associated  with  Mr.  Charles  A. 
Douglass  in  the  practice  of  his  profession,  and  this  firm  has  since 
continued.  In  18S4  he  was  elected  solicitor  of  the  Sixth  judicial  cir- 
cuit, and  in  1884  was  re-elected.  He  is  a  firm  supporter  of  the  doc- 
trines of  the  democratic  party.  Mr.  McDonald  is  a  member  of  the 
State  Bar  association,  and  also  the  American  Bar  association,  and  is 
chairman  of  the  executive  committee  of  the  State  association.  His 
marriage  to  Miss  Lillie  E.  Elliott,  a  daughter  of  Mr.  Henry  L. 
Elliott,  of  Winnsboro,  was  solemnized  in  1882,  and  two  boys  and  one 
girl  have  come  to  make  their  home  life  blessed.  Both  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
McDonald  are  active  and  valued  communicants  of  the  Associate 
Reform  church. 

JOHN    CALDWELL   CALHOUN, 

one  of  the;  most  distinguished  orators  and  statesmen  of  the  southern 
states,  was  born  March  18,  17S2,  in  y\bbeville  district,  S.  C.  He  was 
of  Irish  descent,  his  grandfather,  James  Calhoun,  having  emigrated 
with  his  family  from  Ireland,  in  1733,  and  settled  in  Pennsylvania 
The  father  of  John  C,  Patrick  Calhoun,  was  at  that  time  six  years 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  217 

of  age.  They  resided  in  Pennsylvania  for  several  years,  and  then  re- 
moved to  western  Virginia,  where  they  remained  until,  by  Braddock's 
defeat,  the  settlement  was  broken  up,  and  they  betook  themselves  to 
South  Carolina,  establishing  themselves  in  the  so-called  Calhoun  set- 
tlement, in  1756.  Here  they  were  open  to  the  incursions  of  the 
Cherokee  Indians,  their  near  neighbors,  and  underwent  all  the  bar- 
barities implied  by  savage  warfare.  James  Calhoun,  his  aged  mother, 
several  other  women  and  many  of  their  children  were  butchered  by 
the  savages.  Patrick  Calhoun,  the  father  of  John  C,  was  appointed 
to  the  command  of  a  body  of  rangers  for  the  defense  of  the  settlers, 
and  proved  himself  worthy  of  the  important  and  dangerous  duty  im- 
posed upon  him.  After  the  restoration  of  peace,  the  family  which 
had  been  dispersed,  returned  to  the  settlement. 

Patrick  Calhoun,  in  1770,  was  married  to  Martha  Caldwell,  of 
Charlotte  county,  Va.  Miss  Caldwell  was  a  niece  of  Rev.  James  Cald- 
well, an  eminent  divine  of  the  Presbyterian  order,  of  New  Jersey, 
who  took  a  prominent  part  in  the  Revolutionary  struggle.  The  issue 
of  this  marriage  was  four  sons  and  one  daughter,  John  C.  being  the 
youngest  son.  He  was  named  after  his  uncle,  Maj.  John  Caldwell,  a 
zealous  whig,  who  had  been  inhumanly  murdered  by  the  tories.  The 
father,  Patrick  Calhoun,  having  to  endure  the  privations  of  pioneer 
life,  had  few  educational  privileges,  but  this  he  made  good  by  self- 
culture,  and  thus  learned  to  place  a  high  value  upon  education.  He 
became  a  fine  scholar  in  the  English  branches,  and  was  particularly 
skilled  in  surveying,  a  profession  which  he  followed  for  many  years. 
He  was  a  member  of  the  provincial  legislature,  being  the  first  mem- 
ber elected  to  that  body  from  the  interior  of  the  state.  With  only 
one  exception  of  a  single  term,  he  was  continuously  elected  to  the 
provincial  legislature,  and  to  the  state  legislature,  after  the  close  of 
the  Revolution,  for  thirty  years.  He  was  a  zealous  whig,  but  was  op- 
posed to  the  adoption  of  the  United  States  constitution  on  the 
ground  that  it  interfered  with  the  sovereignty  of  the  states. 

At  the  age  of  thirteen,  John  C.  Calhoun  was  placed  under  the 
tuition  of  his  brother-in-law,  Rev.  Dr.  Waddell,  who  became  one  of 
the  most  distinguished  educators  in  the  southern  states.  At  the  death 
of  his  father,  the  academy  was  suspended  for  a  while,  but  young  Cal- 
houn continuing  to  reside  with  his  brother-in-law.  Dr.  Waddell  made 
good  use  of  his  ample  library.  In  this,  to  him  a  congenial  resort,  he 
spent  most  of  his  time,  and  it  is  said  that  in  the  short  lapse  of  four- 
teen weeks,  he  had  made  himself  master  of  Rollin's  Ancient  History, 
Charles  V.,  and  America  by  Robertson,  Voltaire's  Charles  XII., 
Cooke's  Voyages,  one  volume  of  Locke  on  the  Human  Understand- 
ing, and  several  other  volumes  of  less  note.  But  such  close  applica- 
tion began  to  tell  on  his  health,  and  his  mother,  alarmed  at  his 
emaciated  appearance,  took  him  home.  Partially  weaned  from  his 
studious  habits,  he  took  to  sporting  and  agricultural  pursuits,  which 
laid  the  foundation  for  a  more  vigorous  physique.  Agriculture  came 
to  be  almost  a  passion  with  him  till  in  1800,  when  his  elder  brother 
James,  who  had  been  placed  in  a  csuntry  home  in  Charleston,  returned 


2l8  SOUTH   CAROLINA. 

home.  He  was  so  struck  with  the  scholarly  capacity  of  his  younger 
brother,  that  he  persuaded  him  to  pursue  a  classical  course.  He  re- 
entered Dr.  Waddell's  academy,  which  had  been  re-organized  and  re- 
moved to  Columbia  county,  Ga.,  and  such  was  his  progress  that  in 
1802  he  was  enabled  to  enter  the  Yale  junior  class,  and  graduated 
from  that  noted  institution  with  the  highest  honors  at  the  head  of  a 
large  and  talented  class.  His  graduating  thesis  was,  "  The  Qualifica- 
tions Necessary  to  a  Perfect  Statesman,"  but  sickness  prevented  him 
from  delivering  it  in  person.  After  a  short  visit  to  his  home,  he 
returned  and  entered  the  Litchfield  law  school,  under  Judges  Reeve 
and  Gould  where  he  made  rapid  progress.  In  the  law  and  literary  so- 
cieties of  that  place,  he  became  a  ready  and  able  debater,  developing 
much  power  and  grace  as  an  extemporaneous  speaker,  on  political 
topics,  always  taking  the  republican  side. 

He  returned  to  South  Carolina  in  1S06,  and  a  year  later  began  the 
practice  of  law  in  his  native  district,  building  up  a  lucrative  practice 
and  taking  foremost  rank  among  contemporary  members  of  his  pro- 
fession. He  was  elected  a  member  of  the  state  legislature  for  two 
terms  by  large  majorities,  in  spite  of  the  prevailing  prejudice  against 
the  election  of  lawyers  as  members.  In  181 1,  he  took  his  seat  in  the 
national  house  of  representatives,  as  a  member  of  the  twelfth  con- 
gress, having  been  elected  by  a  large  majority  to  represent  the  con- 
gressional district  composed  of  Abbeville,  Newberry  and  Laurens 
counties.  He  was  immediately  appointed  to  the  committee  on  for- 
eign affairs,  which  in  consequence  of  the  issues  arising  at  that  time 
between  this  country  and  Great  Britain,  was  a  most  important  and 
responsible  position.  His  powers  of  oratory  were  soon  recognized, 
and  on  the  retirement  of  Gen.  Porter,  Mr.  Calhoun  was  placed  at  the 
head  of  the  committee  on  foreign  relations.  In  this  position,  through- 
out the  war,  he  rendered  his  country  distinguished  service.  At 
the  ne.\t  session  he  was  placed  at  the  head  of  the  committee  on  cur- 
rency, in  which  he  formulated  a  bill  designed  to  compel  the  banks  to 
return  to  specie  payments. 

In  December,  1S17,  Mr.  Calhoun  was  appointed  by  President  Mon- 
roe, secretary  of  war.  He  found  this  department  in  the  utmost  con- 
fusion, and  left  it  at  the  end  of  Mr.  Monroe's  administration  in 
complete  order.  He  was  elected  vice-president  in  1824,  and  was  re- 
elected in  1828,  and  discharged  the  duties  of  that  office  with  conspicu- 
ous ability.  The  part  which  Mr.  Calhoun  took  upon  the  tariff  ques- 
tion, and  his  controversy  with  Gen.  Jackson,  while  that  distinguished 
individual  was  president  of  the  United  States,  involve  too  wide  space 
for  a  strictly  biographical  sketch;  the  so-called  nullification  episode, 
in  which  Mr.  Calhoun  took  so  leading  a  part,  is  a  matter  of  history. 
On  this  question  he  was  in  consonance  with  the  great  majority  of  his 
state,  and  none  of  his  fellow  citizens  questioned  the  honesty  of  his 
convictions,  nor  the  ability  with  which  he  inculcated  and  enforced 
them. 

In  May,  181 1,  he  was  married  to  his  cousin,  Miss  Floride  Calhoun, 
daughter  of  John  Ewing  Calhoun,  at  one  time  a  United  States  senator 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  219 

from  Soutli  Carolina.  They  had  a  large  family  of  children.  Mr. 
Calhoun  died  on  the  31st  of  March,  1850.  Mrs.  Calhoun  survived  him 
and  was  always  admired  for  her  quiet,  unostentatious  demeanor,  and 
for  the  gracefulness,  ease  and  dignity  of  her  manner. 

We  cannot  better  close  the  limited  sketch  of  this  illustrious  per- 
sonage, than  to  adopt  the  words  of  one  of  his  biographers:  "  His 
character,"  says  Mr.  Jenkins,  "  was  marked  and  decided,  not  prema- 
turely exhibiting  its  peculiarities,  yet  formed  and  perfected  at  an 
early  age.  He  was  firm  and  prompt,  manly  and  independent.  His 
sentiments  were  noble  and  elevated,  and  everything  mean  or  grov- 
eling was  foreign  to  his  nature.  He  was  easy  in  his  manners,  affable 
and  dignified.  His  attachments  were  warm  and  enduring;  he  did  not 
manifest  his  affection  with  enthusiastic  fervor,  but  with  deep  earnest- 
ness and  sincerity.  He  was  kind,  generous  and  charitable;  honest 
and  frank;  faithful  to  his  friends,  but  somewhat  inclined  to  be  unfor- 
giving to  his  enemies.  He  was  attached  to  his  principles  and  preju- 
dices with  equal  tenacity;  and  when  he  had  adopted  an  opinion,  so 
strong  was  his  reliance  upon  the  correctness  of  his  own  judgment 
that  he  often  doubted  the  wisdom  and  sincerity  of  those  who  dis- 
agreed with  him.  He  never  shrank  from  the  performance  of  any 
duty,  however  painful  it  might  be;  that  it  was  his  duty  was  sufficient 
for  him.  He  possessed  pride  of  character  in  no  ordinary  degree,  and 
withal  not  a  little  vanity,  which  is  said  always  to  accompany  true 
genius.  His  devotion  to  the  south  was  not  sectional,  so  much  as  it 
was  the  natural  consequence  of  his  views  with  reference  to  the  theory 
of  the  government,  and  his  patriotism,  like  his  fame,  was  co-exten- 
sive with  the  Union." 

JAMES   H.  IRBY. 

Colonel  James  H.  Irby  was  a  native  of  Laurens  district,  S.  C. 
He  came  from  pure  Revolutionary  stock,  his  ancestors  having 
been  whigs  and  taken  an  active  part  in  the  American  Revolution. 
Col.  Irby,  having  such  a  strain  of  blood  flowing  in  his  veins,  could  be 
no  less  a  patriot  than  his  illustrious  ancestors,  and  his  history  shows 
that  he  served  his  state  well.  For  many  years  he  was  a  member  of 
the  state  legislature,  and  represented  his  district  with  marked  ability 
and  statesmanship.  He  was  at  one  time  lieutenant-governor,  and 
was  afterward  a  candidate  before  the  legislature  for  governor,  com- 
ing within  one  vote  of  an  election.  He  was  a  graduate  of  South 
Carolina  college,  read  law,  was  admitted  to  the  bar  about  the  year 
181 7,  and  became  one  of  the  ablest  and  most  successful  members  of 
the  profession  in  the  northern  part  of  the  state.  He  accumulated  a 
large  estate,  leaving  at  his  death  a  property  worth  nearly  half  a  mil- 
lion of  dollars. 

At  the  bar  he  was  among  the  ablest  practitioners;  in  appearance 
he  was  unusually  prepossessing.  He  was  tall  and  finely  proportioned, 
with  a  well  developed  brain.     He  possessed  a  subtle  discrimination 


220  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

and  seized  the  strong  points  of  an  intricate  case  almost  by  intuition; 
his  presentment  of  these  points  to  the  court  was  as  clear  and  patent 
as  they  were  in  his  own  conception.  In  the  argument  of  a  case,  his 
carefully  prepared  brief  cited  authorities  to  plainly  and  strongly  sus- 
tain every  proposition  he  undertook  to  establish. '  But  he  owed  his 
success  more  to  his  natural  gifts  than  to  his  extensive  reading.  He 
wasnot  a  studious  man,  either  in  law  or  literature;  he  relied  upon  his 
instinctive  knowledge  of  human  nature,  which  was  strongly  re-enforced 
by  his  acute  observation  of  men.  This  natural  gift  of  reading  a 
man's  character  was  of  great  advantage  to  him,  not  only  in  his  deal- 
ings with  his  clients,  but  in  defending  them  or  enforcing  their  claims 
before  the  court. 

Colonel  Irby  was  a  member  of  the  South  Carolina  convention  which 
met  in  1851  to  consider  the  subject  of  the  secession  of  the  state  from 
the  Union.  _  His  love  of  that  Union,  inherited  from  his  forefathers  of 
the  Revolution  and  his  naturally  conservative  ideas,  led  him  to  oppose 
secession.  He  owned  a  large  plantation,  upon  which  he  employed  a 
great  number  of  slaves,  and  self-interest  as  well  as  his  Union-loving 
instincts,  led  him  to  oppose  the  secession  movement.  In  this  action 
he  was  strongly  seconded  by  Judge  Orr,  who  was  an  associate  mem- 
ber in  the  same  convention.  In  the  later  convention  which  met  to 
pass  the  secession  ordinance,  the  counsels  of  men  like  Irby  and  Orr 
were  overborne,  and  when  that  conclusion  was  reached  as  the  sense 
of  the  majority,  none  defended  the  cause  of  the  state  with  more  true 
valor  or  discretion  than  they. 

Colonel  Irby,  with  all  his  bright  natural  gifts,  was  so  averse  to  read- 
ing and  study  that  his  acquirements  almost  bordered  upon  illiteracy, 
and  many  amusing  anecdotes  are  told  of  him  illustrating  his  lack 
of  a  knowledge  of  books,  by  which  he  was  led  into  ludicrous  blunders 
—  one  in  particular  in  which  he  made  a  familiar  quotation  from 
Shakespeare,  in  an  argument  before  a  jury,  giving  the  Bible  as  his 
authority,  to  the  infinite  amusement  of  his  better-read  associates  at 
the  bar.  But  in  spite  of  this  lack  of  study,  his  associates  knew  and 
felt  his  power  and  success  as  an  advocate,  which  often  proved  more 
than  a  match  for  their  greater  erudition. 

GENERAL  JAMES  W.  MOORE 

was  born  at  Coosawhatchie,  then  the  county  seat  of  Beaufort  dis- 
trict, S.  C,  February  25,  1837.  He  received  a  primary  education  at 
the  Beaufort  di'strict  academy,  in  Gillisonville,  under  an  able  instruc- 
tional board,  and  afterward  entered  the  University  of  Georgia,  from 
whirli  he  was  graduated  at  the  age  of  nineteen  years,  taking  the  first 
honors  of  his  class.  In  January,  185Q,  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar 
and  soon  after  began  the  practice  of  law  in  partnership  with  Fran- 
cis W.  Fickling,  opening  an  office  at  Gillisonville,  then  the  court 
house  of  Beaufort  district.  licfore  he  hatl  fairly  set  out  in  business 
the  Civil  war  began  and  he  at  once  put  aside  his  legal  authorities, 


I 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  221 

exchanged  the  pen  for  the  sword  and  volunteered  in  defense  of  the 
Confederate  cause.  He  joined  the  Beaufort  district  troop  of  cavalry 
as  a  private.  He  had  a  thorough  knowledge  of  military  tactics  and 
was  appointed  drill-master  of  his  troop,  which  went  to  Virginia  as 
a  part  of  the  Hampton  legion.  Whenever  vacancies  occurred  in  his 
company  he  was  promoted  and  was  finally  appointed  adjutant  by 
Gen.  M.  C.  Butler.  He  was  an  active  participant  in  the  important 
battles  of  Virginia,  Maryland  and  Pennsylvania;  his  men  were  de- 
voted to  him,  and  the  wounds  he  carries  on  his  person  testify  to  his 
courage  and  devotion  to  the  cause  for  which  he  fought.  When  the 
war  was  over.  Gen.  Moore  returned  to  the  practice  of  the  law,  and 
he  has  ever  since  had  a  large  clientage  and  is  held  as  one  of  the  fore- 
most lawyers  of  the  Hampton  bar.  He  was  a  member  of  the  house 
of  representatives  in  1865-6,  but  re-construction  for  a  time  suspended 
his  political  career.  His  sterling  qualities  as  a  political  leader 
prompted  the  republicans  to  make  overtures  to  him,  but  he  immedi- 
ately rejected  their  solicitations.  In  1876  he  was  a  leader  for  the  re- 
demption of  the  state  from  negro  rule,  but  overwork  in  the  cause 
brought  on  an  illness  which  came  near  putting  a  premature  end  to 
his  useful  life.  In  the  formation  of  Hampton  county  he  was  one  of 
the  prime  movers,  and  he  has  been  chosen  to  represent  it  in  the  state 
senate,  in  which  he  rendered  distinguished  service,  both  to  the  county' 
and  state.  Gen.  Moore  was  a  delegate  to  the  Chicago  convention  in 
1884,  from  the  second  congressional  district,  which  putGrover  Cleve- 
land, of  whom  he  was  an  enthusiastic  supporter,  in  nomination  for 
president.  In  1886  he  conducted  the  democratic  campaign,  as  chair- 
man of  the  state  e.xecutive  committee.  He  also  did  efficient  work  in 
1888,  the  new  executive  committee  having  been  appointed  at  such  a 
late  day  as  to  leave  the  brunt  of  the  battle  in  that  campaign  for  Gen. 
Moore.  In  1890  he  was  re-elected  to  the  state  senate  for  his  fourth 
term,  in  spite  of  the  fact  that  he  was  before  the  people  as  an  anti- 
Tillman  man,  in  a  strong  Tillman  county.  He  has  been  chairman  of  the 
military  committee  of  the  senate  continuously  for  thirteen  years,  and 
has  worked  very  hard  to  build  up  the  system  of  volunteer  troops  in 
the  state.  Much  of  the  efficiency  of  the  state  military  is  due  to  his 
labors  in  their  behalf.  He  is  senior  major-general  in  the  state,  and 
commanded  the  magnificent  military  parade  at  the  Columbia  cen- 
tennial in  May,  1S91.  In  1868  Gen.  Moore  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Miss  Cornelia  E.  Tillinghast,  daughter  of  Robert  Tillinghast,  a 
distinguished  lawyer  of  Beaufort  district,  who  represented  his  dis- 
trict in  the  house  and  senate  repeatedly.  They  have  had  three 
children,  two  of  whom,  Mary  Woodbury  and  Lucy  Cornelia,  survive. 
Gen.  Moore's  father  was  John  Moore,  born  in  Peterborough,  N.  H., 
January  20,  1804.  He  came  to  South  Carolina  when  only  fourteen 
years  of  age,  living  in  Beaufort  with  his  uncle,  John  Ferguson.  John 
Moore  was  married  in  1829,  to  Sabrina  W.  Beard,  a  niece  of  Hon. 
Levi  Woodbury,  of  New  Hampshire,  and  they  had  eight  children, 
five  of  whom  survive.  Gen.  James  W.  Moore  was  the  fourth  in  the 
order  of  birth. 


222  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 


PATRICK  NOBLE 


was  born  In  Abbeville  district,  S.  C,  in  the  year  17S7.  He  was  fitted  for 
college  under  the  instruction  of  the  celebrated  educator,  Dr.  Waddell. 
In  the  latter  part  of  1804  he  entered  Princeton  college,  and  graduated 
from  that  institution  in  1806,  probably  having  entered  the  junior  class. 
John  C.  Calhoun  was  his  law  preceptor,  and  he  was  admitted  to  the 
bar  in  1809,  immediately  entering  into  partnership  with  Mr.  Calhoun 
and  practicing  at  the  Abbeville  bar.  The  firm  practiced  together  till 
the  senior  partner  was  elected  to  congress  in  1810. 

In  1S14,  Mr.  Noble  was  elected  a  member  of  the  house  of  repre- 
sentatives of  South  Carolina,  which  position  he  held  for  the  succeed- 
ing ten  years.  At  the  session  of  1818  he  was  elected  speaker  of  the 
house,  and  was  re-elected  to  that  position  for  the  next  three  legisla- 
tive terms.  He  was  an  excellent  parliamentarian,  using  his  official 
prerogative  in  a  way  to  facilitate  business,  preserve  the  strictest  order 
with  a  good-natured  dignity,  and  render  his  decisions  in  an  impartial 
way.  At  this  point  he  desired  to  retire  from  official  life,  but  in  1832 
he  was  again  elected  a  member  of  the  house,  and  at  the  next  session 
was  again  chosen  speaker.  In  1S36  he  represented  Abbeville  county 
in  the  state  senate,  and  was  immediately  called  to  the  presidency  of 
that  body.  He  held  that  honorable  position,  presiding  over  the  sen- 
ate with  the  same  ability  that  characterized  his  speakership  in  the 
lower  house.  His  presidency  over  the  senate  lasted  until  1838,  when 
he  was  called  to  preside  over  the  state  at  large  as  its  chief  magistrate. 
But  he  was  not  spared  to  administer  his  full  term  as  governor.  He 
died  April  7,  1840.  His  wife  had  preceded  him  to  the  tomb  some 
years,  leaving  with  him  a  family  of  five  sons  and  two  daughters. 

Governor  Noble,  though  not  what  the  world  calls  a  great  man, 
was  the  possessor  of  such  good  and  substantial  qualities  as  to  win  for 
him  the  highest  respect  of  his  fellow  citizens.  Throughout  his  offi- 
cial career  he  preserved  an  exalted  moral  standard,  never  swerving 
from  the  path  of  a  high  personal  rectitude.  His  public  speeches  and 
legal  pleas  were  characterized  more  for  their  strong  common  sense 
and  directness  than  for  oratorical  ornamentation,  and  were  better  cal- 
culated to  inform  and  convince  than  to  rouse  and  entertain. 

One  of  his  associates  of  the  legal  profession.  Chancellor  Bowie, 
of  Alabama,  has  drawn  his  characteristics  in  apt  and  appropriate 
terms.  He  said  of  him:  "  His  mind  was  rather  more  practical  than 
brilliant.  He  had  little  imagination,  but  a  retentive  memory.  He 
was  a  well-read  lawyer,  and  without  brilliant  parts  he  was  a  safe  coun- 
selor. He  was  one  of  the  most  amiable  of  men  I  have  ever  known. 
What  he  was  one  day  you  were  sure  to  find  him  on  the  next.  I  never 
saw  him  out  of  humor,  and  he  was  my  intimate  friend  and  associate 
from  our  boyhood  to  near  the  close  of  his  life.  With  the  people  he 
was  always  popular,  and  the  steadiness  and  uniformity  of  his  princi- 
ples and  character,  made  that  ]}opularity  fixed  and  durable.  His 
moral  character  was  without  a  blot." 

Another  of  his  intimate  associates,  Gov.  McDuffie,  held  him  in 


I 


SOUTH    CARULINA.  223 

such  high  estimation  that  he  dictated  the  following  noble  tribute  to 
be  engraved,  as  a  lasting  memorial,  upon  his  tomb:  "As  a  public 
man  he  was  distinguished  by  moderation  resulting  from  a  mild  and 
even  temperament,  and  by  firmness  of  purpose  proceeding  from  a 
high  sense  of  duty  and  a  sound  judgment,  drawing  its  conclusions  from 
careful  and  dispassionate  examination.  In  all  the  relations  of  private 
life  he  was  singularly  exemplary,  and  in  public  and  in  private,  such 
was  the  unblemished  purity  of  his  character,  that  both  friends  and 
opponents  would  concur  in  inscribing  on  his  tomb,  'Here  lie  the  bones 
of  an  honest  man.'  " 

In  September,  iSi6,  Mr.  Noble  was  joined  in  marriage  with  Miss 
Elizabeth  Pickens,  daughter  of  Ezekiel  Pickens,  and  granddaughter 
of  Gen.  Andrew  Pickens.  She  was  a  noble  woman  and  a  faithful 
wife.  The  exact  date  of  her  death  is  not  found  in  any  of  the  biog- 
raphies we  have  been  able  to  consult,  but,  as  before  stated,  she  died 
some  years  before  her  honored  husband. 

HON.  DAVID  EDWARD  FINLEY. 

The  Hon.  David  Edward  Finley,  one  of  the  most  eminent  mem- 
bers of  the  York  county,  S.  C,  bar,  is  the  youngest  of  a  family  of 
eight  children,  and  the  only  survivor.  He  was  born  February  28th, 
1861,  in  Phillips  count3^  Ark.,  to  which  place  his  father,  David  M. 
Finley,  and  his  mother,  whose  maiden  name  was  Elizabeth  Mcllwain, 
emigrated  from  York  county  eleven  years  before.  Young  Finley 
was  left  an  orphan  at  such  a  tender  age  that  he  does  not  remember 
his  parents.  His  mother  died  when  he  was  eight  months  old,  and  his 
father  followed  her  to  the  grave  less  than  twelve  months  later.  After 
a  few  years  among  strangers,  in  1865,  he  was  adopted  by  his  maternal 
aunt,  Mary  Campbell,  who,  with  her  husband,  John  Campbell,  lived 
at  Rock  Plill,  S.  C.  The  estimable  pair  were  childless,  and  gave  their 
protege  all  the  tender  care  that  would  have  been  bestowed  upon 
their  own  child.  Under  their  teaching  he  was  religiously  instructed 
in  all  the  duties  and  responsibilities  of  life,  and  grew  up  to  manhood 
fully  endowed  with  those  qualities  of  courage  and  self-reliance  so 
characteristic  of  his  Scotch-Irish  origin.  Under  able  instuctors,  in- 
cluding the  Rev.  J.  C.  Burge  and  Capt.  B.  P.  Alston,  he  was  thor- 
oughly drilled  in  all  the  academic  branches,  and  in  1S86  he  was 
graduated  from  the  University  of  South  Carolina  with  the  degree 
of  LL.  B.  Then  locating  in  Yorkville,  he  entered  upon  the  prac- 
tice of  his  profession,  and  a  career  of  success  which  at  once  placed 
him  in  the  front  rank  with  the  most  prominent  and  progressive  citizens 
of  his  county.  Places  of  honor  and  trust  have  come  to  him  rapidly. 
First,  he  was  elected  a  member  of  the  city  council;  then  a  member 
of  the  county  board  of  school  examiners;  then  a  member  of  the 
board  of  trustees  of  the  Yorkville  graded  schools;  then  attorney  for 
the  board  of  county  commissioners  of  York  county;  secretary  and 
treasurer  of  the  county  democratic  executive  committee;  a  member 
of  the  state  democratic  executive  committee;  a  member  of  the  South 


224  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

Carolina  house  of  representatives,  and  here,  besides  being  appointed 
on  various  important  committees,  including  the  ways  and  means,  as 
an  able  and  zealous  champion  of  education,  he  was  elected  a  mem- 
ber of  the'board  of  trustees  of  the  South  Carolina  university.  Mr. 
Finley  is  a  ruling  elder  in  the  Associate  Reformed  Presbyterian 
church,  and  is  also  an  officer  in  the  Masonic  lodge  of  Yorkville,  .S.  C. 
On  the  Qth  day  of  October,  iSSg,  he  was  married  to  Miss  Bessie  L. 
Gist,  daughter  of  the  late  William  C.  Gist,  of  Union,  S.  C,  and  the 
marriage  has  resulted  in  the  birth  of  one  child,  a  son.  As  a  lawyer, 
Mr.  Finley  is  fearless,  astute  and  persistent.  Enlisted  for  once,  he  is 
enlisted  for  the  war,  and  he  never  gives  up  a  hght  so  long  as  success 
is  within  the  possibility  of  earnest  endeavor.  This  record  in  the 
past  prestiges  a  career  of  great  achievements  which  can  only  be 
modified  by  the  splendid  health  and  strength  with  which  he  is  at 
present  blessed. 

HON.  JAMES  F.  HART. 

The  Hon.  James  F.  Hart  was  born  in  Union  county,  S.  C,  Febru- 
ary 13,  1S37,  the  son  of  John  Hart.  The  family  is  of  English  origin, 
the  first  emigrant  of  that  name  having  come  from  London,  England. 
He  came  with  a  colony  that  settled  in  Pennsylvania.  Josiah  Hart, 
one  of  the  descendants,  came  to  South  Carolina  about  the  year  1752, 
and  located  in  Union  county.  His  son,  Thomas,  was  the  father  of 
John  Hart,  the  father  of  our  subject.  The  latter  gentleman  was  a 
farmer  in  Union  county,  where  he  was  born.  Miss  Elizabeth  Greer, 
also  a  native  of  that  county,  became  his  wife.  She  was  the  daughter 
of  Rev.  Thomas  Greer,  a  Baptist  divine,  who  came  from  the  north  of 
Ireland  with  his  parents  when  a  lad.  Two  of  his  brothers  were  sol- 
diers under  Sumter  during  the  Revolution.  John  and  Elizabeth 
Hart  had  three  sons  and  a  daughter  to  survive  to  maturity:  Will- 
iam was  an  officer  of  the  Fifteenth  South  Carolina  regiment,  and  was 
killed  at  Gettysburg;  another,  Thomas  by  name,  is  a  citizen  of 
Union  county,  and  the  third  son  .is  our  subject.  Mr.  Hart  laid  the 
foundation  for  his  education  in  the  old  field  schools  near  his  father's 
home.  His  father  died  when  the  boy  was  but  seven  years  of  age,  and 
he  was  thrown  upon  his  own  resources  at  an  early  age.  Obtaining 
an  appointment  to  the  South  Carolina  military  academy  as  a  benefi- 
ciary, he  was  graduated  therefrom  in  1S57,  and  after  his  graduation 
became  a  teacher,  and  continued  in  that  calling  until  1859.  He  then 
began  the  study  of  law  in  the  law  office  of  B.  ¥.  Arthur,  Esq.,  of  Union, 
and  in  May,  i860,  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar  before  the  court  of  ap- 
peals. At  this  time  Mr.  Hart  located  at  Union  with  the  intention  of 
practicing  his  profession,  but  the  dark  days  of  the  Civil  war  were  at 
hand,  and  in  December,  i860.  Gov.  Pickens  appointed  him  a  lieuten- 
ant of  engineers  of  the  state  military  service.  Just  after  the  bom- 
bardment of  Sumter  he  was  offered  the  command  of  the  Washington 
artillery,  but  refused,  and  the  office  was  given  to  .St(;phen  B.  Lee, 
with  Mr.  Hart  as  second  in  command  with  the  rank  of  senior  first 


a^^ 


s;^. 


¥ 


-^  ^^/<iAA-i^^-»z-*-^^ 


r" 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  225 

lieutenant.  In  November,  1861,  he  was  given  command  of  what 
afterward  became  Hart's  famous  battery.  In  July,  1862,  his  battery 
was  selected  by  the  secretary  of  war  of  the  Confederate  States 
to  be  converted  into  flying  artillery  to  operate  with  cavalry  in  the 
army  of  northern  V^irginia.  This  battery  was  in  over  100  engage- 
ments during  the  four  years'  struggle,  and  it  won  for  itself  a  name, 
and  for  its  officers  and  men  a  reputation  that  has  become  a  part  of 
the  history  of  the  war.  In  1864  he  was  promoted  to  the  rank  of 
major  and  given  a  battalion  of  horse  artillery.  Before  assuming 
this  command  he  was  wounded  at  Burgess's  Mills,  near  Petersburg, 
Va.,  in  October,  1864,  and  the  amputation  of  his  right  leg  was  ren- 
dered necessary  in  consequence.  This  compelled  his  retirement 
from  the  field,  and  Maj.  Hart  remained  at  home  until  I""ebruary,  1865, 
when  he  returned  to  the  army,  crippled  as  he  was,  to  aid  Gen.  Hamp- 
ton, who  was  then  retreating  before  Sherman  in  North  Carolina. 
Upon  his  return  to  the  service  he  was  to  receive  a  high  rank  in  com- 
mand of  artillery,  but  at  that  time  all  was  in  confusion,  and  conse- 
quently he  retained  only  the  rank  of  major  of  artillery,  and  the  war 
soon  after  closed.  Mr.  Hart  returned  to  Yorkville,  where,  in  1863, 
he  had  married  Miss  Jennie  M.  Ratchford.  In  1883,  Mrs.  Hart  died, 
leaving  six  children.  For  the  year  following  his  return  from  the  war 
Maj.  Hart  engaged  in  teaching,  but  subsequently  he  formed  a  part- 
nership with  Messrs.  C.  D.  and  .Samuel  Melton,  in  the  practice  of  the 
law.  For  two  years  they  were  associated  together,  after  which  Mr. 
Hart  continued  alone  until  1876,.  when  Mr.  George  W.  S.  Hart  be- 
came his  partner.  In  1881  our  subject  was  appointed  one  of  three 
commissioners,  the  other  two  being  Judge  Simonton  and  William  H. 
Parker,  to  digest  and  codify  the  statute  law  of  South  Carolina,  and 
this  work  was  successfully  accomplished  and  reported  in  December, 
1881.  In  1882  he  was  elected  to  fill  the  unexpired  term  of  I.  D. 
Witherspoon,  in  the  senate,  and  in  1888  he  was  a  delegate  at  large 
from  his  state  to  the  national  democratic  convention  at  St.  Louis. 
Always  an  enthusiast  in  public  education,  Mr.  Hart  originated  an 
act,  and  assisted  in  its  passage  through  the  legislature,  providing  for 
a  system  of  graded  schools  for  both  black  and  white  in  Yorkville; 
and  he  has  ever  been  a  faithful  church  worker,  being  a  communicant 
of  the  Presbj'terian  church.  He  is  a  lawyer  of  unusual  ability,  and 
his  immense  practice  fully  attests  the  esteem  in  which  he  is  held.  As 
a  soldier  he  was  valiant  and  true,  and  the  command  which  bore  his 
name  will  go  down  into  historj-  as  one  of  the  noblest  in  the  cause  of 
the  south. 

HON.  W.  BLACKBURN  WILSON,  JR., 

was  born  at  Yorkville,  S.  C,  on  the  12th  of  January,  1850.  His  schol- 
astic training  was  had  at  the  hands  of  such  noted  educators  as  Rev. 
Dr.  Lathan,  and  the  late  Prof.  William  Currell,  and  subsequently  at 
Kings  Mountain  military  school,  from  which  he  was  graduated  in 
1867.  He  then  entered  the  University  of  South  Carolina,  and  com- 
pleted his  course  there,  graduating  in  1869.  In  January,  1871,  he  was 
A— 15 


226  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

admitted  to  the  bar,  and  in  the  fall  of  that  year  went  to  Texas,  but 
returned  to  Yorkville  in  the  latter  part  of  1873.  At  this  time  Mr. 
Wilson  became  associated  with  his  father,  Col.  W.  B.  Wilson,  Sr., 
in  the  practice  of  law,  and  although  he  removed  to  the  city  of  Rock 
Hill,  in  February,  1876,  the  firm  still  exists,  with  the  offices  at  York- 
ville. He  has  met  with  marked  success  in  both  civil  and  criminal 
practice,  and  his  standing  as  a  lawyer  is  best  evidenced  by  his  em- 
ployment in  nearly  ever}'  case  of  importance  arising  within  his  sec- 
tion of  the  state.  In  1876  the  young  lawyer  became  a  champion, 
valiant  and  true,  of  pure  government,  and  his  exertions  in  behalf  of 
that  end,  were  brilliant  and  followed  by  honor  to  himself.  His  ser- 
vices and  ability  were  recognized  by  the  people  in  1884,  when  he 
was  elected  a  member  of  the  state  legislature.  He  was  re-elected  in 
1886,  at  the  head  of  the  legislative  ticket,  and  in  1888,  was  elected  to 
the  state  senate.  He  has  always  taken  an  active  part  in  the  pro- 
ceedings of  the  legislature,  both  in  the  committee  rooms  and  upon  the 
floors  of  the  house  and  senate,  and  his  record  has  met  with  the  uni- 
versal endorsement  of  his  constituents.  He  is  at  present  a  member 
of  the  senate  committees  on  judiciary,  privileges  and  elections,  chari- 
table institutions,  enrolled  acts,  corporations  and  claims.  Mr.  Wilson 
is  a  member  of  the  State  Bar  association,  being  regarded  as  one  of  its 
most  honored  and  efficient  members,  and  he  is  also  a  Master  Mason. 
In  December,  1875,  he  was  married  to  Miss  Isabella  H.  Miller,  a 
daughter  of  Dr.  W.  R.  Miller,  of  Raleigh,  N.  C,  and  they  are  the 
parents  of  eight  children.  Both  Senator  and  Mrs.  Wilson  are  valued 
communicants  of  the  Episcopal  church. 

HON.  WILLIAM  B.  McCAW, 

son  of  the  late  Honorable  Robert  Gadsden  McCaw,  was  born  on  the 
22d  day  of  August,  1857.  He  obtained  his  early  academical  instruc- 
tion under  such  able  educators  as  William  Currell  and  Octavius  T. 
Porcher,  of  Willington.  Entering  the  University  of  the  South,  at 
Sewanee,  Tenn.,  he  applied  himself  assiduously  to  his  course,  and 
was  graduated  from  that  institution  in  1876.  Having  thoroughly 
prepared  himself  for  the  profession  of  his  choice,  the  law,  Mr.  Mc- 
Caw entered  upon  the  study  of  that  science,  in  the  law  office  of 
Edward  Noble,  Esq.,  of  Abbeville,  soon  after  his  graduation.  In 
1879,  he  came  before  the  supreme  court  of  South  Carolina,  as  an 
applicant  for  admission  to  the  bar,  and  acquitted  himself  with  honor. 
Since  that  time,  he  has  been  engaged  in  the  active  pursuit  of  his  pro- 
fession, and,  to-day,  is  recognized  as  one  of  the  ablest  lawyers  of  the 
state.  In  the  year  1888,  his  qualifications  as  a  lawyer,  were  recog- 
nized by  the  people  of  York  county,  and,  in  that  year,  he  was  sent  to 
the  state  legislature,  as  a  member  of  the  lower  house.  His  career, 
in  that  assembly,  was  marked  by  faithfulness  to  his  trust,  and  proved 
him  a  man  as  capable  of  framing  laws,  as  of  interpreting  them.  His 
refusal  to  allow  his  name  to  be  placed  in  nomination,  for  a  second 
term    was  generally  regretted  by  his  constituents.     Miss  Emma  C. 


I 


U^rU,^f'/^^^^ 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  22/ 

LeSassicr,  of  New  Orleans,  La.,  a  lady  of  much  refinement  and  cul- 
ture, became  his  wife,  on  the  24th  of  November,  1S85. 

HON.  GEORGE  WASHINGTON  WILLIAMS. 

The  Hon.  George  Washington  Williams,  one  of  the  ablest  lawyers 
who  ever  practiced  at  the  South  Carolina  bar,  was  a  native  of  Lan- 
caster county,  having  been  born  there  December  27th,  1808.  He  was 
the  son  of  Fowler  Williams,  who  was  born  in  Fauquier  county,  Va.,  of 
Welsh  and  Scotch-Irish  lineage.  He  came  to  the  Palmetto  state 
about  the  year  1800,  and  settled  in  Lancaster  county,  where  he  was  at 
first  engaged  in  teaching  school,  but  subsequently  became  a  planter, 
in  which  he  was  engaged  at  the  time  of  his  demise.  The  subject  of 
this  mention  was  reared  on  his  father's  extensive  plantation,  and  his 
first  schooling  was  had  under  his  father's  tutelage.  Later  he  entered 
the  classical  school  taught  by  Rev.  Meshat,  of  Statesville,  N.  C,  and 
subsequently  became  a  student  in  the  excellent  academy  at  Ebenezer, 
S.  C,  then  under  the  principalship  of  the  Rev.  Eleazer  Harris.  In 
1825  he  entered  the  South  Carolina  college,  from  which  institution  he 
graduated  in  1827  with  second  honors.  He  then  began  the  study  of 
law  under  Col.  Thomas  Williams,  at  that  time  a  resident  of  York- 
ville,  but  subsequently  of  Alabama,  and  in  December,  1830,  was  ad- 
mitted to  the  bar.  At  this  time  a  partnership  for  the  practice  of  law 
was  formed  between  Mr.  Williams  and  his  preceptor  at  Yorkville,  but 
five  years  later  was  dissolved.  At  different  times  thereafter  he  was 
associated  with  Gen.  J.  A.  Alston,  afterward  president  of  the  Mount 
Zion  college,  and  also  with  the  late  William  J.  Clawson  and  Col.  W.  C. 
Beatty.  Mr.  Williams  was  a  member  of  the  South  Carolina  legisla- 
ture from  1836  to  1856,  a  period  of  twenty  years,  and  his  term  of  office 
only  terminated  when  he  declined  further  election.  While  absent  in 
Virginia  in  1S62,  he  was  again  chosen  a  member  of  that  assembly, but 
at  the  close  of  his  term  in  1864,  declined  to  allow  his  name  to  be 
placed  in  nomination.  In  1865  he  was  elected  to  represent  his  county 
in  the  state  senate  and  served  in  that  capacity  vmtil  the  re-construction. 
In  1S68  he  was  elected  judge  for  the  Sixth  circuit,  but  on  account  of 
advancing  years  he  was  afraid  that  he  could  not  do  the  office  justice 
and  so  refused  it.  In  1833  he  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Sarah 
Beatty,  a  daughter  of  Capt.  John  Beatty,  and  their  union  was  blessed 
by  the  birth  of  three  sons  and  three  daughters,  of  whom  but  two  now 
survive,  viz.:  W.  B.  Williams,  the  present  auditor  of  York  county,  and 
Mrs.  I.  D.  Witherspoon,  of  Yorkville.  The  demise  of  this  distin- 
guished man  occurred  in  1868,  on  the  2d  of  December.  The  history 
of  his  career  will  be  a  lasting  and  noble  heritage  for  the  coming 
generations. 

COLONEL   W.   B.   WILSON 

was  born  in  Columbia,  S.  C,  April  5,  1827.  His  father  was  the  Rev. 
William  Stanyarne  Wilson,  and  his  mother  a  daughter  of  George 
Blackburn,  LL.  D.,  who  was  at  one  time  professor  of  astronomy  and 


228  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

mathematics  in  William  and  Mary's  college,  Virginia,  and  later,  pro- 
fessor of  the  same  sciences  in  South  Carolina  college.  Receiving  his 
preparatory  education  in  Cokesburj'  institute,  Abbeville  county.  Col. 
Wilson  entered  the  South  Carolina  college  as  a  sophomore  in  Octo- 
ber, 1843,  and  was  graduated  with  first  appointment  in  December, 
1846.  As  the  valedictorian  of  his  class,  he  acquitted  himself  with  such 
distinction  that  the  honor  has  never  been  lost  sight  of.  He  took  a 
post-graduate  course  and  received  the  degree  of  A.  M.,  and  in  the 
meantime  studied  law  with  the  late  Chancellor  Caldwell,  and  was  ad- 
mitted to  practice  in  May,  1848.  Col.  Wilson  located  at  this  time  in 
Yorkville,  beginning  the  practice  of  his  profession  with  Col.  I.  D. 
Witherspoon,  with  whom  he  was  associated  until  the  death  of  that  gen- 
tleman. He  then  formed  a  partnership  with  I.  D. Witherspoon,  Jr.,  now 
judge  of  the  Sixth  circuit.  Upon  the  admission  to  the  bar  of  the  Hon. 
W.  B.  Wilson,  Jr.,  the  present  eminent  law  firm  of  Wilson  &  Wilson 
was  established.  In  i860,  upon  the  occasion  of  the  anniversary  of  the 
battle  of  Fort  Moultrie,  Col.  Wilson  delivered  an  oration  suitable  to 
the  event  to  a  vast  audience  in  Charleston.  At  the  conclusion  of  the 
address,  the  eloquent  speaker  was  accorded  an  ovation  by  the  enthus- 
iastic audience.  December  7,  1869,  he  delivered  the  annual  oration 
before  the  Clariosophic  and  Euphradian  societies  of  the  South  Caro- 
lina university,  and  another  address  nine  years  later,  upon  the  same 
anniversary,  before  the  re-united  class  of  1846,  which  resulted  in  the 
organization  of  the  alumni  association  of  the  college.  Subsequently, 
he  delivered  an  oration  before  that  body  on  the  floor  of  the  house  of 
representatives,  and  another  memorable  speech  was  one  made  before 
the  graduating  class  of  the  Reidville  academy,  the  trustees  of  the  insti- 
tution paying  him  the  compliment  of  having  the  oration  published. 
Col.  Wilson  has  been  elected  to  represent  his  county  in  the  legislature 
three  times  by  the  almost  unanimous  vote  of  the  people.  In  1853  he 
was  elected,  to  that  body  at  the  head  of  his  ticket,  and  in  1S60  was 
sent,  at  the  head  of  the  ticket,  to  the  state  convention  which  adopted 
the  ordinance  of  secession.  In  1882,  he  was  again  accorded  the  honor 
of  election  to  the  legislature  at  the  head  of  the  ticket.  Entering  the 
Confederate  army  as  a'  private,  he  served  for  nine  months  in  the 
Beaufort  artillery;  was  promoted  to  the  captaincy  of  a  color  com- 
pany in  the  Seventeenth  regiment,  and  was  subsequently  commis- 
sioned colonel  of  the  Seventh  South  Carolina  regiment;  was  then 
made  acting  brigadier-general,  and  at  the  close  of  the  war  held  the 
rank  of  adjutant  of  the  third  military  district.  Col.  Wilson  has  been 
most  happy  in  his  domestic  relations.  In  April,  1S4Q,  he  married 
Miss  Arah  M.  Lowry,  and  ten  children  were  born  to  them,  of  whom 
five  sons  and  one  daughter  are  living.  Mrs.  Wilson  died  in  1869,  and 
he  subsequently  married  Miss  Annie  Latta,  by  whom  he  has  had  four 
children,  of  whom  two  daughters  survive.  The  Rev.  William  .Stan- 
yarne  Wilson  was  born  and  reared  on  Johns  Island,  S.  C.  At  one 
time  Col.  Wilson  was  the  only  Episcopalian  in  York  county,  but  under 
Divine  Providence  secured  the  erection  of  the  first  church  of  that  de- 
nomination in  Yorkville,  known  as  the  Good  .Shepherd,  and  did  much 


I 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  229 

for  his  Master  on  earth  by  his  untiring  efforts  and  godly  life.  For 
thirty-three  years  a  warden  of  the  church,  he  officiated  as  superin- 
tendent of  the  Sunday-school  for  eleven  years.  His  grandfather  was 
John  Wilson,  of  English  parentage.  The  Stanyarne  family  came  to 
South  Carolina  with  Gov.  Sayles,  and  it  was  through  his  father's 
mother  that  he  was  connected  with  this  family.  She  was  the  daugh- 
ter of  William  Stanyarne,  of  Johns  Island,  and  niece  of  John  Stan- 
yarne, of  James  Island,  S.  C. 

THOMAS  J.  WITHERS 

was  born  in  1S04,  at  Ebenezer,  York  county,  about  three  miles  from 
the  present  town  of  Rock  Hill.  His  father,  Randolph,  came  to  South 
Carolina  from  Virginia,  and  his  mother,  a  Miss  Bailey,  was  also  a 
Virginian.  His  parents,  in  their  new  settlement,  were  prosperous, 
and  reared  a  family  of  nine  children,  giving  them  all  a  liberal  educa- 
tion. Thomas  Jefferson  was  the  eldest.  As  a  boy,  he  went  to  school 
at  Ebenezer  academy,  and  prepared  for  college  at  Yorkville.  He 
gave  great  promise  from  an  early  age.  Later,  he  entered  the  South 
Carolina  college,  and  completed  the  course,  in  1828,  with  second 
honor,  under  the  drawback  of  a  serious  illness,  which  induced  tem- 
porary deafness.  Soon  after  graduating,  he  was  offered  charge  of 
the  Telescope,  a  paper  published  in  Columbia,  which  he  edited  with 
brilliancy  and  success,  meantime,  devoting  himself  to  the  study  of 
law.  In  this  early  part  of  his  career,  he  had  a  valuable  mentor  in 
Judge  William  Smith,  then  United  States  senator,  and  a  warm  friend 
in  Stephen  D.  Miller  —  soon  afterward  the  rival  and  successor  of 
Judge  Smith.  His  relations  with  both  were  cordial  and  confidential, 
but  independent.  Shortly,  as  a  journalist,  he  was  forced  to  choose 
between  the  two,  or  compromise  the  principles  of  his  paper,  which  he 
was  not  likely  to  do.  He  had  been  a  pronounced  advocate  of  nulli- 
fication, and  the  Telescope  had  been  conducted  vigorously  on  that  line. 
When,  therefore,  in  1830,  Gov.  Miller  was  put  forward  by  the  nullifica- 
tion party,  against  Judge  Smith,  for  the  senate,  he  resigned  the  editor- 
ship, rather  than  take  part  against  his  old  friend.  Miller  was  elected 
by  a  few  votes,  a  triumph  for  nullification  doctrine,  which  was  in  the 
ascendant  in  South  Carolina.  At  this  period  his  letters  to  Stephen 
p.  Miller,  which  were  carefully  preserved,  by  the  latter,  contain  , 
items  of  historical  interest,  and,  in  some  degree,  reveal  the  person- 
ality of  their  author.  In  1828,  he  writes,  just  after  taking  charge  of 
the  Telescope:  "  The  paper  will  not  forego  its  radical  propensities, 
but  must,  henceforth,  speak  editorially  my  own  language  only.  You 
have,  probably,  observed  a  hasty  sketch  of  the  principles  which  I  lay 
down  for  myself,  in  my  new  capacity.  I  have  delivered,  solely,  my 
own  sentiments,  without  advice  or  consultation  with  any  human 
being."  Miller,  being  then  engaged  in  the  canvass  for  governor, 
receives  this  from  him:  "  The  use  of  our  columns  will  be  yielded  to 
you  and  your  friends,  to  any  reasonable  extent;  but  I  would  not 
choose  to  enlist  the  paper  in  the  contest  for  the  governorship,  at  all." 


230  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

In  1829,  he  writes  from  Washington,  and  gives,  at  length,  the  substance 
of  an  interview,  in  Richmond,  with  Gov.  Giles  of  Virginia.  It  would 
seem  that  he  had  been  sent  out  by  Gov.  Miller,  to  reconnoitre  the 
situation  in  that  state,  with  regard  to  nullification.  He  reports 
among  other  things  :  "Gov.  Giles  (being  ill)  received  me  in  his  bed 
chamber,  and  allowed  me  the  benefit  of  his  conversational  powers, 
which,  really,  are  astonishingly  great,  with  respect  to  the  probable 
co-operation  of  Virginia,  with  .South  Carolina,  in  her  attempts  to 
vindicate  the  rights  of  the  states,  he  said  this  was  a  most  unpropi- 
tious  moment  to  bring  the  question  of  states  rights  before  the  legis- 
lature. That,  for  himself,  he  was  with  South  Carolina;  that  he  had 
been  rendered  more  and  more  odious,  in  consequence  of  his  adher- 
ence to  such  principles.  He  said  that  Mr.  Calhoun  was  obnoxious  to 
Virginia,  and  could  not  calculate  upon  her  (and,  in  fact,  I  have 
heard  this  sentiment  from  all  quarters).  .  .  .  I  have  seen  Judge  Smith 
several  times,  and  had  a  full  and  confidential  conversation  with  him 
last  evening.  I  believe  I  can  hardly  risk  an  account  of  a  portion  of 
it.  The  judge  may  give  you  a  full  detail  of  his  views.  He  says  that 
Calhoun  is  down,  forever;  that  Dickerson,  of  New  Jersey,  told  him 
that  there  was  proof  that  Calhoun  wrote  the  exposition  against  the 
tariff,  at  the  last  South  Carolina  legislature,  and  had  written  another 
letter  to  the  north,  saying,  that  he  was  not  opposed  to  the  tariff. 
Verplank,  of  New  York,  says  Dickerson  has  the  proof,  and  remarked: 
'  It  will  blow  him  to  hell.'  This  is  in  profound  confidence.  .  .  .  Gen. 
Hayne  asked  me  yesterday  whether  I  was  bearer  of  his  certificate 
of  election  as  senator.  He  begged  me  to  ask  you  to  transmit  it  to 
him  immediately."  These  letters  contain  many  such  morsels.  In 
183 1,  he  settled  in  Camden,  and  began  the  practice  of  law,  being 
married  in  May  of  the  same  year,  to  Miss  Boykin,  of  that  place. 
From  here  he  writes  to  Miller,  now  senator:  "  I  find,  clearly,  that  I 
must  take  the  stump  for  my  principles,  or  be  hunted  down.  I  shall, 
therefore,  become  the  champion  of  the  party  here." 

These  letters  indicate  a  drift  into  politics,  which  did  not,  however, 
take  him  beyond  the  line  of  his  profession.  The  next  year,  1832,  he 
contested  the  solicitorship  with  Chancellor  Dargan  and  was  success- 
ful. In  this  capacity  he  exhibited  special  talent  as  a  prosecuting 
attorney,  and  held  the  position  for  several  terms,  finally  resigning  on 
account  of  his  health.  His  ability  as  a  lawyer  was  now  established, 
and  for  years  his  whole  time  was  devoted  to  a  large  and  lucrative 
practice,  until  1846,  in  which  year  he  was  elected  to  a  place  on  the 
bench.  Thus  he  occupied  the  remainder  of  his  life,  and  in  so  doing 
deliberately  abandoned  more  alluring  prospects  in  the  wider  fields  of 
the  bar  and  politics.  The  monuments  to  his  labors  on  the  bench  are 
to  be  found  in  the  .South  Carolina  Law  Reports.  He  once  said  pub- 
licly: "  I  never  would  have  been  caught  with  the  gown,  if  I  had  not 
provided  an  additional  resource  in  my  private  exchequer."  But  in 
this  voluntary  retirement  he  was  not  above  nor  beyond  the  reach  of 
the  burning  issues  of  the  times.  Appeals  were  sent  him  from  all 
quarters  of  the  state  to  discuss  from  the   platform  the  exciting  ques- 


I 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  23I 

tions  of  the   clay.     These    requests   he   unilormly   refused,  but   sent 
written  statements  of  his  views,  most  of  which  were  published  in  the 
press,  and  some  preserved.     The  following  extracts  from  the  missive 
to  a  public  meeting  at  YorkviUe  in   1851,  at  which  time  the  state  was 
deeply   agitated   over  secession   and  co-operation,  will   serve   as   a 
sample  of    his  style   and  opinions:      "You    must   prevail    upon    the 
people  of  York  district  to  excuse  me   for  declining  to  appear  and 
address  them  as  I  am   invited  to  do.     While  employed   in   the  judi- 
ciary department  of   their  government,  I  am   dedicated   to  a  very 
exacting  and  delicate  service,  best  performed  by  a  careful  abstinence 
from  the  heat  of  partisan  bias,  and  thus  giving  earnest  that  I  seek  to 
maintain  the  equanimity  which  warrants  a  confidence  on   all  hands 
that  I  am  to  do  right  to  every  litigant  before  me.    This  consideration 
has  no  manner  of  affinity  to  that   pompous   pretension  that  would 
place  a  judge  above  the  questions  of  the  day  (of  the  greatest  gravity 
in  my  estimation)  or  above  the  people  with  whom  he  must  face  them. 
My  notion  is  that  a  true  sense  of  propriety  admonishes  me  to  shun 
any  temptation  that   might  draw  me  into  the  vortex  of  popular  com- 
motion.    For  (save  only  their  unbought  good  opinion)  what  can  the 
people  now  give  me  that  I  could  accept?     Nothing  else,  I  aver,  do  I 
covet  or  ever  did.     P'rom  the  earliest  budding  forth  of  the  scheme  of 
giving  to  South  Carolina  a  separate,  isolated  nationality,  I  have  been 
an  unbeliever  in  its  wisdom.     Very  different  should   I   consider  our 
case  if  we  seceded  only  to  enter  such  a  southern  republic  as  I  think 
ought  to  be  formed,  and  for  which  there  are  abundant   materials  as 
well  as  adequate  cause  and  mohve.     I   am    by  no   means  of  opinion 
that   even    then    we    should    enter    the    millenium.      I    am    willing, 
however,  to    risk  it,  believing  I   perceive  in  such    an   organization 
some    sufficient    relation    between    cause   and    effect,  some    proper 
equality  between  the  power  to  defend  and  that  which  attacks.     Who 
can   tell  what  a  day  may  bring  forth?     We  see  the  hand   of   the 
great  west  stretched  forth  to  grasp  the  sceptre.     Much  of  that  para- 
mount section  seems  not  our  bitterest  enemies.   They  are  bound  by  that 
eternal  ligament,  the  Mississippi  river,  ..nd  by  their  deepest,  most  ob- 
vious and  most  permanent   interests  to  the. slave-holding  south,  are 
our  eternal  allies  against   high  tariffs.     The   future,  I  cannot  read, 
but  this  I  can  see,  that  in  proportion  as  the   North  Atlantic  states 
lose   the   power  to  clip  the  locks   of  this  western  .Sampson,  we  shall 
gain  a  better  position,  whether  in  or  out  of  the  Union.     For  such  and 
like  considerations  I  am  not  so  much  shocked,  as  some  appear  to  be, 
at  the  idea  of  delay.     Yet  I  do  not  hold  the  office  of  instructor  of  the 
people,  though  I  once  had  the  folly  to  assume  that  function.     When 
young  enough  to  occupy  the  tripod  "  (referring  to  the  editorship  of 
the  Telescope),  "now  in  the  keeping  of  other  priests,  I  thought  myself 
well  nigh  infallible.     I  have  lived,  gentlemen,  to  learn  the  lesson  of 
distrust,  not  more  of  others  than  myself.     I  recommend  only  what  I 
practice  in  public  and  private.     It  is  this:     Speak  in  awe  of  no  power 
but   heaven,  yet   in   conviction   that   the  fallibility  of   human  nature 
clothes  us  all."    The  topics  here  touched  on,  between   1S30  and   i860, 


232  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

absorbed   all  others,  and  upon  them,  during  that  period  turned  the 
fate  of  public  men  in  South  Carolina. 

His  views  having  become  well  recognized  throughout  the  state, 
when  the  crisis  of  secession  came  in  1861,  he  was  brought  into  active 
service  as  a  delegate  from  South  Carolina  to  the  Confederate  pro- 
visional congress  which  met  at  Montgomery,  Ala.  Here,  from  the 
outset,  he  participated  freely  in  the  debates,  and  had  a  full  share  in 
the  work  of  framing  the  organic  law  of  the  Confederacy,  as  shown  by 
copious  notes  of  the  proceedings  kept  in  his  own  hand.  When  the 
convention,  after  much  discussion,  had  determined  to  assume  legisla- 
tive functions,  elect  officials,  and  fix  salaries,  which  many  thought  an 
assumption  of  authority,  he  advanced  a  proposition  which  was  de- 
feated, but  which  indicates  his  rigid  ideas  of  political  propriety.  It 
was  to  the  effect  that  no  member  of  the  convention  should  be  eligi- 
ble to  appointment  to  any  except  diplomatic  positions.  In  debate  on 
this  measure  he  said:  "If  the  members  of  congress  of  the  Federal 
government  had  been  constitutionally  and  effectually  cut  off  from  all 
hope  of  participating  in  the  adornments  of  office  and  in  the  flesh  pots, 
we  would  not  have  seen  the  gigantic  corruption  in  which  Washington 
wallowed  and  stunk.  This  congress  should  come  up  to  this  sacrifice. 
We  of  South  Carolina  ought  at  any  rate.  To  secure  the  indispensable 
end  of  this  movement,  we  should  demonstrate  to  our  people  and  to 
all  people  that  we  were  led  by  no  selfish  motive.  Let  us  give  an  im- 
pulse to  our  new  government  by  this  act  of  self  denial."  To  the 
notes  of  these  remarks  he  appended  the  following  comment:  "Mr. 
Smith,  of  Georgia,  said  that  the  argument  of  Mr.  Withers  had  com- 
pletely convinced  him,  and  he  gave  up  a  previous  adverse  opinion." 
Such  doctrines,  however,  proved  too  ascetic  for  the  majorit}'.  On 
his  return  to  Camden,  he  wrote  Gov.  Perry:  "I  am  not  in  the  ways 
of  tough  politicians,  and  you  know  it  is  hard  to  teach  an  old  monkey 
new  tricks.  My  place  is  about  the  hearthstone,  as  I  think,  and  I 
strongly  suspect  my  colleagues  in  political  adventures  will  give  the 
same  testimony."  During  the  w^ar  he  continued  the  discharge  of 
judicial  duties,  at  the  same  time  bestowing  all  of  his  energies  at  home 
in  aid  of  the  Confederacy,  and  a  large  part  of  his  means.  Almost  the 
whole  remainder  was  swept  away  in  the  wreck.  In  August,  1865,  he 
wrote  to  Gov.  Perry:  "I  am  in  a  very  inconvenient  condition  to  dis- 
charge judicial  duties  outside  of  my  house.  I  have  not  a  dollar  and 
know  not  where  to  get  one.  What  was  my  estate  is  in  the  hands  of 
others.  At  present  they  seem  to  commend  starvation  to  me  with  that 
philosophy  not  unnatural  to  a  full  stomach  when  contemplating  an 
empty  one.  I  fear  a  stern  and  high  morality  in  respect  to  contracts 
will  not  again  be  seen  in  your  day  and  mine.  God  preserve  us  against 
the  leprosy  of  stop-laws  or  pine-barren  laws  got  up  by  rogues  to 
cheat  honest  men."  In  November,  the  same  year,  he  died  at  the  age 
of  sixty-one.  In  his  own  phrase  he  "melted  away"  at  an  age  when 
his  powers  were  undiminished!.  In  habits  of  life  he  was  scrupulous, 
systematic,  and  intolerant  of  the  slightest  duplicity.  In  his  home  he 
was  intensely  sympathetic,  and  the  loss  of  promising  children  seemed 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  233 

tQ  chill  his  ambitions  in  public  life.  In  person  he  was  above  me- 
dium proportions,  erect,  and  with  find}' chiseled  features.  His  style 
was  emphatic  and  noted  for  sarcastic  witticism.  The  following  esti- 
mate of  the  man,  culled  from  Gov.  Perry's  book  of  "Reminiscences" 
cannot  perhaps  be  improved  upon:  "Judge  Withers  was  a  man  of 
distinguished  talent  and  ability.  '  He  was  always  clear,  able  and 
learned.  On  the  circuit  he  dispatched  business  with  great  prompt- 
ness and  his  opinions  in  the  court  of  appeals  will  compare  well  with 
those  of  any  other  judge.  There  was  great  force  and  point  in  his 
style.  His  intellect  was  as  keen  as  a  Damascus  blade,  and  he  wielded 
it  on  all  occasions  public  and  private,  most  effectively.  Every  word 
that  fell  from  his  lips  had  a  telling  effect.  No  one  was  ever  left  in 
doubt  as  to  his  meaning  when  he  discussed  a  question.  He  was  very 
sarcastic  and  bitter  in  his  denunciation  of  men  and  measures.  No 
one  ever  possessed  less  of  the  demagogue  than  Judge  Withers,  no 
one  ever  more  conscientiously  did  what  he  thought  was  right.  He 
was  as  open  as  the  day  and  if  he  disliked  any  one,  he  showed  it  in  a 
manner  not  to  be  mistaken.     Frankness  was  his  character." 

HON.  WALTER    HAZARD 

was  born  in  Georgetown  county,  S.  C.,  December  25,  1S59,  his  parents 
being  Benjamin  and  Sarah  F.  (Ingall)  Hazard.  The  father  is  a  na- 
tive of  Rhode  Island,  and  was  born  in  the  city  of  Newport.  He  came 
to  South  Carolina  in  1S4S,  settling  in  Georgetown  county,  where  he 
embarked  in  the  mercantile  business,  continuing  in  the  same  until 
the  outbreak  of  the  late  war.  At  this  time  his  health  was  so  delicate 
as  to  preclude  his  active  participation  in  the  conflict.  During  the  war 
he  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  salt  on  Murrell's  Inlet,  on  the 
South  Carolina  coast,  and  after  the  close  of  hostilities,  resumed  the 
mercantile-business  at  Georgetown,  in  which  he  had  previously  been 
engaged.  His  wife  is  a  native  of  Taunton,  Mass.  Of  the  nine  child- 
ren born  to  these  parents,  seven  are  now  living,  of  whom  the  Hon.  Wal- 
ter Hazard  is  the  second.  The  latter  was  prepared  for  college  in  the 
Winyah  Indigo  academy  under  the  tutelage  of  Profs.  DuPre  and 
Hanby.  He  subsequently  entered  Princeton  college,  and  completed 
the  full  course  in  that  eminent  institution  in  1877,  after  which  he  en- 
tered his  father's  employ  to  acquire  a  substantial  business  experience, 
and  remained  with  him  for  two  3'ears.  He  then  began  the  study  of 
law  with  Hon.  R.  Dozier,  of  Georgetown,  and  was  admitted  to  the 
bar  in  1881.  His  exceptional  abilities  and  thorough  knowledge  of  the 
law  soon  attracted  attention  and  he  met  with  almost  instant  success, 
having  been  admitted  to  practice  in  all  the  state  courts.  In  1882  his 
name  was  placed  in  nomination  for  the  state  legislature,  and  he  was 
elected.  In  1884  he  was  defeated  for  the  same  office  by  a  peculiar 
political  crisis,  one  of  those  unaccountable  occurrences  which  in  no 
manner  detract  from  the  popularity  of  the  defeated  candidate.  In 
1886  Mr.  Hazard  declined  the  nomination  for  the  same  position,  but 
two  years  later  was  the  successful  candidate,  and  again  in  1890.     In 


234  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

1889  he  introduced  a  bill  to  provide  for  the  maintenance  of  the  state 
penitentiary,  and  to  remove  the  evils  incident  to  the  convict  leasing 
system  by  the  establishment  of  a  state  farm  for  the  utilization  of  the 
convict  labor  in  agricultural  and  kindred  pursuits.  This  method  was 
adopted  with  the  modification  of  permitting  convicts  to  be  carried 
outside  the  prison  walls  only  on  contract  for  railroad  building.  The 
success  of  this  bill  meant  the  abolition  of  the  employment  of  convicts 
in  the  phosphate  mines,  a  labor  which  resulted  in  increased  mortality 
among  them.  Mr.  Hazard  was  one  of  the  authors  of  the  address  is- 
sued by  the  advisory  committee  of  the  so-called  anti-Tillman  demo- 
crats to  the  people  of  the  state,  and  took  an  active  part  in  the  re- 
markable campaign  of  iSgo.  Mr.  Hazard  has  been  very  happy  in 
his  domestic  relations,  having  formed  a  marriage  alliance  with  Miss 
Jessie  M.  Tamplet,  of  Georgetown,  S.  C,  a  lady  of  rare  culture  and 
refinement.  Three  children  have  been  born  into  their  home,  by 
name:  W.  Rowland,  who  died  at  the  age  of  nine  months,  June  24, 
1SS5;  Paula  E.,  and  Minnie  T.,  being  the  surviving  ones.  Mrs.  Haz- 
ard died  on  the  7th  of  January,  18S9.  Mr.  Hazard  is  a  member  of 
the  Episcopal  church,  of  Avhich  he  is  a  senior  warden.  He  is  also  a 
member  of  the  American  Legion  of  Honor.  In  October,  1880,  he  en- 
tered the  fields  of  journalism  by  establishing  a  weekly  newspaper, 
known  as  the  Georgetown  Enquirer,  which  he  successfully  and  ably 
conducted  until  i88g,  when  his  increasing  law  practice  and  public  du- 
ties necessitated  his  retirement  from  the  enterprise.  As  a  lawyer  he 
excels,  having  a  keen,  active  mind,  well  stored  with  the  constant  in- 
dustry of  years.  A  great  reader,  he  has  thoroughly  informed  himself 
on  a  wide  range  of  subjects,  thus  rounding  off  his  acquirements  into 
true  culture. 

JOSEPH  JENKINS  HUCKS, 

treasurer  of  the  city  of  Georgetown,  S.  C.,  tirst  saw  the  light  in  that 
city  on  the  28th  of  October,  1843,  the  son  of  J.  S.  B.  and  Sarah  A. 
(Jenkins)  Hucks,  both  natives  of  South  Carolina.  For  many  years 
]\Ir.  Hucks,  Sr.,  held  the  office  of  magistrate,  and  also  of  commis- 
sioner of  locations,  now  known  as  register  of  mesne  conveyance,  and 
was  also  a  prominent  and  successful  merchant  of  the  city.  He  died 
in  1844,  at  the  age  of  fifty-six  years.  He  was  an  active  and  earnest 
member  of  the  church,  and  was  a  man  of  much  force  of  character. 
His  wife  died  in  1879,  aged  seventy-two  years.  From  early  girl- 
hood until  her  death  she  was  a  devout  communicant  of  the  Metho- 
dist Episcopal  church,  and  was  a  lady  of  most  estimable  qualities, 
her  death  being  mourned  by  the  entire  community.  By  a  former 
marriage  Mr.  Hucks  had  three  children,  one  of  whom,  Capt.  Henry 
Kirk  Hucks,  survives.  Two  children  were  born  to  his  second  mar- 
riage, J.  .S.  B.  Hucks,  who  is  now  engaged  in  agriculture  on  the  Pee 
Dee  river,  and  the  subject  of  this  sketch.  The  latter  was  educated 
at  the  Winyah  Indigo  academy,  where  he  remained  four  years,  and 
later  at  an  academy  in  McClarenville,  where  he  studied  two  years 
under  Prof.  Grimke.     In  1861  he  enlisted  in  a  company  known  as  the 


SOUTH   CAROLINA.  235 

Sampit  rangers,  attached  for  a  short  time  to  the  Tenth  South  Car- 
olina regiment,  commanded  by  Col.  Arthur  M.  Manigault.  At  the 
time  of  the  disbandmcnt  of  this  company,  in  1862,  Mr.  Hacks  held 
the  rank  of  second  lieutenant,  by  brevet.  He  then  entered  the  cav- 
alry service  as  a  member  of  C  .mpany  E,  P"ifth  South  Carolina  regi- 
ment, which,  in  1864,  was  transferred  to  the  army  of  northern 
Virginia.  Mr.  Hucks  participated  in  most  of  the  noted  battles  of 
northern  Virginia  until  January,  1865,  when  he  was  again  transferred, 
this  time  to  the  South  Carolina  forces,  to  aid  in  protecting  Columbia 
against  the  invasion  of  Sherman.  At  the  battle  of  Charles  City  Court 
House,  Va.,  in  1S64,  he  was  severely  wounded,  and  went  home  on  a 
furlough,  and  he  was  again  wounded  at  Columbia,  in  February,  1865, 
just  prior  to  the  fall  of  that  city,  and  was  disabled  and  captured.  He 
was  left  in  the  hospital  at  Columbia,  remaining  there  until  May,  1865. 
In  the  cavalry  service  he  was  commissioned  second  sergeant,  and  at 
many  different  times  was  in  command  of  his  company.  Returning 
to  his  home  after  the  close  of  the  war,  Mr.  Hucks  began  the  study  of 
law  at  Charleston,  with  Judge  Simonton,  and  finished  his  reading 
under  Col.  T.  Y.  Simons,  of  Charleston,  having  been  admitted  to  the 
bar  in  1868,,  by  the  supreme  court  at  Columbia,  over  which  Judges 
Denkin,  Wardlaw  and  Inglis  presided.  He  immediately  engaged  in 
practice  in  that  city.  In  1869  he  removed  to  Georgetown,  to  settle 
his  mother's  estate,  and  has  since  remained  in  that  city.  Mr.  Hucks 
was  appointed  magistrate  in  1870,  and  when  that  office  was  abolished 
a  few  months  subsequent,  was  appointed  a  trial  justice,  which  he  held 
until  1887.  Since  that  time  he  has  been  clerk  and  city  treasurer.  He 
is  also  one  of  the  three  county  school  examiners.  As  a  lawyer  Mr. 
Hucks  has  kept  well  abreast  with  the  ethics  of  his  profession.  His 
preparation  was  most  through,  and  his  professional  career  has 
shown  him  a  man  of  ability  and  ready  perception.  On  June  3,  1869, 
Mrs.  Eugenia  Law,  ncc  Michel,  daughter  of  Francis  Michel,  of 
Charleston,  became  his  wife.  Herbert  M.,  Frank  N.  and  Marie  J., 
are  the  offsprings  of  this  union.  Mr.  Hucks  has  never  to  any  extent 
engaged  in  politics,  preferring  a  quiet,  unobtrusive  life  to  the  noto- 
riety and  excitement  of  the  political  arena.  Born  and  raised  in  South 
Carolina  he  is  very  naturally  a  staunch  democrat,  but  of  liberal  views 
and  never  carried  away  by  radical  ideas  and  new  fangled  doctrines. 
He  was  a  follower  of  Gens.  McButler  and  Wade  Hampton  in  the 
campaigns  of  northern  Virginia  during  the  late  war,  and  has  great 
admiration  for  these  gentlemen  as  soldiers  and  statesmen.  His  love 
of  field  sports  and  the  chase  has  long  been  his  delight.  He  is  said  to 
be  an  expert  in  handling  the  gun  and  the  horse,  and  never  more  de- 
lighted than  when  engaged  in  these  hardy,  healthful  and  gentlemanly 
sports. 

JOHN  LYDE  WILSON 

was  born  May  24,  1784,  in  Marlborough  district,  S.  C.  He  was  edu- 
cated at  one  of  the  excellent  academies  in  the  neighborhood  of  his 
birthplace,  and  afterward  entered   upon  a  law  course   under   the   in- 


2-?6  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 


struction  of  Judge  Chase,  of  Baltimore.  After  three  or  four  years  of 
study,  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar  at  Columbia,  in  1807.  He  soon  af- 
ter settled  in  Georgetown,  where  he  married  Miss  Alston,  daughter 
Col.  William  Alston  and  sister  of  Gen.  Joseph  Alston.  She  was  the 
mother  of  two  daughters,  but  died  at  an  early  stage  of  her  married 
lile,  leaving  her  children  at  a  tender  age  to  be  reared  and  cared  for 
by  her  sister. 

Mr.  Wilson  was  elected  to  the  lower  house  of  the  general  assembly 
in  1808,  from  Prince  George  Winyah,  and  was  several  times  re-elected. 
He  was  chairman  of  the  house  committee  on  privileges  and  elections. 
He  was  afterward  elected  to  the  senate  from  the  same  district.  In 
1822,  he  was  elected  president  of  the  senate,  and  in  the  same  year, 
was  chosen  governor  and  commander-in-chief  of  the  state..  It  was 
during  his  administration  as  governor,  that  the  court  of  appeals  in 
equity  was  abolished  and  a  separate  court  of  appeals  was  established. 

After  Gov.  Wilson's  official  term  had  closed,  he  married  for  his 
second  wife.  Miss  Eden,  of  New  York,  who  also  died,  leaving  him  two 
daughters. 

Governor  Wilson  was  a  member  of  the  famous  nullification  con- 
vention, which  met  in  1832  and  1833,  and  was  a  disciple  of  Mr.  Cal- 
houn's doctrines  in  their  most  radical  extent.  He  was  ready  to  go  all 
lengths  in  support  of  those  doctrines.  In  1838  he  published  a  treatise 
entitled  the  "Code  of  Honor,"  which  amounted  to  a  defense  of  dueling. 

Governor  Wilson  was  a  graceful  public  speaker,  his  speeches  in 
public  assemblies,  and  his  pleas  before  the  court,  bearing  the  impress 
of  a  cultivated  intellect  and  of  a  m.ind  thoroughly  trained.  Even  when 
speaking  without  preparation,  his  address  was  methodical  and  his 
conclusions  apt  and  logical.  Clearness  and  cogent  analysis  of  his 
subject  were  his  strong  points,  and  a  good  voice  and  fine  delivery 
were  accompaniments  which  made  him  an  effective  speaker.  One 
of  his  contemporaries  said  of  him  that  "his  nature  was  above  disguise, 
and  his  resentments,  terrible  in  their  outbreak,  were  ever  under  the 
control  of  a  gentle  and  kindly  nature."  His  chivalric  disposition  and 
high  temper  were  often  the  cause  of  involving  him  in  affairs  of  honor, 
but  fortunately  for  him,  they  never  resulted  in  serious  consequences. 
He  died  a  peaceful  death  in  Charleston,  February  12,  1849,  but  his 
last  years  were  years  of  gloom.  He  was  buried  with  the  pomp  and 
ceremony  of  military  obsequies,  and  his  remains  rest  in  St.  Paul's 
churchyard,  by  the  side  of  those  of  his  second  wife  who  went  be- 
fore him. 

HON.  WILLIAM  A.  BRUNSON, 

president  of  the  bank  of  Florence,  Florence,  S.  C,  was  born  in  Dar- 
lington district,  S.  C,  March  19,  1837,  and  is  of  Huguenot  and  Scotch- 
Irish  ancestry.  His  paternal  great-grandfather  was  a  soldier  in 
Marion's  brigade,  and  was  killed  in  battle.  The  maternal  great- 
grandfather was  also  one  of  Marion's  men.  His  parents  were  Peter  A. 
and  Susannah  (Woods)  Brunson,  both  South  Carolinians.  Peter  A. 
Brunson  has  been  engaged  in  agriculture  in  his  native  state  during  his 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  237 

active  career,  and  is  now  living  at  the  advanced  age  of  seventy-four 
years  with  mind  and  body  unimpaired.  His  first  marriage  was  to 
Miss  Woods,  a  ladyof  great  piety,  and  of  rare  accomplishments.  She 
was  a  true  type  of  a  woman)}',  Christian  character.  For  many  years 
her  name  was  enrolled  in  the  Haptist  church.  Her  death  occurred  in 
1843.  Mr.  Brunson  married  for  his  second  wife  Mrs.  Joanna  Mc- 
Cloud,  of  Sumter,  by  whom  eight  children  were  born,  of  whom  are 
hving:  J.  C.  C,  Mrs.  M.  B.  Chase,  R.  C,  P.  A.,  and  H.  M.  Brun- 
son. They  are  all  honored  and  worthy  residents  of  the  Carolinas. 
William  A.  and  Joseph  W.  Brunson  are  the  only  surviving  children 
of  the  first  marriage.  The  former  was  educated  at  the  Darlington 
academy,  and  later  at  Wofford  college.  In  1861  he  volunteered  in 
the  Pee  Dee  artillery,  Col.  Pegram's  battalion.  Hill's  light  division  of 
Jackson's  corps,  he  being  at  that  time  a  rising  senior  in  college.  He 
was  appointed  as  a  gunner,  and  while  on  the  march  in  trying  to  get 
to  the  trail,  was  caught  by  the  wheel  of  the  gun-carriage  and  seri- 
ously injured  in  his  right  foot,  and  was  disabled  for  more  than  a  year. 
On  recovering  he  rejoined  his  battery  in  Virginia,  and  was  with  it 
from  the  Wilderness  to  Cold  Harbor.  His  battery  was  in  verj'  hard 
service,  and  soon  after  was  obliged  to  return  to  South  Carolina  to  re- 
cruit. On  the  return  they  were  stationed  as  heavy  artillery  on  the 
coast,  and  Mr.  Brunson  having  obtained  a  furlough  from  the  secretary 
of  war,  returned  to  his  home  for  a  short  time.  While  home  on  this 
furlough  he  met  with  a  most  interesting  and  thrilling  experience, 
which  it  is  thought  will  not  be  out  of  place  here.  At  this  time  Sher- 
man was  marching  through  the  state,  and  there  were  various  rumors 
as  to  the  whereabouts  of  the  Federal  forces.  In  order  to  dispel  this 
painful  and  dangerous  uncertainty,  Mr.  Brunson  volunteered  to  ac- 
company a  scout  by  the  name  of  Charles  Jones  on  a  reconnoitering 
expedition.  Arriving  at  Manning  tired  and  hungry,  they  found  a  lady 
who  invited  them  to  take  a  cup  of  real  coffee.  While  engaged  in 
eating,  rapid  firing  with  the  noise  of  a  cavalry  charge,  told  them  that 
the  enemy  was  in  town.  At  this  time  a  servant,  with  whom  the  horses 
were  left,  brought  Jones's  horse  to  the  gate,  but  Mr.  Brunson's  was 
left,  and  consequently  captured.  Jones  mounted  his  horse  just  as  a 
Federal  soldier  pointed  his  bayonet  toward  him,  ordering  him  to  sur- 
render, the  scout  shot  the  man  dead  instantly,  remarking  at  the  same 
time,  "That  is  the  way  I  surrender  to  a  'Yank.'  "  He  was  not  cap- 
tured,, and  while  his  pursuers  were  after  him,  Mr.  Brunson  managed 
to  escape  to  some  neighboring  woods,  where  he  lay  concealed  until 
nightfall,  when  he  plunged  into  Black  river  above  the  bridges  which 
had  been  burned,  and  re-joined  the  Confederate  forces.  After  the 
war  Mr.  Brunson  was  engaged  in  agriculture,  and  also  in  teaching 
school,  for  some  ten  years.  In  1S79  he  was  elected  intendant  of  the 
city  of  Florence,  and  served  two  terms.  In  1881-2  he  was  a  member 
of  the  state  legislature,  serving  on  the  educational  and  other  import- 
ant committees.  In  the  last  mentioned  year  he  was  licensed  to  prac- 
tice law,  and  in  1888  was  elected  president  of  the  bank  of  Florence. 
His  marriage  to  Miss  Antoinette  T.  Chandler,  of  Winsboro,  S.  C,  was 


238  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

solemnized  in  December,  1865,  and  five  sons  have  been  born  to  them, 
of  whom  are  living:  Harry  A.,  a  graduate  of  the  South  Caro- 
lina university,  and  at  present  principal  of  the  Spartanburg  graded 
schools;  R.  Lee.  who  is  a  collecting  clerk  and  bookkeeper  in  the  bank 
of  Florence;  Peter  A.  and  Mason  C.  Mrs.  Brunson  was  born  in  New- 
ark, N.  J.,  and  came  to  South  Carolina  when  she  was  a  child.  Both 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Brunson  are  communicants  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church,  south,  he  having  been  superintendent  of  the  Sunday-school 
for  eighteen  years,  and  he  is  also  a  member  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.,  the 
K.  of  H.  and  the  C.  F. 

WILLIAM  W.  HARLLEE. 

Among  South  Carolina's  most  prominent  law3'ers  appears  the 
name  of  the  Hon.  William  W.  Harllee,  who  was  born  in  Marion 
county.  S.  C,  July  26th,  181 2,  the  son  of  Thomas  and  Elizabeth 
(Stuart)  Harllee,  the  former  a  Virginian  and  the  latter  a  native  of 
the  Palmetto  state.  The  father  was  a  prominent  planter  and  mer- 
chant, having  come  to  South  Carolina  in  1790,  at  which  time  he  set- 
tled in  Marion  county  and  subsequently  he  purchased  what  is  now 
known  as  Little  Rock,  then  called  Harleysville.  For  many  years  he 
held  the  office  of  ordinary  and  clerk  of  the  district  court,  and  was  a 
member  of  the  house  of  representatives  of  the  state  for  four  years, 
and  for  the  same  length  of  time  served  as  a  state  senator.  He  sur- 
veyed the  counties  of  Marion  and  Marry  under  contract  for  the  state, 
his  eldest  son,  John,  assisting  him  in  the  work.  Thomas  Harllee  was 
a  man  of  affairs,  and  was  possessed  of  great  ability,  extraordinary 
preseverance,  and  his  reputation  for  integrity  was  widespread.  His 
death  occurred  in  1826,  his  wife  having  preceded  him  to  rest  in  1817. 
She  was  for  many  years  a  most  devout  member  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church,  and  was  a  woman  of  rare  attaiments  and  purity. 
Three  sons  and  three  daughters  were  born  to  this  union,  the  Hon. 
William  W.  Harllee  being  the  youngest.  These  children  were  all 
given  superior  educational  advantages,  and  lived  useful  and  honored 
lives,  the  only  one  now  surviving,  being  the  youngest,  the  subject  of 
this  biographical  mention.  William  W.  Harllee  received  his  schol- 
astic training  in  the  schools  of  North  and  .South  Carolina,  and  in  1831 
began  the  study  of  law  under  the  tutelage  of  George  W.  Dargan,  Esq., 
afterward  a  chancellor  of  the  state.  He  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in 
November,  1833,  and  opened  an  office  at  Marion  C.  H.,  where  he 
has  continued  to  practice  since.  In  February,  1889,  he  changed  his 
residence  to  Florence,  but  still  practices  in  the  courts  of  Florence, 
Marion  and  Darlington  counties.  In  1836  Mr.  I  larllee  was  elected  to 
the  house  of  representatives  of  .South  Carolina,  and  served  two  years. 
In  February,  1837,  he  was  appointed  major  of  South  Carolina  troops 
called  for  by  the  general  government  on  a  requisition  from  the  presi- 
dent. He  accompanied  his  command  to  Florida,  where  he  remained 
three  months.  In  the  same  year  he  was  elected  colonel  of  the  Thirty- 
second  regiment,  South  Carolina  militia,  and   in   1841   he  was  made 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  2-^0 

bri^Mclier-gcneral   of  tlie    Eiglith    brigade,  and    in    1845   was  elccLci 
iiiajor-gcneral  of  the  Fourth  division  of  South  Carolina  miUtia.     The 
following  year  he  was  elected  to  the  house  of  representatives  for  the 
purpose  of  getting  a  charter  for  the  Wilmington  &  Manchester  rail- 
road, now  the  Wilmington,  Columbia  &  Augusta  railroad,  and  in  1847 
was  made  the  president  of  that   road,   retaining  that  office  until  its 
completion.     The  pneumatic  cylinders  put  down  on  this  railway  were 
the  first  ever  constructed  on  the  American  continent,  there  being  but 
two  roads  of  similar  construction  in  England  at  that  time.     In  1855 
Mr.    Harllee    resigned    from   the   presidency   on   account   of  failing 
health,  although  the  directors  offered  to  double  his  salary  in  order  to 
have  him  remain  at   the    head  of   the    enterprise.     In   i860  he  was 
elected  lieutenant-governor  of  the  state,  and  upon  the  call  for  the 
convention   which    declared    for   secession,    he    represented    Marion 
county  as  a  delegate  to  that  famous  assembly,  and  served  as  chairman 
of  the  military  committee  appointed  by  the  convention,  and  was  also  a 
member  of  the  e.xecutive  council.     During  that  same   year  he  raised 
a  brigade  for  the  Confederate  service,  which  was  known  as  the  Pee 
Dee  legion,  and  he  was  commissioned  brigadier-general  by  the  gov-- 
ernor.     At  the  time  his  arrangements  were  being  made  to  enter  the 
field,  the  secession  convention  again  met,  this  time  appointing  Will- 
iam W.  Harllee  as  a  member  of  its  executive  council,  and  also  to  the 
financial  department  of  the  state.     During  the  course  of  the  war  he 
handled  many  millions  of  dollars  for  the  state,  and  it  is  a  remarkable 
fact  that  when   his  accounts  were   inspected  by  the  legislature  there 
was  a  discrepancy  of  but  one-quarter  of  a  cent.     After  the  close  of  the 
war  he  resumed  his  practice,  and  in  1876  had  the  honor  of  filling  the 
office  of  president  of  the  convention  which   nominated  Gen.  Wade 
Hampton  for  governor  of  the  state.     In  1880,  Mr.  Harllee  represented 
Marion  county  in  the   state  senate,  his  term  of  office  extending   for 
four  years,  and  while  a  member  of  that  body  he  was  elected  president 
pro  tempore,  and  frequently  presided;  at  the  close  of  his  term   re- 
fusing a  re-election  much  against  the  wishes  of  his  constituents.     In 
iSqo  he  was  again  chosen  president  of  the  state  convention,  the  dem- 
ocratic nominee  for  governor  being  Judge  Haskell,  who  was  defeated 
by  B.  R.  Tillman.     Mr.  Harllee  was  so  fortunate  in  1840  as  to  form  a 
marriage  alliance  with  Miss   Martha  S.  Shackelford,  of  Charleston, 
S.  C,  and  six  children  have  been  born  into  their  cultured  home,  viz.: 
William,  died  at  the  age  of  six  years;  Edward  B.,  who  served  as  ad- 
jutant to  Gens.  Kershaw,  Kennedy  and  Conner  during  the  civil  war; 
he  was  admitted  to  the  bar  at  Marion,  and  subsequently  removed  to 
New  Orleans,  and  was  elected   editor  of  the   Nciv  Orleans  Picayune. 
He  died  in  that  city  in  1S76,  from  overwork.     He  was  a  man  of  great 
prominence  and  brilliancy;  Charles  Stuart,  died  in  1887,  at  Austin,  Tex., 
where  he    had  taken  up  his  residence  some  time  prior.     Ele  was  a 
clerk  in  the  land  office  and  owned  an  extensive  farm  near  the  city; 
James  S.,  a  resident  of  Wilson  county,  Tex.;  Martha  S.,  wife  of  F.  G. 
Coachman,  a  resident  of  Georgetown.    Her  six  children  are:     Helen, 
Mattie,  Florence,  Lizzie,  Anna,  Lelah  and  William  H.;  and  the  Misses 


240  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

Florence  and  Lizzie  Harllee,  wlio  are  still  of  the  home  circle.  The 
city  of  Florence  was  named  in  honor  of  Miss  Florence  Harllee.  As  a 
lawyer,  Gen.  Harllee  is  keen,  brilliant  and  eloquent.  He  has  that 
power  over  men  which  is  so  necessarj^  to  the  success  of  a  jurist.  He 
has  not  confined  his  reading  to  the  law,  which  has  been  most  exhaust- 
ive, but  has  branched  out  into  a  wide  range  of  topics,  and  may  truly 
be  called  a  student.  In  1886  he  was  president  of  the  South  Carolina 
Bar  association,  and  his  election  to  office  but  attests  his  popularity 
with  his  brethren  in  the  law. 

A.  P.  BUTLER. 

Andrew  Pickens  Butler  was  born  November  19,  1776.  He  was 
the  son  of  a  distinguished  South  Carolinian,  Gen.  William  Butler, 
and  was  the  fifth  son  in  a  family  of  eight  children.  His  mother's 
name  before  marriage  was  Behethland  Foote,  also  a  member  of  a 
distinguished  family.  Gen.  Butler,  the  father,  held  the  rank  of  cap- 
tain in  the  Revolutionary  war,  and  was  a  brave  soldier.  In  the  state 
militia  he  was  raised  to  the  rank  of  major-general.  He  also  took 
part  in  the  war  of  1812.  Besides  his  military  rank  and  services,  he 
was  honored  by  political  preferment,  having  served  as  a  member  of 
the  South  Carolina  legislature,  and  in  the  congress  of  the  United 
States  —  in  the  latter  for  many  years.  In  all  these  positions  he  dis- 
charged his  duties  in  a  way  that  reflected  great  honor  upon  his  name. 
The  mother  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch  was  a  woman  of  great  force 
of  character,  and  when  her  husband  was  absent,  serving  his  country, 
both  in  war  and  in  peace,  she  took  charge  of  his  home  business. 

Andrew  Pickens  Butler  began  his  education  in  the  primary 
schools,  afterward  attending  the  academy  under  the  instruction  of 
Dr.  Waddell.  He  graduated  from  South  Carolina  college  in  De- 
cember, 181 7.  He  then  took  up  a  course  of  law  studies,  and  was  ad- 
mitted to  the  bar  in  December,  1818.  He  began  practice  in  Colum- 
bia, but  afterward  removed  to  Edgefield  where  he  settled  perma- 
nently. For  a  while  he  was  associated  with  Gen.  Thompson,  and 
then  with  Nathan  L.  Griffin,  with  whom  he  carried  on  a  successful 
and  profitable  practice.  Mr.  Butler  practiced  also  at  Le.xington, 
Barnwell  and  Newberry,  in  all  of  which  places  success  followed  his 
efforts.  He  was  a  plain,  forcible  speaker  at  the  bar,  and  seized  the 
strong  points  in  his  case,  usually  ignoring  minor  technicalities  which 
cut  no  real  figure  in  the  suit.  In  1824  he  was  chosen  a  member  of 
the  state  legislature,  and  from  that  date  until  1833  Judge  Butler  was 
continuously  a  member  of  either  of  the  house  of  representatives  or 
of  the  state  senate.  When  the  doctrines  of  John  C.  Calhoun  in  favor 
of  nullifying  the  laws  of  the  United  .States  relating  to  protective  du- 
ties were  promulgated,  Judge  Butler  favored  the  calling  of  the  conven- 
tion which  endecl  in  the  nullification  episode.  At  the  close  of  his  legis- 
lative service,  in  1833,  he  was  elected  a  circuit  judge,  holding  his  first 
term  of  court  in  Charleston,  in  January  of  the  succeeding  year.  The 
repeal  of  the  law  providing  for  a  separate  court  of  appeals,  in  Decern- 


SOUTH    CAROLINA. 


241 


ber,  1S35,  raised  Mr.  Butler  to  a  jud<rc  of  first  and  last  resort.  He 
was  judge  of  the  court  of  appeals  for  eleven  years,  and  during  that 
that  time  pronounced  many  important  decisions,  which  are  to  be 
found  in  the  court  reports  of  that  time,  and  are  fine  specimens  of 
juridicial  argumentation. 

In  December,  1S46,  Judge  Butler  was  elected  a  United  .States 
senator,  leaving  the  bench  to  the  regret  of  the  bar,  and,  it  is  believed, 
with  considerable  hesitancy  on  his  own  part.  On  his  way  to  Wash- 
ington, to  take  his  seat  in  the  senate,  he  narrowly  escaped  shipwreck, 
the  captain  of  the  boat  at  one  time  <^iving  it  up  for  lost.  He  .served 
as  senator  from  1847  to  1857,  and  during  that  time  it  became  his 
melancholy  duty  to  announce  the  death  of  his  two  distinguished  col- 
leagues, Senators  Calhoun  and  Elmore.  His  panegyric  upon  Mr 
Calhoun  was  an  eloquent  and  masterly  effort.  While  senator  his 
well-known  and  universally  acknowledged  legal  qualifications  pointed 
him  out  as  a  fit  member  of  the  judiciary  committee,  and  he  was  many 
years  chairman  of  that  important  committee,  discharging  his  respon- 
sible duties  as  such  with  rare  ability.  Though  in  all  his  speeches  in 
which  the  sectional  issue  was  discussed  he  sustained  the  south,  yet 
he  did  not  favor  secession.  When,  in  1850,  it  became  a  burning  ques- 
tion, he  opposed  it,  and  at  that  time,  and  in  1851-2,  met  the  issue  and 
was  sustained  by  his  state. 

He  was  twice  married,  first  to  Sarah  Anne  Simkins,  daughter  of 
Col.  Eldred  Simkins.  She  lived  but  a  few  months,  and  he  subse- 
quently married  Miss  Harriet  Hayne,  daughter  of  William  E. 
Hayne,  of  Charleston,  and  she  survived  the  birth  of  their  first  child 
but  a  short  time. 

Judge  Butler  closed  his  useful  and  highly  distinguished  career 
Ma\'  25,  1S57,  in  the  eighty-first  year  of  his  age. 

One  of  the  leading  characteristics  of  Judge  Butler  was  his  broad 
good  nature,  and  whether  in  the  deliberative  body,  upon  the  bench, 
at  the  bar,  or  in  the  social  circle  no  one  enjoyed  a  joke  or  a  bright 
repartee  more  than  he.  He  was  true  and  devoted  to  his  friends  and 
placable  and  forgiving  to  his  enemies.  Though  he  despised  mean- 
ness in  every  form  he  was  never  vindictive  or  resentful,  and  no  one 
ever  applied  to  him  in  distress  without  finding  a  helping  hand  and  a 
sympathizing  heart. 

HENRY   McIVER 

was  born  near  Society  Hill,  in  Darlington  county,  S.  C,  on  the  26th 
of  September,  1S26.  The  rudiments  of  his  education  were  acquired 
in  Cheraw,  and  he  afterward  entered  the  South  Carolina  college  at 
Columbia,  graduating  from  that  institution  in  December,  1846,  with  a 
class  of  about  thirty-five,  which  numbered  among  its  members  Gov. 
T.  B.  Jeter  and  Prof.  E.  L.  Patton,  professor  of  Greek  in  Columbia 
university.  On  leaving  college,  Mr.  Mclver  returned  to  his  home  in 
Cheraw,  when  he  entered  the  law  office  of  his  father,  Alexander  M. 
Mclver,  and  began  his  law  studies,  making  such  proficiency  in  that 

A 16 


242  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

profession  as  to  be  admitted  to  the  bar  in  Columbia,  in  December 
1847.     He  at  once  entered  into  a  partnersliip  with  his  father  in  the 
practice  of  the  law  in  Cheraw,  the   partnership   continuing   until  the 
latter's  death,  which  occurred  in  July,  1850.     At  the  time  of  the  fath- 
er's death,  he  held  the  office  of  solicitor  or  prosecuting  attorney,  and 
his  son,  immediately  after,  was  appointed  by  Gov.  Seabrook  to  fill 
the  vacancy,  and  he  continued  to  hold  the  office  until  December,  1850. 
He  was  re-appointed  to  the  same  office  by  Gov.  Manning,  in  March, 
1853,  to  fill  the  vacancy  caused  by  the  death  of  W.  J.  Hannee,  who 
was  elected  to  the  office  by  thfe  legislature  in  March,  1850,  and  who 
died  March,  1853.     In  the  following  December,  Mr.  Mclver  was  nom- 
inated for  the  same  office  and   was   elected   and   re-elected,  serving 
until  1S65,  when  he  was  "re-constructed"  out  of  office.     He  then  re- 
sumed the  practice  of  the  law  in  Chesterfield,  Marlborough,  Darlington 
and  Marion,  having  a  partner  in  each  of  these  counties,  continuing  in 
the  practice  until  May  iq,  1877,  when  he  was  elected  associate  judge 
of  the  supreme  court,  which  office  he  has  ever  since  held  through  suc- 
cessive elections  every  six  years.     In  1S60,  he  was  elected  a  delegate 
from  Chesterfield  county  to  the  convention  which  first  met  at  Colum- 
bia, in  December  of  that  year,  and  in  a  day  or  two  adjourned  to 
Charleston  on  account  of  the  prevalence  of  small-pox  at  the  former 
place.     The  object  of  the  convention   was  to  act  upon  the  ordinance 
of  secession,  for  which  Judge  Mclver  voted  in  the  convention  in  the 
affirmative.     At  the  time  of  his  election  as  a  delegate,  he  was  not  a 
candidate,  being  chosen  without  any  consultation  with  him.     In  1865, 
he  was  elected  a  delegate  from  Chesterfield  count3%  to  the  convention 
called  by  President  Andrew  Johnson  to  meet   in   Columbia   for  the 
purpose  of  re-organizing  the  state  government  and  adopting  a  new 
constitution.     This  convention,  not  morally  recognizing  the  Emanci- 
pation  Proclamation,  adopted   an   ordinance    abolishing  slavery  in 
South  Carolina.     About  a  year  after  the  opening  of  hostilities  be- 
tween the  two  sections  of  our  country,  namely,  in  January,  1862,  Mr. 
Mclver  entered  the  Confederate   service   as   second    lieutenant   of 
Company  A,  of  the  Fourth  South  Carolina  cavalry,  which  constituted 
a  part  of  Gen.  Wade  Hampton's  command.     He  was  afterward  pro- 
moted to  the  first  lieutenancy,  and  then  to  the  captaincy,  which  rank 
he  held  until  the  close  of  the  war.     His  command,  which  was  in  Gen. 
Joe  E.  Johnston's  army,  was  surrendered  in  April,  1865,  Capt.  Mclver 
being  at  the  time  at  home  in  Cheraw,  on  detached  service.     He  was 
twice  severely  wounded  in  the  conflict  with   Sheridan's  troops,  near 
Redmond,  on  the   28th  of  Maj',  1864,  on  account  of  which  he  was 
compelled  to  return  home,  but  he  went  back  to  his  post  immediately 
on  his  recovery,  thence  remaining  on  duty  until  the  final  surrender 
of  his  command.    Judge  Mclver  was  married  on  the  7th  of  June, 
1849,  to  Caroline  H.   Powe,  daughter  of  Dr.  Thomas  E.  Powe,  of 
Cheraw,  who  held  a  seat  in  the  state  senate  of  South  Carolina  for 
several  years.     To  this  union  eight  children  were  born,  of  whom  five 
still  survive,  their  respective  names  being  as  follows:     Eleanor  H., 
widow  of  Edwin   F.  Malloy;    Mary  H.,  wife  of  James  D.  Harden; 


SOUTir   CAROLINA.  243 

Thomas  P.,  Edward  and  Charlotte  H.  The  christian  name  of  Henry 
Mclver's  father,  as  mentioned  above,  was  Alexander  M.  He  was 
born  in  Darlington  county  in  February,  17QQ.  He  represented  Dar- 
lington county  several  times  in  the  state  legislature,  and  held  the 
office  of  solicitor  as  before  noted,  at  the  time  of  his  death  in  July, 
1850.  He  was  married  about  the  year  1820,  to  Mary  H.  Hanford, 
daughter  of  Prof.  Enoch  Hanford,  of  Connecticut,  who  became  the 
first  professor  of  languages  in  the  South  Carolina  college.  The  issue 
of  this  marriage  was  nine  children,  Henry  Mclver  being  the  third  in 
the  order  of  birth.  The  mother  of  this  family  closed  her  earthly 
career  in  September,  1863.  It  will  be  seen  by  this  summary  sketch 
that  Mr.  Mclver,  both  in  the  military  and  civil  phases  of  his  eventful 
career,  has  been  called  to  meet  important  crises  and  emergencies 
which  would  test  the  strength  of  any  man's  judgment,  patriotism  and 
fidelity  to  himself  and  his  fellow  countrymen,  and  that  he  has  met 
the  responsibilities  imposed  upon  him  with  a  spirit  of  manliness  and 
independence. 

ROBERT  Y.  HAYNE, 

one  of  South  Carolina's  most  distinguished  representative  men,  was 
born  November  10,  1791,  near  Charleston,  S.  C.  He  was  the  son  of 
a  reputable  planter,  the  third  in  the  order  of  birth,  and  his  ancestors, 
who  were  of  suitable  age  at  the  time  of  the  Revolutionary  war,  bore 
a  conspicuous  part  in  that  great  struggle  for  national  independence. 
His  father's  family  consisted  of  ten  children,  and  with  only  a  moder-- 
ate  fortune,  that  father  w^as  unable  to  give  his  sons  such  educational 
advantages  as  he  desired.  Robert's  privileges  in  this  direction  were 
consequently  confined  to  a  common  grammar  school,  kept  in  the  city 
of  Charleston,  where  his  schooling  began  and  ended.  But  at  the  age 
of  seventeen  3'ears  he  began  a  course  of  law  studies  under  the  direc- 
tion of  Langdon  Cheves,  an  eminent  lawyer  and  jurist.  Mr.  Hayne 
applied  himself  to  his  studies  with  unusual  assiduity  and  with  a  quick, 
natural  perception.  After  the  usual  course  of  study  he  was  admitted 
to  the  bar  while  yet  under  the  legal  age,  the  judges  before  whom  he 
was  examined  requiring  him  to  enter  into  astipulation  not  to  practice 
till  he  should  be  of  age.  This  was  early  in  1812,  the  date  of  the  com- 
mencement of  the  war  with  England,  and  young  Hayne  immediately 
volunteered  for  the  defense  of  his  country,  joining  the  Third  regi- 
ment of  state  troops  w-ith  the  rank  of  lieutenant.  His  oratorical  pow- 
ers began  to  develop,  even  while  in  the  army,  and  he  delivered  a 
Fourth  of  July  oration,  in  the  first  year  of  his  military  service,  before 
the  ofificers  and  soldiers  of  his  regiment.  His  maiden  effort  received 
universal  praise  for  the  purity  of  its  diction  and  for  its  classical  ex- 
cellence. He  was  no  less  a  soldier,  however,  than  an  orator,  and  was 
finally  promoted  to  a  major-generalship  of  the  South  Carolina 
militia.  When  his  term  of  service  had  expired  and  he  had  been  hon- 
orably discharged  he  returned  to  Charleston,  and  immediately  be- 
gan the  practice  of  his  profession.     With  no  outfit  of  capital,   but 


244  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

with  a  constantly  increasing  practice,  he  soon  found  himself  the  re- 
cipient of  a  handsome  income.  Before  he  had  reached  his  twenty- 
second  year  his  practice  had  become  as  extensive  as  that  of  any 
member  of  the  Charleston  bar,  and  it  continued  to  increase  in  vol- 
ume and  emoluments  till  he  retired  from  the  profession. 

In  1814  Mr.  Hayne  was  elected  a  member  of  the  state  legislature, 
in  the  face  of  no  less  than  thirty  opposing  candidates,  most  of  them 
men  of  a  high  order  of  talents  and  ability.  His  character  as  a  law- 
yer and  his  bravery  as  a  soldier  had  largely  contributed  to  his  popu- 
larity, as  demonstrated  by  his  triumph  in  this,  his  first  trial  for  the 
suffrages  of  the  people,  his  vote  being  the  largest  that  had  ever  be- 
fore been  cast  for  a  representative  of  his  district.  In  the  legislature 
he  v;as  at  once  made  chairman  of  the  militarj^  committee,  then  the 
most  important  committee  in  the  house,  and  in  this  position  he  ren- 
dered most  efficient  service,  both  to  his  state  and  to  the  national 
cause.  He  was  re-elected  for  four  successive  terms,  and  the  last 
term  was  made  speaker  of  the  house.  He  was  next  unanimously 
elected  as  attorney-general  of  the  state,  and  while  serving  in  this  ca- 
pacity was  offered  by  President  Monroe  the  attorney-generalship  of 
the  United  States  for  the  Charleston  district,  which  he  respectfully 
declined.  At  the  end  of  his  four  years'  term,  in  December,  1822,  he 
was  elected  a  United  States  senator,  and  took  his  seat  in  the  senate 
on  the  ensuing  4th  of  March.  He  was  unanimously  elected  for  a  sec- 
ond term  in  1S28. 

In  1832-3,  Gen.  Hayne  took  a  leading  part  in  the  controversy  over 
the  protective  policy  of  the  general  government,  in  opposition  to  that 
policy.  He  was  made  president  of  the  "nullification"  convention, 
and  when  the  ordinance  was  adopted,- November  24,  1832,  Mr.  Hayne 
voted  with  the  majority.  After  this  great  and  threatening  contro- 
versy had  been  settled  by  a  compromise,  Mr.  Hayne  was  made  presi- 
dent of  the  convention,  which  met  in  the  following  year  to  rescind  the 
former  ordinance. 

In  December,  1832,  Mr.  Hayne  was  elected  governor  by  the  state 
legislature,  and  in  the  executive  office  did  much  not  only  to  maintain 
the  dignity  of  the  state  but  to  modify  the  asperity  of  its  opposition  to 
the  general  government. 

Mr.  Hayne  was  twice  married;  first  to  Miss  Pinckney,  daughter  of 
Gov.  Charles  Pinckne3^  by  whom  he  had  two  sons  and  a  daughter. 
His  second  wife  was  the  daughter  of  Col.  William  Alston,  two  sons 
being  the  issue  of  the  second  marriage. 

In  person.  Gen.  Hayne  was  of  medium  height,  but  of  commanding 
figure.  In  fleshly  proportions  he  was  inclined  to  be  slender,  though 
not  spare.  His  light  hair  indicated,  his  ardent  temperament.  He 
possessed  a  most  active  mind,  earnest  and  alert.  When  he  became 
warmed  up  in  public  debate  every  bodily  function  partook  of  the 
animation  of  his  mental  forces.  His  prevailing  characteristics  were 
comprehensiveness,  clearness  and  strength.  He  at  once  seized  upon 
the  strong  points  of  a  debatable  subject,  and  brought  to  his  aid  a 
force  of  argumentation  which  was  well  nigh  absolutcl}'  irresistible. 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  245 

He  dealt  not  in  a  redundancy  of  words,  but  used  the  most  perspicuous 
language  to  enforce  his  well  conceived  ideas.  His  logic  was  natural, 
and  he  never  resorted  to  tricks  or  quibbles  or  non  sequiturs  in  its  en- 
forcement. Though  his  style  was  forcible  and  vigorous  it  had  a  fine 
polish,  and  was  even  ornate  when  his  subject  prompted  him  to  make 
use  of  the  flowers  of  rhetoric  and  orator^'.  liut  his  emljcllishments 
of  speech  were  of  the  natural  order,  and  he  used  metaphors  and 
similies  sparingly,  yet  his  illustrations  were  charming  for  their  apt- 
ness, combining  strength  and  adornment.  His  speeches  held  a  high 
place  in  the  literature  of  the  age  in  which  they  were  delivered. 

This  brilliant  orator  and  statesman  died  at  a  premature  age. 
His  death  occurred  September  24,  1841,  in  his  forty-eighth  year,  when 
he  was  just  attaining  the  meridian  of  his  mental  powers  and  gaining 
a  reputation  as  wide  as  the  boundaries  of  his  country  and  as  clear  as 
the  noonday  unclouded  sky. 

HON.  IRA  B.  JONES. 

Hon.  Ira    B.  Jones  was  born   in  Newberry,  S.  C,  December  29, 
185 1,  and  received  his  early  education  in  the  Lutheran  college  at  that 
place,  going  through  the  sophomore  year.     He  then  entered  Erskine 
college,  graduating  from  that  institution  in  1870,  when  he  arrived  at 
the  age  of  eighteen  years.     After  "leaving   college   he   engaged    in 
teaching  in  the  schools   at   Newberry  and   Edgefield,  for  about  three 
years.     During  this  time  he  studied  law  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar 
in  1872,  at  once  opening  a  law  office  in  Newberry.     He  also  became 
associate  editor  of  The  Nezvberry  Herald,  which  position  he  held  for 
a  year.     Then  he  taught  school  at  Prosperity  during  the  year  1875, 
in  the  fall  of  which  he  moved  to  I^ancaster,  S.  C,  where  he  opened 
a  law  office  and  where  he  now  resides,  still  practicing  his  profession. 
In  18S8  Mr.  Jones  took  a  great  interest  in  the  reform  or  farmer  move- 
ment,  making  a   thorough  canvass  of  his  county.     At  the    primary 
convention  in  Lancaster  county,  in  August   and   September,  1890,  he 
was  the  choice  of  his  party  for  member  of  the  legislature,  and   he 
enjoyed  the  distinction  of  being  the  only  lawyer  in  the  state  who  had 
no  opposing  candidate.     He  was  elected  at  the  November  election 
and  was  appointed  chairman  of  the  committee  on  ways  and  means, 
the  most  important  chairmanship  in  the  house.     In  the  canvass  for 
1890  he  took   a   prominent   part  and    the   sweeping  victory  of  the 
farrriers'  movement  at  the  election  showed  that  he  and  his  associates 
upon  that  ticket  did  efficient  work.     In  1886  Mr.   Jones  was  elected 
chairman   of    the   democratic   executive    committee    for    Lancaster 
county,  and  also  chairman  of  the  congressional  executive  convention 
for  the  fifth  congressional  district.     On  the  21st  of  June,  1875,  Mr. 
Jones  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Rebecca  H.  Wyse,  daughter 
of  Capt.  Joseph  Wyse,  of  Edgefield  county,  and  they  have  had  five 
children,  named  respectively:  Charles  D.,  Rosa  May,  Irene  J.,  Mamie 
and  Bessie,  the  last  two  named  being  twins.    The  name  of  Mr.  Jones' 
father  was  Charles  M.  Jones,  who  was  born  in  Colleton  county,  S.  C, 


246  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

in  1822.  He  was  married  in  1S46  to  Mary  J.  Neel,  and  tlieir  family 
consisted  of  eight  cliildren,  five  of  whom  still  survive,  the  names 
being:  Edward  C,  of  Newberry;  Ira  B.,  of  Lancaster;  Margaret  C, 
wife  of  L.  C.  Moore,  of  Columbia;  Charles  William,  of  Lancaster; 
Samuel  B.,  of  Newberry,  and  Kittie  May  Jones.  The  father  of  this 
family  died  in  1872.  James  Jones  was  the  name  of  the  grandfather 
of  the  subject  of  this  sketch  and  he  was  a  native  of  South  Carolina. 

HON.  WILLIAM  AUGUSTUS  MOORE. 

The  late  Hon.  William  Augustus  Moore  was  born  in  the  year 
1822,  in  the  county  of  York,  S.  C.  He  was  the  second  son  of 
Alfred  Moore,  a  successful  planter  of  that  day.  His  paternal  grand- 
father was  Alexander  Moore,  who  held  the  office  of  sheriff  of 
York  county  for  several  years,  at  a  time  when  that  district  embraced 
four  or  five  of  the  present  counties;  and  he  at  one  time  served  as 
ordinary.  The  maternal  grandfather  was  the  Rev.  James  McElhaney, 
who  resided  and  preached  on  James  Island,  in  the  district  of  Charles- 
ton during  the  winter,  and  in  the  summer  months  in  Old  Pendleton, 
Abbeville  county.  He  owned  the  plantation  on  which  the  Clemson 
college  is  now  being  erected.  At  his  death  it  was  sold  in  the  settle- 
ment of  the  estate  and.  purchased  by  the  Calhouns.  William  A. 
Moore  was  prepared  for  college  by  the  Rev.  Cyrus  Johnson,  an  emi- 
nent educator  of  that  day,  and  entered  the  junior  class  at  Davidson 
college.  North  Carolina,  in  1841,  and  graduated  in  1843.  In  i844  he 
read  law  with  Col.  I.  D.  Witherspoon,  at  Yorkville,  and  was  admitted 
to  the  bar  in  the  same  year.  In  1S45  he  commenced  the  practice  of 
his  profession  at  Lancaster  Court  House,  S.  C.  In  December,  1856, 
he  was  so  fortunate  as  to  form  a  happy  marriage  alliance  with  Miss 
Nannie  C.  Ross,  the  daughter  of  J.  M.  Ross,  Esq.,  of  York  county, 
and  the  following  children  were  born  to  them,  viz.:  Ernest,  Paul, 
Olive  H.,  George,  Lillie,  Susan  B.,  Pauline  and  William  A.,  Jr.  In 
1863  Mr.  Moore  answered  the  call  of  his  people,  and  enlisted  in  the 
Confederate  service  as  a  private  in  the  First  South  Carolina  cavalry, 
commanded  by  Col.  Black.  His  service  extended  during  the  remain- 
ing years  of  the  conflict,  and  he  came  out  of  the  army  a  lieutenant. 
He  was  elected  a  member  of  the  legislature  in  1866,  and  served  one 
term,  at  its  expiration  declining  to  accept  a  further  nomination. 
From  that  time  until  his  death,  August  10th,  1878,  he  continued  in  the 
uninterrupted  practice  of  his  profession,  in  which  he  rose  to  such 
eminence.  His  death  was  felt  throughout  that  portion  of  the  state 
as  a  public  calamity.  He  was  a  lawyer  of  rare  talent,  having  a  mag- 
nificent mind  well  stored  with  the  accumulated  results  of  years  of  in- 
dustrious legal  research.  He  gained  a  large  practice  at  the  bar, 
extending  over  a  number  of  counties  adjoining  that  in  which  he  re- 
sided, and  was  especially  successful  as  a  solicitor  in  the  courts  of 
equity.  His  integrity  was  unimpeachable,  and  those  who  knew  him, 
instinctively  trusted  him  as  one  who  regarded  his  word  as  binding  as 
his  bond.     The  son  of  this  distinguished   man  is  Mr.  Ernest  Moore 


SOUTH    fAROLINA.  247 

who  was  born  iii  Lancaster  county,  S.  C,  December  5,  1857.  He  was 
reared  in  his  native  town,  and  there  received  the  preliminar}'  scholas- 
tic training.  In  1877,  at  the  age  of  twenty,  he  was  graduated  from 
the  law  school  of  Washington  and  Lee  university,  and  in  1878  was 
admitted  to  the  bar  at  Lancaster.  During  the  few  last  months  of  his 
father's  life  he  was  associated  with  him  in  practice,  having  the  ex- 
ample of  that  great  lawyer  daily  before  him.  Mr.  Moore  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  State  Bar  association,  is  a  Master  Mason,  and  is  now 
engaged  actively  and  successfully  in  the  practice  of  his  profession. 
He  was  married  in  1S83,  to  Miss  Mary  Belle  Hall,  the  ceremony  hav- 
ing been  performed  on  the  5th  of  December  of  that  year.  Mrs. 
Moore  is  the  accomplished  daughter  of  the  Rev.  W.  T.  Hall,  a  prom- 
inent divine  of  the  Presbyterian  church,  now  stationed  at  Lynchburg, 
Va.     The  union  has  resulted  in  the  birth  of  two  children. 

HON.   JOHN    D.   WYLIE. 

The  Wylie  family  has  long  been  identified  with  the  state  of  South 
Carolina.  It  is  of  ScotchTrish  lineage,  the  first  American  member 
having  been  Peter  Wylie,  the  son  of  Adam  Wylie  of  county  Antrim, 
Ireland,  who  died  in  county  Antrim  about  1754.  Peter  emigrated  to 
this  country  and  settled  in  Pennsylvania,  but  sometime  prior  to  the 
Revolution  changed  his  abode  to  South  Carolina,  in  Chester  county, 
having  married  a  Miss  Annie  Hawthorne  before  his  removal  from 
Pennsylvania.  His  three  sons  were  James,  Frank  and  William,  all 
of  whom  were  patriot  soldiers  in  the  Revolution.  William  was  one 
of  Sumter's  scouts,  and  was  wounded  and  captured  by  the  British 
and  confined  in  the  famous  Cornwallis  house  at  Camden,  S.  C.  He 
married  Isabella  Kelsoe,  a  descendant  of  the  family  which  gave  name 
to  Kelsoe  Abbey,  Scotland.  His  son  Peter  was  born  and  reared  in 
Chester  county,  where  his  life  was  devoted  mainly  to  agriculture. 
Annie  Evans  became  his  wife,  and  bore  him  Richard  Evans,  DeKalb, 
Alexander  P.  and  William.  He  was  ordinary,  or  judge  of  probate  of 
Chester  county  for  twenty  odd  years,  resigning  the  office  shortly  be- 
fore his  death.  The  mother  of  these  children  had  five  uncles  in  the 
Revolution  as  colonial  soldiers,  and  her  father  also  served  in  the  army. 
With  the  exception  of  DeKalb,  these  sons  were  all  physicians.  Rich- 
ard E.  was  born  in  Chester  county  on  the  family  plantation.  In  1832 
he  was  graduated  from  the  South  Carolina  medical  college,  and  in 
the  same  year  married  Miss  Rachel  McCullough,  by  whom  he  had 
three  sons,  viz.:  John  D.,  Peter  and  Thomas  M.  The  mother  died  in 
185S,  at  the  age  of  fifty  years,  and  subsequently  Richard  E.  Wylie 
married  a  second  time,  this  latter  union  resulting  in  the  birth  of  one 
son,  Thomas.  The  father  was  a  most  eminent  physician,  for  several 
years  president  of  the  South  Carolina  medical  association.  He  re- 
moved from  Chester  county  and  settled  in  Lancaster  county,  where 
he  spent  the  remainder  of  his  life.  John  Dunovant  Wylie,  the  son 
above  mentioned,  and  the  immediate  subject  of  this  sketch,  was  born 


24S  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

in  Lancaster  county,  near  the  junction  of  Flat  Creek  and  Lynche's 
river,  December  14,  1833.  Five  years  later  the  family  removed  to 
Lancaster,  and  it  was  in  the  latter  place  that  the  boy  was  reared  and 
educated,  in  part.  Having  finished  his  collegiate  preparation  in  the 
Chester  male  academy,  then  under  the  direction  of  Hon.  Giles  J. 
Patterson,  he  was  fitted  for  the  junior  class  of  the  South  Carolina  col- 
lege, but  against  his  own  wish,  at  the  earnest  request  of  his  father, 
he  entered  the  South  Carolina  military  academy  on  the  ist  of  Janu- 
ary, 1852,  and  graduated  therefrom  in  December,  1855,  with  high 
honors.  In  the  meantime  he  had  been  engaged  in  an  ardent  study  of 
the  law,  and  after  completing  his  academical  course  Mr.  Wylie  re- 
turned to  the  parental  roof  and  continued  his  legal  studies  under  the 
.utelage  of  Minor  Clinton,  Esq.,  of  Lancaster,  and  in  December, 
1855,  was  admitted  to  practice  in  the  courts  of  law  by  the  supreme 
court  at  Columbia,  and  in  1856  was  admitted  to  practice  before  the 
chancery  courts  of  the  state,  and  subsequently  was  admitted  to  the 
United  States  supreme  and  circuit  courts.  While  still  a  law  student 
in  1856,  he  was  appointed  magistrate  by  the  governor,  and  he  retained 
that  office  for  several  years,  until  the  beginning  of  the  late  war.  In 
December,  1856,  a  co-partnership  was  formed  with  Col.  Thomas  N. 
Dawkins,  who  for  many  years  had  been  solicitor  of  the  circuit,  and 
this  firm  continued  in  practice  until  Col.  Dawkins  was  elected  judge 
of  the  circuit  after  the  close  of  the  war.  April  8,  1861,  Mr.  Wylie 
having  previously  organized  a  company  for  the  Confederate  service 
known  as  the  Lancaster  Greys,  with  his  company,  of  which  he  was 
captain,  and  was  present  with  his  command  at  the  fall  of  Sumter, 
at  which  time  the  company  was  Company  A,  Ninth  South  Carolina 
regiment.  The  regiment  was  sent  to  Virginia,  and  after  a  twelve 
months'  service  was  changed  to  Company  A,  Fifth  South  Carolina 
regiment.  At  the  battle  of  Seven  Pines  Mr.  Wylie  was  promoted  to 
the  rank  of  major,  and  after  a  faithful  service  around  Richmond,  he 
was  promoted  at  Gaines's  Mill,  June  27,  1S62,  lieutenant-colonel,  and 
he  held  this  office  until  the  close  of  hostilities.  April  22,  1857,  he  had 
married  Miss  Eliza  Jane  Witherspoon,  a  daughter  of  the  Hon. 
James  H.  W'itherspoon,  a  distinguished  member  of  the  Confederate 
congress.  Of  the  children  born  to  them  but  one  is  living,  Mr.  Rich- 
ard Evans  Wylie,  the  law  partner  of  his  father.  After  the  war  Col. 
Wylie  practiced  alone  until  1876,  when  he  became  associated  with  M.  J. 
Hough.  But  in  1S81  Mr.  Hough  withdrew,  and  his  son  having  grad- 
uated in  the  Carolina  military  institute  at  Charlotte,  N.  C,  and  sub- 
sequently at  the  University  of  Virginia,  became  a  member  of  the  firm 
and  has  since  continued  as  such.  In  1877  he  was  elected  to  the  state 
senate,  was  re-elected  in  1878,  and  in  18S2  declined  to  run  for  the  office. 
While  a  member  of  the  senate  his  course  was  dignified  and  able.  He 
served  on  many  important  committees,  having  been  chairman  of  the 
committee  on  claims,  and  also  of  the  judiciary  committee,  and  in  1881, 
was  chairman  of  the  joint  commission  to  change  the  state  constitu- 
tion.    He  is  a  prominent  Mason. 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  249 


WILLIAM  CAMPBELL  PRESTON, 

an  eminent  lawyer  and  statesman  of  South  Carolina,  was  born  De- 
cember 27,  1/94,  in  the  city  of  Philadelphia,  his  father  at  that  time 
being  a  member  of  congress,  and  temporarily  residing  at  the  then  seat 
of  government.  He  had  a  noble  ancestry,  his  paternal  grandfather 
being  a  lieutenant-colonel,  commanding  a  Virginia  regime,nt  in  the 
Revolutionary  war,  and  afterward  commanding  the  militia  from  the 
Blue  Ridge  to  the  Ohio  river.  His  mother  was  the  only  child  of  Col. 
Campbell,  of  Kings  Mountain  celebrity,  and  she  was  a  niece  of  Pat- 
rick Henry.  Mr.  Preston's  early  education  was  acquired  under  the 
tuition  of  competent  instructors,  and  at  the  age  of  fifteen  he  en- 
tered the  sophomore  class  of  Columbia  (S.  C.)  college.  While  yet  a 
student  he  was  remarkable  for  his  powers  as  an  extemporaneous 
speaker,  which  the  state  legislature  and  other  public  occasions  after- 
ward gave  him  full  opportunities  to  illustrate. 

He  graduated  in  December,  1812,  when  only  eighteen  years  of  age. 
In  the  following  spring  he  began  the  study  of  law  in  the  office  of 
William  Wirt,  at  Richmond,  Va.  At  the  instance  of  his  father  he 
made  an  exploring  expedition  through  the  states  of  Tennessee,  Ken- 
tucky, Ohio,  Indiana,  Illinois  and  Missouri,  in  the  accomplishment 
of  which  he  expended  seven  months'  time.  He  returned  invigorated 
both  in  physical  and  mental  powers  and  capacities.  After  the  close 
of  the  war  with  Great  Britain,  about  the  year  1S17,  he  crossed  the 
Atlantic,  to  complete  his  education  in  the  old  world,  remaining  about 
two  years.  Soon  afterward  he  was  married  to  Miss  Maria  Coalter, 
a  beautiful  and  accomplished  lady  whose  acquaintance  he  had  made 
during  his  college  days.'  In  1820  he  v^as  admitted  to  practice  at  the 
Virginia  bar,  but  both  he  and  his  wife  preferring  South  Carolina,  they 
removed  to  Columbia,  the  scene  of  their  first  intimacy,  in  1822.  In 
the  fall  of  that  year  he  was  appointed  a  trustee  of  the  college  from 
which  but  a  few  years  before,  he  had  graduated,  and  was  for  many 
years  president  of  the  board. 

In  1832,  Mr.  Preston  formed  a  law  partnership  with  D.J.  McCord, 
Esq.,  who  was  then  state  law  reporter.  This  connection  gave  him  a 
wide  introduction  to  the  public,  and  led  to  his  engagement  in  many 
most  important  suits.  He  made  an  able  plea  in  the  case  of  the  peti- 
tion of  Asa  Deloizier,  before  the  house  of  representatives,  against 
an  adverse  report  of  the  claims  committee  of  that  body.  The  claim 
of  the  petitioner  was  disallowed,  but  the  speech  of  Mr.  Preston 
brought  out  many  high  encomiums.  In  1828  Mr.  Preston  defended 
Judge  James  before  the  senate,  against  articles  of  impeachment 
which  had  been  preferred  by  the  house  of  representatives,  but  it  was 
a  case  of  rare  eloquence  and  touching  appeals  against  stubborn  and 
well-sustained  facts,  and  the  judge  was  convicted  and  deposed  from 
his  office.  One  of  the  judges  of  the  court  of  appeals,  after  listening 
to  many  of  Mr.  Preston's  arguments  before  the  bar,  testified  to  his 
power  as  an  advocate,  and  declared  that  one  of  his  pleas  "  was  unriv- 


250  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

aled  in  argument  and  eloquence."  As  a  criminal  lawyer,  his  plead- 
ings and  defenses  were  unsurpassed  for  tact  and  true  eloquence. 

In  1829  he  was  elected  a  member  of  the  state  legislature,  but  that 
year  was  saddened  by  the  loss  of  his  beloved  and  excellent  wife,  who 
left  him  an  only  child,  a  daughter.  He  was  returned  to  the  house  of 
representatives  in  1830  and  1832.  In  the  latter  year  he  married  Miss 
Penelope  Davis,  daughter  of  Dr.  James  Davis,  of  Columbia  —  an 
amiable  and  accomplished  lady. 

In  1836  he  was  elected  a  United  States  senator,  and  in  this  eminent 
body  he  distinguished  himself  for  his  powerful  oratory  and  his  pro- 
found statesmanship,  but  disagreeing  with  the  general  politics  of  his 
state  so  far  as  its  support  of  President  Van  Buren  was  concerned,  he 
magnanimousl}'  resigned  his  senatorship  before  the  close  of  his  term, 
and  returned  to  the  practice  of  his  profession.  Again  his  life  was 
saddened  by  the  loss  of  his  only  child,  Miss  Sally  Preston,  who  in- 
herited all  the  virtues  and  accomplishments  of  her  deceased  mother. 
In  1845,  he  was  elected  to  the  presidency  of  .South  Carolina  college, 
his  alma  mater,  and  his  accession  to  that  office  was  the  starting  point  of 
a  large  and  finally  overflowing  attendance  of  students  who  were  eager 
to  avail  themselves  of  the  benefit  of  his  able  instruction.  But  failing 
health  compelled  him  to  resign  in  November,  1S51,  to  the  great  re- 
gret of  the  board  of  trustees.  Along  with  his  failing  health  his  mis- 
fortune was  redoubled  by  the  loss  of  his  admirable  and  gifted  wife. 
Through  the  beneficence  of  a  Providence,  in  whom  through  all  his 
afflictions  he  fervently  trusted,  his  health  was  afterward  restored 
and  he  lived  to  benefit  his  fellow-citizens  by  the  establishment  of  the 
Columbia  Athenceum,  to  which  adniirable  institution  he  donated  his 
fine  library  of  about  3,000  volumes.  His  useful  and  brilliant  career 
was  closed  at  Columbia,  when  in  1S60,  he  died  in  the  si.Kty-sixth  year 
of  his  age. 

ABRAHAM  LEVI, 

president  of  the  bank  of  Manning,  and  one  of  the  leading  financiers 
and  attorneys  of  Clarendon  county,  S.  C,  was  born  in  Manning, 
July  31st,  1863,  the  son  of  Moses  and  Hannah  Levi.  Both  parents 
are  living  and  are  respected  residents  of  Manning.  The  father  is  one 
of  the  oldest  settlers  of  the  town,  having  removed  there  about  1850, 
when  he  engaged  in  the  mercantile  business,  in  which  he  has  since 
continued  with  unvarying  success.  Moses  Levi  enlisted  in  1863,  in 
Company  I,  Twenty-third  regiment  of  South  Carolina  volunteer  in- 
fantry. He  fought  in  many  battles,  and  was  present  at  the  blowing 
up  of  Petersburg,  and  in  the  battle  of  Five  Forks,  was  captured  and 
taken  to  Point  Look-out,  where  he  was  confined  for  eleven  weeks. 
President  Johnson  pardoned  him  at  this  time,  and  he  then  returned 
home.  During  the  first  two  years  of  the  war  he  was  represented  in 
the  field  by  a  substitute,  and  when  it  became  necessary  for  him  to  go 
in  person,  he  did  so  willingly.  During  the  war,  he  lost  his  large  for- 
tune. The  war  closing,  Mr.  Levi  resumed  the  mercantile  business, 
and  by  ability  and  thrift,  has  regained  his  property  to  a  large  extent. 


jPJ^W    ^" 


*  FULLf 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  25 1 

Of  the  nine  living  children  born  to  him,  Abraham  is  the  sixth.  He 
began  his  scholastic  training  in  a  private  school  in  New  York,  and 
later,  entered  the  Carolina  military  school  at  Charlotte,  N.  C,  from 
which  he  was  graduated  with  the  rank  of  captain  in  the  class  of  1882. 
He  then  became  a  student  in  the  University  of  Virginia's  law  depart- 
ment, and  was  graduated  from  the  Albany  law  school  in  1884,  with 
the  degree  of  B.  L.,  being  but  twenty  years  of  age  at  that  time.  In 
the  following  year  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar,  and  in  1886,  com- 
menced the  practice  of  his  profession  at  Manning.  In  the  meantime, 
however,  Mr.  Levi  had  assumed  the  editorial  charge  of  the  Manning 
Times,  which  he  conducted  for  several  months.  In  September,  1889, 
he  was  elected  president  of  the  bank  of  Manning,  having  been  a  prime 
mover  in  its  organization.  Mr.  Levi  has  taken  a  decided  stand  on  a 
progressive  line,  and  has  done  much  to  advance  the  industrial  growth 
of  the  community.  He  is  a  director  in,  and  attorney  for,  the  Dime 
Savings  institution  of  Manning,  and  sustains  the  same  relation  to  the 
Young  Men's  Building  &  Loan  association  of  the  town,  and  is  also 
local  treasurer  for  the  Southern  Building  &  Loan  association  of 
Alabama,  and  was  captain  of  the  Manning  guards,  an  organization 
which  served  in  the  Confederate  army  during  the  entire  Civil  war  in 
Hampton's  legion.  Has  since  been  elected  major  of  the  Fourth  regi- 
ment South  Carolina  volunteers.  He  is  S.  W.  of  St.  Peters  lodge,  No. 
54,  of  Manning,  and  is  a  member  of  Beulah  chapter.  No.  24,  of  Sum- 
ter, S.  C,  and  is  also  a  member  of  Damon  lodge  of  the  Knights  of 
Pythias,  being  past  chancellor  of  the  same.  His  future  measured  by 
his  past  career,  promises  much. 

HON.  GILES  J.  PATTERSON, 

one  of  the  foremost  lawyers  of  South  Carolina,  was  born  at  Pacolet 
Springs,  Spartanburg  county,  S.  C,  January  10,  1827,  one  of  thirteen 
children  born  to  Edward  and  Mildred  Patterson.  The  father  was  a 
Virginian,  and  a  son  of  William  Patterson,  also  a  native  of  the  Old 
Dominion.  William  was  of  Scotch-Irish  lineage,  and  his  ancestors 
were  among  the  earl}'  settlers  of  the  state.  He  served  as  a  private 
in  the  Revolution,  and  in  1800,  removed  with  his  family  to  South 
Carolina,  locating  on  Pacolet  river,  where  he  lived  and  died.  The 
son,  Edward,  was  but  a  small  boy  when  the  family  came  to  the 
Palmetto  state,  and  he  received  his  education  in  the  new  home,  pass- 
ing the  remainder  of  his  days  there  as  a  planter.  He  married 
Mildred  Lewis,  of  Rutherford  county,  S.  C,  in  early  life.  She  was  a 
descendant  of  the  well  known  family  of  Lewis,  of  Virginia.  Edward 
was  a  soldier  in  the  war  of  1S12,  and  in  1832  was  an  ardent  champion 
of  the  John  C.  Calhoun  doctrine,  and  the  nullification  act,  and  when 
the  governor  of  South  Carolina  called  for  troops  to  enforce  this 
measure,  he  was  made  colonel  of  the  only  regiment  raised  in  Spartan- 
burg county.  Col.  Patterson  was  a  man  of  great  force  of  character, 
with  a  mind  keen  and  ready.  He  died  September  5,  1842,  aged 
fifty-three  years,  leaving  a  widow  and  thirteen  children.     Giles  J.  was 


252  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

then  but  a  jouth  of  fifteen;  and  as  the  children  were  most  of  them 
small,  only  two  having  reached  maturity,  he  was  thrown  somewhat 
on  his  own  resources.  The  paternal  estate  was  large,  but  needed 
constant  care  in  order  to  get  from  it  a  living  commensurate  with  the 
family's  size,  as  it  was  mostly  in  land.  Nothing  daunted,  the  lad  pur- 
sued his  studies  zealously  and  was  graduated  from  the  Spartanburg 
academy,  and  in  December,  1845,  entered  the  South  Carolina  college. 
By  frugality  and  hard  work,  he  managed  to  eke  out  his  scanty  income 
so  as  to  complete  his  collegiate  course,  and  was  accorded  the  sixth 
honor  of  his  class.  At  this  time  he  was  called  to  the  principalship  of 
the  Chester  male  academy,  and  remained  in  charge  three  years. 
Here  he  met  with  great  success,  building  up  the  institution,  so  that  at 
his  removal  he  left  four  times  as  many  students  as  he  found  there 
when  he  took  control.  In  1S52,  he  entered  the  law  office  of  Bobo  & 
Edwards,  at  Spartanburg,  and  in  December  of  that  year  was  admitted 
to  the  bar,  and  in  the  following  month  located  at  Chester,  where  he 
has  since  been  engaged  in  active  practice.  Mr.  Patterson  soon  com- 
manded recognition,  and  in  1857  we  find  him  a  commissioner  of  the 
county,_and  he  was  continued  in  that  office  until  its  abolishment  by 
the  legislature  in  1868.  At  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  war  he  enlisted 
as  a  private  and  came  out  as  captain  in  a  Chester  county  regiment. 
During  the  last  months  of  the  conflict,  in  1864,  he  was  elected  to  the 
legislature,  but  did  not  qualify.  From  1882  to  iSgo,  he  served  with 
distinction  as  a  member  of  the  state  senate,  and  while  a  member  of 
that  body,  introduced  the  Patterson  bill,  which  was  entitled  "An  act 
in  relation  to  forfeited  lands  and  the  collection  of  taxes."  He  opposed 
the  Smythe  railway  commission  law,  which  was  passed  in  one  session 
and  repealed  the  next;  and  he  also  strongly  urged  against  the  pas- 
sage of  the  act  having  for  its  object  the  doing  away  with  tuition  in 
the  South  Carolina  college.  In  iSqo  he  was  placed  in  nomination  for 
the  senate,  but,  with  many  others  of  his  ticket,  v/as  defeated  by  the 
Farmers'  alliance.  Twice  his  county  has  placed  him  in  nomination 
for  governor,  and  in  1886  he  received  a  flattering  ballot.  Mr.  Patter- 
son has  been  twice  married,  his  first  marriage  having  been  to  Miss 
Mary  J.  Gage  in  1855.  Her  death  occurred  in  1881,  and  two  years 
later,  Mrs.  Mary  V.  Winsmith,  ncc  Ross,  became  his  wife.  By 
his  first  wife  he  had  no  issue,  but  three  children  have  resulted 
from  the  last  mentioned  union.  As  a  staunch  friend  to  education,  he 
has  served  for  more  than  a  quarter  of  a  century  as  a  school  trustee 
of  the  town  in  which  he  lives;  and  for  nearly  thirty  years  he  has  been 
a  communicant  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  and  during  most 
of  that  time  he  has  served  as  superintendent  of  the  Sunday-school. 

HON.   JAMES    HEMPHILL, 

who,  for  more  than  half  a  century,  has  been  before  the  state  as  one 
of  its  leading  lawyers,  was  born  in  Chester  county,  S.  C,  July  3,  1813. 
His  father,  the  Rev.  John  Hemphill,  D.D.,  was  a  native  of  Ireland. 
He  came  to  America  when  a  young  man,  about  the  year  1783,  and 


SOUTH    CAROLINA. 


253 


soon  after  entered  Dickinson  college,  where  he  was  prepared  for  the 
ministry  of  the  Presbyterian  church.  A  more  extended  mention  of 
this  gentleman,  and  of  the  immediate  family,  may  be  found  else- 
where in  this  work.  (Xir  subject  was  reared  upon  his  father's  planta- 
tion, in  Chester,  and  was  given  ample  educational  advantages  in  the 
neighboring  schools.  At  the  age  of  eighteen  he  entered  the  junior 
class  of  Jefferson  college,  Penn.,  and  was  graduated  in  September, 
1833.  Immediately  thereafter  he  entered  the  law  office  of  his  dis- 
tinguished brother,  the  Hon.  John  Hemphill,  who  afterward  became 
chief-justice  of  Texas,  is  mentioned  in  another  place,  and  was 
fitted  for  the  profession  of  law.  He  passed  a  successful  examination 
in  July,  1836,  and  soon  after  began  active  practice  at  Chester.  He 
soon  rose  to  the  front  ranks  of  his  profession  in  the  state.  P'or 
fifteen  years  he  held  the  office  of  commissioner  in  equity  of  Chester 
county,  and  only  relinquished  that  office  upon  his  resignation.  He 
has  served  with  honor  in  both  branches  of  the  legislature  of  South 
Carolina,  having  been  a  member  of  the  lower  house  during  the  years 
1857,  '62,  '63,  '64;  and  in  iS65-'66  was  a  senator.  In  1S65  he  was  elect- 
ed a  member  of  the  constitutional  convention.  During  the  Civil  war 
Mr.  Hemphill  stood  firm  for  the  cause  his  people  loved,  although 
incapacitated  by  his  age  for  active  service.  At  the  commencement 
he  was  opposed  to  secession,  and  voted  for  the  only  senator  who  cast 
his  ballot  against  it;  but  when  it  was  finally  passed,  the  state  had  no 
truer  friend  than  he.  On  the  17th  of  May,  1843,  one  of  the  happiest 
acts  of  his  life  was  consummated,  the  occasion  being  his  marriage  to 
Miss  Rachel  E.  Brawley,  of  North  Carolina.  Of  their  children,  seven 
survive,  and  several  of  the  sons  have  risen  to  high  honor  among  the 
people.  The  family  are  active  communicants  of  the  Presbyterian 
church,  and  hold  a  high  position  as  useful  and  valued  citizens. 

HON.  THOMAS  N.  DAWKINS. 

The  Hon.  Thomas  N.  Dawkins  was  born  in  Union  district, 
S.  C,  March  20,  1807.  He  was  the  son  of  Gen.  Dawkins,  a  man 
of  great  influence  and  of  large  fortune.  A  successful  planter  and 
merchant,  he  held  different  honored  offices  in  the  public  service.  He 
was  a  member  of  the  state  legislature  and  a  major-general  in  the 
militia.  His  son  inherited  many  of  the  noble  qualities  of  the  father. 
He  was  graduated  from  the  University  of  South  Carolina  with  honor, 
and  then  began  the  reading  of  the  law  at  Union  C.  H.,  and  after  his 
admission  to  the  bar  formed  a  partnership  with  Andrew  Wallace 
Thomson  Esq.  They  had  a  successful  practice  from  the  start,  but 
after  a  shoi^t  tim'e  decided  to  dissolve  for  the  best  interests  of  both. 
Shortly  after  his  entrance  to  the  ranks  of  the  legal  profession  the 
storm  of  nullification  swept  the  state,  and  although  the  common- 
wealth espoused  this  new  doctrine  by  overwhelming  majorities  the 
patriotic,  cool-headed  young  attorney  never  swerved  from  his  alle- 
giance to  the  Union.  It  is  incontestible  proof  of  his  popularity  with 
the  people  that  at  this  time  he  was  elected  to  the  state  legislature  by 


254  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

them,  although  differing  with  the  majority  so  widely.  While  a  mem- 
ber of  the  legislature  he  was  appointed  solicitor  of  the  middle  circuit 
by  those  opposed  to  him  politically,  and  he  was  re-elected  to  the  office 
several  times,  finally  resigning  and  declining  further  service.  He 
espoused  the  cause  of  his  native  state  during  the  Civil  war  and  after 
its  close  was  elected  a  member  of  the  state  convention  under  the 
proclamation  of  the  president  for  re-organizing  the  state  government, 
and  took  a  prominent  part  in  the  deliberations  of  that  assembly. 
When  the  president  requested  the  provisional  governor  to  name  a 
man  fit  to  hold  the  office  of  district  judge  of  the  state,  Gov.  Perry 
tendered  the  appointment  to  Mr.  Daw-kins,  but  he  declined  as  it 
would  compel  him  to  live  at  Charleston  permanently.  In  1866  the 
people  of  Union  district  again  elected  him  to  the  legislature  and  he 
was  appointed  chairman  of  the  judiciary  committee.  At  that  time 
this  was  a  most  important  and  responsible  position,  as  the  laws  of  the 
state  were  undergoing  vital  change.  With  great  assiduity  and  ability 
he  discharged  the  duties  of  that  position,  and  soon  after  was  elected 
to  the  bench,  holding  the  judgeship  until  congress  required  the  re -con- 
struction of  South  Carolina.  At  this  time  he  resumed  his  practice, 
and  on  the  20th  of  March,  1870  the  sad  end  came.  The  late  Gov. 
Perry  says  in  his  memoirs:  "Whilst  Judge  Dawkins  was  holding 
court  at  Greenville,  I  insisted  he  should  stay  with  me  while  in  Green- 
ville. I  had  spent  a  week  at  his  house  while  attending  court  at  Union 
the  preceding  summer.  No.  Most  emphatically,  and  assigned  as  a 
reason  that  a  judge  should  not  only  be  honest  and  impartial,  but  that 
he  should  never  subject  himself  to  a  position  in  which  a  base  mind 
might  suspect  his  fairness  and  impartiality.  He  said  that  if  a 
judge  was  staj'ingwith  a  practicing  lawyer,  and  decided  a  case  in  his 
favor  —  unless  pure  and  honorable  themselves  —  others  would  think  he 
had  been  influenced  in  his  decision  by  something  said  in  private." 
Judge  Dawkins  was  twice  married.  His  second  marriage  was  on 
May  27,  1845,  and  wasto  Mary  Poulton,  a  you4ig  English  lady,  of  rare 
attainments  and  beauty.  Judge  Dawkins  with  Judge  Wardlaw  and 
Alfred  Huyer  were  appointed  by  the  convention  of  1865,  to  visit 
President  Johnson  and  ask  for  release  of  Jefferson  Davis.  They  went 
to  Washington  and  had  a  personal  iiUerview  with  the  president.  In 
his  younger  days  Judge  Dawkins  was  appointed  aide  to  one  of  the 
South  Carolina  governors  with  the  rank  of  colonel,  and  he  was  gen- 
erally known  by  that  title  until  his  election  to  the  bench.  He  was  a 
man  of  fine  presence  and  rare  mind. 

DANIEL  ELLIOT  HUGER. 

Judge  Daniel  E.  Huger,  whose  father,  Daniel  Huger,  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  first  congress,  was  born  June  28,  1779.  He  was  a 'pupil  of 
Bishop  Smith  and  graduated  from  Princeton  college  while  Dr.  Stan- 
hope Smith  was  president  of  that  institution.  He  studied  law  under 
Chancellor  DeSaussure,  whose  published  legal  decisions  are  to  be 
found  in  all  good  law  libraries.     Mr.  Huger  was  admitted  to  the  bar 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  255 

at  Columbia  in  iSii,  and  formed  a  partner.shi[)  with  Benjamin  Yancey, 
at  Charleston,  and  associated  himself  with  James  L.  Petigru,  of  the 
-Beaufort  bar.  He  pursued  the  legal  profession  until  December,  1819, 
when  he  was  appointed  judge  of  the  law  court  of  South  Carolina  in 
place  of  Judge  Cheves  who  had  been  called  to  the  presidency  of  the 
United  States  bank.  Though  Judge  Huger  was  classed  as  a  Federal- 
ist in  politics,  he  did  not  go  with  that  party  in  their  opposition  to 
the  war  of  i8i2,and  in  1814,  when  South  Carolina  determined  to  raise 
a  brigade  of  troops  to  help  in  the  prosecution  of  the  war,  he  was 
chosen  a  brigadier-general;  but  owing  to  the  immediately  subsequent 
close  of  the  war,  the  brigade  was  never  called  into  service. 

In  181 5  he  was  elected  a  member  of  the  house  of  representatives, 
which  office  he  held  for  four  years,  and  in  all  questions  of  parliament- 
ary usage  in  that  body,  he  was  an  authority.  When  he  addressed  the 
house  upon  any  important  measure,  he  was  always  listened  to  with 
great  deference  and  his  advocacy  of  any  measure  was  generally  de- 
terminate of  its  passage.  He  afterward  represented  the  St.  Andrews 
parish  with  much  ability  for  fifteen  years. 

On  the  nth  of  December,  1819,  he  was  elected  judge,  a  position 
for  which  he  was  amply  qualified,  and  his  decisions  in  the  law  reports 
of  South  Carolina  are  often  cited  in  other  courts  of  law.  This  office 
he  resigned  in  1830,  to  take  a  place  again  in  the  legislature,  prompted 
to  that  course  on  account  of  the  political  excitement  of  that  period 
upon  the  great  issue  of  state  sovereignty.  He  was  opposed  to  that 
doctrine,  but  with  all  his  powers  of  reasoning  and  persuasion,  his 
counsels  were  rejected  and  his  advocacy  overborne;  the  nullification 
convention  materialized  in  1S32,  in  spite  of  his  conservative  counsels 
and  those  of  his  adherents  who  were  in  a  hopeless  minority. 

In  December,  1842,  in  accordance  with  a  long  cherished  desire, 
Judge  Huger  was  elected  to  the  United  States  senate,  and  took  his 
seat  on  the  ensuing  4th  of  March.  But  he  resigned  in  1845,  to  give 
place  to  Mr.  Calhoun.  He  returned  to  his  plantation  and  to  the  so- 
ciety of  his  relatives  and  friends.  He  remained  in  this  quiet  retire- 
ment till  in  1852,  when  the  vexed  question  of  state  sovereignty  again 
became  rampant,  and  the  troublous  time  needed  such  wise  counselors 
as  Judge  Huger  and  his  long  time  friend,  the  venerated  Judge  Cheves. 
Their  advice  had  its  effect  upon  their  younger,  more  ardent  legisla- 
tive associates,  and  the  inevitable  outbreak  was  postponed  to  a  later 
day. 

In  1800,  judge  Huger  was  married  to  Miss  Isabella  Izard  Middle- 
ton,  whose  father's  name  is  subscribed  to  that  immortal  document, 
the  Declaration  of  Independence.  They  raised  a  family  of  ten  child- 
ren, five  sons  and  five  daughters.  Judge  Huger  died  at  Sullivan's  Is- 
land, August  21,  1854,  in  the  seventy-sixth  year  of  his  age. 

In  person  he  was  tall,  measuring  fully  six  feet,  with  a  manly  pres- 
ence and  features  indicating  great  strength  of  character.  He  had  deep 
gray  eyes  which  lighted  up  with  peculiar  brilliancy  during  moments 
of  excitement.  From  his  practical  experience  upon  the  bench  and 
in  deliberative  bodies  he  had  been  trained  to  a  maturity  of  judgment 


256  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

and  discretion  which  was  seldom,  if  ever,  misleading.  His  mind  was 
well  balanced  and  his  brain  self-poised.  He  was  one  of  the  most  un- 
selfish of  men,  an  illustrious  instance  of  which  characteristic  occurred 
when  he  sat  upon  the  bench  and  advised  a  reduction  of  his  own  salary 
as  a  measure  of  retrenchment  of  state  expenditures.  Though  his 
leading  traits  were  prudence  and  moderation,  he  possessed  a  courage 
that  never  blanched  in  the  face  of  threatened  danger,  and  a  will  that 
though  never  overbearing  was  indomitable.  His  whole  life  was  guided 
by  an  integrity  of  character  that  was  far  above  and  beyond  impeach- 
ment or  suspicion. 

MAJOR   DAVID  R.  DUNCAN, 

one  of  the  leading  members  of  the  .Spartanburg  bar,  was  born  at 
Randolph-Macon  college,  Mecklenburg  county,  Va.,  September  27, 
1836.  His  father.  Prof.  David  Duncan,  was  born  in  county  Donigal, 
Ireland,  in  1790.  Prof.  Duncan  graduated  from  Glasgow  university 
at  eighteen  years  of  age,  after  which  he  spent  four  years  in  the  Eng- 
lish navy.  He  was  at  .St.  Petersburg  at  the  time  Napoleon  burned 
Moscow.  He  came  to  America  in  1817,  and  landed  at  Norfolk,  Va., 
and  from  that  time,  until  his  death,  he  devoted  his  attention  to  edu- 
cational work.  From  181 7  to  1835,  he  was  principal  of  the  Norfolk 
academy.  From  the  latter  date,  until  1854,  he  was  a  professor  of 
ancient  languages  in  Randolph-Macon  college,  and  from  1854  to  1S81, 
in  which  year  he  died,  he  was  professor  of  ancient  languages  in  Wof- 
ford  college  at  Spartanburg,  S.  C.  He  was  twice  married,  his  first 
wife  living  only  one  year,  and  leaving  no  children.  Both  marriages 
^took  place  in  Norfolk.  His  first  wife  was  Miss  Ann  Shirley,  and  his 
second,  who  was  the  mother  of  Maj.  Duncan,  was  AHce  A.  Piedmont. 
She  was  reared  in  Norfolk,  and  was  the  daughter  of  Thomas  and 
Alice  (Robinson)  Piedmont.  The  latter  was  a  niece  of  John  Robin- 
son, who  was  a  member  of  the  Virginia  house  of  burgesses,  and  its 
president  at  the  time  Patrick  Henry  made  his  celebrated  speech. 
The  Robinson  family  was  of  English  descent,  and  the  Piedmont  of 
French.  Maj.  Duncan's  descent  is,  therefore,  from  the  English, 
Irish,  Scotch  and  French.  He  was  the  fifth  in  the  order  of  birth  of 
a  family  of  six  sons  and  two  daughters.  Their  respective  names  are 
as  follows:  Mary  Elizabeth,  William  W  allace,  James  Armstrong, 
Alice  Amanda,  David  Robinson  and  D'Arcy  Paul.  Only  three  of  the 
above  named  are  now  living,  namel}',  David  R.,  the  subject  of  this 
sketch,  William  W.  and  D'Arcy  P.  William  Wallace  Duncan  is  a 
bishop  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  persuasion,  and  is  located  at  .Spar- 
tanburg. D'Arcy  is  one  of  the  railroad  commissioners  of  South 
Carolina.  James  Armstrong  Duncan  became  a  doctor  of  divinity, 
and  was  one  of  the  most  distinguished'  and  eloquent  Methodist 
divines  in  the  country.  At  the  time  of  his  death  he  was  president  of 
Randolph-Macon  college.  Thomas  Gary  Duncan  was  killed  in  battle, 
in  the  seven  days'  fight  in  front  of  Richmond,  being  a  member  of  the 
Palmetto  sharpshooters.     Maj.  David  Robinson  Duncan  received  his 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  257 

early  education  at  Randolph-Macon  college,  at  which  his  father  was 
a  professor,  and  from  which  he,  himself,  graduated  in  June,  1855. 
'He  at  once  came  to  Spartanburg,  whither  his  father  had  removed  in 
1854,  and  here,  for  one  year,  taught  the  Odd  Fellows'  high  school,  as 
its  first  teacher.  At  the  same  time,  he  devoted  his  leisure  hours  to 
the  study  of  law,  having  determined  to  qualify  himself  for  practice 
in  the  legal  profession.  When  he  had  arrived  at  the  age  of  twenty- 
one,  in  1S57,  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar,  and  at  once  took  up  the 
practice  of  his  profession  in  Spartanburg,  where  he  has  ever  since 
practiced,  with  the  exception  of  four  years,  during  the  Civil  war.  In 
August,  1861,  he  entered  the  service  of  the  Confederate  army,  as  first 
lieutenant  of  Company  C,  Thirteenth  South  Carolina  volunteers. 
Upon  the  organization  of  the  regiment  he  was  made  captain  of  his 
conipany,  and  was  thus  the  junior  captain  of  his  regiment.  He  served 
in  this  capacity  till  the  spring  of  1864,  when  he  was  promoted  to  the 
rank  of  major.  He  was  a  brave  soldier  and  a  faithful  and  conscien- 
tious officer.  He  was  in  the  battles  before  Richmond,  at  Sharpsburg, 
Fredericksburg,  Second  Manassas,  Cold  Harbor,  Chancellorsville, 
Gettysburg,  Wilderness,  Spottsylvania  Court  House,  second  Cold 
Harbor  and  the  engagements  about  Petersburg,  he  being  in  McGow- 
an's  brigade,  Hill's  division  and  Jackson's  corps.  -  At  the  close  of  the 
war  he  resumed  his  law  practice.  In  1S65  he  was  elected  a  member 
of  the  lower  house  of  the  state  legislature,  was  re-elected  in  1870,  and 
in  1872  was  elected  a  member  of  the  state  senate,  serving  in  that  body 
four  years.  In  August,  1875,  he  was  elected  president  of  the  Spar- 
tanburg &  Asheville  Railroad  company,  and  served  as  such  four 
years,  during  which  time  the  road  was  completed.  This  was  the 
first  railway  built  across  the  Blue  Ridge  in  South  Carolina.  In  1880, 
Maj.  Duncan  was  elected  solicitor  of  the  Seventh  judicial  circuit, 
and  served  eight  years,  being  re-elected  for  a  second  term  in  1884. 
His  name  has  been  favorably  and  prominently  mentioned  in  connec- 
tion with  the  candidacy  for  congress,  upon  different  occasions,  and  he 
has  hosts  of  warm  friends  throughout  the  district,  who  would  be  his 
enthusiastic  supporters  in  the  event  of  his  nomination  for  that  dis- 
tinguished position.  He  is  an  assistant  division  counselor  of  the 
Richmond  &  Danville  railroad.  Both  as  an  attorney  and  as  a  citi- 
zen, he  holds  an  exalted  rank.  His  law  practice  has  been  general  in 
its  character,  and  he  is  recognized  as  one  of  the  ablest  practitioners 
in  the  state.  Whether  viewed  from  a  civil,  military  or  legal  stand- 
point, he  holds  an  enviable  position  and  one  that  does  him  great 
honor.  Maj.  Duncan  was  married  July  9,  1856,  to  Miss  Virginia, 
daughter  of  William  and  Martha  Nelson,  formerly  of  Mecklenburg 
county,  Va.  Mrs.  Duncan  is  a  descendant  of  Gov.  Thomas  Nelson 
of  Virginia,  who  was  one  of  the  signers  of  the  Declaration  of  Inde- 
pendence. The  marriage  of  Maj.  Duncan  has  resulted  in  the  birth 
of  four  children,  whose  respective  names  are  Mary  Elizabeth,  now 
the  wife  of  John  D.  Garlington,  of  Laurens  county;  Martha  Nelson, 
now  the  wife  of  John  E.  Wannamaker,  of  St.  Matthews,  Orange 
county;    William    Nelson,  a   resident   of  Spartanburg    county,    and 

A— 17 


258  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

Carrie  Virginia,  whose  home  is  with  her  parents.  Maj.  Duncan  and 
wife  are  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  and  he  is  a 
democrat  in  politics  of  the  true  stamp  and  in  the  best  sense  of  the 
word.  He  is  a  Royal  Arch  Mason,  an  Odd  Fellow,  and  a  Knight  of 
Pythias  and  enjoys  a  high  standing  in  society.  He  is  a  director  of 
the  Spartan  Mills  and  of  the  Iron  District  Fire  Insurance  company, 
both  of  Spartanburg. 

JOHN  HAMILTON  EVINS 

was  born  of  pious  parentage,  at  the  family  homestead,  on  Tyger 
river,  Spartanburg  district,  S.  C,  on  the  i8th  day  of  July,  1830.  His 
father.  Col.  Samuel  N.  Evins,  was  a  man  of  broad  intellect,  sterl- 
ing integrity,  high-toned  principle  and  Christian  zeal;  his  mother 
was  a' woman  of  decided  character  and  piety.  Alexander  Evans,  the 
grandfather  of  John  H.  Evins,  served  as  a  soldier  under  "  Mad 
Anthony  Wayne,"  and  was  wounded  so  severely  in  the  left  shoulder 
at  the  storming  of  Stony  Point,  that  most  brilliant  of  all  battles  of 
the  Revolutionary  war,  as  to  have  been  disabled  in  his  left  arm  for 
life.  He  changed  the  spelling  of  his  surname  from  "Evans"  to 
"Evins,"  substituting  an  "i"  for  the  "a,"  because  a  brother  of  his 
had  espoused  the  side  of  the  king;  and  although  the  tory  left  the 
country,  the  family  has  retained  this  mode  of  spelling  the  name  ever 
since.  This  gallant  patriot  lies  buried  in  the  graveyard  of  Nazareth 
church,  the  oldest  Presbyterian  church  in  Spartanburg  county,  a 
house  of  worship  of  which  he  was  one  of  the  founders  and  a  ruling 
elder.  He  left  six  sons,  all  of  whom  became  leading  citizens  of  their 
section  of  South  Carolina,  and  four  of  w^hom  were  at  different  times 
members  of  the  state  legislature.  One  of  them,  Col.  Samuel  N. 
Evins,  was  the  father  of  John  H.  Evins.  Among  the  ancestrj^  on  his 
mother's  side,  was  his  great-grandfather.  Gen.  Thomas  Moore,  who 
fought  in  the  battle  of  Cowpens  against  the  British  when  a  boy  six- 
teen years  old.  In  later  years  he  was  prominent  in  the  politics  of  the 
state,  and  was  a  member  of  congress  from  South  Carolina  from 
1801  to  iSi3,and  again  from  1815  to  1817.  He  was  in  the  field  in  the 
war  of  1812,  as  a  brigadier-general,  commanding  the  troops  on  the 
coast  of  South  Carolina.  He  was  a  man  of  great  public  spirit,  and 
was  one  of  the  founders  of  the  first  high  school  in  Spartanburg  dis- 
trict, an  institution  which  is  still  in  existence.  In  early  life,  John  H. 
Evins  enjoyed  such  advantages  of  education  as  the  country  afforded, 
besides  the  precept  and  example  of  his  distinguished  parents.  His 
higher  education  was  obtained  at  the  South  Carolina  college,  from 
wdiich  institution  he  graduated  in  the  class  of  1853.  He  at  once  be- 
gan the  study  of  law,  his  chosen  profession,  and  was  admitted  to  the 
bar  in  1856.  To  his  profession  he  devoted  himself  with  energy  and 
success,  and  won  a  high  place  in  the  legal  fraternity  of  this  section. 
After  his  admission  to  the  bar  he  was  associated  in  practice  with  that 
distinguished  jurist,  Hon.  Thomas  N.  Dawkins,  afterward  one  of  the 
judges  of  our  state  courts,  and  with  Jefferson  Choice,  an  able  and 


SOUTH   CAROLINA.  259 

experienced  Uiwyer.  He  continued  to  Ije  so  engaged  until  lie  was 
called  by  his  state  to  leave  this  pursuit  and  serve  her  in  another  field. 
He  joined  the  first  company  that  was  organized  in  his  county  for 
military  duty,  in  the  war  between  the  states;  was  elected  lieutenant; 
afterward  became  captain,  and  served  the  cause  he  had  espoused 
with  faithfulness  and  gallantry  until  disabled  for  field  service  by  a 
severe  wound  received  at  the  battle  of  Seven  Pines.  Though  retired 
from  the  field  he  was  promoted  to  the  rank  of  lieutenant-colonel 
and  assigned  to  light  duty  in  the  rear.  While  thus  employed  he 
was  called  upon  by  the  people  of  Spartanburg  to  represent  them  in 
the  state  legislature,  which  he  did  to  their  entire  satisfaction.  After 
the  war,  Col.  Evins  resumed  the  practice  of  the  law,  and  though  he 
had  suffered  in  fortune,  in  common  with  his  neighbors,  he  did  not  re- 
pine; on  the  contrary,  he  went  to  work  with  all  his  energy  to  repair 
the  disasters  entailed  upon  the  south  by  that  fearful  struggle.  In 
1876  he  was  elected  a  member  of  congress  from  the  Fourth  congres- 
sional district  in  South  Carolina,  and  was  re-elected  for  three  suc- 
cessive terms,  on  each  occasion  by  a  large  majority.  At  the  last  elec- 
tion he  declined  to  become  a  candidate,  as  his  health  had  failed,  and 
he  realized  even  then  that  the  shadow  of  death  was  over  him,  for  his 
physicians  held  out  to  him  no  hope  of  recovery.  He  bore  their  ver- 
dict dooming  him  to  an  early  death  with  the  heroic  fortitude  of  a 
soldier  and  the  sublime  resignation  of  a  Christian.  His  sufferings 
were  great  and  constant,  but  he  never  murmured  nor  repined,  and 
with  everything  to  make  him  cling  to  life  he  resolutely  looked  death 
in  the  face,  feeling  a  confident  hope  he  had  so  lived  on  earth  that 
life  eternal  would  be  his  in  heaven.  Col.  Evins  made  a  public  pro- 
fession of  religion  early  in  life,  joining  Nazareth,  the  church  of  his 
fathers.  He  served  as  deacon  in  his  church,  and  by  the  unanimous 
voice  of  the  congregation  he  was  promoted  to  the  eldership,  and  was 
ordained  November  13,  1870.  He  was  also  superintendent  of  the 
Sunday-school  from  1868  until  he  entered  congress  in  1877.  Deeply 
interested  in  the  welfare  of  the  church,  liberal  in  supporting  every 
good  work,  true  and  wise  as  a  counselor  to  his  pastor,  he  was  in 
every  respect  a  most  valuable  member  and  officer.  Col.  Evins  has 
been  briefly  spoken  of  as  a  business  man,  a  citizen,  a  soldier,  attorney 
and  legislator.  What  shall  be  said  of  him  as  a  husband  and  father? 
Nothing  can  be  said  in  too  much  praise.  In  1861  he  married  Miss 
Harriet  Choice,  of  Spartanburg,  a  young  lady  of  beauty,  common 
sense  and  rare  accomplishments,  who  survives  to  care  for  their  many 
promising  children.  Every  one  who  ever  saw  Col.  Evins  in  the 
bosom  of  his  family  always  felt  happier  at  beholding  the  unallo3'ed 
happiness  of  that  household.  His  adored  wife  was  habitually  con- 
sulted about  great  as  well  as  small  things.  John  Hamilton  Evins  died 
just  as  he  touched  life's  meridian.  With  his  culture  and  intellectual 
equipment, his  unexhausted  resources, had  health  and  life  been  spared 
him,  what  position  might  he  not  have  attained!  Who  can  tell?  On 
the  20th  of  October,  1884,  when  nature  was  clothing  herself  in  saffron 
and  autumn  was  searing  flower  and  forest,  he  went  down  to  the  grave 


26o  SOUTH   CAROLINA. 

"  like  a  shock  of  corn  that  cometh  in  his  season.  "  In  scanning  the 
actions  of  his  life,  nothing  that  was  unmanly  or  unbecoming  met  the 
eye;  for  his  life  was  irreproachable.  Col.  Evins  was  a  man  of  noble 
impulses,  of  exalted  principles,  and  of  most  exemplar3-  life.  His 
character  possessed  a  completeness  and  beauty  rarelj'  found  on  earth, 
and  the  virtues  which  distinguished  him  were  many,  excellent  and  strik- 
ing. His  unswerving  fidelity  to  religion,  his  genuine  and  practical 
loyalty  to  his  own  church,  and  his  eminent  purity  of  life  ever  shone 
out  brightly  in  all  the  circumstances  in  which  he  was  placed,  whether 
in  the  walks  of  private  life,  in  the  quiet  pursuit  of  his  profession, 
amid  the  temptations  of  the  military  camp  or  the  corrupt  atmosphere 
of  the  national  capital.  And  withal  he  was  a  public-spirited  citizen, 
who  lived  and  labored  not  for  selfish  gains  and  aggrandizement,  but 
always  felt  a  lively  interest  and  performed  an  active  part  in  anything 
looking  to  the  welfare  of  the  community,  the  state  or  the  country. 
The  loss  of  such  a  man  may  well  be  mourned  and  his  example 
sacredly  treasured. 

HON.  JOHN  SHARP  ROWLAND  THOMSON, 

whose  name  suggests  to  all  who  knew  him  the  unmistakable  evidences 
of  genius  and  goodness,  and  that  broadness  and  nobility  of  soul  which 
characterized  his  whole  life,  was  born  in  Spartanburg,  S.  C,  April  20, 
1841.  His  parents  were  descended  from  the  colonial  Virginians  on 
his  mother's  side,  but  on  both  sides  of  his  parentage  his  descent  was 
direct  from  the  Lewis  family.  On  the  paternal  side  he  was  lineally 
descended  from  the  Thomsons,  of  Virginia,  of  the  best  English 
blood.  His  grandmother  was  the  identical  "  pretty  Polly  Hopkins," 
celebrated  in  lyric  verse.  His  grandfather,  Thomson,  was  the  origi- 
nal owner  of  nearly  the  whole  tract  of  land  on  which  the  populace 
city  of  Spartanburg  now  stands,  having  deeded  the  site  for  churches, 
court  house  and  jail  to  the  town  authorities.  His  father,  Henry  Hop- 
son  Thomson,  was  for  many  years  a  state  senator,  dying  with  the 
love,  respect  and  esteem  of  all  who  knew  him.  His  collegiate  course 
was  in  South  Carolina  college,  at  Columbia,  having  for  college  and 
classmates  many  men  now  high  in  the  estimate  of  their  fellow  citi- 
zens of  the  state.  As  a  student  he  commanded  the  approval  of  the 
college  faculty  and  the  love,  esteem  and  admiration  of  his  fellow 
students.  At  the  age  of  twenty  he  responded  to  his  country's  call, 
enrolling  himself  in  the  regiment  of  Palmetto  sharpshooters  as  a  pri- 
vate, from  which  he  vVas  promoted  for  gallant  conduct  on  the  battle- 
field and  in  front  of  the  enemy.  After  the  war  he  was  joined  in 
marriage  with  Miss  M.  J.  Clawson,  who  survives  him,  and  a  sketch  of 
whom  follows.  For  three  seasons  he  engaged  in  farming,  but  a  pro- 
fessional life  held  out  such  charms  to  him  that  he  foresook  that  occu- 
pation and  began  the  study  of  law,  and  was  admitted  to  practice  at 
Yorkville,  S.  C.,  in  1868.  Ten  years  afterward  he  returned  to  the 
town  of  his  birth,  from  which  period  his  professional  career  was  on- 
ward and  upward.     He  died  crowned  with  honors  and  possessed  with 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  26 1 

the;  esteem  of  all.  He  was  twice  elected  to  the  mayorality  of  Spar- 
tanburg, served  for  one  term  in  the  house  of  representatives  of  the 
state  where  he  was  distinguished  for  great  aljility,  and  was  appointed 
a  member  of  the  judiciary  committee  of  the  house.  He  was  supreme 
commander  of  the  Knights  of  Golden  Rule,  and  four  years  was  their 
attorney.  He  was  an  honored  member  of  the  Royal  Arch  Masons. 
Time  and  again  he  declined  the  nomination  tendered  by  his  friends, 
as  a  candidate  for  the  congress  of  the  United  States  and  the  circuit 
judgeship  of  his  judicial  circuit.  He  preferred  the  welfare  of  his 
family  to  the  blandishments  of  political  preferment  and  gave  to  them 
and  his  profession,  his  finest  attributes  and  best  powers.  His  dispo- 
sition was  permeated  with  gentleness  and  charity.  He  was  the  soul 
of  bravery  and  generosity.  He  had  a  wonderful  capacity  for  pro- 
tracted application  to  his  business  and  his  aptitude  for  professional 
work,  and  all  his  fine  personal  qualities  have  left  their  impress  upon 
all  who  came  in  contact  with  him.  As  citizen,  husband,  father,  in 
every  relation  of  life  he  was  the  peer  of  the  best  and  brightest  of  his 
contemporaries.  His  untimely  death  was  an  irreparable  loss  to  the 
county  and  state  which  had  so  largely  trusted  him,  and  to  his  fellow 
citizens  who  had  tendered  to  him  so  many  honorable  positions  within 
their  gift. 

The  widow  of  Hon.  J.  S.  R.  Thomson  is  a  native  of  South  Caro- 
lina, descended  from  a  race  of  sturcl}'  Scotch-Irish,  and  holds  in  her 
inborn  temperament  that  stubborn  insistance  to  a  peculiar  degree  so 
characteristic  of  her  ancestry,  who  settled  a  large  portion  of  the 
mountainous  regions  of  the  Carolinas.  Born  prior  to  the  Civil  war, 
she  had  nearly  reached  womanhood  when  the  war  cloud  burst.  With 
thousands  of  other  women,  delicately  nurtured,  she  was  destined  to 
undergo  the  many  and  galling  hardships  and  privations  incident  to 
that  fearful  crisis,  accepting  cheerfully  and  bravely  the  inevitable 
situation  it  was  their  lot  to  endure.  This  severe  and  trying  experience 
prepared  her  as  no  other  could  have  done  to  meet  with  equanimity 
the  reverse  of  fortune  which  was  the  necessary  consequence  of  a  dev- 
astating war.  Marrying  J.  S.  R.  Thomson,  in  1865,  she  for  three 
years  shared  with  him  the  life  and  labors  of  a  farmer's  wife,  and  the 
cares  of  a  farmer's  household.  In  iS68,  her  mode  of  life  was  changed 
and  she  lived  in  town,  but  her  country  life  had  developed  in  her  a 
strong  love  of  horticulture  and  floriculture,  loving  her  work,  meeting 
with  success,  she  increased  her  efforts,  adding  new  experiments  in  at- 
tempting agricultural  branches.  This  love  widened  and  deepened; 
reading  many  journals  on  this  subject,  she  gradually  began  to  give 
her  experiments  through  their  columns.  Acknowledging  her  fail- 
ures, proud  of  her  success,  she  now  contributes  and  receives  good 
compensation  for  all  she  writes.  With  no  stress  upon  her  to  care  to 
realize  money  from  her  work,  she  gave  freely  her  methods  and  her 
valuable  experience  to  others,  thus  being  a  help  to  many  who  cared 
to  utilize  her  experiments.  It  was  from  these  efforts  that  she 
attracted  the  attention  of  the  commissioner  of  agriculture,  Hon.  A.  P. 
Butler,  who  recently  nominated  her  for  an  alternate  for  South  Caro- 


262  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

lina,  on  the  board  of  lady  managers  to  the  World's  Columbian  Fair, 
where  she  hopes  to  fill  a  niche  in  which  to  exercise  her  talent  to  the 
advancement  of  horticulture  in  her  native  state,  a  most  commendable 
ambition,  fraught  with  usefulness  and  instruction  to  her  own  state  as 
well  as  to  the  country  at  large. 

HON.  WILLIAM  J.  VERDIER, 

son  of  Dr.  James  R.  Verdier,  was  born  at  Beaufort,  S.  C,  in  1843. 
His  early  schooling  was  obtained  at  Beaufort  college,  and  at  the  age 
of  sixteen  he  entered  the  South  Carolina  college.  He  had  completed 
his  second  year  in  college  when  his  state  seceded  from  the  Union,  and 
he  left  to  bear  arms  in  the  army  of  his  people.  He  enlisted  in  the 
artillery  of  the  Hampton  legion  —  later  known  as  Hart's  battery  — 
and  participated  in  all  of  the  many  engagements  in  which  that 
famous  regiment  fought  so  well.  After  Hampton's  surrender  in 
North  Carolina,  Mr.  Verdier  returned  home  to  find  all  his  father's 
property  sold  under  the  direct  tax  act,  and  he  was  consequently  ren- 
dered penniless.  While  engaged  in  earning  his  livelihood  he  began 
the  stud}'  of  law,  and  was  admitted  to  practice  in  1S69.  His  profes- 
sional career  was  begun  at  Beaufort,  and  he  has  since  won  distinction 
among  lawyers.  In  188S  Col.  Verdier  accepted  the  nomination  of 
the  democratic  convention  for  state  senator  and  was  elected.  His 
political  career  has  been  marked  by  sagacity  and  ability.  Since  his 
first  election  he  has  been  continued  in  the  office  of  senator,  and  is 
now  a  member  of  that  august  body.  Although  always  active  in  po- 
litical affairs  he  has  never  sought  political  preferment,  and  has  not 
held  office  until  1888.  As  a  lawyer  he  excells,  and  wherever  known 
his  name  is  honored  as  that  of  a  man  of  strict  integrit}'. 

GEORGE  DUNCAN  BELLINGER 

is  a  descendant  of  Edmund  Bellinger,  one  of  the  Landgraves  of 
South  Carolina  during  the  colonial  period.  He  was  born  at  Barnwell 
Court  House,  S.  C,  November  4,  1856.  The  paternal  grandfather  was 
the  Hon.  Edmund  Bellinger,  Jr.,  the  distinguished  lawyer,  and  on  the 
maternal  side,  his  grandfather  was  the  Hon.  J.  G.  W.  Duncan.  In 
i860  his  mother,  Anne  P.  Bellinger,  died,  and  three  years  later  his 
father,  John  A.  Bellinger,  was  killed  by  his  fellow  officer,  Lieut.  Rice, 
in  the  Confederate  service  on  James  Island,  S.  C,  in  a  duel.  Left  an 
orphan  at  the  age  of  seven  years,  he  went  to  live  with  his  guardian, 
with  whom  he  resided  until  his  admission  to  Furman  university.  Soon 
after  entering  college  the  estate  left  him  by  his  father  and  maternal 
grandfather,  was  lost  by  unfortunate  management,  and  it  seemed  as 
if  his  education  must  be  terminated.  At  this  juncture  an  aged  lady 
relative  became  interested  in  the  youth,  and  by  her  generosity  he  was 
enabled  to  continue.  He  was  graduated  June  16,  1879,  with  the  degree 
of  A.  B.  In  October,  1879,  Mr.  Belling('r  returned  to  Barnwell  and 
entered  the  law  office  of  ex-Judge  John  J.  Maher,  as  a  law  student. 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  263 

He  was  admitted  to  the  bar  December  13,  1880,  and  in  June,  i88i,was 
happily  married  to  Miss  Fannie  J.  O'Bannon,  a  great-granddauj^hter 
of  Mrs.  Martha  Bratton,  of  Revolutionary  fame.  At  the  general 
election  of  1882,  Mr.  Bellinger  was  the  successfid  candidate  for  the 
legislature  from  his  district  on  the  democratic  ticket,  and  in  1883  was, 
upon  the  unanimous  recommendation  of  the  bar,  appointed  master 
in  equity  by  Gov.  Thompson.  This  office  he  still  holds.  The  fact  of 
his  retention  of  the  office  of  master  in  equity  for  Barnwell  county  is 
sufficient  evidence  of  his  ability  and  popularity.  He  is  one  of  the 
successful  criminal  lawyers  of  the  state,  and  in  the  absence  of  the 
solicitor  has  generally  been  appointed  to  prosecute  in  behalf  of  the 
state.  For  six  successive  terms  he  held  the  office  of  mayor  of  his  na- 
tive town  without  opposition,  the  last  term  having  been  served  at  the 
urgent  request  of  a  mass  meeting  of  the  citizens  who  requested  it  on 
the  ground  that  important  pubHc  improvements  then  being  carried 
on,  and  the  consequent  expenditure  of  large  sums  of  the  town's  money 
required  his  judgment  and  experience.  Mr.  Bellinger  is  a  man  of 
much  business  ability,  and  is  the  president  of  the  Enterprise  manu- 
facturing company,  and  vice  president  of  the  Savings  bank  of  Barn- 
well. He  has  taken  quite  an  active  interest  in  politics,  and  at  the 
last  state  democratic  convention  was  elected  a  member  of  the  demo- 
cratic executive  committee,  of  which  committee  he  is  now  secretary. 

JOHN  DRAYTON, 

known  in  history  as  Gov.  Drayton,  and  at  one  time  a  judge  of  the 
United  States  district  court  for  South  Carolina,  was  born  in  1766, 
probably  at  Charleston,  S.  C.  He  was  the  son  of  Chief-Justice  Will- 
iam Henry  Drayton,  who  died  during  a  visit  to  Philadelphia,  Sep- 
tember 3,  1778.  John  Drayton  was  placed  by  his  father  under  the 
instruction  of  the  celebrated  Dr.  Witherspoon,  at  Princeton,  N.  J. 
He  completed  his  legal  education  in  London,  was  admitted  to  the 
bar  and  opened  a  law  office  in  Charleston,  S.  C.  In  early  life  he  was 
married  to  Miss  Hester  Rose,  daughter  of  Philip  Tideman.  In  1798, 
he  was  elected  lieutenant-governor  of  South  Carolina,  and  on  the 
death  of  Gov.  Edward  Rutledge,  which  event  occurred  on  the  23rd  of 
January,  1800,  Mr.  Drayton  succeeded  to  the  governorship.  At  the 
end  of  his  term  in  the  following  December,  he  was  elected  governor 
for  a  term  of  two  years.  His  administration  was  a  successful  one, 
and  he  was  said  to  be  the  first  governor  of  South  Carolina  who  under- 
took to  make  a  thorough  personal  review  of  the  military  strength  of 
the  state.  Wherever  he  held  these  reviews,  his  presence  was  the  sig- 
nal for  immense  gatherings  of  the  people.  In  one  of  his  tours  of 
inspection,  he  was  escorted  by  a  fine  company  of  cavalry,  under  the 
command  of  Gen.  John  B.  Earle,  whom  he  afterward  appointed  adju- 
tant-general. While  he  held  the  executive  office  in  1802,  Gov.  Drayton 
published  a  book  entitled,  View  of  Carolina,  a  valuable  work,  contain- 
ing a  large  amount  of  useful  statistical  information.  In  1808,  he  was 
again  elected  governor  and  served  for  another  two  years'  term.    Gov. 


264  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

Drayton  took  much  interest  in  the  educational  improvement  of  the 
state,  and  it  was  in  pursuance  of  his  recommendation  while  filling  the 
executive  office  in  1801,  that  the  South  Carolina  college  was  estab- 
lished. On  the  7th  of  May,  1812,  Gov.  Drayton  was  appointed  by 
President  Madison,  judge  of  the  United  States  district  court  for  the 
district  of  South  Carolina,  and  took  his  seat  upon  the  bench,  July  6, 
1812.  He  published,  in  182 1,  memoirs  of  the  life  of  his  father,  Chief- 
Justice  Drayton,  a  work  which  not  only  did  honor  to  him  as  a  dutiful 
son,  but  reflected  much  credit  upon  his  scholarly  abilities.  It  is  a 
work  of  rare  interest  to  every  intelligent  South  Carolinian.  Gov. 
Drayton,  besides  possessing  executive  and  judicial  abilities  of  the 
first  order,  was  a  writer  of  much  discrimination  and  of  rare  taste. 
His  published  works,  which  were  extensive,  were  largely  historical, 
and  contained  information  not  only  valuable  and  interesting  to  the 
general  reader,  but  which  might  be  made  highly  useful  as  text-books 
in  the  schools  of  the  state.  He  did  not  live  to  a  great  age,  but  the 
years  allotted  to  him  were  largely  spent  in  the  public  service,  and 
were  crowded  with  acts  that' should  make  his  memory  revered  and 
perpetuated.  He  died  November  22,  1822,  in  the  fifty-sixth  year  of 
his  age.  At  his  death,  one  son  and  five  daughters  survived  him,  all 
of  whom  could  look  with  pride,  respect  and  endearment  upon  their 
parentage. 

EVANDER    RODERIC   McIVER. 

One  of  the  representative  men  of  South  Carolina  is  ex-treasurer 
of  state,  E.  R.  Mclver,  of  Darlington,  who  was  born  in  Tuskegee, 
Macon  county,  Ala.,  on  October  23,  1843.  His  father  was  William 
Cowan  Mclver,  a  son  of  Evander  R.  Mclver,  and  grandson  of  Evan 
der  Mclver,  all  of  whom  were  born  in  Darlington  county,  S.  C.  The 
founder  of  the  Mclver  family  in  .South  Carolina  was  Roderic  Mclver, 
the  great-great-great-grandfather  of  our  subject,  who  was  a  Scotch- 
man by  birth,  and  came  to  America  during  the  early  part  of  the 
eighteenth  century,  locating  in  what  is  now  known  as  the  "  Welch 
Neck,"  near  where  Society  Hill  now  stands,  in  Darlington  county, 
S.  C,  and  where  he  was  married.  All  of  the  early  Mclvers  were 
farmers  and  planters,  and  were  prominent  citizens  of  their  localities. 
Evander,  great-grandfather  of  our  subject,  served  in  the  Continental 
war,  and  sometime  during  the  "thirties"  the  grandfather  was  a  brig- 
adier-general of  state  troops.  William  C.  Mclver,  father  of  our  sub- 
ject, was  educated  at  the  South  Carolina  college,  and  in  about  1837 
removed  to  Alabama,  where  he  read  law  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar. 
He  was  married  to  Miss  Grigg,  a  native  of  Georgia,  and  three  child- 
ren were  born  to  the  union,  two  of  whom  survive.  Subsequently  he 
married  Miss  Hammond,  of  Georgia,  and  this  union  was  blessed  with 
two  sons,  both  of  whom  are  living.  The  first  wife  died  in  1848,  and 
his  death  occurred  in  1886,  in  Alabama.  The  early  life  of  the  sub- 
ject of  this  sketch  was  spent  part  in  Tuskegee,  Ala.,  and  part  in  Dar- 
lington, S.  C,  with  his  grandmother.  In  1861  he  entered  the  Citadel 
military  academy,  at  Charleston,  after  having  attended  the  common 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  265 

schools  of  Tuskegee,  Ala.,  and  Darlinfrton,  S.  C.,and  remained  at  the 
Citadel  until  June,  1862,  when  he  joined  a  cadet  company,  known  as  the 
Cadet  rangers  (Capt.  Humphrey),  which  company  later  became 
Company  F,  of  the  Sixth  regiment  of  South  Carolina  cavalry  (Col. 
H.K.Aiken).  After  remaining  on  coast  duty  until  1864,  this  regi- 
ment was  ordered  to  V'irginia  and  assigned  to  Butler's  brigade, 
Hampton's  division  of  cavalry,  of  the  army  of  northern  Virginia. 
Early  in  June  of  that  year  our  subject  was  transferred  to  Company  I 
(Capt.  Whitner) ,  same  regiment,  with  which  he  remained  until  the 
close  of  the  war.  He  participated  in  all  the  engagements  of  the 
regiment,  with  the  exception  of  one  or  two  skirmishes,  which  took 
place  while  he  was  confined  in  the  Jackson  hospital.  In  1865  he  went 
to  Tuskegee,  Ala.,  and  the  following  year  read  law,  and  in  1867  was 
admitted  to  the  bar,  after  an  examination  before  the  Alabama  su- 
preme court.  In  1867  he  was  engaged  in  merchandising  at  Loacha- 
poka,  Ala.,  and  in  December  of  that  year  he  returned  to  South 
Carolina,  and  located  at  Darlington  county.  In  January,  1868,  he 
began  farming,  which  has  ever  since  been  his  chief  occupation.  In 
1882  he  was  elected  to  the  state  legislature  from  Darlington  county, 
and  re-elected  in  1884,  during  which  years  he  served  as  chairman  of 
the  committee  on  agriculture,  and  also  on  the  ways  and  means 
committee.  On  June  27,  1889,  he  was  without  solicitation  and  very 
unexpectedly  appointed  by  Gov.  Richardson  to  fill  out  the  unexpired 
term  as  state  treasurer  of  I.  S.  Bamberg,  deceased,  and  in  December 
following  was  unanimously  elected  to  that  position  by  the  legislature. 

Colonel  Mclver  has  for  years  been  closely  identified  with  the  agricul- 
tural interests  of  the  state.  He  was  elected  master  of  the  first  grange 
organized  in  his  community,  and  upon  the  organization  of  the  Sub- 
Alliance  was  chosen  president  of  the  same  in  his  neighborhood.  _He 
has  been  a  director  of  the  Darlington  county  fair  association  since 
1872,  with  the  exception  of  a  few  years,  and  in  1886  was  elected  pres- 
ident of  that  association,  holding  that  position  until  1889.  He  _was 
chosen  a  member  of  the  executive  committee  of  the  State  Agricul- 
tural and  Mechanical  society  of  South  Carolina  in  November,  1S77, 
which  position  he  has  held  ever  since.  In  November,  1889,  he  was 
elected  president  of  the  society. 

Colonel  Mclver  has  also  been  identified  with  the  state  militia.  In 
1877  he  was  appointed  an  aide  to  Gov.  Hampton,  and  in  1882  was  re- 
appointed by  Gov.  Thompson.  In  1877  he  organized  a  company  of 
cavalry,  known  as  the  Darlington  Light  Dragoons,  of  which  he  was 
chosen  captain.  In  1882  he  was  chosen  captain  of  the  Darlington 
Guards  (infantry),  which  position  he  held  until  the  spring  of  1888, 
when  he  resigned  the  same.  For  several  years  Col.  Mclver  has  in- 
terested himself  in,  and  has  been  identified  with,  the  industrial  prog- 
ress of  the  town  of  Darlington.  At  present  he  is  a  director  in  the 
Darlington  Manufacturing  company;  the  Darlington  Ginnery,  Mill- 
ing, Fertilizer  and  Ware  House  company;  of  the  Darlington  Land 
and  Improvement  company,  and  of  the  Bank  of  Darlington. 

Colonel  Mclver  was  married  in  Darlington,  in  December,  1870,  to 


266  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

Miss  M.  C.  Evvin,  only  child  of  the  late  Col.  John  F.  Evvin,  of  Darl- 
ington county,  and  to  their  union  nine  children  have  been  born,  seven 
of  whom  survive. 

HON.  JOSEPH  EDWARD  NETTLES 

was  born  in  Darlington  county,  S.  C,  August  24th,  1836,  the  son  of 
Gen.  Joseph  B.  Nettles.  The  father  was  a  prominent  planter,  and  a 
man  of  great  ability.  He  was  a  son  of  James  Nettles,  who  was  also  a 
leading  agriculturist.  James  was  the  son  of  Zachariah,  who  was  a 
prominent  man  in  Darlington  county,  having  held  the  office  of  justice 
for  many  years.  He  was  first  appointed  to  that  position  in  1785. 
Gen.  Joseph  B.  Nettles  in  early  life  married  Miss  Hannah  M.  Black- 
well,  a  lady  of  refinement  and  culture.  She  was,  like  her  husband,  of 
English  descent,  and  her  ancestors  came  to  the  Pee  Dee  section  prior 
to  the  Revolution.  They  were  active  patriots  and  valued  citizens. 
Joseph  E.  Nettles  was  prepared  for  college  at  the  Mount  Zion  colleg- 
iate institute,  at  Winnsboro,  S.  C,  which  was  then  under  the  manage- 
ment of  that  eminent  educator,  Prof  J.  W.  Hudson.  Entering  the 
South  Carolina  college  in  1S56,  young  Nettles  distinguished  himself 
as  a  student  and  was  graduated  with  honor  in  the  class  of  1859.  He 
then  commenced  the  study  of  law  with  Julius  A.  Dargan,  Esq.,  of 
Darlington  C.  H.,  but  his  studies  were  soon  interrupted  by  the  seces- 
sion of  the  southern  states.  Mr.  Nettles  was  an  officer  in  the  Dar- 
lington guards,  commanded  by  Capt.  F.  F.  Warley,  which  was  the 
first  company  to  volunteer,  and  the  second  to  reach  Charleston  when 
volunteers  were  called  for  by  Gov.  Pickens.  This  command  was  a 
part  of  Col.  Maxcy  Gregg's  first  regiment,  in  which  Mr.  Nettles  served 
as  paymaster.  February  7th,  1S61,  Miss  Gertrude  L.  Sims  became 
his  wife.  She  was  the  only  child  of  the  late  Hon.  x\lexander  D.Sims, 
a  distinguished  lawyer,  who  for  several  terms  represented  his  district 
in  congress,  and  died  while  a  member  of  that  body.  Mr.  Sims  was  a 
Virginian  by  birth,  but  in  early  life  removed  to  Darlington,  S.  C, 
where  he  married  Miss  Margaret  A.  Dargan.  After  the  close  of 
hostilities  between  north  and  south  Mr.  Nettles  retired  to  his  planta- 
tion, and  for  several  years  was  successfully  engaged  in  agriculture. 
The  instincts  of  his  profession  were  strong  within  him,  however,  and 
he  once  more  resumed  his  legal  studies,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar 
in  1874.  For  a  time  he  was  associated  in  practice  with  Judge  J.  H. 
Hudson,  and  subsequently  formed  a  partnership  with  Mr.  R.  W.  Boyd. 
At  the  present  time  he  is  the  senior  member  of  the  firm  of  Nettles& 
Nettles.  Mr.  Nettles  is  an  aggressive  politician,  believing  in  absolute 
purity  in  government,  and  has  been  for  several  years  actively  and 
prominently  identified  with  the  democratic  party  in  his  state.  In  the 
years  1888-9,  he  represented  Darlington  county  in  the  general  as- 
sembly, and  his  course  in  that  body  was  dignified  and  able.  As  a 
staunch  friend  of  liberal  education  he  is  a  member  of  the  examining 
board  of  teachers  of  Darlington  county.  He  has  given  his  time  and 
energies  to  the  uplifting  of  the  community  in  which  he  lives,  and  has 


SOUTH   CAROLINA.  267 

been  among  the  leaders  of  increased  industry.  He  is  a  director  in 
the  People's  Bank  of  Darlington.  As  a  lawyer  he  excels,  having  a 
keen,  strong  mind,  able  to  grasp  the  situation  of  the  moment.  He 
has  given  much  time  to  general  reading,  and  is  thoroughly  convers- 
ant with  the  leading  questions  of  the  day.  A  contemporary  has  said 
of  him,  "  I  consider  him  one  of  the  ablest  lawyers  of  the  state,  and  a 
gentleman  of  the  utmost  integrity." 

CLARENCE  SIMS  NETTLES 

was  born  on  the  17th  of  July,  1862,  at  Darlington,  S.  C,  the  son  of 
Hon.  J.  E.  and  Gertrude  L.  (Sims)  Nettles.  Suitable  mention  of  the 
parents'  ancestry  will  be  found  in  another  place  in  this  volume.  We 
find  in  Mr.  Clarence  S.  Nettles  one  of  the  most  eminent  lawyers 
among  the  younger  practitioners  of  the  state.  His  scholastic  training 
was  most  thorough,  he  having  been  prepared  for  college  at  the  St. 
Johns  academy,  at  Darlington,  S.  C.  For  a  time  he  pursued  an  ad- 
vanced course  at  Wofford  college,  Spartanburg,  S.  C.,  and  then 
matriculated  in  the  Vanderbilt  university,  of  Nashville,  Tenn.,  where 
he  completed  an  extended  classical  course.  In  1S82  Mr.  Nettles, 
having  chosen  the  profession  of  law  as  his  life  work,  became  a  student 
in  the  law  office  of  Messrs.  Boyd  &  Nettles,  at  Darlington;  and  in 
1S83,  at  the  early  age  of  twenty-one,  was  admitted  to  practice  in  all 
courts  of  South  Carolina,  and  was  elected  president  of  his  class. 
Among  his  classmates  may  be  mentioned  Mr.  Paul  Hemphill,  of 
Chester,  S.  C;  M.  H.  Fitzsimons,  of  Charleston;  R.  J.  Kirk,  of  Mt. 
Pleasant,  S.  C,  and  C.  C.  Simmes,  of  Beaufort,  S.  C.  During  the 
years  of  1883-4-5  Mr.  Nettles  was  associated  with  Mr.  J.  J.  Ward  in 
the  practice  of  law  at  Darlington,  and  in  1886  the  present  firm  of 
Nettles  &  Nettles  was  established,  he  having  formed  a  partnership 
with  his  distinguished  father  at  that  time.  Mr.  Nettles  is  also  the 
senior  partner  in  the  firm  of  Nettles  &  Fraser,  of  Sumter,  S.  C.  He 
is  the  general  counsel  for  the  Charleston,  Sumter  &  Northern  rail- 
road, and  also  for  the  Central  Carolina  Land  Improvement  company, 
an  organization  chartered  under  the  laws  of  New  Jersey,  with  a  cap- 
ital of  $200,000.  Mr.  Nettles  is  also  a  trustee  of  the  graded  schools  of 
Darlington,  and  is  prominent  in  advancing  the  interests  of  his  city 
and  state.  In  July,  i88q,  he  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Dora 
Norment,  the  only  daughter  of  Dr.  B.  C.  Norment,  of  Darlington. 

JOHN  J.  WARD, 

senior  member  of  the  law  firm  of  Ward  &  Wood,  of  Darlington, 
S.  C.,  was  born  in  that  portion  of  Darlington  county,  now  a  part  of 
Florence  county,  at  Eftinghorn,  June  4,  1845.  His  parents,  James  W. 
and  Dorinda  (Hill)  Ward,  were  both  South  Carohnians,  the  father 
being  the  son  of  James  Ward,  who  was  a  son  of  Theophilis  Ward,  a 
native  of  South  Carolina,  but  of  English  parentage.  Theophilis 
Ward  served  as  a  patriot  soldier  in  the  American  army,  in  1776.    His 


268  SOUTH   CAROLINA. 

grandson,  James  W.  Ward,  was  born  in  1817,  in  Darlington  county.  His 
education  was  somewhat  limited,  but  he  was  a  man  of  exceptional 
mind  and  great  force  of  character.  He  followed  in  his  father's  and  his 
grandfather's  footsteps  as  a  planter,  having  turned  his  attention  to 
that  calling  in  early  life  and  continued  it  through  his  active  career. 
In  1861  he  enlisted  in  the  Confederate  army  as  a  member  of  Com- 
pany E,  Eighth  South  Carolina  regiment,  as  orderly  sergeant,  and 
served  in  many  of  the  first  battles  of  the  war.  He  was  soon  promoted 
to  a  lieutenancy,  but  subsequently  was  obliged  to  leave  the  service 
on  account  of  failing  health.  He  was  elected  a  major  of  reserves 
and  in  that  capacity  fought  in  some  of  the  last  engagements  of  the 
war.  He  was  married  to  Miss  Dorinda  Hill,  in  1843,  and  was  the 
father  of  three  sons  and  three  daughters.  His  demise  occurred  in 
1S75.  John  J.  Ward  was  in  attendance  of  the  county  schools  at  the 
time  of  the  breaking  out  of  the  Civil  war,  and  abandoned  further 
study  to  take  up  arms  in  defense  of  his  state  and  principles,  and  in 
1862  enlisted  in  Company  E,  Eighth  South  Carolina  regiment,  but 
after  a  short  time  was  obliged  to  ask  for  a  discharge  on  account  of  physi- 
cal disability.  In  the  latter  part  of  that  year  he  enlisted  in  Company  G, 
Twenty-sixth  South  Carolina  regiment,  and  continued  in  active  and 
faithful  service  during  the  remaining  years  of  the  conflict,  having 
fought  in  the  battles  around  Petersburg,  Jackson,  Miss.,  and  in  several 
other  engagementsof  minor  importance.  Returningto  his  home  after 
the  final  surrender,  Mr.  Ward  was  engaged  in  agriculture  until  1S68, 
when  he  began  the  study  of  law  with  Judge  Mclver,  and  one  year  later 
was  admitted  to  practice,  and  formed  a  partnership  with  Mr.  A.  C. 
Spain,  the  partnership  existing  until  the  death  of  that  gentleman  in 
1884.  Mr.  Ward  became  associated  with  Mr.  Woods  in  1S87.  In  1881  he 
was  prominent  in  the  organization  of  the  Bank  of  Darlington  with 
Maj.  Coker,  and  has  been  a  director  of  that  institution  since.  In  1884, 
in  company  with  Maj.  Coker,  he  organized  the  Darlington  manufac- 
turing company,  and  in  the  following  year  erected  the  large  cotton 
mill,  which  has  since  become  one  of  the  great  enterprises  of  Darling- 
ton, and  indeed,  of  the  state.  Mr.  Ward  has  been  tireless  in  his  ef- 
forts to  enhance  the  prosperity  of  the  city,  and  is  a  director  in  nearly 
all  the  recently  established  improvement  companies,  among  them 
being -the  cotton  seed  oil  mill;  and  he  is  also  president  of  the  Darl- 
ington Land  &  Improvement  company,  and  of  the  Enterprise  Hotel 
company,  and  is  largely  interested  in  the  flourishing  Building  &  Loan 
association  of  Darlington,  as  well  as  in  the  Planing  Mill  company, 
of  the  same  city.  His  marriage  to  Miss  Lou  McCullough,  an  accom- 
plished lady  of  Greenville  county,  S.  C,  was  very  happily  solemnized  in 
1872,  and  one  son  and  three  daughters  have  been  born  into  their 
cultured  home.  Mr.  Ward  is  a  prominent  member  of  the  Knights  of 
Pythias,  and  also  of  the  Knights  of  Honor,  and  is  recognized  as  one 
of  the  ablest  lawyers  and  business  men  of  the  state. 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  269 

Ex-GOVERNOR  THOMAS  B.  JETER 

was  born  in  Union  count}-,  S.  C,  on  ihc  131I1  of  October,  1S27.  He 
was  given  a  liberal  education,  having  been  graduated  from  the  col- 
lege of  South  Carolina  in  the  class  of  1846.  He  then  studied  law, 
and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  i84(S.  Until  1868  he  was  associated 
with  Andrew  Wallace  Thomson  in  the  practice  of  law  at  Union,  the 
partnership  being  dissolved  on  the  death  of  the  latter.  In  1856  he 
was  sent  to  the  legislature  from  Union  county  and  served  one  term. 
On  the  first  of  January,  1861,  he  was  made  president  of  the  Spartan- 
burg &  Union  railroad,  and  lield  that  office  at  the  time  the  road  was 
sold  in  1873.  From  1872  to  18S2  he  continuously  represented  Union 
county  in  the  state  senate,  and  in  the  latter  year  declined  further 
election.  In  1876  he  was  chosen  president  pro  tempore  of  the  senate 
and  held  that  honored  office  until  Gov.  W.  D.  Simpson  was  elected, 
chief-justice  of  the  state  supreme  court,  when  Mr.  Jeter  succeeded 
him  as  governor  of  the  state,  ex-officio.  He  discharged  the  duties  of 
that  office  in  an  able  manner  from  September  15,  1880,  until  the  fol- 
lowing November.  But  he  was  not  long  allowed  to  remain  in  retire- 
ment. In  December  of  1882  the  legislature  passed  an  act  establishing 
a  state  railroad  commission,  and  Gov.  Thompson  at  once  recognized 
Mr.  Jeter's  eminent  qualification  for  that  office,  and  appointed  him  a 
member  of  the  board.  At  the  urgent  solicitations  of  his  friends  he 
accepted  the  office.  It  was  while  giving  his  abilities  to  this  arduous 
and  important  commission  that  his  last  illness  came  upon  him.  On 
the  20th  of  May,  1S83,  the  honorable  career  was  ended  by  death.  In 
February,  1857,  he  married  Miss  Ann  H.  Thomson,  daughter  of 
Andrew  Wallace  Thomson,  who  at  the  time  of  his  death  was  the 
oldest  and  one  of  the  most  eminent  attorneys  of  South  Carolina.  In 
the  stormy  days  of  1876  while  men  wavered  and  faltered,  when  some 
cowered,  this  man  stood  as  a  rock  for  the  principles  he  held  most 
dear.  The  Palmetto  state  owes  much  to  the  memory  of  Thomas  B. 
Jeter. 

ABIAL  LATHROP, 

United  States  district-attorney  of  South  Carolina,  was  born  at  Stafford, 
Genesee  county,  N.  Y.,  on  November  9,  1845.  He  was  reared  in  the 
place  of  his  nativity  until  1870,  receiving  his  education  in  the  schools 
and  academies  of  the  community.  He  began  reading  law  in  the 
office  of  Judge  Bangs,  then  of  Le  Roy,  N.  Y.,  but  now  of  Buffalo, 
in  about  1867.  In  1870  he  left  New  York  state,  removing  to  northern 
Illinois,  entering  the  office  of  his  brother,  William  Lathrop,  a  prac- 
ticing attorney  of  Rockford,  111.  He  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1S71, 
at  Ottawa,  before  the  supreme  court  bench  and  entered  the  practice 
of  his  profession  with  his  brother.  In  the  spring  of  1874,  suffering 
from  an  attack  of  pneumonia,  he  came  south  to  Graham's  Turnout, 
in  Barnwell  county,  on  the  South  Carolina  railroad,  for  his  health. 
He  remained  a  year  and  then  returned  north.but  finding  the  southern 
climate  more  beneficial  to  him,  he,   in  the   fall  of  1876,  returned  to 


2/0  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

South  Carolina  and  located  permanentlj'  at  Orangeburg.  At  the 
January  term  of  court  in  1877,  he  was  admitted  to  practice  in  the 
courts  of  this  state,  and  has  since  continued  in  the  same  v^ery  suc- 
cessfully. He  was  commissioner  of  the  United  States  circuit  court 
at  Orangeburg  from  1S7S  to  1S89;  director  of  the  Boys  &  Girls'  Sav- 
ings institution,  new  to  the  south,  and  of  which  he  was  one  of  the 
organizers.  /  He  is  a  director  in  the  Electric  Light  company  and  of 
the  Wood  &  Material  company,  of  his  adopted  city.  Mr.  Lathrop 
was  married  in  1875  to  Miss  Martha  F.  Heidtman,  of  Orangeburg,  but 
who  was  born  in  Charleston.  They  are  the  parents  of  six  children. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  K.  of  H.  In  May,  1889,  he  was  appointed 
United  States  district-attorney,  and  took  charge  of  the  office  on  the 
^ist  of  the  same  month. 


o 


BENJAMIN    HART    MOSS, 

the  only  surviving  son  of  William  Crawford  Moss,  was  born  near 
Orangeburg  Court  House,  S.  C,  on  the  17th  of  January,  1862.  His 
academic  education  was  received  at  Orangeburg,  and  he  was  gradu- 
ated from  Wofford  college,  Spartanburg,  S.  G.  In  1881,  having  chosen 
the  law  as  his  life  work,  he  began  its  study  with  the  Hon.  Samuel 
Dibble,  the  present  congressman  from  the  First  South  Carolina  dis- 
trict. He  was  admitted  to  practice  by  the  supreme  court  in  all  courts 
of  the  state  in  May,  1883,  although  then  but  twenty-one  years  of  age. 
Shortly  after  his  admission  to  the  bar  Mr.  Moss  was  appointed  trial 
justice  at  Orangeburg,  and  discharged  the  duties  of  that  office  for 
two  years  with  much  credit.  He  resigned  that  position  at  the  expira- 
tion of  the  second  year,  and  in  1885  was  admitted  to  practice  in  the 
United  States  court.  Having  made  a  specialty  of  banking,  corpora- 
tion and  commercial  law,  Mr.  Moss  has  rapidly  risen  to  the  front 
ranks  of  his  profession  in  the  state.  Since  1889  he  has  been  solicitor 
for  the  Edisto  Savings  bank,  and  has  been  an  attorney  for  the  board 
of  county  commissioners  since  1886.  From  18S6,  until  his  resignation 
in  1890,  he  was  chairman  of  the  Federal  commission  of  elections,  and 
while  he  has  never  given  time  or  energy  to  seeking  political  prefer- 
ment, is  accounted  a  shrewd  and  able  champion  of  the  principles  of 
the  party  he  espouses.  Still  in  the  first  dawn  of  manhood,  should  life 
and  health  be  spared,  there  awaits  a  brilliant  career  for  him  in  the 
future. 

THOMAS  BARNARD  WHALEY, 

now  deceased,  first  saw  the  light  on  Edisto  Island,  on  the  Carolina 
coast,  on  the  8th  day  of  May,  1823.  While  still  in  his  early  boyhood 
his  mother  died,  and  he  was  then  placed  in  a  school  at  Charleston, 
S.  C.  When  but  sixteen  years  of  age  the  ardent  student  entered 
Princeton  college.  Returning  home  from  New  Jersey  on  a  vacation 
he  was  a  passenger  on  the  ill-fated  "Pulaski."  He  sustained  so 
great  a  shock  from  the  exposure  of  that  disaster  that  he  did  not  re- 
turn to  college.     Completing  his  collegiate  studies  in  his  native  state. 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  27  I 

Mr.  Whaley  then  began  the  study  of  law  with  the  lion.  A.  G.  Mc- 
Grath,  of  Charleston,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1845.  Remov- 
ing to  Orangeburg  he  commenced  the  practice  of  his  profession  with 
the  Hon.  Lawrence  M.  Keith,  his  brother-in-law,  with  whom  he  was 
associated  until  Mr.  Keith's  election  to  congress.  He  then  formed  a 
partnership  with  Hon.  Richard  De  Treville,  and  this  firm  existed 
mitil  the  death  of  his  partner  in  1874.  Mr.  Whaley  was  a  man  of  the 
highest  honor.  A  gentleman  of  the  old  school,  with  a  courtly  grace 
of  manner  and  a  nice  sense  of  honor,  he  never  stooped  to  little  things. 
He  was  devoted  to  his  chosen  profession  in  wdiich  he  won  so  much 
honor  and  distinction.  His  word  was  as  binding  as  his  bond.  Ever 
devoted  to  the  interests  of  his  clients,  he  entertained  a  lofty  concep- 
tion of  the  dignity  of  the  court  and  manifested  a  deference  to  its  de- 
corum that  would  seem  exaggerated  in  these  days  but  for  its 
courtliness  and  honest3^  He  loved  his  state  with  all  the  fervor  of  his 
being,  and  his  every  act  toward  her  was  born  of  the  purest  patriotism. 
His  character  was  deeply  stamped  with  a  simple,  abiding  faith  in  his 
Maker.  After  a  lingering  illness,  against  which  he  fought  with  a 
gradually  weakening  will,  he  finally  succumbed  to  man's  fate  on  the 
Sth  of  Jul}',  1S90.  His  memory  will  linger  in  the  hearts  of  those  who 
knew  him  for  his  generous  acts,  and  they  were  many.  Mr.  Whaley 
was  twice  married.  Five  children  were  born  of  the  first  union,  of 
whom  but  two  survive.  His  second  marriage  was  solemnized  in  Oc- 
tober, 1S77,  to  Mrs.  Lauretta  Virginia  (Parler)  Hydrick.  Two 
daughters  and  one  son  resulted  from  this  happy  alliance;  the  wife  and 
two  daughters  are  living,  the  son  having  died  in  infancy. 

J.  S.  RICHARDSON. 

John  Smith  Richardson  was  born  on  his  father's  plantation,  which 
afterward  became  his  own,  in  Claremont  county,  S.  C.,  April  11, 
1777.  He  received  his  primary  as  well  as  his  academic  and  collegiate 
education  in  the  city  of  Charleston,  and  afterward  took  up  a  law 
course  with  John  J.  Pringle,  an  eminent  lawyer  of  the  time.  He  was 
admitted  to  the  bar  in  October,  1799.  He  very  soon  distinguished 
himself  in  the  legal  profession,  taking  a  foremost  position  among  his 
brethren  of  the  bar. 

June  19,  1803,  Mr.  Richardson  was  joined  in  marriage  with  Mrs. 
Eliza  L.  Coutrier,  widow  of  Thomas  Coutrier.  They  had  a 
family  of  ten  children,  but  they  all  died  young  except  two  sons  and 
one  daughter,  who  survived  their  father.  Their  names  were  John 
Smyth,  Francis  Deleistiene  and  Susan  W.  A.  Logan.  Another  son, 
Maynard  D.,  a  remarkably  gifted  young  man,  died  just  after  his 
graduation  from  the  South  Carolina  college,  in  the  class  of  1830. 

In  the  session  of  the  South  Carolina  legislature  of  1810,  Mr.  Rich- 
ardson was  a  member,  and  was  elected  speaker  of  the  house.  He  was 
the  originator  of  an  important  act,  in  the  nature  of  an  amendment  to 
the  constitution,  entitled  the  General  Suffrage  bill,  which  was  passed 
at  that  session.     Before  the  session  closed  he  resigned  his  seat  to  ac- 


272  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

ceptthe  office  of  attorney-general  to  which  he  had  been  in  the  mean- 
time elected.  His  somewhat  abrupt  and  unexpected  vacation  of  the 
speaker's  chair,  before  the  business  of  the  session  had  been  consum- 
mated, subjected  him  to  severe  criticism,  against  which  in  later  years 
he  felt  called  upon  to  defend  himself.  In  this  defense,  he  said:  "I 
declined  to  remain  in  it  (the  speaker's  chair),  for  twenty-four  hours, 
notwithstanding  the  suggestions  of  friends,  that  I  ought  to  remain 
sufficiently  long  to  append  my  name  to  the  general  suffrage  bill,  now 
one  of  the  articles  of  the  constitution,  of  which  I  was  the  mover.  I 
then  declined  because  I  thought  it  would  be  a  personal  act  of  vain 
glory." 

December  i8,  1818,  he  was  elected  judge  of  the  court  of  common 
pleas.  Two  years  later  he  was  elected  to  congress  to  represent  the 
Sumter  district,  but  strange  as  it  may  appear  to  readers  of  the  pres- 
ent day,  he  declined  to  accept  the  office.  This  honor  had  been 
tendered  him  without  his  solicitation,  and  with  great  unanimity.  His 
reasons  for  declining  were  first,  that  his  means  did  not  then  warrant 
his  acceptance;  second,  that  his  father's  estate,  including  the  patri- 
mony of  his  younger  brothers  and  sisters,  was  involved  in  litigation 
at  the  suit  of  foreign  claimants,  and  that  the  settlement  of  the  estate 
devolved  upon  him  personally.  These  he  deemed  sufficient  reasons 
for  declining  the  honor  his  friends,  with  so  rare  an  exhibition  of 
disinterestedness  and  with  such  generous  intent,  had  proposed  to 
confer  upon  him. 

When  Chancellor  David  Johnson  was  elected  governor,  in  Decem- 
ber, 1846,  Judge  Richardson  became  president  of  the  court  of  errors. 
Before  that,  in  1841,  on  the  resignation  of  Judge  Gantt,  he  had  been 
made  president  of  the  law  court  of  appeals.  His  whole  service  upon 
the  bench  numbered  about  twenty-two  years,  and  he  died  while  thus 
serving  his  state.  This  event  occurred  May  8,  1S50,  at  his  lodgings 
in  the  city  of  Charleston.  He  died  in  the  seventy-fourth  year  of  his 
age. 

As  a  lawyer  Judge  Richardson  was  a  powerful  and  an  effective 
advocate;  as  a  public  speaker  he  was  greatly  gifted  and  had  few  if 
any  superiors.  As  a  judge  he  was  clear-headed,  honest  and  strictly 
impartial.  No  man  was  ever  endowed  with  more  firmness  and  moral 
courage.  He  never  swerved  from  what  he  deemed  to  be  right, 
though  his  judgment  might  be  that  of  the  minority. 

On  the  4th  of  December,  1847,  a  resolution  was  introduced  before 
the  house  of  representatives,  asking  for  the  removal  of  Judge  Rich- 
ardson from  the  bench  on  the  ground  of  permanent  bodily  and 
mental  infirmity  which  disabled  him  from  the  discharge  of  his  judicial 
functions.  The  resolution  brought  on  a  long  debate  and  Judge  Rich- 
ardson was  invited  to  appear  before  the  house  in  his  own  defense. 
With  this  he  complied  and  his  defense  was  long,  able  and  convincing. 
At  its  close,  a  member  offered  the  following  resolution: 

"  Resolved,  That  the  house  having  heard  the  Hon.  Judge  Richard- 
son in  answer  to  the  resolution  proposing  to  declare  his  office  vacant, 
and  being  of  opinion  that  the  grounds  set  forth  therein  are  not  sus- 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  273 

tained,  ordered  that  all  further  proceedings  therein  be  discharged." 
After  a  short  conversational  debate  this  resolution  was  adopted, 
seventy-four  to  thirty-two. 

JOSEPH  H.  EARLE. 

General  Joseph  H.  liarle  was  born  in  (ireenville,  S.  C,  April  30,  1847, 
and  received  his  education  in  the  academy  at  Sumter,  S.  C.  He 
afterward  attended  the  I-'urman  university  at  Greenville,  graduating 
from  the  latter  institution  in  1867.  Gen.  Earle  entered  the  Confed- 
erate army  in  July,  1864,  starting  as  a  private  in  Charles'  battery  of 
light  artillery,  at  the  close  of  the  war  a  part  of  Kemper's  artillery. 
On  his  return  from  the  war  as  above  stated,  he  entered  Furman  uni- 
versity. Leaving  this  institution  he  was  appointed  principal  of  the 
Chick  Springs  high  school  at  Greenville,  holding  that  position  two 
years  studying  law  in  the  meantime.  In  April,  1870,  he  was  admitted 
to  the  bar  before  Judge  James  L.  Orr,  afterward  minister  to  Russia.- 
Following  his  admission  to  the  bar  he  opened  a  law  office  at  Ander- 
son, S.  C,  where  he  practiced  until  1S75,  when  he  removed  to  Sumter, 
at  which  place  he  still  resides  and  practices  his  profession  with  R.  O. 
Purdy  as  a  law  partner.  In  1S78  Gen.  Earle  was  elected  a  member 
of  the  state  legislature  from  Sumter  county,  and  served  two  terms,  de- 
clining a  nomination  for  re-election  in  18S0.  In  1882  he  was  elected 
to  the  state  senate  for  four  years,  and  in  1886  was  elected  attorney- 
general  of  the  state,  being  re-elected  in  1888.  He  was  selected  in  1880 
as  a  delegate  from  South  Carolina  to  the  national  convention  which 
met  in  Cincinnati  and  nominated  Gen.  Hancock  for  president.  In 
18S4  he  was  selected  as  a  delegate  to  the  Chicago  national  convention 
which  nominated  Grover  Cleveland,  and  was  one  of  the  committee 
selected,  one  from  each  state,  to  apprise  Mr.  Cleveland  of  his  nom- 
ination. He  has  also  been  chosen  a  delegate  to  the  state  conventions 
on  a  number  of  occasions.  Gen.  Earle  was  married  May  19,  i86g,  to 
Miss  Anna  M.  Earle,  daughter  of  Baylis  J.  Earle,  of  Anderson.  To 
them  have  been  born  nine  children,  one  dying  in  infancy.  The 
christian  names  of  those  surviving  are  Baylis  H.,John  H.,  Eleanor  M., 
Lucia  P.,  Anna  C,  Joseph  H.,  Lillian  and  Wilton.  In  188S  Mr.  Earle 
refused  the  nomination  on  the  democratic  ticket  for  governor,  not 
desiring  to  oppose  the  re-election  of  Gov.  Richardson,  declaring  if 
nominated  he  would  not  stand  as  a  candidate;  but  in  spite  of  his 
declaration  more  than  100  votes  were  cast  for  him  in  the 
convention.  In  1890  he  made  a  canvass  of  the  state  for  the  nomina- 
tion of  governor,  but  was  superseded  by  B.  R.  Tillman  who  was  nom- 
inated by  the  Farmers' Alliance,  after  whose  nomination.  Gen.  Earle 
refused  to  oppose  him  though  strongly  urged  to  do  so.  Gen.  Earle's 
father  was  Elias  D.  Earle  who  was  born  in  Greenville,  S.  C,  and 
there  practiced  law  for  many  years,  at  one  time  holding  the  office  of 
superintendent  of  public  works  of  the  state.  He  was  married  in  1836 
to  Susan  C.Haynsworth,of  Sumter,  S.  C,  and  they  had  eight  children, 
of  whom  the  subject  of  this  sketch  is  the  youngest.  The  father  died 
in  1S52  and  the  mother  in  1849. 
A— 18 


274  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 


WILLIAM  H.  FOLK, 


senior  member  of  the  law  firm  of  Polk  &  Folk,  leading  attorneys  of 
Edgefield  county,  was  born  in  that  county  on  September  4,  1852.  He 
is  the  son  of  Dr.  Henry  M.  and  Julia  A.  (Long)  F"olk,  both  natives  of 
this  state.  Dr.  Henry  M.  Folk  was  the  son  of  John  A.  Folk,  a  resi- 
dent of  Newberry  county,  who  was  for  many  j'ears  engaged  in  mer- 
chandising at  Pomaria  in  that  county.  He  was  born  in  1827,  and 
educated  in  the  schools  of  South  Carolina.  He  began  the  study  of 
medicine  at  Newberry  under  Dr.  Thompson,  afterward  entering  the 
South  Carolina  medical  college  and  graduating  from  there.  He  be- 
gan practice  in  Newberry  county,  and  afterward  removed  to  Edge- 
field county.  He  abandoned  the  practice  of  medicine  some  years  ago, 
and  has  been  planting  since  that  time,  in  which  he  has  been  very  suc- 
cessful. He  was  married  to  the  mother  of  William  H.  Folk,  while 
living  in  Newberry  county,  and  is  the  father  of  two  sons  and  one 
daughter.  William  H.  Folk  was  educated  in  the  schools  of  the  county, 
and  also  took  a  course  in  Wofford  college  and  Newberry  college, 
graduating  from  the  former  in  1872.  He  began  the  study  of  law  the 
following  year  in  Columbia  under  Bachman  &  Youmans.and  was  ad- 
mitted to  the  bar  in  1874.  In  1S75  he  visited  Europe  for  the  purpose 
of  completing  his  law  education  and  spent  one  year  in  Edinburgh, 
Scotland,  and  spent  the  same  length  of  time  in  Leipsic,  .Saxony.  Re- 
turning home  in  1S76,  he  formed  a  partnership  with  A.  J.  Norris,  of 
Edgefield,  and  practiced  with  him  thirteen  years.  Then  in  January, 
i8qo,  he  formed  a  partnership  with  his  brother,  E.  H.  Folk,  under  the 
firm  name  of  Folk  &  Folk.  He  has  always  taken  an  active  part  in 
politics,  and  in  1884  was  elected  to  the  legislature,  serving  two  years. 
In  1876  he  was  made  lieutenant-colonel  of  Gov.  Hampton's  staff,  and 
was  also  on  Gov.  Simpson's,  holding  two  years  under  each.  He  was 
married  in  1880  to  Miss  Lizzie  Hollingsworth  of  this  county.  Mr. 
Folk  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity,  Kappa  Alpha  society, 
and  other  organizations.  He  is  the  attorney  for  the  Alliance  bank, 
is  a  stockholder  in  the  Edgefield  bank,  and  is  also  an  extensive 
planter,  owning  large  landed  interests  in  the  county.  He  has  been 
more  than  successful  in  his  profession,  being  one  of  the  most  learned 
and  eloquent  members  of  the  Edgefield  bar.  He  is  still  a  young  man 
and  has  a  bright  and  promising  future  before  him. 

Ex-GOV.    JOHN  C.  SHEPPARD. 

Near  the  old  star  fort  in  Edgefield  county,  S.  C,  and  on  the  5th 
of  July,  1850,  John  C.  Sheppard,  whose  name  stands  at  the  head  of 
this  sketch,  was  born.  He  received  his  early  education  at  Bethany 
academy  in  Edgefield  county,  but  afterward  attended  Fiu-man  uni- 
versity at  Greenville.  In  December,  1870,  he  left  college  and  entered 
the  office  of  Butler  &  Youmans  in  Edgefield  county  for  the  purpose 
of  reading  law  under  the  instruction  of  that  firm.     He  was  admitted 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  275 

to  the  bar  in  Edgefield  in  1S71,  and  immediately  afterward  the  part- 
nership between  Butler  &  Youmans  was  dissolved, and  Mr.  Sheppard 
entered  into  partnership  with  LeRoy  F.  Youmans  for  the  practice  of 
law.  The  new  firm  continued  for  three  years,  when  Mr.  Yoimians 
removed  to  Columbia  and  Mr.  Sheppard  continued  to  practice  by 
himself  until  1S75,  when  he  took  his  brother  Orlando  into  partnership, 
and  this  firm  continues  the  practice  of  law  at  Edgefield.  In  1876,  Mr. 
Sheppard,  the  senior  member  of  the  firm,  was  elected  a  member  of 
the  house  of  representatives,  the  popular  branch  of  the  state  legisla- 
ture, and  in  December,  1S77,  Judge  W.  H.  Wallace,  then  speaker  of 
the  house,  was  elected  circuit  judge  and  Mr.  Sheppard  was  elected  by 
the  democratic  caucus  to  fill  the  vacancy  in  the  speakership  thus  cre- 
ated. The  choice  of  the  caucus  was  confirmed  by  the  house  and  Mr. 
Sheppard  became  the  successor  of  Judge  Wallace.  With  one  excep- 
tion, Henry  Clay,  he  was  the  youngest  member  ever  elected  to  the 
office  of  speaker  of  the  house.  Mr.  Sheppard  was  re-elected  to  the 
house  in  187S  and  was  again  chosen  as  its  speaker.  He  was  once 
more  re-elected  in  18S0,  and  for  the  third  time  was  made  speaker  of 
the  house.  In  1882  he  was  elected  lieutenant-governor  of  the  state 
and  thereby  became  ex-officio  president  of  the  senate.  He  was  re- 
elected in  1S84,  and  during  that  official  term  Gov.  Thompson  was  ap- 
pointed assistant  secretary  of  the  treasury  under  President  Cleveland 
and  Mr.  Sheppard  succeeded  to  the  governorship,  filling  out  the  un- 
expired term  of  Gov.  Thompson.  At  the  end  of  that  term  he  returned 
to  his  law  practice  in  which  he  is  still  engaged.  Mr.  Sheppard  was 
selected  in  1876  as  one  of  the  delegates  to  represent  South  Carolina 
in  the  national  democratic  convention  at  St.  Louis,  which  placed 
Tilden  and  Hendricks  in  nomination  for  the  presidency  and  vice- 
presidency  in  the  national  campaign.  On  the  23rd  of  May,  1S79,  Mr. 
Sheppard  was  married  to  Miss  Helen  Wallace,  daughter  of  Judge 
Wallace,  whom  he  had  succeeded  as  speaker  of  the  house.  It  was  he, 
who,  in  1876,  had  placed  Judge  Wallace  in  nomination  for  the  speak- 
ership of  the  house.  Before  assuming  the  speakership,  Mr.  Sheppard 
had  been  appointed  to  the  chairmanship  of  the  committee  of  ways 
and  means  in  the  house.  His  re-election  to  the  house  and  speaker- 
ship was  proof  that  he  had  filled  both  of  these  responsible  positions 
with  distinguished  ability  and  to  general  acceptance.  Mr.  Sheppard 
is  the  father  of  six  children  whose  christian  names  are  as  follows: 
William  Wallace,  Helen  Louise,  Henrietta,  John  Calhoun,  Sallie 
Maxwell  and  James.  His  father's  name  was  James  Sheppard.  He 
was  born  in  Lexington  county,  S.  C.,in  1790,  and  removed  in  his  early 
years  to  Edgefield  county.  He  was  three  times  married,  his  last  wife, 
Sarah  Louisa  Mobley,  to  whom  he  was  married  in  1842,  was  the 
mother  of  John  C.  Sheppard.  She  was  the  daughter  of  Eldred 
Mobley,  and  bore  her  husband  six  children,  whose  names  are  as  follows: 
Orlando  W.  Scott,  John  C.  A.,  Anna  F.,  wife  of  James  B.  Jones, 
Luther  W.,  and  Josephine  E.,  the  last  named  of  whom  died  in  infancy. 
The  father  of  this  family  died  in  1S59.  The  principal  events  por- 
trayed in  this  concise  resume  of  the  career  of  Mr.  Sheppard  demon- 


276  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

strate  that  be  has  led  an  active  and  useful  life,  and  that  he  has  rendered 
his  state  conspicuous  public  service.  As  a  private  citizen  he  has  sus- 
tained an  unblemished  reputation, and  has  amply  deserved  the  respect 
and  esteem  of  his  fellow  citizens  as  illustrated  by  the  generous  confi- 
dence they  have  reposed  in  him  as  a  public  official. 

GEORGE  D.  TILLMAN 

was  born  August  21,  1826,  the  son  of  Benjamin  Ryan  and  Sophia 
(Hancock)  Tillman,  the  place  of  his  birth  being  in  the  vicinity  of 
Curryton,  Edgefield  county,  S.  C.  The  Tillman  family  has  produced 
men  of  worth  and  ability.  Of  the  seven  sons  born  to  Benjamin  and 
Sophia  Tillman,  four  have  distinguished  themselves  as  soldiers. 
Thomas  was  killed  in  the  Mexican  war,  at  the  battle  of  Churubusca, 
James  was  grievously  wounded  at  Chickamauga,  and  died  one  year 
later  from  the  effects  of  his  wound.  At  the  age  of  sixteen  he  offered 
his  young  life  to  the  southern  cause,  and  enlisted  in  the  Twenty- 
fourth  South  Carolina  regiment.  At  the  time  of  his  honorable  dis- 
charge he  held  the  rank  of  captain.  Mere  youth  that  he  was_,  yet,  his 
courage  and  love  for  the  principles  he  had  espoused  rapidly  raised  him 
to  the  front  as  a  soldier,  and  while  still  in  his  boyhood  he  led  men.  Led 
them  into  action  as  only  hero  and  patriot  can.  Another  son  of  these 
parents  is  Benjamin  R.,  the  present  governor  of  South  Carolina.  Ap- 
propriate mention  of  him  will  be  found  in  another  place.  George  D. 
Tillman  was  fitted  for  college  at  Greenwood,  S.  C,  and  subsequently 
at  Penfield,  Ga.  He  entered  Harvard  college  in  1845.  At  the  age  of 
twenty  he  began  the  study  of  law  under  the  tutelage  of  Chancellor 
F.  H.  Wardlaw,  of  Edgefield  C.  H.  Mr.  Tillman  was  engaged  in  the 
practice  of  his  chosen  profession  at  Edgefield  Court  House  until  1S61. 
In  that  year  he  joined  a  state  military  organization,  and  in  the  follow- 
ing year  enlisted  in  Company  E,  Second  South  Carolina  artillery,  as 
a  private.  Although  he  was  found  at  the  "  front "  during  the  four 
years  of  this  time,  he  still  clung  to  the  ranks.  While  still  in  the 
army,  in  1864,  he  was  elected  to  the  state  legislature,  but  only  left  the 
scene  of  conflict  during  the  session  of  that  body,  and  in  three  days 
after  its  adjournment  was  again  found  with  his  regiment.  Mr.  Till- 
man remained  with  his  people  until  the  last  had  surrendered,  and  then 
returned  to  his  home  to  take  up  the  load  which  every  true  son  of  the 
south  was  forced  to  bear.  He  turned  his  attention  to  his  cotton  plan- 
tation, and  entirely  abandoned  his  chosen  profession.  He  was  elect- 
ed to  the  constitutional  convention  convened  by  President  Johnson 
in  1865,  at  the  head  of  his  ticket;  and  later  was  elected  to  the  state 
senate  under  the  constitution  then  formed.  In  1876  he  was  a  member 
of  the  state  executive  committee,  and  in  the  same  year  was  elected  a 
member  of  the  forty-fifth  congress.  Eight  consecutive  timeshas  he 
been  returned  to  that  honorable  body,  with  but  slight  opposition,  and 
the  only  time  he  was  ever  defeated  for  an  office  was  when  unseated  in 
congress  by  a  negro,  who  bore  the  name  of  Smalls.  At  the  time  he 
was" unseated  in  the  forty-seventh  congress,  Mr.  Tillman  delivered  a 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  277 

telling,  scathing  speech  against  the  men  who  turned  him  out.  The 
leading  idea  of  his  speech  was,  "  that  when  a  man  was  sent  to  Wash- 
ington the  people  knew  whom  they  wanted,  and  he  ought  not  to  be 
deprived  of  his  seat,  except  in  extraordinary  cases.  "  Perhaps  no 
member  of  congress  commands  a  more  attentive  hearing  from  the 
house  than  George  D.  Tillman.  He  seldom  occupies  the  floor,  but 
when  he  does  it  is  as  a  speaker  with  something  to  say.  As  a  speaker 
he  stands  far  above  the  average,  possessed  of  a  deep,  full  voice,  his 
words  can  be  distinctly  heard  in  every  part  of  the  house.  He  is  a  man 
of  literary  tastes,  and  has  one  of  the  largest  and  rarest  libraries  in  the 
state.  Personally,  he  is  a  man  of  fine  presence,  considerably  above 
the  average  height,  with  rather  large  features,  which  show  him  to 
be  one  with  spirit,  courage  and  deep  thought.  In  congress  he  has 
ever  taken  the  ground  that  it  was  of  more  importance  for  him  to  try 
to  suppress  bills  than  to  make  them.  In  speaking  on  apportionment 
measures,  Mr.  Tillman  uttered  these  words,  which  have  since  become 
almost  a  household  expression:  "Universal  suffrage  is  universal 
damnation."  He  further  stated  "that  in  this  age  the  facilities  for 
combination,  concentration,  and  travel,  are  so  great  that  there  should 
be  more  representation  of  the  people,  in  the  nation's  capitol."  The 
argument  he  advanced  while  defending  the  bill  for  the  free  coinage 
of  silver  was,  "  that  both  gold  and  silver  were  freely  coined  without 
restriction  from  the  time  of  Abraham  down  to  the  year  1873,  when 
capitalists  and  bondholders  used  the  carpet-baggers,  scallawags  and 
negro  senator  and  republicans  from  the  south  to  demonetize  silver, 
contract  circulation  of  paper  money  and  thus  make  it  harder  to  pay 
taxes  and  debt."  He  strongly  opposed  the  oleomargarine  bill,  and 
was  a  powerful  and  faithful  foe  of  civil  pensioning,  taking  the  stand 
that  "civil  pensioning  is  but  incipient  hereditary  nobility."  Mr. 
Tillman  is  as  much  of  a  success  on  his  plantation  as  he  is  on  the  floor 
of  the  house.  He  has  spent  much  time  and  money  in  finding  a  win- 
ter pasture  grass  for  the  south,  and  after  diligent  research  he  has  at 
last  succeeded  in  producing  a  grass  which  in  the  future  will  make  his 
name  honored  by  the  farmers  of  the  southern  states.  Man  can  do  no 
greater  thing  than  to  produce  fertilit}'  from  sterility,  can  serve  the 
farmer,  and  through  him  the  country  at  large,  in  no  greater  way  than 
by  producing  for  him  a  new  crop.  Mr.  Tillman  was  so  fortunate  as  to 
form  a  marriage  alliance  with  Miss  Margaret  James,  on  the  24th  of 
October,  1S60.  Three  sons  and  four  daughters  form  his  happy  home 
circle. 

CHANCELLOR  JAMES  J.  CALDWELL 

was  born  in  Newberry  county,  S.  C,  within  a  few  miles  of 
Cannon  Creek  church,  on  the  13th  of  January,  1799.  His  father,  Dan 
Caldwell,  was  a  farmer  by  occupation;  he  was  a  younger  son  of  John 
Caldwell,  who  emigrated  from  county  Antrim,  Ireland,  in  the  year 
1770  or  1771.  Dan  Caldwell  was  born  in  1769.  He  received  his  edu- 
cation in  the  Newberry  county  schools,  and  at  an  early  time  in  life  be- 
gan   farming,  which    he  followed  throughout  his  lifetime.     He  was 


2/5  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

united  in  marriage  with  Jannette  McMaster,  whose  own  relatives  have 
now  disappeared  from  the  state.  Dan  Caldwell  united  with  the  As- 
sociate Reformed  Presbyterian  church,  and  acted  as  elder  for  many 
years.  He  was  a  man  of  exemplary  piety,  and  is  spoken  of  by  Judge 
O'Neall,  in  his  Annals  of  Newberry,  as  "a  man  without  a  spot."  He 
took  great  care  with  the  early  training  of  his  son,  the  subject  of  this 
sketch,  and  to  his  efforts  are  due  many  of  the  brilliant  results  of  his 
eventful  life.     His  death  and  also  that  of  his  wife  occurred  in  June, 

1816.  James  J.  Caldwell  received  his  earh'  education  in  the  once  cel- 
ebrated Mount  Bethel  academy,  in  Newberry  county,  and  also  studied 
some  at  the  Newberry  Court  House.  In  December,  1815,  he  entered 
the  South  Carolina  college  and  graduated  from  there  in  December, 

1817.  His  college  contemporaries  were  such  men  as  Senator  A.  P. 
Butler,  William  McWiller,  afterward  governor  of  Mississippi,  Judge 
Thomas  J.  Grover,  Solicitor  Alexander  A.  M.  Mclver,  Robert  Dunlap 
and  other  men  of  distinction,  and  with  such  men  he  took  high  honors. 
He  taught  school  for  a  year  before  entering  college,  and  among  his 
pupils  were  Prof.  La  Borde  and  Chancellor  Carroll.  He  began  the 
study  of  law  under  the  direction  of  Judge  O'Neall,  and  was  admitted 
to  the  bar  in  1820.  He  first  began  practice  at  Newberry  C.  H.,  and 
remained  there  until  the  fall  of  1843,  when  he  removed  to  Columbia. 
Law  was  not  to  his  liking  at  first,  for  his  talent  lay  more  in  the  line 
of  literature  and  military  science,  and  it  was  thought  by  man}' of  his 
friends  that  he  had  better  have  yielded  to  his  natural  inclination.  He, 
however,  applied  himself  most  laboriously  to  his  profession,  and  mas- 
tered it  in  all  its  details.  His  advancement  was  not  rapid,  but  he 
steadily  overcame  everj'  obstacle  until  he  developed  into  one  of  the 
ablest  lawyers,  and  most  successful  solicitors  in  the  state.  He  did 
not,  however,  lose  his  taste  for  military  affairs  and  was  an  ardent 
supporter  of  the  military  system,  and  advanced  in  rank  to  brigadier- 
general  of  infantry.  He  was  a  candidate  for  the  state  legislature  in 
1828-9,  but  was  defeated,  the  cause  being  his  refusal  to  furnish  free 
liquor  to  voters  according  to  the  then  general  custom  throughout  the 
country.  He  was  not  a  temperance  man  himself  but  thought  it  had  a 
tendency  to  demoralize  the  voters.  He  was  successful,  however,  in 
1830,  and  served  as  a  member  of  the  house  of  representative's  until 
1835.  He  was  then  elected  solicitor  for  the  southwestern  district, 
consisting  of  Newberry,  Abbeville,  Edgefield  and  Lexington  counties. 
This  district  was  changed  in  1842,  but  he  was  assigned  to  the  middle 
district  consisting  of  Newberr}',  Lexington,  Richland,  Kershaw  and 
Sumter  counties.  I  le  served  in  that  office  until  his  election  to  the 
chancery  bench  in  1S46,  in  which  office  he  served  until  his  death  in 
1850.  His  service  in  this  capacity  was  too  limited  to  develop  his  abil- 
ity as  a  chancellor  as  he  associated  with  men  who  had  had  years  of 
experience,  such  as  Harper,  Johnston  and  Dunkin,  but  his  decrees 
were  seldom  overruled  by  the  court  of  appeals,  and  he  rendered 
many  important  decisions.  During  this  time  he  labored  under  the 
difficulty  of  poor  health.  He  was  always  very  delicate  and  the 
twenty-five  years  of  hard  practice  at  the  bar  had  the  effect  of  break- 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  279 

ing  his  health  completely;  yet  he  continued  his  labor  until  within   a 
few  days  of  his  death.     He  distin<,niished  himself  more  in  the  capac- 
ity of  solicitor  by  his  power  of  oratory,  his  pains-takinjr  in  preparing 
cases,  but  more  perhaps  by  his  honesty  in  not  trying  to  secure  con- 
victions in  all  cases,  by  dealing  fairly  toward  all  and  guarding  against 
unjustly  prosecuting  any  citizen.     Chancellor  Caldwell  was  one  of  the 
ablest  orators  the  state  ever  produced,  and  was  known  to  many  as  the 
'■  silver-tongued  orator. "     As  an  extemporaneous  speaker  he  had  but 
few  equals,  and  an  instance  or  two  in  his  life  may  not  be  out  of  place 
in  this  sketch.     While  attending  court  in  an  adjoining  county,  he  was 
called  upon  to  argue  the  case  of  a  poor  widow  who  had  been  defraud- 
ed of  her  property.     The  counsel  for  the  widow  had  made  but  a  very 
poor  effort,  and  to  all  appearances  the  case  was  lost.     Her  new  coun- 
sel having  had  no  time  to  prepare  himself  and  having  heard  but  very 
little  of  the  case,  labored  under  some  embarrassment,  yet  he  arose 
and  addressed  the  jury,  which  had  about  fallen  asleep.     In  a  very 
short  time  he  commanded  the  attention  of  the  court  and  jury,  and 
brought  tears  from  the  eyes  of  many  of  the  spectators.     It  is  needless 
to  say  that  the  jury  rendered  a  verdict  in   favor  of  the  widow.     He 
did  many  kind  acts  for  the  poorer  classes,  often  defending  them  with- 
out   hope    of    reward,   having    once  cleared  two    freed    negroes  of 
charges  brought  against  them,  in  the  face  of  the  laughter  and  jeers  of 
the  crowd.     He  was   united  in    marriage    in    1825    or    1826,  to    Miss 
Nancy  McMorries,  eldest  daughter  of  James  McMorries,  of  Laurens 
county.     The  union  was  blessed  with  nine  children.     He  was  not  a 
member  of  any  church,  but  was  a  believer  in  the  Christian  religion  and 
a  faithful  student  of  the  Bible,  taking  great_  pains  in  the  moral  in- 
struction and  exemplary  training  of  his  family.     His  death  occurred 
in  Columbia,  where  his  remains  are  entombed.     His  wife  died  three 
years  later  in  1853.     J.  F.  J.  Caldwell,  son  of  James  J.  Caldwell,  was 
born  in  Newberry  county,  and  graduated  from  South  Carolma  college 
in  1857.     He  pursued  the  study  of  law  in  the  law  office  of  Gen.  James 
Simons,  of  Charleston,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  January,  1S59. 
He  also  studied  law  several  months  in  Berlin.     He  served  in  the  Con- 
federate army  during  the  entire  war,  mostly  in  Virginia  as  a  member 
of  Gregg's  First  South  Carolina  regiment,  and  was  afterward  aide  to 
Gen.  McGowan.     He  was  wounded  near  Richmond  and  also  at  Get- 
tysburg.    He   afterward  wrote  the  history  of  McGowan's  brigade, 
published  in  1866,  and  pronounced  by  many  northern  and  southern 
critics  the  best  compiled  history  of  the  \var  ever  printed.     From  1870 
to  iSqo  Mr.  Caldwell  practiced  law  in  partnership  with  Maj.  Suber, 
now  deceased.     He  is,  among  other  things,  attorney  for  the  National 
bank  of  Newberry,  the  Newberry  Savings  bank,  and  the  Richmond 
&  Danville  R.  R.     There  is  no  lawyer  more  versed  in  the  funda- 
mental principles  of  the  law  than   Mr.  Caldwell,  and  none  having  a 
more   thoroughly   practical   knowledge   of   his  profession.      He   was 
chairman    of  the  democratic  county   executive  committee,  from   its 
first  organization  in  1868,  until  it  re-organized  in  1876,  this  being  one  of 
the  few  counties  of  the  state  in  which  the  democracy  triumphed  in 


28o  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

t868.  He  was  again  made  county  chairman  in  1S77,  holding  the 
ofifice  till  1880,  when  he  refused  a  re-election.  During  both  of  his 
terms  of  office,  his  party  carried  every  election  in  which  it  made  a  con- 
test. Apart  from  these  instances,  he  never  held,  nor  indeed  sought 
to  hold,  any  ofifice,  his  time  being  absorbed  strictly  in  the  practice  of 
his  profession,  in  which,  following  in  the  footsteps  of  his  honored 
father,  he  has  been  eminently  successful.  He  was  married  in  1875,  to 
Miss  Rebecca  C.  Connor,  of  Abbeville  county.  They  have  no  chil- 
dren.    Mr.  Caldwell  has  been  a  stockholder  in  the  cotton  mills. 

SILAS  JOHNSTONE, 

present  master  in  chancery,  was  born  in  the  city  of  Newberry,  S.  C, 
May  30,  1822.  He  is  the  second  son  by  his  father's  first  marriage. 
His  father's  name  was  Job  Johnstone,  who  was  chancellor  of  the  South 
Carolina  equity  court  for  over  twenty-six  years,  and  at  his  death, 
associate  justice  of  the  South  Carolina  supreme  court.  Silas  Johnstone 
acquired  his  elementary  education  at  the  schools  in  Newberry,  and 
completed  his  course  in  the  once  celebrated  school  of  Willington, 
conducted  by  Dr.  Waddell.  At  the  completion  of  his  course,  he  took 
up  the  occupation  of  planting,  and  followed  that  business  till  about 
the  year  1850.  He  read  law  with  the  Hon.  Thomas  Pope,  with  whom 
he  remained  about  two  years,  when  in  1852,  he  was  admitted  to  the 
bar.  He  at  once  began  practice,  in  company  with  Christian  H.  Suber, 
under  the  firm  name  of  Johnstone  &  Suber.  This  firm  continued  until 
December,  1856,  when  Mr.  Johnstone  was  elected  commissioner  of 
equity,  for  Newberry  district.  He  held  this  office  for  twelve  years 
without  opposition.  The  court  of  equity  was,  however,  abolished  in 
)868,  when  he  again  joined  a  partnership  with  J.  M.  Baxter,  a  leading 
attorney  in  Newberry  county,  which  firm  existed  until  1878,  when  Mr. 
Johnstone  was  appointed  master  in  chancery,  by  Gov.  Simpson.  He 
has  held  this  ofifice  continuously  ever  since,  having  been  but  recently 
re-appointed  by  Gov.  Tillman.  He  was  united  in  marriage  in  1844,  with 
Miss  Elizabeth  C.  Randell,  daughter  of  Theodore  Randell,  formerly 
an  army  officer,  U.  S,  A.,  a  graduate  from  West  Point.  Of  this  union 
have  been  born  eight  children,  of  whom  five  sons  and  two  daughters 
are  now  living.  Mr.  Johnstone  has  never  taken  any  active  part  in 
politics,  but  is  a  thorough  democrat.  He  and  his  wife  are  members 
of  the  Presbyterian  church,  south,  of  which  he  has  acted  as  elder 
since  1862,  and  has  represented  the  presbytery  of  South  Carolina,  in 
general  assembly,  on  one  or  two  occasions.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
I.  O.  O.  F.,  and  one  of  the  charter  members  of  the  lodge  in  New- 
berry. He  has  acted  as  grand  representative  to  the  supreme  lodge 
for  six  terms.  He  has  been  very  successful  in  the  practice  of  his  pro- 
fession, and  has  gained  the  good  will  and  respect  of  all  who  know 
him,  for  his  honesty,  integrity  and  uprightness.  He  has  discharged 
the  duties  devolving  upon  him  by  the  offices  he  has  held,  ably,  im- 
partially and  with  much  credit  to  himself.  He  also  served  as  mayor 
of  the  city  of  Newberry,  and  during  his  term  no  taxes  were  levied. 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  28 1 

In  1S77,  he  compiled  a  digest  of  the  decisions  of  the  courts  of  equity, 
of  South  Carolina,  which  he  dedicated  to  his  late  partner,  Christian 
H.  Suber,  and  which  has  been  very  highly  complimented  by  prom- 
inent members  of  the  South  Carolina  bar,  as  an  invaluable  and 
authoritative  work,  for  reference  and  citation. 

HON.  J.  K.  P.  GOGGANS, 

a  prominent  citizen  and  present  mayor  of  the  city  of  Newberry,  was 
born  in  Newberry  county,  November  3,  1850.  His  parents  were 
David  and  Emily  (Davidson)  Goggans.  David  was  the  son  of  Jerry 
Goggans,  also  a  native  of  Newberry  county,  and  was  of  Scotch-Irish 
parentage.  His  father  was  an  Arherican  soldier,  in  the  war  with 
England,  and  was  killed  by  the  tories  in  this  country.  Jerry  Goggans 
was  a  farmer  by  occupation,  and  followed  it  in  Newberry  county  for 
some  years,  but  while  yet  a  young  man,  moved  his  family  to  the  state 
of  Ohio,  about  the  year  1804.  He  died  while  there,  and  his  widow 
returned  to  their  native  state,  bringing  the  father  of  J.  K.  P.  Goggans 
back  with  her.  Daniel  Goggans  was  born  in  December,  1803.  He 
received  more  than  an  ordinary  education  in  the  schools  of  the  state, 
and  followed  school-teaching  for  some  years  after  completing  his 
education.  He  afterward  engaged  in  a  general  merchandise  business 
at  Sharpsburg,  now  known  as  Deadfall,  sometime  about  the  year  1830. 
He  continued  in  business  for  some  years,  and  then  purchased  a  plan- 
tation near  there,  and  resided  there  until  his  death,  in  1875.  He  was 
married  about  the  year  1832,  to  Emily  Davidson,  the  mother  of  J.  K.  P. 
Goggans,  who  bore  him  nine  children,  six  sons  and  three  daughters. 
Two  sons  died  in  infancy,  and  one  son  was  killed  in  the  Second 
Manassas  battle.  He  was  adjutant-general  of  the  Thirteenth  South 
Carolina  infantry.  Daniel  Goggans  took  no  active  part  in  politics, 
but  was  a  thorough  democrat.  He  served  the  people  for  many  years 
as  foreman  of  the  grand  jury  of  Newberry  county,  and  acquired  the 
title  of  "True  Bill  "  Goggans, for  the  large  number  of  true  bills  found 
against  criminals.  He  was  not  a  member  of  any  church,  but  was  in- 
clined toward  the  Quakers.  His  wife  died  in  1886.  J.  K.  P.  Goggans 
acquired  his  early  education  in  the  common  schools  of  the  county, 
but  completed  his  literary  studies  in  the  Furman  university,  at  Green- 
ville, S.  C,  and  graduated  from  there  in  1874.  He  then  followed 
teaching,  for  a  year  or  so  in  the  county  of  Abbeville,  and  at  the  vil- 
lage of  Greenwood,  and  his  father's  death  occurring  in  that  year,  he 
returned  home.  He  was  appointed  administrator  of  the  estate, 
which  he  settled  up.  In  January,  187S,  he  began  the  study  of  law 
under  the  direction  of  Suber  &  Caldwell,  with  whom  he  remained  six 
months.  He  then  entered  the  law  department  of  the  Virginia 
university,  and  completed  his  course  in  the  summer  of  1879.  He  was 
admitted  to  the  bar  in  the  spring  of  18S0,  at  once  beginning  practice 
in  Newberry,  following  it  continuously  since  that  time.  His  first 
partner  was  D.  O.  Herbert,  of  Orangeburg,  S.  C.  H-e  afterward 
formed   a  partnership   with   W.  H.  Hunt,  Jr.     He   was  married  De- 


282  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

cember  5,  1SS2,  to  Sarah  L.  Gary,  of  Newberry  county,  and  to  this 
union  have  been  born  two  sons  and  one  daughter,  all  of  whom  are 
now  living.  Mr.  Goggans  had  always  taken  an  active  interest  in  politics, 
and  served  as  chairman  of  the  democratic  central  committee  for  four 
years.  He  was  a  delegate  to  the  national  convention  in  St.  Louis,  in 
iSSS,  and  has  also  served  as  delegate  to  several  state  conventions. 
In  April,  iSgo,  he  was  elected  mayor  of  the  city  of  Newberry,  which 
office  he  now  holds.  He  is  interested  in  the  oil  mill,  and  is  a  director 
and  stockholder  in  the  B.  &  L.  association,  being  one  of  its  organ- 
izers. He  has  been  ver}'  successful  in  his  law  practice,  and  enjoys  a 
large  and  growing  business.  He  has  already  gained  several  import- 
ant cases  in  the  probate,  circuit  and  supreme  courts  of  the  state.  He 
is  attorney  for  the  Newberry  county  commissioners,  and  is  a  member 
of  the  K.  of  H.  He  and  his  wife  are  members  of  the  Baptist  church. 
He  has  many  warm  friends,  and  has  gained  for  himself  the  respect' 
and  good  wishes  of  all  who  know  him. 

JAMES  Y.  CULBREATH, 

one  of  the  leading  attorneys  of  the  Newberry  county  bar,  was  born 
in  Edgefield  county,  .S.  C.,  December  26,  1843.  He  is  a  son  of  Will- 
iam and  Behetland  (Yarbrough)  Culbreath.  His  grandfather  was 
John  Culbreath,  a  native  of  Virginia,  who  in  company  with  his  two 
brothers  left  Virginia  just  previous  to  the  Revolutionary  war.  He 
and  one  brother  settled  in  North  Carolina.  He  was  the  progenitor 
of  the  Culbreth  family  in  that  state.  They  drop  the  a  in  the  last 
syllable  of  their  family  name.  His  two  brothers  afterward  settled  in 
Edgefield  county,  S.  C.  The  elder  of  these  was  a  soldier  in  the  Rev- 
olution, with  Gen.  Greene,  at  the  siege  of  Ninety-si.x,  and  the  battles 
of  that  campaign.  He  died  a  bachelor,  aged  ninety  years.  John 
Culbreath  was  a  planter  by  occupation,  which  he  followed  through 
life.  He  died  in  Edgefield  county,  in  1845  or  1846.  He  was  the 
father  of  a  large  family  —  six  or  seven  sons.  William  Culbreath  was 
born  in  the  year  181 1.  He  received  but  an  ordinary  education,  and 
began  planting  while  quite  young,  following  that  occupation  through 
life.  He  was  the  father  of  only  two  sons,  James  Y.  and  John  Cul- 
breath, who  died  about  the  close  of  the  war,  having  contracted  the 
measles  in  the'  army  after  the  evacuation  of  Charleston.  William 
Culbreath  diedin  1S67,  and  his  wife  followed  him  in  1885.  James  Y. 
Culbreath  received  his  early  schooling  in  Edgefield  county,  with  the 
exception  of  one  year  spent  in  Williamston,  S.  C,  at  a  high  school 
conducted  by  Prof.  Kennedy.  After  completing  his  literary  educa- 
tion, in  1866,  he  began  the  study  of  the  law,  under  Col. Simeon  Fair  of 
Newberry,  with  whom  he  remained  one  year,  being  admitted  to  the 
bar  in  1867.  He  began  practice,  but  his  father's  death  occurring  soon, 
he  abandoned  it  for  some  time,  and  gave  his  attention  to  planting, 
which  he  followed  until  1875.  He  then  returned  to  his  practice,  and 
has  been  continuously  engaged  in  his  professional  occupation  ever 
since.     In  1871  he  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Abbie  Merchant, 


SOUTH    CAROLIXA.  283 

daughter  of  Sampson  Merchant,  of  Newberry.  He  has  always  taken 
an  active  part  in  politics,  and  is  an  ardent  democrat.  He  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  K.  of  P.,  and  was  one  of  the  organizers  of  the  Cotton  Mill 
company,  and  is  now  a  stockholder  in  that  company.  He  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Building  &  Loan  association.  Mr.  Culbreath's  success  in 
law  practice  has  been  marked,  and  his  rise  in  the  profession  such  as 
to  distinguish  him  among  his  associates. 

GEN.  YOUNG  JOHN  POPE 

is  a  native  of  Newberry,  S.  C,  and  was  born  April  lo,  1841.  He  was 
educated  at  the  Newberry  academy,  and  at  the  age  of  thirteen  years 
attended  Furman  university,  at  Greenville,  graduating  from  that  in- 
stitution in  August,  i860,  receiving  the  degree  of  A.  B.  Immediately 
after  graduation  he  began  the  study  of  law,  under  Judge  O'Neall,  but 
in  April,  1S61,  he  entered  the  Confederate  army,  enlisting  in  Com- 
pany E,  of  the  Third  South  Carolina  infantry  regiment,  in  which  he 
was  made  first  sergeant.  In  May,  1862,  he  was  promoted  to  first 
lieutenant  and  the  adjutancy  of  the  regiment.  As  adjutant  he  was  in 
the  first  Bull  Run  fight,  in  the  battles  around  Richmond,  Maryland 
Heights,  Sharpsburg,  Antietam,  Fredericksburg,  Chancellorsville, 
Gettysburg,  Chickamauga,  Wilderness,  Spottsylvania  C.  H.,  Cold 
Harbor,  Berryville,  Straussburg  and  Cedar  Creek,  at  the  last  of 
which  a  minnie  ball  entered  his  left  eye,  forever  destroying  the  sight 
of  that  orb.  Besides  this,  he  was  wounded  in  six  other  parts  of  his 
body,  twice  by  a  shell  at  Gettysburg.  During  the  last  few  months  of 
the  war.  Gen.  Pope  acted  as  assistant  adjutant-general  of  the  brigade 
commanded  by  Brig.-Gen.  James  Conner.  At  the  conclusion  of  the 
war  he  returned  to  his  home,  and  resumed  the  study  of  law.  He  was 
admitted  to  practice  in  the  law  and  equity  courts  in  1S66,  and  wassoon 
thereafter  admitted  to. practice  in  the  United  States  district  and  circuit 
courts.  He  at  once  opened  an  office  in  Newberry,  and  was  soon  enjoying 
a  lucrative  practice.  In  1865  he  was  elected  district  judge  of  New- 
berry county,  by  the  South  Carolina  legislature,  and  entered  upon 
the  duties  of  that  office  in  1866.  In  the  discharge  of  his  official  duties, 
he  never  had  an  appeal  taken  from  his  decisions.  This  is  a  very  ex- 
ceptional record,  showing  a  remarkable  degree  of  soundness  in  the 
decisions  of  the  lower  court.  He  served  until  the  radicals  legislated 
him  out  of  office,  in  1S68.  In  1874  Gen.  Pope  was  elected  mayor  of 
the  city  of  Newberry,  and  served  until  the  spring  of  1877,  when  his 
second  term  expired  and  he  declined  to  run  again,  having  seen  the 
indebtedness  of  the  city  wiped  out,  and  its  credit  fully  restored.  He 
has  always  been  a  straight-out  democrat,  continuing  his  allegiance  to 
that  party  with  unswerving  fidelity.  In  1876,  he  was  made  chairman 
of  the  county  central  committee,  and duringthe  memorable  campaign, 
no  one,  white  or  black,  was  injured  in  any  political  disturbance. _  In 
1S77,  Gen.  Pope  was  elected  a  member  of  the  South  Carolina  legisla- 
ture, from  Newberry  county,  and  served  the  long  session  of  1877-8, 
having  been  elected  to  fill  a  yacancy.     It  was  during  this  service  that 


284  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

he  first  attracted  the  genera!  attention  of  the  citizens  of  the  state,  for 
he  openly  and  successfully  vindicated  the  rights  of  the  people,  against 
certain  bonded  indebtedness,  and  by  so  doing,  he  antagonized  such 
men  as  Gen.  Hampton,  Chief-Justice  Simpson,  and  the  able  bars  of 
the  cities  of  Charleston  and  Columbia.  As  the  result  of  this  manly 
contest  for  the  rights  of  the  people,  by  this  able  representative,  he 
received  an  overwhelming  majority  of  votes  of  members  of  the  as- 
sembly, as  one  of  the  assistant  counsel  to  the  attorney-general  in  de- 
fending the  rights  of  the  state  in  the  famous  "  bond  cases,  "  argued 
first  in  1878,  before  a  special  court  of  three  special  judges,  and  then  an 
appeal  before  the  supreme  court  of  the  state.  The  decision  rendered 
by  the  latter,  saved  to  the  state  one  and  one-half  million  of  dollars. 
Gen.  Pope's  practice  was  such  as  to  necessitate  his  retirement  from 
the  legislature,  and  while  taking  an  active  interest  in  the  welfare  of 
the  state,  he  remained  out  of  politics  until  1888,  when  he  was  elected 
to  the  state  senate  from  Newberry  county.  He  served  as  senator  for 
two  j-ears,  advocating  during  that  time  the  principles  which  were  the 
basis  of  the  farmers'  movement,  which  in  1890  swept  the  state.  Prin- 
cipal among  the  things  advocated  by  him,  were,  the  establishment  of 
the  Clemsen  x'Vgricultural  &  Mechanical  college,  rigid  econom3'of  the 
expenditure  of  the  people's  money,  and  many  other  similar  reforms. 
On  June  10,  1890,  Gen.  Pope,  as  the  candidate  for  the  attorney-general, 
on  the  ticket  headed  by  Benjamin  R.  Tillman  for  governor,  began  a 
campaign  over  the  state  which  has  never  been  equaled  in  the  annals 
of  the  state,  lasting  two  months,  going  into  every  county  in  the  state 
and  arousing  an  enthusiasm,  and  it  is  to  be  regretted,  a  bitterness, 
never  before  known.  It  was  here  that  the  people  leanned  that  it  was 
not  a  safe  thing  to  assail  Gen.  Pope  in  debate,  for  while  admitting 
the  freest  criticism,  he  asserted  and  maintained  a  like  privilege  for 
himself.  His  speeches  were  free  from  personality,  but  satire  and 
delicate  humor  exposed  every  weak  point  of  his  adversaries,  whether 
on  the  stump  or  in  the  press.  It  soon  became  recognized  that  Gov. 
Tillman  and  Gen.  Pope  would  be  able  to  manage,  with  honor  to 
themselves  and  credit  to  their  party,  the  interests  of  the  reform 
movement  against  all  opposition.  On  September  10,  iSgo,  he  was  al- 
most unanimously  nominated  for  attorney-general  of  the  state,  and 
at  the  election  defeated  his  opponent.  Col.  J.  W.  Barnvill,  of  Charles- 
ton, by  over  45,000  votes.  He  entered  upon  the  duties  of  his  office 
December  4,  1890.  Gen  Pope  was  married  in  1S74,  to  Mrs.  Sallie  H. 
F.  Rutherford,  nee  Fair,  only  living  daughter  of  the  late  Col.  Fair,  of 
Newberry,  and  widow  of  Gen.  Pope's  friend.  Col.  William  D.  Ruther- 
ford,who  was  killed  in  the  Confederate  army  in  1864.  To  this  union  were 
born  two  daughters,  Mary  Butler  Pope,  and  Harriet  Neville  Pope. 
Gen.  Pope's  father's  name  was  Thomas  H.  Pope,  who  was  born  in 
Edgefield  district,  now  county,  in  1803.  He  was  a  lawyer,  and  was 
married  in  1829,  to  Harriet  Neville  Harrington,  daughter  of  Young 
John  Harrington,  for  forty  years  clerk  of  the  Newberry  district.  He 
had  seven  children,  six  sons  and  one  daughter,  and  Gen.  Pope  was 
third  in  the  order  of  birth.     He  died   February  4,  1851,  the   mother 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  285 

December  22,  i860.  Gen.  Pope's  father  was  a  gifted  lawyer,  and  his 
mother  was  a  bri^jht  woman,  intellectually  and  otherwise.  She 
brought  up  her  family  carefully  and  religiously.  Gen.  Pope  was 
given  the  rank  of  brigadier-general  of  infantry  by  Gov.  Hamp- 
ton, in  1877.  In  1S80  he  was  again  elected  mayor  of  Newberry, 
and  served  three  terms,  declining  another  election.  Me  organized 
a  fire  department,  and  set  on  foot  other  improvements.  He  was 
one  of  the  organizers  qf  the  National  bank  of  South  Carolina,  at 
Newberry,  and  was  many  years  a  director  thereof.  He  has  also  been 
identified  in  all  attempts  to  improve  the  agricultural  interests  of  the 
county,  and  is  a  member  of  the  Newberry  county  agricultural  society. 
Although  a  Baptist,  he  was  in  1877  elected  one  of  the  trustees  of  the 
Newberry  college,  which  is  under  the  patronage  of  the  Lutherans, 
and  is  still  holding  that  position.  He  has  held  the  vice-presidencj' of 
the  board  of  trustees  of  the  college,  since  1882,  up  to  the  present.  As 
a  lawyer  he  has  a  large  and  lucrative  practice,  and  has  been  engaged 
in  many  important  cases  before  the  supreme  court  and  inferior  courts, 
and  has  been  eminently  successful  before  juries.  His  professional 
brethren  have  always  received  from  him  the  greatest  kindness  and 
courtesy,  which  has  been  heartily  reciprocated  by  them. 

GEORGE  S.  MOWER 

is  one  of  the  leading  attorneys  of  Newberry,  and  has  a  large  practice 
in  the  city  and  county.  He  was  born  in  Lewlston,  Me.,  April  20,  1853. 
His  parents,  Duane  and  Cynthia  (Allen)  Mower,  were  both  natives  of 
Maine.  Duane  was  the  son  of  Aaron  Mower,  also  a  native  of  that 
state.  Duane  Mower  was  born  in  1821,  and  received  his  education  in 
the  common  schools  of  the  state.  After  completing  his  education  he 
turned  his  attention  to  mercantile  pursuits,  and  followed  this  occupa- 
tion in  the  north  until  about  the  year  1853.  He  then  went  south  and 
located  at  Prosperity,  in  this  county,  and  engaged  in  general  mer- 
chandising until  1S67,  in  which  year  he  removed  to  Newberry,  at 
■which  place  he  continued  in  the  same  business  until  his  death,  July  2, 
1872.  He  was  married  to  Miss  Cynthia  Allen,  and  to  this  union  were 
born  several  children,  but  George  S.  Mower  is  the  only  one  living. 
The  widow  is  still  living  and  conducts  the  business.  George  S.  Mower 
was  instructed  In  the  common  schools  of  Prosperity,  in  which  he  was 
largely  assisted  by  his  mother.  He  took  a  short  course  at  Newberry 
college,  but  afterward  in  1869,  he  entered  Bowdoin  college  from 
which  he  graduated  in  1S73,  with  honor.  He  began  the  study  of  law 
in  the  year  following,  in  the  office  of  Jones  &  Jones,  and  remained  with 
them  abouttwo  years.  He  was  admitted  to  thebar  in  1875,  and  practiced 
in  connection  with  Jones  &  Jones,  the  firm  being  known  as  Jones,  Jones 
&  Mower.  On  the  death  of  Mr.  Jones,  Jr.,  the  name  of  the  firm  was 
changed  to  Jones  &  Mower,  and  continued  about  one  year,  when  Mr. 
Mower  withdrew  and  began  practice  by  himself,  in  which  he  has  con- 
tinued alone  ever  since.  He  was  married  in  June,  1876,  to  Miss  Fan- 
nie D.  Jones,  daughter  of  his  late  partner.     To  this  union   two  sons 


286  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

and  two  daughters  have  been  born,  all  of  whom  are  living.  Besides 
his  law  practice  he  has  interested  himself  in  other  enterprises,  being  a 
director  of  the  cotton  mills,  and  has  acted  as  secretary  of  the  horti- 
cultural society  ever  since  its  organization.  He  has  always  taken  an 
interest  in  the  public  schools,  and  was  a  member  of  the  board  of  ex- 
aminers for  some  years.  In  politics  he  takes  a  lively  interest,  and  in 
1874,  was  a  nominee  of  the  conservative  party  for  member  of  the 
house  of  representatives.  He  was  elected  to  the  state  legislature  by 
the  democratic  party  in  1888,  and  filled  that  office  with  honor  to  him- 
self and  to  the  benefit  of  his  constituency.  He  has  also  served  in  the 
city  common  council  and  other  offices;  has  also  acted  as  delegate  to 
various  county  and  state  conventions.  As  a  lawyer  he  has  always 
been  successful,  and  has  now  a  large  and  growing  practice.  He  has 
recently  been  most  fortunate  in  a  number  of  local  cases.  A  well-read 
lawyer  and  an  able  advocate,  his  duties  have  mostly  been  in  civil 
causes.  He  is  often  called  on  as  associate  counsel,  and  was  largely 
engaged  in  official  bond  cases.  For  two  years  he  was  chairman  of  the 
county  board  of  equalization,  and  is  now  a  member  of  the  state 
board  of  equalization.  He  is  a  member  of  the  K.  of  H.,  and 
is  now  P.  D.  He  is  a  director  of  the  Newberry  college,  and  treasurer 
and  ex-officio  member  of  the  board  of  trustees  of  the  Erskine  college. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  U.  P.  church,  a  trustee  of  the  graded  schools 
of  Newberry,  and  a  member  of  the  state  bar  association. 

GEN.  R.  R.  HEMPHILL. 

General  R.  R.  Hemphill  was  born  in  Abbeville,  May  3,  1840.  He 
enlistedJuneS,  i86i,at  RichmondintheSeventh  South  Carolina  volun- 
teers as  a  private,  but  acted  as  orderly  for  Gen.  M.  L.  Bonham,  deceased, 
atthefirst  battle  of  Manassas.  June  25,  i862,he  was  transferred  to  Orr's 
Rifles,  and  was  made  sergeant-major  in  1864.  In  that  rank  he  served 
until  the  end  of  the  war,  and  was  in  most  of  the  battles  in  V'irginia, 
the  principal  ones  being  Chancellorsville,  Fredericksburg,  Second 
Manassas,  Gettysburg,  the  Wilderness,  Spottsylvania  and  others.  At 
the  battles  of  Chancellorsville,  Gettysburg  and  Petersburg  he  was 
wounded,  and  at  Falling  Waters  was  made  a  prisoner  and  held  in  the 
jail  at  Baltimore  for  six  weeks.  This  was  after  the  battle  of  Gettys- 
burg. Mr.  Hemphill  was  married  in  1876,  to  Miss  Eugenia  Brenton, 
and  to  them  w^ere  born  nine  children,  six  daughters  and  three  sons. 
Mr.  Hemphill's  father  was  William  R.  Hemphill,  a  doctor  of  divinity, 
born  in  Chester,  S.  C,  in  1805.  He  was  a  minister  of  the  Associate 
Reformed  Presbyterian  church.  He  was  a  professor  in  Erskine  col- 
lege for  a  number  of  years,  and  was  married  about  the  year  1837,  to 
Hannah  S.  Lind.  They  had  six  children  of  whom  three  now  survive, 
namely:  Rev.  John  L.  Hemphill,  James  C.  Hemphill,  editor  of  the 
Charleston  N'etvs  <£■  Courier,  and  Senator  Robert  R.  Hemphill,  who 
was  appointed  brigadier-general  by  Gov.  Wade  Hampton,  in  1877. 
The  father  of  Mr.  Hemphill  died  in  1876,  but  his  mother  at  the  pres- 
ent writing  is  still  living.     She  was  born  in  Greencastle,  Penn.,  and  was 


■  SOUTH    CAROLINA.  2S7 

educated  in  New  York.  The  jrrandfathcr  of  Mr.  Hemphill  was 
named  John  Hemphill,  born  in  county  Derry,  Ireland,  and  came  to 
South  Carolina  at  the  age  of  twenty  years,  settling  in  Chester-county. 
He  was  self-educated  and  became  a  doctor  of  divinity.  He  died  at 
the  age  of  seventy-one  years.  The  uncle  of  Senator  Hemphill,  John 
Hemphill,  was  for  fifteen  years  chief-justice  of  the  supreme  court  of 
Texas,  was  afterward  a  United  States  senator  from  that  state,  and 
was  also  senator  of  the  Confederate  States  from  Texas.  He  was 
adjutant-general  in  the  war  for  the  independence  of  Texas. 

JUDGE  THOMAS  BOONE  ERASER 

was  born  in  Sumter  district,  now  Sumter  county,  S.  C,  in  the  neigh- 
borhood of  what  is  now  known  as  Mechanicsville,  October  27,  1825. 
His  early  education  was  acquired  at  Mechanicsville,  and  in  October, 
1842,  he  entered  the  South  Carolina  college  at  Columbia,  graduating 
from  that  institution  in  1845,  ^^'ith  the  second  honor.  On  leaving  col- 
lege, he  read  law  with  Chancellor  Caldwell  in  Columbia,  and  was  ad- 
mitted to  the  bar  in  May,  1847,  to  practice  in  the  law  court,  and  in 
1S4S,  in  the  equity  court.  He  then,  in  1847,  returned  to  Sumter  and 
opened  a  law  office  at  that  place,  where  he  has  remained  and  prac- 
ticed his  profession  ever  since.  Mr.  Fraser  was  elected  to  the  lower 
house  of  the  South  Carolina  legislature  from  Sumter  county,  in  1858. 
He  was  again  elected  in  i860,  in  1862  and  in  1864.  He  enlisted  in 
Col.  Kershaw's  regiment  in  April,  1861,  and  was  given  a  place  on  the 
colonel's  staff.  When  Col.  Kershaw  went  to  Virginia  with  a  portion 
of  the  regiment,  in  April,  1861,  Mr.  Fraser  remained  with  that  part  of 
the  regiment  left  behind.  In  July  of  the  same  year,  Mr.  Fraser  was 
given  a  place  on  Col.  Blanding's  staff,  and  accompanied  the  command 
to  Virginia.  He  remained  with  Col.  Blanding's  regiment  until  it  was 
broken  up,  under  the  conscription  act,  in  the  spring  of  1862.  Then 
he  returned  home  to  Sumter  and  served  two  short  terms  in  1862-3 
and  1864  on  the  staff  of  Col.  J.  H.  Witherspoon,  at  Georgetown,  S.C. 
He  then  again  returned  to  his  home  in  Sumter.  On  leaving  the  army 
he  held  the  rank  of  captain.  In  1868  he  was  appointed  chairman  of 
the  county  democratic  committee  for  Sumter  county,  holding  that 
position  continuously  until  1878,  when  he  was  elected  judge  of  the 
Third  judicial  circuit,  comprising  the  counties  of  Sumter,  Clarendon, 
Williamsburg  and  Georgetown,  to  which  the  county  of  Florence  was 
added  in  1888.  He  is  now,  iSgo,  serving  his  fourth  term.  In  1876  he 
was  chosen  a  member  of  the  democratic  state  executive  committee, 
of  which  Gen.  James  Conner  was  chairman,  and  which  issued  the 
call  of  the  state  convention  at  which  Gen.  Hampton  was  nomin- 
ated for  governor.  This  convention  originated  the  movement  by 
which  white  supremacy  was  restored  in  South  Carolina.  Judge 
Fraser  acted  on  the  committee  of  which  Col.  John  C.  Haskell  was 
chairman,  which  conducted  the  memorable  campaign  of  1876.  In 
the  fall  of  1877,  Judge  Fraser  was  elected  to  fill  an  unexpired 
term  of  a  negro  state  senator  who    had    resigned   his    seat    in    the 


288  ~  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

senate,  and  was  re-elected  in  187S,  soon  after  which  he  was  elected 
judge  of  the  Third  judicial  circuit,  resigning  his  seat  in  the  senate. 
For  neither  of  these  positions  did  Judge  Fraser  have  any  opposi- 
tion. He  was  a  delegate  to  the  convention  which  met  in  Balti- 
more in  1872,  and  nominated  Horace  Greeley  of  New  York,  for  the 
presidency.  Judge  Fraser  was  married  in  1852,  to  Sarah  Margaret 
Mclver,  daughter  of  Abel  Mclver,  of  Darlington,  S.  C.  Four  chil- 
dren were  born  of  this  marriage,  three  of  whom  still  survive,  as 
follows:  Rev.  A.  M.  Fraser,  of  Lexington,  Ky.;  T.  B.  Fraser,  Jr., 
of  Sumter,  and  Sarah  M.,  wife  of  Arthur  .S.  Mclver,  of  Darling- 
ton. The  first  wife  of  Judge  Fraser  died  in  1863,  and  he  was 
again  married  in  1869,  his  second  wife  being  Elizabeth  W'ither- 
spoon,  11CC  James,  widow  of  John  A.  Witherspoon,  and  daughter  of 
William  E.  James,  of  Darlington.  Of  this  marriage  two  children 
were  born,  one  only  surviving,  named  Mary  James  Fraser.  The 
second  Mrs.  Fraser  died  in  July,  18S2.  Mr.  Witherspoon,  her  first 
husband,  was  a  candidate  for  the  ministry,  but  enlisted  in  the  army 
and  died  of  wounds  received  at  Second  Manassas.  Judge  Fraser 
was  the  son  of  Ladson  L.  Fraser,  born  in  Sumter  county,  in  1804. 
He  was  a  planter  all  his  lifetime,  his  death  occurring  in  1889.  He 
was  married  in  1824,  to  Hannah  A.  Boone,  of  Georgetown,  S.  C. 
Ten  children  were  born  to  this  union,  of  whom  eight  are  now  liv- 
ing. Judge  Fraser  being  the  eldest  born.  The  mother  died  in  1883. 
The  father  was  a  captain  of  a  volunteer  artillery  company,  organ- 
ized many  years  before  the  war.  Judge  Eraser's  grandfather  was 
John  Baxter  Fraser,  and  he  was  born  in  Georgetown,  S.  C.,  in 
March,  1767.  He  was  a  planter  by  occupation,  and  died  in  Sumter 
county,  May  25,  1820.  He  was  the  son  of  John  Fraser,  an  emi- 
grant from  Scotland  by  way  of  Ireland,  after  the  disastrous  bat- 
tle of  Culloden,  in  1745.  One  of  the  sisters  of  Judge  Fraser  is 
Mrs.  Laura  A.  Browne,  senior  principal  of  the  Sumter  institute, 
at  Sumter,  S.C.  He  is  an  exemplary  member  of  the  Presbyterian 
church,  and  has  filled  many  important  and  responsible  public  posi- 
tions, in  all  of  which  he  has  proved  himself  abundantly  worth}'  of 
the  high  trusts  reposed  in  him. 

EDWIN  W.  MOISE 

was  born  in  Charleston,  S.  C,  May  31,  1832,  and  attended  in  early 
life,  the  school  taught  by  John  S.  Cripps,  who  was  afterward 
consul  to  Mexico.  At  the  age  of  fifteen  the  subject  of  this  sketch 
was  obliged  to  leave  school,  to  do  something  for  himself,  owing  to 
his  father's  lack  of  means  with  which  to  continue  his  education. 
He  engaged  in  a  wholesale  grocery  for  a  while  in  Charleston,  and 
then  went  into  the  registry  office,  where  he  remained  about  two 
years,  studying  law.  He  then,  in  1856,  removed  to  Columbus,  Ga., 
opening  a  law  office  at  that  place.  In  July,  1861,  he  organized  a  com- 
pany of  120  men,  fifty  of  whom  he  mounted  at  his  own  expense,  cost- 
ing him  $10,000,  all  of  his  little   fortune.     The  company  was  named 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  2Sq 

after   him,  and  afterward  became  Company  A,  of  the  Seventh  Con- 
federate cavahy,  Col.  \V.  C.  Claiborne  commanding,  of  which   com- 
panj'  Mr.  Moise  was  made  captain.     In  1S63,  he  was  made  major  of 
the  Seventh  regiment,  and  near  the  close  of  the  war  took  the  com- 
mand of  the  regiment,  though  he  never  received  his  commission  as 
colonel.       He   was   in  the  army  of   northern   Virginia,   under    Gen. 
Robert    E.  Lee,  and  participated   in   the  battles  of  Yellow  Tavern, 
Brandy  Station,  Gettysburg,  Five  Forks,  Averysboro,  in  the  trenches 
at  Petersburg,  in  the  battle  of  the  Mine,  there,  in  the  attack  on   But- 
ler's tower,  when  he  had  three  horses  shot  under  him  and  was  given 
three  more  by  Gen.  James  Dearing,  and  at  Bentonville.     With  200 
men  he  built  the  dams  in  Hetch's  Run,  in   Virginia,  near   Petersburg, 
to  protect  Lee's  left  flank  against  Grant.     He  was  also  in  the  fight  at 
the  Davis  House.     At  Gettysburg  he  received  a  slight  wound.     He 
was  on  the  Hampton  cattle  raid,  capturing  2,700  head  of  beeves  from 
Grant  in  Virginia,  and  in  the  attack  at  Kilpatrick's  camp   which   was 
captured.     One  of  the  most  dangerous  performances  in  which  Maj. 
Moise  was  engaged,  was  the  burning  of  the  bridge  at  Smithfield, 
N.  C,  in    1865,  in  the  retreat  of   Gens.  Hampton  and  Butler,  from 
Bentonville  to   Raleigh,  at  which  last  place  the  last  fight   of  those 
troops,  during  the  war,  occurred.     Mr.  Moise  was  detailed  witlr  his 
regiment,  the  Tenth  Georgia,  of  Gen.   Butler's  division,  and  Gen. 
Hampton's  corps,  to  burn  the  bridge  and  cover  the  retreat  of  the 
troops.     He  fired   it  and  escaped  amid  a  thick  rain  of  bullets,  aimed' 
at  him  and  his  command  by  the  Federal  troops,  who  were   following 
them  in  hot  pursuit.     At  the  battle  of  Bentonville,  on  the  third  day, 
the  extreme  left  of  the  Confederate  line  was  attacked  by  a  solid  col- 
umn of  Federal  infantry,  which  was  met  only  by  a  thin   line  of  dis- 
mounted   Confederate     cavalry.       This    line    was    instantly    swept 
away,  which  would  have  resulted  in  the  capture  of  Bentonville  and  the 
inevitable  loss  of  Gen.  Joseph  E.Johnston's  army,  but  at  that  critical 
moment  Gen.  Hampton  rode  up  with  his  couriers,  twenty-five  or  thirty 
in  number,  and  immediately  dispatched  one  to  Gen.  Hardee,  inform- 
ing him  of  the  situation.     Hampton  at  once  dismounted  with  his  staff 
and  manned  a  battery  of  artillery,  which  was  used  with  such  effect 
upon  the  advancing  Federal  line  as  to  check  it,  till  Hardee's  troops 
came  up  and  drove  back  the  advancing  force.     In  this  intricate  and 
dangerous  manceuver  Maj.  Moise  bore  a  conspicuous  part.     After 
the  war  was  over  he  returned  to  Sumter,  where  he  commenced  the 
practice  of  law  in  the  provost  court,  in  which  he  was  very  successful. 
When  he  emerged  from  the  war  he  had  only  one  wounded  horse, 
which   he  sold  to  pay  the  first  month's  board  of  his  family,  in  1865. 
Up  to  1876  he  practiced  law,  and  in  that  year  he  was  elected  adjutant, 
and  inspector-general,  upon  a  ticket  headed  by  Gen.  Hampton.     He 
was  re-elected  in  1878,  and  served  until   1880,  when  he  declined  any 
longer  to  be  a  candidate.     In  1888,  he  was  a  candidate  for  congress, 
but  was  defeated  by  only  three  votes,  William   Elliott,  of   Beaufort, 
being  his  opponent.     Maj.  Moise  was  presidential  elector  in  1880,  and 
has  served  many  times  as  delegate  to  state  conventions.     He  was 

A — 19 


290  SOUTH   CAROLINA. 

never  a  secessionist,  but  was  a  Douglass  democrat.  He  was  a  dele- 
gate to  the  reconstruction  convention  which  met  in  Columbia,  S.  C, 
in  1S65.  Previous  to  the  breaking  out  of  the  war,  he  took  the  stump 
in  Georgia  in  opposition  to  the  secession  movement.  Maj.  Moise  was 
married  in  1S54,  to  Esther  Lyon,  daughter  of  George  Lyon,  of 
Petersburg,  Ya..,  and  to  them  were  born  twelve  children,  eleven  of 
wdiom  are  still  living.  Their  names  are  as  follows:  Maj.  Marion 
Moise;  Rebecca,  wife  of  A.  G.  Davis,  of  San  Francisco,  Gal.;  Caroline, 
wife  of  A.  D.  Cohen,  of  Charleston,  S.  C;  Georgia,  wife  of  A.  M. 
Davis,  of  San  Francisco,  Cal.;  Agnes,  widow  of  William  Bogan,  of 
Sumter;  Penina,  Jessie,  Charles,  Edwin,  Albert  and  Clifton.  Maj.  Edwin 
W.  Moise  was  the  son  of  Abraham  Moise,  who  was  born  on  the  Island  of 
Hayti,  in  1800,  and  came  with  his  parents  to  Charleston  in  1812,  when 
he  studied  law  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1824.  He  practiced 
law  in  Charleston  with  R.  W.  Shand  until  the  latter  entered  the  min- 
istry. Abraham  Moise  died  in  Sumter  in  1870.  He  was  married  in 
1826,  to  Caroline  A.  Moses,  daughter  of  Isaac  C.  Moses,  a  low  country 
rice  planter,  and  to  them  were  born  three  children:  Caroline  A. 
(deceased),  wife  of  H.  H.  De  Leon,  of  Charleston;  Charles  and  Ed- 
win W.  The  mother  of  this  family  died  in  Charleston  in  1880.  The 
name  of  the  father  of  Abraham  Moise,  grandfather  of  Edwin  \V., 
was  Moise  Moise,  a  native  of  San  Domingo,  who  did  gallant  service 
for  the  British  government. 

JOHN  GAILLARD. 

John  Gaillard,  a  United  States  senator  from  South  Carolina,  was 
born  September  5,  1765,  in  St.  Stephen's  district,  S._C.  His  ancestors 
came  to  South  Carolina  with  the  Huguenot  exiles  in  the  seventeenth 
century.  In  January,  1S06,  he  was  elected  to  the  United  States  sen- 
ate to  succeed  Hon.  Pierce  Butler,  whose  resignation  of  that  office 
had  been  tendered  to  the  legislature  of  his  state.  He  served  in  that 
office  nearly  thirty  years  and  until  his  death.  During  this  long  ten- 
ure of  the  senatorship,  he  was  twice  called  to  act  as  president  pro 
tc7uporc  of  the  senate,  once  after  the  death  of  Vice-President  De  Witt 
Clinton,  and  again  after  the  death  of  Vice-President  Elbridge  Gerry. 
He  was  thus  practically  the  president  of  the  senate  for  over  a  dozen 
years.  He  was  one  of  the  advocates  of  the  last  war  with  Great 
Britain,  and  voted  in  favor  of  opening  hostilities  in  1812.  His  long 
senatorial  experience  made  his  opinions  almost  oracular,  and  he  was 
peculiarly  qualified,  both  by  natural  adaptation  and  experience,  to 
preside  over  a  deliberative  body.  It  is  probable  that  the  senate 
never  had  a  presiding  officer  who  gave  more  general  satisfaction,  or 
whose  rulings  were  more  strictly  in  accord  with  good  parliamentary 
precedents.  Senator  Thomas  H.  Benton,  long  a  contemporary  in  the 
senate  with  Mr.  Gaillard,  in  his  Thirty  Years'  View,  devotes  a  chap- 
ter of  that  historic  work  to  a  notice  of  the  death  of  his  fellow  sena- 
tor, in  which  he  says  of  him  as  a  presiding  officer,  over  the  senate :_ 

"  He  scem.ed  born  for  that  station.     Urbane  in  his  manner,  amia- 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  29 1 

ble  in  his  temper,  scrupulously  impartial,  attentive  to  his  duties,  ex- 
emplary patience,  perfect  knowledge  of  the  rules,  quick  and  clear 
discernment,  uniting  absolute  firmness  of  purpose  with  the  greatest 
gentleness  of  manner,  setting  young  senators  right  with  a  delicacy 
and  amenity  which  spared  the  confusion  of  a  mistake  —  preserving 
order,  not  by  authority  of  rules,  but  by  the  graces  of  deportment; 
such  were  the  qualifications  which  commended  him  to  the  presidency 
of  the  senate,  and  which  facilitated  the  transaction  of  business  while 
preserving  the  decorum  of  the  body.  There  was  probably  not  an 
instance  of  disorder,  or  a  disagreeable  scene  in  the  chamber  during 
his  long-continued  presidency.  He  classed  democratically  in  politics, 
but  was  as  much  a  favorite  of  one  side  of  the  house  as  of  the  other, 
and  that  in  the  high  party  times  of  the  war  with  Great  Britain,  which 
so  much  exasperated  party  spirit." 

Senator  Gaillard  died  while  in  the  midst  of  his  official  duties,  at 
the  post  where  he  had  been  of  such  service  to  his  country  and  where 
he  had  done  himself  so  great  a  measure  of  honor  and  credit.  His 
death  occurred  on  the  26th  of  February,  1S26,  in  the  sixty-second 
year  of  his  age. 

JOHN  D.  KENNEDY. 

General  John  D.  Kennedy  was  born  in  Camden,  S.  C.,  January  5, 
1S40,  the  son  of  Anthony  M.  Kennedy  and  Sarah  (Doby)  Kennedy. 
His  mother  was  the  granddaughter  of  Abraham  Belton,  a  pioneer  set- 
tler of  Camden,  and  a  patriot  soldier  in  the  Revolution.  His  father 
was  born  in  Scotland,  having  emigrated  to  the  United  States  about 
the  year  I S30,  at  which  time  he  settled  in  Kershaw  county,  S.  C,  where 
he  married.  He  has  been  engaged  in  planting  and  merchandising  for 
many  years.  Two  sons  and  two  daughtefs  are  the  issue  of  this  mar- 
riage. Gen.  Kennedy  obtained  his  early  scholastic  training  in  the 
Camden  schools,  and  in  1S55,  at  the  age  of  fifteen,  entered  the  South 
Carolina  college  at  Columbia.  He  entered  the  law  office  of  Major 
W.  Z.  Leitner  soon  after,  and  was  admitted  to  practice  in  January, 
1861,  and  in  April  of  that  year  joined  the  Confederate  army  as  cap- 
tain of  Company  E,  Second  South  Carolina  regiment,  under  the 
command  of  Col.  J.  B.  Kershaw.  In  1S62  he  was  made  colonel  of  the 
Second  South  Carolina,  and  in  1864  was  promoted  to  the  rank  of 
brigadier-general,  and  held  that  position  at  the  close  of  the  war, 
having  surrendered  at  Greensborough  with  Gen.  Johnston  in  1S65. 
Gen.  Kennedy  was  six  times  wounded,  and  fifteen  times  was  hit  by 
spent  balls.  At  the  close  of  the  war  he  resumed  his  profession  at 
Camden,  but  abandoned  it  soon  after  and  turned  his  attention  to 
planting.  In  1S77  he  once  more  returned  to  the  bar,  and  has  since 
been  actively  and  prominently  engaged  in  his  practice.  In  1S76  he 
was  a  member  of  the  state  executive  committee,  and  was  its  chairman 
in  1878.  In  December,  1865,  he  was  elected  to  congress,  defeating 
Col.  C.  W.  Dudley,  but  did  not  take  his  seat,  as  he  refused  to  take 
the  "  iron  clad  oath."     In   1878-Q  he  represented  his  county  in  the 


292  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

legislature,  and  was  chairman  of  the  committee  on  privilege  of  elec- 
tion. He  was  elected  lieutenant-governor  of  the  state  in  1880,  and 
in  1S82  was  a  prominent  candidate  for  governor,  but  Col.  Hugh 
Thompson  received  the  nomination  over  Gen.  Bratton  and  himself. 
He  was  elected  grand  master  of  the  grand  lodge  A.  F.  M.  of  South 
Carolina  in  1881,  and  served  two  terms.  As  a  member  of  the  national 
democratic  convention  in  1876,  he  cast  his  vote  for  Tilden  and 
Hendricks,  and  in  1884  was  presidential  elector  at  large  on  the  demo- 
cratic ticket.  President  Cleveland  sent  him  as  consul-general  to 
Shanghai,  China,  in  1886.  In  1890  he  was  chairman  of  the  state  ad- 
visory committee  of  the  "straight-out"  democratic  party.  In  early 
life  he  was  married  to  Miss  Elizabeth  Cunningham,  who  died  in  1876. 
In  1882  Miss  Harriet  A.  Boykin  became  his  wife. 

CAPTAIN  C.  L.  HOLLINGSWORTH. 

Captain  Columbus  Lafayette  Hollingsworth,  a  prominent  citizen 
of  Pickens,  S.  C,  was  born  on  a  farm  about  ten  miles  south  of  that 
place,  November  14,  1836.  He  is  of  English  descent,  of  the  Quaker 
persuasion.  His  father  was  James  I.  Hollingsworth,  a  native  of  Union 
countj',  S.  C,  and  a  farmer  by  occupation.  His  mother's  maiden 
name  was  Cynthia  Clayton,  a  native  of  Pickens  county  and  a  daugh- 
ter of  Stephen  Clayton,  a  farmer  and  son  of  William  Clayton,  a  Vir- 
ginian, who  came  to  South  Carolina  in  the  latter  part  of  the  last 
century.  She  died  in  1889  at  the  age  of  seventy-six.  Capt.  Hollings- 
worth's  father  served  both  as  major  and  lieutenant-colonel  in  the 
South  Carolina  militia.  He  died  in  1879.  He  was  the  son  of  Enoch 
Hollingsworth,  who  came  to  South  Carolina  from  Virginia.  The 
founder  of  the  American  branch  of  the  family  was  Valentine  Hol- 
lingsworth, who  came  to  this  country  with  William  Penn,  on  the  ship 
Welcome,  in  1682.  Valentine  Hollingsworth  had  three  sons,  one  of 
whoni  was  Samuel  Hollingsworth.  A  son  of  Samuel,  whose  chris- 
tian name  was  Enoch,  was  the  father  of  Capt.  Hollingsworth's  grand- 
father, whose  christian  name,  as  has  been  before  stated,  was  also 
Enoch.  Capt.  Hollingsworth,  the  present  representative  of  the  fam- 
ily, was  reared  on  a  farm  in  Pickens  county,  and  received  an  academic 
education,  his  last  teacher  being  the  Rev.  J.  L.  Kennedy.  At  the 
age  of  twenty  he  took  up  the  vocation  of  a  teacher,  which  he  followed 
for  about  seven  years.  In  the  latter  part  of  1S64  he  entered  the  Con- 
federate army,  enlisting  with  Company  I,  of  the  Fifth  regiment  of  the 
South  Carolina  reserves,  of  which  company  he  held  the  command 
from  the  time  of  his  enlistment  imtil  the  close  of  the  war.  After 
that  period  he  began  the  study  of  law  under  Judge  J.J.  Norton, 
of  Walhalla.  Upon  being  admitted  to  the  bar  he  entered  upon  the 
practice  of  his  profession  at  Pickens,  where  he  has  ever  since  con- 
tinued to  practice.  Aside  from  his  law  practice  he  has  given  much 
attention  to  farming  and  trading,  and  in  the  pursuit  of  these  several 
callings  he  has  accumulated  a  large  estate.  He  is  a  stockholder  and 
and    director  of    the  Easley   banking   company.     In  politics  he  is  a 


SOUTH   CAROLINA.  293 

democrat.  He  is  an  eklctr  in  the  Presbyterian  church,  and  a  member 
of  the  Masonic  fraternity.  Capt.  HoHinfrsworth  was  married  in  1859, 
to  Miss  Melinda  A.  McWhorter,  of  Pickens  county.  They  have  five 
children  Hving,  four  of  whom  are  daughters. 

HON.  JULIUS  E.  BOGGS. 

Hon.  JuHus  K.  Boggs,  a  prominent  young  attorney  of  Pickens, 
S.  C,  was  born  February  14,  1S54,  in  Pickens  county,  the  son  of 
George  W.  B.  Boggs,  a  native  also  of  I^ickens  county  and  by  occupa- 
tion a  farmer.  The  father  served  as  lieutenant  in  the  Hampton 
Legion  and  was  killed  during  the  retreat  from  Yorktown  to  Williams- 
burg, Va.,  May  14th,  1862.  He  was  the  son  of  William  Boggs,  also  a 
native  of  Pickens  county  and  a  farmer  by  occupation.  He  was  the 
son  of  Joseph  Boggs,  a  native  of  Ireland,  who  came  to  America  in 
the  latter  part  of  the  eighteenth  century  and  located  in  South  Caro- 
lina. Eliza  K.  McWhorter  was  the  maiden  name  of  the  mother  of 
Julius  E.  Boggs.  She  was  also  a  native  of  Pickens  county,  and  the 
daughter  of  Rev.  John  McWhorter,  a  Baptist  clergyman  and  a 
farmer.  He  was  the  son  of  John  McWhorter,  a  native  of  Ireland, 
who  came  to  America  toward  the  close  of  the  last  century  and  settled 
in  South  Carolina.  The  mother  of  Mr.  Boggs,  the  subject  of  this 
sketch,  died  March  3,  1SS6.  Julius  E.  Boggs  was  reared  on  a  farm  in 
Pickens  county.  His  early  education  was  acquired  under  the  tuition 
of  Miss  M.  A.Clayton,  and  he  was  for  one  year  a  student  of  Rev.  J.  L. 
Kennedy,  a  noted  educator,  and  for  one  year  at  the  Pickens  academy. 
During  the  latter  years  of  his  youth  he  gave  some  attention  to  mer- 
cantile pursuits,  and  between  the  ages  of  eighteen  and  twenty-six  he 
taught  school  from  two  to  ten  months  each  year.  For  two  years  he 
taught  an  academy  at  Liberty,  S.  C,  and  for  one  year  a  similar  insti- 
tution at  Pickens.  At  the  age  of  twenty-two  he  began  the  study  of 
law  under  Capt.  C.  L.  Hollingsworth,  of  Pickens,  and  on  January  16, 
18S0,  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar.  In  January,  1881,  he  entered  upon 
the  practice  of  his  profession  at  Pickens.  In  December,  1881,  he  re- 
moved to  Marshall,  Tex.,  and  was  admitted  to  practice  in  the  courts 
of  that  state.  Two  months  later,  February,  1882,  he  returned  to 
Pickens,  where  he  has  since  been  in  the  active  practice  of  his  pro- 
fession. He  has  already  reached  a  high  rank  at  the  bar  and  is  re- 
garded as  one  of  the  most  promising  young  attorneys  in  the  state. 
In  politics  he  is  a  democrat,  and  in  1882  was  elected  to  the  state  legis- 
lature, in  which  body  he  was  next  to  the  youngest  member.  He  was 
re-elected  in  1S84  and  served  another  term  of  two  years.  Mr.  Boggs 
is  an  elder  in  the  Presbyterian  church  and  a  member  of  the  Masonic 
lodge.  He  is  the  present  master  of  Keowee  lodge,  F.&  A.  M.,  No.  79, 
and  has  once  represented  that  lodge  in  the  grand  lodge  of  South 
Carolina.  He  holds  a  membership  in  the  .State  Bar  association.  De- 
cember 24th,  1SS2,  he  was  married  to  Miss  Minnie  Lee  Bruce,  of 
Pickens.  They  have  four  children,  three  of  whom  are  sons.  Mr. 
Boggs  is  a  stockholder  in  the  Easley   Banking  company,  of  Easley, 


294  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

S.  C,  and  also  a  director.  He  is  a  stockholder  in  the  Easley  Oil  Mill 
and  Fertilizer  companj^  In  iSS6  he  purchased  The  Pickens  Sentinel, 
which  he  has  owned  and  edited  ever  since. 

HON.   WILLIAM   J.  MONTGOMERY, 

one  of  South  Carolina's  most  distinguished  lawyers,  and  also  presi- 
dent of  the  Merchants'  and  Farmers'  Savings  bank,  of  Marion,  was 
born  near  the  city  of  Marion,  S.  C,  on  the  20th  of  May,  1851,  his 
parents  being  Calvin  C.  and  Desda  (Anderson)  Montgomery.  The 
father  was  born  in  Montgomery  county,  N.  C,  and  the  mother  was  a 
native  of  South  Carolina.  Calvin  C.  Montgomery  was  a  son  of 
Kelley  Montgomer}',  who  was  descended  from  two  brothers  who 
emigrated  from  Scotland  and  became  the  founders  of  the  family  in 
the  states  of  North  Carolina  and  Virginia.  About  the  year  1846  he 
removed  to  South  Carolina,  and  took  up  his  residence  in  Marion 
count3^  where  he  continued  in  his  life  occupation  as  a  planter.  He 
was  married  in  his  new  home,  and  became  the  father  of  two  sons. 
His  demise  occurred  in  1858.  One  of  these  sons,  William  J.,  received 
his  early  education  in  the  schools  of  his  native  county,  and  was  grad- 
uated from  the  Wofford  college  at  Spartanburg  with  the  class  of  1875. 
He  then  began  the  study  of  law  in  Marion  county  under  the  tutelage 
'of  Messrs.  Warley  &  McKerrall.  He  remained  with  this  firm  for 
some  time  and  assisted  Mr.  McKerrall  in  the  editorial  management  of 
the  Marion  Star.  In  1877  ^^^  ^^^s  licensed  to  practice  law,  and  entered 
upon  his  professional  career  as  a  partner  of  Gen.  W.  W.  Harlej'. 
After  two  years  the  firm  was  dissolved,  and  Mr.  Montgomery  has 
since  practiced  alone.  In  addition  to  his  extended  law  business,  he 
has  been  interested  in  many  of  the  leading  industrial  enterprises  of 
Marion  county,  and  has  done  much  to  advance  the  community  by  his 
progressiveness  and  ability.  In  1SS2  he  established  the  Pec  Dee  Index, 
and  for  four  years  he  successfully  edited  that  journal.  He  was  asso- 
ciated in  1889  with  Messrs.  W.  N.  Monroe,  C.  A.  Willcox  and  B.  F. 
Elliott,  in  the  organization  of  the  Marion  Cotton  mills,  of  which  he 
is  now  president;  and  in  1S88  was  the  prime  mover  in  the  establish- 
ment of  the  Marion  Building  &  Loan  association,  and  was  made  its 
president.  With  the  assistance  of  a  few  other  leading  citizens,  Mr. 
Montgomery  organized  the  Merchants'  and  Farmers'  Savings  bank, 
and  at  present  holds  the  office  of  president  in  that  prosperous  institu- 
tion. He  has  ever  been  most  active  in  political  affairs,  and  in  1882 
his  distinguished  services  were  recognized  by  his  election  to  represent 
his  district  in  the  state  legislature.  A  very  happy  event  in  his  life 
was  his  marriage  to  Miss  Anna  Stackhouse  in  1887.  She  is  a  lady  of 
rare  culture  and  refinement,  the  daughter  of  the  Hon.  E.  T.  Stack- 
house,  congressman-elect  from  this  district.  One  son  and  three 
daughters  have  been  born  into  their  home.  One  of  Marion  county's 
latest  and  most  valuable  business  enterprises  is  the  Marion  Iron  works. 
The  existence  of  this  concern  is  largely  dite  to  the  untiring  efforts  of 
Mr.  Montgomery  in  its  establishment,  and   under  his  able   manage- 


SOUTH   CAROLINA.  295 

mcnt  as  president  of  the  comijanj-,  it  promises  much  for  the  future. 
With  this  record  as  a  public  benefactor,  it  might  well  be  supposed 
that  our  subject  could  have  had  but  little  time  to  spare  to  his  profes- 
sion, but  such  is  not  the  case.  His  career  as  a  lawyer  has  been 
marked  b}-  great  activity  and  success.  He  possesses  a  mind  of  rare 
quality,  and  his  thorough  understanding  of  the  law,  together  with 
foresight  and  a  keen  insight  into  the  situation  of  the  minute,  has 
brought  him  to  the  front  ranks  of  his  profession  in  the  state. 

CHANCELLOR  W.  D.  JOHNSON, 

of  South  Carolina,  is  a  native  of  Robeson  county,  N.  C,  having  been 
born  there,  September  g,  1818.  Both  his  parents,  Alexander  and 
Magret  (Steven)  Johnson,  were  North  Carolinians.  Alexander 
was  a  son  of  Daniel  Johnson,  who  was  born  in  the  Highlands  of 
Scotland,  and  came  to  America  about  1770,  locating  in  Cumberland 
county,  N.  C,  near  the  town  of  Fayetteville.  Soon  after,  however, 
he  removed  to  Robeson  county,  where,  until  his  death  in  1821,  he  fol- 
lowed the  life  of  a  farmer.  Prior  to  his  emigration  from  Scotland,  he 
married  a  Miss  Thompson,  who  bare  him  five  sons  and  two  daugh- 
ters. Alexander  Johnson  was  born  in  the  year  1781.  His  education 
was  somewhat  limited,  although  he  was  given  a  more  extensive  schol- 
astic training  than  was  usual  in  that  day.  After  a  time  spent  in  school 
teaching,  he  became  a  farmer,  and  was  engaged  in  agriculture  up  to 
near  the  time  of  his  demise,  in  July,  1876.  His  life  was  passed  in 
Robeson  county,  N.  C,  and  so  lived  as  to  win  for  him  the  love  and 
confidence  of  his  neighbors.  About  the  year  181 1,  he  married  a 
daughter  of  James  Steven,  who  was  a  native  of  the  Lowlands  of  Scot- 
land. This  union  resulted  in  the  birth  of  three  sons:  James  S.,  Dan- 
iel and  W.  D.,  and  one  daughter.  The  maternal  grandfather  of 
these  children,  James  Steven,  was  an  educated  gentleman,  and  for 
many  years  was  regarded  as  one  of  the  best  educators,  farmers  and 
surveyors  of  his  county.  Two  of  the  sons  of  Alexander  and  Ma- 
gret Johnson  have  won  honored  names  as  lawyers.  The  eldest  son, 
James  S.,  graduated  at  Union,  N.  Y.,  with  first  honors;  was  for  a  num- 
ber of  years  a  judge  in  Mississippi,  and  served  as  a  member  of  the 
legislature  of  that  state  in  1850,  and  again  in  1882.  In  1884  his  death 
occurred.  Daniel,  the  second  son,  prepared  himself  for  the  profession 
of  teaching,  by  taking  first  honors  at  Princeton,  in  1838,  and  filled 
many  important  chairs  in  various  southern  schools  and  colleges.  The 
principal  of  this  biographical  mention,  the  Hon.  W.  D.  Johnson,  ob- 
tained his  preliminary  schooling  in  the  old  field  schools  of  his  native 
county,  and  at  Donaldson  academy  at  Fayetteville,  N.  C,  and  in 
1839  entered  Davidson  college,  where  he  studied  for  one  year,  after 
which  he  sought  a  more  extended  course  at  Princeton  college,  and 
was  graduated  from  that  institution  with  the  class  of  1843.  He  then 
returned  to  North  Carolina,  and  taught  for  one  year,  and  after  that 
accepted  a  position  as  principal  of  the  school  at  Cheraw,  S.  C.  It 
was  while  teaching  in   the  latter  place  that  Chancellor  Johnson  first 


296  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

took  up  the  study  of  the  law,  his  preceptors  being  Messrs.  Blakely  & 
Macfarlan.  In  1846  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar,  and  soon  thereafter 
formed  a  partnership  with  Col.  C.  W.  Dudley,  of  Bennettsvills;  that 
partnership  existing  until  the  fall  of  1852,  when  Col.  Dudley  retired. 
Until  1857  our  subject  practiced  alone  at  Bennettsville,  and  then  he 
formed  a  partnership  with  T.  E.  Dudley,  the  son  of  his  former  part- 
ner, and  it  is  quite  proper  to  say  here  that  he  and  his  partner  held 
the  most  important  clientage  during  the  whole  time  until  he  was 
elevated  to  the  chancery  bench.  In  the  year  1865  he  was  elected  a 
judge  of  the  court  of  chancery  as  the  successor  of  Judge  Inglis,  who 
had  been  promoted  to  the  supreme  bench  of  the  state.  Judge  John- 
son filled  this  honored  office  until  the  abolishment  of  the  court,  in 
1868.  He  then  retired  to  his  plantation,  where  he  remained  or- 
ganizing a  system  of  free  labor  management  which  has  ever 
since  been  eminently  successful,  and  in  recuperating  his  strength, 
until  1871,  when  he  resumed  the  practice  of  law  at  Marion,  S.  C. 
J.  M.  Johnson  became  associated  with  him  at  this  time,  and  subse- 
quently J.  W.  Johnson  was  taken  into  the  firm,  and  this  connection 
still  exists.  Marion  county  is  now  Chancellor  Johnson's  home,  and 
has  been  the  scene  of  his  distinguished  labors  as  a  lawyer  since  187 1, 
and  his  plantation  management  in  Marion  and  Marlborough  counties. 
His  political  career  has  been  long  and  honored.  In  1874  and  1875 
he  served  as  a  member  of  the  state  legislature,  and  lent  all  his  ener- 
gies to  stay  the  tide  of  corruption  which  then  prevailed,  and  was  very 
active  in  bringing  about  the  revolution  of  1876,  when  political  purity 
conquered  and  white  supremacy  was  restored  to  the  state.  In  the 
year  1888,  his  name  was  placed  in  nomination  for  lieutenant-gover- 
nor of  the  state,  together  with  that  of  the  Hon.  A.  C.  Haskell,  who 
was  the  candidate  for  the  gubernatorial  chair  in  opposition  to  the 
Tillman  movement.  In  i860  he  served  in  the  secession  convention, 
and  in  1862,  entered  the  Confederate  army,  but  was  compelled  to 
withdraw  in  a  short  time,  owing  to  his  total  physical  disability.  In 
1862  he  was  elected  to  the  state  senate,  and  then  again  in  1865,  and 
held  the  same  till  he  was  elected  chancellor  in  1865.  April  24,  1851, 
Miss  Sarah  E.  McCall  became  his  wife,  and  two  sons  and  three 
daughters  have  been  born  to  the  union.  The  family  are  communi- 
cants of  the  Presbyterian  church,  in  which  Chancellor  Johnson  has 
been  an  elder  since  his  early  manhood. 

JAMES   P.  CAREY, 

a  rising  and  successful  young  lawyer  of  Pickens,  was  born  in  what  is 
now  Oconee  county,  but  what  was  then  Pickens  district,  S.  C,  April  27, 
1859.  He  was  the  son  of  John  W.  L.  Carey,  a  more  extended  mention 
of  whom  and  his  remote  ancestors  will  be  found  elsewhere  in  this 
work.  James  P.  Carey  was  reared  on  the  farm  where  he  was  born, 
till  he  arrived  at  the  age  of  eighteen  years.  He  received  his  earlier 
education  at  an  academy  in  old  Pickens  Court  House.  He  completed 
his  freshman  year  in  Newberry  college,  and  his  sophomore,  junior 


SOUTH   CAROLINA.  297 

ami  senior  years  in  Adger  college,  both  of  Walhalla,  the  latter  suc- 
ceeding the  former.  He  graduated  from  Adger  college  with  the  class 
of  1880,  taking  first  honors  and  delivering  the  valedictory  address. 
He  graduated  at  the  age  of  twenty-two,  and  enjoyed  the  pleasure  on 
that  occasion  of  being  informed  by  the  president  of  the  college,  Dr. 
J.  R.  Riley,  that  he  had  made  the  best  grade  of  any  student  that  had 
ever  graduated  from  the  institution.  During  his  college  course  he 
was  awarded  several  class  prizes.  It  is  worthy  of  mention  in  this 
connection  that  upon  the  organization  of  two  college  societies,  it  was 
decided  to  permit  two  seniors  to  cast  lots  for  first  choice,  and  then  to 
divide  the  school  by  choosing  alternatel)'.  Notwithstanding  young 
Carey  was  a  sophomore,  he  was  the  first  choice  of  the  senior  who  won 
the  lot,  thus  showing  his  standing  in  the  school.  The  society  of  which 
he  became  a  member  was  the  Carolina;  the  other  was  the  Piedmont. 
This  honor  was  emphasized  by  five  successive  elections  by  the  Caro- 
lina society  as  its  representative  orator.  In  iSSo  Mr.  Carey  was 
elected  alternate  alumni  orator,  and  in  1881,  principal  orator.  He 
delivered  the  alumni  address  in  1882.  During  the  year  1881  he  taught 
the  academy  at  Pickens,  at  the  same  time  devoting  his  leisure  hours 
to  the  study  of  law.  He  edited  the  Salnda  Argus,  published  at 
Greenwood,  during  the  year  1882,  continuing  at  the  same  time  his  law 
studies.  In  December  of  that  year  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar  at 
Columbia,  and  his  professional  practice  has  ever  since  claimed  his 
attention.  With  such  a  favorable  outset,  his  success  in  his  profession 
was  assured,  and  he  was  at  once  recognized  as  one  of  the  most  tal- 
ented and  brilliant  young  lawyers  in  the  state.  He  is  the  representa- 
tive member  from  Pickens  county  of  the  American  Law  association, 
and  is  R.  G.  Dun  &  Co.'s  attorney  for  that  county.  In  politics  he  is 
a  democrat  and  in  religion  a  Presbyterian,  being  an  elder  in  that 
church.  During  his  eight  years  of  legal  practice  Mr.  Carey  has  de- 
fended twenty  men  for  capital  crimes,  and  not  one  of  them  has  been 
sentenced  to  the  gallows.  He  was  the  leading. counsel  in  the  famous 
case  of  Lee  vs.  Simpson,  arguing  the  case  both  in  the  United  States 
circuit  and  supreme  courts,  and  though  he  lost  the  case  he  displayed 
a  legal  ability  which  reflected  great  credit  upon  him  and  evoked  the 
admiration  of  his  professional  brethren.  During  the  September  term 
of  the  Pickens  circuit  court  for  iSgo,  Mr.  Carey  and  Judge  J.  S.  Coth- 
ran,  of  Abbeville,  were  defendant's  attorneys  in  the  case  of  The  State 
vs.  David  Stephens  on  trial  for  murder,  Mr.  Carey  making  the  open- 
ing plea  for  the  defense.  Upon  rising  to  address  the  jury,  Judge 
Cothran  remarked:  "Gentlemen  of  the  jury,  there  is  but  little  left 
for  me  to  say,  as  the  young  counsel  who  has  preceded  me  in  opening 
this  case  has  made  one  of  the  most  eloquent  arguments  that  has  been 
made  before  a  jury  since  the  days  of  McDuffie."  Mr.  Carey  is  one 
of  the  trustees  of  the  Pickens  academy,  and  has  served  several  years 
as  a  member  of  the  board  of  county  examiners  for  teachers'  licenses. 
He  is  a  stockholder  in  the  American  bank  of  Greenville.  He  was 
married  in  September,  1885,  to  Miss  Lynda  Lovett,  of  Merriweather 
county,  Ga.     They  have  two  children,  a  son  and  a  daughter. 


298  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 


WILLIAM  HARPER. 

William  Harper,  jurist  and  United  States  senator,  was  born  Janu- 
ary 17,  1790,  on  the  Island  of  Antigua,  one  of  the  West  India  group, 
but  removed  to  South  Carolina  with  his  father  when  but  a  boy.  His 
father  was  a  missionary  of  the  Methodist  order,  and  had  been  sent  to 
the  West  Indias  b^'the  noted  John  Wesley,  but  did  not  long  remain 
there.  He  soon  went  to  Baltimore, and  then  to  Columbia,  S.  C.  He 
was  intensely  anti-slavery  in  his  views,  but  neither  in  this  nor  in  his 
peculiar  religious  creed  did  his  son  follow  in  the  footsteps  of  his 
father,  for  the  son  became  a  leading  pro-slavery  man,  and  a  member 
of  the  Episcopal  church. 

William  Harper  was  graduated  from  the  South  Carolina  college 
in  1808,  shortly  after  the  organization  of  that  institution,  and  spent  a 
short  time  in  teaching.  He  then  studied  law  and  was  admitted  to 
the  bar.  About  this  time  he  married  Miss  Coulter,  and  in  1818  emi- 
grated to  Missouri.  He  had  not  long  remained  there  when  he  was 
elected  chancellor  of  the  state,  discharging  the  duties  of  that  office 
for  some  years.  In  182 1,  he  was  chosen  a  delegate  to  the  Missouri 
state  convention,  to  form  a  constitution.  In  1823,  he  returned  to  Col- 
umbia, S.  C,  and  began  the  practice  of  law  in  company  with  Will- 
iam C.  Preston,  who  was  a  relative  of  his  by  marriage.  During  this 
time  he  held  the  office  of  state  reporter.  On  the  death  of  Hon.  John 
Gaillard,  United  States  senator  from  South  Carolina,  Mr.  Harper 
was  appointed  as  his  successor,  until  a  regular  election  could  be  made 
by  the  legislature.  He  had  the  reputation  of  being  an  able  senator, 
but  declined  an  election  by  the  legislature,  having  held  the  office  less 
than  a  year.  He  removed  to  Charleston  and  again  took  up  the  prac- 
tice of  his  profession  in  company  with  Isaac  Holmes,  Esq.,  of  that 
city.  This  firm  continued  ^o  practice  till  1828,  when  Mr.  Harper  was 
elected  a  member  of  the  South  Carolina  house  of  representatives,  of 
which  he  became  speaker.  The  same  year  he  was  elected  chancellor 
in  place  of  Chancellor  Thompson,  resigned.  In  1830,  he  was  chosen 
an  associate  justice  of  the  court  of  appeals,  his  associates  being  Judges 
O'Neall  and  Johnson.  In  1S35,  the  state  legislature  passed  an  act 
abolishing  the  court  of  appeals,  and  Judge  Harper  was  again  made 
chancellor.  He  was  a  member  of  the  state  convention  which  met  in 
November,  1832,  and  passed  the  nullification  ordinance,  and  of  the  con- 
vention which  a  year  later  rescinded  that  ordinance. 

In  the  latter  years  of  his  life.  Chancellor  Harper  visited  Europe, 
remaining  abroad  several  months,  but  he  was  not  particularly  enam- 
ored with  the  customs  and  manners  of  the  old-world  people,  especially 
in  Paris,  where  his  nice  sense  of  propriety  and  modesty  was  greatly 
shocked.  Mr.  Harper  was  the  author  of  several  miscellancousarticles, 
published  in  The  Soiifhcrii  Rct'ic7C'  and  other  periodicals,  but  his  charac- 
ter as  a  writer  is  best  illustrated  in  the  law  reports,  which  contain  his 
opinions  upon  legal  questions,  many  of  them  cited  as  authority  in  the 
courts  of  the  present  day. 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  2QQ 


THOMAS    J.  KIRKLAND. 

Thomas  J.  Kirkland,  a  prominent  lawyer  in  Camden,  S.  C,  was 
born  in  that  place  in  May,  i860.  He  is  the  son  of  W.  L.  Kirkland, 
who  fell  in  defense  of  the  Confederate  cause,  near  Richmond,  in  June, 
1864.  He  is  a  gi-andson  of  Judge  Withers.  The  early  education  of 
Mr.  Kirkland  was  acquired  under  the  tutorship  of  Mr.  Leslie  McCand- 
less,  at  the  Camden  academy.  He  afterward  in  1S75,  entered  the  Car- 
olina military  institute,  at  Charlotte,  N.  C.  Before  graduating  he  re- 
tired from  this  institution  and  devoted  his  time  to  agricultural 
interests  and  to  private  studies  in  the  law.  In  1886,  having  made 
good  progress  in  his  legal  studies,  he  was  admitted  to  practice  at  the 
bar,  and  he  opened  a  law  office  in  Camden.  In  1888  he  first  took  an 
active  part  in  politics,  and  attached  himself  to  what  is  termed  the 
"  Reform  movement."  That  year  he  attended  the  state  convention, 
and  in  1890  he  was  elected  to  the  state  legislature  in  recognition  of 
his  consistent  support  of  the  movement  which  produced  a  political 
revolution  in  the  state  democracy.  In  the  halls  of  legislature  he  did 
not  remit  his  ardor  in  favor  of  the  movement,  but  stood  up  manfully 
in  its  defense.  In  September,  i8Sq,  Mr.  Kirkland  was  joined  in  mar- 
riage with  Miss  Alexander,  of  St.  Augustine,  Fla.  Mr.  Kirkland 
keeps  his  law  office  in  Camden,  where  he  is  largely  devoted  to  the 
practice  of  his  profession,  in  which  he  has  already  achieved  a  good 
reputation  and  a  profitable  clientage. 

FRANCIS    W.   PICKENS. 

Francis  Wilkinson  Pickens  was  born  in  .St.  Paul's  parish,  S.  C, 
April  7,  1805.  He  was  the  son  of  Gov.  Andrew  Pickens  and  the 
grandson  of  Gen.  Andrew  Pickens,  of  Revolutionar}'  fame.  He  re- 
ceived his  education  first  at  ^Athens  college,  Ga.,  but  afterward  grad- 
uated from  South  Carolina  college  with  high  honors.  In  1829  he 
was  admitted  to  the  bar,  and  opened  a  law  office  in  Edgefield  district. 
He  was  related  to  John  C.  Calhoun,  and  was  one  of  his  disciples  in 
the  state  rights  theory. 

In  1832  Mr.  Pickens  was  elected  a  member  of  the  lower  house  of 
the  state  legislature,  in  which  he  distinguished  himself  as  a  ready 
and  apt  debater,  being  regarded  as  one  of  the  most  eloquent  speak- 
ers in  the  south.  He  took  high  places  in  the  house  committees;  was 
a  member  of  the  judiciary  and  of  the  foreign  relation  committees,  and 
was  chairman  of  a  sub-committee  which  had  under  consideration  the  re- 
lations between  the  state  and  national  governments.  In  his  report 
upon  that  subject  he  held  that  sovereignty  and  allegiance  were  indi- 
visible and  that  congress,  as  the  agent  and  mere  creature  of  the 
states  in  severalty,  had  no  claim  to  allegiance  and  no  power  to  ex- 
ercise sovereignty  over  a  state. 

He  was  elected  to  congress  on  the  nullification  ticket  to  succeed 
Gov.  McDuffie,  and  took  his  seat  in  that  body  at  the  opening  of  the 


30O  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

session,  December  8,  1834.  He  was  re-elected  to  the  next  three 
succeeding  congresses,  closing  his  congressional  career  on  the  3rd  of 
March,  1843.  He  then  returned  to  his  native  state,  and  in  the  suc- 
ceeding year  was  elected  to  the  state  senate  to  represent  the  Edge- 
field senatorial  district. 

Mr.  Pickens  was  a  large  slaveholder,  and  while  a  member  of  con- 
gress, made  an  elaborate  speech  denying  the  right  of  that  body  to 
abolish  slavery  in  the  District  of  Columbia  without  the  consent  of 
Maryland  and  Virginia.  He  had  strong  predilections  in  favor  of  the 
preservation  of  the  Union,  and  while  in  the  state  senate,  voted 
against  the  "  Bluffton  movement,"  a  measure  designed  to  effect  the 
secession  of  South  Carolina.  He  believed  in  adhering  to  all  the  so- 
called  guarantees  of  the  constitution,  including  the  fugitive  slave  act. 
He  counseled  the  unity  of  the  southern  states,  but  at  the  same  time 
a  strict  observance  of  their  relations  under  the  Federal  compact  to 
the  states  of  the  north. 

When  his  legislative  term  closed  he  retired  to  private  life  'and,  for 
some  years,  took  little  part  in  politics,  but  in  1S50  he  was  chosen  a 
delegate  to  the  Nashville  convention,  and  was  also  a  delegate  to  the 
Cincinnati  national  convention  in  1856,  which  put  James  Buchanan 
in  nomination  for  president.  He  was  appointed  by  that  official  as 
minister  to  Russia,  in  1S38,  holding  that  offtce  during  the  remainder 
of  Mr.  Buchanan's  administration.  On  his  return  to  the  United 
States  he  was  elected  governor  of  South  Carolina,  taking  the  execu- 
tive chair  just  before  the  breaking  out  of  the  Civil  war.  As  gover- 
nor he  necessarily  took  a  conspicuous  part  in  the  secession  move- 
ment, and  made  himself  serviceable  to  the  Confederate  cause.  He 
held  the  office  but  one  term,  when  he  again  retired  to  his  agricultural 
pursuits,  in  which  he 'took  great  interest,  looking  upon  the  industry 
from  the  scientific  aspect. 

Governor  Pickens  was  thrice  married,  each  of  his  wives  being 
conspicuous  for  beauty  and  mental  culture.  His  last  wife,  whom  he 
married  just  on  the  eve  of  his  departure  to  fulfill  his  mission  to  Rus- 
sia, was  pre-eminently  beautiful  and  accomplished.  Each  of  his  wives 
left  him  daughters,  but  they  had  no  sons  to  perpetuate  his  name. 
He  died  at  Edgefield,  S.  C,  January  25,  1869. 

GEN.  J.  B.  KERSHAW. 

Joseph,  William  and  Ely  Kershaw  were  born  in  Yorkshire, 
England.  They  came  to  the  New  World  in  1750.  Joseph  and  Ely 
settled  in  South  Carolina,  and  Joseph,  who  served  with  distinction  as 
a  colonel  in  the  Revolution,  gave  his  name  to  the  county  of  Ker- 
shaw. He  was  but  seventeen  at  the  time  of  his  emigration  to  Amer- 
ica, but  it  is  evident  that  he  was  a  man  of  much  force  and  experience 
even  at  that  early  age,  for  soon  after  we  find  him  as  a  pioneer  mer- 
chant of  Camden.  His  mills  were  burned  by  the  invading  British 
army.  He  married  Sarah  Gaunt,  daughter  of  Samuel  Gaunt,  who 
was  a  resident  of  New  Jersey,  and  a  Quaker  of  Irish  descent.    Joseph 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  3OI 

died  in  1790,  leavin<^  five  dauj^-JTters  and  three  sons;  the  names  of  the 
sons  being  James,  Jolin  and  George.  John  was  born  in  Camden, 
Kershaw  county,  S.  C.  He  was  sent  to  England  to  obtain  a  classical 
education,  and  did  not  return  home  until  after  the  war.  His  father 
died  and  he  took  charge  of  the  large  estate.  John  Kershaw  was  a 
man  of  brilliant  mind  and  rare  attainnients.  He  was  a  member  of 
congress  in  1812-14,  and  was  in  Washington  when  the  British  took  it. 
His  death  occured  in  1829,  when  he  was  in  his  sixty-third  year.  Miss 
Harriet  DuBose,  daughter  of  Isaac  DuBose.who  was  an  aide-de-camp 
to  Gen.  Marion,  became  his  wife  in  1812.  Isaac  DuBose  was  a 
planter,  and  after  the  Revolution  settled  in  Camden,  where  he  died 
in  1808.  John  and  Harriet  Kershaw  were  the  parents  of  two  children; 
Mary,  wife  of  Robert  A.  Young  and  Joseph  Brevard.  The  Hon. 
Joseph  B.  Kershaw  first  saw  the  light  in  Cajnden,  S.  C,  January  5, 
1822,  and  was  educated  principally  in  that  place.  For  a  time  he  was 
a  student  in  the  Orphan's  Society  Academy,  at  Camden,  S.  C,  and  at 
the  age  of  nineteen  entered  the  office  of  J.  M.DeSaussurc,  being  admit- 
ted to  the  bar  in  December,  1843.  ^^  the  following  year  he  began  the 
active  practice  of  his  profession  at  Camden,  and  from  1855  until  the 
outbreak  of  the  Civil  war  he  was  associated  with  Mr.  J.  M.  Davis.  In 
1843  Gov.  Hammond  appointed  him  a  member  of  his  staff,  and  in 
1S46  he  entered  the  Mexican  war  as  first  lieutenant  of  Company  C, 
Palmetto  regiment,  commanded  by  Col.  P.  M.  Butler.  After  one 
year's  service  Lieut.  Kershaw  was  honorably  discharged  on  account 
of  broken  health.  From  1852  until  1S56  he  was  an  able  member  of 
the  lower  house  of  the  state  legislature,  and  in  i860  served  in  the 
convention  that  adopted  the  measure  of  secession.  In  February,  1S61, 
he  was  made  colonel  of  the  Second  South  Carolina  Volunteer  regi- 
ment, and  entered  the  service  with  his  command  at  Sullivan's  Island. 
In  the  latter  part  of  April  he  went  to  Virginia,  and  organized  a  regi- 
ment as  colonel.  He  served  in  the  first  Bull  Run,  and  campaigned 
around  Fairfax  C.  H.  In  February,  1862,  he  was  appointed  briga- 
dier-general, in  place  of  Gen.  Bonham,  who  resigned  upon  McClel- 
la.n's  advance  upon  Yorkton.  Kershaw's  brigade  joined  Gen. 
Magruder  on  the  Peninsula  in  xVpril,  1862,  and  was  engaged  in  the 
operations  against  McClellan,  culminating  in  battles  around  Rich- 
mond, ending  with  that  of  Malvern  Hill.  He  was  engaged  on  Mary- 
land Heights  in  the  capture  of  Harper's  Ferry;  was  at  Antietam, 
Fredericksburg,  Chancellorsville,  Gettysburg,  Chickamauga  and  the 
Knoxville  campaign.  Gen.  Kershaw  commanded  McClaw's  division 
at  the  battle  of  the  Wilderness,  May  6,  1S64;  was  at  Spottsylvania 
and  the  several  engagements  terminating  with  that  at  Cold  Harbor. 
On  June  2,  1864,  he  was  appointed  major-general  and  assigned  to 
McClaw's  division,  afterward  called  Kershaw's  '  division.  This 
division  was  engaged  at  Petersburg  from  the  iSth  of  June  to  the  end 
of  July,  when  it  was  engaged  on  the  north  side  of  the  James.  On  the 
1st  of  August  it  was  ordered  to  join  Gen.  Early  in  the  valley,  and 
remained  with  him  until  the  end  of  that  campaign,  with  the  exception 
of  a  few  days  before  the  battle  of  Winchester,  when  it  was  on  its 


302  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

return  march  to  Gen.  Lee.  It  was  employed  on  the  north  of  the 
James  in  front  of  Richmond,  until  the  evacuation  on  April  6th,  when 
it  was  cut  off  at  Sailors'  Creek,  and  captured  with  the  rest  of  Gen. 
Ewell's  corps.  Gen.  Kershaw  was  carried  as  a  prisoner  to  Fort 
Warren  in  iSoston  Harbor,  and  reached  home  after  his  release  on  the 
1 2th  of  August,  1865.  In  1S65,  Mr.  Kershaw  resumed  the  practice  of 
his  profession,  and  in  the  same  year  was  sent  to  the  state  senate,  and 
was  elected  president  of  that  honored  assembly,  serving  until  military 
law  was  declared.  In  1874  he  was  the  democratic  candidate  for  con- 
gress, but  was  defeated.  In  1877  he  was  elected  to  the  bench  of  the 
Fifth  circuit,  and  was  duly  installed  June  7,  1877.  His  marriage  to 
Miss  Lucretia  Douglas,  daughter  of  James  K.  Douglas,  Esq.,  was 
solemnized  in  1S44,  and  four  daughters  and  one  son  have  blessed 
their  home.  Mr.  Kershaw  has  been  a  communicant  of  the  Episcopal 
church  since  1S48,  and  is  a  prominent  Mason,  being  past  grand 
master  of  the  grand  lodge  of  South  Carolina. 


P.  H.  NELSON. 

P.  H.  Nelson  was  born  in  Camden,  S.  C,  October  3rd,  1856,  his 
parents  being  Patrick  H.  anci  Emma  F.  (Cantey)  Nelson.  The 
father  was  graduated  from  the  South  Carolina  college  in  1845,  and 
two  years  later  married  the  mother  of  our  subject,  who  was  a 
daughter  of  James  W.  Cantej',  and  a  descendant  of  one  of  the  oldest 
pioneer  families  of  Sumter  county,  S.  C.  Patrick  Nelson  was  a  man 
of  great  ability,  and  upon  his  graduation  from  college  he  took  the 
highest  honors  of  his  class.  He  became  a  planter,  and  was  engaged 
in  that  calling  when  the  late  war  broke  out,  when  he  entered  the 
Confederate  service.  He  was  killed  near  Petersburg  in  June,  1864, 
while  commanding  the  Seventh  South  Carolina  battalion.  Prior  to 
the  war  he  had  been  one  of  the  first  to  be  appointed  brigadier-gen- 
eral of  the  South  Carolina  militia.  The  immediate  subject  of  this 
sketch,  Mr.  P.  H.  Nelson,  Jr.,  was  educated  in  the  schools  of  Sumter 
county,  and  later  at  Camden,  Kershaw  county,  after  which  he  took  a 
course  in  the  University  of  the  South  at  Sewanee,  Tenn.  In  1875  he 
entered  the  law  office  of  Judge  J.  B.  Kershaw,  and  two  years 
later  was  admitted  to  the  bar.  He  then  became  associated  with 
Gen.  John  D.  Kennedy,  in  the  practice  of  his  profession,  and  the 
partnership  lasted  until  1884.  In  1885  Mr.  Nelson  was  elected  to 
the  legislature  to  fill  an  unexpired  term,  and  in  1886  was  returned  to 
the  house,  serving  till  March,  1S87,  at  which  time  he  was  appointed 
solicitor  of  the  Fifth  judicial  district,  and  in  1888,  at  the  regular  elec- 
tion, was  again'chosen  for  that  office;  his  first  appointment  having 
been  upon  the  death  of  his  predecessor.  In  November,  1878,  Miss 
Henrietta  Shannon,  a  daughter  of  Col.  W.  M.  Shannon,  became  his 
wife,  and  one  son  has  been  born  to  them.  Mr.  Nelson  is  a  promin- 
ent member  of  the  State  Bar  association,  is  also  a  member  of  the 
K.  of  P.,  is  a  Master  Mason,  and  a  communicant  of  the  Episcopal 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  3O3 

church.  He  stands  in  the  front  rank  of  his  profession  in  the  state, 
although  not  yet  in  the  prime  of  life. 

HON.  JOSEPH  DANIEL  POPE, 

an  eminent  South  Carolinian,  was  born  April  6,  1820.  He  is  of 
English  extraction,  his  progenitors  having  emigrated  to  South  Caro- 
lina in  the  time  of  Queen  Anne.  Four  brothers  of  the  family  took  a 
conspicuous  part  in  tlie  Revolutionary  war.  Their  christian  names 
were  Joseph,  William,  John  and  James,  the  first  named  being  the 
grandfather  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch.  Though  left  by  the  ravages 
of  the  war  with  very  little  property,  Joseph  made  the  best  use  of 
what  he  had,  and  by  industry  and  fine  business-tact,  became  quite 
wealthy.  He  died  in  1S18.  His  son,  Joseph  James  Pope,  was  the 
father  of  Joseph  Daniel.  He  was  a  successful  cotton  grower,  and  a 
man  of  liberal  education,  being  a  graduate  from  South  Carolina 
university  and  possessed  of  a  fine  literary  taste.  He  married  Miss 
Jenkins,  a  lady  of  Welsh  descent. 

Joseph  Daniel  Pope  received  his  early  education  at  his  home  on 
St.  Helena  Island,  from  private  tutors,  but,  at  thirteen  years  of  age, 
was  sent  to  an  excellent  academy  at  Waterboro,  under  the  principal- 
ship  of  Rev.  Mr.  Vandyck.  At  seventeen  he  entered  the  University  of 
Georgia,  one  of  the  best  educational  institutions  in  the  country,  and 
graduated  with  high  honors  in  1841.  He  then  pursued  a  law  course 
at  Charleston,  with  James  L.  Pettigru,  one  of  the  most  distinguished 
lawyers  in  South  Carolina,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1845.  He 
began  practice  at  Beaufort,  in  partnership  with  Richard  de  Treville, 
an  equity  lawyer  of  much  celebrity,  to  which  branch  ot  practice  the 
firm  devoted  its  principal  attention,  and  in  which  they  achieved 
great  success.  In  1850  Mr.  Pope  was  elected  to  the  house  of  repre- 
sentatives from  the  St.  Helena  district,  and  was  appointed  a  member 
of  the  committee  on  federal  relations,  in  those  times  one  of  the  most 
important  committees  in  the  house.  He  held  this  place  for  several 
sessions,  and  was  chairman  of  the  committee  when  the  John  Brown 
episode  occurred  at  Harper's  Ferry,  and  which  created  a  profound 
sensation  throughout  the  country.  The  committee  took  the  subject 
un-der  advisement  and  presented  an  able  report  thereon.  In  Decem- 
ber, i860,  Mr.  Pope  was  chosen  a  member  of  the  conventioncalled  to 
consider  the  matter  of  the  withdrawal  of  South  Carolina  from  the 
Union.  He  took  an  active  part  in  the  convention,  and  subscribed  his 
name  to  the  ordinance  of  secession.  He  was  the  mover  of  a  resolu- 
tion for  the  organization  of  the  Confederate  government  and  its 
location  at  Montgomery,  which  resolution  was  subsequently  adopted, 
and  its  substance  was  also  adopted  by  other  southern  states.  At  the 
fall  of  Beaufort,  in  1861,  Mr.  Pope  suffered  the  loss  of  most  of  his 
property,  and  removed  to  Columbia.  The  next  year  he  was  elected 
a  member  of  the  state  senate,  which  position  he  held  till  the  close  of 
the  war.  He  was  appointed  by  President  Davis  as  the  head  of  the 
revenue  bureau,  charged  with  the  responsible  and  onerous  duty  of 


304  .  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

raising  funds  and  supplies  for  the  prosecution  of  the  war.  He  was 
also  appointed  by  Secretary  of  the  Treasury  Memminger,  to  super- 
intend the  printing  and  issuance  of  the  Confederate  currency.  When 
the  war  came  to  a  close  Mr.  Pope  retired  from  official  position  and 
resumed  the  practice  of  his  profession  at  Colum.bia.  In  the  succeed- 
ing years  he  formed  business  partnerships  under  the  firm  names  of 
Fickling  &  Pope  and  Pope  &  Haskell,  and  was  engaged  in  most  of 
the  important  cases  in  the  courts  arising  from  the  "carpet  bag"  rule 
in  the  state,  in  which  he  ably  defended  the  interests  of  the  state 
against  that  vicious  regime.  In  the  exciting  political  campaign  of 
1876,  Mr.  Pope  took  an  effective  part,  both  with  voice  and  pen  and 
lent  a  strong  and  effectual  support  to  Gov.  Wade  Hampton.  In  the 
ranks  of  the  Columbia  bar  Mr.  Pope  holds  a  foremost  position.  He 
is  unsurpassed  in  knowledge  of  the  law,  possesses  a  discriminative  in- 
tellect, is  able  and  accurate  as  a  counselor  and  is  an  advocate  of  the 
highest  type  at  the  bar.  His  oratorical  powers  are  of  a  high  order, 
he  has  a  prepossessing  personality  and  an  impressive  presence  before 
an  audience.  He  is  a  man  of  high  personal  qualities,  of  exalted  in- 
tegrity, purity  of  character  and  of  generous  instinct.  His  ennobling 
characteristics  and  cultured  manners  are  such  as  to  make  him  a 
favorite  in  the  best  society. 

In  1S46  Mr.  Pope  was  joined  in  marriage  with  Miss  Catharine  A. 
Scott,  daughter  of  Dr.  John  A.  P.  Scott.  Their  eldest  son,  Joseph  D. 
Pope,  is  a  prosperous  merchant,  and  the  eldest  daughter  is  the  wife 
of  Samuel  R.  Stoney,  of  Columbia. 

CORNELIUS  KOLLOCK,  M.  D. 

One  of  South  Carolina's  most  eminent  physicians,  and  one  of  the 
most  skillful  surgeons  of  the  present  day,  is  Cornelius  Kollock,  M.  D., 
of  Cheraw,  Chesterfield  Co.,  S.  C.  Dr.  Kollock  was  born  in  Marl- 
borough county,  S.  C,  December  7,  1824,  his  parents  being  Oliver 
Hawes  and  Sarah  (James)  Kollock,  the  father  a  native  of  Massachu- 
setts, and  the  mother  of  Marlborough  county,  S.  C.  Oliver  Kollock 
was  an  attorney  and  planter.  Some  twenty  years  before  his  death 
he  retired  from  active  life,  and  devoted  his  later  years  to  study  and 
literary  pursuits.  He  was  one  of  the  brightest  scholars  of  his  day, 
and  a  master  of  the  Greek,  Latin,  French,  Spanish  and  English  lan- 
guages. From  the  beginning  to  the  end  of  secession  he  remained 
loyal  to  the  union  of  the  states,  but  such  was  the  man  that  his  senti- 
ments were  respected  by  his  neighbors.  His  demise  occurred  July  25, 
1862,  in  his  seventy-second  year.  He  was  a  devout  communicant 
of  St.  David's  Episcopal  church,  of  Cheraw,  and  for  years  held 
the  office  of  warden.  His  wife  died  October  i,  1857,  at  the  age  of 
sixty-three  years.  Three  daughters  and  one  son  blessed  their  union, 
viz.:  Margaret  O.,  who  died  in  childhood;  Charlotte  Wilson,  who 
married  Bishop  Gregg,  of  Texas,  and  died  May  20,  iSSo,  aged  fifty- 
nine  years;  Mary  A.,  the  youngest  child,  who  died  at  the  age  of  six- 
teen,   in    1848.      The   son,    Cornelius,  was  given    every  educational 


SOUTH    CAKCil.lNA.  305 

advantage  to  be  had,  having  obtained  his  preliminary  scholastic  train- 
ing in  the  Cheraw  academy,  he  was  graduated  from  Brown  univer- 
sity with  the  class  of  1845.  He  then  went  to  Philadelphia,  and  in 
1848  completed  the  medical  course  at  the  University  of  Pennsylvania, 
after  which  he  spent  nearly  three  years  in  the  hospitals  and  colleges 
of  Paris.  Returning  to  his  native  land  in  1850,  Dr.  KoUock  at  that 
time  established  an  office  at  Cheraw,  S.  C,  and  has  since  been  en- 
gaged in  active  and  most  successful  practice.  One  year  after  his  re- 
turn from  Europe,  he  very  hapjiily  married  Miss  Mary  11.  Shaw,  an 
accomplished  daughter  of  the  late  Mr.  Charles  B.  Shaw,  of  Boston, 
Mass.  They  have  four  children  living,  their  names  being:  Ellen  S., 
who  married  Dr.  F.  A.  Waddle,  of  Cheraw.  Dr.  Waddle  is  the  pres- 
ent cashier  of  the  Bank  of  Cheraw;  Charles  W.,  M.  D.,  a  practicing 
physician  of  Charleston,  S.  C,  who  is  quite  distinguished  as  an  oculist 
and  aurist;  he  married  Miss  Gertrude,  daughter  of  Col.  William 
Gregg,  of  Charleston;  Alexander  G.,  the  editor  and  proprietor  of  the 
Chcnizo  Reporter;  and  Anna  H.,  the  wife  of  James  Dillingham,  of 
Charleston.  Dr.  Kollock  is  a  warden  in  St.  David's  Episcopal  church. 
He  is  also  a  prominent  member  of  the  Masonic  order.  Knights  Tem- 
plar of  South  Carolina  commandery,  established  in  1780,  being  the 
oldest  commandery  in  the  United  States,  and  he  is  also  an  influential 
member  of  the  South  Carolina  Medical  society,  being  ex-president  of 
the  same,  and  he  is  now  president  of  the  Pee  Dee  Medical  associa- 
tion, is  a  fellow  of  the  American  Gynecological  society,  a  fellow 
in  the  Southern  Surgical  and  Gynecological  association,  a  fellow 
of  the  American  Academy  of  Medicine.  Dr.  Kollock  has  per- 
formed, it  is  said,  all  the  most  difficult  surgical  operations  known 
to  science,  and  has  met  Avith  the  most  flattering  success  at  all 
times.  Naturally  possessed  of  great  talents,  under  the  wise  super- 
vision of  his  scholarly  father,  he  was  brought  into  contact  with 
knowledge  in  the  manner  best  calculated  to  expand  and  sharpen  the 
intellect.  Considering  the  thorough  preparation  he  unde'-went,  the 
advantages  he  enjoyed,  it  is  nothing  surprising  that  he  has  risen  to 
the  front  ranks  of  his  profession. 

ALEXANDER  M.  REDFEARN,  M.  D., 

is  a  son  of  David  T.  and  Mary  H.  (May)  Redfearn,  and  was  born  in 
Chesterfield  county,  S.  C,  March  21,  1862.  The  father  is  a  planter, 
and  is  recognized  as  one  of  the  leading  public  men  of  the  county, 
having  represented  his  district  in  the  state  legislature  in  1874,  and  in 
1876,  and  1878.  In  18S2  he  was  elected  to  the  state  senate,  and  after 
an  interval  of  four  years  was  again  returned  to  that  assembly.  Dur- 
ing his  membership  of  the  house  and  senate,  the  Hon.  Mr.  Redfearn 
has  served  on  some  of  the  most  important  committees,  and  has  taken 
a  prominent  position  on  the  leading  questions  of  the  day.  He  was 
made  a  trustee  of  the  Clemson  college  in  1890,  and  has  always  given 
much  time  and  attention  to  the  advancement  of  educational  inter- 
ests. During  the  Civil  war  he  held  the  commission  of  lieutenant  in 
A — 20 


o 


,o5  SOUTH   CAROLINA. 


the  Confederate  artillerj-  service,  and  was  a  valiant  and  efficient 
officer.  Mrs.  Redfearn  is  also  descended  from  one  of  the  oldest  and 
most  influential  connections  in  the  state,  the  family  having  furnished 
many  men  of  prominence  in  public  affairs.  She  is  a  niece  of  Mr. 
Pleasant  May,  who  for  many  years  stood  in  the  front  ranks  of  the  bar 
at  Columbia  and  Charleston.  He  served  for  several  terms  in  the 
state  legislature,  and  has  the  name  of  being  the  first  man  in  the  state 
to  take  a  decided  and  important  stand  against  high  tariff  measures. 
Alexander  Redfearn  is  the  eldest  of  eight  children  born  to  the  Hon. 
David  T.  and  Mary  H.  Redfearn,  the  other  children  being:  Sallie, 
who  married  William  Ratliff ;  Dora,  a  leading  teacher,  she  was  grad- 
uated from  the  Thomasville  Female  college  in  the  class  of  1887; 
Robert  A.,  a  planter;  Mamie,  a  member  of  the  junior  class  in  the 
Richmond  Female  college;  Josephine,  James  C,  and  Townley,  the 
youngest,  now  deceased.  Alexander  was  graduated  from  the  Wake 
Forest  college  In  the  class  of  18S4,  and  while  in  college  began  the 
study  of  medicine  under  the  direction  of  Dr.  J.  B.  Powers.  Subse- 
quently he  entered  the  Long  Island  Medical  college,  of  Brooklyn,  N.  Y., 
and  completed  his  course  there  in  1886,  having  graduated  as  valedic- 
torian of  his  class.  Returning  to  South  Carolina,  Dr.  Redfearn  im- 
mediately entered  upon  his  professional  career  at  Chesterfield  C.  H. 
He  is  a  communicant  of  the  Baptist  church,  and  is  a  prominent 
Mason,  being  J.  W.  of  lodge  No.  220  at  Chesterfield.  Some  time  ago 
Dr.  Redfearn  established  a  drug  business,  which  he  has  since  con- 
ducted in  connection  with  his  practice,  and  he  is  also  quite  exten- 
sively interested  in  agriculture.  He  is  the  present  incumbent  of  the 
office  of  mayor  of  Chesterfield,  and  is  recognized  not  only  as  a  skill- 
ful and  intelligent  physician  and  surgeon,  but  also  as  a  progressive 
and  valuable  citizen.  -Should  life  and  health  be  spared  to  him,  there 
can  be  no  doubt  of  his  future  success  in  his  calling. 

DR..  J.    A.   JAMES. 

One  of  the  oldest  and  leading  famtlies  of  the  Palmetto  state  is 
the  James  family.  This  connection  has  furnished  many  men  of  abil- 
ity and  prominence  in  state  affairs.  J.  A.  James,  M.  D.,  a  well-known 
physician  and  surgeon  of  Chesterfield  county,  S.  C,  was  born  in  Sum- 
ter county,  S.  C,  July  22,  1829,  the  son  of  William  H.  and  Mary  E. 
(Capers)  James.  William  James  was  educated  at  West  Point,  and 
Avas  an  attorney-at-law  of  the  state.  He  was  a  grandson  of  Major 
John  James,  of  Revolutionary  fame,  he.  Major  James,  having  been  an 
officer  in  Marion's  brigade.  His  sword  is  now  in  the  possession  of 
his  great-grandson.  Dr.  J.  A.  James.  William  H.  James's  demise  oc- 
curred in  1836,  in  his  thirty-sixth  year,  and  his  wife  died  a  year  later. 
She  was  descended  from  the  Capers  family,  which  made  itself  prom- 
inent during  the  Revolution,  and  was  a  relative  of  Bishop  Capers  of 
South  Carolina.  Of  the  children  born  to  Judge  William  D.  James, 
father  of  William  H.,  but  one  is  living,  Mrs.  S.  J.  Cowling,  of  New 
York  city.     Of  William  II.  James's  offspring  but  two  survive:  John  J. 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  307 

and  Dr.  J.  A.  James.  The  latter  received  his  scholastic  training  at 
Linden,  Ala.,  and  subsequently  attended  several  other  institutions  of 
learning.  In  1849  he  took  up  the  study  of  medicine  under  the  direc- 
tion Dr.  Franklin  Courtney,  of  Eldorado,  Union  county,  Ark.  En- 
tering the  University  of  Louisiana,  at  New  Orleans,  he  subsequently 
became  a  student  in  the  Charleston  Medical  college,  and  completed 
the  course  there  in  1S52.  Dr.  James  immediately  began  the  practice 
of  his  chosen  profession,  iirst  at  Georgetown,  S.  C,  and  later  he  re- 
moved to  Indiantown,  removing  to  Cheraw  in  18S3.  He  served  in 
the  Confederate  army  as  a  brigade,  and  chief  surgeon  of  a  division, 
on  Gen.  Kershaw's  staff.  In  1865  he  was  a  member  of  the_  first  state 
convention  held  after  the  war,  and  took  a  prominent  part  in  the  pro- 
ceedings of  that  memorable  assembly.  His  marriage  to  Miss  S.  B. 
McCutcljen  was  solemnized  in  December,  1856.  She  is  a  daughter  of 
Mr.  Hugh  and  Mary  McCutchen,  of  Williamsburg  county.  The  fol- 
lowing named  children  have  blessed  this  union:  William  D.,a  planter 
of  Chesterfield  county;  Mary  J.,  a  graduate  of  Sumter  institute,  S.  C, 
wife  of  H.  D.  PloM'den,  of  Clarendon  county,  their  children  are  Kate 
and  Joseph  James  Plowden;  J.  C,  an  attorney  at  the  Chester  county 
bar,  he  married  Miss  Sallie  Harden,  of  Chester,  and  their  only  child 
is  William  H.;  J.  A.,  a  conductor  on  the  Atlantic  Coast  line,  his  wife 
was  Miss  Mary  Evans,  of  Wilmington,  and  their  only  child  is 
Joseph  A.;  Pauline  M.,  who  has  been  a  teacher  for  the  past  two  years, 
is  a  graduate  of  the  Winthrop  Training  school,  of  Columbia,  S.  C; 
Thomas  H.,  a  prominent  druggist  of  Aiken,  S.  C;  Frank  V.  and 
James  Mcjames.  Both  Dr.  and  Mrs.  James  are  members  of  the  Pres- 
byterian church,  as  are  the  children  with  the  exception  of  one,  and 
the  father  is  an  elder  in  the  church  at  Cheraw.  Dr.  James  has_  won 
an  enviable  reputation  as  a  physician  and  surgeon.  His  intelligent 
and  skilled  service  to  the  community  has  been  most  acceptable,  and 
he  is  respected  as  a  man  of  ability  and  probity. 

HON.  JAMES  C.  WILLCOX. 

The  Hon.  James  C.  Willcox,  M.  D.,  was  born  in  Marion  county, 
S.  C,  at  Marion  C.  H.,  November  21st,  1857,  the  son  of  John  and 
Sarah  V.  (Clark)  Willcox,  natives  of  North  and  South  Carolina,  re- 
spectively. The  father  was  the  son  of  George  Willcox,  who  was  born 
in  Fayetteville,  N.  C,  and  was  a  son  of  John  Willcox,  of  whom  men- 
tion is  made  in  W'heeler's  History  of  North  Carolina.  He  incurred 
the  enmity  of  the  British  on  account  of  being  active  in  distributing 
Benjamin  Franklin's  celebrated  tract  on  government,  and  fled  to 
North  Carolina  for  safety.  He  was  born  in  Delaware  county,  Penn., 
at  Ivy's  Paper  Mills,  the  mills  having  been  established  by  Thomas 
Willcox,  of  England,  about  1705,  and  which  are  at  this  time  in  active 
operation  and  bear  the  reputation  of  being  the  oldest  business  con- 
tinued in  the  family  name  in  America.  John  Willcox  was  outlawed 
for  taking  up  arms  against  the  British  government  before  the  Declara- 
tion of  Independence,  having  fought  and  been  a  leader  in  the  battle  of 


3o8  SOUTH   CAROLINA. 

Alamance  with  the  regulators  who  attacked  the  British  troops  under 
Gov.  Tryon.  He  returned  to  Philadelphia,  where  he  took  an  active  and 
prominent  part  in  suppressing  the  whiskey  insurrection,  but  subse- 
quently returned  to  North  Carolina,  where  he  died,  leaving  four  sons 
and  four  daughters.  George  Willcox  was  the  fourth  son.  He  was 
twice  married;  first  to  Miss  Elizabeth  Tyson,  who  bore  him  six  sons 
and  two  daughters;  and  after  her  death  he  was  united  in  marriage  to 
Miss  Martin,  by  whom  he  had  four  sons  and  one  daughter.  He  re- 
sided in  North  Carolina,  where  he  owned  large  tracts  of  land  and 
carried  on  an  extensive  plantation.  John,  his  second  son  by  the  first 
marriage,  was  born  in  1812,  and  spent  his  early  life  on  his  father's 
plantation.  He  engaged  in  a  mercantile  business  in  early  manhood, 
and  in  1S38  removed  to  Marion  county,  S.  C,  and  established  a  gen- 
eral mercantile  establishment  at  Marion  C.  H.,  where  he  lived  until 
his  death.  May  ist,  1890.  He  amassed  an  enormous  property,  at  the 
outbreak  of  the  war  being  worth  about  $1,000,000,  and  which  was 
mostly  invested  in  Confederate  bonds  and  negroes.  He  acted  as 
agent  for  the  Confederate  government  in  disposing  of  its  bonds,  and 
warmly  espoused  the  cause  of  his  people.  The  close  of  the  war 
found  him  a  poor  man.  He  was  elected  probate  judge  of  Marion 
county,  and  held  that  honorable  position  for  over  a  quarter  of  a 
century,  and  only  relinquished  the  office  upon  his  resignation.  At 
the  time  of  his  demise  he  was  living  in  retirement  on  his  plantation. 
In  1840  a  Miss  Wa3aie,of  Marion  county,  became  his  wife,  and  they 
were  the  parents  of  two  sons,  one  of  whom  died  in  infancy,  and  the 
other  is  the  present  clerk  of  the  Marion  county  court.  The  wife  died 
in  1851,  and  in  1855  Mr.  Willcox  was  again  married  to  Miss  Sarah  V. 
Clark  (daughter  of  Capt.  James  Clark,  of  Orange  county,  Va.,  but 
later  of  Abbeville,  S.  C,  whose  wife  was  a  Miss  Aliston) .  Of  the  six 
sons  born  to  them  five  are  now  living,  and  the  mother  still  survives. 
Dr.  Willcox,  the  immediate  subject  of  this  sketch,  received  his  early 
schooling  in  Marion  county.  In  1874  he  left  home  and  came  to 
Darlington,  where  he  secured  a  position  as  a  drug  clerk,  and  subse- 
quently qualified  as  a  druggist.  For  four  years  he  was  engaged  in 
the  study  of  medicine,  and  in  187S  entered  the  University  of  Mary- 
land, at  Baltimore,  and  remained  there  until  1880,  when  he  entered 
the  University  of  the  City  of  New  York,  and  was  graduated  from 
the  medical  department  of  that  institution  in  March,  1S81,  and  at  once 
began  active  practice  at  Darlington,  where  he  has  since  built  up  an 
extended  reputation,  and  an  ever  increasing  practice.  He  was  very 
active  in  the  passing  of  the  law  establishing  a  state  board  of  medical 
examiners,  and  was  appointed  by  the  governor  as  a  member  of  that 
board  in  1887,  and  was  elected  by  the  board  secretary  and  treasurer. 
He  was,re-appointed  and  served  until  1891,  until  the  Tillman  admin- 
istration was  inaugurated,  at  which  time  the  commission  was  abol- 
ished. In  1886  Dr.  Willcox,  was  elected  mayor  of  Darlington,  and 
held  that  office  for  two  successive  terms,  declining  to  serve  a  third 
term.  His  marriage  to  Miss  Annie  L.  Milling,  daughter  of  David  C. 
Milling,  was  solemnized  in  1882,  and  has  resulted  in  the  birth  of  three 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  309 

sons  and  one  daughter.  He  is  a  prominent  member  of  the  Masonic 
order,  and  also  of  the  K.  of  P.  and  K.  of  H.  Besides  attending 
most  satisfactorily  to  his  professional  duties,  Dr.  Willcox  has  found 
time  to  interest  himself  in  several  business  ventures,  he  is  a  member 
of  the  drug  firm  of  Willcox  &  Co.,  of  Darlington,  and  was  prominent 
in  the  organization  of  the  Darlington  Cotton  Mill  company,  and  is  a 
director  in  the  Cotton  Seed  Oil  Mill,  and  also  in  the  Darlington 
Land  &  Improvement,  and  Enterprise  Hotel,  companies,  and  is  in- 
terested in  agriculture  in  the  county. 

JAMES  S.  GARNER,   D.  D.  S. 

Among  the  leading  dentists  of  So.uth  Carolina  appears  the  name 
of  James  S.  Garner,  D.  D.  S.  Dr.  Garner  comes  of  an  old  South 
Carolina  family,  and  was  born  in  Darlington  county,  in  i860,  the  son 
of  James  N.  Garner,  Jr.,  who  was  a  native  of  this  state.  The 
father  was  a  son  of  James  Garner,  Sr.,  who  was  a  prominent 
South  Carolinian,  and  a  leading  planter  and  politician.  James  N. 
Garner  was  born  in  1836,  and  received  a  thorough  business  education, 
and  then  engaged  in  agriculture,  and  later  embarked  in  the  mercan- 
tile business  in  Darlington  county.  In  1876  he  was  elected  clerk  of 
the  county  court,  and  filled  that  office  with  great  efficiency  until  his 
death,  in  1889,  having  served  for  a  period  of  fourteen  years.  His 
marriage  was  celebrated  in  1858,  and  resulted  in  the  birth  of  four 
sons  and  two  daughters,  all  of  whom  are  living;  two  of  the  sons  being 
engaged  in  the  practice  of  medicine.  The  father  was  active  in  poli- 
tics, and  was  an  ardent  and  prominent  democrat.  He  was  a  leading 
Mason,  and  also  a  member  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias,  and  was  a  life- 
long and  earnest  communicant  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church. 
His  son.  Dr.  James  S.  Garner,  the  principal  of  this  mention,  was  fitted 
for  college  in  the  county  schools,  and  entered  the  Spartanburg  col- 
lege, and  completed  his  classical  training  at  Trinity  college,  of  North 
Carolina,  graduating  from  that  institution  in  1881.  He  immediately 
thereafter  began  the  study  of  dentistry  under  Dr.  A.  C.  Spain,  and 
subsequently .  attended  lectures  in  the  New  York  College  of  Den- 
tistry, and  then  entered  the  Philadelphia  Dental  college,  from  which 
he  was  graduated  in  1883.  In  the  same  year  he  began  the  practice 
of  his  profession  at  Darlington,  and  has  since  been  actively  and  suc- 
cessfully engaged  therein.  In  18S4  Miss  Minnie  Brand,  of  Sumter, 
S.  C,  became  his  wife,  and  their  union  has  been  blessed  by  the  birth 
of  three  daughters.  Dr.  Garner  is  a  stockholder  in  several  different 
Darlington  banks;  is  a  member  of  the  L.  of  H.  and  R.  S.  of  G.  F. 

DR.  W.  H.  TIMMERMAN, 

one  of  the  representative  citizens  of  Edgefield  county,  was  born  in 
the  county  of  his  present  residence,  in  1832.  His  parents  were  Ran- 
som  and  Lydia    (Bledsoe)    Timmerman,  both  natives  of  Edgefield 


310  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

county.     Ransom  was  the  son  of  Jacob  Timmerman,  a  native  of  Ger- 
many, who  came  to  the  United  States  prior  to  the  Revokitionary  war, 
in  company  with  two  of  his  brothers,  from  whom  the  faniil}'  have  de- 
scended.    Jacob  first  settled  in  Newberry  county  on  Dutch  Fort,  but 
afterward  came  to  Edgefield  county,  married  and  remained  there  until 
hisdeath.     He  was  a  planter.     Ransom  Timmerman  was  born  in  1804, 
and  was  educated  in  the   schools  of  the  state.     He  followed  planting 
until  his   death  in  1877,  and  was  a  successful  and  well-to-do  planter. 
He  was  twice  married,  and  was  the  father  of  nine  children  by  his  first 
wife  and  two  by  his  second.     Seven  of  these  reached  maturity,  and 
two  sons  were  killed  in  the  war  of  1861.     He  took  an  active  interest 
in  politics   but   never  sought  office   of  any  kind,  but  held  several  ap- 
pointive offices  prior  to   the  war.     Dr.  Timmerman  was  educated  in 
the  state  schools,  completing  his  studies  at  Greenwood,  Abbeville 
county.     He  began  the  study  of  medicine  in  1852,  under  Dr.  John  G. 
Williams,  and  entered  the  Charleston   Medical  college  in  the  same 
year.     He  graduated  in  1854,  and  in  the  following  fall  began  practice 
in  the  vicinity  of  his  present  home.    He  continued  practice  until  1S72, 
when  he  abandoned  it,  and  turned  his  attention  more  largely  to  plant- 
ing, which  occupation  he  has  ever  since  followed.     In  1861  he  enlisted 
in  the   Confederate   army  as  second   lieutenant    in  the    Nineteenth 
South  Carolina  regiment  of  Bragg's  army.     He  was  soon  chosen  cap- 
tain of  Company  K,  but  was  compelled  to  resign  from  ill-health,  in 
1862,  and  resumed  his  medical  practice  as  soon  as  he  was  able.     In 
1 864  he  again  entered  the  army,  this  time  as  captain  in  Duncan  battal- 
ion and  served  until  about  the  time  of  the  surrender.     After  the  war 
he  took  up  the  practice  of  his  profession  and  continued  until  the  time 
noted  above  when  he  turned  his  attention  to  planting.     He  was  first 
married  in  1856  to  Miss  Paulina  F.  Asbell,  who  bore  him  six  children 
now  living.     His  wife  died  in  1873,  ^nd  he  was  again  married  in  1879 
to  Miss  Henrietta  M.  Bell,  of  Edgefield  county,  who  has  borne  him 
two  children.     Dr.  Timmerman  has  always  taken  an  enthusiastic  part 
in  politics,  and  has  served  on  the  county  executive  committee  almost 
continuously  since  1876.     In  1882  he  was  elected  to  the  state  legisla- 
ture and  served  two  sessions.     He  then  became  a  candidate  for  the 
state  senate,  but  was  defeated  by  a  small  majority.     Again    he  was 
elected  to  the  house  in    1890,  and  is  now  serving  his  term,  having 
been  elected  without  any  effort  on  his  part.     In   1890,  in  company 
v/ith  G.  D.  Walker,  J.  H.  Edwards,    W."F.  Roetts,  I.  C.  Sheppard, 
Alonzo  Bates,  A.  E.  Pagett  and  others,  he  organized  the  Farmer's 
Loan  and  Savings  bank,  of  Edgefield,  of  which  he  was  elected  presi- 
dent.    He  is  also  a  stockholder  in  the  Edgefield  oil  mill.    Religiously 
he  affiliates  with  the  Baptist  church,  and  has  held  the  office  of  clerk  of 
his  church  for  twenty-nine  years,  standing  as  one  of  the  pillars  of  the 
church.     He  is  widely  known  as  a  thriving  and  successful  planter  and 
enjoys  universal  respect.     He  resigned  his  seat  in  the  house  of  rep- 
resentatives after  serving  one  session,  and  was  elected  to  the  senate 
without  a  canvass  over  two  popular  men  of  the  county. 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  "!  I  1 


DR.  ELBERT  FRANKLIN  SEVIER  ROWLEY, 

a  scholarly  and  skillful  physician  of  Greenville,  S.  C,  and  now  hold- 
ing the  office  of  mayor  of  that  city,  was  born  in  Greenville,  January  15, 
1844.     His  father  was  the  Rev.  John  Milton  Rowley  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  faith,   a   native  of   Massachusetts,  and  of  English  descent. 
The  maiden  name  of  Dr.  Rowley's  mother  was  Mary  Livinia  Brown 
Turpih;  she  was  born  in  Newberry  county,  S.  C,  and  was  the  daugh- 
ter of  Major  William  Turpin,  formerly  of  Charleston,  S.  C.     Dr. 
Rowley's  father  is  deceased,  but  his  mother  is  still  living  and  shares 
the  home  of  her  son.     Dr.  Rowley  was  reared  to  manhood  in  Green- 
ville, which  city  has,  all  his  life,  been  his  home.     He  received  the 
literary  part  of  his  education  in  the  Greenville  male  academy  and 
Furman  university,  leaving  the  latter  institution  when  seventeen  years 
of  age  to  enter  the  Confederate  army.     He  enlisted  in  the  Butler 
guards.  Second  South  Carolina  volunteeer  infantry,  Kershaw's  brig- 
ade, his  regiment  being  the  first  to  enter  the  service.     His  first  enlist- 
ment was  for  twelve  months,  but  he  continued  in  service  through  the 
entire  war.     He  participated  in  all  the  battles  in' which  his  regiment 
was  engaged,  among  them  being  those  of  Bull  Run,  Fredericksburg, 
Sharpsburg  and  Chickamauga.     He  was  in  the  engagement  at  Savage 
Station  during  the  seven  days'  fight  in  front  of  Richmond,  in  the  bat- 
tle of  the  Wilderness,  at  Chancellorsville,  Gett^'sburg,  Spottsylvania, 
North  Anna,  Cold  Harbor,  the  engagement  before  Petersburg  and 
the  battle  at  Cedar  Creek,  besides  many  other  less  noted  battles.    At 
Gettysburg  he  received  a  wound  in  the  left  shoulder,  but  it  was  not 
sufficiently  severe  to  disable  him  from  service.     He  was  captured  at 
Cedar  Creek,  October  19,  1864,  and  was  imprisoned  four  months  at 
Point  Lookout,  being  exchanged  in  P^ebruary,  1S65.     He  was  a  brave, 
faithful  and  patriotic  soldier.     Shortly  after  the  close  of  the  war  he 
entered  upon  the  study  of  medicine,  and  in  the  autumn  of  1867  entered 
the  Philadelphia  university  of  medicine  and  surgery,  from  which  he 
graduated  in  i86g.     He  at  once  began   the  practice  of  his  profession 
in  Greenville,  where  he  has  been  actively  and  successfully  engaged 
ever  since.     He  has  a  large  and  lucrative  practice  and  has  built  up 
an  enviable  reputation.     In  politics.  Dr.  Rowley  has  been  a  consistent 
member  of  the  democratic  party.     Without  being  intolerant  toward 
those  of  a  different  political   faith,  he  believes  the  principles  of  his 
party  are  more  in  keeping  with  the  groundwork  of  our  government 
than  those  of  any  other  party.     He  has  served  as  a  member  of  the 
board  of  aldermen  of  Greenville  several  terms,  and  is  now  serving  his 
second  term  as  mayor  of  the  city.     In  this  capacit}'  he  has  discharged 
his  duty  in  an  able,  dignified  and  impartial  manner.     He  is  a  member 
of  the  Masonic  fraternity,  in  which  he  has  taken  the  council  and 
chapter  degrees.     P"or  many  years  he  was  a  member  of  the  State  Med- 
ical society  in  which  his  skill  as  a  general  practitioner  made  his  asso- 
ciation with  his  fellow  members  useful  and  profitable. 


312       *  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 


DR.  THOMAS  T.  EARLE. 

'  Among  the  able  and  skilled  physicians  of  Greenville,  S.  C, 
Dr.  Thomas  T.  Earle  holds  an  honored  and  enviable  place.  He  was 
born  in  Greenville,  May  8,  1S45,  ^"d  is  the  son  of  Hon.  Elias  D.  Earle, 
once  a  member  of  the  South  Carolina  legislature.  He  was  also  born 
in  Greenville  and  was  the  son  of  George  Washington  Earle,  a  native 
of  Virginia.  Elias  D.  Earle  was  married  to  Miss  Susan  Haynsworth, 
who  bore  him  eight  children,  of  whom  Thomas  T.  Earle  was  the 
seventh.  Their  names  in  the  order  of  their  births  are  James,  who 
died  in  infancy;  George  W.,  who  is  a  civil  engineer  residing  in  Dar- 
lington, S.  C.;  Susan,  who  was  the  wife  of  W.  F.  B.  Haynsworth,  now 
deceased,  but  whose  husband  is  a  prominent  citizen  of  .Sumter,  S.  C.; 
Elizabeth,  who  married  James  McCall,  of  Darlington,  but  who  is  now 
deceased,  her  husband  still  living;  Mary,  wife  of  Mr.  McCune,  a  rail- 
road contractor  of  Colorado;  Elias  D.,  a  dentist  by  profession  resid- 
ing in  Florida;  Baylis  D.,  planter  of  Florida;  Thomas  T.,  the  subject 
of  this  sketch,  and  Hon.  Joseph  H.  Earle,  the  present  attorney-gen- 
eral of  South  Carolina.  The  mother  of  this  family  died  in  1852  and 
the  father  in  1853.  Left  an  orphan  at  the  tender  age  of  eight  years, 
Thomas  T.  Earle  v/as  adopted  by  his  uncle.  Col.  Thomas  B.  Hayns- 
worth, of  Darlington,  S.  C.  In  that  place  and  at  the  home  of 
Dr.  Joseph  C.  Haynsworth  he  passed  his  youth,  attending  school. 
Shortly  after  the  breaking  out  of  the  Civil  war,  he  left  school  to  enter 
the  Confederate  army  and  accordingly  became  a  member  of  the 
Darlington  Light  artillery.  He  served  in  this  organization  about 
fifteen  months,  when  he  was  transferred  to  Abney's  First  Battalion  of 
South  Carolina  sharp  shooters,  with  the  rank  of  sergeant-major. 
After  serving  in  this  capacity  for  about  one  j-ear,  he  was  appointed 
by  the  governor  of  South  Carolina  a  cadet  in  the  Citadel  military 
academy  of  Charleston,  where  he  remained  until  the  close  of  the 
war.  He  then  returned  to  Darlington  and  for  about  two  years  was 
engaged  as  a  clerk  with  the  object  of  securing  means  to  take  a  col- 
legiate course.  Accomplishing  this  object  in  iS67,he  entered  Colum- 
bian college,  in  the  cityof  Washington,  and  graduated  in  March,  1S70, 
completing  besides  a  special  literary  course,  a  full  course  in  medicine. 
He  located  in  Greenville  for  the  practice  of  his  profession,  and  has 
been  actively  engaged  in  that  city  ever  since.  His  practice  has  met 
with  eminent  success  and  he  has  taken  his  place  among  the  most  dis- 
tinguished physicians  of  the  state.  In  October,  1870,  he  was  united 
in  marriage  to  Miss  Sallie  F.  Earle,  and  the  union  has  resulted  in  the 
birth  of  four  children,  all  of  whom  are  now  living.  He  is  a  member 
of  the  State  Medical  association.  He  makes  female  and  children's 
complaints  a  specialty,  and  acts  as  surgeon  for  all  the  railroad  com- 
panies whose  lines  enter  Greenville.  Dr.  Earle  is  a  pleasant,  com- 
panionable person,  and  is  very  popular  both  in  the  ranks  of  his  pro- 
fession and  in  general  society. 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  -;r^ 


DR.  JOHN  H.  MAXWELL 

is  one  of  the  prominent  and  successful  physicians  of  Greenville,  S.  C. 
He  is  a  son  of  Capt.  John  Ma.wvell,  who  was  born  at  a  place  called 
The  Grove,  in  Greenville  county,  in  1791.  Me  was  the  son  of  Robert 
Ma.xwell,  commanded  a  company  throughout  the  war  of  1812,  and 
during  his  life  he  pursued  the  occupation  of  a  farmer.  Robert  Max- 
well, the  grandfather  of  Dr.  John  H.  Maxwell,  had  but  two  sons, 
John,  the  father  of  John  H.  and  Robert,  Jr.  Both  sons  married  into 
the  same  family,  John  selecting  for  his  wife  Elizabeth,  daughter  of 
Samuel  Earle,  a  Revolutionary  patriot,  and  sister  of  Hon.  Baylis  J. 
Earle,  the  eminent  lawyer  and  jurist  of  Greenville;  Robert  chose  for 
his  wife,  Mary,  a  younger  sister  of  Elizabeth  Earle.  Capt.  John  Max- 
well was  the  father  of  eleven  children,  of  whom  Dr.  John  H.  Max- 
well was  the  seventh,  being  the  youngest  son.  The  family  consisted 
of  four  sons  and  seven  daughters,  but  only  one  son  and  three  daugh- 
ters are  now  living.  The  father  died  August  23,  1870,  his  widow  sur- 
viving him  two  years.  Both  attained  a  ripe  old  age.  Capt.  Maxwell, 
in  his  early  days,  was  one  of  the  representative  men  of  Greenville 
county,  and  was  an  influential  member  of  the  society  in  which  he 
moved.  His  son,  Dr.  John  H.  Maxwell,  was  born  near  Pendleton,  An- 
derson Co.,  S.  C,  on  the  19th  day  of  December,  1832.  He  spent  his 
boyhood  in  Pendleton,  where  he  received  his  early  literary  educa- 
tion, the  schools  of  that  place  being  of  a  very  high  order  of  excel- 
lence. At  nineteen  years  of  age  he  entered  the  University  of 
Virginia,  where  he  remained  during  three  sessions,  the  first  of  which 
was  devoted  to  academic  studies  and  the  remaining  terms  to  medical 
science,  which  he  had  before  determined  to, pursue.  In  the  autumn  of 
1853,  he  entered  the  Jefferson  Medical  college  of  Philadelphia,  where 
he  took  his  second  course  of  lectures,  and  from  which  he  graduated  in 
the  spring  of  1S54.  He  then  located  at  Fairplay,  .S.  C,  and  began  the 
practice  of  his  profession  in  company  with  his  elder  brother.  Dr. 
Robert  D.  Maxwell.  He  remained  with  him  two  years,  and  in  1856 
removed  to  his  old  home  in  Pendleton,  where  he  continued  his  medi- 
cal practice.  There,  though  yet  young  in  years,  he  became  one  of 
the  leading  physicians  of  the  place,  and  won  an  extensive  and  ad- 
vantageous practice.  In  1876  he  removed  to  Greenville,  where  he 
has  ever  since  been  in  active  successful  practice.  He  is  one  of  the 
foremost  physicians  of  that  city,  and  the  calls  for  his  medical  services 
tax  his  full  energies  to  answer.  While  his  practice  is  general,  he 
makes  a  specialty  of  gynecology,  in  the  practice  of  which  he  has  at- 
tained great  success.  His  personal  character  is  of  the  highest  stand- 
ard, and  he  is  held  by  all  who  know  him  as  a  man  of  the  purest  mo- 
tives and  the  highest  uprightness.  He  enjoys  the  respect  and  esteem 
of  a  large  circle  of  warm  friends,  among  whom  he  is  deservedly  popu- 
lar. Both  in  his  professional  and  social  standing  he  holds  an  envia- 
ble position.  Though  his  professional  career  has  been  active  and 
continuous  for  thirty-five  years,  he  is  still  remarkably  well  preserved 


314  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

and  vigorous.  For  a  gentleman  past  fifty  years  of  age  he  has  the 
presence  of  a  much  younger  man,  and  would  readily  pass  for  a  per- 
son of  forty.  He  is  a  Royal  Arch  Mason,  a  member  of  the  Knights 
of  Honor,  and  of  the  Baptist  denomination,  with  which  church  he 
has  been  united  for  thirty  years.  In  politics,  in  which  he  takes  a  great 
interest,  he  is  a  thorough  democrat,  but  he  has  never  sought  any  offi- 
cial position.  Dr.  Maxwell  was  married  in  i860,  to  Miss  Mary  E. 
Alexander,  daughter  of  Col.  E.  Alexander,  of  Pickens,  formerly 
Pickens  district,  S.  C.  They  have  no  children  living.  Capt.  Maxwell, 
the  father  of  Dr.  John  H.  Maxwell,  throughout  his  long,  active  and 
useful  life,  commanded  the  respect  and  love  of  all  who  knew  him. 
He  took  a  deep  interest  and  an  active  part  in  all  the  stirring  events 
of  the  age  in  which  he  lived,  and  was  with  Gen.  Jackson  in  the 
"  Creek  war,"  and  also  in  the  war  of  1812.  He  was  ardently  and  de- 
votedly attached  to  South  Carolina,  and  in  1861,  although  seventy 
years  of  age,  when  the  late  contest  commenced  at  Fort  Sumter,  he 
hastened  thither  with  all  the  ardor  and  enthusiasm  of  youth,  and  was 
present  at  its  surrender.  In  1828  he  was  elected  a  member  of  the 
state  legislature,  to  which  position  he  was  returned  for  several  suc- 
cessive terms.  He  was  a  useful  working  member  of  that  body,  and 
as  such  was  honored  and  very  popular  with  his  constituents.  He  was 
also  a  member  of  several  of  the  state  conventions,  including  the  se- 
cession convention  of  i860.  Possessing  the  unlimited  confidence  of 
the  people,  he  was  generally  returned  at  the  ticket.  He  did  not  seek 
political  preferment,  but  sought  the  quiet  and  peaceful  pursuits  of  life 
in  which  he  gained  the  confidence  of  his  fellowmen,  and  endeared 
himself  to  an  extensive  circle  of  friends.  In  all  the  varied  relations 
of  life,  Capt.  Maxwell  was  most  exemplary.  He  was  active  and  en- 
ergetic in  business,  devoted  to  his  family,  true  to  his  friends,  kind  and 
benevolent  to  the  poor,  and  imbued  with  the  highest  principles  of 
honor,  blended  with  kindness  and  suavity  of  manner.  He  left  be- 
hind him  a  name  fondly  cherished  by  the  loved  ones  of  the  home 
circle  and  honored  by  the  community  in  which  he  lived,  and  be- 
queathed to  his  family  an  exemplary  life  —  upon  which  their  memory 
can  fondly  dwell  —  the  richest  legacy  a  patriarch  can  leave  to  his 
descendants. 

JOHN   MACKEY 

was  of  Scotch  origin.  He  emigrated  from  Pennsylvania  to  Lancaster 
county,  S.  C,  at  a  very  early  date,  and  became  one  of  the  leading 
planters  of  the  county.  His  son,  Thomas,  was  born  in  the  new  home 
some  time  after  the  removal  from  Pennsylvania,  and  served  in  the 
Revolution  as  a  patriot  soldier.  Thomas  was  the  father  of  John  T. 
Mackey.  The  latter  first  saw  the  light  on  his  father's  plantation. 
After  reaching  his  majority  he  went  to  Georgia,  and  remained  in  that 
state  for  about  ten  years,  when  he  returned  to  his  native  county  and 
married  Mary  Beckham,  a  lady  of  Chester  county,  S.  C,  of  honored 
parentage  and  rare  refinement.     After  his  happy  marriage  he  became 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  315 

a  planter,  and  was  engaged  in  that  calling  at  the  tim(^  of  his  death, 
in  1884,  at  the  age  of  eighty-five  years.  It  is  of  his  son,  J.  F.  Mackey, 
M.  D.,  that  we  write  more  particularly.  Dr.  Mackey  was  born  in 
Lancaster  county,  May  23,  1836.  After  receiving  a  thorough  prelim- 
inary schooling  in  his  native  county,  he  entered  Furman  university,  at 
Greenville,  S.  C.,  and  completed  a  classical  course  in  that  institution. 
Dr.  R.  A.  Wylie  became  his  preceptor  in  the  study  of  medicine  soon 
after  his  college  course  was  completed,  and  he  remained  with  that 
eminent  physician  for  three  years,  when  he  went  to  New  York  city, 
and  finished  a  course  of  medicine  in  the  University  of  New  York, 
after  which  he  was  graduated  in  the  same  course  from  the  South 
Carolina  Medical  college,  receiving  his  diploma  in  the  spring  of  1859. 
In  the  following  year  Dr.  Mackey  enlisted  in  the  army  of  the  state  as 
a  private  in  Kershaw's  regiment,  and  in  the  following  year  became 
an  assistant  surgeon  in  the  Confederate  service,  being  assigned  to  the 
Third  South  Carolina  regiment,  and  he  remained  with  this  command 
until  the  close  of  the  war,  serving  with  fidelity  and  efficiency.  He 
then  located  at  Lancaster,  and  has  succeeded  in  establishing  a  repu- 
tation as  one  of  the  most  skillful  physicians  in  the  state.  Dr.  Mackey 
is  a  member  of  the  State  Medical  association.  In  1869  he  married 
Miss  Mary  E.  Perry,  of  Lancaster,  and  three  sons  and  two  daughters 
have  been  born  to  them.     He  is  a  Royal  Arch  Mason. 

HON.  T.  J.  STRAIT,  M.  D. 

Among  the  honored  names  of  the  Palmetto  state  appears  that  of 
the  Strait  family.  One  of  its  most  notable  members  is  the  Hon.  T.  J. 
Strait,  M.  D.,  of  Lancaster,  S.  C.  Dr.  Strait  was  born  in  Chester 
county,  S.  C,  December  25,  1846,  his  parents  being  Jacob  ¥.  and  Isa- 
bella (Wylie)  Strait,  both  natives  of  Chester  county.  On  his  father's 
extensive  plantation,  and  later  at  Maysville,  Sumter  county,  S.  C, 
young  Strait  spent  his  early  boyhood.  At  the  time  the  south  was 
roused  to  arms  in  defense  of  its  sacred  rights,  he  was  but  fifteen  years 
of  age,  but  the  hour  and  the  need  made  him  a  man.  Enlisting  in 
Company  A, -Sixth  South  Carolina  regiment,  among  the  first,  he  was 
transferred  to  Company  H,  Twenty- fourth  .South  Carolina  regiment 
in  1863,  and  appointed  third  sergeant,  and  he  was  mustered  out  at 
the  close  of  the  war  with  that  rank.  Returning  to  his  home,  he  re- 
mained there  until  187 1,  and  during  this  time,  in  1869,  he  was  united 
in  marriage  to  Miss  Kate  A.  Lathrop,  of  Abbeville  county,  S.  C.  In 
187 1  Dr.  Strait  went  to  Mississippi  and  entered  the  Cooper  Institute 
in  Lauderdale  county,  and  after  completing  a  three  years'  course  he 
returned  to  Chester  county  and  began  teaching  school  and  continued 
until  1876,  after  which  he  went  to  Ebenezer,  York  county,  and  re- 
mained in  charge  of  a  school  there  until  1879,  when  he  removed  to 
Lancaster  C.  H.,  and  continued  in  the  same  profession  there  until 
i88i.  At  this  time  he  purchased  a  small  tract  of  land  one  mile  from 
the  town  of  Lancaster  and  engaged  in  agriculture,  in  the  meantime 
turning  his  attention  earnestly  to  the  science  of  medicine.     In  1S83 


3l6  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

he  enteced  the  South  Carolina  medical  college,  and  was  graduated 
therefrom  in  1885  with  honor,  and  began  practicing  at  Lancaster  im- 
mediately thereafter.  Always  keenly  interested  in  the  welfare  of  the 
people,  he  has  ever  taken  a  leading  part  in  politics,  and  is  a  staunch 
supporter  of  the  Farmers'  alliance.  In  the  fall  of  iSgo,  he  was  elected 
to  the  state  senate  to  represent  Lancaster  county. 

DR.  JOHN  A.  BARKSDALE, 

president  of  the  National  bank  of  Laurens,  S.  C,  was  born  on  a  farm 
within  two  miles  of  Laurens,  October  i,  1S26.  He  is  the  son  of  Allen 
Barksdale,  a  native  of  Laurens  county,  who  was  born  December  25, 
1782,  and  whose  occupation  was  farming.  He  once  served  as  sheriff 
of  Laurens  county,  and  was  also  twice  electecl  to  the  state  legislature. 
He  was  the  son  of  Nathan  Barksdale,  a  native  of  Charlotte  county, 
Va.,  and  also  a  farmer  by  occupation.  The  family  on  the  father's  side 
is  of  English  origin.  The  wife  of  Allen  Barksdale  was  Nancy  Downs, 
daughter  of  Joseph  Downs,  who  was  born  at  Orange  Court  House, 
Va.,  and  who  served  as  one  of  the  first  justices  of  Laurens  county. 
He  was  the  son  of  Henry  Downs,  who  was  born  in  England,  married 
Jane  Douglas  in  Scotland,  and  came  with  her  to  i\merica,  locating  in 
Virginia.  The  wife  of  Joseph  Downs,  the  maternal  grandmother  of 
Dr.  John  A.  Barksdale,  was  Jane  Alexander,  of  Mecklenberg,  N.  C, 
daughter  of  Abraham  Alexander,  who  was  prominent  in  Mecklen- 
berg county,  N.  C.,  and  was  conspicuous  in  the  famous  Mecklenburg 
convention  held  in  May,  1776,  which  passed  the  Declaration  of  Inde- 
pendence, previous  to  that  of  the  one  at  Philadelphia.  Joseph  Downs 
was  the  brother  of  Maj.  Jonathan  Downs,  a  Revolutionary  officer. 
The  wife  of  Allen  Barksdale,  and  mother  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch, 
died  in  February,  1866,  at  the  age  of  seventy-nine  years.  _  The 
father,  Allen  Barksdale,  died  in  December,  1870,  at  the  age  of  eighty- 
seven.  Allen  Barksdale  was  no  ordinary  man.  During  all  the  active 
years  of  his  long  life  he  was  identified  with  whatever  redounded  to 
the  best  interests  of  the  people  of  Laurens  county,  and  his  whole  life 
was  characterized  by  the  strictest  integrity,  honesty,  high  purpose  and 
noble  resolve. 

Dr.  John  A.  Barksdale  was  reared  to  manhood  on  the  homestead 
near  Laurens,  and  received  a  classical  education  in  the  Laurensville 
male  academy.  He  took  up  the  study  of  medicine  at  a  very  early 
age,  and  in  March,  1S47,  graduated  from  the  South  Carolina  medical 
college  at  Charleston.  He  began  the  practice  of  medicine  at  once  at 
Laurens,  and  for  a  period  of  about  forty  years  was  in  active  and  suc- 
cessful practice  of  his  profession  in  Laurens  county.  He  was  one  of 
the  ablest  and  most  skillful  practitioners  in  the  state,  and  had  a  large 
and  remunerative  practice.  He,  however,  retired  from  his  profession 
about  four  3'ears  ago,  since  which  time  his  attention  has  chiefly  been 
directed  to  the  banking  business,  he  having  been  chosen  president  of 
the  National  bank  directly  after  its  organization  in  18S6.  In  politics 
he  is  a  democrat  of  the  old  school.     He  was  elected  to  the  state  leg- 


^ 


^.'•c:^^^,''i>i^^.^-^^^- 


n 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  317 

islature  in  1880,  and  served  one  term.  While  a  member  of  the  legis- 
lature he  introduced  the  bill  chartering  the  Greenville  &  Laurens 
railroad,  canvassed  the  county  in  advocacy  of  building  this  and  the 
Greenwood,  Laurens  &  Spartanburg  railroad,  both  of  which  are  now 
in  successful  operation  under  the  (Jeorgia  Central  system.  He  was 
elected  vice  president  of  the  Greenville  &  Laurens  railway,  and  is  at 
present  a  director  in  the  P.,  R.  &  VV.  C.  Ry.  He  was  also  for  a  num- 
ber of  years  a  director  in  the  Columbia  &  Greenville  and  Laurens 
railways.  Dr.  Barksdale  was  also  chosen  vice  president  of  the  South- 
ern Forestry  congress,  which  met  at  L)e  Funick  Springs,  Fla.,  in  De- 
cember, 18S5.  During  the  late  war  Dr.  Barksdale  spent  much  time 
in  the  hospitals  of  Richmond  and  North  Georgia,  ministering  to  the 
sick  and  wounded.  While  in  the  legislature  Dr.  Barksdale  served  as 
chairman  of  the  committee  on  agriculture,  and  reported  the  bill 
known  as  the  general  stock  law  of  the  state,  which  has  proved  a  bless- 
ing to  the  farmers.  He  has  also  served  as  mayor  of  the  city  of  Laur- 
ens in  i860.  He  holds  membership  in  the  Laurens  County  Medical 
society  of  South  Carolina.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  frater- 
nity, and  has  also  taken  the  chapter  and  council  degrees.  He  has 
been  chosen  master  of  the  lodge,  high  priest  of  the  chapter,  and 
thrice  illustrious  grand  master  of  his  council  upon  various  occasions. 
He  belongs  to  the  K.  of  H.,  and  was  the  lecturer  of  the  state  grange 
in  1873  'ind  1874.  Dr.  Barksdale  was  married  October  7,  1852,  to 
Martha  A.  Nance,  of  Newberry,  daughter  of  Drayton  Nance,  for- 
merly a  prominent  lawyer  and  citizen  of  Newberry.  They  have  five 
children  living,  four  sons  and  one  daughter.  In  general  appearance 
Dr.  Barksdale  possesses  a  fine,  manly  form,  being  large  in  stature  and 
dignified  in  deportment.  He  is  liberal  and  broad-minded  and  of  a 
sympathetic  and  generous  disposition,  characteristics  which  have 
made  him  justly  popular  and  influential  among  his  fellow  citizens.  In 
financial  ability  he  has  few  equals,  and  he  holds  the  position  of  one 
of  the  solid  men  of  the  city  of  Laurens. 

DR.  THOMAS  McCOY 

was  born  in  Newberry  county,  S.  C,  December  27,  1830,  and  is  a 
physician  and  surgeon  of  the  first  rank  in  the  city  of  Laurens.  He  is 
the  son  of  Barnett  and  Elizabeth  (Danner)  McCoy,  the  former  a 
native  of  Laurens  county,  and  the  latter  of  Union  county,  S.  C.  The 
father,  who  has  led  the  life  of  a  farmer  is  still  living,  having  attained 
the  unusual  age  of  eighty-nine  years.  He  was  born  in  1803.  The 
mother  died  in  1858.  Barnett  McCoy's  father  was  John  McCoy,  a 
farmer  by  occupation,  a  native  of  Fairfield  county,  S.  C.,  and  a  Revo- 
lutionary soldier.  Dr.  McCoy's  mother  was  the  daughter  of  Thomas 
Gitson  Danner,  a  native  of  Maryland,  and  by  occupation  a  farmer. 
Dr.  Thomas  McCoy  left  his  native  county  with  his  parents  wdien  only 
six  years  old,  and  removed  to  a  farm  in  Laurens  county,  where  he 
lived  with  them  until  he  was  eighteen  years  of  age.  He  then,  in  1849, 
accompanied  them  to   Monroe  county.  Miss.,  where  he  remained  ten 


3l8  SOUTH   CAROLINA. 

years.  He  received  an  academic  education,  and  at  the  age  of  twenty- 
one,  took  up  the  study  of  medicine.  In  1853  he  entered  the  Jefferson 
Medical  college  in  Philadelphia,  in  which  he  took  one  course  of  lec- 
tures. In  1854  he  entered  the  medical  department  of  the  university 
of  Tennessee,  at  Nashville,  from  which  he  graduated  in  March,  1855. 
He  began  practice  in  Monroe  county.  Miss.,  and  after  three  years 
went  to  New  Orleans  and  took  another  course  of  lectures  in  the  medi- 
cal department  of  the  University  of  Louisiana,  now  Tulane  university. 
Returning  to  Monroe  county,  he  practiced  there  one  year  more. 
Then,  in  1859,  he  returned  to  Laurens  county,  in  which  he  has  ever 
since  resided.  In  the  month  of  February,  1862,  he  entered  the  ser- 
vice of  the  Confederate  arm}',  in  Company  I,  of  the  First  South  Car- 
olina regiment,  as  a  private,  in  which  he  continued  four  months.  He 
was  then  detailed  to  a  position  on  the  surgeon's  staff,  hospital  depart- 
ment. Here  he  remained  till  the  battle  of  Gettysburg,  when  he  was 
left  in  charge  of  the  sick  and  wounded  of  the  First  regiment  during 
that  battle.  He  was  captured  there  with  all  the  sick  and  wounded, 
about  three  days  after  the  battle  was  over,  and  imprisoned  fourteen 
months  at  Ft.  Delaware.  During  his  imprisonment  he  had  a  position 
in  the  prison  hospital  and  was  treated  with  due  respect  and  courtesy. 
He  was  exchanged  in  October,  1864,  when  he  went  to  Richmond  on 
the  exchange  and  was  ordered  by  the  surgeon-general  to  Charleston 
to  take  the  position  of  assistant  surgeon.  He  successfully  passed  the 
examination  and  was  ordered  to  hospital  duty  at  Wytheville,  Va. 
Before  he  arrived  there,  however,  the  Federals  captured  Wytheville. 
He  was  en  route  at  the  time  being  in  the  mountains  of  Virginia.  On 
learning  of  the  capture  of  Wytheville,  he  tarried  in  the  mountains 
about  a  month,  during  which  time  Gen.  Lee  surrendered.  He  then 
returned  to  Laurens  county,  and  resumed  the  practice  of  medicine  in 
the  city  of  Laurens  in  the  latter  part  of  1869.  Here  he  has  continued 
ever  since,  and  has  been  eminently  successful,  being  now  one  of  the 
leading  physicians  of  the  state.  Since  then  he  has  attended  a  course 
of  lectures  in  New  York  and  Philadelphia.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Laurens  county  medical  societj^and  a  member  of  the  medical  society 
of  the  ex-Confederate  surgeons,  and  of  the  South  Carolina  medical 
society.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the  American  Medical  association. 
Dr.  McCoy  is  a  thorough  democrat  in  politics,  a  member  of  the  Ma- 
sonic lodge  and  an  elder  in  the  Presbyterian  church.  He  was  mar- 
ried December  27,  1S5S,  to  Alberta  E.  Young,  a  native  of  Laurens 
county. 

DR.  EARLE   M.  CAINE, 

president  of  the  Oil  &  Fertilizer  Co.,  of  Laurens,  S.  C,  was  born  in 
Greenwood,  Abbeville  county,  S.  C,  on  the  iSth  of  September,  1855. 
His  father  was  Dr.  Sampson  V.  Caine,  a  prominent  physician  of  Abbe- 
ville county.  He  was  born  in  Abbeville  county  in  1809,  and  died  in 
1858.  He  was  the  son  of  William  Caine,  a  native  of  .Scotland,  who 
emigrated  to  America  about  1780  and  settled  in  .Mibcville  county, 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  319 

where  he  spent  the  remnant  of  his  hfe  in  the  occupation  of  a  farmer. 
The  maiden  name  of  Dr.  E.  M.  Caine's  mother  was  Carohne  Eugenia 
Earle,  a  native  of  Greenville,  born  September  26,  1830.  She  was  the 
daughter  of  Dr.  Robinson  Earle.  Upon  the  maternal  side  the  line- 
age of  Dr.  Caine  is  traceable  back  to  a  royal  family  in  England  and 
he  derives  his  middle  name,  Monteith,  from  the  earl  of  Monteith,  a 
Scottish  chief.  His  maternal  grandmother,  whose  maiden  name  was 
Eliza  W.  Thompson,  the  wife  of  Dr.  Robinson  Earle,  was  a  sister  of 
Gen.  Waddy  Thompson,  who  was  minister  plenipotentiary  from  the 
United  States  to  Mexico;  she  was  the  aunt  of  Hon.  Hugh  S.Thomp- 
son, e.x-governor  of  South  Carolina,  and  ex-assistant  of  the  treasury. 
Both  the  Earle  and  the  Thompson  families  were  prominent  in  political 
affairs,  many  members  of  each  winning  distinction  among  their  fel- 
low citizens.  It  will  be  seen  that  Dr.  Caine,  the  subject  of  this  sketch, 
was  left  without  a  father  at  the  tender  age  of  three  years.  After  his 
father's  death  his  mother  removed  to  Union,  S.  C,  where  he  spent 
his  youthful  days  and  attended  a  high  school  in  which  he  prepared 
for  college.  At  si.xteen  he  entered  Furman  university,  where  he  re- 
mained two  years.  He  then  spent  one  year  in  the  Carolina  Military 
institute,  at  Charlotte,  N.C.,  under  the  instruction  of  Col.  J.  P.Thomas, 
after  which  he  spent  one  year  at  West  Point  military  academy.  He 
was  obliged  to  leave  that  institution  on  account  of  ill  health.  Mean- 
while his  mother  had  removed  from  Union  to  Greenville,  her  former 
home.  On  leaving  the  United  States  military  academy,  he  lived  with 
his  mother  at  Greenville,  and  took  up  the  study  of  medicine  under 
the  late  Dr.  A.  D.  Hoke,  a  former  prominent  physician  of  Greenville. 
In  the  autumn  of  1S76  he  entered  the  medical  college  of  Alabama,  at 
Mobile,  in  which  he  took  one  course  of  lectures.  He  entered  the 
South  Carolina  medical  college  at  Charleston  in  the  fall  of  1877,  from 
which  he  graduated  in  March,  187S.  He  at  once  entered  upon  the 
practice  of  his  profession  at  Clinton,  Laurens  county.  In  the  follow- 
ing fall,  September  10,  he  was  married  to  Miss  Rosa  H.  Irby,  the 
youngest  daughter  of  Col.  J.  H.  Irby,  of  Laurens,  who  was  promi- 
nent in  politics  in  his  day,  and  at  the  head  of  the  bar  at  Laurens,  S.  C. 
In  1882,  after  having  successfully  practiced  his  profession  four  years, 
he  retired  from  it  to  look  after  his  real  estate  interests,  which  were 
quite  e.xtensive,  having  become  the  owner  of  large  estates  both  from 
his  father  and  from  his  wife's  father.  He  owned  three  large  planta- 
tions, all  in  Laurens  county,  and  is  still  their  owner.  They  embrace 
1,600  acres  of  land.  Upon  one  of  these,  which  is  located  at  Mount- 
ville,  he  resided  seven  years,  from  1S83  till  1890.  On  this  plantation  he 
has  a  very  handsome  residence  and  it  is  in  other  respects  in  excellent 
condition,  having  been  made  so  by  the  industry  and  enterprise  of 
Dr.  Caine.  In  1883  he  erected  a  large  store  upon  it,  which  he  has 
owned  and  conducted  ever  since.  While  residing  upon  this  planta- 
tion, Dr.  Caine  was  instrumental  in  securing  the  construction  of  the 
Georgia,  Carolina  &  Northern  railroad,  which  passes  through  his 
plantations  mentioned  above,  a  depot  and  town  called  Mountville, 
having  been  located  on  the  plantation.     Dr.  Caine  was  one  of  the  di- 


320  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

rectors  of  the  above  named  road  upon  the  organization  of  the  com- 
pany. In  January,  1890,  he  left  his  plantation  and  removed  to  Laurens, 
having  accepted  the  presidency  of  the  Oil  &  Fertilizer  company  of 
that  city,  which  he  now  holds.  This  is  a  joint  stock  company  with  a 
paid-up  capital  of  $40,000.  Dr.  Caine  and  wife  have  six  children 
living,  one  having  died.  In  politics  he  adheres  to  the  democratic 
faith,  but  has  persistently  declined  to  take  an  active  hand  in  partisan- 
ship, notwithstanding  the  entreaties  of  his  friends  to  accept  positions 
of  trust  and  honor  in  the  way  of  office.  A  political  life  is  distasteful 
to  him.  He  is  an  official  member  of  the  Presbyterian  church,  and 
was-elected  ruling  elder  in  that  church  at  the  age  of  twenty-nine.  He 
is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  lodge,  a  stockholder  in  the  People's 
Loan  &  Exchange  bank  of  Laurens,  and  is  next  to  the  largest  stock- 
holder in  the  Oil  &  Fertilizer  company,  to  the  management  of  which 
and  to  that  of  his  plantations,  he  devotes  his  entire  attention- 

DR.  JOHN  T.  POOLE, 

prominent  as  a  physician  and  honored   as  a  citizen  of  Laurens,  was 
born  on  a  farm  in  Laurens  county,  April  25,  1S36.     His  father's  name 
was  Berry  P.  Poole,  also  a  native  of  Laurens  county,  and  a  farmer. 
The  maiden  name  of  his  mother  was  Mary  Blackstock,  a  native  of 
Union  county,  and  daughter  of  William  Blackstock,  who  served  as  a 
lieutenant  in  the  Revolutionary  war.     The  father  was  the  son  of  .Seth 
Poole,  a  native   of  Virginia,  a  farmer  by  occupation  who  removed 
from  his  native  state  to  Laurens  county,  in  1767.     He  was  chiefly  en- 
gaged in  the  cultivation  of  tobacco.     He  built  the  first  grist-mill  in 
Laurens  county,  which  he  operated  in  connection  with  his  tobacco 
farm.     A  woman  who  had  traveled  fift}'  miles  to  see  this  mill  declared 
when  she  saw  the  corn-meal  pouring  forth,  that  "God  is  a  genus,  but 
man  is  a  genuser."     On  the  paternal  side,  Dr.  Poole's  ancestors  were 
English.     His  father  served  in  the  Indian  war  in  Florida,  and  died 
September  15,  1S47,  the  mother  dying  in  1873.     ^n  the  mother's  side, 
Dr.  Poole  traces  back  his  ancestry  to  Welsh.     Dr.  Poole  spent  his 
earlier  years  on  the  farm  and  attended  the  common  school.     In  1855 
he  began  the  study  of  medicine.     On  the  first  of  October  of  that 
year  he  entered  the  Jefferson  Medical  college  at  Philadelphia,  where 
he  took  one  course  of  lectures.     In  the  fall  of  1856  he  entered  the 
South  Carolina  Medical  college,  from  which  he  graduated  in  1857. 
He  began  the  practice  of  his  profession  at  once,  locating  at  Holly 
Springs,  Spartanburg  county,  S.  C.     Here  he  continued  in  successful 
practice  for  thirteen  years,  it  soon  becoming  so  extensive  that  he  was 
unable  to  meet  all  the  calls  for  his  services.     During  that  period  he 
spent  about  a  year  and  a  half  in  the  Confederate  army.     He  enlisted 
in  June,  1863,  in  Company  B,  P'irst  South  Carolina  cavalry.     At  the 
battle  of  Bentonville  his  horse  was  shot  from  under  him,  after  which 
he  fell  back  to  the  Second  artillery,  and  upon  the  following  day,  while 
serving  in  this  regiment,  was  wounded,  and  was  compelled  to  spend 
some  time  in  the  hospital.     He  participated  in  several  skirmishes.    In 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  32  I 

1870  Dr.  Poole  removed  to  Cross  Anchor,  Spartanburg  county, 
where  he  practiced  medicine  seventeen  years.  While  there  he  also 
carried  on  farming  and  conducted  a  plantation  store.  In  the  latter 
part  of  1886  he  removed  to  Laurens,  where  he  subsequently  built  up 
an  extensive  and  profitable  practice.  Me  has  also,  since  coming  to 
Laurens,  bet:n  interested  in  merchandising  quite  extensively,  in  com- 
pany with  his  son-in-law,  the  late  J.  F.  Martin,  one  of  the  leading 
merchants  and  business  men  of  Laurens.  Since  the  death  of  his 
partner,  which  occurred  December  13,  1890,  Dr.  Poole  has  had  charge 
of  the  store,  to  which  his  attention  has  since  been  directed,  in  con- 
nection with  his  practice.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Laurens  County 
Medical  association  and  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church.  His 
politics  are  democratic,  and  he  has  been  a  member  of  the  Laurens 
city  council.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity  of  the 
royal  arch  degree.  He  owns  and  occupies  one  of  the  handsomest 
residences  in  Laurens,  and  was  married  September  27,  i860,  to  Miss 
Anna  Wofford  Allen,  by  whom  he  has  become  the  father  of  ten 
children,  seven  of  whom  are  living.  Their  respective  names  are: 
Clarence  L.,  Mattie  A.,  Edward  G.,  Mollie  B.,  Leonora,  John  T.  and 
Walter  M.  Clarence  L.  and  Edward  G.  Poole  are  physicians.  Dr. 
Poole  has  achieved  great  success  in  his  profession,  and  his  standing, 
both  professionally  and  socially,  is  of  the  first  class.  He  is  well  cal- 
culated to  inspire  confidence  among  his  associates,  from  his  very  high 
character,  both  as  a  ph^'sician  and  as  a  private  citizen.  When  he  re- 
moved from  Spartanburg  county  to  Laurens,  he  did  not  intend  to 
practice  at  the  latter  place,  but  his  reputation  as  a  skilled  and  suc- 
cessful medical  practitioner  had  preceded  him,  and  he  found  it  im- 
possible to  abandon  his  profession  in  which  he  could  make  himself  so 
helpful  to  his  fellow  citizens. 

A.  A.  MOORE,  M.  D. 

Prominent  among  the  medical  profession  of  Kershaw  county, 
S.C.,  stands  the  name  of  Albertus  Adair  Moore,  M.  D.,  a  native  of 
Yorkville,  S.  C,  where  he  first  saw  the  light  February  i6th,  1834.  The 
father,  James  Moore,  was  also  a  native  of  the  Palmetto  state,  and  was 
a  man  of  great  prominence  in  his  daj'.  He  was  a  son  of  Alexander 
Moore,  who  was  born  of  Irish  parentage.  James  was  a  olanter.  He 
married  Sophia  Springs,  daughter  of  Richard  Springs,  and  ten  sons 
and  three  daughters  were  born  to  their  union.  For  two  terms  he 
represented  his  county  in  the  legislature,  and  declined  an  election  to 
the  senate  owing  to  ill  health.  In  1832  he  was  a  meniber  of  the 
South  Carolina  nullification  convention,  and  was  a  staunch  champion 
of  that  measure.  Dr.  Moore  was  reared  upon  the  homestead,  near 
Rock  Hill,  and  was  prepared  for  college  at  the  male  academy  of 
Ebenezerville,  S.  C.  He  was  a  student  at  the  University  of  Virginia, 
and  subsequently  was  graduated  from  the  medical  department  of  the 
University  of  New  York,  in  March,  1859.  In  December,  1859,  he  lo- 
cated at  Camden  and  entered  upon  his  professional  duties,  which  he 

A — 21 


322  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

successfully  continued  until  July  2d,  1S61,  when  he  enlisted  in  the 
Confederate  army  as  orderly  sergeant;  was  commissioned  assistant 
surgeon  January  15th,  1863,  and  held  that  position  until  the  close  of 
hostilities,  having  surrendered  with  Gen.  Lee  at  Appomatox.  Im- 
mediately thereafter  he  returned  to  Camden  and  resumed  his  prac- 
tice. Dr.  Moore  is  a  member  of  the  Kershaw  county  medical  asso- 
ciation; has  been  president  of  the  South  Carolina  medical  society, 
and  also  is  a  member  of  the  state  board  of  health.  He  has  written 
several  articles  on  different  medical  topics,  among  them  being  one  on 
"Spinal  Meningitis;"  a  brief  report  on  "Phytolacca  Decandra  in  the 
treatment  of  Mastitis,"  published  in  the  I'irgiiiia  Rlcdical JMoithly  for 
May,  1877;  and  also  a  case  of  "  Anencephalic  Moster,"  reported  in 
the  Journal  of  Medical  Science  for  July,  1867.  Dr.  Moore  was  united 
in  marriage  with  Miss  Sallie  Dunlap,  in  January,  1865.  In  January, 
1867,  she  died-leaving  no  issue,  and  in  Januarj',  1873,  Miss  Carrie  A. 
Clarke  became  his  wife,  and  Albertus  /\dair,  Jr.,  and  Caleb  Clarke 
Moore,  are  the  offspring  of  their  marriage.  Both  Dr.  and  Mrs. 
Moore  are  active  and  earnest  members  of  the    Presbyterian  church. 

DR.  E.  K.  HARDIN, 

one  of  the  leading  physicians  of  Batesburg,  Lexington  county,  S.  C, 
was  born  in  Chester  count}?  in  the  j^ear  1851.  His  father's  christian 
name  was  Peter,  and  that  of  his  mother  was  Rebecca,  her  surname 
being  King.  They  were  both  natives  of  South  Carolina,  the  Hardins 
being  of  English  descent.  Peter  Hardin  was  a  planter  by  occupation, 
following  that  employment  until  his  death  in  1885.  He  was  a  soldier 
in  the  Confederate  army  during  the  war,  and  was  the  father  of  five 
sons,  none  of  them  being  professional  men  except  the  subject  of  this 
sketch.  Dr.  E.  K.  Hardin  received  his  early  education  in  the  schools 
of  Chester  county,  and  continued  it  at  Wofford  college,  Spartanburg, 
S.  C,  graduating  from  that  institution  in  1873.  After  his  graduation, 
he  engaged  in  teaching  for  ten  succeeding  years  in  the  schools  of 
Batesburg,  Blackville  male  seminary  and  Williamston.  He  was  com- 
pelled to  abandon  his  calling  on  account  of  failing  health,  and  began 
the  study  of  medicine  in  1882  under  W.  D.  Hutto,  entering  Charleston 
college  in  the  winter  of  1883.  After  remaining  there  one  year,  he 
entered  the  University  of  Maryland  at  Baltimore,  and  graduated  from 
that  institution  in  1885.  After  his  graduation  from  the  university,  he 
immediately  began  practice  at  Batesburg,  and  has  continued  his  prac- 
tice at  that  place  up  to  the  present  time.  In  iSgo,  he  established  a 
drug  store  in  connection  with  his  medical  practice.  He  was  married 
in  1875  to  Mi.ss  Clinkscales,  of  Williamston,  and  five  children  have 
been  born  to  this  marriage.  Dr.  Hardin  has  never  taken  an  active 
part  in  politics,  preferring  to  devote  his  entire  energies  and  a  faithful 
devotion  to  the  practice  of  his  chosen  profession.  His  eminent  suc- 
cess as  a  medical  practitioner  has  fully  demonstrated  his  wisdom 
and  foresight  in  this  direction.  A  large  and  continually  increasing 
practice  is  the  reward  of  his  strict  consecration  to  his  life  work. 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  323 


DR.  ORLANDO  BENEDICT  MAYER, 

one  of  the  most  prominent  physicians  in  the  state,  was  born  near 
Pomaria,  S.  C.,  February  24,  1818.  His  parents,  Adam  and  Mary 
Mayer,  were  natives  of  South  CaroHna.  Adam  Mayer  was 
the  son  of  John  S.  Mayer,  also  a  native  of  South  Carolina,  and 
by  occupation  a  blacksmith  and  farmer,  by  which  he  came  to  be  quite 
wealthy,  owning  valuable;  lands  and  slaves.  He  took  part  in  the 
Revolutionary  war.  Dr.  Orlando  B.  Mayer  spent  his  boyhood  days 
at  his  home,  to  which  he  was  fondly  attached.  In  his  later  youth  he 
attended  school  at  Lexington,  subsequently  entering  South  Carolina 
college,  from  which  he  graduated  in  1837.  He  then  studied  medicine 
under  Drs.  Wells  and  Tolland,  of  Columbia,  attended  lectures  at  the 
medical  college  at  Charleston,  and  graduated  from  that  institution, 
receiving  therefrom  the  degree  of  M.  D.  He  began  his  medical  prac- 
tice at  Dutch  Fork,  remaining  in  practice  there  for  a  year  or  two, 
when  he  resolved  to  supplement  his  medical  studies  at  some  of  the 
most  noted  European  universities.  April  25,  1844,  he  left  his  home 
at  Pomaria  and  embarked  at  Charleston  for  Liverpool.  He  attended 
the  universities  of  Edinburgh,  Paris  and  Heidelberg,  spending  in  all 
three  years'  time  in  the  pursuit  of  his  studies.  He  returned  to  his 
home  in  April,  1844,  and  after  practicing  his  profession  there  for  two 
years,  removed  to  Newberry,  where  the  remainder  of  his  useful  life 
was  spent. 

Dr.  Mayer  was  thrice  married,  first  in  1839,  to  Miss  Mary  Davis, 
of  Fairfield,  at  that  time  residing  in  Mississippi.  She  lived  less  than 
a  year  after  her  marriage.  In  1851  he  married  Miss  Carrie  De  Walt, 
of  Newberry,  who  died  in  1861,  leaving  him  one  son  and  four  daugh- 
ters.    He  afterward  married  Mrs.  Lou  Kinard,  who  survives  him. 

Dr.  Mayer  had  attained  an  enviable  reputation  as  a  physician,  was 
in  the  foremost  rank  in  his  profession,  and  had  acquired  celebrity  as 
a  writer,  as  well  upon  literary  as  upon  medical  topics.  During  the 
latter  years  of  his  life  he  had  retired  from  active  practice.  He  was 
sought  for  in  counsel  in  critical  cases,  and  himself  performed  many 
delicate  and  difficult  surgical  operations.  But  he  was  not  a  man  to 
sound  his  own  fame.  His  desire  for  the  applause  of  men  as  well  as 
for  the  accumulation  of  w-ealth  was  of  the  most  moderate  kind.  He 
could  have  had  both  at  his  bidding.  A  generous  spirit,  purity  of  life, 
open-hearted  sympathy  for  the  suffering,  and  a  taste  for  literature, 
were  among  his  distinguishing  characteristics.  Besides  being  a  thor- 
ough English  scholar,  he  was  well  up  in  the  classical  languages,  spoke 
and  wrote  the  German  language  with  great  fluency,  and  was  also 
master  of  the  French  language.  With  these  more  solid  acquirements, 
he  had  not  neglected  music  and  the  fine  arts.  He  had  rendered 
many  of  the  German  hymns  and  sonnets  into  English  verse,  requir- 
ing the  exercise  of  fine  poetic  taste  as  well  as  a  good  knowledge  of 
the  German.  He  excelled  in  fiction,  and  "The  Voice,  the  Hand  and 
the  Silhouette"  and  "The  Music  Girl  of  the  Rue  de  la  Harpe,"  were 


324  SOUTH   CAROLINA. 

emanations  from  his  pen  of  especial  merit.  Though  these  were  pub- 
lished in  1857,  the  first  named  prefigured  the  telephone  which  did  not 
materialize  until  some  years  afterward. 

Dr.  Mayer  was  professor  of  physiology  and  hygiene  in  Newberry 
college,  a  position  he  had  held  since  1877,  and  he  held  the  same  posi- 
tion in  that  institution  before  its  removal  from  VValhalla  for  nine  or 
ten  years  preceding  that  date.  He  died  at  his  home  in  Newberry, 
July  16,  1891,  deeply  lamented  by  all  who  knew  him.  A  local  journal 
of  contemporaneous  date,  in  noticing  his  death,  paid  him  this  fine 
tribute:  "  Dr.  Mayer  was  a  consistent  member  of  the  Lutheran  church. 
He  was  a  student  of  the  Bible,  which  he  read  with  devoutness  and  in 
which  he  believed  with  a  strong  faith.  The  grandeur  of  his  character 
is  most  manifest  in  his  religious  life.  No  man  of  our  acquaintance 
possessed  a  more  abiding  faith  in  the  promises  of  the  gospel  of  Christ. 
With  the  faith  of  a  little  child,  his  convictions  were  strong  and  he 
relied  fully  on  the  doctrine  of  the  resurrection  and  the  happiness  of 
the  life  to  come,  which  was  his  solace  and  comfort  in  his  last  illness. 
*  *  *  His  nobleness  of  character  and  his  many  virtues  truly  entitle 
him  to  the  high  name  of  Christian  gentleman."  Dr.  Mayer  left  four 
children:  Dr.  O.  B.  Mayer,  Jr.;  Mrs.  Martin,  of  Laurens;  Mrs.  Con- 
nor, of  Cokesbury,  and  Mrs.  J.  T.  Mayes,  of  Newberry.  One  of  his 
daughters,  Miss  Alice  Mayer,  died  in  December,  1884. 

DR.  JAMES  K.  GILDER, 

a  prominent  physician  and  druggist,  of  Newberry,  was  born  in  the 
county  where  he  now  resides,  in  1856.  He  is  a  son  of  Dr.  James  K. 
and  Lou  A.  Gilder.  The  father  of  James  K.,  Sr.,  was  James  L.  Gilder, 
who  was  a  native  of  Philadelphia.  James  K.  Gilder,  the  subject  of 
this  sketch,  was  educated  in  the  rudimentary  branches  in  the  schools 
of  the  county,  and  afterward  entered  VVofford  college,  but  did  not 
complete  his  course.  He  then  spent  some  time  in  Bryant  &  Strat- 
ton's  Business  college  at  Baltimore,  where  he  graduated.  He  then 
entered  the  University  of  New  York,  graduating  from  that  institution 
in  March,  1878.  He  began  practice  at  once  in  his  native  city  and  has 
followed  the  practice  continuously  up  to  the  present  time.  In  March, 
1889,  he  purchased  an  interest  in  the  drug  firm  of  Cofield  &  Lyon, 
and  took  as  a  partner  Mr.  Robertson.  The  firm  is  now  doing  busi- 
ness under  the  name  of  Robertson  &  Gilder.  Dr.  Gilder  was 
married  in  1878  td  Miss  Fant,  of  Laurens  county,  and  the  issue  of  this 
marriage  has  been  four  children.  He  is  a  meniber  of  the  Chi  Phi 
fraternity  of  the  college  from  which  he  graduated.  He  has  always 
taken  an  active  interest  in  politics,  but  had  never  sought  office.  In 
his  practice  he  has  been  very  successful.  Dr.  Gilder  and  his  family 
are  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  chnrch. 

J.  C.  McMILLEN,   M.  D. 

one  of  Marion  county's  leading  physicians,  is  the  son  of  Sidney  E. 
and    Mary   (Palmer)    McMillcn,  and  was  born  in  Marion,  S.  C,  in 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  325 

1850.  Both  parents  were  natives  of  South  Carolina,  and  the  father 
was  a  son  of  John  McMillen,  who  emigrated  to  this  country  from 
Ogleshire,  Scotland  in  1824,  and  located  in  the  northern  part  of  Mar- 
ion county,  then  a  part  of  North  Carolina.  Here  he  followed  school 
teaching  for  some  time,  after  which  he  embarked  in  the  mercantile 
business  and  planting.  He  served  as  sheriff  of  the  county,  and  at 
the  time  of  his  death  held  the  office  of  magistrate.  His  demise  oc- 
curred in  1858.  He  was  the  father  of  four  sons,  all  of  whom  are  now 
dead,  with  the  exception  of  Sidney,  who  resides  in  Marion.  Sidney 
McMillen  was  born  in  Marion,  and  was  educated  in  his  native  state. 
He  spent  some  years  as  a  traveling-salesman,  and  at  the  outbreak  of 
the  Civil  war  entered  the  service  of  the  Confederate  government  by 
enlisting  in  the  Tenth  South  Carolina  as  captain  of  a  company. 
He  was  subsequently  promoted  to  the  rank  of  major.  His  term  ex- 
tended from  1863,  to  the  last  surrender,  and  his  military  career  was 
marked  by  valor  and  faithfulness.  After  the  war  he  founded  the 
Marion  Crescent,  and  was  engaged  in  its  editorial  management  un- 
til he  sold  the  journal.  Since  that  time  Major  McMillen  has 
given  his  entire  attention  to  agriculture.  He  served  as  postmaster 
at  Marion  for  a  time  under  the  Confederate  government,  and  later 
under  the  Federal  government.  He  has  been  twice  married,  and  is 
the  father  of  four  sons  and  five  daughters.  Dr.  McMillen,  of  whom 
we  will  now  write  more  particularly,  went  to  the  academy  only  six 
months,  then  educated  himself,  and  at  the  age  of  thirteen  entered  his 
father's  printing  office,  where  he  learned  the  compositor's  trade,  which 
he  followed  for  two  years.  He  then  secured  a  clerkship  with  an  uncle 
in  the  drug  business,  and  in  1S79  was  granted  a  diploma  by  the  state 
board.  For  seven  years  thereafter  he  was  engaged  in  the  drug  busi- 
ness, and  in  1881  entered  the  medical  department  of  the  Vanderbilt 
university,  at  Nashville,  Tenn.,  and  after  completing  two  courses  there 
went  to  New  York  city  and  became  a  student  in  the  Bellevue  hospi- 
tal college,  from  which  he  was  graduated  in  1883.  After  graduation 
he  entered  upon  the  practice  of  his  profession  at  Marion,  and  has 
since  made  that  his  home.  He  was  married  in  1888  to  Miss  Mattie  W. 
Robson,  and  one  son  has  been  born  to  their  happy  union.  Dr. 
McMillen  served  the  city  of  Marion  as  warden  with  entire  satisfac- 
tion, and  for  two  years  he  held  the  office  of  coroner,  and  for  a  period 
of  four  years  was  county  physician,  as  well  as  a  member  of  the  county 
e.xamining  board.  His  reputation  as  a  skilled  physician  is  wide- 
spread, and  he  is  rapidly  coming  to  the  front  ranks  of  his  profession 
in  the  state.  As  a  citizen  he  is  held  in  the  highest  esteem,  and  is  pro- 
gressive and  enterprising,  being  interested  in  various  different  con- 
cerns that  are  rapidly  building  up  the  county  in  a  commercial  way. 
At  present  he  is  president  of  the  Real  Estate  company  of  Marion. 

PETER    G.   DeSAUSSURE,  M.  D., 

was  born   in   March,    1S57.     He    is    descended    on   both    sides    from 
French  Huguenots,  on  the  paternal  side  from  the  family  of   DeSaus- 


326  SOUTH   CAROLINA. 

sure,  who  fled  from  Lorraine  during  the  persecution  of  the  Huguenots 
in  France,  in  1551,  to  Switzerland,  whence  a  branch  of  the  family 
came  to  South  Carolina  in  1734.  His  father's  name  was  Wilmittsebles 
DeSaussure,  a  member  of  the  Charleston  bar.  On  the  maternal 
side  he  is  descended  from  the  family  of  Gandin,  of  Artois,  France, 
whence  the  family  fled  on  the  revocation  of  the  edict  of  Nantes,  in 
1685,  to  Carolina.  His  mother  was  Martha,  granddaughter  of  Theo- 
dore Gandin,  who  for  several  terms  was  representative  in  congress 
from  South  Carolina.  Dr.  DeSaussure  received  his  education  in 
Charleston,  and  began  the  study  of  medicine  with  his  uncle,  the  late 
Dr.  Henry  DeSaussure,  in  1875.  In  1876,  though  an  undergraduate, 
he  was  made  one  of  the  "  house  staff"  of  the  city  hospital  at  Charles- 
ton, serving  two  years.  In  1877  he  applied  for  his  degree,  but  this 
was  declined  because  he  was  under  age.  Finally,  in  1878,  he  was 
graduated  from  the  Medical  College  of  South  Carolina.  He  served 
as  a  volunteer  during  the  yellow  fever  epidemic  at  Memphis,  Tenn., 
in  1878,  immediately  after  which  he  went  to  New  York  and  became 
one  of  the  "house  staff"  in  the  "Woman's  hospital  of  the  state  of 
New  York."  In  the  fall  of  1880,  having  served  through  all  the  grades 
in  that  hospital  as  house  surgeon,  he  returned  to  Charleston  and 
commenced  the  practice  of  his  profession.  On  the  death  of  the  late 
Dr.  J.  Ford  Pridean,  in  18S7,  he  was  selected  to  fill  the  chair  of  ob- 
stetrics and  gynecology  in  his  alma  mater.  After  returning  from  the 
north  he  identified  himself  with  the  medical  college,  and  was  ap- 
pointed prosector  of  the  chair  of  anatomy,  then  assistant  to  the  pro- 
fessor of  gynecology,  then  lecturer  on  microscopy.  In  1878  he  was 
made  president  of  the  State  Medical  society  of  South  Carolina,  and 
for  a  number  of  years  served  as  secretary  of  that  society.  He  was  a 
member  of  the  South  Carolina  Medical  association  and  a  fellow  of 
the  American  Medical  association.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Howard 
Medical  association  of  Memphis,  Tenn.,  and  holds  various  other  fel- 
lowships and  memberships  in  medical  and  literary  associations. 

T.  GRANGE  SIMONS,  M.  D., 

a  well-known  and  popular  physician  of  Charleston,  .S.  C,  was  born 
in  that  city  May  10,  1843,  the  son  of  T.  Grange  Simons,  and  the 
grandson  of  T.  Grange  Simons,  and  thus  the  third  in  his  family  to 
bear  that  name.  The  family  is  of  French  refugee  stock,  and  has  been 
in  South  Carolina  since  the  revocation  of  the  edict  of  Nantes.  The 
grandfather  was  born  on  Cooper  river,  S.  C,  during  the  last  century, 
and  the  father  was  born  in  Charleston  in  1816.  I3oth  were  leading 
rice  factors  for  many  years,  doing  business  under  the  well-known  firm 
name  of  T.  Grange  .Simons  &  .Sons.  Dr.  Simons  was  educated  in  the 
schools  of  Charleston.  During  his  junior  year  at  Charleston  college 
in  1861,  he  entered  the  Confederate  army  as  a  member  of  the  Wash- 
ington Light  infantry.  He  was  at  Fort  Sumter  and  Battery  Wagner. 
At  Sccessionville,  S.  C,  on  June  16,  1862,  he  was  shot  through  the 
right  shoulder,  which  laid  him  up  for  five  months.     lie  participated 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  327 

in  the  campaigns  in  Virginia,  and  was  in  tlic  engagement  around  Rich- 
mond, and  was  captured  by  Sherman's  army  a  few  weeks  previous  to 
the  surrender  at  Cheraw  in  1S65,  and  paroled.  After  the  war  he  re- 
turned to  Charleston  and  began  the  study  of  medicine  with  Dr.  W.  H. 
Hugcr,  and  in  1S65  entered  the  Medical  College  of  .South  Carolina, 
where  he  was  graduated  in  1S67.  He  at  once  became  connected  with 
the  city  hospital,  and  later  was  appointed  dispensary  physician,  served 
for  some  time  in  that  capacity,  and  in  connection  with  the  Shirra's 
dispensary.  He  served  as  a  volunteer  physician  during  the  Fernando, 
Fla.,  yellow  fever  epidemic  in  1S77,  and  in  1878  volunteered  and 
served  in  the  Memphis,  Tenn.,  yellow  fever  epidemic  with  the  How- 
ards, and  for  a  period  was  medical  director  of  that  noble  organiza- 
tion during  the  illness  of  Dr.  Mitchell.  He  also  served  through  the 
yellow  fever  epidemics  in  Charleston  in  1871-73-76.  Dr.  Simons 
served  as  assistant  demonstrator  of  anatomy,  was  three  years  assist- 
ant to  the  chair  of  practice,  one  year  of  which  he  served  as  acting 
professor  of  fractural  and  clinical  medicine  of  the  medical  college  of 
the  state  of  South  Carolina.  In  1S80  he  was  appointed  a  member  of 
the  state  board  of  health,  and  was  a  member  of  the  committee  ap- 
pointed to  re-organize  that  board  after  the  war.  He  was  re-appointed 
a  member  of  the  state  board  in  1887,  and  is  serving  his  second  term 
of  seven  years.  He  is  vice-chairman  of  the  board  and  chairman  of 
the  state  quarantine  committee.  He  has  been  particularly  active  and 
has  rendered  great  service  in  the  interest  of  quarantine,  yellow  fever 
and  sanitary  measures.  Dr.  Simons  is  a  member  of  the  state  board 
of  medical  examiners,  and  is  a  member  of,  and  at  present  president, 
of  the  Medical  Society  of  South  Carolina,  and  is  a  member  and  ex- 
president  of  the  South  Carolina  Medical  association.  He  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  American  Public  Health  association,  and  a  member  of  the 
advisory  committee  of  the  same. 

FRANCIS  PEYRE  PORCHER. 

Francis  Peyre  Porcher  was  born  December  14,  1825,  in  St.  Johns, 
Berkeley  Parish,  Charleston,  S.  C.  He  was  educated  at  the  Mount 
Zion  academy  and  the  South  Carolina  college  at  Columbia,  from 
which  latter  institution  he  was  graduated  in  1844,  with  the  degree  of 
A.  B.  From  the  Medical  College  of  South  Carolina,  at  Charleston, 
he  was  graduated  in  1847,  with  the  degree  of  M.  D.,_taking  the  first 
prize  in  a  class  of  seventy-six  medical  students.  His  thesis,  which 
was  published  by  the  college  faculty,  was  entitled  "A  Medico-Bo- 
tanical Catalogue  of  the  Plants  and  Ferns  of  St.  Johns,  Berkeley, 
South  Carolina."  Dr.  Porcher  afterward  spent  two  years  in  attend- 
ance upon  the  medical  schools  in  Paris,  also  passing  some  time  in 
Florence,  Italy,  where  he  acquired  a  fair  knowledge  of  the  Italian 
language.  He  has  continuously  practiced  his  profession  in  Charles- 
ton, where,  with  the  late  Dr.  Flagg,  he  established  the  Charleston 
Preparatory  Medical  school,  and  was  subsequently  elected  professor 
in  the  chairs  of  clinical  medicine  and  of  materia  medica  and  thera- 


32S  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

peutics  in  the  medical  college  of  the  state  of  South  Carolina.  Dr. 
Porcher  was  for  five  years  one  of  the  editors  of  Tlie  Charleston  Med- 
ical Journal  and  Reviezv  and  has  also  assisted  in  editing  and  publishing 
four  volumes  of  the  ''Ne%u  Series"  s\r\c(t  the  war.  He  prepared  bj' order 
of  the  surgeon-general  of  the  Confederate  States,  a  volume  of  over 
700  pages,  entitled  "  The  Resources  of  the  Southern  Fields  and  For- 
ests—  being  also  a  Medical  Botany  of  the  Confederate  States."  The 
book  was  of  such  value  and  interest  as  to  warrant  the  issuance,  by  its 
author,  of  a  new  revised  edition  in  1869.  He  served  throughout  the 
late  war;  was  surgeon  to  the  Holcombe  legion,  to  the  Naval  hospital 
at  Fort  Nelson,  Norfolk  Harbor  aixd  the  South  Carolina  hospital, 
Petersburg,  Va.  His  contributions  on  medical  subjects  to  medical 
publications  have  been  numerous  and  valuable.  Articles  from  his 
pen  have  appeared  in  TJie  American  Journal  of  the  3Iedical  Scicnces,\.]\G. 
Charleston  Medical  Journal  and  Reviezv,  and  other  journals  north  and 
south.  Some  of  his  most  important  contributions  have  been  upon 
yellow  fever,  diseases  of  the  heart  (Wood's  Hand  Book  of  the  Medical 
Sciences) ,  reports  of  sixty-nine  cases  of  paracentesis  of  the  chest 
walls  in  cases  of  effusion,  on  the  medical  and  edible  properties  of  the 
cryptogamic  plants,  on  gastric  remittent  fevers,  hypertesthesia,  etc. 
In  the  index  catalogue  of  the  surgeon-general's  office,  Washington, 
D.  C,  will  be  found  a  partial  list  of  Dr.  Porcher's  publications. 

His  most  recent  papers  are  on  the  treatment  of  grippe,  and  on  a 
pathological  condition  of  the  lungs  hitherto  undescribed  in  this 
country,  but  which  is  not  infrequent.  Dr.  Porcher  is  a  member  of  the 
association  of  American  physicians,  an  associate  fellow  of  the  college 
of  physicians  of  Philadelphia,  and  the  University  of  South  Carolina, 
at  the  commencement  in  May,  1891,  conferred  upon  him  the  degree 
of  LL.  D. 

DR.  J.  S.  BUIST. 

John  Somers  Buist,  M.  D.,  one  of  Charleston's  most  prominent 
physicians  and  citizens,  was  born  in  Charleston,  on  November  26, 
1839,  is  of  Scotch-French  descent,  and  is  the  son  of  George  Buist, 
and  the  grandson  of  the  Rev.  George  Buist,  D.  D.,  both  of  whom 
were  during  their  lives  among  the  leading  citizens.  After  receiving 
his  primar}' and  academic  education  Dr.  Buist  entered  Charleston  col- 
lege, where  he  graduated  with  third  honor,  in  March,  1859.  He  then 
entered  the  South  Carolina  Medical  college,  and  in  March,  1861,  gradu- 
ated there  as  M.  D.,  with  first  honors.  The  same  year  he  entered  the 
Confederate  army  as  an  assistant  surgeon,  and  was  assigned  to  duty 
at  Fort  Moultrie  and  Castle  Pinckney,  in  Charleston  harbor.  Subse- 
quently he  was  transferred  to  the  army  of  northern  Virginia,  where 
he  served  two  years  as  assistant  surgeon  of  Hampton's  Legion,  of 
South  Carolina.  In  1863  he  was  promoted  surgeon  with  the  rank  of 
major,  of  Haskell's  Battalion  of  Light  artiller}',  First  corps,  army 
of  Virginia,  and  as  such  scr\ed  through  the  balance  of  the  war,  sur- 
rendering with  Gen.  Lee,  at  Appomatox  C.  II.     In   1S65,  Dr.  Buist 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  329 

returned  to  Charleston,  and  engaged  in  a  general  practice  as  a  physi- 
cian, at  which  he  has  since  continued,  meeting  with  abundant  suc- 
cess. Dr.  Buist  materially  aided  in  the  organization  of  the  health 
department  of  Charleston,  and  in  1871,  was  the  organizer  and  pro- 
moter of  the  system  of  hospitals  existing  in  Charleston  prior  to  the 
earthquakes,  which  totally  destroyed  the  buildings  and  appurtenances 
of  the  same.  l'"rom  1870  to  1S73,  he  was  assistant  professor  of  materia 
medica  in  the  South  Carolina  Medical  college,  and  was  a  clinical  lec- 
turer at  the  Charleston  City  hospital  during  the  sessions  of  the  South 
Carolina  Medical  college.  He  was  for  ten  years  physician-in-chief 
to  the  City  and  Roper  hospitals,  and  at  the  same  time  physician  to 
the  United  States  Marine  hospital,  and  he  was  elected  and  served 
for  three  consecutive  terms  a  trustee  of  the  Roper  hospital  fund, 
and  had  complete  charge  of  that  fund  for  an  interregnum  of  six 
months  after  the  death  of  the  first  and  only  treasurer.  Dr.  William  T. 
Wrag.  He  has  also  served  as  physician  to  the  State  Orphan  asylum, 
and  temporary  physician  to  the  Ursuline  convent.  In  1879  he  was 
elected  by  the  city  council,  as  the  physician-at-large,  to  serve  upon 
the  municipal  board  of  health,  and  in  that  capacity  served  as  chair- 
man of  the  committee  on  low  lots  and  drainage,  committee  on 
quarantine,  and  chairman  of  the  committee  on  mortuary  reports. 
The  present  system  of  death  returns  in  Charleston,  was  instituted 
by  him.  He  was  also  elected  first  vice-president  of  the  board  of 
health,  and  during  a  good  portion  of  his  term  served  as  chairman  of 
the  board.  Dr.  Buist  is  a  member  of  the  Medical  Society  of  South 
Carolina,  and  was  elected  in  1883,  president  of  the  same,  serving  two 
years.  With  one  exception  this  is  the  oldest  medical  association  in 
the  United  States,  and  during  Dr.  Buist's  presidency,  the  constitution 
of  the  society  was  remodeled  for  the  first  time  in  ninety  years,  and 
placed  upon  modern  principles.  Dr.  Buist  is  also  a  member  of  the 
American  Medical  association,  and  of  the  South  Carolina  Medi- 
cal association,  and  when  a  committee  was  appointed  after  the 
war  to  re-organize  this  association,  he  was  chosen  chairman  of  the 
same.  Subsequently  he  served  for  three  years  as  secretary  of 
the  association,  and  from  1874  to  1878,  was  its  corresponding  secre- 
tary. Among  the  different  professional  contributions  of  Dr.  Buist 
may  be  mentioned  papers,  "On  Abdominal  Rupture,"  "  On  Treat- 
ment of  Fractured  Thigh,"  and  several  articles  on  "  Guinea  Worm," 
and  among  his  more  notable  operations  was  the  removal  of  the  upper 
jaw  of  a  child  nine  years  of  age,  reported  in  the  Transactions  of  the 
Medical  Society  of  South  Carolina.  Dr.  Buist  is  one  of  the  leading 
Masons  of  the  south.  He  was  made  a  Mason  in  1866,  by  joining  Wash- 
ington lodge,  No.  5,  of  Charleston.  He  filled  thechair  of  senior  warden, 
and  subsequently  served  as  master  for  two  years.  He  served  as  jun- 
ior grand  warden  of  the  grand  lodge  of  South  Carolina,  from  1867 
to  1869,  and  in  1870  was  made  grand  master  of  Lodge  of  Perfection, 
No.  I,  A.  A.  S.  R.,  of  South  Carolina,  under  the  jurisdiction  of  the  Su- 
preme Council  of  the  Southern  Jurisdiction  of  the  United  States. _  He 
rose  rapidly  in   Masonry,  and  in  two  years  (1872),  was  made  a  thirty- 


I 


330  ■  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

second  degree  Mason.  In  1876,  by  a  unanimous  vote  of  the  Supreme 
Council,  in  Baltimore,  he  was  elected  to  take  the  thirty-third  degree, 
and  was  made  honorary  inspector-general  of  South  Carolina.  At  that 
time  he  was  the  youngest  thirty-third  degree  Mason  in  the  world. 
Dr.  Buist  takes  an  active  interest  in  any  and  all  things  pertaining  to 
the  welfare  and  good  of  the  order  of  which  he  is  so  distinguished  a 
member.  Dr.  Buist  was  married  on  February  21,  1867,  to  Mar- 
garet S.,  daughter  of  A.  S.  Johnston,  of  Charleston.  As  a  physician 
Dr.  Buist  takes  rank  with  the  eminent  M.  D.'s  of  Charleston,  and 
the  state.  His  long  and  active  practice  has  been  successful  to  a 
marked  degree,  and  he  has  been  the  recipient  of  all  the  professional 
honors  his  city  and  brother  physicians  could  bestow.  In  discharging 
the  duties  of  the  many  professional  positions  to  which  he  has  been 
called,  he  always  brought  to  bear  his  whole  amount  of  energy,  ability 
and  perseverance,  and  in  doing  so  acquitted  himself  in  an  admirable 
and  most  satisfactory  manner.  He  is  an  ardent  lover  of  his  profes- 
sion, and  labors  with  untiring  zeal  to  promote  the  practice  of  medi- 
cine in  his  city  and  state  to  a  higher  and  more  successful  plane.  As 
a  citizen  he  is  all  that  could  be  desired  —  broad  and  liberal  in  his 
views,  enterprising,  public-spirited,  always  ready  to  lend  aid  to  all 
worthy  public  enterprises,  and  laboring  to  build  up  and  maintain  the 
institutions  of  his  city.  Both  as  a  citizen  and  physician,  the  efforts  and 
able  assistance  rendered  in  the  past  by  Dr.  Buist  have  always  been 
quickly  recognized  and  appreciated  by  his  fellow  citizens,  and  he  is 
cheerfully  accorded  the  high  and  prominent  position  he  occupies  in 
medicine  and  public  affairs. 

ROBERT   ALEXANDER   KINLOCH, 

the  leading  physician  and  surgeon  of  Charleston,  and  one  of  the  most 
prominent  members  of  the  medical  profession  in  the  south,  is  a 
native  of  Charleston,  born  in  that  city  February  20,  1826.  His  father 
was  George  Kinloch,  a  native  of  England,  who  emigrated  to  the  United 
States  while  yet  young  and  located  in  Charleston.  He  married  a 
Philadelphia  lady,  whose  mother  was  a  native  of  Wales,  and  they  had 
twelve  children,  eight  of  whom  still  survive.  For  a  great  number  of 
years  George  Kinloch  was  one  of  Charleston's  leading  and  success- 
ful merchants  and  one  of  its  representative  citizens,  serving  often  in 
the  city  board  of  councilmen.  His  death  occurred  in  his  eighty-third 
year.  The  primary  education  of  Dr.  Kinloch  was  obtained  in  the 
Charleston  schools,  and  in  1845  he  graduated  from  the  Charleston 
college  with  the  degree  of  *A.  B.  He  studied  medicine  in  the  ofifice 
of  Dr.  John  Ballinger,  and  in  1848  graduated  from  the  University  of 
Pennsylvania.  In  the  spring  of  that  year  he  began  practice  in  the 
city  of  Charleston,  at  which  he  continued  until  1854,  when  he  went  to 
Europe  and  spent  nearly  two  years,  studying  principally  in  Paris, 
London  and  Edinburgh.  In  Paris  he  attended  the  surgical  clinics  of 
Velpauand  Helaton,twoof  the  most  eminent  French  surgeons.  He  also 
attended  surgical  and  medical  wards  and  took  special  courses  in  dif- 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  33 1 

ferent  departments.  In  1S55  he  returned  to  Charleston,  resumed  his 
practice,  being  soon  afterward  elected  chief  surgeon  of  Roper  hospi- 
tal, then  just  opened.  He  filled  this  position  until  the  breaking  out 
of  the  late  war,  at  the  same  time  attending  to  his  practice  and  lectur- 
ing on  surgery  to  local  classes.  In  1861  he  was  commissioned  by  Pres- 
ident Davis  a  surgeon  in  the  Confederate  army,  being  among  the 
earliest  to  receive  a  commission,  and  was  on  duty  at  the  first  battle  of 
Manassas,  though  not  arriving  there  until  after  the  battle  had  been 
fought.  He  next  reported  by  order  to  Gen.  J.  E.  Johnston,  command- 
er of  the  army  of  the  Potomac,  and  was  subsecjuently  detailed  as 
surgeon-general  on  an  examining  board  at  Norfolk,  which  board  was 
the  first  one  for  examining  surgeons  appointed  by  colonels.  After 
serving  on  the  board  for  several  months  he  was,  at  his  own  request, 
relieved  and  ordered  to  report  to  Gen.  Lee  as  medical  director,  with 
headquarters  at  Charleston,  of  South  Carolina,  Georgia  and  Florida, 
serving  afterward  with  Gens.  Peniberton  and  Beauregard,  and  upon 
orders  he  established  a  second  medical  examining  board  at  Charleston. 
Illness  compelled  him  to  seek  rest  for  a  while  in  retirement,  and  subse- 
quently he  was  appointed  inspector  of  hospitals  for  South  Carolina, 
Georgia  and  Florida.  When  Wilmington  was  threatened  he  was  or- 
dered to  report  to  Gen.  Gist,  commanding  the  Confederate  forces,  as 
chief  surgeon,  and  upon  the  disappearance  of  all  fears  of  attack  being 
made,  he  resumed  his  duties  as  superintendent  of  hospitals  for  the 
above  department  and  continued  as  such  until  the  close  of  the  war. 
After  the  war.  Dr.  Kinloch  returned  to  Charleston  and  resumed  his 
general  practice,  at  which  he  has  since  continued,  meeting  with  de- 
served success.  A  vacancy  occurring  in  the  Medical  College  of  South 
Carolina  in  1867,  he  was  elected  to  the  chair  of  materia  medica  and 
therapeutics,  which  position  he  accepted  with  the  understanding  that 
he  would  be  transferred  to  the  chair  of  surgeon  as  soon  as  a  vacancy 
occurred.  That  vacancy  occurred  in  1870,  and  he  was  appointed  pro- 
fessor of  general  and  clinical  surgery.  He  continued  to  fill  this  chair 
until  1S87,  when  at  his  own  request  it  was  divided  into  two  professor- 
ships and  he  was  appointed  to  the  chair  of  clinical  surger}-,  which  he 
now  holds.  Dr.  Kinloch  is  a  member  of  the  American  Medical  as- 
sociation, of  which  he  served  one  year  as  first  vice-presid«nt.  He  is 
one  of  the  original  members  and  founders  of  the  American  Surgical 
association,  and  has  served  as  a  member  of  its  board  of  council.  He 
is  a  member  of  the  South  Carolina  Medical  association  and  was  pres- 
ident of  the  same  in  1884.  He  is  a  member  of  and  an  ex-president 
of  the  South  Carolina  Medical  society,  the  oldest  with  the  exception 
of  one  medical  society  in  the  United  States.  In  1876  he  was  a  dele- 
gate to  the  International  medical  convention.  He  is  now  president 
of  the  board  of  trustees  of  the  South  Carolina  school  for  training 
nurses.  Dr.  Kinloch  was  the  first  surgeon  in  the  world  to  open  the  ab- 
domen as  an  explorative  operation  in  cases  .of  gunshot  wounds,  with 
a  view  of  restoring  the  intestines,  twenty  years  in  advance  of  any  one 
else.  He  also  performed  the  second  case  of  this  kind,  twenty  years 
afterward.     He  is  given  full   credit  by  physicians  in  general  for  this 


332  SOU'.'-H    CAROLINA. 

pioneer  work.  He  also  made  the  first  re-section  of  the  knee-joint, 
for  chronic  diseases  in  the  United  States.  He  is  the  inventor  of  an 
improved  urethrotome  and  stricture  dilator  and  an  intranterine  stem- 
pessary,  and  has  made  many  other  valuable  contributions  to  medical  and 
surgical  scientific  literature,  having  been  at  one  time  one  of  the  edi- 
tors of  the  Charleston  Medical  Journal.  Both  as  a  physician  and  sur- 
geon Dr.  Kinloch  ranks  among  the  leading  and  most  prominent  of 
the  profession  in  the  south.  While  not  making  a  specialty  of  surgery 
in  his  practice,  it  is  probably  in  this  line  that  he  has  attained  his 
greatest  eminence  and  distinction,  his  fame  and  skill  in  surgery  hav- 
ing passed  beyond  the  boundaries  of  his  state  and  section  to  the  en- 
tire country.  Endowed  with  an  ardent  love  for  his  profession,  and 
with  talents  peculiarly  fitting  him  for  its  higher  practice,  he  has  been 
fortunate  in  having  had  ample  opportunity  for  improving  and  culti- 
vating his  natural  abilities,  by  education,  study  and  travel,  and  his  ex- 
perience added  to  all  these,  makes  him  a  leader  among  the  most 
prominent  of  his  profession.  Dr.  Kinlock  was  married  in  1S56  to 
Miss  Elizabeth  Caldwell  of  Fairfield  county,  S.  C,  and  they  have  had 
nine  children,  seven  of  whom  are  now  living.  His  eldest  son,  George 
G.,  was  one  of  Charleston's  most  promising  young  men,  with  a 
good  outlook  of  attaining  eminence  and  distinction  in  the  practice. 
After  graduating  from  the  Charleston  Medical  college  he  went  to 
Europe  and  completed  his  education  in  the  different  schools  and 
hospitals  of  London,  Paris,  Vienna  and  other  cities.  Returning  home 
he  began  practice  with  his  father,  and  had  just  made  a  most  propi- 
tious start  when  he  met  his  death  by  a  railroad  accident  in  June,  1886, 
at  the  age  of  twenty-four  years. 

ALLARD  MEMMINGER,  M.  D. 

One  of  the  prominent  young  physicians  of  Charleston,  S.  C,  is  Dr. 
Allard  Memminger,  son  of  the  late  Hon.  C.  G.  Memminger,  of  whom 
a  sketch  appears  in  this  volume.  Dr.  Memminger  was  born  in 
Charleston  on  September  30,  1854,  and  attended  first  the  schools  of 
his  native  city,  and  then  entered  the  University  of  Virginia,  where  he 
was  graduated  in  1874,  having  passed  through  a  general  academic 
course  and  a  special  course  in  chemistry.  Subsequently  he  took  a  full 
course  of  lectures  at  the  South  Carolina  medical  college.  After  leav- 
ing college  he  began  the  practice  of  chemistr}',  at  which  he  was  very 
successful,  gaining  quite  a  reputation,  which  led  to  his  being  chosen 
to  fill  the  office  of  state  chemist  of  South  Carolina  for  several  years. 
After  devoting  several  years  to  chemistry  he  took  up  the  practice  of 
medicine  about  1880,  for  which  profession  he  was  well  qualified,  and 
soon  afterward  was  offered,  and  accepted,  the  professorship  of  chem- 
istry and  hygiene  (two  separate  chairs)  in  the  South  Carolina  medi- 
cal college,  which  positions  he  holds  at  the  present  time.  In  18S9,  Dr. 
Memminger,  to  more  thoroughly  equip  and  perfect  himself  for  prac- 
ticing his  profession,  went  to  Europe  and  spent  that  year  in  study  in 
the  leading  hospitals  of  Paris,  Vienna,  Edinburgh  and  London.     Dr. 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  333 

Memminger  has  been  a  contributor  to  medical  j<jurnal.s,  among 
which  contributions  may  be  mentioned  the  following:  An  essay 
upon  "Science  in  the  l'"ield,"a  treatise  on  the  chemistry  and  hygiene 
of  the  plants,  which  was  published  in  pamphlet  form.  Papers  to  the 
Neii)  }\)rk  Medical  Journal  upon  the  "Treatment  and  Diagnosisof  Kid- 
ney Diseases,"  which  diseases  have  been  made  a  specialty  by  the  doc- 
tor. Me  also  pr(;parcd  a  paper  upon  the  cure  of  "  Brights  Disease," 
by  request  of  the  National  convention  held  in  Nashville,  Tenn.,  in 
1889,  which  paper  dealt  chiefly  with  his  own  treatment  for  that  dis- 
ease. Dr.  INIemminger  also  prepared  for  the  United  States  govern- 
ment a  paper  upon  the  waters  of  Charleston  and  vicinity,  which 
formed  part  of  a  discussion  furnished  the  French  government  by  our 
own,  the  object  being  to  make  a  comparison  of  waters  in  this  country 
and  those  of  France,  and  ascertain  their  relation  to  the  diseases. 
This  was  an  extensive  affair,  and  Dr.  Memminger  in  preparing  his 
paper  made  a  thorough  examination  of  all  the  waters  used  in  this  sec- 
tion of  the  country.  He  also  prepared  an  exhaustive  report  upon  the 
sanitary  relations  and  the  advisability  of  Flat  Rock  and  Henderson- 
ville,  N.  C,  as  health  resorts.  Dr.  Memminger  is  a  member  of  the  state 
medical  society,  of  the  pharmaceutical  board  of  examiners  for  South 
Carolina,  of  the  board  of  health  of  the  city  of  Charleston,  and  one 
of  the  visiting  physicians  to  the  city  hospital  of  Charleston. 

DR.  JAMES  MARSHALL  McCLANAHAN, 

a  leading  physician  of  Walhalla,  was  born  in  Greenville  county,  .S.  C, 
on  a  farm  bordering  on  Saluda  river,  January  i8,  1840.  His  father, 
Samuel  G.  McClanahan,  was  a  farmer,  and  a  native  also  of  Greenville 
county.  He  was  a  very  successful  agriculturist,  and  was  one  of  the 
very  few  men  whom  the  war  left  as  well-to-do  as  it  found  him.  He 
had  but  little  slave  property,  but  his  investment  was  chiefly  in  real 
estate.  The  maiden  name  of  his  wife,  the  mother  of  the  subject  of 
this  sketch,  was  Harriet  Harrison,  a  native  of  Greenville  county,  and 
daughter  of  Capt.  Jack  Harrison.  Samuel  McClanahan  died  in  1878, 
his  wife  having  preceded  him  to  the  grave  in  1874.  He  was  the  son 
of  John  McClanahan,  who  was  also  a  native  of  Greenville  county, 
and  a  farmer  by  occupation.  Sometime  about  the  year  1830,  he  re- 
moved to  Missouri,  and  died  there  shortly  before  the  breaking  out  of 
the  Civil  war.  Dr.  McClanahan,  on  the  paternal  side,  is  of  Scotch 
descent.  He  spent  the  first  twenty-one  years  of  his  life  mostly  on  a 
farm  in  Greenville  county.  He  received  a  collegiate  education  at 
Furman  university,  at  which  institution  he  completed  the  junior  year. 
At  the  age  of  nineteen  he  left  the  university  and  entered  upon  the 
study  of  law,  it  being  the  desire  of  his  father  that  he  should  become 
a  lawyer.  The  legal  profession  was  not  in  accordance  with  his  taste, 
however,  and  after  studying  legal  books  four  or  five  months  he  gave 
up  the  idea  of  becoming  a  lawyer,  and  began  the  study  of  medicine, 
which  had  been  his  personal  choice  from  the  beginning.  He  pursued 
his  medical  studies  under  the  direction  of  Dr.  James   Harrison,  his 


334  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

uncle,  for  one  year,  just  preceding  the  war.  On  the  4th  of  June, 
1S61,  he  gave  up  his  studies  to  enter  the  Confederate  service,  and,  on 
that  day  was  enrolled  as  a  member  of  the  Hampton  legion,  which  sub- 
sequently became  the  Second  South  Carolina  cavalry,  commanded  by 
Col.  M.  C.  Butler.  He  remained  in  the  service  until  the  close  of  the 
war,  acting  during  the  last  three  years  as  a  non-commissioned  officer. 
He  was  in  several  of  the  most  important  engagements  of  the  war, 
and  discharged  his  duties  in  a  loyal  and  soldierl}'  manner.  At  the 
war's  close  he  resumed  his  favorite  study,  continuing  it  for  two  years 
under  the  preceptorship  of  Dr.  Baylis  Earle,  of  Greenville,  an  emi- 
nent physician  of  his  time.  Before  the  war,  while  under  the  tuition 
of  Dr.  Harrison,  he  had  taken  a  course  of  lectures  in  the  South  Car- 
olina INIedical  college  at  Charleston.  This  institution  he  re-entered 
in  the  fall  of  1S66,  and  graduated  one  year  later.  He  at  once  began 
the  practice  of  his  profession  in  Greenville,  and  has  devoted  his  at- 
tention to  it,  with  one  or  two  slight  interruptions,  ever  since.  His 
practice  has  been  attended  with  unusual  success.  He  located  in 
Oconee  county,  in  1874,  and  came  to  Walhalla,  the  county  seat,  in 
1890.  Dr.  McClanahan  ranks  among  the  first  physicians  in  the  upper 
part  of  the  state,  and  enjoys  an  extensive  and  successful  practice. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  Oconee  County  Medical  society.  In  politics 
he  adheres  to  the  democratic  party,  and  in  his  religious  views  sub- 
scribes to  the  creed  of  the  Baptist  church,  being  a  member  of  that 
body.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the  K.  of  H.  and  of  the  Farmers' 
alliance.  He  retains  his  interest  in  the  farming  industry,  which  he 
has  had  carried  on  ever  since  the  close  of  the  war.  He  owns  a  fine 
farm  in  Oconee  county.  Dr.  McClanahan  was  married  February  22, 
1870,  to  Miss  Mar}'  Evelyn  Verner,  a  native  of  Oconee  county,  and 
daughter  of  E.  P.  Verner.  They  have  four  children  living,  one  son 
and  three  daughters. 

DR.   GEORGE   W.   EARLE, 

a  prominent  physician  of  Pickens,  S.  C,  was  born  in  Anderson  county, 
in  September,  1836.  His  father  was  Dr.  James  W.  Earle,  a  native  of 
Greenville,  S.  C,  and  among  the  first  born  children  of  that  place.  He 
was  the  son  of  Washington  and  Elizabeth  Earle,  who  were  the  first 
settlers  of  Greenville.  Dr.  James  \V.  Earle  is  still  living,  a  venerable 
citizen  of  Pickens  county.  His  wife,  before  marriage,  was  Amanda 
Benson,  a  native  of  Pendleton,  and  daughter  of  E.  B.  Benson,  a  mer- 
chant, who  was  at  one  time  sheriff  of  the  old  Pendleton  district.  She 
died  in  December,  i8qo,  at  the  age  of  seventy-five.  Dr.  George  W. 
Earle  was  reared  on  a  farm  in  Anderson  county,  and  received  his 
early  literary  training  under  Rev.  J.  L.  Kennedy,  whose  reputation  as 
an  educator  was  wide-spread.  At  the  age  of  eighteen  Dr.  Earle 
began  the  study  of  medicine  under  the  tuition  of  his  father  and  Dr. 
Andrew  Cater,  of  Anderson..  In  1857  he  entered  the  medical  college 
at  Charleston,  from  which  he  graduated  in  1859.  He  immediately 
began  the  practice  of  medicine  at  Slabtown,  Anderson  county.     In 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  335 

the  spring  of  iS6i  he  enlisted  as  a  private  with  the  Pahiictto  riflemen, 
Fourth  South  Carolina  regiment,  and  served  throughout  the  entire 
war,  chiefly  in  the  medical  department.  In  the  battle  of  Williams- 
burg he  received  a  slight  wound.  At  the  close  of  the  war  he  resumed 
his  medical  practice  at  Slabtown.  In  1877  he  removed  to  Pickens, 
where  he  has  ever  since  practiced,  and  in  connection  with  his  prac- 
tice has  conducted  a  drug  store.  Me  is  president  of  the  Pickens 
County  Medical  society.  In  politics  he  is  a  democrat.  Religiously, 
he"  is  an  official  member  of  the  Presbyterian  church.  Dr.  Earle  was 
married  in  1874  to  Miss  Jeannette  Breazeale,  of  Belton,  Anderson 
county.  They  have  five  children,  three  sons  and  two  daughters,  all 
of  whom  are  living. 

HON.  REZIN  WESLEY  BATES,  M.  D., 

was  born  of  German-English  parentage,  at  Newberry,  S.  C,  Feb- 
ruary 17th,  1819,  the  son  of  Jacob  and  Sarah  (Wooley)  Bates,  the 
former  a  native  of  Newberry,  and  the  latter's  parents  came  from 
Maryland.  The  father  followed  the  avocation  of  a  planter  and  was 
a  magistrate  for  many  years.  He  was  also  a  captain  in  the  state 
militia.  Rezin  Wesley  Bates  was  the  fourth  son.  Until  the  age  of 
fourteen  he  was  a  student  in  the  Newberry  schools,  after  which  he 
entered  the  academy  at  Prosperity.  Subsequently  he  went  to  Lex- 
ington C.  H.,  S.  C,  and  completed  his  scholastic  training  there.  After 
leaving  school  he  taught  for  some  time,  and  in  1S37  entered  a  mer- 
cantile establishment  at  Newberry  as  a  clerk.  Two  years  subsequent 
he  began  the  study  of  medicine  under  the  tutelage  of  Dr.  Samuel 
Fair,  who  during  that  year  went  to  Europe,  leaving  his  office  in 
charge  of  Dr.  King.  Mr.  Bates  remained  in  the  office  but  a  few 
months  and  then  entered  Transylvania  university  at  Lexington,  Ky. 
In  1840,  Dr.  Bates  attended  lectures  in  Charleston,  and  graduated 
with  honors  in  1841.  The  latter  part  of  his  medical  course  was  taken 
in  Charleston  as  the  climate  of  Lexington  did  not  agree  with  him. 
After  graduating,  he  began  to  practice  in  Orangeburg  county.  In 
1843  he  took  up  his  residence  on  a  plantation  upon  which  he  has 
since  remained.  In  1884,  Dr.  Bates  retired  from  active  life,  having 
achieved  much  success,  both  as  a  physician  and  planter.  In  1862  he 
was  elected  to  the  legislature,  where  he  served  for  two  terms  with  dis- 
tinction. During  the  war  he  was  exempt  from  military  service  as  his 
profession  demanded  his  presence  at  home.  Since  the  war  he  has 
persistently  declined  political  preferment.  Dr.  Bates's  marriage  to 
Miss  Elizabeth  Evans  was  solemnized  December  8th,  1842.  She  was 
the  daughter  of  John  Evans,  whose  father  was  a  captain  in  the  war  of 
American  Independence,  and  served  in  the  battle  of  Eutaw  Springs. 
Soon  after  that  battle  he  was  murdered  by  a  band  of  tories  while 
home  on  a  furlough.  To  the  union  of  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Bates  have  been 
born  six  daughters  and  five  sons.  One  of  the  sons,  Mr.  W.  T.  C. 
Bates,  is  the  treasurer  of  South  Carolina.  On  the  igth  day  of  April, 
1890,  Mrs.  Bates  went  to  her  final  rest.     She  was  a  woman  among 


33D  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

women,  a  devoted  mother  and  wife,  and  of  great  charity.  Since  her 
demise  Dr.  Bates  has  made  his  home  with  his  youngest  son,  Mr.  F.D. 
Bates. 

DR.  PETER  E.  GRIFFIN 

was  born  at  Society  Hills,  Darlington  county,  S.  C,  August  30,  1830, 
and  received  his  education  in  the  schools  of  Darlington  county,  after- 
ward attending  South  Carolina  college,  from  which  he  graduated  in 
1852.  He  then  entered  upon  the  study  of  medicine,  attending  a 
course  of  lectures  at  the  state  medical  college  at  Charleston.  He 
graduated  in  the  medical  course  of  the  University  of  Pennsylvania  in 
1855.  Returning  to  his  home  at  Society  Hills,  he  practiced  medicine 
for  two  years  and  then  went  to  Europe  to  take  a  two  years'  course  in 
the  hospitals  of  Paris.  He  then  returned  to  his  native  home,  and 
there  remained  until  the  war  broke  out.  In  1861  he  enlisted  in  Com- 
pany F,  Eighth  regiment,  South  Carolina  volunteer  infantry,  as  a 
private,  but  was  soon  after  made  a  second  lieutenant  of  his  company. 
Owing  to  ill  health  at  this  time  he  was  obliged  to  go  home  anci  remain 
until  the  last  ^-ear  of  the  war.  He  then  re-entered  the  service  as 
surgeon  of  the  Third  regiment.  South  Carolina  state  troops,  which 
rank  he  held  when  the  war  closed.  Dr.  Griffin  was  in  the  first  battle 
of  Bull  Run  and  at  Williamsburg,  Va.,  besides  many  other  engage- 
ments and  skirmishes.  Returning  from  the  war  he  resumed  the 
practice  of  his  profession  in  his  old  home  until  1876,  when  he  went  to 
Florence,  where  he  remained  until  January  i,  1878,  when  he  was 
selected  by  the  board  of  regents  of  the  state  insane  asylum  at  Colum- 
bia as  superintendent  of  that  institution,  which  position  he  holds  at 
the  present  time.  He  is  a  member  of  the  South  Carolina  medical 
association,  a  member  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias,  Knights  of  Honor 
and  Knights  of  the  Golden  Rule.  Dr.  Griffin  was  married  in  1872  to 
Miss  Emma,  daughter  of  Joab  Mauldin,  of  Greenbury,  and  to  them 
were  born  six  children,  as  follows:  Walter,  Harry,  Arthur,  Roderick, 
Peter  and  Emma  Griffin.  The  father  of  Dr.  Griffin  was  Thomas  W. 
Griffin,  a  native  of  South  Carolina,  who  died  about  1833,  leaving 
three  children  surviving,  of  whom  the  doctor  is  the  youngest.  His 
mother's  maiden  name  was  Eliza  Mclver.  She  departed  this  life 
in  1876. 

DR.  ALEXANDER  N.  TALLEY 

was  born  at  Washington,  Wilkes  county,  Ga.,  October  27,  1827.  He 
graduated  from  the  South  Carolina  college  with  the  degree  of  A.  B. 
in  1848,  and  at  once  entered  the  Charleston  medical  college,  gradu- 
ating from  there  with  the  degree  of  M.  D.,  in  March,  1850,  having 
spent  one  year  in  the  hospitals  of  New  York.  The  years  1850  and 
1851  he  spent  in  the  hospitals  of  Paris.  In  1852  he  established  him- 
self in  the  practice  of  medicine  in  Columbia,  S.  C,  where  he  now 
continues  to  practice.     In  April,  i86r,  he  entered  tlie    Confederate 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  337 

army,  and  soon  after  was  appointed  medical  director  of  the  forces  of 
South  Carolina,  and  after  the  admission  of  this  state  to  the  Confed- 
eracy, was  appointed  surgeon  in  the  Confederate  army.  He  was  soon 
afterward  promoted  to  medical  director  of  South  Carolina.  In  the 
following  November,  iS6i,  he  was  appointed  president  of  the  Con- 
federate States  army  board  of  medical  examiners,  who  passed  upon 
the  qualifications  of  surgeons  for  the  army.  This  important  position 
he  held  till  the  close  of  the  war.  After  the  war  he  returned  to  Co- 
lumbia, and  as  soon  as  the  South  Carolina  university  was  organized, 
he  was  elected  to  the  chair  of  practice  of  medicine  in  that  institution, 
which  position  he  held  till  the  abolition  of  the  medical  department  some 
years  afterward.  He  then  resumed  the  practice  of  medicine,  which 
he  still  pursues  there.  In  187S  he  again  visited  Kurope  in  further- 
ance of  his  professional  aims.  Dr.  Talley  has  been  a  member  of  the 
American  Medical  association  since  1858,  being  for  eight  years  a 
member  of  the  judicial  council  of  that  body.  In  1874,  he  was  ap- 
pointed chairman  of  the  section  of  the  American  Medical  association 
on  medical  jurisprudence,  chemistr}'  and  psychology,  which  met  in 
Detroit,  Mich.  He  is  now  professor  of  the  practice  of  medicine  in 
the  South  Carolina  college  for  women.  He  is  also  ex-president  of 
the  South  Carolina  Medical  association,  and  ex-president  of  the  Co- 
lumbia Medical  society  and  president  of  the  association  of  surviving 
surgeons  of  the  late  Confederacy.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the 
board  of  regents  of  the  state  insane  asylum  at  Columbia.  He  is  now 
chairman  of  the  state  board  of  medical  examiners  for  licensing  phy- 
sicians. He  is  also  medical  examiner  and  referee  for  the  Equitable 
Life  Insurance  company,  also  medical  examiner  for  the  New  York  Mu- 
tual and  the  Mutual  Benefit  Insurance  company  of  Newark,  N.  J.,  and 
for  several  others.  He  is  one  of  the  directors  of  the  Central  National 
bank  of  Columbia,  and  director  in  several  of  the  building  and  loan  as- 
sociations. Dr.  Alexander  N.  Talley  was  married  in  1852,  to  Miss 
Eugenia  P.,  daughter  of  Dr.  John  Myers,  of  Fairfield  county,  S.  C;  to 
this  union  there  were  born  five  children,  of  whom  four  survive  as  follows: 
Dr.  A.  N.  Talley,  Jr.,  Eugenia,  wife  of  T.  Hazel  Gibbs;  Amy,  widow 
of  Preston  Cunningham,  and  Lawson  Clay  Talley.  The  father  of 
Dr.  Talley,  Rev.  Nicholas  Talley,  was  born  in  Hanover  county,  Va., 
and  moved  in  early  life  to  South  Carolina  where  he  died  in  1871,  in 
his  eighty-second  year.  His  grandfather  was  a  Huguenot  who  fled 
from  France  after  the  revocation  of  the  edict  of  Nantes  in  1865. 
Dr.  Talley's  grandfather  and  great-grandfather  were  both  soldiers  in 
the  Revolutionary  war,  and  were  both  under  arms  at  Yorktown  at 
the  surrender  of  Cornwallis. 

DR.  GEORGE   HOWE 

was  born  in  Columbia,  S.  C,  in  the  elegant  home  where  he  now  re- 
sides, January  29,  1848,  receiving  his  education  in  the  South  Carolina 
university.  He  graduated  in  1869,  and  afterward  took  a  post-gradu- 
ate course  in  the   medical   department,  from   which  he  graduated  in 


338  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

1870.  He  spent  the  next  year  in  the  medical  department  of  the  Uni- 
versit}-  of  Louisiana.  Thence  he  returned  to  Columbia,  where  he 
began  the  practice  of  medicine  and  where  he  now  has  a  large 
practice,  paying  especial  attention  to  diseases  of  the  eye.  He  is 
a  member  of  the  Columbia  medical  society  and  of  the  South  Carolina 
medical  association.  Dr.  Howe  was  married  in  1873  to  Miss  Annie  J. 
Wilson,  daughter  of  Joseph  R.  Wilson,  D.  D.,  of  Clarksville,  Tenn., 
where  he  is  professor  in  the  Southwestern  Presbj^terian  university. 
To  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Howe,  three  children  have  been  born,  two  of  whom 
survive:  Joseph  Wilson  Howe  and  George  Howe.  Dr.  Howe's  father 
was  named  George,  and  he  was  a  native  of  Dedham,  Mass.,  where  he 
was  born  November  6,  1802.  He  was  educated  at  Philadelphia  and 
at  the  Middlebury  college,  Vermont,  from  which  he  graduated  with 
first  honors  in  1822,  at  the  age  of  twenty  years.  He  then  entered 
Andover  (Mass.)  theological  seminary,  from  which  he  graduated  in 
1825.  For  his  ability  and  profound  scholarship  he  was  designated 
"Abbot  .Scholar."  In  his  twenty-seventh  year  he  was  made  Phillips 
Professor  of  Sacred  Theology  in  Dartmouth  college,  filling  that  chair 
about  three  years.  His  health  becoming  impaired,  he  went  to 
Charleston,  S.  C,  and  in  183T  was  selected  as  a  teacher  in  the  Colum- 
bia theological  seminary  (Presbyterian).  In  the  fall  of  the  same 
3'ear  he  was  made  professor  of  Biblical  literature  in  the  college,  which 
chair  he  filled  with  much  credit  and  honor  to  himself  as  well  as  to 
the  institution,  for  more  than  half  a  century.  While  yet  holding  this 
honorable  position  he  died  April  15,  1SS3.  He  was  twice  married, 
first,  August  25,  1 83 1,  to  Mary  Bushnell,  daughter  of  Rev.  Jedediah 
Bushnell,  of  Cornwall,  Vt.  She  died  without  issue  September  18,  1832. 
His  second  marriage  took  place  December  19,  1836,  to  Mrs.  Sarah 
Ann  McConnell,  daughter  of  Andrew  Walthour,  of  Walthourville,  Ga. 
To  them  were  born  six  children,  of  whom  Dr.  Howe,  the  subject  of 
this  sketch,  is  the  sole  survivor.  The  father  was  both  a  D.  D.  and  an 
LL.  D.  The  mother  died  April  14,  1885.  Rev.  Dr.  Howe  was  the 
author  of  many  religious  and  literary  works,  among  the  most  impor- 
tant of  which  is  the  History  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  in  South 
Carolina,  in  two  volumes,  published  respectively  in  1870  and  1883. 
Dr.  George  Howe's  grandfather  was  William  Howe,  born  in  Ded- 
ham, Mass.,  August  10,  1770.  He  was  the  son  of  Thomas  Howe,  also 
born  in  Dedham,  August  24,  17.35.  The  family  are  lineal  descendants 
of  the  Pilgrim  Fathers.  The  maiden  name  of  Dr.  Howe's  paternal 
grandmother  was  Mary  Gould,  who  was  born  in  Sutton,  May  29,  1772, 
and  died  in  South  Braintree,  Mass.,  October  31,  1859.  She  was  a 
daughter  of  Major  George  Gould,  who  was  born  in  1738,  and  served 
in  the  old  French  war,  and  afterward  in  the  Continental  army,  in 
which  he  held  the  rank  of  major.  He  was  with  Gen.  W'ashington 
when  his  army  occupied  Dorchester  Heights.  Major  Gould's  wife, 
the  paternal  great-grandmother  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  was  the 
daughter  of  Samuel  Dwight  and  of  the  first  family  to  which  the  dis- 
tinguished Dr.  Timothy  Dwight  belonged.  .She  died  March  15,  1S34, 
aged  ninety-three  years. 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  339 


BENJAMIN  WATT  TAYLOR,   M.  D. 

Among  the  prominent  physicians  and   representative   citizens  of 
Columbia,  S.  C,  is  Dr.  Benjamin  W.  Taylor,  who  was  born  in  the 
capital  city  on   February  28,  1834,  and  is  a  representative  of  one  of 
the  oldest  families   of  this  section  of  the   state.     The  original  mem- 
ber of  the  family  to  settle   in  the  Palmetto  state  was  Col.  Thomas 
Taylor,  who  with  his  brother  at  one  time  owned  nearly  all   the  land 
where  Columbia  now  stands,  and  who  erected  the  third  house  in  that 
city.     Col.  Taylor  was  born  in  Caroline  county,  Va.,  in   1751.     He 
served  as  a  colonel  in  the  Revolutionary  war,  soon  after  the  close  of 
which  he  settled  in  South  Carolina.     He  was  a  large  and  prosperous 
planter,  was  quite  prominent  during  his  active  life,  and  died  in  1833. 
His  son,  Benjamin  F.  Taylor,  father  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch, 
was  born  in  Columbia  in  1790.     He  was  also  a  planter,  and  took  an 
active  part  in  public  life,  representing  Richland  county  several  terms 
in  the  state  legislature.    In  1822  he  was  married  to  Sallie  W.,  daughter 
of  Walter  Coles,  of  Albemarle  county,  Va.,  and  to  them  six  children 
were  born,  as  follows:     Virginia,    deceased,  wife  of    H.    P.   Green; 
Thomas,  Sallie  C,  wife  of  John  T.  Goodwin;  Nannie,  wife  of  W.  St. 
Julien  Mazyck;  Eliza,  deceased;  and  Benjamin  W.     The  father  died 
in  1852,  and  the  mother  in  1888.     The  primary  education  of  Dr.  Tay- 
lor was  received  in  the  schools  of  Columbia  and  Winnsboro,  S.  C, 
and  he  then  entered  South  Carolina  college  at  Columbia,  from  which 
he  was  graduated  with  honors  in   1855.     Leaving   college    he   began 
the  study  of  medicine  under  Dr.   R.  W.  Gibbes,  of  Columbia,  and 
subsequently  attended  lectures  at  the  South  Carolina  Medical  college, 
Charleston,  and  also  took  a  summer  course  at  Philadelphia,  Penn.,  and 
then  resuming  his  course  at  the  South  Carolina  Medical   college  was 
graduated  by  that  school  in  1S58.    During  1859  and  i860  he  practiced 
in  Columbia,  but  in  January,  1861,  he  gave  up  his  practice  and  entered 
the  Confederate  army,  receiving  a  commission  as  assistant  surgeon, 
and  assigned  to  duty  at  Fort  Moultrie,  in  Charleston  Harbor,  where 
he  remained  until  after  the   siege  of  Fort   Sumter.     He   was   then 
assigned  to  duty  as  assistant  surgeon  of  Hampton  legion.     He  was 
soon  promoted   surgeon   and   then  division  surgeon   of  Hampton's 
legion,  and  medical  director  of   the  cavalry  corps  of  the  army  of 
Northern  Virginia,  which  rank  he  held  at  the  close  of  the  war.    After 
the  war  Dr.  Taylor  returned  to  Columbia  and  began  practicing  medi- 
cine a  second  time,  and  has  since  continued,  meeting  with  deserved 
success.     He  has  been   repeatedly    honored  by  the  profession  with 
posts  and  positions  of  honor  and  responsibility,  the  duties  of  which 
he  has  always  discharged  with  entire  satisfaction.     Soon  after  the 
war  he  was  chosen  president  of  the  Richland  County  Medical  society, 
and  since  then  has  been  chairman  of  the  state  board  of  health,  presi- 
dent of    the    South    Carolina    Medical,  association,    fellow   of    the 
Southern   Surgical    and   Gynecological   association,  and  in    1876  was 
sent  as  a  delegate  to  the  international  medical  congress,  held  in  Phila- 


340  SOUTH   CAROLINA. 

delphia.  Though  he  has  never  held  or  sought  political  office  of  any 
kind,  Dr.  Taylor  has  taken  an  active  interest  in  local  and  state  public 
affairs,  and  has  several  times  been  a  delegate  to  both  state  and  county 
nominating  conventions. 

Dr.  Taylor  was  married  in  December,  1865,  to  Anna,  daughter  of 
Col.  Nathaniel  Heyward,  of  Beaufort,  S.  C.,  and  to  them  eight 
children  have  been  born,  the  following  of  whom  survive:  Thomas, 
Benjamin  F.,  Julius  H.,  Anna  H.,  Ellen  E.  and  Edmund  R. 

DR.  JULIUS  A.  MOOD 

was  born  in  Lincolnton,  N.  C,  April  22,  1854.  His  father's  name  is 
Henry  McFarland  Mood,  and  he  was  born  in  181Q,  in  Charleston,  S.  C, 
where  he  lived  a  number  of  years.  He  became  a  clergyman  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church,  south,  in  1838,  and  has  occupied  the 
pulpit  of  that  church  ever  since.  In  1848  he  was  married  to  Laura  A. 
Clark,  daughter  of  William  M.  Clark,  of  Abbeville  county,  S.  C.  She 
was  a  native  of  Elberton,  Ga.  Five  children  were  born  to  this  union, 
whose  names  are  as  follows:  Mary  C,  wife  of  C.  E.Stubbs;  Julius  A., 
Preston  D.,  who  died  in  1878;  Sallie  M.,  wife  of  Dr.  B.  M.  Badger,  of 
Clarendon  county,  S.  C;  Lula  H.,  wife  of  Isaac  C.  Ingram,  of  Sumter. 
The  name  of  Dr.  Mood's  grandfather  was  John  Mood,  who  was  born 
in  Charleston,  S.  C,  in  1792.  For  a  number  of  years  and  until  his 
health  failed,  he  followed  the  business  of  silversmith,  he  then  entered 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  ministry.  During  the  later  years  of  his  life 
he  was  in  business  in  Charleston  where,  in  1864,  he  died.  His  father, 
the  great-grandfather  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  was  Peter  Mood, 
who  was  born  in  Oxford,  Penn.,  in  1766,  and  removed  to  Charleston 
in  1788,  where  he  went  into  business,  dying  in  that  city.  The  great- 
great-grandfather  of  Julius  A.,  was  also  Peter  Mood,  a  native  of  Wur- 
temburg,  Germany,  who  emigrated  to  America  in  1749,  settling  in  Ox- 
ford. He  served  in  the  Continental  army  during  the  Revolutionary 
war,  and  was  captured  by  the  English,  ending  his  days  in  the  British 
prison.  Dr.  Julius  A.  Mood  received  his  early  education  in  the  com- 
mon schools  of  Cokesbury,  Abbeville  county,  S.  C,  and  afterward  en- 
tered Wofford  college  at  Spartanburg,  graduating  from  that  institu- 
tion in  1875.  On  leaving  Wofford  college,  he  went  to  Charleston, 
where  he  attended  the  medical  college  in  that  city.  He  graduated 
from  that  college  in  1879,  and  then  located  in  Laurens  county,  S.  C, 
where  he  remained  until  1881,  when  he  removed  to  Sumter  and  there 
began  the  practice  of  medicine,  and  where  he  still  follows  his  profes- 
sion. Dr.  Mood  has  been  twice  married,  first  in  1876,  to  Alma  K. 
Archer,  daughter  of  John  B.  Archer,  of  Spartanburg.  They  had  four 
children  whose  respective  names  were  Marian  A.,  Laura  R.,  Mel- 
vin  A.,  deceased,  and  Julia  A.  The  mother  of  these  children  died  in 
the  spring  of  1882,  and  Dr.  Mood  was  married  the  next  spring  to 
Janie  A.  Brogdon,  daughter  of  John  C.  Brogdon,  of  Sumter  county, 
S.  C.  To  them,  one  son,  Henry  Ashley  Moocl,  has  been  born.  In  the 
way  of  official  preferment.  Dr.  Mood  was  selected  bj'  his  fellow  citi- 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  34 1 

zens  in  April,  18S7,  to  preside  over  tlie  city  of  Sumter  as  its  first 
mayor,  an  office  which  he  acceptably  administered  for  two  years. 

DR.  HENRY  T.  ABBOTT, 

a  surgeon,  dentist  and  farmer,  is  a  native  of  Sumter  county,  S.  C,  and 
was  born  May  9,  1838.  The  schools  of  the  county  furnished  him  the 
means  of  an  early  education;  later  he  attended  the  Charleston  high 
school,  and  afterward  the  Kings  Mountain  military  institute  at  York- 
ville,  graduating  in  1856.  His  intention  was  to  attend  the  Central 
academy  at  Charleston,  but  he  was  induced  to  accept  the  chair  of 
mathematics  and  history  as  assistant  professor  in  the  institute  which 
turned  him  from  his  purpose,  for  the  time,  of  pursuing  a  post-gradu- 
ate course.  He  remained  at  the  Kings  Mountain  institute  one  year, 
and  then  engaged  in  teaching  a  private  school  in  Sumter,  in  the 
meantime  beginning  to  read  medicine  under  the  direction  of  his 
father.  Dr.  Henry  I.  Abbott.  After  reading  about  a  year  he  turned 
his  attention  to  dentistry,  and  was  graduated  from  the  dental  college 
at  Columbia  in  i860.  On  the  6th  of  April,  1S61,  Dr.  Abbott  enlisted 
in  Company  D,  of  the  Ninth  South  Carolina  volunteer  infantry,  as 
a  private.  At  the  organization  of  the  regiment,  after  its  twelve 
months'  term  of  service  had  expired,  and  it  had  been  disbanded  and 
its  members  were  distributed  among  other  regiments.  Dr.  Abbott 
joined  the  Palmetto  Sharpshooters,  and  was  elected  first  lieutenant, 
holding  this  rank  till  the  close  of  the  war.  He  was  acting  captain 
of  Company  E,  after  the  disability  of  Capt.  Alex.  Coldough.  He  par- 
ticipated in  the  battles  of  Fort  Sumter,  Williamsburg  and  Frazier's 
Farm,  at  which  battle  every  man  in  the  company  was  wounded  except 
himself  and  Capt.  Coldough.  He  was  also  in  the  battles  of  Second 
Manassas,  Boonsborough,  Antietam,  Fredericksburg,  Wilderness, 
Lookout  Mountain,  Will's  Valley,  Campbell's  Station,  the  siege  of 
Knoxville,  Petersburg  and  the  seven  days'  fight  around  Richmond. 
At  Antietam  he  was  shot  in  the  mouth  and  badly  wounded,  being  left 
on  the  field  for  dead.  In  the  Wilderness  he  received  a  severe  wound 
ill  the  leg  and  narrowly  escaped  amputation  of  the  shattered  limb. 
He  participated  in  many  of  the  minor  engagements  and  skirmishes. 
His  war  record  closed  at  the  surrender  at  Appomatox,  his  company 
at  that  time  being  reduced  to  only  fourteen  men.  Returning  home 
to  Sumter,  Dr.  xVbbott  began  the  practice  of  dentistry  and  farming, 
giving  up  the  former  occupation  in  i8S7,and  then  turning  his  whole 
attention  to  his  extensive  plantations  in  Sumter  and  Berkeley  coun- 
ties. Though  he  had  never  taken  an  active  part  in  politics,  he  was 
friendly  to  the  reform  movement,  inaugurated  in  1888,  and  was  nom- 
inated for  state  senator  on  that  issue  in  1890,  and  elected.  He  made 
no  canvass  nor  took  any  other  measure  to  obtain  the  office.  It  came 
to  him  not  only  unsolicited,  but  against  his  protest.  Dr.  Abbott  was 
married  March  14,  1888,  to  Sallie  R.,  daughter  of  Col.  R.  L.  Herriot. 
The  father  of  Dr.  Abbott  was  Henry  I.  Abbott,  born  in  Camden, 
S.  C,  in  1805.     He  was  a  physician,  and  graduated  from  the  Charles- 


342  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

ton  medical  college.  He  was  married  in  1837,  to  Mrs.  Elizabeth  E. 
Smith,  nee  Barnett,  widow  of  Capt.  James  Smith,  of  Georgetown, 
S.  C.  They  had  three  children:  Henry  T.,  Theodosia,  wife  of  Will- 
larh  T.  Hutson,  and  Frances  Marian,  wife  of  Robert  Anderson. 
The  father  died  March  11,  187S,  and  the  mother  May  17,  1888.  Dr. 
Abbott's  grandfather  was  Henry  Abbott,  a  native  of  South  Carolina 
and  by  occupation  a  merchant.  His  place  of  business  was  for  many 
years  at  Camden.  He  died  in  the  early  part  of  the  present  century. 
Dr.  Abbott  has  made  farming  a  great  success,  and  is  one  of  the  larg- 
est landowners,  standing  among  the  highest  upon  the  tax-list  of  his 
township. 

DR.  JOHN  J.  BOSSARD 

was  born  in  Georgetown,  S.  C,  P~"ebruary  26,  1S25.  When  he  was 
seven  years  of  age  his  parents  removed  with  him  to  Sumter,  where 
his  early  education  was  acquired  at  the  common  schools.  He  after- 
ward attended  Davison  college  in  Mecklenburg  county,  N.  C,  gradu- 
ating from  that  institution  in  1845.  He  then  returned  to  Sumter  and 
studied  medicine  under  the  instruction  of  Dr.  Witherspoon. 
Afterward  he  entered  the  Charleston  medical  college,  graduating  in 
March,  1848.  Returning  to  Sumter  he  began  the  practice  of  medicine 
in  that  city  in  1849,  and  continued  up  to  June,  1S61,  when  he  was  com- 
missioned by  Gov.  Pickens  as  surgeon  of  the  Ninth  South  Carolina 
volunteer  regiment  of  infantry,  state  troops,  in  which  position  he 
served  one  year  and  then  entered  the  Confederate  service,  being  com- 
missioned as  surgeon  with  the  rank  of  major.  In  this  position  he  re- 
mained until  the  war  was  ended.  After  the  war  was  over.  Dr. 
Bossard  returned  to  Sumter  and  then  resumed  the  practice  of  his  pro- 
fession, and  in  which  practice  he  still  remains.  He  was  twice  elected 
mayor  of  Sumter,  serving  in  that  capacity  during  the  years  of  1S77 
and  1878.  Previous  to  this  he  had  been  elected  alderman  and  served 
one  term.  In  1888  he  was  elected  state  senator  to  fill  the  unexpired 
term  of  T.  B.  Eraser,  who  had  been  elected  judge.  He  was  chosen 
president  of  the  Sumter  County  Agricultural  association  as  long  as 
that  organization  existed.  He  was  a  member  of  the  .South  Carolina 
state  medical  association  before  the  war,  and  a  member  of  the  asso- 
ciation of  surviving  surgeons  of  the  Confederate  service.  He  was  a 
delegate  to  the  state  medical  convention  which  met  before  the  war. 
Dr.  Bossard  was  married  in  1S65,  to  Frances  Colclough,  ncc  Conyers, 
widow  of  J.  A.  Colclough  and  daughter  of  Samuel  Edward  Conyers,  of 
Clarendon  county,  S.  C  One  child,  Mary  Charlotte  Bossard,  was 
born  to  this  marriage.  The  name  of  the  father  of  Dr.  Bossard  was 
John  Postell  Bossard.  He  was  born  in  Georgetown,  S.  C,  in  1802. 
He  was  a  rice  planter,  and  in  the  state  militia  he  held  successively  the 
rank  of  captain,  major  and  adjutant.  He  was  married  in  1820,  to 
Charlotte  White,  daughter  of  Joseph  B.  White,  of  Georgetown,  S-  C., 
and  to  them  were  born  five  children,  only  two  of  whom  survive, 
namely,  Sarah  W.,  widow  of  Henry  II.  Buchanan  and  Dr.  Bossard,  the 


SOUTH   CAROLINA.  343 

subject  of  this  sketch.  The  father  died  in  1832,  his  widow  surviving  him 
till  1S67.  Dr.  Bossard's  grandfather  was  Captain  John  Bossard,  who 
was  born  in  Georgetown,  S.  C,  in  1748,  and  died  in  180S.  He  was  a 
rice  planter  and  served  as  a  soldier  in  the  Revolutionary  war  under 
Gen.  P'rancis  Marion.  His  father,  Dr.  Bossard's  great-grandfather, 
was  Henry  Bossard,  also  a  rice  planter.  His  father  was  a  Huguenot 
emigrant  who  fled  to  America  after  the  revocation  of  the  edict  of 
Nantes,  settling  in  Georgetown  county,  S.  C.,  on  the  lower  part  of  the 
Santee.  Dr.  Bossard's  paternal  grandmother  was  a  Postell,  a  daugh- 
ter of  one  of  the  Postells  who  held  high  rank  in  the  Revolutionary 
war  as  officers  in  Marion's  brigade. 

DR.  JOHN  S.  HUGHSON 

was  born  in  Camden,  S.  C,  October  i,  1841.  In  his  boyhood  days  he 
attended  the  common  schools  of  his  locality,  but  afterward  entered 
Furman  university,  where  he  remained  three  years.  The  breaking 
out  of  the  war  interrupted  his  college  course,  and  he  enlisted  in  June, 
1S61,  in  the  Hampton  legion.  In  1862  all  the  cavalry  in  that  legion 
was  formed  into  a  regiment  and  called  the  Second  South  Carolina 
regiment,  commanded  by  Gen.  M.  C.  Butler,  and  Dr.  Hughson  was 
detached  with  this  regiment.  He  served  four  years  in  the  army  of 
northern  Virginia,  under  Gen.  R.  E.  Lee,  and  was  in  the  battles  of 
Seven  Pines,  Gettysburg,  Antietam  and  the  seven  days'  fight  around 
Richmond.  He  was  in  a  great  many  minor  engagements  and  skir- 
mishes. At  the  close  of  the  war  he  returned  to  Camden  and  studied 
medicine  under  the  instruction  of  Dr.  E.  C.  Salmond.  From  this 
study  he  entered  the  Medical  College  of  South  Carolina,  at  Charles- 
ton, graduating  in  March,  1867.  He  then  located  in  Sumter  for  the 
practice  of  medicine,  and  this  has  been  the  field  of  his  practice  ever 
since.  In  the  way  of  political  preferment  he  was  chosen  chairman  of 
the  democratic  county  executive  committee  of  Sumter  county,  in  1890. 
He  was  a  delegate  to  two  state  conventions  in  1890.  In  a  professional 
way  he  is  a  member  of  the  State  Medical  association  of  South  Car- 
olina, of  which  he  has  been  vice  president,  and  has  been  several 
times  elected  by  the  association  as  a  delegate  to  conventions  of  the 
American  Medical  association.  Dr.  Hughson  was  married  twice, 
the  first  time,  March  15,  1864,  to  Eliza  Rancfolph  Turner,  daughter  of 
Capt.  Shirley  Carter  Turner,  of  Farquier  county,  Va.  By  her  he 
had  four  children,  three  of  whom  survive,  namely,  Mary  A.,  Shirley 
Carter  and  Zadah  Bascom.  The  mother  of  these  children  died  in 
January,  1876,  and  in  May,  1879,  Dr.  Hughson  was  again  married,  his 
second  wife  being  Celeste  E.  Ouattlebaum,  of  Fairfield,  and  later  of 
Edgefield  county,  S.  C.  The  fruit  of  this  union  was  five  daughters, 
namely,  Lucille,  Edna,  Clara  B.,  Celeste  and  Iva  Belle.  Dr.  Hugh- 
son's  father  was  Rev.  William  C.  Hughson,  a  Baptist  clergyman,  born 
in  Camden,  where  he  spent  all  the  years  of  his  life.  He  was  born  in 
1809,  and  died  in  1877.  He  was  married  in  1832,  to  Mary  Daggett, 
daughter  of  Thomas    Daggett,  a    native   of   Alassachusetts.     Their 


344  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

marriage  was  blessed  with  but  one  child,  the  subject  of  this  sketch. 
The  mother  died  in  1S64.  Her  famil}'  still  live  on  the  same  estate  in 
Worcestershire,  Mass.,  on  which  an  ancestor  of  hers  lived  who  was 
one  of  the  individuals  that  helped  throw  overboard  the  tea  in  Boston 
Harbor,  one  of  the  factors  which  brought  about  the  Revolution.  The 
grandfather  of  Dr.  Hughson  was  John  Hughson,  who  was  born  in 
Lancaster  county,  S.  C,  and  moved  to  Camden  when  a  joung  man. 
He  spent  the  remainder  of  his  days  there,  dying  in  1824.  His  father, 
the  great-grandfather  of  Dr.  John  S.  Hughson,  was  a  native  of  this 
country,  probably  born  in  Virginia,  settling  in  South  Carolina  before 
the  Revolutionary  war,  in  which  he  served  as  a  soldier.  Upon  his 
mother's  side.  Dr.  Hughson  was  of  English  descent,  her  ancestors 
having  come  to  America  about  1620,  settling  in  Massachusetts.  Dr. 
Hughson  has  been  grand  dictator  of  the  Knights  of  Honor,  and  has 
attended  three  sessions  of  the  supreme  lodge  of  the  world  as  a  dele- 
gate from  South  Carolina.  He  is  also  a  K.  of  P.,  and  has  attended 
the  grand  lodge  several  times  as  a  delegate  from  Game  Cock  lodge, 
K.  of  P.,  of  Sumter.  For  twenty  years  he  has  been  superintendent 
of  the  Baptist  Sunday-school  in  Sumter,  and  is  a  deacon  in  the  Bap- 
tist church  of  that  place. 

DR.  CHARLES  EDWIN  FLEMING, 

president  of  the  Whitney  Manufacturing  company  of  Spartanburg, 
was  born  in  Columbia,  S.  C,  August  29,  1835.  He  was  the  son  of 
James  David  Fleming,  a  native  of  Columbia,  who  died  in  1844.  The 
maiden  name  of  Dr.  Fleming's  mother  was  Sarah  Boatwright,  also  a 
native  of  Columbia.  She  died  in  1882.  The  father  was  born  in  1797, 
and  the  mother  in  1803.  They  were  married  in  1818,  and  had  a  fam- 
ily of  eight  children,  five  sons  and  three  daughters.  Dr.  Fleming 
was  the  sixth  born.  Only  two  of  the  sons  and  two  daughters  are  now 
living.  The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  reared  to  manhood  in  his  na- 
tive city,  where  he  received  his  earliest  school  training.  He  entered 
Mt.  Zion  college  at  Winnsboro,  S.  C,  at  sixteen  years  of  age,  where 
he  spent  one  year.  That  institution  was  then  under  the  presidency 
of  Prof.  J.  W.  Hudson,  a  famous  educator  at  that  time.  In  the  fall 
of  1852,  when  young  Fleming  had  reached  the  age  of  seventeen,  he 
entered  the  sophomore  class  of  the  South  Carolina  college,  and  grad- 
uated from  that  institution  with  the  degree  of  A.  B.,  in  1S85.  A  year 
later  the  degree  of  A.  M.  was  conferred  upon  him  by  his  alma  mater. 
Immediately  after  completing  his  collegiate  course,  he  entered  upon 
the  study  of  medicine,  and,  in  the  winter  of  1857-8,  he  took  his  sec- 
ond course  in  the  medical  department  of  the  University  of  Pennsyl- 
vania, at  Philadelphia,  and  graduated  in  March,  1858.  He  at  once 
began  the  practice  of  medicine  in  Laurens  county.  A  few  months 
later  he  removed  to  Spartanburg,  which  place  has  been  his  home  ever 
since.  He  practiced  here  till  the  breaking  out  of  the  Ci\il  war.  Upon 
the  first  call  for  volunteers  by  the  governor  of  the  state,  he  responded, 
and  in  the  spring  of  1861  became  a  second  lieutenant  in  Company  K, 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  345 

Fifth  Soiitli  Carolina  regiment.  His  was  the  first  company  to  leave 
Spartanburg.  lie  served  in  the  same  capacity  in  that  command  one 
year,  when  he  entered  the  medical  department  of  the  army,  and  was 
made  surgeon  of  the  Twenty-second  South  Carolina  regiment,  and 
served  as  such  till  the  surrender  of  Lee  at  Appomatox.  At  the  close 
of  the  war  he  returned  to  the  practice  of  his  profession  at  Spartan- 
burg, and  here  he  continued  onl}'  a  few  months  when  he  engaged  in 
merchandising,  and  has  followed  that  business  ever  since.  In  1872  he 
formed  a  partnership  in  the  mercantile  business  with  Col.  Joseph 
Walker,  which  firm  has  existed  ever  since.  In  1887  they  took  in  as  a 
partner  Mr.  J.  H.  Sloan,  since  which  time  the  firm  name  has  been 
Walker,  Fleming  &  Sloan.  It  is  one  of  the  leading  firms  in  Spartan- 
burg, and  possesses  an  enviable  reputation  for  fair  and  honorable 
dealing.  ]\Ir.  John  H.  Montgomery  was  formerly  the  partner  of 
Messrs.  Walker  &  Fleming,  at  the  time  the  firm  name  was  Walker, 
Fleming  &  Co.  In  1882  the  firm  organized,  together  with  other  part- 
ies, the  Pacolet  Manufacturing  company,  in  which  Mr.  Fleming  has 
been  a  director  ever  since.  In  1887,  upon  the  organization  of  the 
Whitney  Manufacturing  Co.,  Mr.  Fleming  was  made  its  president, 
and  he  has  served  in  that  capacity  ever  since.  The  Whitney  mill  has 
9,216  spindles  and  308  looms.  Its  annual  consumption  is  3,000  bales 
of  cotton.  The  property  is  located  two  miles  and  a  half  from  Spar- 
tanburg. Dr.  Fleming  is  also  a  director  in  Beaumont  mill,  of  Spar- 
tanburg, and  a  stockholder  in  the  Spartan  mill  of  that  city,  in  the 
Iron  District  Fire  Insurance  company,  the  Converse  College  company, 
and  is  one  of  the  trustees  of  the  latter.  He  is  a  stockholder  in  both 
the  National  bank  and  the  Merchants  &  Farmers'  bank  of  Spartan- 
burg. He  is  one  of  the  trustees  of  the  Kennedy  library,  and  is  its 
treasurer  and  secretary.  Dr.  Fleming  was  joined  in  marriage  in  De- 
cember, 1862,  with  Miss  Lizzie,  daughter  of  Major  H.  J.  Dean,  for- 
merly of  Spartanburg.  They  have  five  children  living,  as  follows: 
St.  Laurence,  Sara,  Mabel,  Charles  Edwin  and  Gladys.  Dr.  Flem- 
ing's politics  are  democratic.  He  is  one  of  Spartanburg's  most  re- 
spected, useful  and  honored  citizens. 

W.  W.  BROCKINTON,  M.  D. 

Among  the  prominent  physicians  of  Beaufort  county,  may  be 
found  the  name  of  William  Warren  Brockinton,  M.  D.  Dr.  Brock- 
inton  was  born  in  Williamsburg  county,  S.  C,  in  the  month  of 
January,  1861.  His  father,  William  R.  Brockinton,  was  a  leading 
politician  and  planter  of  Williamsburg  count}'.  Our  subject  was 
prepared  for  college  In  the  public  schools  of  his  native  county,  and 
then  entered  Davidson  college,  North  Carolina.  For  a  term  of 
two  years  he  remained  a  student  in  that  excellent  institution,  and  then 
entered  the  medical  college  at  Charleston,  S.  C,  from  which  he  was 
graduated  at  the  expiration  of  two  years.  Dr.  Brockinton  began  the 
active  duties  of  his  profession  in  the  place  of  his  birth,  but  after  a 
residence  of  but  one  year  there  he  removed  to  Beaufort,  where  he  has 


346  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

since  built  up  a  large  and  constantly  increasing  practice.  At  the  present 
time  he  is  engaged  in  the  drug  business,  which  he  carries  on  in  con- 
nection with  his  practice.  In  1886,  he  was  happily  married  to  Miss 
Mary  L.  Wolf,  of  Delaware,  and  to  their  union  has  been  born  one 
daughter.  As  one  of  the  younger  physicians.  Dr.  Brockinton  is  pro- 
gressive and  broad-minded.  He  brought  to  his  life-work  a  mind  well 
schooled  by  persistent  and  systematic  study,  and  if  life  and  health 
be  spared  him,  will  doubtles  rise  to  the  front  rank  of  his  profession 
in  the  state. 

T.  A.  CRAWFORD,  M.  D., 

one  of  the  leading  physicians  among  the  younger  practitioners  of 
York  county,  S.  C,  was  born  in  York  county  on  the  14th  of  October, 
1853,  the  son  of  David  Caldwell  Crawford,  who  was  also  a  South 
Carolinian,  having  been  born  in  Chester  county.  He  followed  the 
calling  of  a  planter  all  his  active  life,  and  was  honored  and  esteemed 
as  a  man  of  worth  and  ability.  His  father  was  Edward  Crawford, 
who  was  born  in  Lancaster  county,  S.  C,  and  son  of  James  Crawford, 
of  Scotch-Irish  parentage.  His  great-grandfather  seems  to  have  been 
a  man  of  prominence  in  Ireland,  as  he  is  recorded  as  one  of  the 
founders  of  the  Presbyterian  church  at  Ulster,  Ireland.  David 
Caldwell  Crawford  first  married  a  Miss  Robertson,  by  whom  he  had 
two  children:  Edward,  who  was  killed  in  battle  at  Fort  Harrison,  in 
1864;  and  Rebecca,  now  deceased.  After  her  death,  several  years 
later,  he  married  Miss  Mary  .S.  Hope,  by  whom  he  had  five  children: 
Martha,  Mary,  Thomas  A.,  Amelia  and  Elizabeth.  Dr.  T.  A.  Craw- 
ford was  reared  on  his  father's  plantation,  and  received  his  prelimi- 
nary schooling  in  the  neighboring  schools,  after  which  he  entered 
Kings  Mountain  military  school  at  Yorkville.  In  1875,  having  at- 
tained his  twenty-third  year,  he  entered  the  medical  department  of 
the  Central  University  of  Kentucky,  and  two  years  later  was  gradu- 
ated therefrom.  In  1S7S  he  located  at  Rock  Hill  and  entered  upon 
active  practice,  in  which  he  continued  until  1SS3,  when  he  took  the 
post  graduate  course  at  the  Polyclinic,  of  New  York  city,  and  after 
his  graduation,  in  the  same  year,  returned  to  Rock  Hill.  He  was  a 
member  of  the  ninth  international  medical  congress,  is  a  member  of 
the  State  Medical  society  and  also  of  the  Count}'  Medical  association, 
and  is  a  Master  Mason.  In  March,  1891,  he  became  associated  with 
Dr.  W.  p.  Strait  in  the  practice  of  medicine.  His  marriage  at  Pitts- 
boro,  N.  C,  to  Mrs.  Carrie  Ihrie,  ncc  Poe,  daughter  of  O.  S.  Poe, 
was  solemnized  in  1884,  and  has  resulted  in  the  birth  of  three  chil- 
dren, two  of  whom  are  living,  viz.:  Thomas  A.,  Jr.,  and  Robert  H. 
Crawford.  Both  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Crawford  are  active  communicanto  of 
the  Presbyterian  church. 

J.  R.  BRATTON,  M.  D. 

The  Bratton  family  has  long  been  prominently  identified  with  the 
state  of  South  Carolina,    where  for   many  generations  its  members 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  347 

have  held  honorable  places.  The  particular  member  of  whose  career 
we  now  write  is  Dr.  J.  R.  Bratton,  who  was  born  in  York  county, 
S.  C,  November  12th,  1821,  on  the  old  "Bratton"  homestead  settled 
by  his  grandfather  about  the  year  1700.  His  early  schooling  was  ob- 
tained in  the  schools  of  the  neighborhood.  In  1839  with  his  brother, 
John,  he  became  a  student  at  I\I(nmt  Zion  college,  then  under  the 
direction  of  Mr.  J.  W.  Hudson.  I  lere  the  boys  were  prepared  for  the 
sophomore  class  of  the  South  Carolina  college,  which  they  entered  in 
1840,  and  from  which  they  were  graduated  in  1842.  In  January  of  the 
following  year  they  began  the  study  of  anatomy  in  the  dissecting 
rooms  of  Doctors  Fair  and  Wells  at  Columbia,  and  completed  the 
course  there  in  April,  1843.  Returning  home  they  continued  the 
study  of  their  chosen  profession  under  the  tutelage  of  their  eminent 
father.  At  the  time  of  the  latter's  death,  John,  being  the  elder,  gave 
up  his  studies  and  became  the  administrator  of  the  estate,  but  our 
subject  continued,  and  attended  his  first  course  of  lectures  in  medicine 
and  surgery  at,  Charleston  medical  college  in  1844,  graduating  there- 
from March  15th,  1845.  I"  April,  1850,  he  went  to  Philadelphia  and 
took  a  hospital  course  in  the  "Old"  University.  His  active  career 
began  in  November,  1845,  at  which  time  he  located  at  Yorkville. 
February  12th,  1S50  he  married  Miss  Mary  B.  Massey,  of  Lancaster, 
S.  C,  and  five  sons  and  two  daughters  have  been  born  to  them.  Dr. 
Bratton  is  a  member  of  the  state  medical  association,  is  chairman  of 
the  state  board  of  health,  and  has  taken  the  thirty-second  degree  in 
Masonry.  As  a  Mason  he  has  been  honored  b}'  the  Royal  Arch 
Masons  with  the  highest  rank  in  their  power  to  bestow,  that  of  most 
excellent  high  priest,  and  also  that  of  thrice  illustrious  grand  master, 
in  the  council  of  royal  and  select  master,  which  latter  office  he  held 
thirteen  years.  During  the  Civil  war  he  served  as  a  surgeon  in  the 
field  and  hospitals,  serving  in  the  Confederate  army,  and  he  was  not 
only  able  and  skillful  In  his  work  but  was  uniformly  kind  to  private 
and  officer  alike.  His  reputation  is  only  limited  by  the  boundaries 
of  the  state. 

A.  P.  WYLIE,  M.  D. 

Of  the  man}'  honored  professional  men  who  have  lived  and  died 
in  Chester  county,  none  were  more  beloved  and  respected  than  the 
late  Alexander  Pearson  VVylie,  M.  D.  He  was  born  near  the  town  of 
Chester,  S.  C,  March  17,  1816,  and  was  one  of  thirteen  children  who 
blessed  the  union  of  Peter  and  Annie  (Evans)  Wylie,  both  natives  of 
South  Carolina.  He  was  of  Scotch-Irish  descent.  His  great-great 
great-grandfather,  Adam  Wylie,  was  born  in  county  Antrim,  Ireland, 
in  1718.  His  great-great-grandfather,  Peter  Wylie,  emigrated  from 
Ireland  to  Pennsylvania  before  the  middle  of  the  last  century,  and 
with  his  wife  Anna,  whose  maiden  name  was  Hawthorne,  and  their 
children,  came  to  Chester  district,  S.  C,  prior  to  1776,  and  settled  at 
"  Big  Spring  "  in  that  district,  about  five  miles  north-east  of  Chester 
C.  H.     Their  three  sons,  James,  William  and  Frank,  were  whig  sol- 


348  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

diers  during  the  Revolutionary  war,  James  and  William  both  having 
especially  distinguished  themselves  as  scouts  of  Gen.  Sumter,  and 
both  were  severely  wounded  in  battle.  The  grandfather  of  the  sub- 
ject of  this  sketch,  William  Wylie,  married  Isabella  Kelso,  after  the 
close  of  the  war.  In  Mrs.  Elizabeth  F.  Ellet's  "Women  of  Revolu- 
tion," volume  3,  will  be  found  a  lengthy  account  of  the  heroic  and 
devoted  conduct  of  this  Isabella  during  the  war.  The  father  of  Dr. 
A.  P.  Wylie  was  Peter  Wylie,  who  married  Amiie  Evans,  a  descend- 
ant of  a  prominent  whig  family.  Peter  Wylie,  Esq.,  was  a  man  of 
great  intelligence  and  of  sterling  character.  For  many  years  he  filled 
the  office  of  probate  judge  of  Chester  county.  From  early  boyhood 
his  son  Alexander  exhibited  great  fondness  for  books.  He  first  be- 
gan the  study  of  medicine  with  his  brother,  Richard  Evans  Wylie, 
and  in  the  autumn  of  1S37,  entered  the  Medical  college  of  Charles- 
ton, and  graduated  therefrom  with  the  highest  honors  of  his  class  in 
the  spring  of  1S39.  Soon  after  this  he  located  at  Lancaster,  and  for  a 
short  time  was  associated  with  his  brother  in  the  practice  of  his  profes- 
sion. In  the  autumn  of  1847  he  removed  to  Chester  and  remained 
until  his  death,  November  17,  1877.  He  was  a  skilled  surgeon,  chem- 
ist, and  as  a  physician  had  few  equals.  After  his  reputation  had  been 
established  and  the  first  heat  of  professional  life  had  passed,  he  made 
extended  research  in  several  different  fields  of  science;  geology, 
chemistry,  and  especially  did  he  excel  in  arboriculture  and  horticul- 
ture. He  hybridized  the  grape,  created  many  fine  varieties  of  that 
luscious  fruit.  When  the  measure  of  secession  was  first  discussed  he 
predicted  its  failure  and  clung  to  the  Union  which  his  fathers  had 
fought  to  obtain,  but  after  the  war  commenced  his  love  for  the  people 
of  his  own  county  and  state,  reigned  supreme,  and  he  aided  them 
in  every  way  he  could. 

In  1840  he  married  Juliet  Agnes  Gill.  The  union  was  blessed  by 
eight  children.  The  wife  possessed  rare  attainments,  a  noble  char- 
acter, and  was  a  communicant  of  the  Presbyterian  church.  She  died 
in  December,  1882.  During  his  last  days  Dr.  Wylie  also  embraced 
the  tenets  of  the  Presbyterian  church,  his  whole  life  having  been  up- 
right and  honorable.  As  a  skilled  healer  of  the  sick,  as  a  citizen  and 
a  man  he  was  loved  wherever  known. 

G.  B.  WHITE,  D.  D.  S., 

one  of  the  leading  dentists  of  the  state,  was  graduated  from  the  Bal- 
timore Dental  college,  February  28,  1875;  and  in  the  same  year 
located  at  Chester,  S.  C.  Dr.  White  was  born  in  Chester  county, 
S.  C,  August  27,  1854,  on  the  paternal  plantation.  He  gained  a  fair 
common  schooling,  and  in  the  years  1870-1,  was  a  student  at  Erskine 
college,  where  he  finished  the  sophomore  and  junior  studies.  July  29, 
1879,  he  wedded  Miss  Carrie  T.  Henry,  also  a  native  of  Chester 
county,  and  a  most  accomplished  lady.  She  is  the  daughter  of  Capt. 
W.  J.  Henry,  a  leading  planter  of  the  county.  One  son  has  blessed 
this  union,  named    Matthew    Henry.     Both  Dr.  and  Mrs.  White  are 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  349 

communicants  of  the  Associate  Reform  Presbyterian  church,  and 
occupy  a  high  position  in  the  esteeni  of  the  community.  He  is  presi- 
dent of  the  iMoffatt  Manufacturing  Co.,  of  Chester.  Dr.  White  is  a 
son  of  Matthew  and  Mary  (Torbit)  White,  who  are  the  parents  of 
four  children.  The  father  is  a  planter  and  surveyor,  and  was  born 
and  reared  in  Chester  county,  as  was  his  father,  Garner  White.  Gar- 
ner was  the  son  of  William  White,  of  Revolutionary  fame,  who  was 
a  native  of  Ireland,  and  came  to  America  with  his  father,  John 
White.  John  settled  in  South  Carolina,  coming  directly  to  that  state 
from  Ireland,  in  1766.  He  settled  on  a  tract  of  land  in  Chester 
county,  which  was  granted  to  him  by  King  George  III.,  located  about 
three  miles  southeast  of  the  town  of  Chester,  near  old  Purity  church. 
This  land  has  since  remained  in  the  possession  of  the  family.  John 
White  died  just  prior  to  the  Revolution,  leaving  five  daughters  and 
a  son.  William,  the  son,  married  Jane  Brown,  who  distinguished 
herself  for  patriotic  devotion  during  the  Revolution.  Eight  sons 
and  one  daughter  were  born  to  them.  Seven  of  the  sons  were  sol- 
diers in  the  war  of  181 2. 

S.  M.  DaVEGA,  M.  D., 

was  one  of  eight  children  born  to  A.  H.  and  Alza  J.  (McLure) 
DaVega,  his  birth  having  taken  place  at  Chester,  S.  C,  December  21, 
i860.  His  father 'is  a  leading  druggist,  having  for  many  years  been 
engaged  in  that  business  at  Chester.  The  son  was  given  a  thorough 
scholastic  training,  and  having  determined  to  enter  the  profession  of 
medicine,  at  the  age  of  eighteen  he  secured  a  clerkship  with  his 
father  and  mastered  the  details  of  the  drug  business.  Subsequently 
he  began  his  medical  studies  under  the  direction  of  Dr.  Babcock,  an 
able  physician  of  Chester;  and  before  he  had  attained  his  twentieth 
year  he  became  a  student  in  the  Medical  college  of  Charleston,  from 
which  he  was  graduated  with  the  second  honors  of  his  class,  in  March, 
18S2.  The  succeeding  two  years  were  spent  in  the  Roper  hospital,  at 
Charleston,  and  the  last  thirteen  months  of  that  time  Dr.  DaVega 
served  as  house  surgeon.  In  18S4  he  settled  permanently  at  Chester, 
and  with  the  exception  of  one  year,  has  since  been  successfuUyand  ac- 
tively engaged  in  practice.  Already  he  is  recognized  abroad  as  a  man 
of  ability,  and  should  life  and  health  be  spared  it  is  but  a  question  of 
time  before  he  will  stand  in  the  front  ranks  of  his  profession  in  the 
state.  As  a  surgeon  he  excels,  having  given  much  time  and  study  to 
that  particular  branch  of  the  profession.  Ever  a  close  student,  no 
day  passes  but  that  a  valuable  addition  is  made  to  his  store  of  knowl- 
edge. Since  locating  at  Chester,  Dr.  DaVega  has  held  the  office  of 
county  physician,  and  for  some  time  has  been  a  member  of  the  medi- 
cal staff  of  the  Richmond  &  Danville,  and  G.,  C.  &  N.  railway  com- 
panies. In  September,  1885,  Miss  Kate  Cannon,  daughter  of  Dr. 
Cannon,  of  Ellenton,  S.  C,  became  his  wife,  and  two  children  have 
been  born  to  their  happy  union. 


350  SOUTH   CAROLINA. 


THOMAS  D.  MARION,  M.  D. 

The  medical  profession  has  been  represented  in  Chester  county 
by  some  of  ablest  physicians  and  surgeons  in  the  country;  and,  in- 
deed, it  has  always  been  most  fortunate  in  its  professional  men.  Of 
these  Thomas  David  Marion,  M.  D.,  appears  as  one  of  the  most 
eminent  of  the  younger  practitioners.  He  was  born  January  i8th, 
1854,  in  Chester  county,  S.  C,  and  was  one  of  six  children  born  of  the 
union  of  John  A.  and  Margaret  (Sterling)  Marion.  He  was  reared 
on  his  father's  plantation  and  was  given  a  good  preliminary  school- 
ing in  his  native  town,  and  after  completing  the  classical  course  at 
Erskine  college,  of  Abbeville,  S.  C,  he  took  up  the  stud}'  of  medicine, 
soon  entering  the  medical  department  of  the  University  of  Virginia, 
from  which  he  was  graduated  July  2d,  1874.  He  then  went  to  New 
York  city  and  entered  the  Bellevue  hospital,  receiving  the  degree  of 
M.  D.  from  that  institution  February  25th,  1S75.  For  several  months 
thereafter  the  newly  authorized  young  physician  found  ample  oppor- 
tunities for  gaining  his  first  practical  experience  in  his  chosen  pro- 
fession as  a  house  physician  in  the  hospital  on  Ward's  island.  Sub- 
sequently he  located  at  Richburg,  S.  C,  and  here  he  was  united  in 
marriage  to  Miss  Julia  Moffatt,  in  1876.  She  died  soon  after,  leav- 
ing no  issue.  Until  1888  Dr.  Marion  remained  in  Richburg,  and  he 
built  up  a  reputation  for  skill  and  ability  there  which  soon  followed 
him  to  his  new  home.  In  the  latter  year  he  returned  to  New  York 
cit}',  and  took  a  course  in  the  Polyclinic,  where  the  eminent  Dr.  W. 
Gill  Wylie,  of  Chester,  S.  C,  holds  a  professorship.  Dr.  Marion  was 
granted  a  diploma  in  1889,  and  after  ten  months  spent  in  Bellevue 
hospital  and  in  the  private  sanitarium  of  Dr.  Wylie,  he  left  New  York, 
and  in  i8go  took  up  his  residence  in  Chester.  He  is  a  prominent 
member  of  the  South  Carolina  medical  society,  and  is  held  in  the 
highest  esteem  by  the  profession  throughout  the  state.  In  1879  the 
doctor  married  for  his  second  wife  Miss  Ella  Harden,  daughter  of 
W.  Holmes  Harden,  who  is  mentioned  elsewhere  in  this  volume,  and 
two  children  have  been  born  to  them. 

DR.  WALLER  HUNN  NARDIN, 

an  able  and  scholarly  physician  residing  at  Anderson,  was  born  in 
Charleston,  S.  C,  October  24,  1S37.  He  is  the  son  of  Dr.  David  Fred- 
erick Nardin,  a  native  of  France,  who  came  to  America  when  he  was 
eighteen  years  of  age.  His  wife,  the  mother  of  the  subject  of  this 
sketch,  was  Eleanor  St.  Clair  Waller,  a  native  of  Charleston.  She 
was  the  daughter  of  William  Waller,  a  native  of  Durham,  England, 
and  removed  to  Anderson  shortly  after  the  death  of  her  first  husband, 
Dr.  Nardin,  who  died  of  yellow  fever  in  1838,  when  the  subject  of  this 
sketch  was  but  a  year  old,  and  here  she  married  Daniel  Brown,  who 
died  in  1876.     Her  infant  son  was  brought  by  her  to  x'\nderson,  and 


SOUTH    CAKOMNA.  35 1 

has  ever  resided  here.  He  received  an  academic  education  which 
inckided  Latin  and  Greek.  At  the  age  of  twenty-one  he  took  up  the 
study  of  medicine,  and  in  the  fall  of  1858  entered  the  medical  depart- 
ment of  the  University  of  Virginia,  in  which  he  took  one  course  of 
lectures.  In  the  fall  of  1859  he  entered  the  medical  department  of 
the  University  of  New  York  city,  from  which  he  graduated  in  March, 
i860.  He  at  once  entered  upon  the  practice  of  medicine  at  Ander- 
son, where  he  had  been  reared,  and  the  fact  that  he  soon  won  a  lucra- 
tive practice  is  evidence  of  the  confidence  of  the  citizens  in  his  medical 
skill  and  his  integrity  of  character.  He  practiced  successfully  until 
the  fall  of  1862,  when  he  entered  the  service  of  the  Confederate  army 
as  a  private.  But  he  was  at  once  detailed  by  the  secretary  of  war  to 
remain  at  home  to  attend  small-po.x  patients,  that  disease  having 
broken  out  in  the  vicinity.  •  In  February,  1863,  he  entered  the  service 
as  assistant  surgeon,  in  which  capacity  he  served  until  the  close  of  the 
war.  He  then  returned  home  and  resumed  his  practice,  continuing 
in  the  same  ever  since.  From  1865  to  1873,  he  was  a  partner  in  a 
mercantile  firm,  his  step-father  being  his  partner,  and  did  business  in 
the  firm  name  of  W.  H.  Nardin  &  Co.  From  this  firm  he  retired  in 
1S73,  finding  it  took  too  much  time  and  attention  from  his  professional 
practice.  Since  that  date  he  has  devoted  his  undivided  attention  to 
his  medical  practice,  in  which  he  has  been  highly  successful.  He  is 
recognized  as  one  of  the  ablest  and  most  skillful  physicians  in  the 
state.  He  is  a  general  practitioner,  is  president  of  the  Anderson 
county  medical  society  and  a  member  of  the  South  Carolina  medical 
association,  in  which  he  has  served  as  vice-president.  In  his  religious 
associations  he  holds  a  membership  in  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church,  south,  and  is  chairman  of  the  board  of  trustees  of  his  church. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  Knights  of  Honor,  a  stockholder  in  the  An- 
derson Cotton-Seed  oil  company,  in  the  Anderson  cotton  mills,  and 
the  Anderson  Shoe  and  Leather  company.  He  is  also  a  stockholder 
in  the  Patrick  military  institute  of  Anderson,  and  is  surgeon  of  that 
institution.  He  was  one  of  the  original  stockholders  of  the  Anderson 
National  bank.  His  politics  are  democratic  and  he  has  several  times 
served  as  alderman,  as  intendant  and  as  mayor  of  the  city.  Dr. 
Nardin  was  married  in  October,  i860,  to  Miss  Lucy  E.  Hammond, 
daughter  of  William  Hammond,  of  Dalton,  Ga.  They  have  eight 
children,  the  five  eldest  of  whom  are  daughters  and  the  three  young- 
est, sons. 

DR.  SAMUEL  MARSHALL  ORR, 

a  leading  physician  of  Anderson,  and  the  son  of  Ex-Gov.  James  L. 
Orr,  of  South  Carolina,  was  born  in  Anderson,  S.  C,  June  5,  1S55. 
He  spent  his  boyhood  days  in  Anderson,  and  that  town  has  been  his 
home  all  his  life.  He  attended  an  academy  at  Anderson  until  he  was 
fourteen  years  of  age,  at  which  time  he  entered  the  Kings  Mountain 
military  academy  at  Yorkville,  S.  C,  which  he  attended  one  year.  It 
was  then  under  the  superintendence  of  Col.  A.  Coward,  who  is  now 


352  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

superintendent  of  the  South  CaroHna  Citadel  of  Charleston.  Mr. 
Orr  then  entered  Furman  university  of  Greenville,  in  which  he  com- 
pleted the  junior  year,  being  obliged  to  leave  before  graduation  on 
account  of  ill  health.  For  three  years  following  this  he  was  em- 
ployed as  a  clerk.  In  1875  he  was  married  to  Miss  Althea  Allen,  of 
Anderson,  a  descendant  of  the  Huguenots.  In  1876  he  took  up  the 
study  of  medicine  under  Dr.  W.  H.  Nardin,  his  present  partner.  In 
the  fall  of  1877  he  entered  the  Jefferson  medical  college,  of  Philadel- 
phia, from  which  he  graduated  in  1879,  his  diploma  being  signed  by 
such  eminent  physicians  as  Josephus  Pancoast  and  Samuel  D.  Gross. 
He  at  once  began  the  practice  of  his  profession  in  Anderson,  and  that 
city  with  its  vicinity,  has  been  the  field  of  his  practice  ever  since,  a 
period  of  twelve  years.  He  very  soon  took  his  place  in  the  front 
rank  of  hi^  profession,  and  is  now  one  of  the  most  successful  physi- 
cians in  Anderson.  While  his  practice  is  general  in  its  character,  he 
has  made  a  specialty  of  female  complaints,  and  for  the  purpose  of 
familiarizing  himself  with  this  branch  of  practice,  in  1889,  he  took  a 
course  of  lectures  in  the  New  York  Polyclinic.  His  practice  in  the 
line  of  diseases  of  women  is  very  large,  being  one  of  the  leading 
practitioners  of  the  kind  in  the  state.  He  has  achieved  a  great  suc- 
cess in  his  profession,  and  ranks  high  with  his  contemporaries.  He 
is  a  member  of  the  Anderson  county  medical  society  and  of  the  State 
medical  association,  of  which  he  served  as  vice-president.  He  is  also 
a  member  of  the  American  medical  association,  and  was  a  member  of 
the  state  board  of  medical  examiners.  He  is  lecturer  on  anatomy 
and  physiology  in  the  Home  school  of  Anderson,  and  is  also  of  Pat- 
rick's military  institute.  Dr.  Orr  is  a  member  of  the  Episcopal 
church,  in  which  he  is  a  vestryman.  Fraternally  he  is  a  Mason,  a 
Knight  of  Honor,  and  a  member  of  the  A.  O.  U.  W.  In  politics  he 
is  a  democrat  and  is  with  that  party  on  the  tariff  question.  He  has 
served  as  chairman  of  the  dem'ocratic  central  committee  of  Anderson 
county,  and  wields  a  strong  influence  in  the  political  affairs  of  his 
county.  While  he  has  a  great  fondness  for  politics,  which  he  doubtless 
inherited  from  his  distinguished  father,  he  has  refrained  wholly  from 
political  service  with  the  exception  of  the  chairmanship  above  men- 
tioned and  serving  as  delegate  to  the  county  and  state  conventions 
for  two  years.  With  these  few  exceptions  he  has  stood  aloof  from 
office-holding,  notwithstanding  he  has  been  frequently  urged  by  influ- 
ential friends  to  be  a  candidate  for  much  more  prominent  and  respon- 
sible positions.  In  the  line  of  business  he  is  a  director  in  the  Farm- 
ers &  Merchants'  bank,  in  the  Anderson  cotton  mills,  in  the  Ander- 
son Building  &  Loan  association,  and  a  stockholder  in  the  Chiquola 
hotel  company,  and  is  the  local  physician  and  surgeon  of  the  Port 
Royal  &  Western  Carolina  railway  company.  In  1883  Dr.  Orr  and 
Mr.  E.  P.  Sloan  established  a  drug  store  in  Anderson,  which,  under 
the  firm  name  of  Orr  &  Sloan,  they  have  ever  since  conducted.  It 
is  now  the  largest  drug  store  in  the  city  and  is  one  of  the  leading 
fixed  retail  institutions  of  Anderson.  Dr.  Orr  and  wife  have  been 
blessed  with  four  children,  two  sons  and  two  daughters. 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  353 


DR.  EDWARD  C.  FRIERSON, 

a  prominent  young  physician  of  Anderson,  was  born  at  Marion, 
Marion  county,  S.  C.,  April  23,  1S57.  He  is  the  son  of  Rev.  David  E. 
Frierson,  D.  D.,  pastor  of  the  Presbyterian  church  at  Anderson,  and 
an  able  divine  of  this  state.  The  mother  of  Dr.  Frierson  was  Re- 
becca E.  Crossland,  a  native  of  Darlinjjjton,  who  died  in  i860.  In 
1870  Dr.  Frierson  accompanied  his  father  from  Marion  to  Anderson 
when  he  was  twelve  years  of  age,  and  his  father  has  been  pastor  of 
the  Presbyterian  church  there  ever  since.  He  received  his  collegiate 
education  in  Erskine  college,  in  which  he  completed  half  of  the 
senior  year  in  1877.  While  in  college,  having  resolved  to  study  med- 
icine, he  entered  the  College  of  Physicians  and  Surgeons  of  Balti- 
more in  the  fall  of  1878,  from  which  he  graduated  in  1880.  He  at 
once  began  the  practice  of  his  profession  at  Antreville,  Abbeville 
county,  where  he  soon  won  a  lucrative  practice.  In  18S6  he  located 
at  his  old  home,  Anderson,  where  he  has  successfully  practiced  ever 
since,  and  of  which  city  he  is  now  a  leading  physician.  During  his 
medical  college  course  he  received  three  certificates,  upon  studies 
aside  from  those  embraced  in  the  regular  course.  He  is  a  general 
practitioner  and  a  member  of  the  Anderson  County  Medical  society. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  church,  the  Knights  of  Honor 
and  a  democrat  in  politics.  He  was  married  in  1883,  to  Miss  Mattie  E. 
Towers,  daughter  of  Alexander  B.  Towers,  of  Anderson.  They 
have  three  sons. 

DR.  BENJAMIN  F.  BROWN, 

a  prominent  physician  of  Williamston,  S.  C,  was  born  at  Anderson 
C.  H.,  Anderson  county,  S.  C,  February  4,  1833,  being  the  first  male 
child  born  in  the  place.  He  was  a  son  of  Daniel  Brown,  a  native  of 
Abbeville  county.  For  forty  years  he  was  a  merchant,  during  thirty- 
five  of  which  he  was  one  of  the  leading  merchants  of  Anderson. 
He  died  in  1876.  The  latter  was  the  son  of  John  Brown,  a  wealthy 
and  prominent  planter  of  South  Carolina.  The  mother  of  Dr.  Brown 
was  Rhoda  Acker,  a  native  of  Anderson  county,  and  daughter  of 
William  Acker,  a  planter  by  occupation.  She  died  in  1838,  when  her 
son  was  but  five  years  old.  Dr.  Brown  spent  his  early  life  at  Ander- 
son, where  he  received  a  classical  education  and  at  the  age  of 
eighteen  he  took  up  the  study  of  medicine.  He  entered  the  South 
Carolina  Medical  college  in  the  fall  of  1852,  and  graduated  in  March, 
1854.  He  at  once  began  the  practice  at  Anderson,  his  old  home,  con- 
tinuing there  until  1S62,  having  a  splendid  practice  from  the  begin- 
ning. In  April,  1862,  he  entered  the  Confederate  army  in  the  First 
South  Carolina  regiment,  as  an  assistant  surgeon,  and  continued  in 
that  capacity  until  the  close  of  the  war,  being  present  at  Lee's  sur- 
render and  hearing  the  last  gun  of  Lee's  army  fired.  He  was  in  the 
seven  days'  fight,  the  last  Manassas,  Sharpsburgh,  besides  others  of 
A— 23 


354  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

less  importance;  also  the  battles  of  Spottsylvania  Court  House  and 
Chancellorsville.  At  the  close  of  the  war  Dr.  Brown  engaged  in 
planting  in  Abbeville  county.  In  1S72  he  located  in  Williamston  and 
resumed  his  medical  practice,  which  he  has  kept  up  without  inter- 
ruption ever  since.  He  is  one  of  the  leading  and  most  successful 
physicians  of  Anderson  county.  He  belongs  to  the  county  medical 
society,  and  in  politics  he  is  a  democrat.  He  has  held  the  office  of 
intendant  of  Williamston  three  terms  and  has  been  warden  two 
terms.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Knights  of  Honor,  one  of  the  di- 
rectors of  Williamston  Female  college,  one  of  the  trustees  of  Will- 
iamston Male  high  school.  Dr.  Brown  was  married  December  23, 
1856,  to  Miss  Sallie  P.  Wideman,  daughter  of  Leonard  Wideman,  of 
Abbeville  county.  He  and  his  wife  have  had  nine  children,  all  of 
whom  are  living. 

WYMAN  BROTHERS, 

physicians  and  surgeons,  located  at  Aiken,  S.  C,  the  firm  consisting 
of  Drs.  B.  F.  Wyman,  H.  H.  Wyman  and  J.  F.  W^yman,  three  broth- 
ers, sons  of  Dr.  Joel  W.  Wyman.  Dr.  Joel  W.  Wyman  was  born  in 
Wanchusett  village,  Mass.,  December  6,  1800,  he  being  the  eldest  of 
a  family  of  ten  children.  A  graduate  of  Amherst  college,  with  the 
honors  of  his  class,  he  was  elected  to  deliver  the  valedictory.  He 
came  to  South  Carolina  about  1825,  and  while  principal  of  the 
academy  at  Boiling  Springs,  S.  C,  studied  medicine,  and  graduated 
from  the  Charleston  medical  college,  being  awarded  a  massive  silver 
urn  for  the  best  Latin  thesis.  He  practiced  his  profession  for  fifty 
years,  in  Prince  William's  parish,  Beaufort  district,  enjoying  the  en- 
tire confidence  of  the  people,  and  a  widespread  reputation.  He  mar- 
ried Clementina,  a  daughter  of  L.  S.  Hay,  of  Barnwell  district,  who 
came  to  South  Carolina  from  Hanestraw,  N.  Y.,  a  grandson  of  Col. 
Hay,  aide-de-camp  of  Gen.  George  Washington.  To  this  marriage 
was  born  six  sons  and  three  daughters:  Lewis  Hay  Wyman,  eldest 
son,  died  in  infancy;  Lalla  W.  Smith,  still  living,  a  widow  of  Walter  D. 
Smith,  attorney-at-law,  who  died  while  serving  as  a  lieutenant  in  cav- 
alry in  the  southern  army;  William  Hutson  Wyman,  surgeon  in  the 
Confederate  army,  died  at  the  age  of  forty,  standing  high  in  his  profes- 
sion, beloved  and  honored  by  all  who  knew  him;  B.  F.  Wyman, 
third  son,  physician  and  surgeon,  senior  member  of  the  firm  of  Wy- 
man Bros.,  graduated  at  Charleston  Medical  college,  immediately 
after  the  war,  in  which  he  served  as  captain  of  Company  F,  Eleventh 
South  Carolina  regiment,  Hagood's  brigade;  E.  Holbrook  Wyman, 
second  lieutenant  in  the  southern  army,  now  a  resident,  and  following 
the  occupation  of  planter  in  Hampton  county,  S.  C;  Hampden  Hay 
and  Harry  Hastings  Wyman  —  twin  boys,  entered  the  southern  army 
in  1861,  before  they  were  sixteen  years  of  age.  Hay  was  mortally 
wounded  in  one  of  the  engagements  following  Butler's  advance  on 
Petersburg,  in  1864.  A  brave  and  heroic  lad.  Turning  his  face  to  an 
officer  on  the  brigade   staff,   who  was  weeping  over    him,    he  said, 


SOUTH   CAROLINA.  35.5 

"  Don't  cry,  cousin.  If  I  had  a  hundred  lives  I  would  give  them  for 
my  country."  H.  Hastings,  the  twin  brother,  graduated  at  the 
Charleston  Medical  college,  in  1875,  bearing  the  first  honorable  men- 
tion of  his  class,  is  now  a  member  of  the  firm  of  Wyman  Bros.  Ger- 
trude C.  Wyman  married  Howard  E.  Vincent,  of  Charleston,  S.  C; 
Hattie  H.  Wyman  married  Lewis  H.  Frampton,  of  Hampton  county, 
S.  C;  I.  Frampton  Wyman,  third  member  of  the  firm  of  Wyman  Bros., 
graduated  in  1881,  at  Charleston  Medical  college,  a  successful  practi- 
tioner and  surgeon.  As  showing  the  character  of  Dr.  I.  W.  Wyman 
as  a  man  and  a  patriot,  the  following  incident  will  be  related.  .Shortly 
after  the  close  of  the  war,  some  officers  of  the  Federal  army  were 
sharing  the  hospitalities  of  the  doctor's  house,  which  was  one  of  the 
negro  cabins  left  from  the  flames  of  Sherman's  army.  Seeing  the 
ruins  of  the  former  home,  with  the  magnificent  garden,  trees,  etc., 
and  learning  that  the  doctor  was  from  the  north,  asked:  "Why,  doc- 
tor, did  you  not  remain  in  your  home,  and  claim  leniency  and  protec- 
tion." Looking  the  officer  squarely  in  the  eye,  the  doctor  replied: 
"  Sir,  do  you  think  that  a  man  who  had  sent  five  sons  into  the  south- 
ern army  would  sacrifice  his  principles  by  begging  for  his  home." 

DR.  JAMES   DAVIS,  Sr. 

James  Davis,  son  of  Eli  Davis,  was  born  in  Worcester  county,  Md., 
in  1774.  At  the  age  of  ten  years,  on  the  death  of  his  father,  he  re- 
moved to  South  Carolina  with  his  elder  brother,  John.  He  was  elected 
state  senator  from  Union  district  before  he  had  reached  the  constitu- 
tional age,  and  could  not  take  his  seat  for  some  time  after.  Settling 
in  Columbia,  he  pursued  the  practice  of  medicine  with  distinguished 
success.  He  was  among  the  foremost  in  working  for  the  amelioration 
of  society,  and  was  especially  instrumental  in  securing  the  foundation 
of  the  lunatic  asylum.  He  died  in  1838.  Of  his  children,  a  daughter, 
Caroline,  married  Edward  G.  Palmer,  and  another,  Penelope,  mar- 
ried William  C.  Preston.  John  Ramsay,  a  son,  was  tutor  in  the  South 
Carolina  college  and  editor  of  a  paper  during  nullification  times.  He 
died  at  the  age  of  twenty-seven.  James,  Jr.,  was  surgeon  of  the  Pal- 
metto regiment  in  the  Mexican  war,  and  died  of  sickness  there  con- 
tracted in  184S,  at  the  age  of  twenty-six.  Henry  C.  was  a  member  of 
the  legislature  from  Fairfield  county,  twice,  and  a  member  of  the  se- 
cession convention.  He  was  also  lieutenant-colonel  of  the  Twelfth 
regiment.  South  Carolina  volunteers.     He  died  in  1887. 

LEVI  C.  STEPHENS,  M.  D. 

Among  the  leading  physicians  of  Barnwell  county,  S.  C,  may  be 
found  the  name  of  Levi  Coke  Stephens,  M.  D.  Dr.  Stephens  is  a 
native  of  South  Carolina,  having  been  born  in  Colleton  county,  July  10, 
1838.  His  father,  Reuben  Stephens,  was  a  native  of  North  Carolina, 
but  removed  to  South  Carolina  about  the  year  181 2,  and  settled  in 
Colleton  county,  where  he  became  a  planter.     Soon  after  his  arrival 


356  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

at  his  new  home  he  was  happily  married  to  Miss  Narcissa  Rutledge, 
of  Colleton  county.  She  was  the  daughter  of  James  Rutledge, 
a  leading  planter  on  the  Combahee.  Reuben  Stephens  was  a  man  of 
able  and  progressive  mind.  Col.  M.  E.  Carn,  one  of  the  signers  of 
the  ordinance  of  secession,  died  soon  after  the  secession  convention 
of  South  Carolina,  and  Mr.  Rueben  Stephens  succeeded  him  in  a  sub- 
sequent convention.  He  was  also  a  soldier  in  the  war  of  1S12.  Levi, 
the  principal  of  this  biographical  mention,  was  the  fifth  child.  During 
his  early  boyhood  he  attended  the  schools  of  his  native  county  and 
there  laid  an  excellent  foundation  for  his  subsequent  studies.  His 
father  was  a  school  trustee  for  many  years  and  took  a  deep  interest 
in  educational  matters.  His  influence  was  used  in  securing  the  best 
teachers  to  be  obtained  and  the  schools  of  the  vicinity  soon  became 
noted  for  their  thoroughness.  In  1856,  Levi  Stephens  entered  Fur- 
man  university,  at  Greenville,  S.  C,  but  before  graduating  concluded 
to  take  up  the  study  of  medicine,  which  he  did,  his  first  instructions 
in  the  science  havmg  been  received  from  Dr.  Stephens,  of  Blackville, 
S.  C,  a  brother,  and  later  he  continued  under  the  tutelage  of  Dr.  D.J. 
Cain,  of  Charleston.  In  1S58  he  entered  the  Charleston  medical  col- 
lege, and  was  graduated  therefrom  in  the  spring  of  i860.  At  this 
time  Dr.  Stephens  began  the  practice  of  his  chosen  profession  at  his 
home  in  Colleton  county,  and  remained  there  until  the  commence- 
ment of  hostilities  between  the  north  and  south,  when  he  joined  Harts 
battery  (Hampton's  Horse  Artillery),  at  Columbia.  The  career  of 
this  famous  batter}-  is  recorded  in  history.  They  were  in  more  than 
a  hundred  skirmishes  and  battles.  In  1S63  Dr.  Stephens  was  detailed 
as  surgeon  of  Harts  battery  and  served  in  that  capacity  until  the  close 
of  the  war.  Peace  having  been  declared,  he  returned  home  and  be- 
gan practicing  in  Orangeburg  county,  where  he  carried  on  a  planta- 
tion in  connection  with  his  professional  duties  till  1873,  when  he  con- 
cluded that  the  best  interests  of  his  calling  demanded  his  entire 
attention  and  he  removed  to  Blackville.  His  success  has  been  phe- 
nominal,  and  his  reputation  as  a  skilled  practitioner  is  widespread. 
He  is  a  member  of  both  the  state  and  county  medical  societies,  and 
while  he  has  never  taken  any  active  part  in  politics,  he  is  a  firm  sup- 
porter of  the  democratic  party.  He  is  a  prominent  member  of  the 
Knights  of  Honor,  having  served  as  physician  to  the  local  lodge  for 
twelve  years.  He  is  an  active  and  loyal  member  of  the  Good  Tem- 
plars, and  is  a  consistent  and  valued  communicant  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church,  south,  and  is  a  steward  of  the  church  at  Blackville. 
In  1868,  Mrs.  Kennedy,  of  Orangeburg,  became  his  wife,  and  to  their 
union  one  son  has  been  born.  He  is  now  a  student  at  Wofford  col- 
lege. Mrs.  Stephens  had  two  sons  by  a  former  marriage,  both  of  whom 
are  now  prominently  connected  with  the  railroad  interests  of  the  state. 
Though  not  a  classical  scholar  in  the  full  sense  of  the  term,  Dr.  Steph- 
ens, by  dint  of  constant  research,  keeps  fully  abreast  with  the  great 
questions  that  agitate  thought  and  life,  especially  those  relating  to  his 
chosen  profession.  His  library,  which  was  destroyed  with  the  con- 
tents of  a  drug  store,  by  the  great  fire  which  consumed  about  two- 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  357 

thirds  of  the  business  portion  of  Blackville,  a  few  years  ago,  was  lib- 
erally stocked  with  both  medical  anil  miscellaneous  literature.  Much 
of  his  yearly  income  is  now  being  invested  in  replacing  this  loss,  which 
has  only  been  partially  supplemented  by  a  liberal  subscription  to  the 
monthly  periodicals.  Dr.  Stephens  is  fond  of  surgery,  and  has  per- 
formed as  many  difficult  operations,  perhaps,  as  any  country  practi- 
tioner in  the  state,  his  services  being  frequently  called  into  requisition 
by  his  professional  brethren,  when  this  kind  of  work  is  to  be  done  in 
his  own  and  adjoining  counties.  For  several  years  before  the  South 
Carolina  railroad  was  put  into  the  hands  of  a  receiver,  and  up  to  that 
time,  he  was  surgeon  for  the  company,  and  had  frequent  opportuni- 
ties of  practical  railway  surgery.  In  his  large  and  laborious  practice, 
of  course  much  "  charity  work  "  is  done,  but  where  the  recipients  of  this 
attention  are  classed  among  the  deserving  poor,  the  same  courtesy  is 
practiced  and  the  same  cordiality  of  manner  evinced  as  among  the 
more  fortunate  in  life,  thus  winning,  as  a  consequence,  the  confidence 
and  respect  of  both  classes. 

The  friends  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  of  whom  he  has  a  grati- 
fying number,  say  that  he  possesses  a  keen  appreciation  of  the  humor- 
ous, loves  a  good  joke,  especially  if  divested  of  vulgarity  and  flip- 
pancy, is  free  from  the  indulgence  of  any  practice  which  in  the  least 
tends  to  compromise  his  adherence  to  what  he  claims  to  be  right  in 
principle,  preferring  rather  to  have  the  approval  of  his  conscience  than 
the  applause  of  men. 

DR.   W.   T.   C.   BATES 

was  born  July  16,  1848,  at  McCantsville,  Orangeburg  county,  S.  C.  He 
is  the  son  of  Dr.  R.  W.  and  Elizabeth  (Evans)  Bates,  and  his  ele- 
mentary education  was  acquired  at  Pine  Grove  academy.  When  the 
war  began  he  left  school  and  managed  a  large  plantation  until  the 
winter  of  1864,  when  at  the  age  of  sixteen  he  entered  the  army  and 
did  military  service  at  Sisters'  Ferry,  on  the  Savannah  river,  endeav- 
oring to  check  Gen.  Sherman's  advance.  At  other  points  in  Sher- 
man's route  he  was  engaged  in  the  same  service.  He  finally  returned 
to  South  Carolina  and  assisted  in  checking  Potter's  raid.  He  re- 
sumed study  under  V.  C.  Dibble,  and  in  September,  1S66,  entered 
South  Carolina  university,  studied  in  the  literary  department  one  year, 
and  in  the  medical  department  for  the  same  length  of  time,  graduat- 
ing in  the  class  of  186S  with  highest  honors.  The  following  winter 
he  attended  colleges  and  studied  in  hospitals  in  New  York,  and  in 
May,  1S69,  began  practice  at  St.  Matthews,  S.  C.  He  soon  acquired 
an  extensive  and  profitable  practice,  besides  successfully  conducting 
a  large  farm.  In  January,  1882,  he  located  in  Columbia,  and  was  soon 
afterward,  without  his  solicitation,  elected  first  assistant  physician  at 
the  South  Carolina  lunatic  asylum.  Here  he  served  with  distin- 
guished ability  till  October,  1886,  when  he  resigned  on  account  of  ill- 
health.  He  returned  to  St.  Matthews  to  recuperate  in  out-door  pur- 
suits on  the  farm.     Here  his  characteristic  enterprise  pointed  him 


358  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

out  for  the  presidency  of  a  bank  then  being  organized.  He  was  soon 
afterward  chosen  a  director  in  the  B.  &  L.  association,  and  in  a  ware- 
house and  manufacturing  company.  His  public  spirit  led  him  to  take 
an  active  part  in  all  matters  relating  to  the  advancement  and  pros- 
perity of  his  county  and  state.  In  1876  he  was  a  member  of  the  dem- 
ocratic county  executive  committee,  and  chairman  of  his  township 
committee.  He  was  chosen  in  1SS6  vice  president  of  the  farmers'  as- 
sociation of  Orangeburg  county,  and  took  an  active  part  in  the  cam- 
paign of  that  year.  In  188S  Dr.  Bates  was  a  delegate  to  his  county 
and  state  conventions,  and  was  an  active  member  and  an  ardent  sup- 
porter of  the  farmers'  or  reform  movement  in  that  campaign.  He 
submitted  an  essay  on  the  subject  of  an  industrial  education,  advo- 
cating the  establishment  of  an  industrial  college  by  the  state,  to  be 
separate  and  distinct  from  the  state  university,  and  to  be  supported 
by  state  appropriations.  The  essay  was  read  at  Orangeburg  Court 
House,  and  attracted  much  attention,  being  widely  published.  In  the 
political  campaign  of  1S90  he  took  part,  and  w-as  nominated  for  state 
treasurer,  though  the  office  was  unsought  by  him.  He  was  triumph- 
antly elected.  Dr.  Bates's  father,  whose  name  was  mentioned  at  the 
beginning  of  this  sketch,  was  born  in  Newberry  county,  S.  C,  in  1S18. 
He  is  a  ph^'sician,  but  retired  from  practice  in  1886.  He  was  twice 
elected  a  member  of  the  legislature  from  Orangeburg  county,  S.  C. 
He  was  married  to  Elizabeth  Evans,  daughter  of  John  Evans  of 
Orangeburg  county.  They  had  eight  children,  seven  of  whom  still 
survive.  The  mother  died  in  1890.  Dr.  W.  T.  C.  Bates  was  the  val- 
edictorian of  his  class,  and  his  essay  on  the  subject  of  "Duty"  was 
very  creditable  to  him  as  a  writer  and  thinker.  Dr.  Bates  was  mar- 
ried in  December,  1873,  to  Mary  B.  Wannamaker,  daughter  of  W.  W. 
Wannamaker,  of  St.  Matthews  parish,  Orangeburg  county,  S.  C. 

HON.  J.  WILLIAM  STOKES 

was  born  in  Orangeburg  county,  S.  C,  in  1S53.  Having  received  his 
preliminary  schooling  in  the  common  schools  he  was  graduated  from 
the  Washington  and  Lee  university  with  high  honors  in  his  class. 
After  his  graduation  he  was  tendered  the  position  of  principal  of  the 
Lincoln  county  (Tennessee)  high  school,  and  occupied  that  position 
for  two  years.  Having  decided  to  enter  the  medical  profession,  at 
the  age  of  twenty-seven,  he  became  a  student  in  the  V^anderbilt  uni- 
versity, and  completed  a  course  in  medicine  there,  while  teaching  a 
school  adjacent  to  Nashville.  Here  also  he  displayed  great  ability, 
and  was  honored  at  his  graduation  with  a  medal  offered  for  the  best 
treatise  on  a  given  medical  subject,  and  for  which  there  were  thirty- 
eight  contestants.  He  was  then  urged  by  a  relative  to  return 
to  his  native  county  and  engage  in  practice.  At  about  this  time 
he  was  offered  the  principalship  of  the  high  school  at  Corinth,  Miss., 
but  after  careful  consideration  decided  to  return  to  Orangeburg 
county  and  accede  to  the  wishes  of  his  relative,  who  was  also  a 
physician.     After  practicing  for  one  year,  Dr.  Stokes  received  a  very 


SOUTH   CAROLINA.  359 

llattcring  offer  to  accept  the  position  of  principal  of  the  Corinth 
sciiools.  He  finally  yielded  to  their  entreaty  and  remained  in  charge 
of  the  schools  at  that  place  for  six  years.  At  the  expiration  of  this 
period  he  was  asked  to  take  the  management  of  the  school,  with 
which  he  had  been  first  connected  after  his  graduation  from  college, 
and  after  much  persuasion  accepted  for  a  term  of  five  years.  At  the 
end  of  his  first  year  in  that  position  Dr.  Stokes  was  compelled  to  re- 
sign on  account  of  the  death  of  his  father,  and  hasten  home  to  care 
for  the  estate.  He  gave  his  earnest  attention  to  agriculture  and  soon 
made  it  apparent  that  he  had  great  ability  in  that  calling.  Soon 
after  his  return  home  the  farmers'  alliance  movement  reached 
Orangeburg  county,  and  sub-alliances  were  being  established  through- 
out the  state.  Dr.  Stokes  was  largely  instrumental  in  the  organiza- 
tion of  the  Rowesville  sub-alliance,  which  was  among  the  first  to  be 
started  in  the  county.  He  was  made  county  lecturer  and  organizer 
for  Orangeburg  county,  and  his  success  in  this  undertaking  was  re- 
markable. To  him  in  part  is  due  the  honor  of  the  complete  organiza- 
tion of  the  farmers  of  Orangeburg  county.  In  June,  1890,  he  pur- 
chased The  Cotton  Plant,  state  alliance  organ,  and  has  since  managed 
it  as  editor-in-chief.  This  is  one  of  the  most  aggressive  alliance  papers 
in  the  south.  At  the  recent  annual  election  of  the  county  alliance 
his  services  were  recognized  by  his  election  to  the  presidency  of  the 
order  in  the  county,  and  a  few  months  subsequent  he  was  elevated  to 
the  responsible  position  of  president  of  the  state  alliance  of  South 
Carolina,  to  succeed  Col.  E.  T.  Stackhouse,  and  to  this  position  he 
has  recently  been  re-elected  for  a  second  term.  At  the  November 
election  of  1890  Dr.  Stokes  was  the  candidate  of  Orangeburg  county 
for  state  senator  on  the  democratic-alliance  ticket,  and  his  election 
was  assured  from  the  first.  His  course  in  the  senate  has  not  disap- 
pointed his  constituents,  and  he  was  chairman  of  some  of  the  most 
important  committees  of  the  senate. 

In  18S1,  Dr.  Stokes  was  so  fortunate  as  to  form  a  marriage  alliance 
with  Miss  E.  L.  Landes,  a  beautiful  and  accomplished  lady  of  Fay- 
etteville,  Tenn.,  to  whose  faithful  and  intelligent  assistance  and  in- 
spiration as  teacher,  farmer  and  editor,  his  success  is  largely  due. 

MIDDLETON  MICHEL,  M.  D., 

was  born  in  Charleston,  S.  C,  January  22,  1822.  Carried  in  1832  by 
his  parents  to  school  in  Paris,  he  remained  two  years  at  the  Pension 
Labrousse  in  the  Rue  Basse  des  Remparts,  where  he  acquired  in  early 
life  a  knowledge  of  French.  After  the  completion  of  his  academic 
studies  at  home,  he  returned  again  to  Paris  in  1S42  to  begin  the  study 
of  medicine,  which  required  four  years  of  severe  application.  It  was 
his  undivided  devotion  at  this  time  to  the  profession  of  his  adoption 
that  won  the  admiration  of  his  private  instructor,  Mons.  Richet,  then 
Velpeau's  chief  de  clinique.  Richet  invited  him  to  assist  in  the  in- 
struction that  the  former  was  giving  in  anatomy,  and  thus  at  the  onset 
of  his  career  as  a  medical  student  we  find  him  at  the  Ecole  Pratigue, 


360  SOUTH    CAROLINA, 

in  Paris,  delivering  a  course  of  lectures  on  anatomy,  to  a  class  of 
eighteen  pupils,  in  the  French  language.  Afterward  Prof.  Cruveilhier 
received  him  into  his  private  laboratory,  as  a  special  favor,  where 
with  Bonami,  he  assisted  in  making  many  of  those  dissections  for 
the  second  edition  of  Cruveilhier's  Anatomy,  which  served  also  to 
illustrate  Bonami  &  Beau's  beautiful  anatomical  atlas.  A  year  was 
spent  with  Longet,  whose  experimental  vivi-sections  were  attracting 
the  whole  of  Europe;  but  it  was  with  Coste,  at  the  Sorbonne,  that  he 
became  intimately  affiliated  in  prosecuting  res'earches  upon  the  de- 
velopment of  the  ovum  in  the  rabbit.  These  researches  into  embry- 
ology led  him,  through  Coste's  advice,  to  undertake  the  embryological 
development  of  the  opossum  of  our  own  country,  as  access  to  that 
animal  was  impossible  in  Europe.  We  are  not  surprised  to  learn, 
that  upon  his  return  home,  he  opened  a  private  school  of  instruction 
in  Charleston  and  delivered  lectures  to  large  classes  of  students  from 
all  parts  of  the  southern  states;  afterward  establishing  his  "Summer 
Institute"  conjointly  with  several  of  his  colleagues,  which,  until  i860, 
attracted  students  from  every  quarter.  It  was  about  1852  that  Dr. 
Michel  was  invited  by  Prof.  Horace  Green  to  a  professorship  in  the 
Crosby  Medical  college,  of  New  York,  and  specially  urged  by  Dr.  J. 
Marion  Sims  to  accept  the  call;  circumstances,  however,  forced  his 
declination  of  their  flattering  appeals. 

The  most  important  event  during  the  war  connected  with  the 
preservation  of  its  surgical  and  medical  record,  was  the  organization 
of  an  association  of  army  and  naval  surgeons,  and  the  establishment 
of  the  Confederate  Medical  &  Surgical  Jotirnal,  published  by  Ayres  & 
Ward,  of  Richmond,  and  edited  by  Dr.  Middleton  Michel.  He  ad- 
dressed a  large  convention  of  surgeons  at  Richmond,  Va.,  on  the  sub- 
ject, and  the  success  of  this  movement  served,  as  a  commentator  has 
published:  "To  rescue  from  oblivion  such  information  and  details  of 
scientific  import  as  could  not  have  been  deduced  from  the  mere  red- 
tape  official  statistics  pigeon-holed  in  the  surgeon-general's  office  at 
Richmond,  even  had  they  been  ultimately  rescued  from  the  flames  at 
the  fall  of  Richmond.  The  journal  records  some  of  the  most  im- 
portant cases  and  operations  that  occurred  in  hospital  and  field  ser- 
vice, and  is  of  especial  value  to  medical  science  because  it  contains 
information  that  can  be  found  nowhere  else.  References  to  it  are 
everywhere  met  in  the  pages  of  the  '  Surgical  History  of  the  War  of 
the  Rebellion,'  now  being  issued  at  Washington,  D.  C.  It  will  doubt- 
less be  one  of  the  main  authorities  in  the  future  preparation  for  the 
published  history  of  what  exists  in  print,  manuscript  or  personal 
reminiscence  of  the  surgical  and  medical  record  of  the  Confederate 
States.  The  volumes  are  now  out  of  print  and  copies  would  com- 
mand a  high  price."  It  was  no  inconspicuous  effort  to  have  attempted 
this  literary  project  when  the  very  procuring  of  paper  manufacture 
in  Richmond  was  of  itself  so  difficult.  This  journal  appeared  regu- 
larly every  month,  and  was  forw'arded  to  subscribers  all  over  the  bat- 
tle-fields of  the  Confederacy.  l""rom  these  tented  fields  copies  were 
captured  by  the  Federals  and  sent  to  Washington. 


SOUTH    CAROLINy\.  36 1 

As  a  surgeon  Dr.  Michel's  well-earned  reputation  brought  him 
foremost  among  the  surgeons  in  the  Confederate  army.  A  memor- 
able event  in  the  wide  field  of  surgery  during  our  recent  war  concen- 
trated attention  upon  South  Carolina  when  her  distinguished  sur- 
geon, Middleton  Michel,  of  Charleston,  tied  that  important  artery, 
buried  beneath  the  collar-bone,  very  near  the  heart.  They  call  this 
artery  the-sub-clavian.  At  a  most  unexpected  moment,  when,  to  all 
appearances  nearly  well  after  a  protracted  convalescence  from  a 
wound  through  the  chest,  this  large  artery  suddenly  gave  wav^  in  a 
soldier  whose  life-blood  must  have  gushed  forth  with  terrific  celerity, 
but  for  this  timely  interference  and  skill.  The  sub-clavian  was  se- 
cured in  its  deepest  and  most  devious  course  in  close  proximity  to  the 
heart  by  Michel  and  this  man's  life  was  saved.  Now  years  have 
rolled  on  without  knowledge  of  what  had  become  of  this  soldier,  or 
whether  he  was  even  still  alive  when  a  Columbia,  S.  C,  paper  recorded 
an  unexpected  episode,  which  occurred  at  a  meeting  of  Confederate 
surgeons  assembled  at  the  capital,  in  November,  i88S,  which  oc- 
casioned the  most  enthusiastic  greeting  of  surgeon  and  patient  after 
the  lapse  of  twenty-five  years.  Dr.  Leaphardt  brought  this  patient 
to  meet  his  old  surgeon  and  this  extraordinary  case  of  surgery  was 
exhibited  in  its  successful  results  to  an  admiring  assembly  of  veterans 
of  the  old  arm)^  We  scarcely  exaggerate  the  merits  of  this  unique 
case,  for  the  mortality  is  said  to  be  stupendous  in  interference  with 
this  vessel,  even  in  more  accessible  parts  of  its  course.  The  execu- 
tion of  this  difficult  and  dangerous  operation  has  properly  ranked  it 
as  the  type  of  what  the  French  term,  ''la  haii/c  chirurgicf" 

Another  writer,  the  Rev.  Robert  Barnwell,  bears  testimony  to  the 
prominent  position  Michel  occupied  during  the  war.  Stationed  at 
Richmond,  he  was  repeatedly  summoned  from  the  capital  to  offer 
assistance  to  the  wounded.  Three  prominent  calls  upon  his  pro- 
fessional service,  outside  of  his  official  duties,  should  be  recorded, 
these  were  to  Gen.  Joseph  E.  Johnston,  Rev.  Hoge,  of  Virginia,  the 
distinguished  Presbyterian  minister;  and  Mr.  Drury,  at  Drury's 
Bluff.  Respecting  the  former  the  Rev.  Barnwell  says:  "It  was  no 
small  tribute  to  his  skill  that  of  all  the  galaxy  of  medical  talent  in 
and  about  Richmond,  he  was  selected  by  Gen.  Johnston  as  his  sur- 
geon, and  sent  for  from  the  battlefield  at  dead  of  night  to  attend  his 
wounds." 

With  his  literary  proclivity,  after  the  war  Dr.  Michel  became  an 
associate  editor  of  the  Charleston  Medical  Journal,  and  also  of  the 
Boston  Medical  Jonrnal,  for  a  short  season,  through  the  courtesy  of 
Prof.  J.  Collins  Warren,  of  Boston,  who  was  as  its  chief  editor  about 
to  retire.  His  contributions  to  medical  journals  have  been  numer- 
ous, some  constituting  monographs  of  special  value.  His  connection 
with  the  board  of  health  has  furnished  papers  from  his  pen  on  sani- 
tary questions  and  problems  of  more  than  local  interest;  while  as 
president  of  the  Medical  Society  of  South  Carolina,  his  biographical 
sketches  have  commemorated  the  lives  and  labors  of  some  of  its 
members  in  a  "well  of  English  undefiled."     It  is  a  pleasure  to  record, 


I 


362  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

in  this  connection,  that,  as  the  centennial  anniversary  of  this  medical 
society  was  approaching,  during  his  presidency,  there  was  some  one 
found  who  had  preserved  South  Carolina's  documentary  as  well  as 
traditional  history  of  that  old  and  revered  societ}',  as  was  exemplified 
in  the  address  he  delivered  upon  retiring  from  its  presidential  chair. 

GEORGE   W.  WILLIAMS, 

senior  member  of  the  banking  house  of  George  W.  Williams  &  Co., 
and  president  of  the  Carolina  Savings  bank,  of  Charleston,  S.  C,  is 
an  eminent  business  man,  who  from  the  smallest  of  beginnings,  and  by 
virtue  alone  of  indomitable  strength  of  will  has  fought  his  way, 
against  powerful  contending  influences,  to  the  front  ranks  of  his  call- 
ing. George  Walton  Williams  was  born  in  Burke  county, 
N.  C,  December  19,  1820.  The  Williams  family  are  of  Welsh 
descent,  having  emigrated  to  America  on  account  of  religious  perse- 
cution. In  1799,  Edward  Williams,  an  enterprising  member  of  the 
family  from  Easton,  Mass.,  came  south  and  located  in  Charleston, 
S.  C;  a  few  years  later  he  removed  to  the  mountains  of  North  Caro- 
lina, and  formed  a  partnership  with  Daniel  Brown,  a  successful  farm- 
er and  merchant.  He  soon  afterward  married  Mary  Brown, 
daughter  of  his  partner,  and,  of  their  numerous  children  born,  George 
\W.  Williams  is  the  fourth  and  youngest  son.  When  three  years  old, 
his  father,  Maj.  Edward  Williams,  removed  from  North  Carolina  to 
the  more  genial  and  fertile  regions  of  Nacoochee  Valley,  Ga.,  where 
he  purchased  a  large  and  valuable  tract  of  land,  and  here,  on  the 
very  border  of  civilization,  inhabited  principally  by  Cherokee  Indians, 
Mr.  William's  childhood  and  early  youth  were  passed.  His  father 
was  a  man  of  great  energy,  and  through  his  untiring  exertions  the 
fertile  vallej'  was  brought  into  a  high  state  of  cultivation.  Maj.  Will- 
iams first  introduced  herd's  grass,  timothy  and  clover,  and  established 
cheese  dairies,  shoe  factories  and  like  improvements,  and  in  this  way 
did  much  to  advance  the  agricultural  and  industrial  interests  of 
northeast  Georgia. 

Major  Williams  appreciated  the  value  of  character,  and  trained  his 
sons  to  habits  of  temperance,  industr\'  and  self-reliance,  setting  before 
them  in  his  own  life  a  worthy  example  as  did  his  most  excellent  wife, 
a  woman  of  great  energy,  piety  and  benevolence.  The  subject  of 
this  sketch,  in  his  fourteenth  year,  lost  his  good  mother  —  a  severe 
loss  to  one  who  was  so  much  indebted  to  her  for  his  early  training, 
and  consequently  home  lost  much  of  its  attractions  to  him.  Having 
a  penchant  for  trading,  his  natural  instincts  led  him  to  regard  the 
commercial  world  as  his  proper^sphere  of  action;  he  determined  to 
try  a  wider  field  to  develop  his  pent-up  energies.  Maj.  Williams 
possessed  horses,  buggies  and  money,  but  as  his  son  insisted  on  leav- 
ing home  in  his  teens,  the  father  declined  to  offer  him  any  facilities, 
imagining  that  the  inexperienced  youth  would  return  the  sooner  to 
the  paternal  roof.  Nothing  daunted,  the  boy  set  forth  on  his  journey 
of  150  miles  to  Augusta,  Ga.,  in  October,  1S3S. 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  363 

The  young  adventurer  believed  that  "Where  there  is  a  will  there 
is  a  way."  He  started  on  his  two  strong  feet,  propelled  by  a  resolute 
will  and  untiring  perseverance.  At  that  time  there  were  but  ten 
miles  of  railroad  in  the  great  state  of  Georgia,  and  but  a  few  hun- 
dred in  the  whole  south.  Had  there  been  thousands  they  would  not 
have  availed  a  boy  with  only  ten  dollars  in  his  pocket.  To  lessen  his 
expenses,  he  made  a  bargain  with  a  kind  neighbor,  who  was  going 
with  his  wagon  loaded  with  the  mountain  products  to  Augusta,  Ga. 
He  assisted  in  cooking  and  scotching  for  his  board.  The  board,  of 
course,  was  rough,  and  the  lodging  at  night  on  the  ground,  but  this 
out-door  life  developed  the  muscles,  and  was  an  important  training 
for  a  bo}'  starting  out  in  life  with  a  determination  to  succeed.  The 
journey  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles  was  made  in  seven  days,  at  an 
expense  of  twenty-five  cents!  He  was  now  among  strangers,  in  a 
strange  land.  Fortunately,  he  procured  a  situation  with  Mr.  Daniel 
Hand,  in  a  wholesale  grocery  establishment,  at  the  nominal  salary  for 
the  first  year  of  $50  and  board.  He  was  prompt,  active  and  indus- 
trious, did  whatever  he  undertook  to  do,  well,  and  was  ever  watchful 
to  promote  the  interest  of  his  employers.  Mr.  Williams's  genius  for 
business  rapidly  developed.  At  the  age  of  twenty-one  he  purchased 
the  interest  of  Mr.  Scranton,  and  became  a  partner,  the  name  of  the 
firm  being  changed  to  Hand  &  Williams.  One  of  the  first  acts  of 
the  young  merchant,  on  becoming  a  member  of  the  firm,  was  charac- 
teristic of  the  man.  He  had  been  taught  by  his  father  that  it  was 
wrong  to  traffic  in  spirituous  liquors.  One-half  of  their  stock  in 
trade  consisted  of  such  goods.  He  persuaded  his  partner  to  abandon 
that  branch  of  their  business.  It  was  predicted  that  they  would  lose 
the  most  profitable  part  of  their  trade  by  this  course.  Mr.  Williams 
would  not  allow  pecuniary  gains  to  turn  him  from  a  course  that  he 
believed  to  be  right.  With  a  firm  trust  in  providence,  he  continued 
to  prosecute  his  business  with  his  accustomed  energy  and  forethought. 
So  far  from  losing  by  his  bold  step,  there  was,  from  year  to  year,  a 
handsome  increase  in  their  profits.  Fourteen  years  had  come  and 
gone  since  Mr.  Williams  left  his  Nacoochee  home.  He  had,  by  his 
superior  business  talents,  accumulated  a  larger  capital  than  could  be 
used  to  advantage,  even  in  their  extensive  Augusta  house. 

Having  been  for  some  years  favorably  impressed  with  Charleston, 
he  visited  that  city  in  1852,  and  established  the  wholesale  grocery 
house  of  George  W.  Williams  &  Co.,  on  strictly  temperance  princi- 
ples. The  sales  in  the  Augusta  and  Charleston  houses  were  soon  in- 
creased to  two  million  dollars  per  annum,  and  the  profits  from  one 
hundred  thousand  to  two  hundred  thousand  dollars  per  annum.  Mr. 
Williams  was  elected  a  director  in  the  State  bank  of  Georgia,  at 
Augusta,  at  the  early  age  of  twenty-three.  It  was  in  this  well  man- 
aged institution  that  he  gained  his  first  knowledge  in  banking.  Just 
in  the  prime  of  vigorous  manhood  at  the  breaking  out  of  the  war  be- 
tween the  states,  we  find  Mr.  Williams  at  the  head  of  two  of  the 
largest  commercial  houses  of  the  south,  an  alderman  of  the  city  of 
Charleston,  chairman  of  the  committee  of  ways  and  means,  which 


I 


364  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

position  he  lield  during  the  entire  war;  director  of  the  Bank  of  South 
Carolina;  also  of  two  railroad  companies;  the  financial  counselor  of 
a  host  of  friends,  ever  ready  to  engage  in  all  public  works  and  enter- 
prises which  looked  to  the  prosperity  of  his  adopted  city  and  state. 
During  the  war,  through  his  untiring  exertions,  thousands  of  the  des- 
titute poor  were  supplied  daily  with  food.  On  the  landing  of  the 
Federal  troops,  JMr.  Williams  secured  their  services  in  extinguishing 
the  fires  in  various  parts  of  the  city.  He  thus  saved  from  the  flames, 
and  distributed,  food  endugh  to  feed  20,000  people  four  months.  It 
was  not  Mr.  Williams's  intention,  at  the  close  of  the  war,  to  engage 
again  in  the  mercantile  business,  but  to  establish  a  bank. 

In  1S65  he  proceeded  to  W'ashington  for  the  purpose  of  procuring 
a  charter  for  the  First  National  bank  of  Charleston.  Before  this 
was  accomplished,  however,  he  was  solicited  by  friends  and  customers 
to  return  to  his  old  business,  and  his  was  the  first  house  to  resume 
business  in  Charleston  after  the  war.  He  at  once  commenced  the 
erection  of  large  warehouses  in  the  burnt  district  for  the  storage  of 
cotton,  and  his  extensive  stores  on  Hayne  street  were  filled  with  mer- 
chandise. He  also  opened  a  banking  house,  and  in  a  short  time  was 
fully  immersed  in  business.  His  firm  received  as  much  as  75,000 
bales  of  cotton  in  one  season,  in  cash  value  about  $5,000,000,  besides 
doing  a  grocery  and  fertilizing  business  of  many  millions.  Some  fifty 
partners  have  been  associated  with  him  in  his  long  business  career, 
many  of  them  having  been  brought  up  from  the  humblest  office 
grade,  and  many  have  retired  with  fortunes.  Mr.  Williams  has  di- 
vided, including  interest,  profits  arising  from  his  various  firms  since  he 
began  business  in  Augusta,  Ga.,  in  1842,  more  than  twenty-one  million 
of  dollars.  This  will  show  what  ten  dollars  will  do  when  handled  by 
one  of  Mr.  Williams's  push,  thrift  and  energy,  and  is  a  valuable  les- 
son for  the  youth  just  starting  in  life.  The  banking  department  of 
George  Williams  &  Co.'s  business  increased  to  such  an  extent  that 
they  found  it  necessary  to  secure  larger  accommodations  for  that 
branch,  and  in  1S75  ^Ir.  Williams  purchased  the  fine  brown  stone 
building,  i  Broad  street,  which  had  been  erected  by  the  State  bank 
of  South  Carolina,  at  a  cost  of  $100,000.  To  this  eligible  location  he 
removed  the  Carolina  Savings  bank  and  the  banking  department  of 
George  Williams  &  Co.  Since  then,  Mr.  Williams  has  devoted  him- 
self almost  exclusivel}^  to  banking.  His  object  in  establishing  the 
Carolina  Savings  bank  in  conjunction  with  the  banking  business  of 
George  W.  Williams  &  Co.,  was  to  afford  persons  of  moderate  means 
an  opportunity  of  husbanding  their  resources.  He  felt  that  a  savings 
bank  properly  conducted  would  tend  to  encourage  frugality,  indus- 
try and  thrift  among  the  laboring  classes,  and  also  teach  the  j^oung 
the  habits  of  saving  and  economy. 

Before  closing  this  sketch,  we  desire  to  record  one  of  the  noblest 
acts  of  Mr.  Williams'  life  —  pure  conduct  of  a  typical  southerner.  I 
refer  to  his  steadfast  and  unflinching  friendship  for  his  old  partner, 
Mr.  Daniel  Hand,  in  the  trying  and  perilous  times  of  the  late  war. 
When  it  was  announced  at  the  north  that  a  large  sum  of  money,  the 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  365 

accumulations  of  a  war  trust,  had  been  paid  to  Mr.  Daniel  Hand  by 
a  southerner,  it  was  flashed  over  the  wires,  headed,  "  Romance  of 
Finance."  The  marvel  was  that  a  southern  man  could  be  found  who 
would  turn  over  a  million  or  so  of  dollars  without  being  asked  to  do 
so.  Telegrams  were  sent  to  Charleston  inquiring  into  the  particulars 
of  the  transaction.  For  it  was  understood  that  Mr.  George  W. 
Williams  was  the  southerner  alluded  to.  As  has  already  been  stated, 
Mr.  Williams  went  from  his  home  in  Nacoochec,  Ga.,  to  Augusta,  and 
in  his  eighteenth  year  procured  a  situation  as  clerk  with  Mr.  Daniel 
Hand.  So  energetic  and  faithful  was  the  mountain  boy,  that  he  was 
made  a  full  partner  at  the  age  of  twenty-one.  It  was  then  and  there 
that  the  foundation  of  Mr.  Hand's  fortune  of  two  or  more  millions  of 
dollars  was  laid.  At  that  time  Mr.  Hand  was  not  worth  $5,000.  At 
the  beginning  of  the  war  Mr.  Hand  was  in  New  York  for  the  purpose 
of  making  purchases  for  the  Charleston  house  of  George  W.  Will- 
iams &  Co.,  being  senior  partner  of  that  firm.  Mr.  Williams  was  the 
chief  manager  in  Charleston.  Mr.  Hand  being  opposed  to  secession 
and  afraid  of  the  results  of  the  war,  withdrew  from  the  firm  in  1861, 
and  decided  not  to  come  south  but  to  remain  in  New  York.  His  life- 
time earnings,  however,  were  nearly  all  in  Charleston  and  had  to 
take  the  chances  of  the  war.  In  the  meantime  the  war  between  the 
north  and  south  raged,  gold  debts  due  the  firm  by  the  millions  went 
into  Confederate  money.  Each  section  passed  the  sequestration  act. 
As  Mr.  Hand  was  no  longer  a  citizen  of  the  south,  and  was  known  to 
be  a  Union  man,  the  Confederate  authorities  took  measures  to  seques- 
trate his  interest  in  the  firm  of  George  W.  Williams  &  Co.  Mr.  Will- 
iams finding  that  his  old  friend's  interests  would  be  confiscated  if  he 
remained  at  the  north,  sent  a  messenger  to  Louisville,  Ky.,  requesting 
his  immediate  return.  This  was  fearlessly  done,  notwithstanding  Mr. 
Williams  was  informed  that  if  he  brought  Mr.  Hand  to  Charleston 
his  house  would  be  destroyed  by  a  mob;  he  also  re-instated  Mr.  Hand 
as  partner  in  his  firm  at  a  cost  of  more  than  a  quarter  of  a  million 
dollars  to  himself.  Mr.  Hand  failing  to  get  through  the  lines  at  Bal- 
timore, took  the  western  route.  On  arriving  in  New  Orleans  he  was 
arrested  and  imprisoned  as  a  "  Lincoln  spy."  Mr.  Williams  tele- 
graphed to  Gov.  Moore,  of  Louisiana,  vouching  for  Mr.  Hand's  integ- 
rity; he  finally  succeeded  in  getting  Mr.  Hand  out  of  prison,  but  he 
was  sent  under  guard  to  Richmond,  then  the  seat  of  the  Confederate 
government.  While  passing  through  Augusta,  Ga.,  his  old  home,  the 
mayor  found  it  necessary  to  send  Rlr.  Hand  to  jail  to  protect  him 
from  a  mob.  Mr.  Williams  went  to  Augusta  at  once  and  shared  Mr. 
Hand's  quarters  in  the  cold  walls  of  the  jail  until  his  release  was 
secured.  After  much  vexation,  trouble  and  expense,  Mr.  Hand  was 
sent  to  Richmond  and  confined  in  the  Libby  prison  nearly  a  month 
awaiting  his  trial  as  a  spy.  In  the  meantime  a  vigorous  suit  was  com- 
menced in  Charleston  to  sequestrate  Mr.  Hand's  interest  in  the 
Charleston  firm.  Mr.  Williams  employed  the  best  of  counsel,  and 
after  an  exciting  contest,  which  lasted  for  several  days,  the  suit  was 
decided  in  Mr.  Hand's  favor,  and   his  interest  in  the  firm  of  Geo.  W. 


366  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

Williams  &  Co.  was  saved  from  confiscation.  As  South  Carolina  at 
that  time  was  not  a  comfortable  home  for  one  suspected  of  Union 
sentiments,  Mr.  Williams  divided  his  last  gold  dollar  with  his  friend 
and  advised  him  to  go  to  the  mountains  of  North  Carolina  to  await 
the  issues  of  the  war.  Before  leaving  Charleston,  Mr.  Hand  confided 
all  of  his  personal  property  to  the  man  who  had  stood  by  him  under  such 
trj'ing  circumstances,  to  be  held,  managed,  and  considered  as  his  own. 
The  real  estate  was  already  in  Mr.  Williams'  name  and  needed  no 
transfer.  Having  been  so  severely  dealt  with  by  the  Confederate 
authorities,  he  decided  to  go  north  the  first  opportunity,  never  to 
return,  which  resolution  he  carried  out  to  the  letter. 

During  the  early  part  of  the  war,  northern  and  western  houses 
furnished  Mr.  Williams's  firm  with  large  quantities  of  goods,  with  a  full 
knowledge  that  the  laws  of  the  Confederacy  were  against  collecting 
such  debts,  they  relied  entirely  upon  the  honor  of  the  firm  for  their 
pay.  Two  cargoes  of  coffee  were  also  imported  from  South  America 
after  the  fall  of  Fort  Sumter,  one  of  these  succeeded  in  running  the 
blockade  in  October,  1861,  chased  by  the  Federal  gunboats.  The 
Confederates  were  thus  supplied  with  3,000  bags  of  coffee.  All'these 
debts  of  honor  Mr.  Williams  felt  his  duty  to  pay.  He  started  money 
north  via  Atlanta  and  Louisville,  Ky.,  but  it  was  intercepted  by  the 
vigilance  committee  forbidding  money  debts  paid  to  the  enemy,  threat- 
ening criminal  prosecution  if  it  was  done.  Mr.  Williams  being  deter- 
mined to  provide  for  the  payment  of  these  debts  remitted  $400,000 
sterling  exchange  to  Liverpool  and  London.  When  the  war  was 
over  the  debts  were  paid  in  full  with  interest.  As  the  war  progressed 
Mr.  Williams's  fortune  and  that  of  his  partner  was  fast  going  into 
Confederate  money  and  Confederate  securities  with  a  prospect  of  al- 
most total  loss.  In  this  emergency  Mr.  Williams  naturally  looked 
around  for  other  investments,  hoping  to  save  something  out  of  the 
general  wreck.  He  learned  that  cotton  could  be  bought  in  Georgia 
and  Alabama  at  7  to  10  cents  per  pound.  Prompt  measures  were 
taken  to  secure  15,000  bales,  storing  the  cotton  in  the  most  secure 
places  he  could  find,  he  also  saw  that  there  was  a  panic  at  the  north 
in  southern  state  and  city  securities,  they  were  being  forced  in  the 
market  at  33  cents  on  the  dollar,  believing  that  those  securities  would 
be  worth  nearl}'  par  when  the  war  was  over  he  invested  in  them 
$500,000.  Confederate  money  continued  to  decline  in  value  while  the 
price  of  cotton  rapidly  advanced.  Real  estate  could  still  be  bought 
with  Confederate  money;  thinking  there  would  be  less  risk  in  holding 
real  estate  than  cotton,  he  sold  10,000  bales  of  cotton  at  20  to  40 
cents  per  pound,  and  invested  in  farm  lands  in  Georgia  and  in  100,000 
acres  of  well  timbered  lands  at  $1  per  acre.  He  also  purchased  in 
Charleston  and  in  the  interior  of  the  state  $500,000  worth  of  real  es- 
tate. It  was  in  such  investments,  including  the  purchase  of  sterling 
exchange,  with  a  very  large  volume  of  Confederate  money  that 
had  been  collected  in  for  gold  debts  due,  the  firm  were  in  a  measure 
saved  from  total  loss.  And  it  was  in  that  way  that  Mr.  Hand's  fortune, 
of  which  he  recently  gave  a  million  dollars  for  the  education  of  the 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  367 

"freed  slaves"  of  the  south,  was  saved.  Mr.  Williams  still  keeps  up 
a  correspondence  with  his  old  friend,  Mr.  Daniel  Hand,  who  is  now 
ninety  years  old,  quite  feeble  but  sound  in  mind. 

Mr.  Williams  is  endowed  with  strony  will-power,  great  tenacity  of 
purpose,  is  quick  in  preception,  fertile  in  resources,  is  active  and 
energetic,  with  a  tough,  wiry,  rather  than  a  robust  frame,  enjoying 
uniformly  excellent  health,  not  having  been  sick  a  day  in  fifty  years, 
except  fortwo  weeks  with  yellow  fever  in  1852.  His  life  has  been  one 
of  devoted  industry  and  earnestly  practical  results.  Inured  from 
youth  up  to  close  application  to  some  useful  occupation,  Mr.  Will- 
iams is  as  actively  engaged  as  at  any  former  period  of  his  life.  In 
his  business  transactions  he  does  not  waste  time  or  words,  but  acts,  as 
it  were,  by  intuition,  rarely  stopping  to  reason,  but  reaching  his  con- 
clusions by  his  first  impulse.  "Instinct,"  he  says  "is  honest,  while 
reason  is  subject  to  a  thousand  influences  and  is  often  unreliable." 
Mr.  Williams  has  allowed  himself  few  seasons  of  repose  or  recreation, 
but  has  found  time  to  visit  Cuba,  Canada,  various  portions  of  the 
United  States,  and  has  made  the  tour  of  Europe  twice.  An  example 
of  the  wonderful  versatility  of  Mr.  Williams  is  found  in  his  literary 
works.  Amid  the  turmoil  of  a  commercial  career,  and  during  the 
busy  years  through  which  he  has  passed  to  the  honorable  position  he 
now  holds,  he  has  found  leisure  to  present  to  the  world  in  literary 
form  some  of  the  results  of  his  vast  experience.  Fi^om  time  to  time 
he  has  written,  modestly,  without  effort  or  pretension,  yet  with  an 
ability  which  would  do  credit  to  some  of  the  practiced  pens  of  litera- 
ture, a  series  of  letters  upon  topics  of  high  interest.  His  "Letters  to 
Young  Men,"  "Success  and  Failure,"  "Making  and  Saving,"  maybe  pe- 
rused with  profit  by  all  who  wish  to  emulate  the  worthy  example  of  a 
worthy  man.  He  has  also  published  a  volume  of  seepages,  "Sketches 
of  Travel  in  the  Old  and  New  World."  There  is  no  citizen  in  the 
south,  who,  by  his  teaching  and  example,  and  by  the  introduction  of 
wise  and  beneficent  measures,  and  by  the  foundation  of  a  financial 
institution  for  the  encouragement  of  the  young,  by  building  and 
founding  commercial  houses,  has  been  of  more  benefit  to  the  city  and 
state  of  his  adoption  than  George  W.  Williams. 

WILLIAM  A.  COURTENAY. 

It  is  just  one  hundred  years  since  Edward  Courtenay,  in  company 
with  his  brother  John,  sailed  from  their  ancestral  home,  the  ancient 
port  of  Newry,  province  of  Ulster,  Ireland,  for  Charleston,  S.  C,  to 
make  their  homes  in  the  western  world.  They  were  younger  sons  of 
Edward  Courtenay,  Sr.,  who  married  Jane,  daughter  of  James  Car- 
lile,  of  Newry,  both  from  families  of  local  consideration  and  influence, 
in  the  north  of  Ireland;  this  branch  of  the  Courtenay  family  having 
resided  there  for  several  centuries.  Edward,  who  was  born  in  Newry, 
September  g,  1770,  settled  in  Charleston,  S.  C,  in  1791;  his  de- 
scendants, to  the  fifth  generation,  reside  in  South  Carolina  and  Ala- 
bama;  John  settled  in  Savannah,  Ga.;  his  descendants  subsequently 


368  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

removed  to  the  west;  some  were  in  recent  years  residing  in  Louis- 
ville, Ky.  William  Ashmead  Courtenay,  the  subject  of  this  brief 
sketch,  was  a  son  of  the  late  Edward  S.  Courtenay,  and  is  the  only 
surviving  grandson  of  Edward  Courtenay.  He  was  born  in  Charles- 
ton, S.  C.,  February  4,  1S31.  His  early  educational  opportunities 
were  lirnited,  and  dependent  upon  a  female  relative,  until  his  twelfth 
year,  at  which  period  the  classical  and  English  academy  of  the  late 
Dr.  J.  C.  Faber,  was  gratuitously  opened  to  him,  until  his  fifteenth 
3'ear,  when  necessity  compelled  his  seeking  employment  in  business. 
It  should  be  mentioned  here  that  the  tuition  received  at  Dr.  Faber's 
academy  was  ever  regarded  by  Mr.  Courtenay  as  a  debt  to  be  paid; 
after  the  lapse  of  more  than  twenty  years,  it  was  fully  discharged  at 
an  opportune  time.  It  would  be  as  agreeable  as  instructive  to  trace 
the  habits  of  thought,  of  self-discipline  and  of  labor,  which  he  must 
have  practiced  between  1S46  and  i860,  and  upon  which  the  super- 
structure of  his  subsequent  achievements  rest,  but  this  is  not  attain- 
able. From  his  earliest  youth  he  was  fond  of  reading;  for  ten  years 
of  his  life  (1850  to  i860)  he  was  in  the  publishing  and  book-selling 
business;  here  the  opportunity  for  indulging  this  strong  desire  was 
fully  availed  of,  this  privelege  and  a  daily  intercourse  with  prominent 
professional  and  business  gentlemen  frequenting  this  book  resort, 
gave  him  marked  advantages,  in  both  reading  and  conversation,  which 
were  fully  availed  of,  and  here  he  unquestionably  educated  himself 
for  the  prominent  stations,  and  field  of  usefulness  he  subsequently 
occupied. 

In  the  fall  of  i860  he  accepted  a  proposal  to  take  charge  of  the 
business  department  of  the  "  Charleston  Mercury^  then  the  leading 
political  journal  of  the  cotton  states.  He  was  thus  at  the  very  focus 
of  political  agitation,  in  that  memorable  period,  the  beginning  of  the 
late  war,  and  has  a  large  fund  of  information  about  the  chief  actors 
in,  and  the  events  of  those  exciting  times.  His  administration  of  the 
business  affairs  of  the  "  Merctcry  "  was  marked  by  substantial  success, 
during  the  short  period  of  these  duties;  in  1S61  he  entered  the  Con- 
federate army,  and  served  to  the  end  of  the  war.  As  an  instance  of 
his  versatility,  while  temporarily  at  home  from  Virginia,  in  Decem- 
ber, 1861,  a  destructive  fire  visited  Charleston,  burning  almost  every 
building  from  river  to  river,  over  an  area  a  mile  long,  and  an  average 
of  a  quarter  of  a  mile  wide.  Before  the  fire  was  extinguished,  with- 
out previous  training  Mr.  Courtenay  undertook  to  prepare  for  the 
press,  a  detailed  narrative  of  the  calamity.  With  two  assistants  he 
went  over  the  burnt  district,  square  by  square,  taking  full  notes,  and 
in  twenty  hours  had  in  the  hands  of  the  printers  a  particular  account, 
noting  every  building  burnt,  with  names  of  owners,  occupants,  etc. 
This  publication  created  surprise  and  attracted  attention,  being  com- 
mended as  the  most  prompt,  extensive  and  complete  newspaper  work 
known  at  that  date  in  Charleston. 

The  war  left  him  without  means  of  any  kind.  In  the  spring  of 
1865  he  began  business  at  Newberry,  S.  C.,  wagoning  cotton  from 
there,  eighty-four  miles,  to  Orangeburg,  S.  C,  the  railroads  being  all 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  369 

destroyed  between  these  two  points,  and  the  country  desolated;  even 
grain  and  fodder  for  the  mules  had  to  be  provided  for  at  each  end  of 
the  route;  the  then  condition  of  affairs  in  the  interior  of  South  Car- 
olina may  be  inferred,  when  we  state  that  the  cost  of  hauling  a. sack 
of  salt  over  this  route  by  wagon  was  $2. 

This  wagon  business  grew  to  large  proportions  before  the  railroads 
were  repaired  in  the  spring  of  1866;  although  Mr.  Courtenay  had  ac- 
tive competition  with  others  in  this  business  in  the  beginning,  before 
the  end  he  had  secured  it  all,  between  these  two  points,  and  his  long 
wagon  trains,  arriving  and  departing  at  Orangeburg  and  Newberry, 
attracted  much  attention. 

Returning  to  Charleston  in  1866,  he  started  a  shipping  and  com- 
mission business,  which  in  the  twentj'-two  succeeding  years  he  con- 
ducted with  energy,  ability  and  marked  success;  during  this  long 
period  he  was  identified  with  the  management  of  the  steam  lines  to 
Baltimore,  Philadelphia  and  New  York;  he  also  conducted,  from  time 
to  time,  a  considerable  foreign  business. 

In  the  1870-76  period,  he  took  an  active  part  in  rallying  the  young 
men  of  the  city  into  semi-military  organizations,  and  was  successful 
in  re-establishing  his  old  corps,  the  Washington  Light  infantry,  as  a 
rifle  club.  These  organizations  throughout  South  Carolina,  brought 
the  light  of  hope  to  the  people,  and  all  hearts  were  cheered  by  these 
evidences  of  organized  strength  and  unity  of  action;  they  formed  the 
basis  of  the  political  redemption  of  the  state  in  1876.  What  was  then 
thought  of  Mr.  Courtenay's  services  in  this  relation  was  expressed  by 
the  late  Hon  W.  D.  Porter,  in  the  following  extract  from  an  address 
before  that  rifle  club  at  that  time: 

"The  work  of  two  years,  to  take  the  remnant  of  this  corp,  shat- 
tered by  war,  depressed  by  vulgar  tyranny,  strangers  in  their  own 
land,  hardly  able  to  call  themselves  the  owners  of  the  soil  on  which 
they  stood,  and  where  they  were  born,  to  take  these  shattered  rem- 
nants, to  seize  them  with  a  grasp  of  energy  and  a  power  of  organiza- 
tion and  a  depth  of  enthusiasm  rarely  equalled,  and  by  inspiring 
those  around  him  with  the  same  feeling  and  the  same  sentiment,  that 
of  a  single-hearted  and  unremitting  devotion  to  a  patriotic  purpose; 
under  these  circumstances,  and  in  this  way,  to  take  this  company  and 
place  it  in  so  short  a  space  of  time,  upon  the  proud  position  it  now 
occupies,  is,  I  do  not  hesitate  to  say,  as  signal  an  instance  of  energy 
and  success,  in  a  patriotic  or  public  enterprise,  as  has  characterized 
our  community  within  my  recollection." 

Mr.  Courtenay  was  foremost  in  cultivating  friendly  relations,  ten- 
dered by  the  conservative  elements  of  the  north,  and  advocated  the 
acceptance  of  the  many  invitations,  sent  from  Boston,  to  the  Wash- 
ington Light  infantry,  to  participate  in  the  Bunker  Hill  centennial 
celebration,  17th  of  June,  1775.  A  majority  of  this  command,  who 
undertook  this  public  duty,  had  borne  arms  for  the  southern  Confed- 
eracy; and  the  color  sergeant  who  carried  the  crimson  flag  of  "  Eutaw 
Springs,"  to  New  England,  had  been  more  than  once  severely  wounded 
in  battle  for  the   "  Lost  Cause."     The  presence  of  this  historic  corps 

A— 24 


37°  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

in  New  York  and  Boston,  created  a  profound  impression  throughout 
the  north,  and  it  was  thought  facilitated  the  recognition  of  the  Hamp- 
ton government,  under  President  Hayes,  in  the  spring  of  1877. 

This  active  and  successful  career,  so  conspicuously  exhibited  his 
capacity  for  organization  and  command,  as  shown  in  the  Rifle  club 
organization,  and  especially  in  the  political  riot-season  of  1876,  in 
Charleston,  that  public  attention  became  fixed  upon  him,  for  a  larger 
and  more  responsible  work. 

In  1879,  in  response  to  a  public  call,  looking  to  a  needed  improve- 
ment in  the  city  government,  and  the  establishment  of  business 
methods  in  the  administration  of  city  affairs,  Mr.  Courtenay  under- 
took a  protracted  canvass  for  mayor,  and  was  elected  in  December 
of  that  year,  for  a  four  years'  term,  with  an  excellent  board  of 
aldermen. 

It  is  not  possible  to  enter  into  any  extended  account  of  this  four 
years'  public  service.  The  city's  business  was  so  systematized  and 
simplified,  as  to  produce  the  most  remarkable  results,  and  so  appre- 
ciative was  the  community,  that  at  the  municipal  election  in  Decem- 
ber, 1883,  he  was  unanimously  re-elected  for  a  second  term;  at  the 
close  of  which  service  in  18S7,  he  voluntarily  declined  a  re-election, 
which  was  assured  to  him,  had  he  chosen  to  accept  a  third  term. 

In  reviewing  this  eight  years  of  public  service,  we  find  a  remark- 
able record.  The  initial  financial  move,  voluntarily'  undertaken,  was 
an  amendment  of  the  city  charter,  which  not  only  forbid  the  creation 
of  any  further  city  debt,  except  upon  conditions  so  difficult,  as  to  be 
practical  inhibition;  but  it  also  forbid  the  creation  of  any  current 
debt,  beyond  the  city's  income  for  the  current  year.  This  action  at- 
tracted attention  to  the  new  city  government,  not  only  at  home,  but 
in  distant  states,  where  this  surrender  of  debt-making  power  was 
commented  on  in  flattering  terms.  The  annual  average  cost  of  the 
city  government  in  the  1870-79  period,  had  been  $781,296,  on  an  an- 
nual assessment  of  $27,302,270,  and  license  income.  The  annual 
average  cost  of  the  city  government  in  the  1880-87  period,  was 
$638,101,  on  an  average  assessment  of  $23,163,745  and  license  income. 
The  average  annual  rate  of  taxation  in  the  first  period,  had  been  21 
9-10  mills;  in  the  last  period  20  5-10  mills.  This  and  a  difference  in 
the  average  of  annual  assessments  of  about  $4,000,000,  made  a  differ- 
ence in  annual  average  income  of  $156,000.  This  municipal  manage- 
ment had  its  immediate  effect  on  the  value  of  city  securities;  in  the 
1870-79  period,  city  securities  had  an  average  value  below  $53  on 
the  $100.  In  1887  the  same  securities  sold  at  $90  on  the  $i0o.  Dur- 
ing the  eight  years  more  than  $500,000  had  been  expended  on  perma- 
nent street  improvements,  on  lines  of  action  not  previously  under- 
taken, despite  the  largely  reduced  annual  revenue. 

From  this  very  limited  mention  of  municipal  work  accomplished 
we  can  trace  the  results  to  Mr.  Courtenay's  official  creed  as  publicly 
expressed:  "The  money  which  we  handle  belongs  to  the  people  and 
not  to  us,  we  can  only  take  it  from  them  for  legitimate  expenses 
of  government;  more   than  this  is  robbery,  official  generosity  is  of- 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  371 

ficial  crime."  In  addition  to  this  large  work  in  finances  and  streets, 
a  few  of  many  items  of  interest  should  be  mentioned  here,  which 
have  marked  his  public  career.  No  small  achievement  was  the  set- 
tlement of  the  munificent  bequest  of  the  late  William  Enston,  after 
the  lapse  of  twenty  years,  whereby  about  $400,000,  was  secured  to 
the  city,  for  the  founding  of  a  benefaction,  which  contemplated  the 
building  of  an  entire  village,  to  make  old  age  comfortable,  one-half 
of  which  has  already  been  erected  and  is  in  successful  operation. 
Another  difficult  problem,  was  the  change  from  the  inefficient  vol- 
unteer fire  department  to  an  efficient  paid  service,  which  reciuired 
good  judgment,  good  management  and  firmness,  for  a  successful 
solution;  this  was  thoroughly  well  accomplished,  and  Charleston  has 
had  since  an  excellent  fire  department.  Nor  should  weomit  mention 
of  Mr.  Courtenay's  interest  in  the  past  history  of  the  state  and  city. 
This  is  shown  in  the  eight  volumes  of  city  year  books,  which  contain 
an  extensive  collection  of  rare  historic  papers  and  cartography,  re- 
lating to  city  and  state,  nor  was  he  unmindful  of  the  prominent  pub- 
lic men  of  South  Carolina.  Through  his  influence,  a  noble  bust  by 
Valentine,  of  Richmond,  was  erected  in  the  council  chamber,  to  pre- 
serve the  memory  of  the  gifted  Robert  Y.  Hayne,  after  the  lapse  of 
forty-four  years,  during  which  long  period  the  memorial  purposes 
agreed  upon  at  his  death  in  1S39,  had  been  allowed  to  remain  unex- 
ecuted. Nor  was  he  wanting  in  readiness  to  expend  his  private  means 
in  commemorating  the  worthies  of  another  generation.  In  1883  he 
caused  to  be  executed  in  Rome,  a  grand  memorial  bust  of  the  late 
James  L.  Petigru.  "Jurist,  orator,  heroic  man."  It  has  a  prominent 
place  in  the  council  chamber,  and  near  by  are  original  portraits  of  the 
great  orator  William  C.  Preston,  and  the  distinguished  statesman 
Joel  R.  Poinsett,  both  by  Jarvis,  a  noted  artist.  These  three  art 
works  were  his  gifts  to  the  city,  and  while  recalling  the  memory  of 
these  prominent  citizens,  indicates  as  well  the  high  plane  upon  which 
he  served  the  public  in  the  city's  highest  station. 

The  public  recognition  of  Mr.  Courtenay's  services  has  been  as 
pleasant  as  complimentary.  In  testimony  of  his  eminent  administra- 
tion as  mayor,  his  fellow  citizens,  by  voluntary  contribution,  have 
placed  in  the  mayor's  office  a  marble  bust  of  him,  by  Valentine,  with 
the  following  inscription:  "  Mayor  of  Charleston  1879-87.  As  chief 
magistrate  he  administered  the  government  with  firmness,  impartial- 
ity and  success,  even  amid  the  disasters  of  cyclone  and  earthquake, 
signally  illustrating  the  safe  maxim  that  '  public  office  is  a  public  trust.' 
This  memorial  erected  by  his  grateful  fellow  citizens  December  19, 
1S88."  A  further  evidence  of  public  appreciation  was  in  placing  on 
the  new  school-house,  in  upper  Meeting  street,  which  has  accommo- 
dation for  one  thousand  children,  over  the  main  entrance,  his  name 
with  this  inscription:  "Courtenay  Public  School,  1888."  His  unan- 
imous election  in  1887  to  the  board  of  trustees  of  the  Peabody  Edu- 
cational Trust,  in  place  of  ex-Gov.  Aiken,  deceased,  shows  the  high 
esteem  in  which  he  is  held  beyond  the  boundaries  of  his  own  state. 


372  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

In  reviewing  the  record  of  Mr.  Courtenay's  life,  it  is  apparent  that 
he  should  be  classed  among  the  self-made  men  of  his  time,  and  that 
in  the  positions  of  honor  and  influence  to  which  he  attamed,  he  was 
found  equal  to  the  duties  of  each.  Of  a  nervous  temperament,  his 
was  an  impetuous,  and  in  some  respects,  aggressive  nature,  involving 
constant  effort  to  restrain  impulses,  and  check  too  hasty  action.  The 
principal  traits  of  his  character  are  a  quick  perception  of  things  as 
developed,  a  tireless  energy,  a  facility -of  organization  rarely  found, 
a  wonderful  capacit}'  for  work,  and  marked  administrative  ability. 
In  what  he  did  he  looked  rather  to  the  best  permanent  results,  than 
mere  transient  success,  and  ever  aimed  for  the  highest  and  best 
achievements.  His  thoughts  and  actions  in  public,  as  in  private  life, 
have  been  marked  thoughout  by  force  of  expression  and  vigor  of 
action;  ever  impatient  of  unneccessary  delays,  this,  among  some,  left 
the  impression  of  needless  austerity  and  impulsiveness,  but  under  all 
this  seeming  brusqueness,  there  was  a  genial  disposition,  as  well  in 
social  life,  as  in  all  intercourse,  for  the  dispatch  of  public  business. 
Since  his  retirement  from  the  mayoralty,  he  has  been  occupied  with 
private  business,  and  continues  to  reside  in  his  native  city. 

BERNARD  O'NEILL. 

Among  the  representative  and  prominent  men  of  Charleston,  S.  C, 
is  Bernard  O'Neill,  president  of  the  Hibernia  bank  and  head  of  the 
extensive  wholesale  grocery  house  of  B.  O'Neill  &  Sons.  Mr.  O'Neill 
was  born  near  Belfast,  Ireland,  in  1823,  and  is  the  son  of  Henry  J. 
O'Neill,  a  well-to-do  farmer  who  was  descended  from  a  long  line  of 
ancestors,  all  of  whom  bore  the  same  christian  name.  Mr.  O'Neill 
was  given  a  first-class  education  which  partook  of  the  classics,  and 
then  at  the  age  of  sixteen  years  was  apprenticed  to  a  commercial 
house  in  Belfast,  where  he  remained  until  he  came  to  America,  and 
there  secured  the  business  training  which  has  enabled  him  to  succeed 
so  admirably  all  through  life.  In  1S42,  Mr.  O'Neill  came  to  Charles- 
ton direct  from  his  old  home  in  Ireland,  and  secured  a  position  as 
clerk  in  one  of  the  stores  of  the  city.  But  in  1845  '"^^  engaged  in 
business  upon  his  own  account,  establishing  a  grocery  house  on  East 
Bay  street,  which  was  the  foundation  of  the  present  large  business  of 
B.  O'Neill  &  Sons.  The  business  was  continued  successfully  until 
the  breaking  out  of  the  late  war,  when,  with  others  he  closed  his  store 
and  entered  the  Confederate  service.  But  just  as  soon  as  hostilities 
had  ceased,  in  1S65,  Mr.  O'Neill  returned  and  resumed  business,  and 
his  was  among  the  first  houses  opened  in  Charleston  after  the  war. 
From  that  time  on,  the  business  has  continued  uninterrupted,  in- 
creasing and  expanding  from  year  to  year,  until  it  has  grown  to  mam- 
moth proportions,  and  to-day  ranks  as  one  of  the  leading  and  largest 
wholesale  grocery,  rice  and  cotton  houses  in  the  south,  doing  business 
in  a  territory  covering  all  of  South  Carolina  and  portions  of  North 
Carolina  and  Florida.     In  1886  Mr.  O'Neill  associated  his  three  sons, 


SOUTH    CAROLTNA.  373 

James  B.,  Prank  O.  and  Ignatius  P.,  in  business  with  Iiim  under  the 
firm  name  of  B.  O'Neill  &  Sons,  and  the  same  year  he  turned  his  at- 
tention to  the  banking  business,  and  organized  the  Hibernia  State 
bank,  of  which  he  was  chosen  president,  and  has  since  held  that  posi- 
tion. The  Hibernia  bank  is  one  of  the  substantial  financial  institu- 
tions of  Charleston,  with  a  capital  and  independent  profit  of  $io,coo, 
doing  a  general  banking  and  saving  business.  For  almost  a  half 
century  Mr.  O'Neill  has  been  identified  closely  with  the  commercial 
history  of  Charleston,  and  during  that  time  has  been  prominently 
connected  as  stockholder  and  director  of  many  of  the  important  en- 
terprises of  the  city.  He  has  always  been  a  public-spirited  man,  with 
broad  and  liberal  views,  and  few  enterprises  or  movements  of  a  char- 
acter calculated  to  improve  and  advance  the  city's  interest  have  been 
organizecf  without  his  aid  and  assistance.  He  was  a  director  of  the 
South  Carolina  railroad  and  the  Railroad  bank  during  the  war,  and 
for  a  time  he  was  vice-president  and  director  in  the  South  Carolina 
Loan  &  Trust  Co.  In  public  life  Mr.  O'Neill  has  also  been  conspic- 
uous, and  has  rendered  valuable  aid  to  both  his  city  and  state  as  a 
member  of  the  legislature  and  the  city  board  of  aldermen.  His  first 
public  service  was  as  an  aldermen  during  the  early  seventies,  when  he 
served  for  several  years  as  a  leading  member  of  the  board  and  chair- 
man of  many  of  the  important  committees.  He  served  in  the  legis- 
lature with  distinction  during  1S77  and  1878,  and  attained  prominence 
in  the  discussion  and  settlement  of  the  then  all  absorbing  question  of 
funding  the  bonded  debt  of  the  state,  his  ideas  in  that  important 
question  being  clear,  sound  and  concise,  displaying  the  possession  of 
rare  financial  ability.  For  years  Mr.  O'Neill  was  a  member  of  the 
leading  commercial  organizations  of  the  city,  but  has  withdrawn  from 
most  of  them.  There  are  few  active  business  men  of  Charleston  who 
have  had  as  long  and  universally  successful  and  highly  honorable  a 
career  as  Mr.  O'Neill.  Since  1845  he  has  been  continuously  engaged 
in  commercial  pursuits  in  Charleston,  and  during  that  time  has  met 
with  success  in  all  his  undertakings,  and  has  established  a  reputation, 
which  for  ability  and  integrity,  is  second  to  none  in  the  south,  and  the 
name  of  Bernard  O'Neill  wherever  it  is  known  is  the  synonym  for 
honesty  and  fair  dealing. 

Mr.  O'Neill  was  married  in  1845,  and  has  five  sons:  Henry  J. 
O'Neill,  engaged  in  the  brokerage  and  commission  business  in  Charles- 
ton; James  B.,  Frank  O.  and  Ignatius  P.,  of  the  firm  of  B.  O'Neill  & 
Sons,  and  D.  W.  P.  O'Neill,  M.  D.,  of  Charleston. 


FRANK   HAMMOND, 

president  of  the  People's  bank  of  Greenville,  S.  C,  was  born  in  Tip- 
ton, Cedar  count}',  la.,  July  22,  1852.  He  is  the  son  of  Willard  and 
Susan  (Gowerj  Hammond,  the  former  of  whom  was  born  in  Swanzy, 
N.  H.,  and  the  latter  being  a  native  of  Industry,  Me.  Willard  Ham- 
mond  was  the  son  of  Josiah   Hammond  and  the  mother  was   the 


374  SOUTH   CAROLINA. 

daughter  of  James  Gower.  Paternally  Frank  Hammond  is  of  Irish 
descent,  while  on  the  maternal  side  he  is  a  descendant  of  English 
ancestors.  He  was  the  seventh  of  eight  children,  five  sons  and  three 
daughters,  of  whom  four  sons  and  the  daughters  are  living.  The 
parents  were  married  in  Maine,  removing  to  Iowa  in  an  early  day 
where  the  remainder  of  their  lives  were  spent.  Willard  Hammond 
served  in  the  Black  Hawk  war,  and  followed  the  pursuit  of  a  merchant, 
He  died  in  1864,  his  wife  surviving  him  until  1887.  Frank  Hammond 
spent  his  youth  in  the  place  of  his  nativity,  in  the  public  schools  of 
which  town  he  received  his  preliminary  education.  At  seventeen 
years  of  age,  on  account  of  poor  health,  he  came  to  Greenville,  S.  C., 
where  relatives  resided,  it  being  his  intention  at  the  time  to  remain 
but  six  months.  The  climate  proved  conducive  to  his  health,  and  it 
improved  from  the  first.  He  finally  recovered  It  and  as  a  result,  con- 
cluded to  make  Greenville  his  home.  This  he  has  done,  forming 
friendships  and  attachments,  one  of  which  resulted  in  his  marriage.  In 
1872  he  purchased  the  interest  of  Mr.  McBee  in  the  merchandising 
firm  of  Mills,  McBrayer  &  McBee,  and  he  was  a  m.ember  of  that  firm 
until  1875,  its  name  being  Mills,  McBrayer  &  Company.  In  the  same 
year  he  sold  his  interest,  and  in  the  year  following  engaged  in  busi- 
ness as  the  partner  of  Henry  Briggs  in  the  general  mercantile  busi- 
ness. The  firm  of  Briggs  «&  Hammond  continued  eight  years,  doing 
a  large  and  lucrative  business.  It  was  one  of  the  principal  firms  in 
the  city,  and  besides  the  large  trade  In  general  merchandise,  that  of 
their  fertilizer  was  the  largest  in  the  city.  In  1883  the  partnership 
was  dissolved,  and  Mr.  Hammond  engaged  in  a  loan  and  brokerage 
concern.  His  attention  was  given  to  this  until  1887,  when  he  organ- 
ized the  People's  bank  of  Greenville  with  a  capital  of  $75,000,  and 
of  which  he  has  since  been  president.  Though  the  bank  is  but  three 
years  old,  the  undivided  profits  at  this  time  are  over  $16,000.  This 
bank  Is  the  most  popular  financial  institution  In  South  Carolina,  and 
its  success  Is  due  to  the  push  and  energy  and  wise  management  of  its 
officers.  Mr.  Hammond  has  all  the  vim  and  energy  and  public  spirit 
characteristic  of  the  people  from  whom  he  sprung,  and  the  prosperous 
condition  of  the  bank  is  largely  due  to  him.  He  is  president  of  the 
Mountain  City  Land  company,  president  of  the  Home  Building  & 
Loan  association  of  Greenville,  director  of  the  Carolina,  Knoxville& 
Western  railway,  and  a  director  in  the  Gaffney  City  Land  company. 
Mr.  Hammond  is  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  church,  in  which  he  is 
a  deacon  and  a  trustee.  Fraternally  he  belongs  to  the  Masonic  lodge, 
in  which  he  has  taken  both  the  chapter  and  council  degrees.  Politi- 
cally he  Is  a  protection  democrat.  In  December,  1877,  Miss  Mary  B., 
the  daughter  of  Dr.  S.  V.  Calne,  formerly  of  Greenville,  S.  C,  became 
his  wife,  and  they  are  the  parents  of  si.\  children:  Eugenia,  Susan, 
Mary,  Frank,  Eliza  C.  and  Herbert,  of  whom  the  first  three  and  the 
last  named  are  dead.  Mr.  Hammond,  though  a  young  man,  has  al- 
ready attained  an  enviable  position  of  prominence  and  influence  In 
the  social  and  financial  world.  He  stands  very  high  in  every  respect 
and  is  one  of  the  brilliant  younger  men  In  the  state. 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  375 


W.  W.  WOOLSEY. 


William  Walton  Woolsey,  president  of  the  Aiken  County  Loan 
and  Savings  Ijank,  of  Aiken,  was  born  in  Cleveland,  Ohio,  in  July, 
1843.  His  father,  J.  M.  Woolsey,  brother  of  the  late  Theodore  D. 
Woolsey,  ex-president  of  Yale  college,  was  for  many  years  president 
of  the  Commercial  National  bank,  and  also  first  vice-president  of  the 
C,  C.  &  C.  railroad.  J.  M.  Woolsey  became  a  resident  of  the  city  of 
Cleveland  about  the  year  1-823,  being  called  there  to  take  charge  of 
large  land  interests  of  his  father.  He  returned  east  late  in  life  and  re- 
sided in  Connecticut  until  his  death,  in  1871.  His  wife  was  the  daughter 
of  Dr.  John  W.  Andrews,  of  Wallingford,  Conn.,  and  was  a  sister  of 
Hon.S.  J.Andrews,  and  J.  W.Andrews,  of  Ohio.  The  union  was  blessed 
with  five  children,  four  daughters  and  one  son.  One  of  the  daughters 
married  the  president  of  Johns  Hopkins  university,  of  Baltimore;  an- 
other is  the  widow  of  the  late  Prof.  Henry  A.  Yardley,  of  Middle- 
ton  college,  Connecticut.  The  eldest  daughter  has  gained  a  reputa- 
tion as  an  authoress,  under  the  7uv/i  de  pliivic  oi  Susan  Cooledge,  one 
of  her  articles,  a  poem,  entitled,  "  The  Cradle  Tomb,"  having  been 
hung  in  Westminster  Abbey,  England.  Mr.  Woolsey's  education 
was  begun  in  the  schools  of  Cleveland  and  Connecticut,  and  com- 
pleted in  the  scientific  and  classical  course  of  Yale  college.  Before 
completing  his  course  at  Yale,  he  accepted  a  partnership  in  the  firm 
of  Davidson  &  Styles,  civil  engineers  of  New  York  city.  He  was  a 
young  man  of  twenty-two  years  at  this  time,  but  was  soon  sent  to 
South  America,  to  build  extensive  railroad  and  telegraph  lines  for 
the  Colombian  government.  He  remained  there  but  one  year,  being 
compelled  to  return  on  account  of  the  failing  health  of  his  father. 
He  soon  visited  Wisconsin,  surveying  large  tracts  of  timber  lands 
owned  by  his  father.  About  this  time  he  was  offered  a  partnership 
in  the  old  banking  firm  of  W.  E.  Tillinghast  &  Co.,  New  York,  but 
before  accepting  the  position,  he  spent  an  entire  year  in  preparing 
himself  for  the  business  by  going  through  all  its  branches  from  office 
boy  up.  The  firm  name  was  Tillinghast  &  Woolsey,  until  by  failing 
health  he  was  compelled  to  withdraw  from  it  in  1871.  In  that  year 
he  came  to  Aiken  and  purchased  a  plantation,  and  spent  some  years 
in  working  it.  In  1887  he  was  elected  president  of  the  bank  of  Aiken, 
but  declined  to  accept.  Two  years  later  he  was  made  president  of  the 
Loan  and  Savings  bank,  and  served  in  that  position  ever  since.  He 
married  Miss  Catherine  B.,  daughter  of  Judge  Converse,  of  Zanesville, 
Ohio,  in  June,  1S69.  His  family  consists  of  three  sons  and  one  daughter. 
Mrs.  Woolsey  died  in  October,  1888.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic 
fraternity.  Mr.  Woolsey  has  never  taken  any  active  part  in  politics 
since  coming  to  South  Carolina,  with  a  view  to  seeking  official  honors, 
but  in  1876  he  stumped  the  state  in  the  interest  of  Senator  Hampton. 

FRANK  B.  HENDERSON, 

president  of  the   Bank  of  Aiken,  first   saw   the   light   in    Edgefield 
county,  in  184;^.     His  parents,  George  W.  and  Julia    (Kirksey)    Hen- 


Zl^i  SOUTH   CAROLINA. 

derson,  were  natives  of  that  county.  Frank  B.  Henderson  spent  his 
early  life  in  Edgefield  county,  in  the  town  of  Grantville.  He  entered 
the  cotton  mills  at  ten  years  of  age,  earning  twelve  and  a  half  cents 
per  day.  He  worked  in  the  mills  until  December,  1861,  when  he  en- 
listed in  Company  B,  Nineteenth  South  Carolina  volunteers,  unknown 
to  his  family,  and  served  until  his  discharge  in  1863.  He  was  in  a 
number  of  unimportant  battles,  the  most  important  of  which  were 
Stone  River  or  INlurfreesborough.  After  his  discharge  he  returned  to 
his  home  in  Grantville  and  began  work  again  in  the  mills,  continuing 
there  until  February,  1866,  when  he  entered  a  store  as  a  clerk.  He 
remained  there  two  years,  when  he  engaged  in  business  for  himself 
with  his  brother  under  the  firm  name  of  C.  K.  &  F.  B.  Henderson. 
They  continued  in  business  until  1876,  at  Grantville,  when  they  moved 
to  the  city  of  Aiken,  and  carried  on  the  business  for  two  years,  when 
they  dissolved  partnership.  F.  B.  Henderson  still  continues  his  mer- 
chandising. In  April,  1887,  in  company  with  other  gentlemen  of 
Aiken  and  Charleston,  he  organized  the  Bank  of  Aiken,  of  which  he 
was  elected  president,  and  as  such  he  still  remains.  He  is  also  presi- 
dent of  the  Highland  Park  Hotel  company  of  this  place.  He  was 
married  in  1873,  to  Miss  Piatt,  of  Grantville.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hender- 
son are  members  of  the  Episcopal  church.  He  has  never  taken  an 
active  part  in  politics,  but  in  1877,  was  elected  mayor  of  the  city,  with- 
out solicitation  on  his  part,  serving  for  one  year.  He  has  been  very 
successful  in  business,  and  is  one  among  the  successful  business  men 
of  the  state. 

HON.  G.  H.  McMASTER. 

One  of  the  most  enterprising  and  successful  business  men  of  Fair- 
field county,  S.  C,  is  the  Hon.  George  H.  McMaster,  president  of  the 
Winnsborough  National  bank.  Mr.  McMaster  is  a  South  Carolinian  by 
birth,  having  been  born  in  Fairfield  county,  April  27,  1828,  and  is  the 
son  of  John  and  Rachel  (Buchanan)  McMaster.  The  father  was 
born  in  Ireland,  the  son  of  Hugh  McMaster,  also  a  native  of  Ireland. 
Hugh  McMaster  emigrated  to  America  with  his  two  brothers  some 
time  prior  to  the  Revolutionarj^  war,  and  they  served  in  the  patriot 
army  during  that  war.  After  the  war  had  been  brought  to  a  success- 
ful close  by  the  American  army,  Hugh  returned  to  Ireland  and  mar- 
ried, the  issue  being  John,  the  father  of  our  subject.  Hugh  McMaster 
befriended  a  minister  of  a  dissenting  church,  Rev.  McKinney,  a  Cove- 
nanter, and  was  obliged  to  once  more  leave  his  native  land  and  seek 
refuge  in  the  United  States,  which  he  did,  accompanied  by  the  perse- 
cuted clergyman;  their  intention  being  to  establish  the  church  of  their 
choice  in  the  new  world;  but  the  death  of  Mr.  McMaster  at  sea  put  a 
blight  on  the  project.  Mr.  McKinney  reached  this  country  in  safety, 
and  immediately  proceeded  to  South  Carolina,  and  at  Winnsborough 
established  his  church.  Subsequently  the  widow  of  Hugh  McMaster 
left  Ireland  with  her  son  John  and  sought  a  more  congenial  home  in 
this  country.     She  first  located  in  Abbeville  county,  S.  C,  but  later 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  377 

removed  to  Winnsborough,  where  her  boy  was  reared  and  spent  the 
remainder  of  his  Hfe.  In  early  Hfe  he  was  engaged  in  merchandis- 
ing, but  subsequently  became  proprietor  of  a  hotel,  and  at  this  time 
was  made  postmaster  of  Winnsborough,  which  office  he  held  for  forty 
years.  He  died  in  1864,  at  the  age  of  seventy-seven  years,  leaving 
five  sons  and  two  daughters.  His  widow  survived  him  until  1883, 
when  she  died,  aged  ninety  years.  Their  son,  George,  was  reared  in 
Winnsborough,  where  he  obtained  his  early  schooling.  In  Decem- 
ber, 1850,  he  was  graduated  from  the  South  Carolina  college,  and 
then  began  teaching  school.  F"our  years  later  he  visited  Europe, 
going  to  England,  Ireland,  Scotland,  France,  Germany,  Switzerland, 
Italy,  Holland  and  Belgium.  He  returned  home  in  1855,  was  elected 
an  assistant  professor  at  Mount  Zion  college,  at  Winnsborough,  and 
in  the  same  year  was  married  to  Miss  Mary  E.  Flenniken,  a  daugh- 
ter of  the  Rev.  Warren  Flenniken.  In  1874  this  estimable  lady  was 
stricken  by  death,  four  children  being  left  to  mourn  her  loss.  In  1876 
Mr.  McMaster  was  so  happy  as  to  form  a  marriage  alliance  with  Miss 
Louisa  Gregg,  daughter  of  Dr.  R.  Gregg,  of  Marion  county,  S.  C.,  and 
seven  children  have  been  born  to  them.  Mr.  McMaster  began  his 
mercantile  career  in  1856,  as  a  general  merchant.  During  the  Civil 
war  he  espoused  the  cause  of  his  people,  and  was  placed  in  charge  of 
the  soldier's  home  and  hospital  bureau,  located  at  Richmond,  Va. 
He  has  alwaj's  been  a  staunch  democrat,  and  in  1880  was  elected  to 
the  house  of  representatives  of  South  Carolina,  and  remained  as  a 
member  of  that  body  during  the  years  iSSi-2-3-4.  At  the  organiza- 
tion of  the  W^innsborough  National  bank  in  1873,  Mr.  McMaster  took 
an  active  part  in  perfecting  its  formation,  and  was  elected  vice-presi- 
dent, and  is  now  the  only  surviving  original  director  of  that  institu- 
tion. Since  1885  he  has  been  its  president.  Both  he  and  family 
are  active  and  prominent  members  of  the  Associate  Reform  Presby- 
terian church,  and  he  is  recognized  as  one  of  the  substantial  men  of 
the  community.  He  has  made  himself  noted  for  his  public  spirit,  and 
throughout  his  life  he  unceasingly  labored  for  the  advancement  of 
the  state  and  the  community  in  which  he  lived.  He  was  a  great  ad- 
vocate of  the  building  of  railroads,  and  through  his  efforts  Fairfield 
county  voted  $200,000  to  two  proposed  roads  through  the  county.  Mr. 
McMaster  was  elected  president  of  these  two  proposed  roads  by  their 
incorporators.  Mr.  McMaster  was  always  to  be  found  on  the  side  of 
measures  looking  to  the  internal  improvement  of  the  country. 

ALFRED  J.  NORRIS, 

a  leading  attorney  of  Edgefield  county,  was  born  near  Batesburg, 
S.  C,  January  31,  1839.  His  parents  were  Rev.  John  M.  Norris  and 
Mary  Bouknight,  both  natives  of  Edgefield  county.  His  grandfather 
was  William  Norris,  also  a  native  of  the  same  county.  His  ancestors 
were  among  the  first  families  to  settle  in  Edgefield  county,  having 
come  here  with  Patrick  and  William  Calhoun  and  their  colony  of 
early  settlers.     John  M.  Norris  was  educated  in  the  local  neighbor- 


378  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

hood  schools.  His  occupation  during  his  life  has  been  that  ot  a 
farmer.  Some  twenty  years  ago  he  entered  the  ministry  as  a  Baptist 
preacher,  which  calling  he  has  also  pursued  up  to  the  present  time. 
He  was  the  father  of  a  large  family,  thirteen  children — seven  sons 
and  six  daughters.  Alfred  J.  Norris  was  reared  and  brought  up  on 
the  farm,  and  he  received  his  early  education  in  the  local  schools  near 
the  paternal  homestead.  In  1856  he  entered  the  South  Carolina  Mili- 
tary academy,  from  which  he  graduated  in  i860,  with  the  second 
honor  in  his  class.  He  was  appointed  on  his  graduation  assistant 
instructor  in  belles  letters  and  history  at  the  Citadel  academy  in 
Charleston.  He  served  in  that  capacity  for  one  year.  In  1861  he 
accepted  a  position  as  aide-de-camp,  with  the  rank  of  captain,  on  Gen. 
McGowan's  staff.  In  July,  1861,  he  became  captain  of  Company  A, 
Lucas's  battalion,  and  served  on  the  coast  of  South  Carolina.  In  1862 
he  was  elected  professor  of  history  and  belles  letters  at  the  Arsenal 
academy,  at  Columbia,  which  position  he  filled  until  the  Arsenal 
academy  was  burned  by  Gen.  Sherman's  armj^  During  these  years 
he  had  studied  law,  and  completed  the  course  in  1S65.  He  was  ad- 
mitted to  the  bar  in  December,  1865,  and  in  1866  he  began  the  prac- 
tice of  his  profession  at  Edgefield,  in  partnership  with  Col.  Lambert  J. 
Jones,  of  Newberry.  This  firm  existed  for  some  years,  and  he  then 
entered  into  co-partnership  with  Col.  Henry  T.  Wright,  of  the  Edge- 
field bar.  Later,  when  Mr.  Wright  retired  from  active  practice,  he 
practiced  with  Col.  William  H.  Folk.  His  present  co-partner  is 
Capt.  P.  B.  Waters.  He  has  never  held  any  political  office,  but  has 
always  affiliated  with  the  democratic  party.  In  1888  he  organized  the 
Bank  of  Edgefield,  of  which  he  was  elected  president,  and  served 
two  years  in  that  capacity.  In  1890  he  organized  the  Edgefield  Gin- 
ning, Milling  and  Fertilizer  company,  for  manufacturing  cotton  seed 
oil  and  fertilizers,  of  which  he  is  the  president.  He  is  the  owner  of 
large  farming  interests  in  Edgefield  county,  and  ranks  among  the 
foremost  and  most  successful  business  men  in  his  county.  In  i8qi  he 
was  elected  president  of  the  Farmers'  Loan  &  Savings  bank,  of 
Edgefield,  which  position  he  now  holds.  He  was  married  in  1863,  to 
Mary  J.  Fox,  of  Lexington,  daughter  of  the  late  Hon.  John  Fox,  of 
that  county.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Baptist  church  and  of  the 
Masonic  fraternity. 

JOHN   P.   COFFIN. 

One  of  the  most  progressive  and  successful  business  men  of  South 
Carolina  may  be  found  in  the  person  of  Mr.  John  P.  Coffin,  the  prom- 
inent banker  and  real  estate  dealer  in  Florence.  He  is  a  native  of 
Massachusetts,  and  was  born  in  Essex  county,  on  the  i6th  of  March, 
1854,  the  son  of  Richard  and  Mary  E.  (Pingry)  Coffin,  both  natives 
of  the  same  state  as  their  son.  The  father  was  a  physician.  On  ac- 
count of  his  ill-health  he  removed  with  his  family  to  the  west  in  1861. 
His  destination  was  Kansas,  but  owing  to  the  border  troubles  in 
Missouri  at  that  time,  he  left  his  family  in   Matoon,  111.,   where  they 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  379 

remained  until  1866.  It  was  while  a  resident  of  the  latter  city  that 
our  subject,  then  about  eleven  years  of  age,  exhibited  the  first  sign 
of  business  ability,  he  having  established  a  restaurant  and  confectionery 
concern,  on  his  own  account  without  the  aid  of  his  parents.  This 
business  was  successfully  operated  by  himself  and  assistants  until  the 
family's  removal  to  Solomon  City,  Kan.,  which  was  then  thirty-five 
miles  from  the  nearest  railroad  station.  In  this  place  Mr.  Coffin  at- 
tended the  common  schools  for  about  two  years,  at  which  time  his 
health  failed  him  and  he  secured  a  position  as  a  cattle  herder.  After 
two  years,  his  health  being  fully  restored,  he  returned  home  and  en- 
tered a  drug  store  as  a  clerk,  and  when  but  eighteen  years  of  age  had 
an  act  passed  by  the  legislature  removing  his  disability  as  a  minor, 
which  act  enabled  him  to  do  business  in  his  own  name.  Purchasing 
the  stock  of  drugs  from  his  former  employer,  he  conducted  the  busi- 
ness himself  for  sometime,  or  until  1874.  In  the  meantime  he  learned 
the  printer's  trade  in  a  neighboring  newspaper  establishment,  and  ill 
health  again  returning,  he  purchased  a  horse  and  buggy  and  drove 
across  the  state  of  Kansas  and  the  Indian  Territory  to  Texas,  arriv- 
ing in  the  city  of  Denison,  Texas,  at  the  time  of  its  boom.  Here  he 
secured  employment  in  the  office  of  the  Denison  Daily,  learning  to  do 
press  work,  and  after  a  time  was  made  local  reporter  and  circulator. 
In  August,  1S75,  h^  returned  to  Kansas  by  team,  and  sold  out  his  drug 
business,  which  had  been  conducted  in  his  absence  by  a  sister  and  his 
clerk.  For  a  year  he  was  engaged  in  the  book  business,  and  in  1876, 
with  his  mother  and  sister  removed  to  Parsons,  Kan.,  where  he  es- 
tablished the  first  daily  newspaper  published  in  southern  Kansas. 
His  cash  capital  in  commencing  was  fifty  cents,  but  in  the  course  of 
two  years  he  had  succeeded  in  building  up  his  paper  until  it  was  upon 
a  very  successful  q,nd  paying  basis.  During  his  residence  in  Parsons, 
Mr.  Coffin  was  deputy  grand  worthy  chief  templar  for  the  state  of 
Kansas,  and  organized  a  number  of  lodges.  Having  sold  his  paper 
he  accepted  the  position  of  advertising  agent  for  the  Kansas  City 
Times,  and  remained  with  that  concern  until  1882,  when  he  went  to 
Chicago,  and  there  engaged  in  a  publication  business  which  neces- 
sitated his  traveling  through  the  principal  cities  of  the  Union.  In  1884 
he  removed  to  New  York  city,  and  four  years  later  Washington, 
D.  C,  became  his  home,  where  he  continued  in  the  publishing  busi- 
ness. In  i88q  he  established  the  Capital  News  agency  in  Washing- 
ton, purchasing  the  subscription  list  of  the  Washington  Daily  Critic, 
but  after  a  year  he  sold  out  and  organized  a  photo-engraving  company 
in  Baltimore.  Not  being  satisfied  with  the  parties  interested  with 
him  in  the  venture,  Mr.  Coffin  disposed  of  his  interest  and  became 
the  traveling  correspondent  of  the  Manufacturers  Record.  It  was 
while  connected  with  the  latter  company  that  he  first  visited  Florence, 
S.  C,  and  became  impressed  with  its  advantages  as  a  business  center. 
Purchasing  a  large  tract  of  land  in  that  city  he  organized  the  Caro- 
lina Real  Estate  &  Investment  company,  which  under  his  able  manage- 
ment has  had  a  phenomenal  success.  Since  his  coming  to  this  place 
it  has  taken  on  an  air  of  increased  prosperity;  numerous  important 


380  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

manufacturing  establishments  have  been  started  by  him,  and  many 
other  marlced  improvements  made.  The  Bank  of  the  Carolinas,  of 
which  he  is  president,  and  which  owes  its  existence  to  him,  has  three 
branches  already  in  the  state,  and  is  destined  to  become  one  of  the 
great  financial  institutions  in  the  south.  His  marriage  December  31st, 
1S77,  to  Miss  Charlotte  R.  Jones,  has  been  blessed  by  the  birth  of 
eight  children,  five  of  whom  survive,  named:  Joseph,  Francis  P., 
David  P.,  Ruth  and  Mary.  Mr.  Coffin  is  a  prominent  member  of  the 
K.  of  H.,  and  both  himself  and  wife  are  communicants  of  the  Presby- 
terian church.  Mr.  Coffin  is  descended  on  both  the  paternal  and 
maternal  sides  from  old  American  families,  his  father's  line  having 
commenced  in  Massachusetts  in  1642,  and  the  mother's  in  1636. 

MAJOR  LAURISTON  THEODORE  IZLAR. 

Lauriston  Theodore  Izlar  was  born  on  the  iSth  of  September, 
1842,  on  a  plantation  in  the  fork  of  Edisto,  Orangeburg  county,  S.  C. 
His  parents,  William  and  Julia  A.  Izlar,  are  mentioned  elsewhere  in 
this  work.  Maj.  Izlar's  early  life  was  spent  on  his  father's  plantation, 
and  receiving  his  early  education  in  the  schools  of  his  native  county. 
For  a  time  he  was  a  student  in  the  academy  presided  over  by  Hon. 
Ira  T.  Shoemaker,  of  New  York.  As  he  was  about  to  enter  the 
sophomore  class  at  Wofford  college,  South  Carolina,  seceded  from 
the  Union  and  he  abandoned  his  studies  to  take  his  place  in  the  ranks 
of  the  Edisto  Rifles,  a  company  of  the  First  Regiment  South  Caro- 
lina volunteers,  commanded  by  Col.  (later  general)  Johnson  Hagood. 
For  one  year  he  served  on  the  coast  with  his  regiment,  and  was  pres- 
ent at  the  fall  of  Fort  Sumter.  At  the  end  of  his  first  term  of 
enlistment  he  again  cast  his  fortunes  with  his  people,  enlisting  for 
three  years.  The  Edisto  Rifles  at  this  time  became  a  part  of  the 
Twenty-fifth  South  Carolina  regiment,  commanded  by  Col.  Charles  H. 
Simonton,  now  United  States  district  judge.  After  another  year 
spent  in  coast  service  the  regiment  went  to  Virginia.  Our  subject 
fought  in  the  battles  of  Walthal  Junction,  Swift  Creek,  Bermuda 
Hundred,  Drury's  Bluff,  Cold  Harbor,  was  in  the  trenches  around 
Petersburg,  and  several  other  minor  engagements.  In  December, 
1864,  Hagood's  brigade  was  sent  to  Wilmington,  N.  C,  to  guard 
against  the  contemplated  attack  of  the  Federal  army  by  land  and 
sea.  Thence  they  were  sent  to  perform  a  like  service  at  Fort  Fisher, 
and  at  its  capture  almost  the  entire  brigade  or  the  survivors  of  it, 
were  captured.  Maj.  Izlar  escaped  owing  to  the  fact  that  he  had 
been  placed  on  detached  duty  just  before  the  surrender.  Some  few 
weeks  later  those  who  had  evaded  capture  were  taken  prisoners  at 
Town  Creek  and  confined  at  Point  Lookout,  where  they  were  kept 
until  the  30th  of  June,  1865,  when  they  were  paroled.  July  3rd,  1865, 
Maj.  Izlar  reached  his  home,  and  soon  after  he  was  offered  the  chair 
of  mathematics  and  Latin  in  the  Bamberg  high  school,  which  he  ac- 
cepted. At  the  expiration  of  one  year  he  was  married  and  at  once 
engaged  in  agriculture.     After  four  years  thus  spent  he  began  the 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  381 

Study  of  law  with  Izlar  &  Dibble,  at  Orangeburg.  Having  com- 
pleted the  course  in  two  years  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  May, 
1872.  The  following  December  he  removed  to  Blackville,  and  there 
actively  engaged  in  practice.  It  is  a  remarkable  fact  in  connection 
with  Maj.  Izlar's  career  that  he  has  lost  but  one  case,  out  of 
many  tried,  in  the  state  supreme  court.  In  1877  he  was  commissioned 
major  of  the  Seventh  battalion,  South  Carolina  volunteer  troops,  by 
Gov.  Wade  Hampton,  which  commission  he  still  holds.  Although  not 
a  party  worker  in  the  strict  sense  of  the  word  he  is  recognized  as  one 
of  the  ablest  stump  speakers  in  the  state,  and  his  services  are  always 
at  the  command  of  his  party.  In  1876  he  worked  faithfully  and  well 
to  restore  the  "  Palmetto  state  "  to  its  former  place  among  the  states. 
He  has  been  a  member  of  every  democratic  convention,  state  or 
county,  since  1876,  and  for  six  years  has  been  a  prominent  member 
of  the  democratic  state  executive  committee.  In  December,  1865, 
he  was  made  a  Master  Mason  of  Allan  lodge,  No.  28,  at  Bamberg, 
and  has  held  every  office  in  the  Blue  lodge.  For  six  years  he  held 
the  office  of  district  deputy  grand  master  of  the  sixth  Masonic 
district  of  South  Carolina,  and  in  1886  was  elected  junior  grand 
warden  of  the  grand  lodge  of  Ancient  Free  Masons  of  South  Caro- 
lina, and  on  December  13th,  1889,  he  was  elected  most  worshipful 
grand  master  of  Ancient  Free  Masons  of  South  Carolina,  which 
office  he  still  holds.  Major  Izlar  is  a  member  of  the  Knights  of 
Honor,  and  has  filled  all  the  chairs  in  the  subordinate  lodge.  He  is 
president  of  the  Merchants'  and  Planters'  bank,  of  Blackville,  and  has 
been  since  its  organization,  in  which  he  took  an  active  part.  In  De- 
cember, 1S65,  his  marriage  to  Miss  Eleanor  Rosamond  Sanders, 
daughter  of  Clark  Sanders,  was  solemnized,  and  four  sons  and  three 
daughters  have  blessed  their  union.  The  eldest  son,  Arthur  L.,  is  a 
graduate  of  the  medical  department  of  the  University  of  Maryland, 
and  is  now  practicing  at  Graham's,  S.  C.  The  second  son,  Marion  E., 
is  a  prominent  merchant  of  Blackville.  Major  Izlar  is  a  leader  in 
benevolent  matters,  and  for  twenty-five  years  has  been  a  devoted 
communicant  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  fifteen  years  of 
which  time  he  has  been  a  steward  and  superintendent  of  .Sunday- 
school. 

W.  L.  RODDEY. 

Among  the  leading  business  men  of  York  county,  S.  C,  may  be 
found  the  name  of  W.  L.  Roddey,  president  of  the  First  National 
bank  of  Rock  Hill,  and  a  leading  merchant  of  that  place.  He  was 
born  in  York  county,  S.  C,  August  10,  1834,  the  son  of  John  and 
Mary  G.  (Wylie)  Roddey.  The  former  was  also  a  native  of  York 
county,  and  was  a  son  of  David  Roddey,  who  came  to  the  United 
States  about  the  year  1785,  from  the  north  of  Ireland,  and  settled  in 
York  county,  S.  C,  where  he  died.  His  two  sons  were  John  and 
David.  John  was  born  in  1805,  and  died  in  i860.  He  married  Mary  G., 
daughter  of  Thomas  G.  Wylie,  and  became  the  father  of  four  sons 


382  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

and  four  daughters.  He  was  a  planter  and  surveyor,  and  for  many 
years  was  a  trial  justice.  His  widow  still  survives  him  at  the  age  of 
eighty-one  years.  W.  L.  Roddey,  his  son,  was  given  a  common  school 
education,  and  taught  the  practical  operation  of  a  plantation.  When 
sixteen  years  old,  he  entered  the  general  store  of  Moffatt  &  Co.,  at 
Chester,  S.  C.  In  1862,  he  enlisted  as  first  lieutenant  of  Company  H, 
Twenty-fourth  South  Carolina  regiment,  and  was  soon  promoted  to 
a  captaincy.  He  was  captured  at  Johnson's  Island,  in  1864,  and  held 
as  a  prisoner  of  war  until  the  close  of  the  conflict.  One  year  prior 
to  his  enlistment,  Mr.  Roddey  had  become  a  member  of  the  firm  of 
Wylie,  Moffatt  &  Co.,  but  the  close  of  the  war  found  him  possessed 
of  nothing  but  landed  property,  and  he  was  compelled  to  start  anew 
on  a  small  scale.  The  old  firm  was  revived,  and  in  1866,  a  branch 
house  was  established  at  Rock  Hill,  and  Mr.  Roddey  was  placed 
in  charge.  In  1873  ^^^  bought  out  his  partners'  interest  in  the  con- 
cern. In  1882,  the  present  firm  of  W.  L.  Roddey  &  Co.,  was  organ- 
ized. Three  years  later  the  banking  house  of  W.  L.  Roddey  was 
established  and  continued  up  to  1887,  when  it  was  merged  into  the 
First  National  bank,  of  Rock  Hill,  of  which  Mr.  Roddey  was  made 
president.  He  is  also  president  of  the  Southern  Loan  and  Invest- 
ment company,  of  Rock  Hill;  is  a  director  in  all  the  cotton  mill  com- 
panies of  the  city,  and  is  largely  interested  in  other  enterprises.  He 
has  alwaj's  been  a  staunch  friend  to  liberal  education,  and  as  such 
has  done  much  to  advance  the  efficiency  of  the  Rock  Hill  graded  school 
system.  Both  himself  and  family  are  earnest  and  valued  commun- 
icants of  the  Associate  Reform  Presbyterian  church,  of  Rock  Hill, 
and  his  time  and  money  are  largely  devoted  to  every  enterprise  prom- 
ising increased  prosperity  or  good  to  the  town.  In  i860,  on  the  20th 
of  December,  he  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Annie  _C.  Baskins, 
of  Chester  county,  S.  C,  and  four  living  children  are  the  issue. 

T.  S.  JEFFERYS. 

Capt.  T.  S.  Jefferys,  president  of  the  Exchange  bank,  of  York- 
vllle,  and  one  of  the  most  progressive  and  successful  business  men 
of  the  city,  was  born  in  Yorkville,  York  county,  S.  C,  February  5, 
1827.  When  but  thirteen  years  of  age  he  began  his  business  career 
as  a  clerk  in  his  father's  store.  He  had  been  given  but  few  educa- 
tional advantages,  and  at  this  time  he  applied  himself  assiduously  to 
a  thorough  study  of  the  art  of  book-keeping;  and  while  thus  em- 
ployed learned  well  the  lesson  of  thrift,  and  honest,  earnest  effort. 
In  1848  he  first  engaged  in  business  for  himself,  as  a  partner  of  his 
father.  It  was  not  long  before  he  learned  the  disadvantages  to  which 
his  small  capital  was  subject,  and  accordingly  he  accepted  a  position 
with  Messrs.  Saddler,  Stowe  &  Co.,  as  book-keeper  and  salesman.  In 
1856  he  left  their  employ,  and  accepted  a  position  with  Messrs. 
Lowry  &  Avery,  in  their  grocery  and  cotton  buying  business,  and 
afterward,  in  1859,  bought  out  this  business,  and  formed  a  partner- 
ship with   P.  B.  E)ar\vin,  plying  the  same  line  of  business.     This  firm 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  383 

was  successful  in  the  mercantile  field  and  yielded  good  returns  until 
the  outbreak  of  the  war.  At  this  time  Mr.  Jefferys'  clerical  ability 
was  called  into  service  in  the  commissary  department  of  the  Con- 
federate government  at  Columbia.  He  entered  the  service  under 
Judge  I.  D.  Witherspoon,  who  was  post  commissary  at  that  place,  and 
he  remained  in  that  city  until  the  close  of  the  war,  his  efficient  work 
being  rewarded  by  a  captain's  commission  in  1864.  The  war  being 
ended  he  engaged  in  the  insurance,  fertilizer  and  collection  business, 
and  in  1877  established  a  private  banking  institution  in  Yorkville. 
Although  he  commenced  with  but  a  small  capital,  under  his  able 
management  the  bank  kept  pace  with  the  advancement  of  the  town, 
and  at  the  organization  of  the  Exchange  bank,  in  the  establishment 
of  which  Capt.  Jefferj's  was  a  prime  mover,  he  was  unanimously 
chosen  its  president.  The  wisdom  of  this  choice  has  been  amply 
proven  by  the  abundant  success  of  the  enterprise.  As  a  business 
man  he  is  liberal,  progressive  and  keen.  He  jealously  guards  every 
interest  committed  to  his  care,  and  his  integrity  is  above  reproach. 
The  father  of  Capt.  Jefferys  was  also  a  man  of  affairs,  and  during  his 
lifetime  held  a  high  place  in  the  confidence  of  the  people  of  York- 
ville. He  was  born  on  the  island  of  Alderney,  in  the  English  chan- 
nel, August  6,  1800,  and  died  at  the  age  of  eighty-two  years  six 
months  and  eighteen  days.  Early  in  his  boyhood  his  parents  removed 
to  the  island  of  Guernsey,  and  there  lived  until  1S17.  On  the  nth  of 
April,  1813,  he  was  apprenticed  for  a  term  of  six  years  to  a  man  by 
the  name  of  Thomas  Dews,  to  learn  the  cabinet-maker's  trade.  In 
1817,  Mr.  Dews  decided  to  seek  a  home  in  the  United  States,  and 
offered  to  take  his  apprentice  with  him.  They  landed  at  Philadelphia, 
May  25,  18 1 7,  and  remained  in  that  city  until  the  December  follow- 
ing, when  they  went  to  New  York.  In  February,  181Q,  Dews,  accom- 
panied by  his  apprentice,  went  to  Richmond,  Ya.,  but  after  two 
months  they  removed  to  Petersburg,  and  thence  to  Raleigh,  N.  C. 
They  next  went  to  Salisbury,  and  in  July,  1820,  settled  permanently  at 
Lincolnton.  In  August  of  the  following  year  our  subject's  term  of  ser- 
vice expired,  and  at  that  time  he  determined  to  seek  a  home  elsewhere. 
In  November,  1821,  he  left  Lincolnton  on  foot  with  but  two  dollars, 
the  loan  of  a  friend,  in  his  pocket,  and  first  sought  employment  in 
Providence  Settlement,  Mecklenburg  county,  Va.  Being  disappointed 
in  his  plans  he  proceeded  further,  intending  to  go  to  either  Yorkville 
or  Chester.  On  ariving  at  the  cross-roads  near  Tirzah  church,  one 
of  which  led  to  Yorkville  and  the  other  to  Chester,  he  was  in  doubt 
as  to  which  road  to  take.  The  lad  was  strongly  imbued  w'ith  a  touching 
faith  in  his  Saviour,  even  at  this  early  age,  and  his  decision  was  left 
to  his  God.  Lifting  up  his  heart  in  prayer,  he  arose  strong  in  the  be- 
lief of  an  answer,  and  pursued  his  waj^  in  the  direction  of  Yorkville, 
confident  that  this  was  the  place  for  his  future  success.  He  arrived 
in  the  latter  place  at  nightfall,  in  the  middle  of  November,  1S21,  and 
at  the  corner  where  the  store  of  Colcock  &  Miller  now  stands,  he 
met  a  resident,  Mr.  Samuel  ChamJ^ers,  who  directed  him  to  the  home 
of  Mr.  Samuel  Wright,  to  whom  he  had  been  advised  to  apply  for  em- 


384  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

ploymeat.  He  was  received  cordially  by  that  gentleman,  and  spent 
the  night  at  his  house,  and  in  the  morning  a  nine  months'  contract 
was  entered  into  between  them,  by  the  terms  of  which  Mr.  Jefferys 
was  to  do  the  cabinet-work,  while  Mr.  Wright  was  to  furnish  the  shop 
and  materials  and  to  board  Mr.  Jefferys;  the  profits  to  be  equally 
divided  between  them.  At  the  expiration  of  the  time  specified  for 
partnership,  Mr.  Jefferys  engaged  in  business  for  himself,  on  the  spot 
now  occupied  by  Dobson  &  Parish,  and  he  remained  there  until  1835, 
when  he  purchased  a  lot  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  street,  where  he 
continued  the  cabinet-makingbusinessuntil  1838.  In  i823heestablished 
a  mercantile  business  in  connection  with  the  other  enterprise,  and  he 
carried  on  that  branch  of  the  business  successfully  until  1862.  By  close 
application  to  business  and  strict  honesty  in  his  every  deal  he  accumu- 
lated a  handsome  property.  He  never  sought  public  office,  but  he 
was  induced  to  accept  the  office  of  magistrate  in  1838,  and  held  that 
position  until  his  resignation  in  1862.  He  discharged  the  duties  of 
magistrate  as  faithfully  and  intelligently  as  he  ever  performed  the 
duties  of  his  own  business  establishment.  He  was  one  of  the  eight 
persons  to  establish  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church  at  Yorkville,  and 
with  the  aid  of  his  faithful  Christian  wife,  he  did  much  toward  en- 
hancing the  interests  of  his  Master  on  earth.  In  1829  he  founded  the 
first  Sunday-school  in  Yorkville,  and  for  many  3'ears  was  a  zealous 
worker  in  that  field.  His  marriage  to  Miss  Elizabeth  H.  Smith,  a 
sister  of  the  late  Thomas  H.  Smith,  was  solemnized  on  the  24th  of 
December,  1822,  and  resulted  in  the  birth  of  eight  sons  and  four 
daughters.  The  wife,  three  sons  and  two  daughters,  survive  him. 
The  day  the  footsore  lad,  guided  on  his  way  by  prayer,  trudged  into 
the  hamlet  of  Yorkville,  was  a  bright  one  in  the  history  of  the  now 
prosperous  city,  and  his  name  may  well  be  cherished  by  its  citizens 
as  that  of  a  faithful  Christian  and  a  public  benefactor. 

GEORGE  COFIELD, 

president  of  the  National  bank  of  Spartanburg,  was  born  in  Union 
county,  .S.  C,  on  a  farm,  on  Februarj^  16,  1834.  He  was  the  son  of 
Thomas  K.  Cofield,  a  farmer  born  in  Newberry  county,  February  i, 
1808,  being  the  only  child  of  Edward  Cofield,  a  native  of  Virginia. 
George  Cofield's  mother  was  Anna  Caldwell,  a  native  of  Newberry 
county,  born  February  17,  iSii.  She  was  the  daughter  of  Jo.seph 
Caldwell,  and  was  married  to  Thomas  Cofield  August  20,  1831,  and 
they  had  nine  children,  of  whom  George  was  the  second  in  order  of 
birth.  There  were  si.x  sons  and  three  daughters,  but  only  two  sons 
and  one  daughter  now  survive.  The  father  died  April  14,  1875,  but 
the  mother  still  survives.  George  Cofield  was  reared  on  the  farm 
where  he  was  born,  receiving  his  early  education  at  the  common 
schools.  In  1855  he  entered  Wofford  college,  from  which  he  gradu- 
ated in  1858.  He  taught  school  one  year  before  graduating,  and 
three  years  afterward.  In  the  spring  of  1862,  he  entered  the  service 
of  the  Confederate  army  in  th(>  Ilolcombe  Legion,  where  he  served 


I 


SOUTH    CAKCJLINA.  385 

until  the  latter  part  of  1863.     He  then  returned  to  his  home  and  re- 
mained a  year,  when  in  the  fall  of  1864,  he  re-entered  the  service  in 
the  same  legion,  and  served  therein  until  the  close  of  the  war.     At 
the  time  of  his  discharge,  he  held  the  rank  of  first  lieutenant.     At 
the  close  of  his  service  he  returned  to  Spartanburg,  and  engaged  in 
merchandising,  and  to  that  business  his  attention  was  given  till   1870, 
when  he  began  the  banking  business.     At  that  time  he  was  made  as- 
sistant cashier  of  the  Spartanburg  branch  of  the   Citizens'    Savings 
bank  of  South   Carolina.      Upon   the   organization   of   the    National 
bank   at  Spartanburg,  in  July, '1871,  he   was  chosen   its  cashier,  and 
continued  as  such  until  1885.     He   retained  his  position  as  assistant 
cashier  in  the  savings  bank  till   1873,  when  the  panic  of  that  year 
caused  the  bank  to  suspend.     In    1885,  upon  the  death  of  David  C. 
Judd,  president  of  the  National  bank,   Mr.  Cofield  succeeded  to  the 
presidency,  and  has  ever  since  held  that    position,  proving  himself 
the   right   man    in    the   right  place.     Upon   the   organization  of  the 
Spartanburg  F"idelity  Loan  &  Trust  company,  in  1887,   Mr.  Cofield 
was  made   its  president,  and  still  holds  that  position.     He  has  been 
secretary,  treasurer  and  manager  of  various  building  and   loan  asso- 
ciations of  Spartanburg  for  the  past  eighteen  years,  having  during 
that  time  wound  up  three,  and  having  two  others  in  successful  oper- 
ation at  the  present  time.     He  is  president  of  the  Iron  District  Fire 
Insurance  company,  which   was  organized   in  the  fall  of  1890  with  a 
capital  of  $100,000.     He  was  one  of  its   principal    originators.     For 
the  past  fifteen  years  he  has  been  superintendent  of  the    Fire   Insur- 
ance agency  of  Spartanburg.     He  is  a  stockholder  in  the   Spartan 
mills  and  the  Converse  college  company.     Mr.  Cofield  was  married 
in  1859,  to  Miss  Mary  C,  daughter  of  David    Moore,  a  prominent 
citizen  of   Spartanburg.      They  have  had    ten  children,  only    three 
sons  and  three  daughters  of  whom  are  now  living.     Their  names  are 
James,  Clementina,  George,   Margaret,  Ruth  and  Robert.     Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Cofield  are  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  and 
Mr.  Cofield  is  a  member  of  the   board  of  stewards  and  of  the  board 
of  trustees  of   the   church.     His   politics   are   democratic.     He  is  a 
Royal  Arch  Mason,  and  a  member  of  the  Knights  of  Honor.     He 
was  the  first  president  of  the   Spartanburg  board  of  trade,  and   still 
holds  a  membership  in   that  board.     He    has   several    terms    been  a 
member  in  the  city  council,  and  was  a  member  of  the  first  board  of 
trustees.     In  the  list  of  the  solid  and  influential  citizens  of  Spartan- 
burg, Mr.  Cofield  holds  a  conspicuous  place.     It  will   be  noticed  that 
he  has  been  closely   identified  with   various  financial  operations,  but 
while  this  is  true,  it  is  also  true  that  he  has  not  held  these  relations 
for  the  purpose  of  selfish  gain,  but  in  the  broad  sense  of  a  liberal 
public  spirit.     The  citizens  of  Spartanburg  have  profited  largely  by 
the  vigor  and  enterprise  with  which  he  has  performed  his  part  in  the 
various  institutions  and  industries  which  go  to  make  up  the  prosperity 
of  a  city,  and  in  which  he  has  taken  a  leading   part.     He  has  had 
large  and  tempting  opportunities  for  accumulating  wealth,  but  he  has 
unselfishly  given  to  others  the  benefit  of  these   opportunities   rather 

A— 25 


386  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

than  monopolize  them  to  his  own  private  advantage,  a  spirit  and  dis- 
position of  which  he  may  justly  be  proud. 


WILLIAM  F.  B.  HAYNSWORTH, 

president  of  the  Bank  of  Sumter,  S.  C,  was  born  in  that  city  in  1824. 
His  elementary  education  was  acquired  in  the  schools  of  his  native 
town,  and  he  afterward  entered  the  South  Carolina  college  at  Colum- 
bia, from  which  he  graduated  in  1844.     Among  his  classmates  were 
James  H.  Carlisle,  now  president  of  Wofford  college  at  Spartanburg; 
C.  P.  Gadsden,  afterward  a  prominent  Episcopal  clergyman,  now  de- 
ceased; Col.  H.  K.  Aiken,  who   fell  on  the  battlefield;  Col.  R.  H. 
Nelson,  who  was  also  killed  in  the  war;  Dr.  F.  P.  Porcher,  of  Charles- 
ton;   Col.  William  Wallace,   of  Columbia,   and   other  distinguished 
individuals.     On  leaving  college,   Mr.   Haynsworth  entered  the  law 
office  of  his  father,  William  Haynsworth,  then  practicing  in  Sumter, 
and,  after  studying  about  a  year,  was  admitted  to  the  bar.     He  com- 
menced practice  with  his  father,  with  whom   he  remained  about  six 
years,  when  he  was  elected  commissioner  in  equity,  holding  that  office 
for  fifteen  years,   until   December,   1866.     He  then  returned  to  the 
practice  of  his  profession,  which  he  still  follows.     In  January,  1889,  he 
was  chosen  president  of  the  Bank  of  .Sumter,  which  position  he  holds 
at  the  present   time.     Mr.   Haynsworth,  in   1877,  was  appointed  by 
Gov.  Wade  Hampton,  treasurer  of  Sumter  county,  and  faithfully  dis- 
charged the  duties  of  that  responsible  office  for  the  succeeding  ten 
years.     Mr.  Haynsworth  was  twice  married,  the  first  time  in  1853,  to 
Susan  H.  Earle,  of  Sumter.     She  died  in  March,  1855,  leaving  him  no 
children.      His  second   marriage  took   place   in   1858,  when   he   was 
united  to  Mary  Charles,  daughter  of  Col.  D.  W.  Charles,  of  Darling- 
ton, S.  C.     The  issue  of  this  union  was  eight  children,  si.x  of  whom 
are  still   living,  their   respective    names   being:    Edgar  C,   Fannie, 
Maria  L.,  William,  John  B.,  and  Hugh  C.     The  mother  of  these  chil- 
dren died  in  1S84.     The  christian  name  of  Mr.  Haynsworth's  father 
was  William.     He  was  born  in  Sumter  in  1798,  and  as  seen  above,  he 
followed  the  legal  profession.     He  was  a  delegate  to  the  convention 
held  in  Columbia,  S.  C,  in  1851,  to  determine  whether  South  Carolina 
should  secede  from  the  Union  by  herself  or  await  the  co-operation  of 
other  southern  states.     Mr.  Haynsworth,  Sr.,  was  married  in  Novem- 
ber, 1823,  to  Sarah  E.  Morse,  daughter  of  Josiah  B.  Morse,  of  New 
Haven,  Conn.     They  had  seven  children,  of  whom  five  still  survive. 
William  F.  B.  was  the  eldest.     The  father  died  in  September,  1865, 
but  the  mother  survived  till  July,  1877.     The  christian  name  of  Will- 
iam F".  B.  Haynsworth's  grandfather  was  Henry,  and  he  was  born  in 
Sumter  district,  now  Sumter  county,  and  was  a  planter  by  occupation. 
He  died  in  1823.     He  was  a  Revolutionary  soldier,  being  one  of  the 
famous  scouts  under  Gen.  Sumter,  who  performed  such  efficient  ser- 
vice in  the  great  struggle  which  made  this  a  free  and  independent 
nation. 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  387 


ROBERT  M.  WALLACE 


was  born  in  York  county,  S.  C,  October  26,  1837.  He  attended  the 
common  schools  of  the  county  during  his  boyhood,  but  afterward 
entered  Erskine  college  in  Abbeville  county,  S.  C,  from  which  he 
graduated  in  1858.  On  leaving  college  he  returned  to  York  county 
and  entered  the  law  office  of  Melton  &  Melton,  with  a  view  to  pre- 
paring for  the  legal  profession.  He  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  i860, 
but  never  practiced.  Early  in  1861  he  went  to  Texas,  and  in  July  of 
that  year  enlisted  in  Terry's  Texas  rangers,  afterward  known  as 
the  Eighth  Texas  cavalry.  He  enlisted  as  a  private,  having  no 
acquaintance  with  a  single  member  of  the  regiment.  In  this  regi- 
ment he  served  up  to  January,  1864,  when  he  was  taken  prisoner  by 
the  Federal  forces  near  Morristown,  Tenn.,  and  was  confined  at 
Rock  Island,  111.,  till  the  close  of  the  war.  He  was  In  the  battles  of 
Shiloh,  Perryville,  Ky.,  Stone  River,  Tenn.,  Chickamauga,  Mission- 
ary Ridge,  Knoxville,  and  numerous  minor  engagements  and  skir- 
mishes. He  was  twice  slightly  wounded.  At  the  conclusion  of  the 
war  he  returned  to  York  county,  and  was  appointed  chief  deputy 
revenue  collector  at  Columbia,  S.  C,  under  his  father,  who  was  the 
collector  and  had  been  a  Union  man  during  the  war.  In  1868  the 
father  was  elected  to  congress,  and  the  son  was  appointed  collector 
to  fill  the  vacancy  thus  created.  He  held  this  position  until  March, 
1872,  when  he  was  appointed  United  States  marshal  for  the  district 
of  South  Carolina,  resigning  his  position  as  collector.  He  continued 
to  serve  as  marshal  until  March,  1881,  and  then  for  two  years  after- 
ward held  the  position  of  chief  supervisor  of  elections  in  South 
Carolina,  stationed  at  Charleston.  In  December,  1883,  he  came  to 
Sumter  and  organized  the  National  bank  of  .Sumter,  and  was  elected 
its  president,  serving  in  that  capacity  until  August,  1887,  when  the 
bank  was  robbed  by  its  cashier  and  was  compelled  to  suspend.  In 
November  of  the  same  year  the  Simonds'  National  bank  was  organ- 
ized in  Sumter,  and  Mr.  Wallace  was  elected  its  vice-president  and 
manager,  which  position  he  now  holds.  He  is  also  vice-president 
and  director  in  the  Sumter  Cotton  Mills,  is  a  director  in  the  Sumter 
Building  &  Loan  association,  vice-president  of  the  Sumter  board  of 
trade,  and  president  of  the  Sumter  Electric  Light  company.  Be- 
sides these  highly  responsible  business  positions,  he  has  been  the 
recipient  of  various  political  trusts.  In  1880  he  was  a  delegate  to  the 
national  republican  convention,  which  nominated  Gen.  Garfield  for 
president.  He  has  also  been  several  times  chosen  a  delegate  to 
republican  state  conventions,  having  acted  with  the  republican 
party  since  the  close  of  the  war.  Mr.  Wallace  was  married  in  1878, 
to  Mary  McCasian,  )icc  Carter,  of  Abbeville,  S.  C. 

His  father's  name  is  Alexander  S.  Wallace.  He  was  born  In  York 
county,  in  1810,  and  was  a  planter  by  occupation.  He  served  six 
years  In  the  legislature  of  South  Carolina,  before  the  war,  and  was 
again  elected  in  1865,  serving  about  one  year,  when  he  was  appointed 


jOO  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

collector  of  internal  revenue.  He  held  that  office  until  i86q,  when  he 
took  his  seat  in  the  national  house  of  representatives,  having  been 
elected  from  the  Fourth  South  Carolina  district  at  the  congressional 
election  in  iS6S.  He  held  the  office  of  representative  for  eight  years, 
or  during  four  congressional  terms.  Returning  to  York  county  in 
1877,  he  has  since  lived  on  his  plantation.  He  was  married  in  1S33 
to  Nancy  Ratchford,  of  York  county,  and  the  issue  of  this  marriage 
was  six  children,  five  of  whom  now  survive.  Their  names  are  as 
follows:  Margaret  C,  widow  of  James  Cottingham,  of  DeWitt  county, 
Tex.;  Robert  M.,  of  Sumter;  Jane,  wife  of  John  D.  Anderson,  of 
DeWitt  county;  Mary  R.,  wife  of  Capt.  William  McAlilly,  of  Chester 
county,  S.  C;  Ellen,  wife  of  Calvin  Brice,  of  Fairfield  county, 
S.  C,  and  Capt.  George  D.  Wallace,  of  the  Seventh  regiment 
of  cavalry.  United  States  army,  who  was  a  graduate  of  West 
Point  in  1872,  and  one  of  the  survivors  of  the  Custer  massacre. 
He  was  with  Maj.  Reno,  the  captain,  lieutenant  and  sixteen  of 
the  thirty-three  men  in  his  company,  being  killed.  In  this  disas- 
trous encounter  with  the  savages  Capt.  Wallace  did  gallant  ser- 
vice. Capt.  Wallace  was  killed  in  the  battle  with  Sioux  Indians,  at 
Wounded  Knee  Creek,  in  South  Dakota,  December  29,  1890.  Nine 
men  of  his  company  fell  with  him,  and  at  the  close  of  the  fight 
he  was  found  still  grasping  his  empty  six-shooter,  and  five  dead 
Indians  lay  around  him.  He  was  one  of  the  most  popular  offi- 
cers in  the  army,  and  his  untimely  death  was  greatly  regretted 
throughout  the  United  States.     He  was  forty-one  years  old. 

The  mother  of  this  family  died  in  1873.  The  name  of  the  grand- 
father of  Robert  M.,  was  McCaslan  Wallace.  He  was  born  on  the 
Atlantic  ocean,  while  his  parents  were  on  their  way  from  their  home 
in  county  Antrim,  Ireland,  to  Charleston,  S.  C.  His  father  settled 
in  York  county  in  1772,  and  died  about  the  year  1776.  Two  of  his 
sons  were  killed  in  the  Revolutionary  war.  The  grandfather  of 
Robert  M.  Wallace  was  born  in  1772,  and  died  in  1S62.  Throughout 
his  long  life  he  was  a  planter.  The  family  is  of  Scotch-Irish  descent, 
and  the  ancestors  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch  on  both  sides  were  of 
the  Protestant  faith. 

WILLIAM    ALEXANDER    NICHOLSON. 

Among  the  representative  men  of  upper  South  Carolina  is  Will- 
iam A.  Nicholson,  a  prominent  citizen  and  banker  of  Union.  Mr. 
Nicholson  is  a  Scotchman  by  birth,  having  been  born  in  Aberdeen  on 
January  12,  1837,  and  is  the  second  son  of  James  and  Mary  Nichol- 
son. He  served  an  apprenticeship  of  seven  years  as  a  marble  carver 
in  the  establishment  of  McDonald  &  Leslie,  at  Aberdeen,  under  the 
immediate  direction  of  his  father,  a  skilled  carver  and  worker  in 
marble,  who  had  charge  of  the  special  department  of  that  establish- 
ment, he  having  been  with  the  firm  for  fifty-seven  years.  When  young 
Nicholson's  apprenticeship  expired  he  went  to  Edinburgh  to  further 
perfect  himself  in  his  art,  and  during  his  stay  there  was  admitted  a 


I 


■.^^ 


■r^- 


SOUTH   CAROLINA.  389 

member  to  the  school  of  design,  and  attended  a  modelingclass  in  the 
school  of  arts  taught  by  Mr.  Gourley  Steel,  brother  to  John  Steel, 
R.  A.  At  this  school  Mr.  Nicholson  executed  in  clay,  and  afterward 
in  marble,  a  group  of  flowers  which  was  purchased  by  the  Fine  Art 
association  as  one  of  the  prizes  to  be  awarded  by  that  association. 
During  his  stay  in  Iidinburgh  the  youth  decided  to  try  his  fortunes  in 
the  new  world,  and  wrote  his  father  to  that  effect.  The  father,  think- 
ing it  some  boyish  freak,  paid  no  attention  to  the  letter,  and  after  a 
week  had  elapsed  with  no  reply,  Mr.  Nicholson  again  wrote  his  father 
telling  him  that  he  greatly  regretted  not  having  heard  from  him,  but 
that  having  fully  made  up  his  mind  to  go  to  the  United  States,  he  had 
engaged  passage  and  would  sail  for  New  York  on  a  given  date,  and 
should  be  home  for  a  week  before  leaving.  By  return  mail  a  touch- 
ing appeal  was  received  from  home,  asking  a  reconsideration  of  his 
plans.  In  reply  he  wrote  e.xpressing  much  sorrow  that  his  decision 
should  cause  so  much  distress,  but  that  his  passage  having  been  en- 
gaged, he  would  hold  to  his  original  intention.  The  promised  visit 
home  was  made,  and  before  leaving  his  father  offered  him  financial 
assistance  for  making  his  long  voyage.  This  the  son  was  able  to  de- 
cline, and  proudly  stated  that  his  passage  had  been  paid  for  with  the 
money  saved  from  his  earnings,  together  with  that  received  from  the 
sale  of  his  group  of  flowers,  and  the  proceeds  from  one  other  prize 
he  won  by  his  skill  in  Edinburgh,  and  that  besides  having  his  passage 
prepaid  he  still  had  a  sufficient  amount  of  money  to  last  him  a  rea- 
sonable length  of  time  after  reaching  America.  The  parting  from 
his  mother  was  a  trial  for  the  young  man,  being  such  as  to  make  it 
impossible  for  him  to  ever  afterward  refer  to  it  without  emotion. 
She  was  unable  to  leave  her  bed  on  the  morning  of  his  departure, 
and  her  parting  words  were  that  they  "should  never  meet  again  on 
earth."  And  such  was  the  case.  On  May  i6,  1S57,  the  plucky  boy 
landed  in  New  York  city,  an  utter  stranger.  He  was  so  youthful  in 
appearance  that  he  shrunk  from  asking  employment.  In  a  short  time, 
however,  a  position  in  Rochester,  N.  Y.,  was  offered  him,  and  he  set 
out  for  that  city,  reaching  his  destination  with  only  the  sum  of  $2.50  in 
his  pocket.  While  in  that  city  of  magnificent  buildings  he  carved  the 
stone  for  several  of  the  principal  structures.  Returning  to  New  York 
he  was  in  a  short  time  engaged  to  carve  "Ionic"  caps  for  the  treasury 
building  at  Washington  city,  and  on  the  completion  of  that  work  was 
tendered  a  position  on  the  new  custom  house  at  Charleston,  S.  C, 
which  building  was  then  in  course  of  erection.  He  arrived  in  Charles- 
ton in  1858,  and  remained  in  that  city  during  the  great  yellow  fever 
plague,  but  did  not  lose  an  hour  from  his  work  by  sickness.  His  re- 
markable health  may  be  ascribed  to  the  fact  that  he  has  ever  been 
abstemious  in  his  habits,  and  has  never  used  either  tobacco  or  alcoholic 
liquors.  After  a  year  spent  in  Charleston,  Mr.  Nicholson  accepted 
the  management  of  the  Leavell  &  Clark  marble  works,  at  Union, 
S.  C,  and  remained  with  that  firm  for  eighteen  months.  At  this  time 
Mr.  Nicholson  started  in  business  for  himself,  Judge  W.  H.  Wallace 
becoming  his  first  patron,  he  having  given  him  an  order  for  an  elab- 


390  SOUTH   CAROLINA. 

orate  monument  to  be  erected  in  memory  of  his  father,  the  Hon. 
Daniel  Wallace.  When  the  south  seceded,  Mr.  Nicholson  volunteered 
in  the  Macbeth  light  artillery  from  Union,  but  early  in  the  war  he  was 
injured  by  a  horse  and  rendered  unfit  for  further  field  service,  and 
was  placed  on  light  duty,  becoming  the  clerk  of  Dr.  A.  W.  Thomson, 
chief  surgeon  of  the  hospitals  in  and  around  Columbia,  S.  C,  and 
was  with  him  when  that  city  was  destroyed  by  the  Federal  army  on 
the  night  of  the  17th  of  February,  1865.  He  remained  on  duty  with 
the  remnant  of  the  sick  left  in  Columbia  until  about  June  i,  follow- 
ing, when  he  returned  home  and  went  to  work  to  retrieve  his  losses, 
and  build  up  a  business.  Several  years  ago  Mr.  Nicholson  gave  up 
the  marble  business  and  turned  his  attention  to  financial  matters. 
During  the  war  he  was  married  to  Miss  Hobcraft,  of  London,  Eng- 
land, and  they  have  three  children,  the  eldest  son,  Emslie,  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  banking  house  of  William  A.  Nicholson  &  Son.  Mr. 
Nicholson  is  a  self-made  man,  yet  he  has  succeeded  by  care  and  per- 
severance in  amassing  a  comfortable  fortune.  He  is  candid  and 
straightforward  in  all  of  his  dealings,  tender  and  sympathetic  by  na- 
ture, yet  of  decided,  strong  convictions  of  duty,  and  when  he  thinks 
he  is  right  there  is  no  wavering  to  either  the  right  or  left.  In  his 
business  he  is  systematic,  punctual  and  correct.  He  is  charitable  in 
his  dealings  with  the  poor  and  needy,  and  with  the  church  and  schools. 
Upright  and  clean,  his  career  is  an  honor  to  himself  and  to  the  com- 
munity in  which  he  lives.  Mr.  Nicholson  is  an  elder  in  the  Presby- 
terian church. 


JOHN  LAURENS  YOUNG, 

of  Scotch-Irish  descent,  was  born  in  Laurens  county,  S.  C,  Janu- 
ary 27,  1820.  He  is  the  son  of  John  and  Sarah  (Maddox)  Young; 
grandson  of  William  Young,  a  staunch  whig  and  soldier  in  the  Rev- 
olutionary war,  and  of  his  wife,  Elizabeth  (Hunter)  Young,  who  was 
a  sister  of  Judge  Hunter,  United  States  senator  from  Laurens,  S.  C, 
and  great-grandson  of  Agnes  Young,  who,  after  the  death  of  her 
husband  in  Virginia,  emigrated  to  South  Carolina  in  1756,  with  seven 
sons,  all  of  whom  were  whigs  and  brave  soldiers  in  the  Revolutionary 
war.  The  original  land  grant  issued  to  her  by  King  George  III.  is 
still  in  possession  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  the  land  never  having 
passed  out  of  the  possession  of  his  family,  and  on  which  there  has 
never  been  a  tax  lien,  mortgage  nor  judgment;  some  portions  of  the 
land  still  remaining  in  the  original  forest  and  abounding  in  game. 

He  received  his  early  education  at  the  Pyleston  and  Wadsworth's 
schools,  and  pursued  the  classical  course  at  the  Academy  of  Laurens. 
When  a  school  boy  at  Laurens,  on  one  occasion,  he  was  attracted  by 
an  unusually  large  crowd  assembled  in  the  court-house,  went  in,  and 
heard  the  Hon.  Robert  Y.  Hayne  address  the  people  on  the  subject 
of  the  Louisville,  Cincinnati  &  Charleston  railroad.  He  was  so  cap- 
tivated by  the  eloquence  of  the  orator  that  he  promptly  subscribed 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  391 

(with  the  proverbial  empty  purse  of  the  school  boy  of  that  day)  two 
shares  to  the  railroad  and  two  to  the  bank. 

His  father  died  when  he  was  six  years  of  age,  antl  he  was  under 
the  control  of  his  guardian,  who,  not  being  so  much  enthused  on  the 
new  subject  of  raih'oads,  refused  to  pay  it,  whereupon  the  boy  reso- 
lutely determined  to  make  the  money  with  his  compass  during  the 
holidays  and  pay  it  himself,  which,  after  a  hard  struggle,  he  succeeded 
in  doing.  In  after  life  he  endorsed  this  action  of  his  boyhood  by  in- 
vesting more  largely  in  the  same  stock,  which  he  still  holds,  and  he  is 
perhaps  at  this  time  the  only  surviving  original  shareholder  in  this 
road,  now  the  South  Carolina  railroad.  During  this  experience  in 
surveying  he  became  fascinated  with  the  science,  studied  it  in  all  its 
divisions,  and  for  a  time  engaged  in  the  profession  of  civil  engineer- 
ing, which  he  found  profitable  as  well  as  pleasant.  He  was  engaged 
in  the  survey  of  the  Columbia  &  Greenville,  and  the  Newberry  & 
Laurens  railroads.  In  1848  he  began  business  as  a  merchant  and 
banker  at  Union,  S.  C,  in  which  he  was  eminently  successful,  amass- 
ing a  fortune.  On  the  31st  of  December,  1855,  at  a  directors'  meeting 
of  the  Spartanburg  &  Union  railroad  company,  it  was  ascertained 
that  the-  capital,  $700,000,  had  been  expended  over  the  entire  line  of 
road,  and  there  was  yet  due  the  contractors  over  $100,000,  and  to  the 
banks  $65,000  under  protest  (for  which  the  directors  were  personally 
liable) .  The  contractors  were  all  needy  and  clamorous  for  their  pay, 
while  the  directors  were  unable  to  borrow  more  money.  In  addition 
to  these  troubles  the  directors  were  notified  that  a  cargo  of  iron  rails 
was  then  landing  in  Charleston,  for  which  $60,000  in  cash  was  due. 
The  company'  had  no  assets  except  the  unfinished  road  bed,  culverts, 
bridges  and  two  depots,  one  at  Spartanburg  and  one  at  Union,  upon 
which  they  could  bank,  or  raise  money.  Nor  were  they  in  a  condi- 
tion to  bond  the  road.  In  this  most  trying  condition  of  the  company, 
and  the  straining  of  the  directors'  credit,  after  an  all-night's  session, 
with  bankruptcy  in  full  view,  the  directors  unanimously  elected 
John  L.  Young  president,  and  urged  him  against  his  repeated  protest 
to  accept  the  office,  which  he  finally  did,  with  reluctance.  With  the 
courage  necessary  to  lead  a  forlorn  hope,  he  left  his  store  and  bank- 
ing house  in  the  heaviest  snow  storm  of  the  winter,  and  took  charge 
of  the  abandoned  road. 

Amid  every  discouragement,  and  the  incessant  annoyance  of  cred- 
itors for  two  years,  he  finally  originated  a  practical  plan  by  which  he 
raised  the  money,  paid  all  the  debts  of  the  company,  relieved  the 
directors  and  went  bravely  forward,  finished  and  equipped  the  road 
to  Spartanburg  in  November,  1859,  where,  at  an  elegant  banquet 
given  in  his  honor,  the  inevitable  toast  "  to  the  president,"  and 
pledges  of  "everlasting  gratitude"  were  not  omitted.  He  continued 
working  in  the  interest  of  the  road,  had  it  fully  equipped  and  in  first 
class  running  order  when  the  Civil  war  broke  out,  and  he  enlisted 
with  his  company  in  his  country's  cause.  He  was  among  the  few  who 
opposed  secession,  and  saw  into  the  results  so  plainly  that  before 
going  into  service  he  provided  for  his  family  necessary  clothing,  pro- 


392  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

visions  and  luxuries,  sufficient  to  last  them  until  after  the  surrender. 
He  remained  in  service  until  he  was  commissioned  depositary  for 
Union,  S.  C,  by  the  government,  which  office  he  filled  to  the  satisfac- 
tion of  the  people  and  the  government. 

After  the  close  of  the  war  he  began  to  overhaul  the  wreck  of  his 
estate,  and  found  that  as  fast  as  he  could  accumulate  funds  to  begin 
business  again,  they  had  to  be  applied  to  the  payment  of  security 
debts  of  sheriffs',  tax  collectors'  and  administrators'  bonds.  Not 
owing  a  debt  on  his  own  account,  but  paying  the  security  debts  of 
others!  A  man  of  less  nerve  would  not  have  survived  it.  During 
the  dark  days  of  re-construction,  when  the  "people's  hopes  were 
dead,"  he  taught  them  by  his  example  and  admonitions  to  bury  the 
past  wrongs,  present  resentments  and  prejudices,  and  try  to  submit 
to  the  destiny  which  they  could  not  control.  After  the  memorable 
"riot"  at  Laurens,  his  brother-in-law  and  other  citizens  of  high 
standing,  were  dragged  off  to  Columbia  and  locked  in  the  dungeons 
of  the  jail  on  bogus  warrants,  for  murders  they  had  not  committed; 
with  their  death  sentence  already  prepared,  to  be  executed  after  a 
mock  trial,  he  dared  to  follow  them  to  the  city  where  the  radical 
legislature  was  in  session,  surrounded  by  lOo  constables,  ready  to  obey 
their  partisan  orders,  and  by  his  firmness,  tact  and  indomitable  will 
and  energy,  succeeded  in  securing  their  release  on  habeas  corpus.  It 
may  be  stated  here,  that  the  judge,  urged  by  his  noble  wife  to  hear 
the  cause  on  its  merits,  rose  above  his  party,  and  for  daring  to  do  his 
duty,  was  removed  from  the  bench. 

He  was  never  a  candidate  for  office,  but  accepted  the  appointment 
of  probate  judge  in  1S72,  which  office  he  filled  with  marked  ability, 
as  he  did  various  other  important  offices  to  which  he  was  assigned. 
As  probate  judge  he  decided  a  cause  that  came  before  him  for  pre- 
liminary hearing,  in  which  there  were  six  lawyers  representing  as 
many  legatees,  and  not  one  could  appeal  from  his  decision.  This  de- 
cision created  a  precedent  by  which  many  estates  at  that  time  were 
settled,  involving  negro  property  as  advancements  to  legatees.  On 
October  19,  185S,  he  married  S.  Jane  Garlington,  daughter  of  John 
and  Susan  Washington  (James)  Garlington,  who,  through  her  pater- 
nal line,  was  a  lineal  descendant  of  Christopher  Garlington  and  Col. 
Edwin  Conway,  of  Virginia,  and  Lord  Ball,  of  England;  and  by  the 
maternal  line  of  John  James,  John  Strother  and  John  Washington,  of 
Virginia,  and  the  Rev.  Archibald  Stobo,  of  Stobo  Castle,  Scotland, 
who  settled  in  Charleston,  S.  C,  in  1700,  as  pastor  of  the  Circular 
church.  They  have  four  sons,  John,  who  died  in  infancy,  Laurens 
Garlington,  Macbeth  and  Conway  Stobo,  and  two  daughters,  Susan 
James,  now  Mrs.  John  Langdon  Weber,  of  Charleston,  S.  C,  and 
Jean  Octavia. 

For  twenty-five  years  he  was  chairman  of  the  board  of  trustees  of 
the  town  academies,  to  which  institutions  he  gave  his  time  and  influ- 
ence continuously,  and  his  means  when  necessary,  for  the  support  of 
first-class  teachers.  He  has  liberally  educated  his  children  at  these 
schools,  at  colleges  and  universities.     From  both  parents  he  inherited 


f 


SOUTH   CAROLINA.  393 

a  character  of  spotless  integrity,  and  is  conscientious  in  all  the  affairs 
of  life,  lie  is  amiable  in  disposition,  courteous  and  ever  mindful  of 
the  feelings  of  cithers,  however  humble  their  station  in  life;  is  firm 
in  principle,  self-reliant  and  independent,  and  singularly  cool  under 
the  most  trying  circumstances.  He  is  fond  of  mathematics,  the 
study  of  the  sciences  and  history,  and  has  a  mind  well  stored  with 
knowledge.  At  the  age  now  of  seventy-one,  his  tall  and  finely  pro- 
portioned form  is  erect  and  his  step  elastic,  his  mind  clear,  well  bal- 
anced and  vigorous,  and  his  health,  strength  and  power  of  endurance 
unequalled  in  most  men  of  forty.  He  is  a  devout  Christian  and 
member  of  the  Presbyterian  church,  the  church  of  his  ancestors. 


JAMES  WOODROW 

was  born  in  Carlisle,  England,  May  30,  182S,  and  came  to  Canada 
with  his  father  at  seven  years  of  age,  settling  in  Brockville,  and  a 
year  later  going  to  Chillicothe,  Ohio,  where  the  father  was  pastor  of 
the  First  Presbyterian  church  for  a  number  of  year.  James  attended 
the  Chillicothe  academy  for  about  a  year,  and  then  went  to  the  Ohio 
university  at  Athens,  where  he  remained  a  few  months,  and  then  at- 
tended Jefferson  college,  at  Cannonsburg,  Penn.,  entering  the  sopho- 
more class  and  graduating  from  there  in  1849.  He  then  accepted  the 
position  of  principal  at  Livingston,  Alabama  academy,  where  he 
taught  one  year.  He  afterward  taught  one  year  in  Perry  county  and 
one  year  and  a  half  in  the  East  Alabama  Presbyterian  high  school  at 
Chambers  Court  House.  In  1S52  he  was  elected  professor  of  natural 
science  in  Oglethorpe  university,  near  Milledgeville,  Ga.,  assuming 
that  position  in  1853.  During  that  year  he  spent  several  months  in 
Cambridge  university,  studying  in  Prof.  E.  N.  Horsford's  chemical 
laboratory,  and  under  Prof.  Agassiz,  in  whom  he  found  warm  friends. 
He  continued  in  the  professorship  in  Oglethorpe  university  until  Jan- 
uary I,  1861.  In  the  spring  of  1855  he  went  to  Heidelberg,  Germany, 
where  he  studied  under  the  great  chemist,  Bunsen,  remaining  there 
one  year,  when  he  was  given  the  degree  of  Ph.  D.  After  leaving 
Heidelberg,  he  traveled  several  months  on  the  continent,  studying 
the  geology  of  several  countries  in  the  field,  and  spending  from  one  to 
three  weeks  at  different  prominent  universities,  at  Naples,  Vienna, 
Berlin,  the  Freiberg  Mining  academy,  and  at  Paris  and  London.  Re- 
turning to  America,  he  resumed  his  duties  at  Oglethorpe  university, 
remaining  there  until  January,  1861.  In  1857  he  was  elected  professor 
of  natural  science  in  Athens,  Ga.  He  did  not  then  accept  the  posi- 
tion, but  was  re-elected  twice  in  succession,  and  accepted  the  last 
election,  but  was  relieved  before  entering  on  his  duties  to  accept 
the  professorship  in  the  Presbyterian  Theological  seminary  at  Colum- 
bia, S.C.,  which  position  he  held  until  the  middle  of  1886,  beginning 
to  teach  there  in  186 1.  He  was  removed  by  the  board  of  directors, 
December  10,  18S4,  on  account  of  views  presented  in  an  address  on 


394  SOUTH   CAROLINA. 

evolution,  delivered  in  May,  1884.  The  act  not  being  sustained  by 
the  controlling  synods,  he  was  officially  informed  by  the  board,  mean- 
while remodeled,  December  10,  1S85,  that  he  had  not  been  removed. 
He  then  resumed  his  duties  as  chairman  of  the  faculty  and  professor. 
In  the  fall  of  1886,  he  was  again  removed  by  order  of  the  controlling 
synods,  and  since  that  time  he  has  performed  none  of  the  duties  of 
that  position.  He  was  made  professor  of  chemistry,  pharmacy,  min- 
eralogy and  geology  in  the  University  of  South  Carolina,  at  Columbia, 
in  1869,  which  position  he  held  until  the  middle  of  1872,  when  his 
health  compelled  him  to  relinquish  the  professorship.  In  1880  he  was 
elected  professor  of  mineralogy,  geology,  botany  and  zoology  in  the 
South  Carolina  college  of  agriculture  and  mechanics  in  Columbia. 
In  1882  the  college  became  the  South  Carolina  college,  Prof.  Wood- 
row  still  remaining  in  his  position.  In  1885  his  department  was 
changed  to  that  of  natural  philosophy  and  geology,  he  still  holding 
his  chair.  On  the  organization  of  the  University  of  South  Carolina,  in 
1888,  he  was  made  professor  of  geology  and  mineralogy  and  dean  of 
the  college  of  liberal  arts  and  sciences,  which  position  he  now  holds. 
The  degree  of  M.  D.  was  conferred  on  him  by  the  Medical  College 
of  Georgia  in  1861.  He  also  received  the  degree  of  D.  D.  from 
Hampdon-Sidney  college,  Virginia,  in  iS7i,and  the  degree  of  LL.  D. 
from  Davidson  college,  North  Carolina.  He  was  ordained  a  Presby- 
terian minister  in  i860,  and  performed  missionary  labor  in  Georgia 
while  he  was  professor  in  Oglethorpe  university.  He  edited  the 
Simthern  Presbyterian  Rcviezv  from  1861  to  1S85,  and  has  edited  the 
Southern  Presbyterian  since  1866  to  the  present  time.  Dr.  Woodrow 
is  a  member  of  a  number  of  scientific  societies,  among  them  the  Ger- 
man association  of  naturalists,  and  the  Isis  at  Dresden,  the  Swiss  as- 
sociation of  naturalists,  the  Victoria  institute  at  London,  England. 
From  1861  to  1872,  he  was  treasurer  of  foreign  missions  of  the  South- 
ern Presbyterian  general  assembly,  and  from  1866  to  1872  he  was 
treasurer  of  the  sustentation  of  the  .Southern  Presbyterial  general 
assembly.  In  1888  he  was  elected  president  of  the  Central  National 
bank,  of  Colunibia,  president  of  the  South  Carolina  Home  insur- 
ance company,  of  the  Carolina  Loan  &  Investment  Co.,  vice-pres- 
ident of  the  Congaree  Furniture  &  Lumber  Co.,  vice-president 
of  the  Mutual  Beneficial  Building  &  Loan  Co.,  of  the  Columbia 
Land  &  Improvement  Co.,  director  in  the  Columbia,  Newberry  & 
Laurens  R.  R.  Co.,  and  director  in  the  Columbia,  Charlotte  &  Au- 
gusta R.  R.  Co.  Dr.  Woodrow  was  married  August  4,  1857,  to 
Felie  S.,  daughter  of  Rev.  John  W.  Baker.  Four  children  were  born 
of  this  marriage,  whose  respective  names  are  Jeanie,  wife  of  Rev.  S.  I. 
Woodridge,  missionary  to  Chin  Kiang,  China;  James  H.,  publisher 
and  associate  editor  of  the  Southern  Presbyterian;  Marion  W.  and 
Mary  Charlotte.  Dr.  Woodrow  enlisted  in  the  Confederate  army  at 
the  beginning  of  the  war,  and  later  was  placed  in  charge  of  the 
Confederate  laboratory  at  Columbia,  which  was  burned  by  the  army 
under  Sherman. 


SOUTH   CAROLINA.  395 


HON.  JOHN  D.  VERNER, 

a  prominent  and  influential  business  man  and  banker  of  Walhalla, 
S.  C,  was  born  in  what  is  now  Oconee  county,  July  12,  1844.  He  was 
the  son  of  Samuel  J.  Verner,  a  native  also  of  the  same  county.  The 
father  led  th(?  life  of  a  farmer  and  died  in  1863.  Samuel  J.  Verner 
was  the  son  of  John  Verner,  a  South  Carolinian  by  birth,  and  a  Revo- 
lutionary soldier.  His  occupation  was  that  of  a  farmer.  The  mother 
of  John  D.  Verner,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  was,  before  marriage, 
Malinda  Crawford,  a  native  of  Franklin  county,  Ga.,  a  daughter  of 
Hugh  Crawford,  who  was  also  a  farmer  by  occupation.  She  is  still 
living,  having  remained  a  widow  ever  since  the  death  of  her  husband. 
The  old  Verner  homestead  was  the  home  of  John  D.  Verner,  until  he 
reached  the  age  of  eighteen  years,  and  he  there  received  a  good  aca- 
demic education,  including  a  knowledge  of  the  Latin  and  Greek 
languages.  In  the  fall  of  1862,  he  entered  the  service  of  the  Confed- 
erate army,  enlisting  with  the  Rutledge  mounted  riflemen,  which 
body  subsequently  became  a  part  of  the  Seventh  South  Carolina  cav- 
alry. In  this  regiment  he  served  until  the  close  of  the  war.  He  was 
wounded  by  a  ball  in  the  left  thigh  in  a  cavalry  engagement  in  the 
campaign  during  the  defense  of  Richmond,  Va.,  and  spent  a  month 
in  the  hospital,  after  which  he  returned  home,  remaining  there  about 
two  more  months.  After  having  sufficiently  recovered,  he  returned 
t(t  the  service.  He  gave  nearly  three  years  of  his  young  life  to  the 
patriotic  service  of  his  country,  discharging  every  duty  incumbent 
upon  a  loyal  soldier.  From  the  war  he  returned  to  the  farm  in 
Oconee  county,  and,  for  the  succeeding  six  years,  devoted  his  entire 
attention  to  the  farming  interest.  On  the  2nd  of  January,  1871,  he 
was  married  to  Miss  Mary  Josephine  Lovengood,  a  native  of  Oconee 
county,  and  daughter  of  Col.  Samuel  Lovengood,  a  native  of  Hart 
county,  Ga.  Shortly  before  his  marriage,  Mr.  Verner  had  purchased 
an  interest  in  a  merchandising  firm  in  Walhalla,  becoming  the  partner 
in  business  with  J.  C.  Carter,  the  firm  name  being  Carter  &  Verner. 
All  the  married  life  of  Mr.  Verner  has  been  spent  in  Walhalla.  His 
chief  attention  was  devoted  to  the  mercantile  interest  for  a  period  of 
ten  years,  and  he  won  great  success  in  that  calling.  For  the  past 
twelve  years  he  has  directed  his  attention  more  particularly  to  bank- 
ing. In  1878  he  became  a  member  of  the  banking  firm  of  Loven- 
good &  Erwin,  the  former  being  his  father-in-law.  This  firm  was 
succeeded  in  1879  by  the  firm  of  Erwin  «&  Verner.  January  i,  1885, 
Mr.  Verner  became  sole  proprietor,  and  the  bank  has  ever  since  been 
conducted  under  the  name  and  direction  of  John  D.  \'^erner.  Aside 
from  merchandising  and  banking,  Mr.  Verner  has  had  farming  car- 
ried on  quite  extensively.  His  freehold  estate  is  among  the  largest 
in  Oconee  county,  covering  about  3,000  acres  of  land,  besides  1,000 
acres  which  he  owns  in  Georgia.  Besides  this  large  landed  estate  he 
owns  residence  property  in  Walhalla  and  Westminster,  Oconee  county. 
Eminent  success  has  attended  his  business  enterprises,  and  he  stands 


396  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

in  the  front  rank  of  the  substantial  business  men  of  his  own  and  the 
adjoining  counties.  He  holds  a  trusteeship  of  the  Walhalla  Female 
college,  and  is  a  stockholder  in  the  Walhalla  Building  &  Loan  asso- 
ciation. He  is  a  democrat  in  politics  and  has  been  closely  associated 
with  the  management  of  municipal  affairs  almost  during  his  entire 
residence  in  Walhalla.  He  has  been  chosen  mayor  of  the  city  several 
terms,  and  has  discharged  the  responsibilities  of  that  office  with  rare 
abilit}'.  He  is  a  member  of  the  K.  of  H.  From  a  financial  stand- 
point, the  career  of  Mr.  Verner  has  been  one  of  continued  and  emi- 
nent success.  He  is  one  of  the  substantial  men  in  the  upper  part  of 
the  state.  Notwithstanding  his  active  business  career,  Mr.  Verner 
has  not  neglected  the  requirements  expected  from  the  liberal  and 
right-minded  citizen.  He  has  in  every  respect  built  himself  up  upon 
fully  as  sound  a  basis  as  that  upon  which  his  financial  standing  rests. 
Mr.  Verner  is  recognized  by  all  who  know  him  as  one  of  the  leading 
men  of  his  county,  and  his  worth  is  fully  appreciated  by  his  fellow- 
citizens.  The  marriage  of  Mr.  Verner  has  been  blessed  with  the  birth 
of  six  children,  two  sons  and  three  daughters  living,  and  one  daughter 
dead. 

HON.  S.  C.  CLYBURN. 

One  of  the  leading  planters  and  bankers  of  Kershaw  county  is 
Mr.  Stephen  Craig  Clyburn,  who  is  a  native  of  Camden,  S.  C,  hav- 
ing been  born  on  the  iSth  of  March,  1S3S.  Both  parents,  William 
and  P^rances  N.  (West)  Clyburn,  were  South  Carolinians,  and  were 
born  in  Kershaw  county.  The  father  was  a  son  of  Lewis  Clyburn, 
whose  family  came  to  South  Carolina  from  Virginia  at  an  early  day; 
and  his  wife  was  also  descended  from  an  old  Virginia  family.  Will- 
iam Clyburn  was  the  father  of  seven  children.  He  was  a  leading  ag- 
riculturist, and  took  an  active  and  prominent  part  in  public  affairs. 
His  son,  of  whom  we  write,  was  reared  on  the  paternal  planta- 
tion, and  was  given  a  thorough  common  school  training.  When 
sixteen  he  was  given  the  choice  between  a  classical  education 
and  a  profession,  or  a  business  opening.  Business  life  had  charms 
for  his  active,  progressive  nature,  and  accordingly  a  situation  as  a 
clerk  was  obtained  for  him  in  a  mercantile  establishment  in  Camden. 
After  remaining  in  that  capacity  for  four  or  five  years  Mr.  Clyburn 
embarked  in  a  business  venture  for  himself  at  Camden,  and  was  en- 
gaged in  conducting  a  successful  concern  at  the  time  of  the  outbreak 
of  the  Civil  war.  With  a  true  love  for  his  state  he  sold  out  his  busi- 
ness interests  and  offered  his  services  as  a  private  in  the  Clyburn 
Company,  which  had  been  organized  by  his  brother.  This  command 
was  made  a  part  of  Nelson's  battalion,  later  attached  to  Hagood's 
brigade.  From  1862  to  1865,  Mr.  Clyburn  fought  in  the  defense  of 
the  cause  he  loved  so  well,  and  left  the  army  with  the  rank  of  first 
sergeant.  Returning  to  the  parental  home  he  was  thereafter  en- 
gaged in  agriculture  until  1869,  when  on  account  of  ill-health  he  went 
to  Florida,  and  after  a  sojourn  there  of  two  years  once  more  returned 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  397 

to  Kershaw  count}'  and  resumed  planting.  In  1877,  at  a  special  elec- 
tion, he  was  chosen  clerk  of  the  county  court,  and  by  successive  re- 
elections  held  the  office  until  the  fall  of  1888,  when,  his  health  again 
failing  him,  he  resigned.  He  has  ever  taken  a  keen  interest  in  politics. 

MERCER  SILAS  BAILEY, 

one  of  the  leading  and  prominent  merchants  of  Clinton,  was  born  on 
a  farm  seven  miles  south  of  the  place  of  his  residence,  on  the  gth  of 
November,  1841.  He  is  the  son  of  .Silas  Mercer  Bailey,  who  was  also 
born  in  the  immediate  neighborhood  of  Clinton,  near  the  birthplace 
of  his  son.  The  date  of  his  birth  was  1805,  and  his  occupation  was 
that  of  a  farmer.  He  died  in  1872.  The  maiden  name  of  his  wife, 
the  mother  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  was  Margaret  Beasley, 
daughter  of  William  Beasley.  She  was  a  native  of  Abbeville  county, 
S.  C,  and  died  in  1848,  v;hen  her  son,  M.  S.  Bailey,  was  a  mere  lad. 
The  paternal  grandfather  of  Mr.  Bailey  was  James  Bailey,  a  Revolu- 
tionary soldier,  and  also  a  South  Carolinian.  His  father  was  a  promi- 
nent Baptist  clergyman,  and  was  a  native  of  Virginia.  His  ministerial 
labors,  however,  were  performed  wholly  in  South  Carolina.  He 
reached  the  remarkable  age  of  one  hundred  and  twenty  years,  and  it 
is  related  of  him  that  at  the  age  of  one  hundred  and  ten  years  he  was 
still  in  the  active  ministry,  preaching  every  Sunday  in  three  different 
churches  seven  miles  apart,  frequently  walking  the  distance  between 
them.  It  is  also  related  of  him  that  at  that  extreme  old  age,  he  was 
physically  so  well  preserved  as  to  be  able  to  leap  astride  his  horse 
from  the  ground  and  ride  away  with  as  much  ease  and  grace  as  any 
youth.  He  was  of  Irish  ancestry.  Mercer  Silas  Bailey  has  resided 
in  Laurens  county  from  his  youth  up,  spending  his  boyhood  on  a  farm, 
where  his  educational  advantages  were  limited,  and  where  a  collegi- 
ate course  was  out  of  the  question.  At  the  early  age  of  fourteen  he 
went  to  Clinton,  where  he  secured  a  clerkship  in  a  store  at  $5  per 
month.  After  two  years'  service,  his  salary  was  raised  to  $75  per 
month,  and  this  experience  constituted  his  first  schooling  in  business. 
After  these  two  years  of  clerkship  he  attended  school  one  year,  when 
he  returned  to  Clinton  and  resumed  his  former  occupation.  Shortly 
after  this  at  the  early  age  of  nineteen,  he  was  married  to  Miss  Ros- 
anna  Lydia,  daughter  of  Joseph  Abrams,  a  farmer  of  Laurens  county. 
The  first  fruit  of  this  marriage  was  a  son,  and  Mr.  Bailey  thus  found 
himself  a  father  before  he  had  arrived  at  the  voting  age.  For  a 
short  time  after  his  marriage  he  was  engaged  in  farming.  In  1862  he 
entered  the  Confederate  service  in  the  James  battalion,  with  which  he 
served  as  a  private  about  three  months,  ill  health  compelling  him  to 
return  to  his  home.  His  service  was  wholly  within  his  native  state. 
At  the  close  of  the  war,  in  1S65,  Mr.  Bailey  engaged  in  business  for 
himself,  starting  out  with  just  four  bales  of  cotton.  But  his  business 
soon  developed  into  a  general  merchandising  trade,  and  for  a  period 
of  twenty  years  he  followed  mercantile  pursuits  exclusively.  He  was 
eminently  successful  and  did  an  immense  business,  taking  his  place 


398  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

in  the  foremost  rank  of  merchants  in  this  part  of  the  state.  In  1885 
he  turned  his  merchandising  interests  over  to  his  two  sons,  Joseph  A., 
and  Silas  P.  (Bailey) .  The  firm  name,  however,  is  M.  S.  Bailey  &  Sons. 
These  two  sons  are  both  promising  young  men,  are  temperate  in  their 
habits,  upright  in  their  dealings,  and  in  their  standing  as  merchants, 
are  worthy  successors  of  their  father,  taking  a  like  eminent  rank 
which  was  so  worthily  earned  by  him.  Mr.  Bailey,  besides  these 
prosperous  sons,  is  the  father  of  three  daughters.  In  1886  he  engaged 
in  the  banking  business,  having  in  that  year  established  Bailey's  bank 
of  Clinton,  of  which  he  and  his  son  William  J.,  are  sole  owners,  he 
being  the  president  and  his  son  cashier.  Mr.  Bailey's  career  has  been 
a  remarkable  one.  At  the  time  of  his  marriage  he  was  in  such  impe- 
cunious circumstances  that  he  was  compelled  to  borrow  the  small  fee 
necessary  to  pay  for  the  solemnization  of  the  marriage  ceremony.  From 
such  a  straitened  financial  situation,  he  is  now  one  of  the  largest,  if 
not  the  largest,  tax-payer  in  Laurens  county.  He  is  a  heavy  real 
estate  owner,  both  of  town  and  county  property,  owning  a  large  por- 
tion of  the  business  property  of  Clinton.  Altogether  he  owns  thirty- 
five  houses  in  the  town.  Bailey's  bank,  of  Clinton,  is  the  oldest  and 
one  of  the  most  solid  banking  institutions  in  Laurens  county.  In 
politics  Mr.  Bailey  is  a  democrat,  and  in  religious  faith  a  Presbyter- 
ian. He  is  also  a  member  of  the  Masonic  order.  He  is  a  represent- 
ative South  Carolinian  of  the  best  type  and  a  self-made  man,  having 
been  dependent  for  his  success  in  life  upon  his  own  indomitable 
energy  and  perseverance.  His  honesty  and  integrity  are  conspicuous 
characteristics  of  his  personality,  and  he  has  made  himself  a  reputa- 
tion not  confined  to  the  limits  of  his  city  or  count}'  or  state,  of  which 
any  man  might  well  be  truly  proud.  His  business  operations  have  not 
been  confined  to  merchandising  and  banking,  but  at  one  time  he 
owned  and  operated  a  sash,  door  and  blind  manufactory,  which,  how- 
ever, he  has  recently  sold.  He  was  formerly  interested  and  identified 
in  railroading,  but  from  that  business  he  has  also  retired.  He  is 
thoroughly  temperate  as  to  the  use  of  intoxicants,  never  having  tasted 
liquor,  except  in  a  single  instance,  in  his  life,  and  then  only  for  medic- 
inal purposes.  Possessed  of  an  unconquerable  will  and  an  undaunt- 
ed courage,  he  has  been  enabled  not  only  to  resist  the  temptations 
which  too  easily  beset  and  finally  ruin  men  less  fortified  with  these 
characteristics,  but  to  make  for  himself  a  reputation  as  a  business 
man,  as  a  citizen,  and  as  a  Christian,  that  is  worthy  of  all  emulation. 
In  all  the  branches  of  business  he  has  pursued,  including  the  extensive 
operations  already  described,  and  the  successful  running  of  a  grist-  and 
saw-mill  for  a  period  of  eighteen  years,  he  has  so  dealt  with  his  fel- 
low men  that  he  has  been  enabled  to  avoid  litigation  of  every  kind, 
never  having  had  a  suit  before  any  judicial  tribunal,  nor  even  been 
called  as  a  witness  in  any  such  suit. 

CAPTAIN  ALBERT  DIAL, 

president  of  the  People's  Loan  &  Exchange  Bank,  of  Laurens,  S.  C, 
was  born  on  a  farm  in  Laurens  county,  five  miles  west  of  the  city  of 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  399 

Laurens,  September  lo,  1825.  He  was  the  son  of  Hastings  Dial,  a 
native  of  Abbeville  county,  and  a  farmer  by  occupation.  He  died  in 
1862.  The  paternal  grandfather  of  Capt.  Dial  was  James  Dial,  a 
native  of  North  Carolina,  and  a  farmer  by  occupation.  On  his 
father's  side,  Capt.  Dial  is  of  English  descent.  His  mother  was  Mary 
Iludgens,  also  a  native  of  Laurens  county,  and  a  daughter  of  Capt, 
Ambrose  Hudgens,  a  captain  in  the  Revolutionary  war.  The  mother 
of  Capt.  Dial  was  born  December  13,  1795,  and  is  still  living,  being 
in  the  ninety-sixth  year  of  her  age,  in  good  health  and  in  the  full 
possession  of  her  mental  faculties.  She  resides  on  the  old  Dial 
homestead,  near  Laurens.  Her  mother,  before  her  marriage  to 
Capt.  Ambrose  Hudgens,  was  a  Henderson.  Capt.  Dial  spent  his 
boyhood  on  the  farm  on  which  he  was  born,  and  has  ever  since  resided 
there.  He  received  a  common  English  education,  and  throughout 
his  early  manhood  followed  farming,  thus  continuing  exclusively  till 
1870.  He  has  had  farming  carried  on  since,  but  the  greater  part  of 
his  attention  has  been  given  to  other  pursuits.  For  several  years 
prior  to  the  war  he  served  as  captain  of  the  Laurens  Palmetto  Light 
Dragoons,  a  voluntary  cavalry  company  in  Laurens.  In  1870  he  en- 
gaged in  mercantile  pursuits  at  Laurens,  still,  however,  residing  on 
his  farm.  His  mercantile  partner  was  James  H.  Traynham,  the  firm 
name  being  Traynham  &  Dial.  This  firm  has  for  twenty  years  been 
one  of  the  largest  in  the  city  and  still  so  continues.  The  business 
has  been  general  merchandising.  The  firm  has  built  up  an  enviable 
reputation  for  fair  and  honorable  dealing,  and  its  members  are  recog- 
nized as  first  class  business  men.  They  have  erected  two  of  the 
principal  business  blocks  in  the  city,  which  they  still  own.  Upon  the 
organization  of  the  People's  Loan  &  Exchange  bank,  in  1SS7,  Capt. 
Dial  was  made  its  president,  and  he  has  filled  that  position  with  dig- 
nity and  honor  ever  since.  It  was  organized  with  a  capital  of  $55,000, 
which  has  since  been  increased  to  $100,000,  all  paid  up.  The  bank  has 
thus  far  had  a  very  prosperous  career.  Capt.  Dial  is  a  stockholder  in 
the  Oil  &  Fertilizer  company;  his  politics  are  democratic,  and  he  is 
a  member  of  the  Masonic  lodge,  having  taken  thirty  degrees.  He 
was  married  December  2,  1S47,  to  Miss  Rebecca  Barksdale,  who  died 
in  1S66,  leaving  five  children,  two  of  whom  were  sons  and  all  of  whom 
are  living.  November  26,  1887,  he  married  Miss  Mattie  S.  Drum- 
mond,  his  present  wife.  This  marriage  has  resulted  in  the  birth  of 
two  sons  and  one  daughter,  all  living.  Capt.  Dial  is  the  owner  of  a 
large  amount  of  real  estate,  both  in  the  cit}'  and  county  of  Laurens, 
and  has  provided  comfortably-  for  his  five  eldest  children,  who  are 
married.  He  is  one  of  Laurens  county's  most  liberal,  enterprising 
and  respected  citizens. 

HON.  LEROY  SPRINGS, 

president  of  the  Bank  of  Lancaster,  S.  C,  is  recorded  as  the  youngest 
bank  president  of  the  United  States.  He  was  the  leading  spirit  in  the 
organization  of  the  Bank  of  Lancaster,  August  15,  18S9,  and  was  at 


400  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

that  time  made  its  executive  officer.  Mr.  Springs  was  born  in  York 
county,  S.  C,  November  12,  1861,  and  is  a  son  of  the  late  Andrew 
Baxter  Springs,  whose  name  is  familiar  throughout  the  state.  Leroy 
Springs  attended  the  North  Carolina  university  at  Chapel  Hill,  and 
was  a  member  of  the  class  of  1881,  and  immediately  after  leaving  the 
university  he  secured  a  clerkship  in  the  wholesale  grocery  house  of 
Springs  &  Burewell,  at  Charlotte,  N.  C.  He  occupied  this  position 
until  January,  1884,  when  he  went  to  Lancaster  and  embarked  in 
business  as  a  member  of  the  firm  of  Leroy  Springs  &  Co.,  which  con- 
ducted a  general  merchandise,  cotton  and  banking  business.  In  1885, 
the  firm  was  succeeded  by  Heath,  Springs  &  Co.,  which  now  conducts 
a  similar  business  at  Lancaster,  Camden  and  Kershaw,  and  also  at 
Heath  Springs,  near  Lancaster.  !\Ir.  Springs  is  also  interested  in 
private  banks  at  Camden  and  Ivershaw,  and  various  other  enterprises. 
The  great  success  which  he  has  attained  so  early  in  life  is  ample  proof 
of  his  abilit}-  and  integrity,  and  his  name  is  already  synonymous  with 
success  throughout  the  state.  As  a  democrat  he  is  active  and  prom- 
inent. He  was  a  delegate  to  the  national  convention  of  his  party  in 
1888,  and  was  honored  by  being  named  as  one  of  the  committee  to 
visit  the  nominees  of  that  convention  for  president  and  vice-president 
of  the  United  States  to  inform  them  of  their  respective  nominations. 

HON.    NEEDHAM    FRANKLIN    KIRKLAND,  M.  D., 

first  saw  the  light  January  27,  1S31,  in  Barnwell  county,  S.C.  Reuben 
Kirkland,  his  father,  was  also  a  South  Carolinian,  but  his  father  was 
a  Virginian,  having  removed  to  South  Carolina  in  17QO.  Reuben  re- 
sided on  his  father's  plantation  until  his  marriage  about  the  year  1820, 
Miss  Anna  Branch,  daughter  of  William  Branch,  of  Colleton  county, 
becoming  his  wife.  Our  subject  was  the  fifth  child  born  to  this  mar- 
riage. He  was  given  the  best  of  educational  advantages  in  his  early 
youth,  and  at  the  age  of  nineteen  entered  the  academy  at  Cokesbury, 
where  he  remained  for  three  years.  At  the  expiration  of  this  time 
he  became  a  student  in  the  South  Carolina  medical  college  at  Charles- 
ton, and  graduated  with  honor  in  1S56.  He  then  went  to  New  York 
and  visited  the  various  hospitals.  After  an  exhaustive  examination 
in  this  direction  of  a  year,  he  returned  to  his  home  and  began  his 
life  work  in  Beaufort  county,  and  remained  there  until  the  commence- 
ment of  the  Civil  war,  when  he  enlisted  as  assistant  surgeon  of  the 
South  Carolina  cavalry,  and  was  with  his  regiment  on  the  South  Car- 
olina coast  during  the  four  years  of  the  war.  Returning  after  the 
close  of  the  contest.  Dr.  Kirkland  at  once  resumed  his  professional 
duties  and  located  in  Barnwell  county,  where  he  has  since  operated  a 
plantation  in  connection  with  his  practice.  In  1880  he  was  elected 
treasurer  of  Barnwell  county,  since  which  time  he  has  not  been  able 
to  give  much  attention  to  medicine.  He  was  re-elected  to  this  im- 
portant office  in  1882,  1884,  1886  and  1888,  but  in  1890  refused  to  longer 
accept  office.  In  1884  he  was  elected  chairman  of  the  democratic 
central  committee  of  his  county,  and  occupied  that  office  until   1890, 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  4OI 

when  he  resigned.  His  connection  with  the  farmers'  alliance  dates 
from  18S8,  and  he  is  at  present  treasurer  of  that  organization  in  the 
county.  He  is  a  prominent  member  of  liiiford  lodge  of  Free  Masons, 
having  filled  all  the  chairs  in  that  lodge.  Since  early  manhood  he 
has  been  closely  identified  with  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church.  At 
present  Dr.  Kirkland  is  president  of  the  Citizens'  bank  of  Harnwell. 
In  1S58  he  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Jane  M.  Lorton,  daughter 
of  J.  M.  Lorton,  of  Beaufort  county,  and  eight  children  have  been 
born  to  them.  N.  F.,  Jr.,  the  eldest  son,  is  a  physician  in  Barnwell 
county,  as  is  also  Reuben  C,  the  third  son,  who  resides  at  Barnwell 
Court  House. 

JOHN  B.  CLEVELAND, 

one  of  the  prominent  and  inriuential  business  men  of  Spartanburg, 
is  a  native  of  that  city,  and  was  born  November  9,  1848.  His  father, 
Dr.  Robert  E.  Cleveland,  formerly  practiced  medicine  in  Spartan- 
burg, which  was  also  his  native  city.  He  was  born  in  1822,  the  son  of 
Jesse  Cleveland,  who  was  one  of  the  early  settlers  of  Spartanburg, 
having  settled  there  in  1810.  He  was  a  merchant,  and  in  the  early 
days  of  Spartanburg  his  store  was  one  of  the  two  that  did  the  mer- 
chandising for  the  entire  city.  He  followed  the  business  there 
from  the  time  of  his  first  settlement  till  1851.  His  death  in 
the  latter  named  year  closed  a  successful  mercantile  career  in 
which  a  handsome  estate  had  been  accumulated.  Jesse  Cleve- 
land was  the  son  of  Capt.  Robert  Cleveland,  who  commanded  a 
company  in  the  Revolutionary  war,  in  a  regiment  in  which  his 
brother.  Col.  Benjamin  Cleveland,  was  in  command.  Their  regiment 
took  part  on  the  colonial  side  in  the  battle  of  Kings  Mountain.  Capt. 
Cleveland  was  born  in  Virginia,  near  Manassas  Junction,  on  Bull 
Run  creek.  He  was  the  son  of  Alexander  Cleveland.  The  branch 
of  the  Cleveland  family,  to  which  the  subject  of  this  sketch  belongs, 
descended  from  one  of  the  two  brothers  who  emigrated  to  this 
country  from  Ipswick,  .Suffolk  county,  England.  The  other  brother 
is  the  lineal  ancestor  of  Grover  Cleveland.  His  christian  name  was 
ass3  ndoM  he  settled  in  Massachusetts,  while  the  other  brother,  the 
ancestor  of  Hon.  John  B.  Cleveland,  went  to  Virginia.  The  mother 
of  John  B.  Cleveland,  before  her  marriage,  was  Elizabeth  Bomar. 
She  was  born  in  Spartanburg,  June  18,  1827,  and  was  the  daughter  of 
John  Bomar,  who  removed  from  Virginia  to  South  Carolina  at  a 
very  early  day  and  settled  in  Spartanburg  county.  The  parents  of 
the  subject  of  this  sketch  were  married  about  the  year  1845,  and  had 
two  sons,  the  eldest  of  whom  was  Dr.  Jesse  Cleveland,  of  Spartan- 
burg. The  mother  died  in  1S61,  and  the  father  in  1S84.  John  B. 
Cleveland  has  resided  in  Spartanburg  all  his  life.  He  graduated  from 
Wofford  college  in  i86g,  after  which  he  entered  upon  the  study  of 
law  with  the  firm  of  Evans  &  Bomar,  a  leading  law  firm  of  Spartan- 
burg, remaining  with  them  two  years.  In  1871  he  was  admitted  to 
the  bar,  and  at  once    formed  a   law   partnership  for   practice   with 

A 26 


402  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

Major  D.  R.  Duncan,  and  for  a  period  of  ten  years  the  firm  of  Dun- 
can &  Cleveland  carried  on  a  successful  practice.  But  in  i8So,  Mr. 
Cleveland  dissolved  his  connection  with  his  partner  and  turned  his 
attention  to  other  business.  For  the  past  ten  years  he  has  done  a 
brokerage  and  private  banking  business,  in  which  he  met  with  the 
greatest  success,  and  has  become  one  of  Spartanburg's  wealthiest 
citizens.  In  1871  he  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Georgia  A. 
Cleveland,  and  they  have  six  children.  The  respective  names  are 
Jesse,  Henry  ^l.,  Fanny,  Carrie,  Vannoy  V.  and  A.  V.  Mr.  Cleve- 
land is  a  democrat  in  political  faith,  and  has  served  one  term  in  the 
legislature.  He  was  a  delegate  to  the  national  democratic  conven- 
tion which  met  in  Chicago  in  1884,  and  nominated  his  namesake  for 
president.  He  is  a  director  in  the  National  bank  of  Spartanburg,  of 
the  National  bank  of  Laurens,  the  Fidelity  Loan  &  Trust  company, 
of  Spartanburg,  the  Spartan  Mills,  the  Whitney  Manufacturing  com- 
pany, the  Spartanburg  Real  Estate  company,  and  the  Converse  Col- 
lege company.  He  is  a  director  in,  and  vice-president  of,  the  Pacolet 
Manufacturing  company,  president  of  the  Limestone  Springs  Lime 
company  and  of  the  Spartantburg  Land  &  Improvement  company. 
Mr.  Cleveland's  financial  career  has  been  truly  a  remarkable  one,  and 
as  honorable  as  remarkable.  He  has  done  business  upon  a  broad 
and  liberal  basis;  his  reputation  among  business  men  is  first-class, and 
socially  he  enjoys  the  highest  respect  and  esteem  among  his  fellow 
citizens. 

JOHN  LYKIN  WATSON. 

The  late  John  Lykin  Watson's  career  furnishes  an  example  of 
what  progressiveness  and  ability,  backed  by  integrity,  will  accom- 
plish when  adversity  comes.  He  was  born  at  the  county  seat  of 
York  county,  S.  C,  January  11,  1S24.  The  family  is  traced  back  to 
Scotland,  from  which  country  his  first  American  ancestor  emigrated 
to  the  new  world  at  an  early  day,  and  settled  in  York  county,  Penn. 
About  1752  they  removed  to  York  county,  S.  C,  where  the  family 
has  since  continued  to  reside.  Our  subject's  father  was  William 
W^atson,  who  was  born  and  reared  in  the  latter  county.  He  was  a 
planter,  and  amassed  a  considerable  estate.  In  early  life  he  married 
Miss  Margate  Parks,  of  Mecklenburg  county,  N.  C,  and  eight  chil- 
dren were  born  to  them.  John  Lykin  Watson  was  reared  upon  the 
paternal  plantation,  and  was  educated  in  the  neighboring  schools. 
He  first  began  business  for  himself  in  1S50,  as  a  merchant,  at  Clay 
Hill,  S.  C.  He  continued  in  that  enterprise  until  1862,  when  he  vol- 
unteered in  the  Confederate  army,  and  fought  for  the  cause  he 
loved  until  the  end  came.  For  a  short  time  after  the  war,  Mr.  Wat- 
son, whose  fortune  had  been  sadly  depleted,  purchased  a  wagon  and 
embarked  in  the  produce  business  on  a  small  scale.  It  was  not  long 
before  he  had  obtained  enough  capital  to  resume  business  on  a  larger 
plane,  for  in  May,  1867,  we  find  him  the  proprietor  of  a  general  mer- 
cantile establishment  at  Ebenezer.     This  enterprise  was  discontinued 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  4O3 

sonie  two  years  later,  and  he  then  became  the  treasurer  of  York 
county,  which  honorable  office  he  elliciently  held  for  six  years.  For 
several  years  thereafter  he  was  deputy  United  States  internal  reve- 
nue collector,  and  was  also  given  the  office  of  United  States  gauger. 
He  served  in  the  latter  capacity  from  1869  until  within  a  few  years  of 
his  death.  For  many  years  he  was  interested  in  the  live-stock  busi- 
ness, and  this,  in  connection  with  other  ventures,  gained  for  him  a 
handsome  fortune.  At  the  time  of  his  death  he  owned  an  interest  in 
different  cotton  mill  companies  of  Rock  Hill,  and  was  president  of 
the  Fort  Mills  Cotton  company.  In  1S57  he  married  Miss  Mary 
Neagle,  who  bore  him  four  sons  and  two  daughters.  Fie  was  a  man 
true  to  his  convictions,  and  for  years  was  an  earnest  member  of  the 
Presbyterian  church,  as  well  as  a  staunch  republican. 

EDWARD  TILLMAN  AVERY 

was  born  in  York  county,  S.  C,  January  6,  1828,  the  son  of  Edward 
Avery,  jr.,  a  Virginian.  Edward  was  the  son  of  Edward,  a  native  of 
Dinwiddle,  Va.  The  first  American  ancestor  was  Christopher  Avery, 
who  came  to  this  country  from  England  about  the  year  1630,  with 
Gov.  Winthrop,  and  his  grandson  Samuel  married  Lucy,  the  daugh- 
ter of  that  famous  emigrant.  ■  Edward  Avery,  Jr.,  came  to  South 
Carolina  from  Virginia  in  1S20,  having  been  a  soldier  in  the  war  of 
1S12.  He  married  Mary  S.  Vaughn,  of  Lancaster  county,  S.  C,  and 
two  sons  and  three  daughters  blessed  their  union.  Mr.  E.  T.  Avery 
was  reared  at  Ebenezer,  and  obtained  his  preliminary  schooling  in 
that  place,  under  the  able  instruction  of  the  Rev.  E.  P.  Bishop.  He 
subsequently  entered  the  College  of  South  Carolina,  and  remained 
in  that  institution  until  his  senior  year,  when,  on  account  of  ill  health, 
he  was  forced  to  abandon  further  study.  From  1847  to  1849  he  trav- 
eled in  the  western  states  and  throughout  Mexico,  and  after  return- 
ing home  in  1849,  entered  Castleton  Medical  college,  of  Vermont,  and 
after  one  term  there  became  a  student  in  the  Jefferson  Medical  col- 
lege at  Philadelphia.  In  1S52  he  left  the  latter  institution  and  again 
went  west,  this  time  accompanied  by  his  brother-in-law,  Dr.  H.  H. 
Toland,  who  afterward  became  a  celebrated  ph^'sician  of  California. 
While  in  the  west  Mr.  Avery  was  engaged  in  hunting,  scouting  and 
mining  in  the  gold  fields  of  California.  On  both  his  visits  to  that 
state  he  made  the  journey  on  horseback.  In  1853  he  again  returned 
home,  and  married  Miss  Mary  A.  Massey,  of  York  county,  and  eight 
children,  six  of  whom  survive,  have  been  born  to  them.  At  this  time 
Mr.  Avery  turned  his  attention  to  planting  in  Ebenezer,  and  was 
thus  occupied  at  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  war,  when  he  left  home  to 
volunteer  his  services  to  the  Confederate  government,  by  enlisting  in 
Company  E,  Seventeenth  South  Carolina  regiment,  as  a  lieutenant. 
After  one  year  the  reginient  was  re-organized,  and  he  remained  at 
home,  being  physically  exempt,  having  only  one  hand.  Subsequently, 
his  services  as  a  scout  were  twice  offered  to  Gen.  Jenkins,  but  were 
refused.     After  the  war,  Mr.  Avery  became  identified  with  the  famous 


404  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

Klu  Klux  Klan.  After  being  unjustly  convicted  of  crimes,  of  which 
he  was  innocent,  he  sought  refuge  in  the  mountains  of  North  Caro- 
lina, but  later  was  pardoned  by  President  Grant,  and  his  course  was 
fully  vindicated,  he  having  been  exonerated  from  all  guilt.  He  is  a 
successful  planter,  a  man  of  unusual  intelligence  and  ability,  and  his 
name  is  held  in  esteem  wherever  known.  He  is  a  Master  Mason 
and  a  loyal  champion  of  the  democratic  party,  as  well  as  a  supporter 
of  the  farmers'  alliance. 

HON.  ROBERT  GADSDEN  McCAW. 

Among  the  many  honored  names  of  -South  Carolina's  sons,  none 
are  held  in  greater  love  and  reverence  than  that  of  the  late  Robert 
Gadsden  McCaw.  This  family  has  furnished  men  of  worth  from  the 
time  of  its  settlement  in  the  "  Palmetto  State,"  many  generations  ago, 
and  its  marriages  have  been  with  families  of  like  honor  and  distinc- 
tion. The  founder  of  the  American  branch  of  the  family,  was  John 
McCaw,  a  man  who  had  been  educated  in  the  first  schools  of  Europe, 
who  impelled  by  a  spirit  of  adventure,  left  the  family  seat  in  county 
Antrim,  Ireland,  and  with  his  family  emigrated  to  Pennsylvania, 
about  the  year  1733,  where  he  found  congenial  work  as  a  surveyor 
for  the  Royal  government.  At  the  outbreak  of  the  French  and  Indian 
war,  his  knowledge  of  the  country,  acquired  as  a  surveyor,  stood  him 
in  good  stead  as  a  soldier  under  Braddock.  After  that  great  disaster 
to  the  British  arms,  he  removed  his  family  to  Virginia,  but  was  soon 
compelled  by  the  hostility  of  the  savages,  to  seek  a  safer  retreat 
in  South  Carolina.  He  settled  within  the  limits  of  what  is  now  York 
county,  and  here  for  more  than  a  century  his  descendants  have  con- 
tinued to  dwell.  Among  his  offspring  was  a  son  who  bore  the  fath- 
er's name,  John  McCaw,  Jr.,  who  became  the  first  clerk  of  the  court, 
after  the  organization  of  the  county  court  of  York  county,  on  the 
17th  day  of  March,  1785,  and  held  that  office  for  many  years, 
or  until  his  death.  He  was  educated  by  his  father  and  became  one  of 
the  most  accomplished  scholars  of  his  time,  being  especially'  profi- 
cient in  the  Greek  and  Latin  languages.  He  was  born  and  reared  in 
York  district  (now  county),  and  there  died,  leaving  a  family  of  five 
in  number,  three  sons:  William,  John  and  Robert,  and  two  daughters, 
Sarah  and  Mary.  Robert,  the  youngest  of  the  sons,  and  the  immedi- 
ate ancestor  of  the  subject  of  our  sketch,  was  a  man  of  the  most  re- 
markable business  attainments.  At  the  early  age  of  thirty-three 
years,  when  he  died,  he  had  amassed  a  fortune  amounting  to  nearly 
half  a  million  dollars.  Robert  Gadsden  McCaw,  of  whom  we  write, 
was  in  person  truly  commanding  and  distinguished.  Heaven  and  na- 
ture alike  were  lavish  in  their  gifts.  A  figure  moulded  in  the  rarest 
type  of  manly  beauty,  six  feet  in  height  and  of  perfect  sj'mmctry 
and  grace,  was  crowned  by  a  head  that  was  at  once  a  model  for  a 
l^ulptor  and  a  delight  to  the  phrenologist.  A  forehead  massive,  broad 
and  high,  indicative  of  the  highest  intellectual  strength  and  moral 
development,  shading  eyes  of  brilliant  steel-gray,  that  kindled  with 


SOUTH   CAROLINA.  405 

the  kindly  light  of  a  great  i^hilanthropic  soul,  a  nose  of  Grecian  cast, 
and  a  mouth  firm  and  resolute,  were  the  distinctive  characteristics  of 
a  face  that  made  its  possessor  a  marked  man  wherever  he  moved 
among  the  sons  of  men.  None  ever  saw  him,  whether  in  public  or 
private  life,  but  to  know  and  feel  that  he  was 

"  Resolute,  moderate,  clear  of  envy,  yet  not  wanting 
In  that  finer  ambition  wliich  makes  men  great  and  pure. 
In  his  honor  —  impregnable. 
In  his  simplicity — sublime." 

Robert  Gadsden  McCaw  was  truly  the  benefactor  of  the  poor. 
Suffering  and  distress  appealed  strongly  to  his  great,  noble  soul,  and 
he  drew  unstintedly  from  the  large  means  with  which  God  had 
blessed  him  in  relieving  the  desolate  and  oppressed.  These  acts  of 
benevolence  were  perpetrated  so  unobtrusively  that  the  world  would 
have  never  been  the  wiser,  had  not  a  famine  overwhelmed  his  native 
district  of  York,  when  his  granaries  of  8,000  bushels  of  corn  were 
thrown  open  to  the  multitude.  He  was  elected  to  the  legislature  for 
se\'eral  terms,  was  twice  elected  a  senator,  and  in  1864  was  chosen 
lieutenant-governor.  From  his  twenty-fifth -year,  when  he  was  first 
elected  to  the  legislature,  until  the  close  of  his  life,  he  enjoyed  the 
unabated  confidence  of  the  people  he  so  long  represented  in  various 
positions  of  public  trust,  and  never  knew  political  defeat.  He  was 
prepared  for  college  at  Greenville,  S.  C.,  and  subsequently  entered 
the  University  of  Virginia,  where  he  remained  to  within  six  weeks  of 
his  honorable  graduation,  when  by  the  death  of  his  only  surviving 
brother,  he  was  summoned  home  by  his  mother  to  assume  control  of 
the  vast  paternal  estate,  of  which  his  mother  and  himself  were  now 
sole  heirs.  His  mother  was  the  daughter  of  one  of  the  proudest  old 
names  of  South  Carolina,  her  maiden  name  being  Nancy  Bratton. 
Col.  William  Bratton,  of  Revolutionary  fame,  to  whom  the  people 
of  South  Carolina  owe  so  much,  w^as  her  father  and  the  founder  of 
her  family  in  America.  Mr.  McCaw  upon  assuming  charge  of  his  an- 
cestral estates,  entered  upon  the  ideal  life  of  a  southern  planter,  sur- 
rounded by  his  slaves,  for  whose  spiritual  and  physical  welfare  he 
manifested  the  tenderest  solicitude.  In  1847  he  married  Miss  Belle 
Bratton,  a  daughter  of  Dr.  William  Bratton,  of  Fairfield  county,  and 
the  five  surviving  children  of  this  union  are  Robert  Gadsden,  a 
planter;  William  Bratton,  a  lawyer;  Harry,  official  stenographer  of 
the  Sixth  judicial  circuit;  Mary,  wife  of  Lewis  W.  Perrin,  Esq.,  of  Abbe- 
ville, and  Belle,  wife  of  Joseph  K.  Alston,  Esq.,  of  Columbia.  His 
eventful  career  came  to  a  close  in  his  forty-ninth  year,  on  the  24th 
day  of  November,  1879. 

"  To  live  in  hearts  we  leave  behind,  is  not  to  die." 

LAWTON  H.  WANNAMAKER. 

Lawton  Hayne  Wannamaker  was  born  near  the  city  of  Orange- 
burg, S.  C,  June  12,  1855,  his  father  being  Capt.  H.  C.  Wanna- 
maker.    The  first  representative  of  the  family  to  emigrate  to  America 


406  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

from  Germany  was  the  immediate  kinsman,  Capt.  Wannamaker  of 
Revolutionary  fame.  Mr.  Wannamaker  remained  on  his  fatlier's 
farm  until  1869,  when  the  family  removed  to  Orangeburg.  Before 
this  time  the  lad  had  had  no  opportunity  for  acquiring  an  education, 
and  his  father's  broken  fortunes  after  the  war  did  not  allow  of  a  longer 
term  in  the  schools  than  two  or  three  years.  In  1871  he  entered  the 
law  office  of  Izlar  &  Dibble  as  a  clerk,  and  continued  in  the  employ 
of  these  eminent  lawyers  three  years,  during  which  time  he  had 
added  to  his  stock  of  knowledge  by  constant  study.  Much  of  his  after 
success  has  been  due  to  the  admirable  training  he  obtained  under  the 
tutelage  of  these  employers.  He  was  married  in  1876,  to  Miss  Cor- 
nelia C.  Neuffer.  Mr.  Wannamaker  has  held  various  public  positions, 
among  them  being  that  of  deputy  county  treasurer,  deputy  sheriff, 
deputy  clerk  of  court,  and  clerk  of  the  board  of  county  commissioners, 
and  in  1884  he  was  elected  clerk  of  the  circuit  court,  and  again  in 
in  1888,  having  received  a  highly  complimentary  vote  in  the  last 
nomination,  by  defeating  in  the  democratic  primary,  two  strong  op- 
ponents. His  official  career  has  been  marked  by  decided  ability  and 
undisputed  integrity,  while  his  continued  retention  in  office  is  ample 
proof  of  the  people's  confidence.  He  has  also  held  many  positions  of 
honor  and  trust  in  private  institutions,  being  a  director  of  the  Edisto 
Savings  bank,  of  Orangeburg,  president  of  the  Union  Hall  company, 
organized  for  the  purpose  of  erecting  an  opera  house,  armory  and 
lodge  room,  and  he  has  been  largely  instrumental  in  organizing  the 
Orangeburg  Investment  company.  As  a  prominent  Mason  he  is  past 
master  of  his  lodge,  and  is  past  dictator  of  the  local  lodge  of  the 
K.  of  H.,  as  well  as  past  chancellor  of  the  K.  of  P.;  and  has  represented 
these  lodges  in  the  grand  bodies  of  the  orders.  He  is  an  ex-foreman 
of  one  branch  of  the  fire  department,  and  is  one  of  the  fire  chiefs  of 
the  city.  His  occupation  is  that  of  farming,  and  he  has  great  faith  in 
the  future  of  that  industry  where  intelligently  pursued. 

COLONEL  ROBERT  E.  BOWEN. 

On  a  farm  five  miles  east  of  Easley,  where  he  still  resides,  was  the 
birth-place  of  Col.  Robert  E.  Bowen,  a  prominent  and  honored  citi- 
zen of  Pickens  count}',  S.  C.     The  date  of  his  birth  was  September  8, 
1830,  and  his  father  was  John  Bowen,  Esq.,  a  farmer  and  civil  engineer. 
He,  too,  was  a  native  of  Pickens  county,  born  July  31,  1801.     He  held 
the  office  of  tax  collector  of  old  Pickens  district  several  years.     He 
died  June  4,  1871,  as  a  result  of  injuries  received  by  the  falling  of  a 
horse  upon  which  he  was  riding.     His  father's   name  was  also    John 
Bowen,  who  was  a  native  of  Virginia,  and  came  to  South  Carolina 
with  his  father,  Robert  Bowen,  a  Revolutionary  soldier.     They  came 
to  this  state  in  the  latter  part  of  the  eighteenth  century.     A  brother 
of  Rol^ert,  whose  name  was  Reese  Bowen,  was  a  captain  in  the  Revo- 
lutionary war,  and  lost  his  life  in  the  battle  of   Kings  Mountain.     He 
was  captain  of  a  company  in  Ca'mpbell's  regiment  of  Virginia.     The 
paternal  branch  of  the  family  is  of  English  descent.     Col.  Bowen's 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  407 

mother  was  Elvira  Hunt,  daughter  of  Esli  Hunt,  born  in  Greenville 
county,  S.  C,  in  February,  181 1.  She  is  still  living,  her  home  being  in 
Easley.  Esli  Hunt,  her  father,  came-  from  Virginia  to  Soutii  Carcjlina 
and  followed  farming  for  a  livelihood.  John  Bowen,  the  father  of 
Col.  Bowen,  was  one  of  the  wealthy  planters  and  prominent  and  in- 
fluential citizens  of  Pickens  county.  He  accumulated  a  large  estate, 
owning  at  the  time  the  war  broke  out,  several  thousand  acres  of  land. 
Like  all  other  planters  and  slave  owners  of  the  state,  he  was  l(;ft  in 
straightened  circumstances  as  the  result  of  the  war.  Col.  Robert  E. 
Bowen  was  reared  to  manhood  on  his  father's  farm,  receiving  a  knowl- 
edge of  English  branches  at  the  common  schools,  his  father  at  the 
same  time  instructing  him  in  surveying.  In  1S53  he  went  to  Texas 
on  horse-back,  remaining  there  about  a  year  and  teaching  school  dur- 
ing five  months  of  the  time.  He  traveled  over  the  state  the  balance 
of  the  year.  In  the  fall  of  1854,  he  returned  to  South  Carolina  by 
steamer  and  railway,  and  from  that  time  until  1857,  he  superintended 
his  father's  farm.  October  15th  of  that  year  he  married  Miss  Martha 
Antoinette  Oliver,  daughter  of  Dr.  James  Oliver,  of  Anderson  county. 
In  the  early  part  of  1858,  Col.  Bowen  located  upon  the  farm  he  now 
occupies,  which  had  been  given  him  by  his  father,  and  busied  himself 
in  farming.  There  he  remained  until  in  November,  1861.  On  the 
6th  day  of  that  month  he  entered  the  service  of  the  Confederate 
army  as  first  lieutenant  of  Company  E,  Second  South  Carolina  regi- 
ment. His  company  was  commanded  by  Capt.  T.  H.  Boggs.  Dur- 
ing the  first  two  months  his  company  was  stationed  on  Sullivan's  Is- 
land, near  Charleston,  in  Orr's  regiment  of  rifles.  In  the  latter  part 
of  December,  1S61,  Company  E,  together  with  five  other  companies, 
organized  the  first  battalion  of  rifles,  Capt.  Boggs  being  promoted  to 
major.  JohnV.  Moore  became  lieutenant-colonel  of  the  battalion.  In 
the  early  part  of  1862  this  battalion  and  some  other  companies,  which 
joined  it,  were  organized  into  the  Second  South  Carolina  rifle  regi- 
ment, and  Lieut.  Bowen  was  promoted  to  the  captaincy  of  his  com- 
pany, and  John  V.  Moore  became  colonel  of  the  regiment.  In  October, 
1863,  Mr.  Bowen  was  promoted  to  the  lieutenant-colonelcy,  and  in 
December  of  the  same  year  was  made  colonel  o'f  the  same  regiment. 
He  continued  in  that  capacity  until  the  close  of  the  war,  surrendering 
with  Lee  at  Appomatox.  He  commanded  Company  E  in  the  seven 
days'  fight  around  Richmond,  which  included  both  the  battles  of 
Cjaines'  Mill  and  Eraser's  farm.  In  the  battle  of  Fredericksburg  he 
commanded  the  same  company.  He  acted  as  lieutenant-colonel  in 
the  night  fight  in  Will's  Valley,  below  Chattanooga,  leading  the  bri- 
gade skirmish  line  and  opening  the  fight  at  three  o'clock  in  the  morn- 
ing. He  was  there  wounded  by  a  ball  in  the  left  hip  and  compelled 
to  spend  two  months  in  the  hospital  and  at  home.  In  the  battles  of 
Dandridge,  Spottsylvania,  Colcl  Harbor,  Newmarket  Heights,  Bat- 
tery Harrison,  Darbytown  Road  and  Petersburg,  he  was  at  the  head 
of  his  regiment.  In  the  battle  of  the  Wilderness,  a  cannon  ball  cut 
off  the  tail  of  his  coat,  inflicting,  however,  no  bodily  injury.  In  the 
battle  of  Spottsylvania,  a  piece  of  a  shell  struck  him  on  the  right  side 


4o8  SOUTH   CAROLINA. 

of  the  neck,  but  inflicted  only  a  slig:ht  wound.  In  the  night  fight  in 
Will's  Valley,  Col.  Bowen  had  three  brothers,  one  of  whom,  Capt. 
John  H.  Bowen,  was  captured,  and  another,  Samuel  Bowen,  was  se- 
verely wounded.  At  the  close  of  the  war  Col.  Bowen  rode  his  army 
horse  home  and  resumed  farming  operations.  His  wife  had  occu- 
pied the  farm  all  during  the  war,  and  there  has  been  his  home  ever 
since.  In  1872  he  was  elected  as  a  democrat  to  the  lower  branch  of 
the  state  legislature,  serving  one  term  of  two  years.  He  was  elected 
state  senator  in  1874  from  Pickens  county,  and  served  the  constitu- 
tional term  of  four  years.  During  his  senatorial  term,  the  exciting 
political  revolution  of  1876  took  place,  in  which  he  acted  a  conspicu- 
ous part.  In  1877  he  was  chairman  of  the  special  committee  appointed 
to  investigate  the  frauds  perpetrated  by  the  radical  authorities  dur- 
ing the  period  of  reconstruction  between  the  years  1868  and  1876.  He 
was  a  candidate  in  1884  for  nomination  for  representative  in  congress, 
and  again  in  iSqo.  Though  he  failed  in  both  trials,  he  received  each 
time  a  very  flattering  vote.  Col.  Bowen  is  one  of  the  most  influential 
and  highly  respected  men  in  his  section  of  the  state.  He  is  in  affluent 
circumstances,  being  the  owner  of  3,300  acres  of  land  in  South  Caro- 
lina, besides  several  tracts  of  mountain  land  in  North  Carolina,  val- 
ued for  its  mineral  resources.  In  1881  he  was  elected  president  of 
the  Atlantic  &  French  Broad  railroad  company,  which  position  he 
held  two  years.  He  was  one  of  the  directors  of  the  Carolina,  Cumber- 
land Gap  &  Chicago  railroad  from  1883  to  18S6,  and  in  June  of  the 
latter  year  was  made  president  of  that  company,  continuing  as  such 
until  January,  1889.  He  is  still  a  stockholder  in  the  road,  is  also  a 
stockholder  in  the  Easley  Oil  Mill  company,  a  member  of  the  board 
of  trustees  of  Clemson  college,  an  elder  in  the  Presbyterian  church, 
member  of  the  Knights  of  the  Golden  Rule,  and  of  the  farmers' 
alliance.     He  is  the  father  of  two  children,  a  son  and  a  daughter. 

COLONEL  ROBERT  E.  MASON, 

a  prominent  citizen  of  West  Minster,  present  state  senator  from 
Oconee*  county,  S.  C,  was  born  within  the  present  limits  of  that 
county,  September  29,  18^.  He  was  the  son  of  Col.  J.  Clark  Mason, 
also  a  native  of  what  now  constitutes  Oconee  county,  born  Aprils, 
1820.  The  father  was  a  practical  machinist  by  trade,  and  also  gave 
attention  to  farming.  He  served  as  colonel  of  a  militia  regiment 
during  the  late  war.  He  died  September  3,  1887,  at  his  home  in 
Banks  county,  Ga.,  whither  he  removed  January  5,  1871.  He  was  the 
son  of  Daniel  Mason,  a  native  of  Rockingham  county,  Va.,  who  came 
to  South  Carolina  in  the  early  part  of  the  present  century.  He  was 
a  farmer  and  machinist  by  occupation.     His  father,  Richard  Mason, 


motner  was,  before  marriage,  miss  mary  i" ranees  iviarctt,  a  native  or 
what  is  now  Oconee  county,  born  March  2,  1S28.  .She  was  the  daughter 
of  Benjamin  Marett,  the  son  of  Benjamin  Marett,  who  came  to  South 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  409 

Carolina  from  Hillsboro,  N.  C.  Upon  the  maternal  side,  Col.  Mason 
is  descended  from  the  French.  His  mother  is  still  living-.  He  was 
reared  on  a  farm  in  Oconee  county,  and  with  the  exception  of  three 
years,  that  county  has  been  his  home  all  his  life.  He  received  a  good 
common  school  education.  In  September,  1864,  in  the  latter  part  of  his 
sixteenth  year,  he  entered  the  service  of  the  Confederate  army  as  a 
member  at  first,  of  the  state  cavalry  for  six  months,  later  entering  the 
infantry  service  in  Company  K,  Seventh  .South  Carolina  regiment, 
where  he  served  until  the  close  of  the  war,  surrendering  with  Gen. 
Joseph  E.  Johnston,  at  Greensboro,  N.  C.  He  then  returned  home 
from  the  war,  and  for  two  or  three  years,  worked  on  the  farm  and 
attended  school.  During  the  years  1868,  1869  and  1870,  he  was  en- 
gaged as  a  clerk  in  Fair  Play,  Oconee  county,  and  Anderson,  Ander- 
son county.  In  November,  1870,  he  married  Miss  Sarah  C.  Isbell, 
daughter  of  Rev.  Samuel  Isbell,  a  Baptist  clergyman.  Her  place  of 
residence  was  in  Anderson  county.  In  January,  1871,  Col.  Mason  re- 
moved to  Banks  county,  Ga.,  where  for  three  years  he  engaged  in 
farming.  In  the  fall  of  1873  he  returned  to  Fair  Play,  where  on  the 
8th  day  of  December  of  that  year,  he  began  merchandising,  ind  con- 
tinued in  that  pursuit  at  P^air  Play  and  West  Minster  until  1888,  at 
the  same  time  carrying  on  his  farming  occupations,  the  latter  of  which 
he  still  pursues.  At  the  present  time  he  is  also  a  cotton  merchant, 
having  been  one  of  the  principal  buyers  in  Oconee  county  for  several 
years.  He  has  also  for  one  year  conducted  a  private  banking  busi- 
ness at  West  Minster,  where  his  home  has  been  since  1884.  He  is  a 
stockholder  and  trustee  of  the  West  Minster  Educational  joint  stock 
company.  Col.  Mason's  politics  are  democratic.  In  1882  he  was 
elected  a  member  of  the  lower  branch  of  the  state  legislature,  and 
was  a  candidate  for  re-election  in  1884,  but  was  defeated  because  of 
the  firm  stand  he  took  against  licensing  the  liquor  trade.  He  was 
again  a  candidate  in  1886,  and  was  this  time  elected  by  a  handsome 
majority,  serving  another  term.  In  1888  he  was  elected  to  the  state 
senate  to  represent  Oconee  county,  and  he  is  now  serving  in  that  ca- 
pacity. His  term  will  expire  in  1892.  In  1878  he  was  appointed  to  a 
position  on  Gov.  Plampton's  staff,  with  the  rank  of  lieutenant-colonel. 
He  was  also  elected  in  187S,  captain  of  a  cavalry  company  formed  in 
Oconee  county.  In  the  fall  of  the  same  yeir  the  company  was  formed 
into  a  battalion,  and  of  this  he  was  made  major.  Upon  the  accession 
of  W.  D.  Simpson  to  the  gubernatorial  office,  as  the  successor  of  Gov. 
Hampton,  Col.  Mason  was  appointed  to  a  position  on  his  staff  with 
the  rank  of  lieutenant-colonel,  and  served  until  the  close  of  Gov. 
Smipson's  term.  Col.  Mason  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  lodge  and 
also  of  the  K.  of  H.  At  present  he  is  extensively  engaged  in  farm- 
ing in  Oconee  county,  and  in  a  financial  point  of  view  has  been  suc- 
cessful, and  has  reached  a  prominent  place  as  a  property  holder.  He 
holds  high  rank  in  a  material,  political  and  social  sense.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Mason  have  been  blessed  with  nine  children,  five  sons  and  four 
daughters,  all  of  whom  are  living.     It  is  a  somewhat  striking  co-in- 


4IO  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

cident  that  Col.  Mason  himself  is  one  of  a  family  of  nine,  all  of  whom 
are  now  living. 

LIEUTENANT  RICHARD  LEWIS, 

judge  of  probate  of  Oconee  county,  and  an  honored  citizen  of  Wal- 
halla,  was  born  on  Seneca  river  within  the  present  limits  of  Oconee 
county,  S.  C,  October  lo,  1841.  He  was  the  son  of  Hon.  Andrew  F. 
Lewis,  a  native  of  Virginia,  and  a  farmer  by  occupation,  who  is  still 
living.  He  was  the  son  of  Richard  Lewis,  a  native  of  Ireland,  who 
served  as  clerk  of  the  court  of  Rutherford  county,  N.  C,  for  a  term 
of  twenty  years.  It  is  a  fact  worthy  of  mention  that  during  a  part 
of  his  incumbency  of  the  clerk's  office,  one  of  his  brothers  was  sheriff 
and  another  brother  ordinary  of  the  same  county.  Andrew  F.  Lewis, 
the  father  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  once  represented  thd  Pendle- 
ton district  in  the  state  legislature.  The  maiden  name  of  his  wife 
was  Susan  A.  Sloan,  a  native  of  Pickens  district,  and  daughter  of 
David  Sloan,  a  native  of  Ireland.  She  also  still  survives.  Lieut. 
Richard  Lewis  was  reared  on  a  farm  in  Oconee  county  until  he  ar- 
rived at  the  age  of  twenty  years.  He  received  an  academic  educa- 
tion. In  the  month  of  April,  1861,  he  entered  the  service  of  the  Con- 
derate  army,  enlisting  in  the  company  commanded  by  Capt.  Kilpat- 
rick,  of  the  Fourth  South  Carolina  regiment.  He  took  the  rank  of 
sergeant  with  that  command  during  his  year's  term  of  service. 
While  with  that  command  he  participated  in  the  first  battle  of  Man- 
assas and  in  the  battle  of  Williamsburg.  In  the  spring  of  1862,  he 
re-enlisted  in  the  Palmetto  Sharpshooters,  with  which  he  held  the 
rank  of  first  lieutenant  until  the  close  of  the  war.  During  the  last 
three  years  of  the  war  he  participated  in  the  battles  of  Sharpsburg, 
Wilderness,  .Spottsylvania,  Fredericksburg,  Fort  Harrison,  and  many 
others  of  less  importance.  In  all  of  them  he  discharged  the  duties 
of  a  soldier  in  a  brave  and  patriotic  manner.  At  the  battle  of  Spott- 
sylvania he  was  struck  by  a  ball  in  the  left  wrist,  which  permanently 
disabled  his  left  arm.  Prior  to  this,  he  was  wounded  at  the  battle  of 
Campbell  Station  in  Tennessee,  by  a  ball  in  the  right  leg.  In  the  bat- 
tle of  Fort  Harrison,  the  last  in  which  he  participated,  he  was 
wounded  in  the  left  leg  just  below  the  knee,  and  was  immediately 
captured.  The  wound  proved  to  be  of  such  a  character  as  to  neces- 
sitate amputation  just  below  the  knee.  He  was  held  a  prisoner  about 
ten  months,  suffering  this  indignity  and  humiliation  for  several 
months  after  the  close  of  the  war.  Upon  gaining  his  liberty  he  re- 
turned to  Oconee  county,  and  for  a  few  years  gave  his  attention  to 
farming.  In  1868  he  was  elected  judge  of  probate  of  Oconee  county, 
and  served  at  that  time  a  term  of  two  years.  He  then  resumed 
farming  on  Seneca  river,  but  in  1876  he  was  again  elected  probate 
judge,  and  has  held  the  office  continuously  by  repeated  elections  ever 
since,  having  now  held  it  for  nine  terms.  He  is  the  present  incumbent, 
and  throughout  his  long  tenure  of  the  office  he  has  given  the  most 
unqualified  satisfaction.     With  only  two  exceptions  he  has  never  had 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  4I  I 

any  opposition,  and  he  has  always  been  the  candidate  of  the  demo- 
cratic party,  of  which  he  is  an  adherent.  In  1884  he  was  appointed 
master  in  equity  of  Oconee  county,  and  has  held  that  position  also 
ever  since.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  church.  He  has 
been  twice  married,  his  first  wife  being  Olivia  K.  Lawrence,  whom 
he  married  in  i86g.  She  died  in  March,  1888,  leaving  three  children, 
two  of  whom  are  daughters,  and  all  of  whom  survive  her.  On 
March  10,  1891,  he  married  Miss  Kate  L.  Perry,  of  Walhalla,  who 
now  shares  with  him  the  happiness  and  comforts  of  a  beautiful  home. 
In  1883  Lieut.  Lewis  published  in  book  form  the  letters  he  wrote  to 
his  mother  during  war,  and  gave  the  volume  the  very  suggestive  title, 
"Camp  Life  of  a  Confederate  Boy."  These  letters,  taking  into  ac- 
count his  youthfulness  at  the  time  of  writing,  are  remarkable  speci- 
mens of  composition,  very  strikingly  portraying  the  experiences  and 
observations  of  the  soldier,  graphicall}^  reciting  the  stirring  events  as 
they  actually  occurred,  by  one  who  witnessed  or  took  part  in  them. 
They  form  a  volume  full  of  interest  and  instruction.  Furthermore, 
they  not  only  illustrate  his  unswerving  loyalty  to  his  state  and  his 
government,  and  his  steadfast  desire  and  purpose  honestly  and  faith- 
fully to  serve  them,  but  by  the  constancy  and  devotion  they  exhibit 
toward  his  mother,  they  are  models  of  filial  affection,  which  all 
who  read  can  not  help  but  commend,  eulogize  and  admire.  By  na- 
ture, Mr.  Lewis  is  quiet  and  unassuming.  Sensitive  and  adverse  to 
personal  display  and  pretension,  he  has,  with  becoming  modesty 
throughout  his  entire  career,  so  far  as  practicable,  persistently 
shunned  and  shrunk  from  publicity  of  any  kind.  He  is  scrupulously 
honest  and  conscientious,  and  is  held  by  his  fellow  citizens  in  the 
highest  esteem,  the  sincerest  regard  and  the  most  profound  confi- 
dence. 

CAPTAIN  A.  D.  BATES, 

one  of  the  representative  planters  of  Edgefield  county,  was  born  in 
the  same  near  the  line  of  Lexington  county,  in  1823.  His  father  was 
Andrew  Bates  and  his  mother's  maiden  name  Shuler,  both  natives  of 
South  Carolina.  Andrew  was  the  son  of  Michael  Bates,  who  was  a 
native  of  Germany  and  came  to  the  United  States  some  time  before 
the  Revolutionary  war.  He  settled  in  the  county  of  Newberry,  where 
he  followed  farming  during  the  remainder  of  his  life.  He  was  the 
father  of  four  sons,  all  of  whom  are  now  deceased.  Andrew,  the  father 
of  Capt.  A.  D.  Bates,  was  born  in  1777.  He  was  educated  in  the 
schools  of  the  county,  engaged  in  planting  and  followed  it  for  some 
years  in  Newberry  county,  then  moved  to  Abbeville  county,  and  then 
to  Edgefield  county,  S.  C,  where  in  1842,  he  died.  Capt.  A.  D.  Bates 
received  his  education  in  the  schools  of  Edgefield  county,  but  began 
farming  when  quite  young,  following  that  vocation  until  the  breaking 
out  of  the  war.  He  then  enlisted  in  Company  B,  of  the  Hampton 
legion,  and  was  elected  second  lieutenant  of  his  company,  serving  in 
that  capacity  for  one  year.     He  was  then  compelled  to  resign  on  ac- 


412  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

count  of  ill  health,  and  returned  to  his  home.  He  was  in  the  first 
battle  of  Manassas  and  in  various  skirmishes.  After  regaining  his 
health  he  again  returned  to  the  occupation  of  a  farmer,  and  has  fol- 
lowed that  calling  ever  since.  Though  he  has  taken  an  active  part 
in  the  politics  of  the  day,  he  has  had  no  aspirations  for  office,  content 
to  remain  only  an  active  and  voting  member  of  his  party.  In  1857  he 
was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Georgiana  Mitchell,  who  bore  him 
eight  children  who  reached  maturity.  Mrs.  Bates  died  in  1883.  Mr. 
Bates  is  a  member  of  the  farmers'  alliance,  and  in  religion  he  sub- 
scribes to  the  tenets  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church.  In  his  social 
relations  he  has  a  large  circle  of  warm  friends  and  possesses  the  con- 
fidence, good  will  and  respect  of  all  who  know  him. 

JAMES  C.  BODIE, 

who  ranks  among  the  older  citizens  of  Lexington  county,  was  born  in 
Edgefield  county,  S.  C,  in  1810.  His  father,  whose  christian  name 
was  John,  was  born  in  the  western  part  of  North  Carolina,  and  his 
mother,  whose  maiden  name  was  Sallie  Mitchell,  was  a  native  of  Vir- 
ginia. John  Bodie  had  but  just  arrived  to  manhood  when  his  parents 
removed  to  South  Carolina  and  settled  in  Edgefield  county.  He 
engaged  in  planting  in  that  county  and  followed  this  occupation  for 
several  years.  He  was  married  to  Miss  Mitchell  after  coming  to 
Edgefield  county,  and  was  the  father  of  eight  children,  two  sons  and 
six  daughters,  all  of  whom  are  deceased  except  James  C,  the  subject 
of  this  sketch.  James  C.  Bodie  received  his  education  in  the  common 
schools  of  the  county.  After  reaching  an  age  to  fit  him  for  work  on 
the  farm,  he  engaged  in  that  occupation,  [beginning  in  Edgefield 
county,  but,  after  a  few  years  removing  to  a  plantation  near  Leesville, 
in  Lexington  county.  Here  he  has  resided  ever  since.  In  1845  he 
was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Caroline  Asbill,  daughter  of  Louis 
Asbill,  of  Edgefield  county,  who  bore  him  four  sons  and  five  daugh- 
ters. Three  sons  are  now  living  and  are  engaged  in  business  in 
Leesville.  James  C.  Bodie  has  never  taken  an  active  part  in  politics, 
but  has  always  been  an  ardent  democrat.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Masonic  fraternity.  He  and  his  partner  in  life  are  members  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church.  Mr.  Bodie  is  now  over  eighty  years  of 
age,  and  during  this  long  period  has  drawn  around  him  a  large  circle 
of  personal  friends,  whose  attachment  is  warm,  sincere  and  cordial. 

JUDGE  SIMON  P.  WINGARD, 

at  one  time  state  senator  of  Lexington  county,  was  born  in  the  county 
of  his  present  residence  on  the  23rd  of  February,  1829.  He  is  a  son 
of  Samuel  and  Catherine  (Bickly)  Wingard,  both  of  whom  were 
natives  of  Lexington  county,  .S.  C.  Samuel  was  the  son  of  Michael 
Wingard,  a  native  of  Germany,  who  came  to  the  United  States  at  an 
early  day.  He  was  married  to  Maria  Oak,  and  was  the  father  of  eight 
sons  and  two  daughters.     He  settled   in  Lexington  county,  and  fol- 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  413 

lowed  planting  until  his  dtuith.  Samuel  Wingard  was  educated  in  the 
German  language,  and  followed  planting  and  stock-raising  throughout 
his  whole  lite.  He  took  no  part  in  public  affairs,  and  was  twice  mar- 
ried. Simon  P.  Wingard  was  the  only  son  by  the  first  marriage  of  his 
father.  He  was  educated  in  the  common  schools,  and  followed  farm- 
ing until  he  was  elected  to  the  office  of  sheriff  of  his  county  in  1856, 
being  then  but  twenty-seven  years  of  age.  He  held  the  office  four 
years,  until  March,  1S60,  and  then  returned  to  farming  until  the  open- 
ing of  the  war,  when  he  enlisted  in  Company  A,  of  the  Fifth  cavalry 
regiment  of  South  Carolina.  He  served  from  1861  until  February, 
1864,  when  he  was  elected  clerk  of  the  court,  of  Lexington  county. 
He  returned  home  and  discharged  the  duties  of  said  office  until 
August,  1868.  He  was  then  disfranchised  on  account  of  serving  in 
the  Confederate  army.  He  again  returned  to  farming  until  October, 
1872,  when  he  was  elected  probate  judge.  He  served  as  jndge  until 
November,  1884,  at  which  time  here  signed  to  accept  the  office  of  state 
senator,  to  which  he  had  been  elected,  and  which  he  heldforthe  term 
of  four  years.  Since  1888,  he  has  lived  a  retired  life  on  his  farm.  He 
has  always  taken  an  active  part  in  politics,  and  is  one  of  the  leaders 
of  the  democratic  party  in  Lexington  county.  In  May,  1S58,  he  was 
united  in  marriage  to  Mary  A.  M.  Wingard,  daughter  of  Jacob  Win- 
gard, Esq.,  representative  from  Lexington  county-  This  union  has 
been  blessed  by  the  birth  of  seven  children,  two  sons  and  two  daugh- 
ters still  surviving.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Lutheran  church  and  of 
the  Masonic  order.  He  has  been  a  successful  business  man  and  is 
considered  one  of  the  most  prosperous  farmers  in  Lexington  county. 
He  is  a  self-made  man,  having  been  left  an  orphan  in  his  early  child- 
hood. 

COLONEL  COLIN  McRAE  WEATHERLY 

was  born  in  Marlborough  county,  S.  C,  September  12th,  1842,  the  son 
of  Thomas  C.  and  Margaret  J.  (Walter)  Weatherly,  both  natives  of 
the  Palmetto  state.  The  Hon.  Thomas  C.  Weatherly  was  a  man  of 
.  much  prominence  in  the  state;  was  an  extensive  planter,  and  served  as 
sheriff  of  the  county,  subsequently  becoming  a  member  of  the  lower 
house  of  the  state  legislature,  and  for  a  time  was  a  state  senator.  He 
was  the  author  of  the  "  lien  "  law  in  South  Carolina,  and  several  other 
important  measures.  His  death  occurred  July  2d,  1878,  at  which 
time  he  was  sixty-two  years  of  age.  In  1862  his  wife  died,  at  the  age 
of  forty-two  years.  Of  their  eight  children,  seven  survive  the  par- 
ents. Colin  is  the  third  child,  and  was  given  exceptional  educational 
advantages.  In  his  early  youth  he  was  a  student  in  the  private 
schools  of  the  county,  and  in  June,  1859,  entered  West  Point,  but 
resigned  in  December,  i860,  when  his  state  seceded  from  the  Union, 
and  immediately  returned  home  to  volunteer  his  services  to  the  cause 
of  his  people.  He  was  elected  second  lieutenant  of  Company  G, 
Eighth  South  Carolina  regiment,  and  served  in  that  company  for  one 
year,  when  he  was  appointed  adjutant  of  the  regiment,  and  held  that 


414  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

office  at  the  time  of  the  final  surrender  in  1865,  he  having  fought  in 
the  battles  of  First  Manassas,  Fredericksburg,  Sharpsburg,  seven 
days'  fight  around  Richmond,  Chancellorsville,  Spottsylvania,  Gettys- 
burg, Harper's  Ferry,  Chickamauga,  Berryville,  Deep  Bottom,  the 
battles  of  the  Wilderness,  and  several  other  engagements  of  minor 
importance.  At  Sharpsburg  he  was  wounded  in  the  knee,  and  at 
Berryville  he  received  a  most  dangerous  shot  in  the  neck,  his  jaw- 
bone being  broken,  and  at  Chickamauga  his  collar-bone  was  broken. 
He  was  never  absent  from  his  post  of  duty  save  when  confined  to  the 
hospital  to  recover  from  his  wounds.  After  Lee's  surrender  Mr. 
Weatherly  went  to  the  Pee  Dee  river  section  and  engaged  in  agri- 
culture, and  was  thus  engaged  when  elected  clerk  of  the  court  in 
1S76;  in  1S80  he  was  returned  to  that  office,  and  again  in  1884  and 
1 888.  His  continued  retention  in  this  most  important  position  is  the 
most  satisfactory  proof  of  his  efficiency  and  integrity.  There  are 
few  more  successful  planters  in  the  state  than  he,  and  as  a  business 
man  he  is  recognized  as  one  of  the  most  able  and  substantial  in  the 
county.  He  is  a  director  in  the  Bank  of  Bennettsville,  in  the  Cotton 
Oil  Mill  company,  and  is  a  stockholder  in  the  Bennettsville  Building 
&  Loan  association,  as  well  as  in  the  Darlington  Manufacturing  com- 
pany, of  Darlington  county.  In  November,  1866,  he  married  Miss 
Mary  G.  McLeod,  daughter  of  the  late  Dr.  Alexander  McLeod, 
who  was  a  m.ember  of  the  convention  which  declared  for  secession. 
Nine  children  are  the  issue  of  this  most  happy  marriage,  their  names 
being:  Mary  R.,  Walter  M.,  Alexander  E.,  M.  Josephine,  C.  E., 
Lucia  S.,  Thomas  C,  Clarence  E.  and  C.  Mc.  The  mother  died 
on  the  1 8th  of  August,  1889,  aged  forty-two  years.  She  was  a 
member  of'  the  Methodist  Episopal  church,  south,  as  is  also  her  hus- 
band, he  being  a  steward  in  the  church  at  Bennettsville.  Mrs. 
Weatherly  was  a  most  estimable  lady,  of  rare  culture  and  refinement, 
while  her  purity  of  life  is  a  most  endearing  heritage  to  her  children 
and  friends.  Mr.  Weatherl\' is  a  prominent  member  of  the  Masonic 
fraternity,  and  is  also  actively  connected  with  the  farmers'  alliance 
of  Marlborough  county. 

JAMES  L.  HAILE. 

The  present  efficient  sheriff  of  Kershaw  county,  S.  C,  is  Mr. 
James  L.  Haile.  Mr.  Haile  was  born  May  31,  1S41,  in  Kershaw 
county,  and  is  descended  from  an  old  and  influential  southern  family. 
His  parents  were  Benjamin  and  Maria  (Lenoir)  Haile,  and  the  father 
was  a  leading  planter  in  Kershaw  county,  where  he  was  born.  For 
some  years  he  lived  at  Haile's  Gold  Mines,  in  Lancaster  county,  S.C., 
but  the  greater  portion  of  his  life  was  spent  in  his  native  county.  His 
father  was  also  named  Benjamin.  He  removed  from  Fredericks- 
burg, Va.,  to  South  Carolina,  shortly  after  the  close  of  the  Revolution. 
Two  sons  and  two  daughters  were  born  to  Benjamin  and  Maria  Haile. 
James  L.  was  but  ten  years  old  at  the  time  of  his  father's  demise,  and 
immediately  after  that  sad  event  the  family  removed  from  their  plan- 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  415 

tation  to  Camden.  Mr.  Haile  was  given  a  thorough  scholastic  train- 
ing at  Kings  Mountain  college,  of  Yorkville,  S.  C.  April  g,  1861,  at 
the:  age  of  twenty,  he  offered  his  servicers  to  the  Confederate  cause  by 
enlisting  in  Kershaw's  regiment.  Second  South  Carolina,  as  sergeant- 
major,  later  being  promoted  to  lieutenant  of  the  Seventh  South  Car- 
olina cavalry,  Haskell's  regiment.  He  served  four  years,  leaving  the 
army  with  the  rank  of  lieutenant  at  the  final  surrender  at  Appomatox. 
Returning  home  he  soon  turned  his  attention  to  agriculture,  and  in 
1868  was  most  happily  married  to  Miss  Mary  Hamilton,  of  North 
Carolina,  and  there  are  six  surviving  children  of  this  union.  In  1884 
he  was  elected  sheriff,  and  again  in  1S88.  For  several  years  past  he 
has  been  captain  of  the  Kershaw  volunteer  troop,  and  is  an  ardent 
supporter  of  the  militia.  He  is  a  Master  Mason,  and  his  name  is 
held  in  the  highest  esteem  wherever  known  as  that  of  a  man  of  abil- 
ity and  strict  integrity. 

JOHN  D.  M.  SHAW, 

a  prominent  farmer  and  stock-raiser  of  Laurens  county,  was  born  on 
the  farm  where  he  now  resides,  six  miles  south  of  the  city,  June  21, 
1846.  He  was  the  son  of  Benjamin  Franklin  Shaw,  also  a  native  of 
Laurens  county,  a  farmer  by  occupation,  born  September  24,  1811. 
He  died  August  7,  1886,  and  was  the  son  of  Martin  Shaw.  The 
maiden  name  of  John  D.  M.  Shaw's  mother  was  Elliott  J.  Boyd,  also 
a  native  of  Laurens  county,  born  March  5,  1S13.  She  was  the  daugh- 
ter of  John  D.  Boyd,  and  died  in  October,  18S1.  John  D.  IVL  Shaw 
was  reared  on  the  old  homestead,  where  he  was  born  and  where  he 
has  resided  all  his  life.  He  received  a  good  common  education,  and 
in  March,  1864,  entered  the  service  of  the  Confederate  army,  in  Com- 
pany E,  Seventh  .South  Carolina  regiment,  and  served  in  it  as  a  pri- 
vate till  the  close  of  the  war,  surrendering  with  Gen.  Lee  at  Appo- 
matox. He  participated  in  the  battles  of  Cold  Harbor,  Riddleshop, 
Deep  Bottom,  besides  in  manj'  other  less  notable  engagements. 
From  the  war  he  returned  home,  and  for  one  year  attended  a  country 
school  about  five  miles  from  his  home.  His  father,  as  one  of  the  re- 
sults of  the  war,  was  overwhelmed  with  debts,  so  he  resolved  to  quit 
school  and  help  his  father  out  of  his  embarrassments.  With  his  help 
the  father  was  enabled  to  compromise  with  his  creditors  at  twenty- 
five  per  cent.  The  father  owned  a  200-acre  farm  and  stock,  and  a 
few  negroes  before  their  emancipation.  The  son  became  his  father's 
solicitor,  visiting  the  creditors  and  giving  them  true  and  faithful  rep- 
resentations of  his  father's  financial  condition,  and  of  the  resources 
available  for  the  cancellation  of  his  debts,  asking  of  them  some  pro- 
position on  their  part.  They  suggested  twenty-five  per  cent.,  and 
asked  the  young  negotiator  if  he  could  pay  the  figures.  His  reply 
was,  "  I'll  try,"  and  he  did  try  and  was  successful.  From  that  time  he 
assumed  full  charge  of  the  farm,  being  the  only  son,  and  his  father 
being  in  poor  health.  From  that  time  farming  became  his  permanent 
business,  and  he  is  now  one  of  the  most  enterprising  and  successful 


4l6  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

farmers  in  South  Carolina.  He  bought  the  farm  shortly  after  the 
close  of  the  war,  and  has  ever  since  been  its  owner.  This  is  not  all 
he  owns,  but  his  success  as  a  farmer  and  stock-raiser  has  enabled  him 
to  make  additional  purchases  of  adjoining  lands,  until  he  is  now  the 
owner  of  i,8oo  acres  in  one  tract.  Besides  this  he  now  owns  i,ooo 
acres  in  other  tracts,  making  in  all  2,800  acres  in  Laurens.  This 
makes  him  one  of  the  most  extensive  freeholders  in  the  county,  and 
there  is  but  one  other  man  in  the  county  who  raises  more  cotton  than 
he.  He  is  a  democrat  in  politics  and  one  of  the  leading  farmers' 
alliance  men  in  this  state.  He  is  president  of  the  Lisbon  alliance  of 
Laurens  county.  In  January,  1891,  he  was  appointed  to  a  position  on 
Gov.  Tillman's  staff,  with  the  rank  of  lieutenant-colonel,  a  pre- 
ferment wholl}'  unsought,  and  being  so,  was  accepted,  regarding  it  as 
a  compliment  from  the  man  he  had  contributed  so  much  in  personal 
effort  to  elect,  and  whose  cause  he  had  so  efficiently  championed. 
He  has  always  avoided  political  office,  preferring  to  devote  himself 
to  his  farm  interests.  He  would  have  declined  this  appointment  but 
for  his  personal  regard  for  Gov.  Tillman.  He  has  always  been  an 
extensive  employer  of  negro  laborers,  taking  a  lively  interest  in  them 
and  holding  amicable  relations  toward  them.  He  has  in  his  employ 
between  100  and  200,  including  both  sexes.  INIr.  Shaw  was  married 
December  21,  1871,  to  Miss  Mary  Leonora  Jane  Henry,  daughter  of 
Harrison  Henry,  a  farmer  of  Laurens  county.  They  have  had  four 
children,  only  one  of  w-hom  is  now  living,  a  son,  named  Thomas  M., 
aged  seven  years. 

JOHN  GARLINGTON, 

son  of  Edwin  and  Susannah  (Dickie)  Garlington,  was  born  in  Halifax 
county,  Va.,  on  the  19th  of  October,  1784.  He  was  the  grandson  of 
Christopher  and  Elizabeth  (Conway)  Garlington,  and  great-grandson 
of  Christopher  Garlington,  who  settled  in  Virginia;  Northumberland 
county,  in  1660. 

He  came  with  his  father  and  brothers  to  South  Carolina  about 
the  close  of  the  last  century.  He  began  life  as  a  merchant  at  Lau- 
rens C.  H.,  in  1801,  which  he  continued  successfully  for  some  years. 
In  1806  he  was  appointed  clerk  of  the  court  of  common  pleas,  for 
Laurens  district;  at  the  same  time  'he  was  acting  commissioner  in 
, equity,  and  was  village  postmaster.  As  a  public  officer,  it  is  not 
enough  to  say,  he  was  faithful  in  the  discharge  of  his  duties.  During 
his  long  official  term  his  office  was  a  model  in  its  arrangements,  and 
the  correct  manner  in  which  it  was  kept.  In  court  he  ever  bore  him- 
self with  dignity,  courtesy  and  self  possession,  which  showed  a  perfect 
knowledge  of  his  duties.  In  the  discharge  of  official  business,  he  was 
regular,  exact  and  systematic.  No  slight  cause  prevented  him  from 
being  at  the  post  of  duty.  As  an  instance  of  his  singular  punctuality 
and  rare  physical  preservation,  the  fact  may  be  stated  that,  during 
sixty  years  he  never  failed  to  attend  court,  except  at  the  term  held 
when  he  was  on  his  death  bed.     It  is  doubtful  if  the  annals  of  the  court 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  417 

can  furnish  anothersuch  example,  llis  relations  wilh  the  bench  and 
bar  were  of  the  kindest  nature,  and  with  many  of  the  briirhtest  orna- 
ments of  both,  he  was  the  intimate  friend.  He  never  held  political 
office,  but  llis  ardent  nature  would  not  allow  him  to  be  an  idle  and 
indifferent  spectator  to  passinjT  events.  He  ever  felt  a  deep  interest 
in  all  that  concerned  the  public  welfare,  and  always  took  an  open  and 
decided  stand  upon  political  questions  which  he  deemed  important. 
It  was,  however,  in  other  relations  than  those  of  a  political  character, 
that  his  virtues  were  most  conspicuous  and  deeply  felt.  As  a  friend, 
neighbor  and  private  citizen,  his  true  character  was  exhibited.  Warm 
in.  his  impulses,  strong  in  his  friendships;  confiding,  without  atlecta- 
tion;  bold,  frank  and  fearless,  there  was  no  room  to  doubt  his  relations 
with  others.  Of  indomitable  will,  he  met  opposition  and  adversity 
with  unshaken  courage  and  fortitude.  He  was  ever  kind  to  the  poor, 
and  in  the  lowly  walks  of  life  his  footsteps  were  seen,  and  his  gener- 
ous hand  felt;  and  the  homeless  orphan  found  shelter  under  his  roof. 
To  the  young  and  aspiring  he  had  a  word  of  encouragement  and  a 
hand  to  help,  many  of  whom  were  indebted  to  him  for  their  educa- 
tion. As  a  member  of  society',  he  assisted  in  every  good  work;  to 
all  measures,  having  for  their  object  the  improvement  of  the  moral 
and  social  condition  of  the  people,  he  contributed  liberally  of  his 
means  to  their  promotion.  He  was  for  many  years  a  trustee  of  the 
town  academies;  contributed  to  the  erection  of  the  buildings,  and  was 
always  careful  to  have  the  best  of  teachers.  He  was  one  of  the  orig- 
inal stockholders  of  the  South  Carolina  railroad,  and  one  of  the  most 
liberal  in  Laurens,  subscribing  for  one  hundred  shares  in  the  road 
and  one  hundred  in  the  bank.  He  "Cvas  also  later  in  life  one  of  the 
largest  stockholders  and  contractors  in  the  Laurens  railroad.  He 
owned  about  half  of  the  town  of  Laurens,  and  several  large  planta- 
tions in  the  county,  one  in  Alabama,  and  another  in  Florida.  He 
possessed  several  fine  flour-  and  grist-mills  on  Rabun's  creek,  and  a 
cotton  and  woolen  factory  on  the  Enoree  river.  He  was  the  owner 
of  many  slaves,  to  whom  he  was  a  kind  and  indulgent  master. 

The  accumulation  of  an  ample  fortune  enabled  him  to  indulge  the 
generous  promptings  of  his  nature  in  a  large  and  elegant  hospitality. 
He  took  a  deep  interest  in  the  Methodist  church,  of  which  he  was  a 
member,  and  devoted  his  time  and  a  part  of  his  means  to  the  erec- 
tion of  a  new  and  handsome  house  of  worship,  in  the  town  of  Lau- 
rens. In  his  religion  he  exhibited  the  beautiful  simplicity  of  childlike 
faith,  and  lived  so  that  when  the  messenger  came,  at  the  age  of 
eighty-two,  he  obeyed  the  summons  and  passed  away  without  a 
struggle,  as  calmly  as  a  summer's  day. 

He  was  twice  married.  First,  to  Rachel  Hunter,  daughter  of 
Judge  Hunter,  United  States  senator  from  Laurens,  by  whom  he  had 
one  son.  Col.  Henry  W.  Garlington;  and  the  second  time  to  Susan 
Washington  James,  daughter  of  Hon.  Benjamin  James,  of  Laurens, 
S.  C,  formerly  of  Stafford  county,  Va.  By  this  marriage  he  had  four 
sons,  Creswell,  Benjamin  Conway,  Stobo  and  John;  and  two  daugh- 
ters,  Maria,  now  Mrs.  R.  W.  Simpson,  of  Pendleton,  and  Jane,  now 

A 27 


41 8  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

Mrs.  John  L.  Young,  of  Union,  S.  C.  His  nature  was  remarkably 
sunny  and  cheerful,  but  in  his  last  days  he  mourned  the  loss  of  two 
gifted,  noble  sons.  Col.  B.  Conway  Garlington,  who  fell  while  bravely 
leading  his  regiment  in  the  battle  of  Savage  Station,  and  his  youngest, 
John,  who  was  killed  in  the  battle  at  Fredericksburg,  Va. 

JOHN  H.  READ. 

Among  the  oldest  and  most  influential  families  of  the  old  Palmetto 
state  may  be  found  the  Read  family.  It  has  furnished  many  men  of 
note,  who  have  held  high  positions  in  civil  and  military  life.  One  of 
the  representatives  of  the  family  of  the  present  generation  is  Mr. 
John  Harleston  Read,  who  is  a  native  of  Charleston,  S.  C,  having 
first  seen  the  light  there  July  25,  1843.  Both  his  father  and  mother, 
J.  H.  and  Esther  J.  (Lance)  Read,  were  South  Carolinians,  both  hav- 
ing been  born  in  Charleston.  The  father  was  a  rice  planter  and  a 
man  of  much  weight  in  the  community.  For  twenty-five  years  he 
served  as  a  member  of  the  legislature,  and  his  death  occurred  while 
he  was  on  his  way  to  attend  a  session  of  that  body  September  ist, 
1866.  He  was  a  graduate  of  Harvard  college,  having  taken  both  a 
classical  and  law  course  in  that  famous  institution  of  learning.  From 
early  manhood  he  was  a  vestryman  in  the  Protestant  Episcopal  church, 
and  gave  largely  of  his  means  to  aid  every  deserving  cause  that  came 
under  his  notice.  For  the  past  four  generations  the  eldest  son  of  this 
proud  family  has  borne  the  name  of  John  Harleston.  The  first  to  bear  it 
was  a  son  of  Dr.  William  Read  of  the  Revolutionary  army,  who  was 
a  surgeon,  served  at  one  time  on  Washington's  staff,  and  for  a  short 
time  acted  as  surgeon-general  to  that  most  famous  general.  He  was 
a  state  senator  for  an  extended  term  of  years,  and  a  man  of  great 
learning,  a  graduate  of  Princeton  college,  and  an  extensive  traveler, 
being  well  known  throughout  the  United  States  and  Europe.  His 
sister  Elizabeth  was  the  wife  of  Peter  Parker,  of  Boston,  Mass.  He 
was  a  man  of  great  wealth  and  renown.  An  uncle  of  the  present 
John  Harleston  Read  was  in  the  United  States  navy  for  many  years, 
and  died  in  1852.  Our  subject  is  the  eldest  of  six  children,  the  names 
of  theother  five  being:  Elleanora,  of  Charleston;  James  W.,  a  graduate 
of  Hartford  college,  Conn.,  and  a  lawyer;  Esther  Jane,  wife  of  Ralph 
Izard,  of  Georgetown;  William  B.,  planter,  now  living  on  the  Savannah 
river,  and  M.  Lance  Read,  of  the  United  States  navy.  He  is  now  on  the 
retired  list,  owing  to  physical  disability.  The  government  detailed 
him  to  go  to  Alaska  twice,  and  while  on  the  Asiatic  station  afterward 
he  was  stricken  with  paralysis,  caused  by  exposure  while  on  duty  in 
Alaska.  We  will  now  return  to  the  immediate  subject  of  this  bio- 
graphical mention,  Mr.  John  Harleston  Read,  and  give  a  more  de- 
tailed account  of  his  career.  His  education  was  obtained  at  Vevey, 
Switzerland.  From  that  noted  institution  on  the  banks  of  Lake 
Geneva,  he  was  graduated  in  1859.  Returning  to  his  native  land  in 
the  same  year,  he  was  obliged  to  travel  for  a  year  to  recuperate  his 
health,  and  spent  sometime  at  Saratoga,  Newport,  and  other  places 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  419 

of  a  like  nature.  In  1861,  his  services  were  voluntarily  offered  to  the 
cause  espouscul  by  his  people,  and  he  enlistc'd  as  a  private,  hut  rose  to 
the  rank  of  captain.  He  was  transferred  to  the  army  of  Virginia,  in  the 
Twenty-first  regiment  of  South  Carolina  volunteer  infantry,  Hagood's 
brigade,  Longstreet's  corps,  and  served  with  faithfulness  until  the  close 
of  the  war.  lie  was  slightly  wounded  in  one  engagement,  but  did  not 
leave  the  field  until  his  command  left.  Mr  Read  fought  in  the  battles  on 
the  coast  of  Carolina,  notably  Battery  Wagner,  Fort  Sumter,  engage- 
ments on  James  Island,  Cold  Harbor,  Walthall  Junction,  Drury's 
Bluff,  Weldon  R.  R.,  and  all  the  engagements  around  Petersburg  and 
Fort  Fisher.  He  was  in  a  fight  with  the  enemy  at  Camden  after  the 
surrender  of  Lee  and  Johnston.  The  end  having  come  he  returned 
home  and  devoted  his  energies  to  the  cultivation  of  rice,  and  is  now 
one  of  the  largest  planters  in  the  county.  Although  ardently  in- 
terested in  politics  and  public  affairs,  he  has  never  sought  office. 
Gov.  Wade  Hampton  appointed  him  a  trial  justice  in  1876,  and 
he  has  been  re-appointed  to  that  position  by  every  succeeding  gover- 
nor. He  is  the  present  incumbent  of  the  chair  of  the  democratic 
executive  committee  of  Georgetown  county,  and  is  held  in  the 
highest  esteem  wherever  known.  Mr.  Read's  marriage  in  1870,  to 
Miss  Anne  Stoney,  daughter  of  Edgar  Stoney,  of  Charleston,  was 
one  of  the  happiest  events  of  his  life,  and  their  home  has  been  blessed 
by  the  advent  of  six  children,  viz.:  J.  H.,  who  is  at  present  aid- 
ing his  father  in  the  management  of  the  plantation:  Miss  Annie,  mem- 
ber of  the  junior  class  of  Clifford  university;  Edgar,  a  pupil  in  the 
Porter  academy  at  Charleston;  William  B.,  a  student  at  the  same  in- 
stitution, and  Elizabeth  and  Robert,  who  remain  on  the  homestead. 
Mrs.  Read  is  a  valued  communicant  of  the  Protestant  Episcopal 
church.  Mr.  Read  is  a  member  of  the  Winyah  lodge.  No.  40,  A.  F.  M., 
of  which  he  is  now  S.  W. 

S.  S.  FRASER. 

One  of  Georgetown  county's  most  substantial  and  influential  busi- 
ness men  and  planters  is  Samuel  Sydney  Eraser,  who  was  born  in 
Georgetown  county,  in  1829,  on  the  nth  of  September.  His  parents 
were  Samuel  and  Eliza  (Ellison)  Fraser,  both  South  Carolinians,  the 
former  of  Sumter  county,  and  the  latter  of  Darlington.  The  father 
was  a  cotton  planter  of  that  section,  and  during  the  war  of  181 2  served 
as  a  captain  in  the  patriot  army.  His  demise  occurred  in  1843,  ^^  the 
age  of  fifty-four  years,  his  wife  having  preceded  him  to  the  grave  in 
1830,  at  the  age  of  thirty-six  years.  These  parents  had  nine  children, 
of  whom  R.  E.  Fraser,  a  prominent  banker  of  Georgetown,  and  our 
subject,  are  the  only  survivors.  The  first  member  of  the  family,  of 
whom  we  have  any  record,  was  John  Fraser,  who  was  born  in  Scot- 
land. He  was  expatriated  and  emigrated  to  America,  A.  D.  1745, 
settling  in  Georgetown,  S.  C,  where  he  married  Miss  Baxter,  a  sister 
of  Col.  John  Baxter,  of  Marion's  famous  brigade.  There  were  two 
offspring  of  this  union:  John  Baxter,  the  progenitor  of  the  branch  of 


420  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

the  family  of  which  we  write,  and  William,  who  was  an  attorney-at- 
law  in  Georgetown  before  and  during  the  Revolutionary  war.  He 
died  without  issue.  Mr.  S.  S.  Fraser  began  active  business  life  at  the 
age  of  thirteen  as  an  employe  in  a  commission  house.  Since  that 
time  he  has  been  engaged  in  the  commission  and  insurance  business 
with  success,  and  also  carries  on  a  large  rice  planting  interest.  He  is 
secretary  and  treasurer  of  the  Georgetown  Ice  company,  of  which  he 
was  a  founder;  a  director  in  the  Palmetto  Cypress  company,  and  in- 
terested in  various  other  industries.  During  the  Hampton  campaign 
of  1876,  he  was  chairman  of  the  democratic  executive  committee,  and 
rendered  valuable  assistance  in  restoring  white  supremacy  in  the 
state.  Gov.  Hampton  appointed  him  county  treasurer  of  Georgetown 
county,  and  he  only  relinquished  that  ofhce  after  a  service  of  nine 
years,  a  change  in  the  offices  of  the  state  having  taken  place.  In  1870 
Mr.  Fraser  was  married  to  Sarah,  eldest  daughter  of  Hugh  Wilson, 
of  Wadmalan,  S.  C.,  by  whom  he  had  four  children,  viz.:  Eliza  E., 
Hugh  W.,  .S.  S.,  Jr.,  and  J.  Hamilton.  The  mother  died  in  1878.  In 
1883  he  was  married  a  second  time,  Clara,  daughter  of  J.  Rees  Ford, 
of  Plantersville,  Georgetown  county,  becoming  his  wife,  and  one  son, 
Rees  F.,  was  born  of  the  union.  Mrs.  Eraser's  demise  occurred  in 
1884,  she  being  thirty-six  years  of  age.  She  was  a  member  of  the 
Episcopal  church  and  a  woman  of  refinement  and  great  charity.  Our 
subject  is  active  and  constant  in  church  work,  having  been  chairman 
of  the  vestry  of  the  Episcopal  church  of  Georgetown  for  some  time. 
He  has  been  chairman  of  the  board  of  trustees  of  the  Winyah  graded 
school;  a  member  of  the  town  council,  and  is  also  a  member  of  the 
Winyah  Indigo  society,  a  benevolent  organization  chartered  in  1753 
under  a  royal  grant.  This  society  has  in  its  possession  the  original 
parchments  giving  it  its  charter,  the  first  of  which  was  issued  from 
the  Palace  of  St.  James  in  1753,  the  other  by  William  Henry  Littleton, 
colonial  governor  of  the  state  several  years  subsequent.  Of  this 
ancient  order  Mr.  Eraser  is  junior  warden. 

JOHN  W.  TARBOX. 

One  among  Georgetown's  progressive  business  men  is  John  W. 
Tarbox,  a  rice  planter,  and  with  his  son,  forming  the  firm  of  Tarbo.x 
&  Son,  also  agents  for  the  Standard  Oil  company.  At  the  age  of 
eighteen  he  apprenticed  himself  to  the  printer's  trade  in  George- 
town. For  about  twenty  years  he  followed  his  trade;  in  company 
with  Eleazor  Waterman,  Jr.,  he  published  the  Pec  Dec  Times;  later,  in 
company  with  R.  Dozier  (a  prominent  lawyer) ,  he  published  the  Gcoi'ge- 
town  Times.  Mr.  Tarbox,  after  the  war  between  the  states,  sold  to 
Mr.  Josiah  Doar,  who  is  still  its  editor  and  proprietor,  and  associated 
himself  with  Mr.  B.  S.  Lester,  in  the  mercantile  business,  under  the 
firm  name  of  Lester  &  Tarbox;  after  a  few  years  he  purchased  his  part- 
ner's interest,  and  his  eldest  son,  who  graduated  at  a  business  college, 
was  taken  in  business,  under  the  firm  name  of  John  W.  Tarbox  & 
Son,  and  still  continue  business  under  the  same  name.    For  ten  years 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  421 

they  conducted  the  concern  with  success,  and  then  sold  out,  and  for 
the  past  five  years  they  have  been  engaged  in  the  dray  busi- 
ness, and  in  planting  and  threshing  rice,  and  they  have  been 
very  successful  in  their  enterprises.  During  the  late  Civil  war 
Mr.  Tarbox  served  as  a  private  for  one  year,  and  was  then 
promoted  to  the  rank  of  ordnance  sergeant,  which  ollice  he  held 
until  the  close.  He  was  a  member  of  Company  A,  Tenth  South 
Carolina  regiment,  until  promoted  ordnance  officer  of  the  regi- 
ment. Our  subject  has  been  thrice  happily  married;  by  his  second 
wife  he  had  three  sons,  the  eldest,  Frank  G.,  being  in  business  with 
him;  his  second  son,  John  William,  a  missionary  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church,  south,  at  Juey-de-Fora,  Brazil,  South  America. 
His  youngest  son,  Glennie,  is  now  ensign  in  the  United  States  navy. 
He  has  a  nephew,  whom  he  reared.  Dr.  Eugene  Wasdin,  now  in  charge 
of  the  Marine  hospital,  at  Charleston,  S.  C. 

DAVID  RISLEY. 

One  of  the  most  enterprising  business  men  of  Georgetown  county, 
S.  C,  is  Mr.  David  Risley,  mayor  of  the  city  of  Georgetown.  He  is 
a  native  of  Nev/  Jersey,  having  been  born  in  Atlantic  county,  that 
state,  January  19,  1825.  He  is  a  son  of  Ezra  B.  and  Charlotte 
(Morse)  Risley,  the  latter  a  cousin  of  the  great  electrician  Morse. 
Ezra  Risley  was  an  extensive  lumberman.  He  died  at  his  home  in 
Maryland  in  1S5S,  aged  fifty-eight  years;  his  wife's  demise  occurred  the 
following  year,  in  her  fifty-ninth  year.  David  Risley  was  the  father 
of  Ezra.  He  was  a  native  of  New  Jersey,  and  died  in  his  early  man- 
hood, in  iSoi.  His  wife  was  Anna  Tucker,  who  was  a  sister  of  Judge 
Tucker,  of  Tuckerton,  N.  J.  She  died  in  1S56.  David  was  a  son  of 
Samuel  Risley,  who  was  born  in  Hartford,  Conn.,  in  1796.  Miss 
Summers,  of  Summers'  Point,  N.  J.,  became  his  wife,  and  bore  him 
several  children.  Richard  Risley  was  the  father  of  Samuel,  and  he 
also  was  born  in  Hartford,  Conn.  He  was  the  son  and  namesake  of 
Richard  Risle3^  the  first  of  the  family  to  settle  in  this  country,  hav- 
ing landed  in  Boston,  Mass.,  in  1633.  He  was  a  follower  of  Hooker, 
and  was  the  owner  of  the  property  on  which  stood  the  famous 
"Charter"  oak.  He  was  a  lineal  descendant  of  Gen.  Risley,  who  was 
a  distinguished  officer  under  Cromwell,  having  been  a  division  com- 
mander. The  wife  of  Secretary  Seward  was  of  this  family.  The 
connection  originated  in  Lincolnshire,  England.  David  Risley,  of 
whom  we  write  more  particularly,  was  the  second  of  nine  children 
born  to  his  parents,  six  of  them  are  now  living.  Beulah,  the  fourth 
daughter,  married  Judge  Dickey,  of  Chicago,  111.  Mr.  Risley  was 
educated  in  the  public  schools  of  his  native  state,  and  at  the  age  of 
fourteen  accompanied  his  parents  on  their  removal  to  Maryland, 
where  he  began  his  active  business  career  five  years  later  as  a  lum- 
berman. In  1855  he  removed  to  Georgetown,  S.  C,  and  there  built 
and  operated  the  Palmetto  Mill  property.  A  portion  of  this  mam- 
moth plant,  erected  at  a  cost  of  $160,000,  is  still  standing,  and  at  that 


422  SOUTH   CAROLINA. 

time  it  was  the  largest  lumber  concern  in  the  south.  During  the  war 
Mr.  Risley  spent  three  years  in  traveling,  having  visited  South 
America  and  all  the  West  Indian  islands.  After  the  declaration  of 
peace  between  north  and  south,  he  returned  home  and  resumed  his 
business  operations.  As  the  promoter  of  the  Charleston,  Cincinnati 
&  Chicago  railroad  company,  he  has  given  to  the  country  a  new  and 
important  outlet  for  its  product.  During  the  past  six  years  he  has 
held  the  office  of  mayor  of  Georgetown,  and  is  one  of  the  most  influ- 
ential and  prominent  citizens  in  the  state.  In  March,  iS66,  Mr.  Risley 
was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Georgia  Leineau,  of  Philadelphia, 
Penn.  She  is  a  daughter  of  Mr.  George  A.  Leineau,  and  a  grand- 
daughter of  Gen.  Leineau,  who  was  one  of  Napoleon  I.  bravest 
generals.  Three  children  are  the  issue  of  this  union,  their  names 
being:  David,  Reese  P.,  editor  of  the  Fort  Payne  Jotirnal,  at  Fort 
Payne,  Ala.,  and  Howard  S.  Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Risley  are  commun- 
icants of  the  Episcopal  church,  and  he  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic 
fraternity. 

W.  HOLMES  HARDEN. 

William  Holmes  Harden,  a  portrait  of  whom  appears  in  this  vol- 
ume, is  one  of  the  most  extensive  planters  of  South  Carolina.  He 
comes  of  an  old  and  honored  name,  his  ancestors  having  been  among 
the  early  pioneer  settlers  of  Chester  county,  S.  C.  His  paternal  great- 
grandfather was  an  Englishman;  he  came  to  America  before  the  days 
of  the  Revolution,  and  with  his  family,  made  his  abode  on  Sandy  river, 
in  Chester  county.  Here  he  lived  and  died.  His  son,  Henry,  fol- 
lowed in  his  father's  footsteps  and  devoted  his  life  to  agriculture. 
He  was  the  father  of  John  Harden,  the  father  of  the  subject  of  this 
sketch.  John  Harden  was  born  and  reared  in  Chester  county,  and 
was  also  a  planter.  He  married  Annie  Jones,  whose  father  was  Joseph 
Jones,  a  native  of  Chester  county,  and  a  son  of  English  parents,  who 
settled  in  the  vicinity  at  the  same  time  as  the  Hardens.  -Their  mar- 
riage resulted  in  the  birth  of  three  daughters  and  two  sons,  William 
being  the  youngest  and  only  surviving  member.  The  latter  was  born 
in  Chester  county,  December  ;23,  1830.  In  the  neighboring  schools 
he  gained  a  fair  knowledge  of  the  English  branches,  but  his  educa- 
tion was  interrupted  by  the  death  of  his  father,  when  William  was  but 
twelve  years  of  age.  His  only  brother,  who  was  the  eldest,  sup- 
ported the  family  until  his  marriage.  At  this  time  the  younger 
son  was  about  seventeen,  and  the  care  of  himself  and  mother  devolved 
upon  him.  He  shared  a  small  inheritance  of  some  $700  from  his 
father's  estate,  and  invested  his  portion  in  a  negro,  whose  death  fol- 
lowed soon  after.  This  left  the  young  ])lanter  in  debt,  as  he  had  not  been 
able  to  pay  in  full  for  the  slave;  but  he  went  to  work  with  no  capital 
but  his  hands  and  brains,  and  soon  prosperity  followed  his  untiring 
efforts.  With  admirable  foresight  he  invested  his  surplus  in  lands, 
until  at  the  present  time  his  landed  estate  consists  of  no  fewer  than 
6,000  acres  in  Chester  county,  including  the  homesteads  of   both  his 


y^^  /&^^^'^^^^ 


BRANTS  FULLER   PUB5 


SOUTH    CARCJLINA.  423 

maternal  and  paternal  ancestors  who  first  settled  in  thc!  county.  The 
annual  yield  of  cotton  from  his  broad  acres,  not  to  mention  other  pro- 
ducts, is  very  large,  and  ranks  him  among  the  leading  planters  of  this 
section  of  the  state.  In  1868  Mr.  Harden  branched  out  into  rner- 
chandising,  and  from  that  time  until  1891,  was  sucessfully  and  continu- 
ously engaged  in  that  business.  He  was  elected  president  of  the 
Chester  &  Lenoir  railroad  company,  in  1879,  and  completed  the  same 
to  within  a  few  miles  of  Newton,  N.  C,  after  which  the  road  was 
leased,  and  he  is  still  president  of  the  organization.  Mr.  Harden  has 
been  twice  married,  the  first  time  in  [851,  to  Miss  Judith  Smith, 
daughter  of  John  Smith,  of  Chester  county.  One  son  was  born  to 
this  marriage,  the  mother  dying  in  1855.  Three  years  later  Mr.  Har- 
den was  so  fortunate  as  to  form  a  marriage  alliance  with  Miss  M.  E.  I. 
Guy,  a  daughter  of  William  Guy,  of  Chester  county,  and  four  sons 
and  four  daughters  have  been  born  to  them.  The  family  are  mem- 
bers of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  in  which  denomination  the 
mother  has  been  active  and  efficient  for  many  years,  Mr.  Harden 
having  joined  within  the  past  few  years.  It  is  such  men  that  form 
the  backbone  of  this  nation. 

HON.  WILLIAM    L.    MAULDIN, 

ex-lieutenant  governor  of  South  Carolina,  and  an  honored  and  dis- 
tinguished citizen  of  that  state,  was  born  at  Greenville,  where  he 
still  resides,  on  the  13th  of  June,  1845.  He  was  the  son  of  Samuel 
and  Caroline  A.  (McHardy)  Mauldin,  the  father  having  been  born  in 
Pickens  county,  S.  C,  June  10,  1810,  the  son  of  Joab  and  Jane  (Lid- 
dell)  Mauldin,  the  father  being  a  native  of  Anderson  county,  and  the 
mother  of  Abbeville  county,  S.  C.  William  L.  Mauldin's  mother  was 
born  near  St.  Augustine,  Fla.,  June  5,  1820,  being  a  daughter  of  Rob- 
ert and  Caroline  (Williams)  McHardy,  the  former  of  whom  was  a 
native  of  Scotland,  and  the  latter  of  Florida.  William  L.  Mauldin's 
mother  was  a  sister  of  Admiral  John  F.  B.  McHardy,  of  the  English 
navy.  Both  of  his  paternal  grandsires  served  in  the  colonial  army 
throughout  the  Revolutionary  war.  His  father  and  mother  were  mar- 
ried in  1835,  at  Newberry,  S.  C,  and  had  a  family  of  eight  children, 
of  whom  he  was  the  fourth.  Three  of  the  family  were  sons,  two  of 
whom  and  two  daughters  still  survive.  The  father,  who  was  engaged 
in  the  mercantile  business  in  Greenville,  died  in  that  city  in  1856.  He 
located  there  as  far  back  as  1830,  and  for  many  years  was  the  leading 
merchant  in  the  place.  He  was  successful  in  his  business,  and  accu- 
mulated a  handsome  property.  He  was  quiet  and  unostentatious  in 
his  manner,  and  had  no  disposition  to  mingle  in  public  affairs,  but  he 
was  an  attentive  and  discriminating  observer  of  whatever  was  trans- 
piring around  him,  and  his  judgment  was  sound  and  correct.  His 
widow  still  survives  at  seventy  years  of  age,  the  object  of  much  ven- 
eration. The  immediate  subject  of  this  sketch  has  all  his  life  thus 
far  been  a  resident  of  Greenville.  His  education  was  acquired  chiefly 
at  Col.  Stephen   Lee's  academy,  at  Asheville,  N.  C,  and  at  Furman 


424  .SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

university  in  Greenville.  When  he  was  sixteen  years  of  age,  in  No- 
vember, iS6i,  he  left  school  for  the  purpose  of  entering  the  service 
of  his  country,  enlisting  as  a  sergeant  in  Company  A,  of  the  Sixteenth 
regiment  of  the  South  Carolina  infantry.  On  the  igth  of  November, 
of  the  above  named  year,  he  left  Greenville  with  his  regiment  for 
Charleston.  He  served  in  that  regiment  for  twelve  months,  after 
which  he  returned  home,  but  in  July,  1863,  he  entered  the  Second 
cavalry  of  South  Carolina,  with  which  he  served  until  the  close  of  the 
war.  He  was  engaged  in  all  the  battles  in  which  his  regiment  partic- 
ipated, and  discharged  his  duties  in  a  brave  and  soldierly  manner  as 
became  a  loyal  citi/en  of  his  native  state.  At  the  close  of  the  war  he 
returned  to  Greenville,  and  for  three  years  thereafter  was  engaged 
in  the  capacity  of  a  drug  clerk.  He  then  embarked  in  the  drug  bus- 
iness for  himself,  with  Dr.  S.  S.  Marshall  as  a  partner  in  the  business. 
Since  retiring  from  that  business  his  attention  has  been  devoted  to 
the  management  of  farming  interests  and  to  the  political  affairs  of 
the  day,  and  to  the  building  of  the  Greenville  &  Laurens  railroad,  of 
which  he  was  president  until  it  was  consolidated.  He  is  the  owner 
of  two  good  farms,  one  of  which  is  situated  in  Greenville  county,  and 
the  other  in  Laurens  county.  In  1S74  he  was  chosen  member  of 
the  board  of  aldermen  of  the  city  of  Greenville,  and  was  re-elected 
to  that  body  in  1S75.  In  1S77  he  was  elected  mayor  of  the  city,  serv- 
ing in  that  capacity  for  one  term.  From  1878  until  1886  he  was  chair- 
man of  the  democratic  county  central  committee.  He  was  elected 
to  the  lower  branch  of  the  state  legislature  in  1882,  and  in  1884  he 
became  a  member  of  the  state  senate.  This  office  he  resigned  to  ac- 
cept that  of  lieutenant-governor,  to  which  he  was  elected  in  1886.  He 
was  re-elected  in  1888,  his  term  closing  in  December,  1890.  His  poli- 
tics are  democratic,  thoroughly  endorsing  tlie  Jeffersonian  principles 
as  interpreted  and  practiced  by  that  party.  In  other  words  he  is  a 
democrat  of  the  olden  type.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  frater- 
nity, having  attained  to  the  degree  of  Knight  Templar.  He  is  past 
master,  as  well  as  past  district  grand  master.  He  is  also  a  member 
of  the  Knights  of  Pythias,  and  is  past  chancellor  commander  in  that 
order.  Mr.  Mauldin  is  a  man  of  superior  judgment,  and  possesses 
the  courage  of  his  convictions  to  an  eminent  degree.  His  demeanor 
is  that  of  a  quiet,  yet  dignified  person,  and  he  is  withal  a  bland  and 
genial  gentleman  whose  acquaintance  is  a  pleasant  and  desirable  ac- 
quisition. On  the  2ist  of  June,  1870,  he  was  married  to  Miss  Eliza  T. 
Kern,  a  native  of  Laurens  county,  S.  C,  and  daughter  of  John  F.  and 
Eliza  (Earle)  Kern.  The  fruit  of  this  marriage  was  six  children, 
as  follows:  Caroline  L.,  Eliza  M.,  Oscar  K.,  William  L.,  John  McH. 
and  Mary  C,  all  of  whom  are  living,  except  Eliza  M.,  who  died  in 
childhood. 

GEN.  NATHAN  GEORGE  EVANS, 

"Shanks"  Evans,  as  he  was  better  known,  to  the   United  States  and 
Confederate  armies,  was  born  in  Marion  county,  S.  C.     lie  was  the 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  425 

third  son  of  Thomas  Evans,  who  married  Jane  Beverly  Daniel,  of 
Virginia.  Gen.  Evans  was  a  graduate  of  Randolph-Macon  college, 
Virginia,  completing  his  course  before  he  was  eighteen  years  of  age. 
Soon  after  his  return  from  college  he  was  app(jinted  to  a  cadetship 
at  West  Point  military  academy,  by  John  C.  Calhoun.  His  father  was 
opposed  to  his  accepting  this  appointment,  but  young  Evans  was  de- 
termined to  be  a  soldier,  and  despite  his  father's  wishes  he  accepted 
the  appointment,  graduating  from  the  academy  in  June,  1848.  He 
was  immediately  promoted  to  brevet  second-lieutenant  of  the  Sec- 
ond dragoons,  and  assigned  to  duty  at  Fort  Smith,  Ark.  Gen.  R.  E. 
Lee  was  lieutenant-colonel  of  the  same  regiment  of  cavalry.  Upon 
the  breaking  out  of  serious  Indian  hostilities,  upon  the  Texas  frontier, 
he  was  ordered  to  that  state.  Upon  his  arrival  there  he  was  engaged 
in  a  lively  warfare  with  the  Indians.  The  Indians  grew  bolder  and 
more  defiant  in  their  incursions  upon  the  white  settlers,  and  upon  his 
request  Lieut.  Evans  was  made  commanding  officer  of  an  expedition 
to  drive  them  back.  While  in  command  of  this  expedition  the  cele- 
brated Indian  battle  of  Wichita  was  fought,  resulting  in  a  complete 
rout  of  a  large  band  of  Indians.  In  the  fight  Lieut.  Evans,  in  a 
hand  to  hand  combat,  killed  two  of  the  most  noted  chieftains  of  the 
Indians,  captured  their  flag,  which  consisted  of  an  immense  head 
dress  made  of  variegated  feathers  attached  to  a  long  staff.  This  was 
at  that  time  the  only  Indian  flag  that  had  ever  been  captured,  and 
probably  the  first  time  such  an  article  had  been  used,  and  then  prob- 
ably in  imitation  of  the  United  States  army.  These  deeds  of  gal- 
lantry were  not  only  recognized  by  the  secretary  of  war  (Jeff  Davis) 
in  promoting  him  to  a  captaincy,  but  by  Lieut.  Evans'  native  state. 
South  Carolina,  in  presenting  him  with  a  handsome  sword,  the  scab- 
bard of  which  is  beautifully  embossed  in  gold  representations  of  the 
fight,  the  captured  flag  and  coat  of  arms  of  the  state.  Having  ob- 
tained a  leave  of  absence  to  visit  his  family,  he  returned  to  South 
Carolina  in  i860,  and  while  there  married  Miss  Ann  Victoria  Gary, 
daughter  of  Dr.  Thomas  R.  Gary,  of  Abbeville  county,  and  sister  of 
the  late  Gen.  M.  W.  Gary.  Immediatelj^  after  his  marriage  Capt. 
Evans  returned  with  his  bride  to  Texas,  and  engaged  in  a  desultory 
warfare  with  the  Indians.  At  the  outbreak  of  the  late  war  between 
the  states,  Capt.  Evans  was  at  Camp  Cooper,  Tex.  As  soon  as  news 
of  the  secession  of  South  Carolina  was  received  he  at  once  sent  in  his 
resignation  to  the  war  department  at  Washington,  and  immediately 
wrote  Gov.  Pickens  of  South  Carolina,  tendering  his  services  to  his 
state.  He  took  leave  of  his  fellow  officers,  and  when  he  bade  Col.  Lee 
good-bye — Lee  remarked  "Good-Bye,  'Shanks,'  I  suppose  they  will 
make  you  a  general,"  little  thinking  that  he  would  so  soon  follow  to 
become  his  commander  in  the  same  cause.  LIpon  his  arrival  in 
Montgomery,  Ala.,  where  the  Confederate  congress  was  in  'session, 
he  was  given  the  appointment  of  major  of  cavalry,  and  detailed  for 
duty  as  adjutant  of  the  regular  forces  in  South  Carolina.  He  was 
present  at,  and  assisted  in,  the  bombardment  of  Fort  Sumter.  He  was 
subsequently    appointed    colonel    and    ordered    to    Virginia    when 


426  SOUTH   CAROLINA. 

the  war  cloud  was  about  to  burst  over  the  people  of  the  south.  At 
the  first  battle  of  Manassas  he  was  assigned  command  of  a  brigade 
and  intrusted  with  the  defense  of  Stone  Bridge,  having  for  this  pur- 
pose the  Fourth  South  Carolina,  Col.  Sloan;  First  special  battalion, 
Louisiana  volunteers  (the  famous  Tigers),  Maj.  Robert  Wheat;  a 
squadron  of  cavalr3\  Capt.  Terry,  and  a  section  of  Latham's  battery 
under  Lieut.  Davidson.  At  this  important  point  McDowell  had 
Q,ooo  men  and  thirteen  pieces  of  artillery;  Evans  only  goo  men  and 
two  six-pound  guns.  In  his  account  of  this  battle  Gen.  Beauregard 
pays  the  highest  tribute  to  Gen.  Evans.  Gen.  Fitz-Hugh  Lee  in  his 
account  has  this  to  say: 

"  'Shanks'  Evans,  as  he  was  called,  was  a  graduate  of  the  Military 
academy,  a  native  .South  Carolinian,  served  in  the  celebrated  old 
Second  dragoons  and  was  a  good  type  of  the  'rip-roaring,'  scorns- 
all-care  element,  which  so  largely  abounded  in  that  regiment.  He 
has  never  received  the  full  credit  to  which  he  was  so  justly  entitled, 
in  this  battle.  It  was  the  fighting  his  hand-full  of  men  to  a  'frazzle' 
that  enabled  the  Confederate  commanders  to  change  their  line  of 
battle,  and  form  a  new  one  to  retard  the  Federal  flanking  force,  and 
his  actions  as  will  be  seen  were  based  upon  his  own  military  judg- 
ment, and  undertaken  upon  his  own  responsibility.  Evans  had  the 
honor  of  opening  the  fight,  we  might  say  fired  the  first  gun  of  the  war. 
With  his  little  line  of  battle  made  upof  700  soldiers  he  marched  away 
to  fight  McDowell's  turning  columns  of  over  18,000.  It  was  a  brave 
little  line  but  accomplished  its  purpose;  for  over  an  hour  he  held  in 
check  the  overwhelming  forces  of  the  enemy,  until  Jackson  and 
Hampton  could  arrive  and  save  the  day." 

The  gallant  Bee  lost  his  life  in  coming  to  the  relief  of  Gen.  Evans, 
his  friend  and  classmate  at  West  Point.  Gen.  Evans  was  greatly 
touched  at  the  death  of  Bee,  and  his  third  son  bears  the  name  of 
Barnard  Bee.  For  the  part  he  bore  in  this  battle  his  name  was  men- 
tioned with  particular  distinction  by  Gen.  Beauregard  in  his  official 
report,  and  he  was  subsequently  promoted  to  a  brigadier-generalship. 

Although  Gen.  Evans  was  engaged  in  all  the  great  and  most  im- 
portant battles  of  the  war,  and  in  every  state  of  the  southern  Confed- 
eracy, there  was  none  that  more  conspicuously  called  forth  his  great 
military  genius  than  that  of  Leesburg  or  Ball's  Bluff,  which  was 
fought  under  his  immediate  direction  shortly  after  the  First  Manas- 
sas, and  before  his  commission  as  a  brigadier  had  reached  him,  al- 
though he  commanded  a  brigade  and  ranked  as  such.  In  this  battle 
the  Federal  forces  were  commanded  by  Gen.  C.  E.  Stone.  The  fol- 
lowing account  is  given  by  Maj.  Lamar  Fontaine,  of  Mississippi:  "  We 
killed,  wounded  and  captured  or  drowned  about  four  Federals  to  each 
man  we  had  on  the  field.  We  had  but  1,100  muskets  and  from  1 1  a.  ni. 
till  8  p.  m.,  we  kept  up  a  steady  fire  of  nothing  but  musketry;  not 
a  single  cannon  shot  was  fired  along  our  lines.  The  Federal  loss,  not 
counting  a  single  wounded  man,  was  4,545.  The  Federals,  some 
10,000  strong,  were  already  in  position  on  our  side  of  the  river  when 
we  discovered  them  later  in  the  day.     About  S  o'clock  I  heard  the 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  427 

voice  of  our  commander  ring  out  loud  and  clear  in  these  words  'At- 
tention all  !  Drive  them  into  the  Potomac!!  Charge  them!!!'  Our 
men  gave  a  yell,  the  charge  was  made,  and  the  enemy  were  in  the 
river  yelling  for  quarter  along  our  entire  line  at  the  point  of  the  bay- 
onet." Among  the  noted  dead  of  the  Federals  was  Gen.  Baker,  the 
popular  senator  from  Oregon.  This  battle  caused  more  comment  in 
the  Federal  congress  than  any  of  the  war.  Roscoe  Conkling  offered 
a  resolution,  demanding  an  investigation  of  the  terrible  slaughter  at 
"  Ball's  Bluff."  The  secretary  of  war,  Stanton,  could  offer  no  sat- 
isfactory explanation,  but  to  satisfy  the  cry  of  congress  for  a  victim, 
Gen.  Stone  was  taken  from  his  command  and  imprisoned  for  a  year, 
without  being  allowed  even  a  hearing. 

South  Carolina  appreciated  the  services  of  her  son,  and  for  the 
second  time  through  the  general  assembly,  gave  him  a  vote  of  thanks 
and  presented  him  in  the  name  of  the  state  with  a  handsome  gold 
medal.  Gen.  Evans  has  the  honorable  distinction  of  being  the  only 
Confederate  general  whose  state  thus  recognized  the  valuable  serv- 
ices and  gallantry  of  her  son  —  not  only  to  the  Confederate  States,  but 
to  the  United  States. 

After  the  fall  of  Richmond,  Gen.  Evans  accompanied  President 
Davis  to  South  Carolina  as  far  as  Cokesbury,  the  president  stopping 
Avith  him  at  the  old  Gary  homestead.  After  remaining  in  Cokesbury 
a  year  Gen,  Evans  engaged  in  a  commission  business  in  Charleston. 
This  not  proving  a' success  and  not  compatible  with  his  taste  he  ac- 
cepted the  position  of  principal  of  the  high  school  at  Midway,  Ala. 
While  in  the  discharge  of  his  duties  at  this  place  his  health  failed 
and  he  died  in  September,  1S68.  His  remains  were  brought  back  to 
South  Carolina  and  interred  in  Tabernacle  cemetery,  near  Cokes- 
bury, S.  C,  where  lie  also  the  remains  of  Gen.  Gary  and  many  other 
noted  Confederates.  His  widow  now  resides  at  Edgefield,  S.  C.  His 
children,  Nathan  George  Evans,  John  Gary  Evans,  Barnard  Bee 
Evans  and  Mary  Evans,  have  all  reached  their  majority,  and  are  re- 
ceiving honors  from  a  grateful  state,  which  loved  to  honor  their 
father. 

Paul  Hayne,  the  sweet  singer  of  the  south,  thus  sings  of  him  in  a 
poem  entitled 

"  EVANS. " 

"Hero  of  I^eesburg,  thou  whose  might 
And  valor  in  the  deepest  fight 
Back  by  tliy  faithful  southrons  hurled 
Our  foemen  to  the  under  world. 

*         #         w         ^.         « 

Hero  of  Kinston,  not  in  vain 

Hath  wrought  tliy  sword,  hath  toiled  thy  brain. 

Our  mother-land  sublimely  true 

Where  all  her  trust  and  praise  are  due 

Shall  greet  thee  with  her  tenderest  grace, 

Shall  fold  thee  in  her  close  embrace 

Her  loving  arms  around  thee  thrown. 

Her  great  heart  throbbing  next  thine  own, 

Who  —  who  this  matchless  tribute  won 

Dare  strike  the  mother  thro'  her  son." 


428  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 


CAPTAIN  JOHN  PETER  MICKLER, 

a  prominent  and  honored  citizen  of  Greenwood,  Abbeville  county, 
S.  C,  was  born  in  Lexington  county,  S.  C,  April  21,  1824.  His  father 
was  Christian  Mickler,  born  in  Fairfield  county,  S.  C,  September  8, 
1792,  a  farmer  by  occupation.  He  died  in  1878.  He  was  the  son  of 
Peter  Mickler,  a  native  of  Germany,  who  was  one  among  the  early 
emigrants  of  that  country  to  South  Carolina.  The  maiden  name  of 
Capt.  iMIckler's  mother  was  Mary  Bouknight,  a  native  of  Lexington 
county,  S.  C,  born  in  1798.  She  was  the  daughter  of  John  Bouknight, 
Esq.,  a  native  of  Germany,  who  came  to  America  with  his  father, 
George  Bouknight,  upon  the  same  vessel  that  brought  Peter  Mickler 
to  this  country.  Capt.  Mickler's  mother  died  in  186S.  He  was 
reared  to  the  age  of  twenty-two  on  a  farm  in  Lexington  county,  re- 
ceiving a  good  common  school  education.  Between  the  ages  of 
twenty-one  and  twenty-two,  on  December  16,  1845,  he  married  Miss 
Carolina  A.  Smith,  a  native  of  Newberry  county,  S.  C,  daughter  of 
Daniel  Smith,  whose  father,  Thomas  Smith,  emigrated  from  Germany 
to  America  on  the  same  vessel  that  bore  Peter  Mickler  and  George 
Bouknight.  Mr.  Mickler's  mother  was  Charlotte  Leaphart,  whose 
paternal  grandfather  likewise  emigrated  to  America  from  Germany. 
A  year  after  his  marriage  Capt.  Mickler  located  at  a  place  called 
Oakland,  in  Edgefield  county,  where  he  resided  for  a  period  of 
twenty-three  years,  and  of  which  place  he  served  as  postmaster 
eighteen  years.  He  settled  in  Edgefield  county  in  1847,  and  from  that 
year  until  1855,  besides  attending  to  his  duties  as  postmaster,  he  car- 
ried on  farming.  In  the  latter-named  year  he  engaged  in  mercantile 
pursuits,  and  with  the  exception  of  two  or  three  years  during  the  war, 
he  remained  in  business  at  that  place  until  December,  1868.  In  1863 
he  entered  the  military  service  of  the  Confederacy,  and  for  one  year 
was  on  post  guard  duty  at  Columbia,  S.  C.  In  the  spring  of  1864  he 
was  discharged  in  accordance  with  the  provisions  of  an  act  of  the 
Confederate  congress,  which  exempted  from  military  duty  certain 
white  men  to  look  after  the  colored  people.  In  the  fall  of  1864  he 
re-entered  the  military  service,  the  state  of  South  Carolina  having 
called  for  all  the  exempted  men,  and  all  boys  over  sixteen  years  of 
age.  Mr.  Mickler  was  elected  captain  of  Company  E,  Seventh  regi- 
ment of  South  Carolina  state  troops,  and  commanded  that  company 
from  the  fall  of  1864  until  the  end  of  the  war.  His  service  was 
wholly  performed  within  the  state.  In  December,  186S,  Capt.  Mickler 
removed  from  Edgefield  county  to  West  Union,  Oconee  county, 
where  he  remained  until  1882,  and  then  removed  to  Walhalla,  where 
he  resided  until  October,  1889,  devoting  his  attention  to  merchandis- 
ing, until  within  a  few  months  of  the  time  of  his  removal  from  that 
place.  On  the  15th  of  October,  1S89,  he  removed  to  Greenwood, 
S.  C,  and  that  place  has  been  his  home  ever  since,  though  at  the 
present  time,  he  is  temporarily  sojourning  with  his  children  at  West 
Union.     Singularly  enough,  on  the   15th  of  October,  1S90,  just  one 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  429 

year  to  a  day  to  the  time  he  located  in  Greenwood,  he  had  the  mis- 
fortune to  lose  his  residence  by  fire.  Since  locating  in  Greenwood, 
his  attention  has  been  confined  to  the  management  of  his  farming 
interests,  which  are  extensive.  He  owns  four  farms  in  Oconee 
county  and  two  in  Edgefield  county.  He  also  carries  on  a  manufac- 
turing business,  being  the  largest  stockholder  in  the  Greenwood  Oil 
&  Fertilizer  company,  in  which  he  is  also  a  director.  He  is- a  stock- 
holder in  the  Bank  of  Greenwood,  and  the  Bank  of  Johnston,  and 
also  in  the  Broad  River  Bridge  company.  As  the  patron  of  educa- 
tion he  is  a  trustee  of  the  Walhalla  Female  college.  His  religious 
views  are  in  accord  with  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  of  which 
he  is  a  member  and  an  officer,  his  membership  and  official  capacity 
dating  back  as  many  as  thirty  years.  He  is  a  Royal  Arch  Mason.  In 
politics  he  is  a  democrat,  has  served  as  intendant  of  West  Union 
several  years,  and  as  councilman  of  Walhalla.  He  served  as  a  mem- 
ber of  the  board  of  county  commissioners  of  Edgefield  county  six- 
teen years.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mickler  have  living  four  children,  all 
e.xcept  one  of  whom  are  daughters. 

WILLIAM  GARY    WATSON, 

a  prominent  planter  of  Anderson  county,  S.C.,  was  born  in  the  county 
in  which  he  resides  six  miles  southwest  of  the  city  of  Anderson,  Jul}'  9, 
1831.  He  was  the  son  of  David  M.  Watson,  also  a  native  of  Ander- 
son county,  having  been  born  on  the  same  plantation  on  which  W.G. 
Watson  was  born.  He  was  a  farmer  by  occupation,  and  died  in  1843. 
His  father  was  Jonathan  Watson,  a  native  of  Virginia,  a  Revolutionary 
soldier,  and  a  farmer  by  occupation.  His  father  was  a  native  of  Ire- 
land. W.  G.  Watson's  mother  was  Mary  Gary,  a  native  of  Newberry 
county,  and  a  daughter  of  John  Gary,  a  native  of  \'irginia,  he  being 
the  son  of  Thomas  Gary,  a  Revolutionary  soldier  and  a  Virginian  by 
birth.  Maternally,  W.  G.  Watson  was  of  Irish  descent.  His  mother 
died  in  1880.  William  G.  Watson  was  reared  on  a  farm  in  Anderson 
county,  which  has  been  his  home  all  his  life.  He  received  a  common 
school  education.  At  sixteen  j'ears  of  age  he  was  left  in  charge  of 
his  mother's  farm,  and  attended  it  until  the  breaking  out  of  the  war. 
He  entered  the  service  of  the  Confederate  army  in  March,  1861,  in 
Col.  Orr's  regiment,  McGowan's  brigade.  Company  G,  as  a  private, 
serving  eighteen  months,  and  coming  out  with  the  rank  of  sergeant. 
Owing  to  impaired  health  in  the  fall  of  1862,  he  was  obliged  to  return 
home.  On  entering  the  service  he  weighed  156  pounds,  but  when  he 
left  he  weighed  but  ninety-six  pounds.  After  spending  two  months 
at  home  recuperating  himself,  he  joined  Trenholm's  squadron  cav- 
alry command,  with  which  he  served  eight  months,  when  he  was 
transferred  to  Virginia,  and  placed  in  the  Seventh  South  Carolina 
regiment,  Company  B,  commanded  by  Col.  A.  C.  Haskell,  serving 
until  the  end  of  the  war.  Upon  one  occasion  a  ball  struck  the  breech 
of  his  gun,  glanced  and  killed  his  file  leader  in  front.  The  concussion 
produced  a  large  carbuncle,  but  aside  from   this  he   escaped  unhurt. 


430  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

In  the  summer  of  1864  he  was  detailed  to  take  charge  of  the  broken- 
down  horses  of  his  command,  his  duty  being  to  recruit  and  prepare 
them  for  service,  and  he  continued  in  this  capacity  until  the  close  of 
the  war.  From  the  war  he  returned  to  Anderson  county,  and  farmed 
for  one  year  the  home  farm.  In  February,  1866,  he  was  married  to 
Amanda  E.  Allen,  of  Abbeville  county,  a  daughter  of  Charles  P. 
Allen.  After  his  marriage,  he  located  upon  another  farm  in  the  same 
neighborhood,  engaging  in  the  pursuit  for  himself.  He  has  devoted 
his  whole  energy  to  that  business  ever  since,  and  has  made  a  brilliant 
success,  being  now  one  of  the  most  thrifty  and  progressive  farmers 
in  South  Carolina.  He  located  upon  the  farm  he  now  occupies,  one 
mile  and  three-quarters  south  of  Anderson,  in  1886.  This  farm,  which 
he  improved  himself,  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful  country  places  in 
Anderson  county.  Aside  from  farming,  he  has  been  interested  as  a 
silent  partner  in  the  mercantile  business,  and  is  now  a  partner  in  a 
store  in  Barnes  Station,  Anderson  county.  He  is  a  stockholder  in 
the  Farmers'  and  Merchants'  bank,  of  Anderson,  is  also  a  stockholder 
in  the  Anderson  Cotton  Mills,  the  Anderson  Shoe  and  Leather  com- 
pany, the  Anderson  Ginnery  company,  and  the  Chiquola  Hotel  com- 
pany. This  hotel  cost  $65,000,  and  is  one  of  the  finest  in  South 
Carolina.  Mr.  Watson  is  a  stockholder  and  trustee  in  the  Patrick 
Military  institute,  of  Anderson,  and  is  a  stockholder  in  the  Savannah 
Valley  railroad.  Upon  his  land  there  are  raised  annually  about  500 
bales  of  cotton.  He  is  a  communicant  of  the  Baptist  church,  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Knights  of  Honor  and  the  Sons  of  Temperance.  In  pol- 
itics he  is  a  democrat.  He  and  his  wife  have  had  six  children,  all 
living,  four  sons  and  two  daughters;  one  daughter  is  married. 

COL.  D.  KEATING  NORRIS 

was  born  in  Lower  St.  Matthews,  Orangeburg  county,  S.  C,  Novem- 
ber I,  1846,  and  moved  to  Anderson  county,  January,  1877,  where  he 
now  resides  on  his  splendid  estate.  Hickory  Flat.  He  discarded  his 
books  at  an  early  age,  joined  the  army  in  Company  F,  .Second  regi- 
ment, South  Carolina  heavy  artillery;  was  severely  wounded  at  the 
battle  of  BentonVille,  N.  C,  carrying  on  his  person  honorable  scars 
of  service  rendered  his  country,  and  was  surrendered  with  Johnston's 
army.  He  was  married  in  1877  to  Miss  Bessie  Caldwell,  of  Abbeville, 
a  lady  of  culture,  and  to  whose  inspiring  sympathy  no  little  of  his  suc- 
cess is  due.  From  his  father,  who  was  a  large  and  successful  ante 
belliun  planter,  he  imbibed  an  intense  love  for  farming  and  interest  in 
the  farmers'  welfare.  He  is  recognized  as  one  of  the  leading  farmers 
of  his  state,  and  is  frequently  called  upon  to  champion  their  cause  at 
home  and  abroad.  An  influential  member  of  the  alliance,  state  and 
national,  his  voice  and  talent  have  been  often  sought  and  used  for 
the  advancement  of  his  chosen  avocation.  He  took  a  leading  part  in 
the  inauguration  of  the  farmers'  movement  in  South  Carolina,  and 
was  president  of  the  State  Farmers'  association  for  two  years.  Ap- 
preciating his  fidelity  and  intelligent  interest  in  the  advancement  of 


m 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  431 

aHTiculture,  he  was  appointee!  by  its  founder,  the  late  Hon.  Thomas 
G.  Clemson,  a  life  trustee  of  the  Clemson  Agricultural  college,  the 
richest  endowed  of  its  kind  in  the  south.  He  is  president  of  the  Pen- 
dleton farmers'  society,  the  oldest  in  the  state  and  second  oldest  in  the 
United  States,  and  which  has  enrolled  among  its  members  such  dis- 
tinguished men  as  Thomas  Pinckney,  Andrew  Pickens,  C.  C.  Pinck- 
ney,  Josiah  D.  Gailliard,  J.  C.  Calhoun,  Thomas  G.  Clemson  and 
others.  Col.  Norris  was  promirrently  spoken  of  for  governor  in  1888, 
and  was  selected  as  the  farmers'  candidate  for  congress  from  his  dis- 
trict (3rd),  in  iSqo.  He  made  a  masterly  fight  against  three  of  the 
ablest  lawyers  in  the  district,  and  was  only  defeated  by  twenty-three 
votes  in  a  total  of  over  1 1,000.  Col.  Norris  is  a  deacon  in  the  Pendle- 
ton Baptist  church,  of  dignified  demeanor,  commanding  personal  ap- 
pearance, with  a  well-balanced  mind,  clear  head  and  untiring  energy. 
Being  well  down  in  the  forties,  he  has  the  promise  of  much  honorable 
usefulness  before  him.  The  Charleston  JJ^of'/d,oi  May  16,  i8qo,  says: 
"Col.  Daniel  Keating  Norris  is  said  to  own  the  finest  country  place 
in  Anderson  county.  Hickory  Flat,  where  he  with  his  accomplished 
wife  dispenses  a  charming  hospitality.  His  father  was  a  successful 
and  wealthy  ante  belluni  planter,  and  under  his  training  and  influence 
his  son  obtained  an  all-absorbing  love  and  pride  for  his  avocation, 
which  he  has  uninterruptedly  and  successfully  pursued.  His  close 
intimacy,  w-ith  observation  and  intelligent  comprehension  of  affairs 
and  agriculture  generally,  since  the  war,  had  long  since  convinced  him 
of  the  necessity  of  a  better  equipment  for  those  who  would  engage  in 
it,  and  upon  the  commencement  of  the  agitation  four  years  ago,  for 
the  establishment  of  an  agriculture  college,  he  at  once  came  to  the 
front  as  one  of  its  warmest  friends.  Two  years  later  when  the  oppo- 
sition seemed  to  have  triumphed,  as  president  of  the  State  Farmers' 
association,  he  issued  his  bold  and  hopeful  address  to  the  friends  of 
agricultural  education,  headed,  "  Don't  Give  up  the  Ship,"  which  re- 
established confidence  and  faith  in  the  ultimate  success  of  the  move- 
ment. His  prominence  and  well  known  views  made  it  easy  for  Mr. 
Clemson  to  name  him  as  one  of  his  trustees,  and  the  board  will  have 
in  him  one  of  its  most  zealous  members."  Col.  Norris  is  a  member  of 
the  general  committee  of  the  Pan-Republic  congress,  having  been 
elected  in  18S1,  to  fill  one  of  the  vacancies  caused  by  death. 

HON.  THOMAS  W.  WOODWARD. 

The  Woodward  family  is  one  of  the  oldest  American  connections. 
It  has  furnished  men  of  patriotic  sentiments,  many  of  whom  have 
been  distinguished  for  great  gallantry  on  their  country's  battlefields, 
since  its  settlement  in  the  new  world  many  generations  age.  The 
Hon.  Thomas  W.  Woodward,  the  immediate  subject  of  this  biograph- 
ical mention,  is  the  great-grandson  of  Thomas  Woodward,  a  Virgin- 
ian, whose  father  was  also  named  Thomas.  The  latter  was  born 
near  Annapolis,  Md.,  his  ancestors  having  come  to  this  country  from 
England  with  George  Calvert  Baron,  of  Baltimore,  and   settled    in 


432  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

Maryland,  A.  D.  1634.  The  name,  Woodward,  is  derived  from  tlie 
occupation  of  those  who  were  wood  wards  —  one  who  protects  a  for- 
est, and  indicates  that  the  family  is  of  gentle  origin,  and  originated 
in  the  time  of  William  of  Normandy,  1066.  Thomas  the  elder,  was 
married  twice.  After  the  death  of  his  first  wife,  who  bore  him  sev- 
eral children,  he  removed  to  Fairfax  count}',  Ya.,  and  there  married 
Elizabeth  Simpson,  a  lady  of  Scotch  parentage.  Their  one  son  was 
Thomas,  "  The  Regulator."  He  distinguished  himself  in  the  French 
and  Indian  wars.  His  marriage  resulted  in  the  birth  of  four  daugh- 
ters anci  two  sons,  the  names  of  the  latter  being  John  and  William. 
Both  served  in  the  Revolution  as  patriotic  soldiers.  Some  time  af- 
ter the  independence  of  the  states  had  been  established  William  was 
elected  to  congress,  and  in  after  years  became  a  Baptist  clergyman, 
and  died  at  Chester,  S.  C.  John  died  at  an  advanced  age  in  Fair- 
field county,  S.  C.  Thomas,  the  father  of  the  Regulator,  came  to 
Fairfield  county,  S.  C,  several  years  prior  to  the  Revolution,  and  at 
the  outbreak  of  that  struggle  raised  one  of  the  first  companies  to 
serve  in  the  Colonial  army.  He  was  killed  on  Dutchman's  creek,  in 
Fairfield  county,  S.  C,  in  a  fight  with  the  British  and  tories.  May  12, 
I77g.  He  was  noted  for  his  dauntless  courage,  as  have  been,  indeed, 
all  his  family,  and  was  a  man  of  rugged  honestv  and  gentlemanly  in- 
stincts. He  married  for  his  second  wife  the  widow  May,  a  lady  of 
Indian  blood,  and  seven  children  were  born  to  them.  John  Wood- 
ward was  a  captain  in  the  Revolution.  He  married  Jemima  Collins, 
and  became  the  father  of  three  sons  and  three  daughters.  John 
spent  the  rest  of  his  days  in  Fairfield  county  as  a  planter.  One  of 
his  sons  was  W^illiam  T.  Woodward,  the  father  of  our  subject.  He 
was  graduated  from  the  South  Carolina  college,  and  followed  in  his 
father's  footsteps  as  a  planter.  For  several  terms  he  served  in  the 
state  legislature  with  efiiciency.  Harriet  Smart,  a  lady  of  rare  ac- 
complishments, a  native  of  South  Carolina,  became  his  wife,  and  bore 
him  three  children,  two  daughters  and  one  son.  The  Hon.  Thomas  W. 
Woodward,  the  son  above  mentioned,  was  born  on  the  plantation  in 
Fairfield  county,  S.  C,  which  has  been  in  his  family  since  a  portion  of 
it  was  granted  to  Thomas  the  Regulator  by  King  George  III.  His 
birth  occurred  May  7,  1833.  He  was  given  every  educational  ad- 
vantage, having  first  attended  the  Mount  Zion  college,  later  Shir- 
ley's institute,  and  then  Wake  Forest  college,  of  North  Carolina, 
where  he  spent  a  few  months  in  1847.  In  the  fall  of  1S48  he  entered 
the  South  Carolina  college.  His  collegiate  career  was  cut  short  in 
his  junior  year  by  his  participation  in  the  famous  "  Steward  Hall  re- 
bellion," when  he  was  expelled  with  107  others.  His  mother  died  in 
his  childhood,  and  he  was  but  a  lad  when  his  father's  death  left  him 
an  orphan  under  the  care  of  his  uncle,  Mr.  Osmund  Woodward,  his 
'father's  executor.  February  15,  1855,  Mr.  Woodward  very  happily 
married  Miss  Cornelia  M.  Dantzler,  of  Orangeburg,  S.  C,  and  at 
that  time  settled  on  his  plantation,  and  turned  his  attention  to  the 
calling  of  his  fathers.  Mrs.  Woodward  died  in  1878.  Miss  Rebecca  V. 
Lyles,  daughter  of  Capt.  Thomas  M.   Lyles,  a  grandson  of  the  first 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  433 

white  settler  in  F"airfielcl  county,  became  his  second  wife.  In  1860-1 
Fairfield  county  elected  Mr.  Woodward  its  representative  in  the  leg- 
islature, and  he  was  a  member  of  the  session  which  called  the  con- 
vention of  secession,  and  his  vote  was  cast  for  that  measure.  He 
volunteered  as  a  private  in  the  Fairfield  F"encil)les,  at  the  outbreak, 
of  the  Civil  war,  and  upon  the  organization  of  the  Sixth  South  Car- 
olina volunteer  regiment  he  was  elected  maljor.  He  was  seriously 
wounded  at  the  battle  of  Dranesville.  Subsequently  he  re-enlisted 
as  a  private,  and  was  tendered  the  office  of  quartermaster  of  the 
Twentieth  volunteer  regiment.  Acting  in  that  capacity  Mr.  Wood- 
ward served  during  the  remaining  years  of  the  war.  His  regiment 
was  attached  to  Kershaw's  brigade  when  they  went  into  Virginia, 
and  Major  Woodward  surrendered  with  Johnston  at  Greensboro. 
Returning  to  his  home  after  the  last  struggle  of  the  Confederacy,  he 
resumed  his  occupation  as  a  planter,  and  has  since  continued  with  in- 
creasing success.  As  acting  chairman  of  the  Fairfield  county  demo- 
cratic committee  in  1876,  Mr.  Woodward  rendered  distinguished  aid 
to  the  cause  of  white  supremacy  and  purity  in  politics  in  the  state. 
He  has  always  been  a  staunch  and  loyal  supporter  of  the  democratic 
party,  and  has  antagonized  every  movement  that,  in  his  opinion, 
would  detract  from  the  success  of  democracy.  In  1890  he  took  a 
bold  stand  against  the  farmers'  alliance  movement,  as  conducted,  and 
voted  and  worked  against  the  election  of  Gov.  Tillman.  Major 
Woodward  was  elected  senator  to  represent  his  county  in,  1884,  and 
was  re-elected  in  iSSS,  both  elections  having  been  without  opposition. 

HON.  JOHN  BRATTON. 

One  of  the  most  distinguished  gentlemen  of  South  Carolina  is  the 
Hon.  John  Bratton,  the  descendant  of  a  family  that  has  been  identi- 
fied with  the  development  of  .South  Carolina  since  its  reception  into 
the  union  of  states.  From  time  to  time  its  members  have  been  hon- 
ored by  the  people  with  important  trusts,  and  during  the  Revolution 
none  fought  more  valiantly  for  independence  of  government  than 
they.  Col.  William  Bratton  especially  distinguished  himself  during 
the  struggle  of  the  colonies  for  liberty.  His  career  is  so  conspicuous 
in  the  history  of  the  Revolution,  that  it  is  not  necessary  to  give  it  in 
detail  here.  Suffice  it  to  say  that  Col.  William  Bratton  was  a  Vir- 
ginian of  the  noblest  descent.  Prior  to  the  Revolution  he  came,  with 
several  kinsmen,  to  York  county,  .S.  C,  and  rose  to  great  prominence 
in  his  new  home;  first,  as  a  planter,  and  then  as  the  leader  of  the 
York  county  forces,  who  fought  in  the  war  for  American  independence 
under  Sumter.  His  son  William  was  among  the  first  pupils  and  gradu- 
ates in  Mount  Zion  college,  of  Winnsboro,  S.  C,  and  after  severing  his 
connection  with  that  famous  institution,  he  made  Winnsboro  his 
home,  and  passed  the  remainder  of  his  life  there.  Receiving  a  thor- 
ough medical  training,  under  the  tutelage  of  Dr.  Rush,  a  celebrated 
physician,  of  Philadelphia,  William  Bratton  devoted  the  greater  part 
of  his  life  to  that  noble  calling,  and  rose  to  eminence  as  a  most  skill- 
A— 28 


434  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

ful  physician  and  surgeon.  He  married  a  daughter  of  Gen.  Winn, 
for  whom  Winnsboro  was  named,  and  to  their  union  four  children 
were  ijorn.  The  motlier  died  in  early  life,  and  the  father  then  mar- 
ried Miss  Isabella  Means,  daughter  of  John  Means,  of  Granby,  .S.C. 
John  Means  removed  with  his  parents  to  South  Carolina,  from  Bos- 
ton, Mass.  To  this  latter  marriage  four  children  were  born,  of  which 
John  is  the  youngest.  The  latter  was  born  at  Winnsboro,  S.  C.,  In 
the  house  once  owned  and  occupied  by  Gen.  Winn,  on  the  7th  of 
March,  1S31.  Having  been  given  every  educational  advantage  in 
his  boyhood,  he  was  graduated  from  Mount  Zion  college,  of  his 
native  town,  and  in  1850  was  graduated  from  the  South  Carolina  col- 
lege, at  Columbia.  Three  years  later  he  completed  a  course  in  the 
South  Carolina  medical  college,  at  Charleston,  and  soon  thereafter 
began  the  practice  of  medicine  in  his  native  county.  Until  the  out- 
break of  the  Civil  war  he  continued  in  his  profession  with  success, 
and  at  that  time  answered  the  first  call  for  troops  under  the  "Ten 
Regiment"  act,  and  was  enlisted  as  a  private.  He  was  soon  made 
captain,  served  in  that  capacity  during  the  bombardment  of  Fort 
Sumter,  and  until  the  state  troops  were  called  on  to  enlist  in  the  Con- 
federate service.  His  company  declined  to  respond,  and  he  again 
enlisted  as  a  private,  and,  with  twenty-three  men  of  his  old  company, 
helped  to  fill  up  another  company  of  the  Sixth  regiment  that  did 
enlist.  The  regiment  was  soon  ordered  to  Virginia,  and,  on  the  eve 
of  its  departure,  a  vacancy  occurring,  he  was  selected  to  fill  it,  and 
became  junior  second-lieutenant  of  Company  C,  Sixth  South  Caro- 
lina regiment,  C.  S.  A.  He  served  as  such  until  the  term  of  service 
(one  year)  for  which  they  enlisted  expired.  While  in  winter  quarters, 
at  Centerville,  he  urged  the  re-enlistment,  for  the  war,  of  the  regiment 
in  its  entirety  without  disturbing  its  organization.  This  proposition 
failed,  but  he  and  eighteen  men  of  his  old  company  (all  that  re- 
mained) re-enlisted.  Gen.  Johnston,  hearing  of  the  little  movement, 
was  pleased  to  encourage  it,  and  they  succeeded  in  re-enlisting  the 
first  company  of  one-year  men  in  Johnston's  army.  This  resulted  in 
the  re-enlistment  of  about  all  the  able-bodied  men  of  the  Sixth,  that 
survived  that  year  of  camp  life  and  sickness;  for  they  had,  during 
that  year,  but  one  fight,  and  that  in  the  last  month  of  the  year  —  the 
battle  of  Drainesville.  In  this  battle  was  not  only  what  was  a  sur- 
prise, but  a  veritable  trap,  into  which  the  usually  alert  and  skillful  Job 
Stuart  innocently  and  unsuspectingly  marched.  The  conduct  of  Brat- 
ton,  known  in  camp  as  the  "strict  lieutenant"  and  the  imprint  of  that 
disfavor  which  is  the  lot  of  the  subaltern  who  adheres  to  discipline, 
attracted  the  attention  and  commanded  the  confidence  of  the  entire 
regiment.  At  the  reorganization  of  the  re-enlisted  battalion  (there 
were  only  men  enough  for  si.x  full  companies)  he  declined  to  oppose 
his  captain  and  first-lieutenant,  both  of  whom  aspired  to  the  com- 
mand of  the  re-enlisted  company,  and  refused  to  enter  into  any 
contention  for  office.  He  was  again  a  private  when  the  utterly 
"unsuspected"  occurred.  He  was  elected  to  the  command  of  the 
re-enlisted  battalion,   which  was  in  a  short  time  filled  up  to  a  regi- 


•  SOUTH   CAROLINA.  435 

ment,  of  which  he  afterward  became  colonel.  On  the  battlefield  of 
the  Wilderness,  where  he  conducted  himself  with  the  greatest  valor 
and  brilliancy,  he  was  made  brigadier-general.  Gen.  I^ee  sent  a  tele- 
gram to  the  war  department  at  Richmond,  on  the  night  of  the  second 
day's  fight,  requesting  the  immediate  promotion  and  confirmation  of 
Col.  Bratton.  His  request  was  fully  complied  with  on  the  next  day. 
When  the  great  Lee  surrendered  at  Appomatox,  Gen.  Bratton  com- 
manded the  largest  brigade  of  the  surrendered  army.  Though  fight- 
ing and  holding  the  enemy  in  check  by  day,  and  marching  by  night 
(continuously  from  Amelia  C.  H.),  that  glorious  old  brigade 
was  so  well  held  together  that  it  reached  Appomatox  stronger  than 
any  division,  and  than  any  corps,  except  that  to  which  it  belonged 
(Longstreet's)  in  the  surrendered  army.  If  it  is  true  that  Gen.  Lee 
had  only  8,000  men  under  arms,  Bratton's  brigade  constituted  nearly 
one-fifth  of  the  surrendered  army.  Officers  and  men  of  the  brigade 
paroled,  aggregated  about  1,500.  His  brigade  maintained  its  organ- 
ization after  the  surrender,  and  voluntered  the  same  respect  for  his 
authority  that  it  had  under  military  law,  and  thus  enabled  him  to 
conduct  them  in  an  orderly  march  to  Danville,  where  railroad  trans- 
portation was  secured  for  a  part  of  their  weary  way  home.  All  other 
commands  disbanded  and  scattered  from  Appomatox.  This  action  of 
his  men  showed  in  what  great  respect  he  was  held  by  them.  During  the 
war  Gen.  Bratton  was  familiarly  known  as  "  Old  Reliable,"  and  greater 
praise  cannot  be  bestowed  than  to  say,  through  it  all  he  honored  the 
proud  blood  that  flowed  in  his  veins,  from  both  mother  and  father. 
When  all  was  over  Gen.  Bratton  returned  to  Fairfield  county,  and  at 
once  set  about  the  welfare  of  his  people.  Since  that  time  his  career 
has  been  co-extensive  with  the  history  of  his  state.  He  did  not 
resume  his  profession,  but  instead,  turned  his  attention  to  planting, 
in  which  he  has  succeeded  well.  In  1866  Fairfield  county  elected  him 
to  represent  her  in  the  state  senate.  He  was  a  delegate  to  all  tax- 
payers' unions  of  South  Carolina;  and  in  1876  was  chairman  of  the 
South  Carolina  delegates  to  the  national  democratic  convention,  and 
for  many  years  was  chairman  of  the  Fairfield  county  democratic  com- 
mittee. In  1880  he  was  chairman  of  the  state  democratic  committee, 
and  in  1881,  upon  the  resignation  of  the  comptroller  of  the  state,  the 
legislature  called  him  to  fill  the  vacancy.  In  1884  he  was  elected  to 
fill  the  unexpired  term  in  congress,  of  Hon.  John  E.  Evans,  deceased. 
During  the  great  campaign  of  1876,  Gen.  Bratton  stood  shoulder  to 
shoulder  with  Gen.  Hampton,  and  won  many  victories  for  official 
purity  and  white  supremacy;  and,  indeed,  so  valued  were  his  ser- 
vices at  that  dark  hour,  that  he  has  since  been  urged  as  a  fit  candi- 
date for  the  gubernatorial  chair.  At  the  inception  of  the  farmers' 
alliance  movement,  Gen.  Bratton  clung  to  democracy,  and  was  the 
candidate  of  his  party,  for  governor,  against  Benjamin  Tillman,  by 
whom  he  was  defeated.  For  many  years  Gen.  Bratton  has  served  as 
a  trustee  of  the  State  University,  and  has  ever  taken  a  deep  interest 
in  all  public  movements  oromising  good.     In  1859,  Miss  Elizabeth  P. 


436  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

DuBose,  daughter  of  Theodore  S.  DuBose,  became  his  wife,  and  they 
are  the  parents  of  three  children. 

SMILIE  A.  GREGG. 

Prominent  among  the  founders  of  Florence  county  appears  the 
name  of  Smilie  A.  Gregg,  a  man  of  much  ability  and  integrity.  He 
was  born  at  Society  Hill,  Darlington  county,  S.  C,  May  i,  1838,  his 
parents  being  J.  Eli  and  Sallie  E.  (Edwards)  Gregg,  both  natives  of 
South  Carolina.  The  former  was  a  leading  merchant  of  his  time,  hav- 
ing been  president  of  the  Wilmington  &  Manchester  railroad,  and 
also  president  of  the  Merchants'  bank,  at  Cheraw.  He  was  one  of 
the  prime  organizers  of  the  Piedmont  Manufacturing  company,  and 
was  a  director  in  that  concern.  He  was  also  a  director  in  the  Central 
bank,  of  Columbia,  in  the  First  National  bank,  of  Wilmington,  and 
in  the  Navassar  Guano  company,  of  Wilmington.  He  began  his 
business  career  as  an  impecunious  clerk  in  a  general  store,  but  at  the 
outbreak  of  the  war  was  estimated  to  be  worth  more  than  half  a 
million  dollars.  He  was  acknowledged  to  be  one  of  the  ablest  finan- 
ciers in  the  state,  and  was  a  man  of  liberal  culture  and  refinement. 
Charitable  and  progressive  to  a  degree,  his  death  in  1873,  was  a  pub- 
lic calamity.  He  died,  aged  sixty-eight  years,  his  wife  having  died  at 
the  age  of  thirty-six,  June  16,  1847.  They  were  the  parents  of  two 
daughters  and  four  sons.  The  mother  was  eminently  fitted  to  be  the 
helpmate  of  her  distinguished  husband,  and  her  loss  was  keenly  felt 
in  the  dwellings  of  the  poor,  as  well  as  in  her  own  beautiful  home. 
Smilie  Gregg,  the  fourth  child  born  to  these  parents,  was  educated 
at  Mount  Zion  high  school,  and  later  at  the  South  Carolina  college, 
from  which  he  was  graduated  in  1858.  At  the  age  of  twenty-one  he 
began  business  for  himself,  by  turning  his  attention  to  planting.  In 
1878  he  embarked  in  the  mercantile  business,  but  discontinued  that 
in  1886.  In  iS6[  Mr.  Gregg  enlisted  in  Company  H,  Eighth  South 
Carolina  regiment  of  volunteer  infantry,  as  orderly  sergeant  of  the 
company.  He  took  a  valiant  part  in  the  first  battle  of  Manassas, 
fought  in  a  skirmish  at  Germantown,  and  in  1862  joined  Gregg's  bat- 
tery, Manigault's  battalion  of  artillery.  This  battery  got  its  name 
from  Capt.  Thomas  E.  Gregg,  Charles  E.  Gregg,  senior  first  lieuten- 
ant and  Smilie  Gregg,  its  junior  first  lieutenant.  Until  March,  1864, 
Lieut.  Gregg  served  with  that  battery  on  James  Island.  At  the  latter 
date  Capt.  Gregg  applied  for  a  transfer  of  his  battery  to  the  army  of 
northern  Virginia,  and  they  were  sent  to  the  relief  of  the  Pee  Dee 
artillery.  At  Cold  Harbor  they  joined  Lee,  and  the  following  day 
went  into  the  battle  of  Cold  Harbor.  After  this  engagement  they 
served  for  the  remainder  of  thp  war  in  the  trenches  around  Peters- 
burg, having  fought  in  these  noted  engagements  beside  many  others 
of  minor  importance,  Battery  No.  5,  Davis's  Farm  and  Hatcher's 
Run.  During  the  last  day's  fight  at  Petersburg  Lieut.  Smilie  Gregg 
was  grievously  wounded  in  the  head,  receiving  a  wound  from 
which  only  one  other  man  has  recovered  so  far  as  known.     He  was 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  437 

taken  prisoner  and  conveyed  to  the  old  capitol  prison  at  Washington, 
I).  C,  and  it  was  through  the  kindly  offices  and  great  skill  of  Ur. 
Ford,  of  Baltimore,  a  detailed  sergeant  in  the  Union  army  in  charge 
the  old  capitol  prison  hospital,  that  he  was  saved.  Later  he  was  taken 
to  Johnston  Island  prison,  where  he  was  also  well  treated,  receiving  the 
tenderest  care  from  his  comrades  in  arms.  In  1865  he  was  released 
and  sent  to  Baltimore  on  his  way  home.  In  New  York  he  was 
treated  by  Dr.  Sands,  his  wound  at  this  time  being  in  such  a  condition 
that  every  pulsation  of  the  brain  could  be  seen.  Several  shattered 
bones  were  removed  from  his  skull  by  this  eminent  physician,  and  on 
the  4th  of  July  he  returned  to  his  home  to  gladden  the  hearts  of 
those  who  had  thought  him  dead.  Mr.  Gregg  has  given  time,  money 
and  ability  to  the  advancement  of  Florence  county.  When  others 
failed,  he  stuck  to  the  proposed  plan  of  obtaining  a  county  charter 
for  what  is  now  Florence  county,  and  the  success  of  the  plan  was  due 
in  great  part  to  his  efforts.  Progressive  and  keenly  alive  to  the  best 
interests  of  the  community,  his  name  is  honored  and  respected  where- 
ever  known.  July  20th,  1859,  Miss  S.  L.  McCown  became  his  wife, 
and  four  children  were  born  to  them,  one  of  whom  is  Smilie  A.,  Jr., 
now  cashier  of  the  Bank  of  Florence.  The  mother  died  in  1874, 
aged  forty-three  years.  His  second  marriage  was  to  Miss  Eulah  T. 
Howe,  who  died  in  1878,  at  the  age  of  twenty-four,  leaving  no  issue. 
In  1881  he  married  Miss  Minnie  E.  Gates.  Mr.  Gregg  is  a  deacon  of 
the  Presbyterian  church,  and  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  order. 
He  has  one  daughter  by  last  marriage,  Talula  C.  Gregg. 

HON.  JAMES  C.  COIT. 

Among  the  leading  men  of  the  state  of  South  Carolina  to-day, 
appears  the  name  of  the  Hon.  James  C.  Coit,  who  has  held  many  of 
the  most  honored  offices  within  the  gift  of  the  people,  and  is  now  the 
president  of  the  farmers'  alliance  exchange,  of  South  Carolina.  His 
birth  occurred  in  Marlborough  county,  S.  C.,  in  October,  1S32,  and  he 
is  a  son  of  David  G.  and  Maria  (Campbell)  Coit.  The  mother  was 
a  daughter  of  Capt.  Robert  Campbell,  who  fought  in  the  Revolution 
as  a  British  officer.  Subsequently  he  settled  in  Marlborough  count}^ 
David  G.  Coit  prepared  himself  for  the  practice  of  the  law,  but  after 
a  few  years  abandoned  his  profession  and  turned  his  attention  to  ag- 
riculture, in  which  he  was  engaged  at  the  time  of  his  death.  Both 
parents  were  devout  members  of  the  Presbyterian  church,  and  died 
in  that  faith,  the  father  in  1837,  aged  thirty-six,  and  the  mother  ten 
years  later,  at  the  age  of  fortj'-two  years.  James  C.  and  Miss  Lucia  B. 
Coit  are  the  only  surviving  children  of  the  eight  born  to  them. 
James  C.  Coit  was  left  an  orphan  at  an  early  age.  He  obtained  a 
liberal  education  at  Hart's  academy,  in  Farmington,  Conn.,  later 
spending  three  years  in  the  South  Carolina  college,  and  in  1854  he 
was  graduated  from  Princeton  college,  N.  J.  He  then  entered  the 
Troy  Polytechnical  institute  at  Troy,  N.  Y.,  and  completed  the  course 
in   civil  engineering  in  that  school  in  1S58,  having  been  graduated 


438  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

with  the  highest  honors  of  his  class,  as  valedictorian.  Returning  to 
his  home  in  South  Carolina  he  was  there  engaged  as  a  civil  engineer 
until  1861,  and  in  the  latter  year  offered  his  services  to  the  Confeder- 
ate cause,  by  enlisting  in  the  artillery  service  as  a  captain.  Much  of 
his  fighting  was  done  in  Virginia  under  the  great  Lee.  Capt.  Coit, 
then  major  of  artillery,  was  in  command  of  a  battalion  of  artillery  on 
the  Petersburg  lines,  one  of  his  batteries  having  been  blown  up  by 
the  explosion  of  Grant's  mine,  known  as  the  "Crater."  He  also 
served  on  the  Black  Water,  about  Richmond,  the  Chickahominy,  and 
in  other  noted  fields.  He  was  made  lieutenant-colonel  of  artillery 
before  the  close  of  the  war,  and  on  the  final  retreat  fell  back  »vith 
Lee's  army,  and  surrendered  with  that  general  at  Appomatox.  His 
war  record  is  clean,  and  shows  that  he  was  always  to  be  found  at  his 
post  of  duty  with  mind  and  heart  devoted  to  his  work.  After  the 
close  of  hostilities  Maj.  Coit  turned  his  attention  to  planting,  having 
spent  one  year  in  the  turpentine  business  prior  to  that.  In  1S67  he 
was  sent  to  the  legislature  of  the  state,  to  fill  an  unexpired  term,  and 
was  re-elected  in  1874,  serving  until  1S78.  During  the  session  of 
1876-77,  a  commission  was  appointed  by  the  legislature,  known  as  the 
"Bond  Commission,"  its  duties  being  to  investigate  the  bonded  in- 
debtedness of  the  state,  and  to  examine  all  vouchers  and  records 
upon  which  bonds  Jiad  been  issued.  This  examination  was  to  be 
made  during  the  recess  and  the  report  submitted  to  the  following  ses- 
sion. Mr.  Coit  was  a  member  of  this  commission,  and  rendered  dis- 
tinguished aid  in  its  work.  In  1878  he  was  elected  by  the  legislature 
to  the  office  of  commissioner  of  claims  for  a  term  of  one  year.  It 
was  the  duty  of  this  commissioner  to  adjudicate  on  all  outstanding 
claims  against  the  state,  other  than  bonds,  these  claims  amounting  to 
nearly  a  million  of  dollars.  All  claims  were  passed  upon  by  him, 
and  no  appeal  from  his  decision  could  be  taken.  His  report  to  the 
next  legislature  was  more  than  satisfactory,  and  resulted  in  his  elec- 
tion to  the  office  for  another  term.  He  was  elected  in  1880  comptrol- 
ler-general of  state,  but  resigned  before  the  close  of  his  term.  Since 
that  time  Mr.  Coit  has  declined  political  preferment  despite  the  ap- 
peals of  his  friends.  He  was  importuned  to  allow  his  name  to  be 
used  for  high  positions,  but  steadily  refused,  and  when  the  nomina- 
tion for  lieutenant-governor  of  the  state  was  offered  him  on  the 
ticket  with  Benjamin  R.  Tillman,  in  1890,  he  refused  to  become  a 
candidate.  He  now  holds  no  public  office  save  that  of  president  of 
the  farmers'  alliance  exchange  of  the  state.  Mr.  Coit  was  so  fortu- 
nate as  to  form  a  marriage  alliance  with  Miss  Sarah  E.  McLean, 
daughter  of  Dr.  Murdock  McLean,  of  Cheraw,  S.  C,  on  the  21st  of 
November,  1867,  and  thcmarriagc  has  been  most  happily  blessed  by 
the  birth  of  six  children  viz.:  David  G.,  John  M..  both  students  in 
the  Columbia  university,  members  of  the  class  of  i8gi;  James  C, 
Mary  E.,  Lucia  B.  and  Jennie  L.  Both  parents  and  the  four  eldest 
children  are  communicants  of  the  Presbyterian  church  of'  Cheraw, 
and  Mr.  Coit  is  an  elder  in  the  same.  He  is  also  a  prominent  mem- 
ber of  the   Masonic  Order.     In  all  his  public  and  private  career  no 


I 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  439 

reproach  has  attached  itself  to  this  man's  name.  He  has  adminis- 
tered the  offices  to  which  he  has  been  called,  from  time  to  time,  with 
great  ability  and  with  the  most  unswerving  integrity.  His  name  is 
held  in  respect  and  esteem  wherever  known,  and  the  quiet  modesty 
of  his  life  but  adds  the  more  to  his  honor. 

DR.  J.  W.  McKAY. 

The  life  and  career  of  Dr.  J.  W.  McKay,  at  one  time  an  eminent 
physician,  now  a  leading  business  man,  and  one  of  the  largest  land 
owners  in  the  state,  now  awaits  our  consideration.  Dr.  McKay  was 
born  in  Cumberland,  now  Harnett  county,  N.  C,  in  1818,  on  the  15th 
of  February.  His  parents  were  Neill  and  Flora  (McNeill)  McKay, 
both  natives  of  North  Carolina.  Mr.  Neill  McKay  was  a  planter, 
widely  known  in  the  section  where  he  lived  as  a  most  intelligent  and 
successful  agriculturist.  For  a  number  of  years  he  held  the  office 
of  magistrate,  and  for  more  than  a  quarter  of  a  century  was  a  ruling 
elder  in  the  Presbyterian  church.  His  wife  was  an  active  and  devout 
Christian  woman,  and  was  also  a  communicant  of  the  Presbyterian 
denomination.  Neill  McKay  passed  to  his  eternal  rest  in  1829,  at  the 
age  of  sixty-three  years,  his  wife  surviving  him  until  1865,  when  she 
died  at  the  age  of  eighty  years.  Of  their  eight  children,  four  are 
now  living.  The  son,  J.  W.  McKay,  was  given  a  liberal  education, 
having  been  graduated  from  Princeton  college  in  1837.  Under  the 
tutelage  of  Dr.  Benjamin  Robinson,  a  leading  physician  of  that  day, 
he  gained  his  first  knowledge  of  medicine,  and  subsequently  attended 
the  Medical  college  of  the  University  of  Pennsylvania.  In  1842  he 
entered  upon  the  practice  of  his  profession  in  his  native  coimty,  and 
continued  with  success  until  1852,  when  he  turned  his  practice  over 
to  a  brother-in-law,  Dr.  Murdock  McCloud,  and  gave  his  attention  to 
agriculture  and  the  lumber  and  naval  stores  business.  During  the 
war  between  north  and  south,  Dr.  McKay  served  as  a  member  of  the 
Home  Guards,  and  was  appointed  by  Gov.  Vance  to  furnish  supplies 
to  the  army,  and  the  families  of  the  soldiers.  This  selection  was  a  most 
happy  one,  as  he  did  much  to  alleviate  suffering,  and  greatly  aided 
the  cause  in  his  state.  After  the  war  he  removed  to  Rockingham,  in 
order  to  secure  more  favorable  opportunities  for  the  education  of  his 
children,  and  subsequently  took  up  his  residence  in  Cheraw,  S.  C, 
where  he  has  lived  since  1870.  His  ability  as  a  business  man  may 
best  be  judged  from  the  fact  that  he  now  owns  some  50,000  acres  of  land, 
all  of  which  is  covered  with  the  finest  timber.  He  employs  more  than 
a  hundred  operatives  in  his  turpentine  distilleries,  and  has  done  much 
to  advance  the  industries  of  the  community.  He  is  a  large  stock- 
holder in,  and  president  of,  the  Cheraw  Iron  works,  and  is  also  vice- 
president  of  the  Bank  of  Cheraw,  and  is  a  prominent  member  of  the 
Masonic  fraternity,  and  for  many  years  has  been  an  elder  of  the 
Presbyterian  church.  Dr.  McKay  has  been  most  happy  in  his  do- 
mestic relations,  havnng  married  Miss  Mary  James,  a  daughter 
of  the  late  -Rev.  R.  \V.  James,  who  lived  and  died  in  Sumter  county, 


440  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

S.  C,  where  he  was  esteemed  as  a  distinguished  clergyman  of  the 
Presbyterian  church.  Their  marriage  was  celebrated  in  1846,  and  has 
resulted  in  the  birth  of  the  following  named  children:  Rev.  Wilson 
James  McKay,  who  for  the  past  eighteen  years  has  been  in  charge  of 
the  Presbyterian  church,  on  Black  river,  over  which  his  eminent 
grandfather  presided  for  more  than  twenty-five  years  as  pastor.  The 
Rev.  Mr.  McKay  married  Miss  Sallie  Witherspoon,  and  their  two 
children  are:  John  Wilson  and  Hamilton  W^;  Sallie,  wife  of  R.  M. 
Mclntyre,  a  merchant  of  Wilmington.  These  children  have  been  born 
to  their  union,  viz.:  John,  Flora,  still  of  the  home  circle;  Mary  B.,  wife 
of  Y.  F.  Mallory,  of  Cheraw;  and  Robert  M.,  who  is  extensively  in- 
terested in  planting  in  North  Carolina,  and  also  associated  with  his 
father  in  business.  The  family  are  all  members  of  the  Presbyterian 
church. 

LYSANDER  D.  CHILDS 

was  born  in  Lincolnton,  N.  C,  July  6,  1S55.  He  was  a  son  of  Lysan- 
der  D.  Childs  and  Nancy  Hoke.  The  former  was  born  near  Baltimore 
in  181 1,  and  when  eighteen  years  of  age  came  to  North  Carolina, 
where  he  was  married  in  1839.  He  was  a  successful  manufacturer 
and  banker  in  Columbia,  S.  C,  where  he  moved  in  1861  up  to  the 
time  of  his  death  which  took  place  November  26,  1879.  The  mother 
was  a  daughter  of  Col.  John  Hoke,  a  wealthy  and  prominent  man  of 
North  Carolina.  Nine  children  were  born  to  them,  of  whom  only 
three  survive,  the  following:  William  G.,  Lysander  D.  and  Augustus 
Childs.  Their  grandfather  was  Dr.  Eben  Childs,  a  native  of  New 
York,  but  moved  to  North  Carolina  the  latter  years  of  his  life,  and 
died  in  i860,  having  obtained  great  eminence  as  a  physician.  Capt. 
L.  D.  Childs  received  his  final  education  at  the  Carolina  Military 
institute,  at  Charlotte,  N.  C.  He  has  been  chiefly  engaged  in  agricul- 
tural pursuits  during  his  life,  having  large  farming  interests  both  in 
the  upper  and  lower  parts  of  the  state.  He  first  began  the  insurance 
business  in  Columbia,  S.  C,  in  company  with  Capt.  R.  A.  Keenan^  the 
firm  being  known  as  Keenan  &  Childs.  In  1876  the  firm  being  dis- 
solved, he  turned  his  attention  to  agriculture,  first  by  himself  and 
then  in  company  with  his  brother.  W.  G.  Childs,  raising  hay  on  the 
large  plantation  once  known  as  "The  Hampton  place,"  but  left  them 
by  their  father,  an  area  of  several  thousand  acres  on  the  Congaree 
river.  The  product  has  proved  so  successful  that  the  "Childs  hay" 
has  gained  reputation  all  over  the  state.  In  connection  with  this  the 
brothers  established  a  machinery  depot  in  the  city,  but  they  gave  it 
up  soon  for  the  planting;  since  that  he  has  been  controlling  three 
plantations  and  gaining  wide  reputation  in  raising  stock  on  his 
meadows.  Capt.  Childs'  military  education  has  fitted  him  for  many 
prominent  positions  in  military  circles.  He  was  captain  of  the  Rich- 
land volunteers,  and  brought  that  well-known  organization  to  a  high 
degree  of  military  proficiency.  He  resigned  after  gaining  much  pop- 
ularity, and  left  much  regretted  by  his  comrades.    In  1S88  he  entered 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  44I 

the  political  field,  being  first  sent  to  the  state  convention  by  his  county 
as  chairman  of  the  delegation.  He  has  served  his  cotinty  two  terms, 
heading  the  list  of  delegates  in  each  election.  He  developed  imusual 
strength  in  county  as  well  as  in  city,  showing  he  is  deemed  a  fitting 
representative  of  all  classes  of  our  people.  He  served  his  constitu- 
ents with  much  acceptability,  making  a  record  as  a  member  for  ability, 
conscientiousness  and  independence,  showing  the  courage  of  his  con- 
victions and  his  devotion  to  the  popular  interests.  Although  a  dem- 
ocrat, he  is  a  strong  believer  in  state  and  national  prohibition,  and 
has  introduced  a  bill  in  the  legislature  looking  to  state  prohibition, 
which  is  now  pending.  Capt.  Childs  is  vice-president  of  the  Y.  M.C.A., 
of  Columbia,  and  has  contributed  largely  to  the  building  for  the  asso- 
ciation. He  is  one  of  the  leading  Methodists  of  the  state,  having 
been  elected  (although  the  youngest  among  them),  as  a  delegate  to 
the  general  conference  held  in  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  in  iSgo.  He  is  super- 
intendent of  the  Washington  Street  Methodist  Episcopal  Sunday- 
school,  and  holds  many  official  positions  in  the  church.  He  is  also 
devoted  to  works  of  charity.  At  present  his  property  interests  are 
extensive  and  varied.  Besides  being  a  large  planter  he  is  one  of  the 
directors  of  the  Carolina  National  bank,  of  Columbia,  and  a  member 
of  the  executive  committee  of  the  South  Carolina  Agricultural  and 
Mechanical  society.  He  is  connected  with  many  other  business  enter- 
prises of  the  city.  On  July  13,  1881,  he  was  united  in  marriage  to 
Miss  Bessie  Springs,  daughter  of  Major  R.  A.  Springs,  who  has  also 
represented  his  county  in  the  state  legislature.  Four  children  have 
been  born  to  them,  as  follows:  Lysander  D.,  Jeanie  B.,  Margaret 
Maxwell,  and  Richard  Austin  Childs.  Capt.  Childs  is  a  gentleman  of 
ample  means,  and  it  has  been  said  of  him  that  "his  heart  is  as  full 
of  goodness  as  his  purse  is  of  riches." 

JAMES  E.  TINDAL 

was  born  in  Clarendon  county,  S.  C,  February  i,  1839.  His  elemen- 
tary education  was  acquired  in  the  Clarendon  county  schools,  and  he 
afterward  attended  the  Furman  university,  at  Greenville,  S.  C. 
From  this  institution  he  graduated  in  the  class  of  1858,  and  then  went 
to  Bonne,  Germany,  and  remained  there  about  a  year  and  a  half. 
About  this  time  the  Civil  war  broke  out,  and  Mr.  Tindal  returned  to 
his  home  and  enlisted  in  August,  1861,  in  a  volunteer  regiment  organ- 
ized at  Charleston,  S.  C,  and  commanded  by  Col.  Martin.  Remain- 
ing only  a  few  months  with  that  regiment,  Mr.  Tindal  joined  the  ar- 
tillery in  Hugh  Gardin's  battery  of  the  Hampton  legion.  Not  long 
afterward  he  was  promoted  first  sergeant.  In  the  latter  part  of  1862 
the  battery  was  separated  from  Flampton's  Legion  and  placed  in  a 
battalion  of  artillery  commanded  by  Col.  John  C.  Haskell  of  Colum- 
bia, in  Gen.  Longstreet's  division  of  the  army  of  northern  Virginia. 
Mr.  Tindal  continued  in  the  service  till  the  surrender  at  Appomatox 
and  participated  in  the  second  battle  of  Manassas,  and  in  all  the  bat- 
tles of  the  army  of  Virginia  against  Grant's  army,  from  the  crossing 


442  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

of  the  Rapidan  to  the  close.  He  was  slightly  wounded  several  times. 
After  the  war  was  over  he  returned  home,  finding  all  his  negroes  free 
and  his  personal  property,  consisting  mostly  of  notes  of  hand,  can- 
celed by  proceedings  in  bankruptcy.  But  he  immediately  engaged  in 
farming  in  Clarendon  county,  and  has  ever  since  led  the  life  of  a 
planter.  Mr.  Tindal  was  married  first  in  1861  to  Mary  Anderson, 
daughter  of  A.  L.  Anderson,  of  York  county,  S.  C,  and  to  them  was 
born  one  child,  now  deceased.  The  wife  died  in  1S63,  and  he  mar- 
led in  1S66,  his  second  wife,  Miss  Mary  Connors,  daughter  of  M.  H. 
Connors  of  Clarendon  county.  Of  this  marriage  si.x  children  were 
born,  who  were  named  respectively,  Martha  Virginia,  Mary  Elizabeth, 
Margaret  Allen,  Jackson,  George  H.  and  Dana  Leslie  Tindal.  Mr.. 
Tindal  was  elected  to  the  South  Carolina  legislature  from  Clarendon 
county  in  1880,  and  was  re-elected  three  different  terms.  In  iSgo  he 
was  nominated  on  the  farmers'  alliance  ticket  for  secretary  of  state, 
and  was  elected.  His  father's  name  was  Henry  Fox  Tindal,  born  in 
Clarendon  county.  He  was  a  planter  and  was  twice  married,  first  in 
1837  to  Margaret  Allen,  daughter  of  E.  T.  Allen  of  Sumter  county, 
S.  C.,  of  whom  one  child,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  was  born.  She 
died  in  1840,  and  in  1843  the  father  married  for  his  second  wife  Miss 
Martha  M.  Rhame,  who  became  the  mother  of  eight  children.  The 
father  died  in  1872.  Mr.  Tindal's  grandfather  was  James  H.  Tindal, 
born  in  North  Carolina  about  the  year  1773.  He  went  to  South  Car- 
olina in  early  manhood  and  was  a  planter  by  occupation.  He  died 
in  1S32.  -Since  1876,  Mr.  Tindal,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  has  been 
a  member  of  the  democratic  county  executive  committee,  and  in  the 
campaign  of  that  year,  took  a  very  active  part.  In  1SS6  and  1888,  he 
canvassed  his  county  and  other  counties  in  favor  of  the  reform  move- 
ment. In  1890  he  made  a  state  canvass  and  did  able  and  effective 
work.  He  has  repeatedly  been  made  a  delegate  to  state  conventions, 
and  was  a  member  of  the  famous  "taxpayers'  convention"  in  1872. 

JOHN    H.   DUKES 

wasborn  in  Orangeburg  county,  January  10,  1S34,  the  son  of  John  W.  H. 
and  Martha  (Bugard)  Dukes,  both  native  of  that  county.  The  father 
was  a  prominent  planter.  Our  subject  was  the  eldest  child.  His  pre- 
liminary education  was  obtained  in  the  schools  at  Orangeburg.  At 
the  age  of  twenty  he  left  school  and  turned  his  attention  to  agricul- 
ture with  his  father.  Until  1862  he  was  thus  engaged.  In  the  latter 
year  he  enlisted  in  Company  A,  Fifth  regiment.  South  Carolina  cav- 
alry, commanded  by  Capt.  J.  C.  Edwards.  He  was  elected  sergeant 
of  his  company,  and  was  stationed  near  Charleston,  doing  active  duty 
along  the  coast  until  March,  1864,  when  his  company  was  sent  into 
Virginia.  Here  they  participated  in  most  of  the  more  important  en- 
gagements, among  them  being  Coal  Harbor,  Grimes's  Mill,  Hall's 
Shop  and  Trivillian  Station.  At  this  time  the  Fifth  cavalry  returned 
to  South  Carolina,  and  were  there  during  the  bombardment  of  Col- 
umbia, Sergt.  Dukes  being  among  the  last  to  leave  that  city.     I'rom 


SOUTH   CAROLINA.  443 

here  the)'  went  to  Fayettevillc,  N.  C.  Sergt.  Dukes  was  wounded  at 
Kilpatrick's  Camp,  and  was  removed  to  the  hospital  at  Fayettcville, 
and  while  there  was  captured  by  the  enemy.  Being  paroled  he  re- 
turned home  on  the  ist  of  April,  1865.  Just  before  receiving  his 
wound  he  was  promoted  to  a  lieutenancy,  but  did  not  obtain 
the  commission.  During  his  absence  his  wife  had  managed  the 
home  place,  and  on  his  return  he  took  up  his  work,  and  has  been 
actively  and  successfully  engaged  singe.  In  1886,  Mr.  Dukes  was 
elected  a  member  of  the  legislature  by  the  democratic  party,  and 
again  in  1S88  and  1S90.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity, 
and  is  an  active  communicant  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church. 
Mr.  Dukes  was  happily  married  to  Miss  Sophia  Johnson,  in  1857,  and 
to  their  union  have  been  born  eleven  boys  and  three  girls.  Success- 
ful in  business,  loyal  ,to  his  people  in  war  and  peace,  his  name  is  held 
in  high  esteem  wherever  known. 

W.  H.  HOOD. 

The  present  efficient  sheriff  of  Chester  county,  S.  C,  Mr.  William 
Harvey  Hood,  is  a  descendant  of  one  of  the  oldest  pioneer  families 
of  Kershaw  county,  S.  C.  He  was  born  in  Chester  county,  August  28, 
1840.  At  an  early  day  William  Hood,  a  native  of  Ireland,  settled  in 
Kershaw  count}',  having  removed  from  Chester  county,  Penn.,  where 
he  had  made  his  first  home  on  coming  to  America.  He  was  a  plan- 
ter of  good  repute,  and  left  a  son  named  Andrew,  who  was  born  and 
reared  in  Kershaw  county,  and  removed  to  Chester,  where  he  passed 
a  long  and  useful  life  as  a  planter.  He  had  fourteen  children,  all  of 
whom  reached  maturity.  The  third  eldest  son  of  these  children  was 
John  Hood,  the  father  of  our  present  subject.  The  latter  was  born 
in  Kershaw  county,  July  3,  181 1.  He  married  Elizabeth  White,  a 
daughter  of  Hugh  White,  a  South  Carolinian,  and  a  son  of  William 
White,  a  native  of  Ireland,  whence  he  came  to  America  some  time 
prior  to  the  Revolution,  in  which  he  served  as  a  Colonial  soldier,  and 
the  flint-lock  musket  he  bore  during  those  trying  times  is  now  in  the 
possession  of  Mr.  William  A.  White.  To  John  and  Elizabeth  Hood 
were  born  twelve  children.  Four  of  their  sons  served  in  the  Confed- 
erate army  during  the  late  civil  strife,  Andrew  having  been  killed 
upon  the  battlefield  in  Virginia.  Hugh  was  wounded  at  the  battle 
of  Corinth,  and  died  from  said  wounds.  John  was  a  planter,  a  man 
of  excellent  qualities  and  much  ability.  He  met  a  sad  death  on  the 
night  of  February  15,  1890,  at  the  hands  of  a  negro  who  mistook  him 
for  another  person  and  shot  him.  Sheriff  Hood  was  reared  on  his 
father's  plantation,  and  was  given  a  good  scholastic  training,  although 
his  education  was  interrupted  by  the  outbreak  of  the  rebellion,  at 
which  time  he  had  barely  reached  his  majority.  He  enlisted  in  the 
Confederate  army  as  a  private,  in  A«ugust,  1S61,  in  W^alker's  company, 
of  the  First  South  Carolina  cavalry,  and  fought  until  the  end.  Re- 
turning to  his  father's  house  he  remained  there  until  his  marriage  to 
Miss  Eliza  Jane   Wylie,  daughter  of  Mr.   Avander   Wylie,  Decem- 


444  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

ber  13,  1866,  when  he  embarked  in  business  for  himself  as  a  planter. 
Samuel,  John  Edward,  Elizabeth  Jane,  Adelia  Moore  and  Sarah 
Henrietta  are  the  offspring  of  this  happy  marriage.  As  a  planter 
Mr.  Hood  proved  a  success,  and  he  was  engaged  in  that  calling  until 
18S4,  when  he  was  called  to  the  sheriff's  office,  and  has  since  been  re- 
tained in  that  capacity.  He  is  a  Master  Mason,  and  himself  and 
family  are  communicants  of  the  Presbyterian  church. 

HON.  HERBERT  L.  SMITH. 

The  Hon.  Herbert  L.  Smith,  clerk  of  the  court  of  common  pleas 
and  general  sessions  of  Georgetown  county,  S.  C,  was  born  in  George- 
town, S.  C.,  on  the  13th  of  February,  1S61,  his  parents  being  David  H. 
and  Eleanor  E.  (Bossard)  Smith,  both  natives  of  the  Palmetto  state. 
The  father  was  a  leading  planter,  and  for  several  years  held  the  same 
office  as  his  son  now  fills.  He  was  a  captain  of  recruits  in  the  Con- 
federate service,  and  was  a  deacon  in  the  Baptist  church  for  many 
years.  His  death  occurred  in  1886,  in  his  sixty-fifth  year.  His  wife 
still  survives  him,  and  resides  in  Georgetown.  Of  the  eight  living 
children  of  this  happy  union,  Herbert  L.  is  the  fifth  child.  The 
paternal  grandfather  of  these  children  was  for  many  years  one  of  the 
most  prominent  rice  planters,  merchants  and  vessel  owners  in  the 
state.  He  was  a  man  of  magnificent  abilities,  and  amassed  a  large 
fortune.  At  the  age  of  eighteen  years,  Mr.  Herbert  L.  Smith  began 
business  life  as  a  clerk  in  a  mercantile  establishment,  and  for  ten 
years  was  engaged  in  that  vocation.  At  the  expiration  of  this  time 
he  was  appointed  by  the  recommendation  of  the  county  convention, 
to  fill  the  unexpired  term  of  his  father  as  clerk  of  the  county  coutts, 
the  latter's  death  occurring  at  that  time.  In  1888  Mr.  Smith  was 
elected  to  the  ofiice  by  the  people,  and  has  since  been  retained. 
Within  the  past  few  months,  he  has  become  quite  extensively  in- 
terested in  rice  planting,  and  now  operates  a  large  plantation,  he  be- 
ing associated  in  this  enterprise  with  Mr.  S.  Mortimer  Ward,  of 
Georgetown.  On  the  iQth  of  April,  1888,  Mr. Smith  formed  a  marriage 
connection  with  Miss  Rebecca  W.  Greer,  of  Charleston.  S.  C,  and 
one  child,  Herbert  L.,  junior,  has  been  born  them.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Smith  are  valued  communicants  of  the  Episcopal  church,  of  George- 
town, and  he  is  also  a  prominent  member  of  the  Masonic  order,  the 
K.  of  H.,  and  is  adjutant  of  the  Third  battalion  of  the  state  volunteer 
troops.  As  a  public  official  he  is  able  and  efficient,  and  his  continued 
re-election  to  office  best  attests  his  popularity  with  the  people. 

HON.  MILTON  L.  DONALDSON, 

now  the  manager  of  the  farmers'  alliance  exchange  of  South  Caro- 
lina, and  the  present  state  senator  from  Greenville  county,  was  born 
in  the  southwestern  part  of  Greenville  county,  S.  C,  July  29,  1844. 
He  is  the  son  of  Nimrod  and  Sarah  R.  (McCullough)  Donaldson,  who 
were  natives  respectively  of  .Ybbeville  and  Greenville  counties.  The 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  445 

husband  was  of  Scotch,  and  the  wife  of  Dutch,  descent.  Nimrod  Don- 
aldson was  by  occupation  a  farmer  and  mechanic.  Me  died  at  the 
advanced  age  of  eighty-four  years,  his  wife  reaching  the  age  of 
seventy-six.  Hon.  Milton  L.  Donaldson  has  resided  in  Greenville 
county  all  his  life,  his  boyhood  having  been  spent  on  the  old  home- 
stead, where  he  was  born  and  where  in  summertime  he  worked  upon 
the  farm.  In  the  winter  he  attended  the  schools  of  the  neighborhood, 
until  he  arrived  at  the  age  of  fourteen  years.  At  that  age  he  became 
a  student  in  a  school  at  Williamston,  S:  C,  taught  by  Rev.  John  L. 
Kennedy,  a  prominent  educator  of  that  day.  There  he  remained 
until  he  was  eighteen,  when  he  left  school  for  the  purpose  of  entering 
the  service  of  the  Confederate  army.  Accordingly,  in  1S62,  he  en- 
listed in  the  Si.xth  South  Carolina  cavalry,  with  which  he  served  until 
the  close  of  the  war,  being  present  at  the  surrender  of  Johnston's 
army.  He  was  a  brave  and  loyal  soldier.  The  .Si.xth  cavalry  in 
which  he  served  was  under  the  command  of  Col.  H.  K.  Aiken.  Mr. 
Donaldson  returned  home  at  the  close  of  the  war,  and  after  attend- 
ing a  high  school  for  a  few  months,  took  up  the  vocation  of  a  farmer, 
which  pursuit  he  has  ever  since  followed.  P'rom  an  humble  position 
he  has  risen  to  the  foremost  rank  of  South  Carolina  citizenship,  and 
is  to-day  regarded  as  one  of  the  leading'  agriculturists  of  the  state. 
He  has  been  a  frequent  contributer  to  the  best  farm  journals  and 
farm  periodicals,  not  only  of  his  own  state  but  of  the  country  at  large. 
He  has  also  advocated  the  needs  of  the  farming  classes  upon  the 
forum,  addressing  large  assemblages  of  agriculturists,  thus  doing  all 
in  his  power  to  raise  the  standard  of  their  calling  to  a  higher  plane 
and  mitigate  the  wrongs  by  which  they  have  been  oppressed.  Being 
thus  intimately  associated  with  the  masses,  and  having  their  welfare 
at  heart,  possessing  the  undivided  confidence  of  his  fellow  agricultur- 
ists, it  was  a  most  natural  consequence  that  an  expression  of  this 
confidence  of  his  wisdom,  judgment  and  integrity  should  in  someway 
be  manifested.  He  has  been  an  active  member  of  the  farmers' al- 
liance ever  since  its  organization  in  the  state,  and  is  now  the  recog- 
nized head  of  that  party  in  Souh  Carolina.  Though  a  practical 
farmer,  making  no  claim  to  any  other  pursuit,  and  still  residing  upon 
his  farm,  out  of  deference  to  his  invaluable  services  to  his  class,  his 
fellow  alliance  men  have  intrusted  him  with  one  of  the  most  respon- 
sible positions  within  their  gift,  and  thus^conferred  upon  him  an  honor, 
which  any  man  might  contemplate  with  a  just  pride.  In  the  fall  of  1878 
he  was  elected  by  the  democrats  to  the  lower  house  of  the  state  legis- 
lature, and  was  re-elected  to  the  same  position  in  1880.  His  present 
term  as  state  senator  will  not  expire  until  1S92.  From  the  inception 
of  the  farmers'  alliance  exchange  in  South  Carolina,  having  become 
convinced  that  it  was  the  only  means  of  preserving  the  dearest  inter- 
ests and  institutions  of  the  country,  he  identified  himself  with  the 
movement,  and  at  once  took  a  position  in  its  front  rank.  He  has 
devoted  his  attention  to  it  with  a  most  praise-worthy  spirit  and  with  an 
untiring  energy.  He  has  rendered  the  exchange  an  invaluable  ser- 
vice and  largely  contri^   ted  toward   making  it  one  of  the  best  and 


446  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

Strongest  organizations  of  its  kind  in  the  United  States.  He  was 
elected  manager  of  the  state  exchange  by  the  unanimous  vote  of  its 
board  of  directors,  at  its  first  establishment,  and  has  served  in  that 
important  and  responsible  capacity  ever  since.  For  two  years  he  has 
been  chairman  of  the  judiciary  committee  of  the  state  farmers' al- 
liance. He  is  a  Mason  and  a  devoted  member  of  the  Baptist  church. 
On  January  23,  1S66,  he  was  married  to  Miss  Margaret  L.  Ware, 
who  also  shares  with  him  in  his  devotion  the  Baptist  denomination. 

HON.  JOSEPH  R.  LILES. 

The  Hon.  Joseph  R.  Liles,  treasurer  of  Marlborough  county,  S.C., 
is  a  native  of  North  Carolina,  having  been  born  in  Anson  county,  that 
state,  August  19,  1832.  His  parents  were  Holden  W.  and  Elizabeth  R. 
(Stubbs)  Liles,  natives  of  North  and  South  Carolina,  respectively. 
Holden  W.  Liles  descended  from  an  old  and  influential  family,  and 
was  a  man  of  affairs,  being  an  expert  agriculturist.  Both  he  and 
wife  were  devout  and  efficient  members  of  the  Baptist  church,  and 
he  was  a  deacon  in  that  denomination.  He  died  in  1858,  aged  fifty- 
six  years,  his  wife  surviving  him  until  18S8,  when  she,  too,  went  to 
rest,  having  attained  the  advanced  age  of  eighty-two  years.  Of  their 
seven  children,  five  are  living  at  the  present  time;  one  having  been 
shot  while  on  picket  duty  at  Stone  Mountain  during  the  Civil  war; 
he  was  a  valiant  soldier  of  the  Confederate  army,  and  fills  an  honored 
soldier's  grave.  Joseph  R.  Liles  was  the  second  child.  At  the  age 
of  sixteen  years  he  began  active  business  life  as  a  clerk  in  a  mercan- 
tile establishment  in  Cheraw,  and  continued  there  in  that  vocation 
for  eight  years,  when  he  enlisted  in  April,  1861,  in  Company  G,  Eighth 
regiment,  South  Carolina  infantry,  as  a  private,  and  after  a  service  of 
two  years  in  that  regiment,  was  transferred  to  the  commissary  de- 
partment, where  he  was  engaged  until  the  close  of  hostilities,  having 
surrendered  with  Gen.  Johnston.  The  war  coming  to  an  end,  Mr. 
Liles  engaged  in  agriculture,  and  has  since  been  a  successful  planter. 
In  1S85  he  was  elected  treasurer  of  Marlborough  countj',  and  he  has 
been  returned  to  that  important  office  two  consecutive  terms  since. 
In  his  official  capacity  he  has  evinced  the  same  faithfulness  to  duty, 
business  tact  and  unswerving  integrity,  as  has  characterized  his  every 
act  in  private  life.  Mr.  Liles  was  most  happily  married,  in  1872,  to 
Miss  Kate  McRae,a  daughter  of  the  late  James  W.  McRae,  of  Mont- 
gomery county,  N.  C.  The  children  that  have  been  born  to  this 
union  are:  Lucy  A.,  Ebenezer  VV.,  Sherwood  H.,  Mary  E.,  Josephine, 
Frank,  and  an  infant,  as  yet  unnamed.  Mrs.  Liles  is  a  valued  com- 
municant of  the  Baptist  church,  and  Mr.  Liles  is  a  prominent  mem- 
ber of  the  Marlborough  Masonic  lodge. 

HON.  G.  W.  SHELL. 

Hon.  George  W.  Shell,  who  has  distinguished  himself  in  the  political 
movements  of  the  current  period,  was  born  in  Laurens  county,  S.  C, 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  447 

November  13,  1S31.  Mis  early  education  was  acquired  wholly  at  the 
common  schools,  with  the  exception  of  one  year  at  the  Laurens 
academy,  in  his  native  town.  At  the  early  age  of  sixteen  he  left 
school  to  take  part  in  the  more  active  concerns  of  life,  and  removed 
to  Columbia,  where  he  was  engaged  as  a  clerk  for  Andrew  Crawford, 
for  the  period  of  two  years.  He  then  rc;turned  to  his  home  in 
Laurens  county,  when  he  took  up  farming  for  a  year,  having  the  mis- 
fortune at  the  end  of  that  time  to  lose  his  wife,  who  died  in  1855.  He 
then  abandoned  farming  and  entered  upon  the  mercantile  business, 
which  he  pursued  for  two  years  thereafter  in  his  native  town,  He 
was  then  appointed  superintendent  of  the  Laurens  railroad,  serving 
in  that  capacity  for  about  a  year  and  a  half,  when  he  resigned  his 
position  and  went  to  New  York.  Here  he  accepted  a  position  as  a 
collector,  remaining  for  about  six  months,  after  which  he  returned  to 
his  home  in  Laurens  county,  just  previous  to  the  breaking  out  of  the 
war.  When  that  event  took  place,  he  was  among  the  hrst  to  enter 
the  army,  enlisting  as  a  private  in  Company  A,  of  the  Third  regiment 
of  the  South  Carolina  infantry.  During  his  first  year's  service,  he  acted 
asa  private  secretary  for  Gen.  M.  L.  Bonham,  commander  of  Bonham's 
brigade,  the  first  to  enter  the  service  of  the  Confederacy.  Mr.  .Shell 
was  then  promoted  and  became  second  lieutenant  of  his  company. 
Only  one  day  after  this  promotion,  he  was  appointed  quartermaster 
of  his  regiment,  under  Col.  James  D.  Nance,  who  was  at  this  time  in 
command  of  the  Third  regiment,  in  which  Mr.  .Shell  had  originally 
enlisted.  In  this  service  he  continued  for  twelve  months,  and  was 
then  assigned  to  the  position  of  division  quartermaster,  serving  in 
this  advanced  capacity  for  about  one  year.  He  was  then  selected  for 
still  higher  promotion,  and  was  assigneti  to  duty  with  the  chief  quar- 
termaster of  the  army  of  Virginia,  at  Gen.  R.  E.  Lee's  headquarters, 
serving  there  from  September,  1864,  until  the  surrender  of  Lee,  at 
Appomatox.  His  position  in  the  quartermaster's  department  en- 
titled him  to  the  rank  of  major,  but  he  never  received  that  rank. 
After  the  close  of  the  war,  Mr.  Shell  returned  to  Laurens  county,  and 
went  on  a  farm  where  he  has  ever  since  remained.  He  was  elected 
clerk  of  the  court  of  common  pleas  of  Laurens  county,  in  1884,  for 
the  term  of  four  years,  and  was  re-elected  in  1888.  In  1890  he  was 
elected  a  representative  in  congress,  from  the  Fourth  congressional 
district  of  South  Carolina,  for  the  full  term  of  two  years.  Mr. 
Shell  has  been  twice  married,  first,  in  185 1,  to  Miss  Mary  Dial,  a 
daughter  of  Hastings  Dial,  of  Laurens  county,  to  whom  one  son, 
Walter  Langclon,  was  born,  but  who  is  deceased.  The  first  Mrs. 
Shell  died  in  1855,  and  the  husband  was  again  married  in  1859,  to 
Ellen  Watts  Hifl,  daughter  of  Mitchell  Hill,  of  Abbeville  county, 
S.  C.  The  fruit  of  this  marriage  was  ten  children,  all  of  whom  at 
this  writing  are  living.  The  christian  name  of  the  father  of  George  W. 
Shell  was  Henry  R.,  and  he  was  also  a  native  of  Laurens  county,  born 
in  1807.  He  was  a  planter  by  occupation,  and  in  1S2S  was  married  to 
Caroline  Wolff.    Eight  children  were  born  of  this  marriage,  of  whom 


448  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

George  W.  was  the  eldest.  Heniy  B.  .Shell  died  in  1S75,  his  wife,  the 
mother  of  George  W.,  having  preceded  her  husband  to  the  tomb  in 
1851.  In  1886-7,  George  W.  .Shell  served  as  a  member  of  the  state 
democratic  executive  committee,  but  declined  that  position  in  1888. 
That  year  he  was  chosen  president  of  the  farmers'  association  of 
South  Carolina,  and  in  i88g,  he  issued  an  address  to  the  democracy  of 
the  state,  better  known  as  "  Shell's  Manifesto,"  which  was  regarded 
as  the  opening  gun  of  the  popular  conflict  followed  by  the  farmers' 
alliance  movement,  and  which,  the  succeeding  year,  swept  the  state, 
resulting  in  a  practical  revolution  in  its  politics.  Mr.  Shell  was  one 
of  the  foremost  propagators  of  that  movement,  and  was  consistently 
made  the  president  at  the  outset  of  its  permanent  organization.  The 
success  of  the  movement  is  an  apt  illustration  of  that  familiar  politi- 
cal aphorism:  "  Power  is  ever  stealing  from  the  stronger  to  the 
weaker." 

COLUMBUS  CURETON  HAILE, 

e.\-treasurer  of  Kershaw  county,  was  born  in  that  county,  Janu- 
ary 17th,  18:24,  the  son  of  James  C.  and  Elizabeth  M.  (Truesdel) 
Haile.  The  former  was  the  son  of  Benjamin  Haile,  of  whom  a  com- 
plete mention  is  made,  together  with  his  antecedents  and  descend- 
ants, in  another  place  in  this  work.  Elizabeth  Haile  was  the  daughter 
of  John  Truesdel,  an  Irishman  by  birth.  .She  was  the  mother  of 
seven  living  daughters  and  seven  sons.  Columbus  Cureton  Haile 
was  brought  up  to  the  calling  of  a  planter,  and  has  always  been  en- 
gaged in  that  industry.  He  was  given  ample  educational  advantages, 
and  turned  his  attention  more  particularly  to  surveying.  Arriving  at 
the  age  of  maturity  he  engaged  in  agriculture  and  surveying,  and  is 
in  all  probability  more  conversant  with  the  lines  of  Kershaw  county 
than  any  other  living  man.  In  November,  1880,  he  was  elected  treas- 
urer of  the  county,  and  was  re-elected  again  for  the  next  three  terms, 
1883-4,  1885-6,  1887-8.  His  continued  term  of  office  is  sufficient  proof 
of  the  esteem  in  which  he  is  held  by  the  people,  and  of  his  ability. 
By  his  marriage  in  1849,  to  Miss  Mary  A.  Williams,  a  daughter  of 
Richard  Henry  Williams,  Mr.  Haile  has  had  six  sons  and  two 
daughters.  On  the  gth  of  April,  1861,  he  proved  his  loyalty  to  his 
people  by  enlisting  in  the  Flat  Rock  Guards,  of  the  Second  South 
Carolina  volunteers,  Kershaw's  regiment,  and  served  as  captain  faith- 
fully and  well  until  he  was  obliged  to  resign  on  account  of  physical 
disability  in  1863.  He  returned  home  and  subsequently  was  made 
captain  of  a  company  in  the  state  service,  and  later  commanded  a 
volunteer  company  of  the  Twenty-third  regiment,  which  went  into 
Virginia,  and  in  April,  1865,  was  captured  at  Five  Forks,  and  held  a 
prisoner  until  the  final  surrender,  and  consequent  close  of  hostilities. 
Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Haile  are  valued  and  devout  communicants  of  the 
Presbyterian  church,  and  hold  high  positions  in  the  esteem  of  the 
community  at  large. 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  449 


JOHN  R.  LOUDON. 


One  of  York  counly's  most  notabU;  Inisiness  men  is  Mr.  John  R. 
Loudon,  one  of  the  leadinj^  cotton  manufaclurers  of  South  Carolina. 
Although  Mr.  Loudon  has  been  a  residcuit  of  South  Carolina  for  more 
than  a  quarter  of  a  century,  he  is  not  a  native  of  that  state,  having 
been  born  at  Wilmington,  N.  C,  in  1833.  His  paternal  grandfather, 
John  Loudon,  who  was  born  in  London,  Eng.,  was  the  hrst  of  the 
family  to  settle  in  America,  which  he  did  prior  to  the  Revolution.  He 
represented  the  British  crown  at  the  port  of  Wilmington,  N.  C,  as  a 
collector,  but  resigned  his  office  and  returned  to  England,  at  the  time 
of  the  breaking  out  of  the  war  for  American  independence.  After 
the  close  of  hostilities  he  once  more  became  a  citizen  of  Wilmington, 
and  was  president  of  the  first  United  States  bank,  established  at  that 
point.  Upon  his  return  to  this  country,  he  married  Miss  Anne  Mau- 
ger,  an  English  lady,  who  had  emigrated,  with  her  family,  to  the 
United  States,  in  17S3.  She  was  born  and  reared  on  the  island  of 
Guernsey.  They  were  the  parents  of  three  sons,  viz.:  John  I^.,  who 
was  at  one  time  president  of  the  Cape  Fear  bank,  now  deceased; 
Mauger,  a  prominent  laAvyer  of  Wilmington,  N.  C;  and  Henry  A. 
Loudon,  the  father  of  John  R.  Loudon,  of  whom  we  write.  Henry 
was  born  in  Wilmington,  about  the  j-ear  1S04,  and  died  in  1884,  at 
Pittsboro,  N.  C,  where  he  removed  with  his  family,  in  1836.  He  was 
a  prominent  man,  and  served  as  judge  of  the  county  courts  for  more 
than  forty  years,  and  during  the  Civil  war  was  treasurer  of  the  county 
in  which  he  lived.  His  first  wife  was  Sallie  M.  Lord,  also  of  Wil- 
mington. She  died  in  1857,  aged  forty-eight,  leaving  six  sons  and 
four  daughters,  all  of  whom  are  living  save  one  son,  who  was  killed  in 
service  during  the  rebellion.  The  eldest  child  of  this  union,  John  R., 
was  educated  in  the  schools  of  Wilmington  and  Pittsboro.  At  an 
early  age  he  left  the  parental  roof,  and  went  to  live  with  his  grand- 
parents at  Wilmington.  When  seventeen  years  of  age,  we  find  him 
occupying  the  position  of  general  clerk  in  a  commission  house  at 
Wilmington.  In  1859  he  established  a  business  in  cotton  and  naval 
supplies,  at  Boston,  Mass,,  which  was  prosperously  continued  until 
the  secession  of  the  southern  states.  At  this  time  Mr.  Loudon 
returned  to  North  Carolina  and  raised  a  military  company  whose 
services  he  tendered  to  the  state,  but  owing  to  the  elation  of  the 
people  over  the  victory  at  Manassas,  this  offer  was  not  accepted. 
Subsequently^  in  company  with  Messrs.  John  and  Edward  Wilkes,  he 
constructed  a  railroad  from  Greensboro,  N.  C,  to  Danville,  Va.,  and 
his  time  was  occupied  during  the  remainder  of  the  war  in  operating 
this  road.  In  1865  he  located  at  Rock  Hill,  S.  C,  where  he  soon  be- 
came the  leading  merchant,  conducting  a  large  business  enterprise 
there  until  1S84.  About  the  latter  year  Mr.  Loudon  was  elected 
president  of  the  Red  Bank  cotton  mill  company,  at  Lexington,  S.  C, 
and  in  1888  he  was  prominently  identified  with  the  organization  of  the 
Standard  cotton  mill  at  Rock  Hill,  of  which  he  has  since  been  presi- 
A —  29 


450  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

dent.  In  1SS9  this  progressive  gentleman  organized  the  Globe  cotton 
mill  company,  of  Rock  Hill,  and  he  was  also  retained  as  president  of 
this  concern.  Beside  these  industries,  Mr.  Loudon  is  a  director  in  the 
Rock  Hill  Cotton  Factory  company,  and  vice-president  of  the  Sav- 
ings bank,  of  Rock  Hill,  and  the  First  National  bank  of  Rock  Hill,  and 
also  a  director  of  the  Rock  Hill  Cotton-Seed  Oil  Mills,  the  Globe  Phos- 
phate Mills,  of  Columbia;  and  he  has  been  a  prime  mover  in  estab- 
lishing most  of  the  leading  industries  of  Rock  Hill.  His  marriage  to 
Miss  Camelia  Rhodes,  of  Greensboro,  N.  C,  was  solemnized  in  1865. 
No  children  have  been  born  to  this  union,  but  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Loudon 
adopted  a  child,  who  is  now  Dr.  E.  R.  Stitt,  of  the  United  States  navy. 
Mr.  Loudon  and  wife  are  active  and  valued  communicants  of  the 
Episcopal  church,  which  he  has  represented  in  the  diocesan  conven- 
tion for  the  past  twenty-five  years, and  in  the  last  general  convention;  and 
in  his  own  parish  he  has  served  as  warden  and  lay-reader  since  the 
organization  of  the  parish. 

HON.  A.  E.  HUTCHISON. 

The  Hon.  A.  E.  Hutchison,  president  of  the  Rock  Hill  Cotton 
Factory  company,  was  born  in  York  county,  S.  C,  March  15,  1827,  and 
descends  from  a  family  that  settled  in  Mecklenburg  county,  N.C.,  early 
in  the  history  of  the  nation.  His  paternal  grandfather  was  John 
Hutchison.  He  came  from  the  county  Antrim,  Ireland,  before  the 
Revolution.  His  sons  were  Alexander,  James,  John,  Samuel  and  David. 
The  first  four  mentioned  were  soldiers  in  the  patriot  army  during  the 
Revolution,  Alexander  having  lost  his  life  at  the  battle  of  Hanging 
Rock.  During  the  war  these  brothers  secured  the  good-will  of  the 
Catawba  Indians,  and  two  of  the  brothers  were  rented  large  tracts  of 
land  on  the  Catawba  river,  now  in  York  county,  and  hither,  after  the 
war,  they  removed  with  their  families,  the  widowed  mother  and  her 
youngest  son  accompanying  them.  This  son  was  David,  the  father  of 
the  subject  of  this  sketch.  David  was  born  in  county  Antrim,  Ire- 
land, in  1767,  and  was  but  a  lad  when  his  parents  came  to  America, 
and  was  about  sixteen  when  his  mother  removed  to  the  Catawba 
lands.  He  became  a  successful  planter,  and  died  in  1845  ^^  '^^  ^'^' 
vanced  age.  He  was  married  three  times,  the  first  wife  having  been 
a  Mrs.  McBride,  who  bore  him  five  children:  the  second  marriage 
was  to  a  Miss  Moore,  who  died  soon  after  without  issue.  Sub- 
sequently he  wedded  Miss  Jane  Moore,  a  sister  of  his  second  wife, 
and  seven  children  resulted,  of  which  A.  E.  is  the  youngest  and  only 
surviving  member.  When  he  was  still  a  lad  his  mother  died,  leaving 
him  to  the  care  of  the  father.  He  obtained  a  thorough  preliminary 
schooling  in  the  old  field  schools  near  his  father's  home.  When  he 
was  eighteen  his  father  died,  and  the  care  of  his  portion  of  the  estate 
then  devolved  upon  him,  In  1850  he  married  Miss  Mary  S.  Camp- 
bell, and  four  children  were  born  to  them.  In  1S58,  Mr.  Hutchison 
removed  to  Rock  Hill  in  order  to  give  his  children  the  advantage  of 
the  superior  schools  of  the  city.     In  the  following  year  his  wife  died, 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  45 1 

and  in  December,  1S63,  he  espoused  Miss  S.  J.  Dunlap,  who  has  borne 
him  one  child.  In  1861  Mr.  Hutchison  entered  the  Confederate 
service  as  a  captain  under  the  command  of  Col.  Jenkins,  and  was 
stationed  on  Sullivan's  Island  until  the  regiment  volunteered  to  go  to 
Virginia,  when  on  account  of  ill-health  Capt.  Hutchison  returned 
home.  In  the  winter  of  1S62-3  he  was  a  member  of  a  reserve  corps, 
and  again  in  1864-5  was  out  with  a  command  of  militia  as  adjutant, 
and  was  on  a  retreat  before  Sherman  on  his  famous  march.  After 
the  war  he  returned  and  resumed  his  agricultural  pursuits,  but  con- 
tinued to  reside  at  Rock  Hill.  In  1S76  he  was  elected  to  the  legis- 
lature, and  served  as  a  member  of  the  famous  Wallace  house.  He 
had  always  been  identified  with  the  democratic  party,  and  during  the 
recent  gubernatorial  campaign  was  prominent  as  a  worker  against 
the  election  of  Mr.  Tillman  and  voted  for  Haskell  for  governor.  In 
1880-1  the  first  cotton  mill  to  be  operated  by  steam  power  in  South 
Carolina  was  built  at  Rock  Hill,  and  known  as  the  Rock  Hill  Cotton 
Factory  company,  of  which  company  Mr.  Hutchison  was  elected 
president,  and  he  has  since  remained  in  that  capacity.  He  is  a 
Master  Royal  Arch  and  Council  Mason,  and  a  man  of  progressive  and 
able  mind;  aiding  every  public  improvement  so  far  as  possible,  and  ever 
a  friend  and  supporter  of  the  Christian  church.  For  eighteen  years  he 
was  a  trustee  of  the  free  schools  of  the  township,  and  for  twenty  years 
served  as  a  commissioner  of  roads,  bridges  and  ferries. 

JOHN  H.  HUIET, 

exchange  broker  and  general  dealer  in  fertilizers,  and  president  of 
the  Globe  Phosphate  company',  was  born  in  Edgefield  county,  S.  C, 
and  is  the  son  of  George  D.  and  Dorothy  (Rutherford)  Huiet.  His 
parents  were  both  natives  of  South  Carolina,  the  former  being  a  son 
of  Jacob  Huiet,  who  was  also  a  native  of  the  same  state,  born  in  the 
Dutch  Fork.  His  parents  were  direct  descendants  from  German  an- 
cestry, and  were  among  the  early  settlers  of  Dutch  Fork.  Jacob 
Huiet  was  a  planter  by  occupation,  and  followed  that  business  for  the 
•  greater  part  of  his  life  in  Edgefield  county,  where  he  died.  He  was 
the  father  of  three  sons  and  two  daughters;  sons  deceased,,  two 
daughters  still  survive.  George  D.  Huiet  was  born  in  181 2,  and  was 
educated  in  the  English  schools  of  the  state.  He  began  farming  in 
Edgefield  county  when  quite  young  in  years,  and  followed  that  occu- 
pation through  life.  He  was  married  in  Edgefield  county  to  Dorothy 
Rutherford,  and  the  issue  of  this  union  was  five  sons  and  five  daugh- 
ters. He  served  as  captain  in  Maryweather  bS.ttalion  in  the  home 
guard,  during  the  war  of  1861-5,  and  saw  some  active  service  on  the 
South  Carolina  coast.  He  died  in  1887.  John  H.  Huiet  received  his 
education  in  the  Edgefield  county  schools,  and  attended  the  Cokes- 
bury  college  for  two  years,  and  entered  the  South  Carolina  college 
in  i860.  When  the  war  broke  out,  he  first  entered  the  service  with 
the  college  cadets,  but  afterward  enlisted  in  the  Seventh  South  Car- 
olina infantr}-  regiment,  and  served  through  the  entire  war  in  the 


452  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

army  of  Virginia.  He  was  wounded  at  Sharpsburg  and  Spottsylvania 
Court  House  in  tlie  limbs,  but  his  wounds  were  not  so  grave  as  to  in- 
terrupt his  service  for  any  great  length  of  time,  and  he  continued  in 
the  army  until  the  surrender  of  Johnston's  army,  at  Greensboro.  He 
was  promoted  to  second  lieutenant  in  the  Seventh  regiment,  and  be- 
fore the  close  of  the  war  was  elected  adjutant  of  that  regiment,  hold- 
ing that  rank  at  the  surrender.  After  the  close  of  the  war  he  re- 
turned home  and  engaged  in  general  merchandising  at  Havirdsville. 
From  there  he  removed  to  Oakland,  Edgefield  county,  S.  C,  and  in 
1S70  to  Batesburg,  where  he  started  a  general  merchandising  busi- 
ness, remaining  in  that  line  of  business  till  1873,  when  he  engaged  in 
a  general  brokerage  business,  and  dealing  in  fertilizers,  which  busi- 
ness he  still  continues.  In  1890,  in  company  with  other  gentlemen,  he 
organized  the  Globe  Phosphate  company,  at  Columbia,  S.  C,  of  which 
he  was  elected  president,  and  since  which  time  he  has  resided  in 
Columbia.  He  was  married  in  December,  1870,  to  Miss  Kate  Bouk- 
night,  daughter  of  C.  Bouknight  of  Columbia,  to  whom  one  son  has 
been  born.  Mr.  Huiet  is  a  member  of  the  K.  of  H.  and  of  the  Ma- 
sonic fraternities. 

WILLIAM   CHOICE   CLEVELAND. 

Among  the  notable  financiers  and  capitalists  of  Greenville,  S.  C, 
Hon.  William  Choice  Cleveland  holds  a  prominent  place.  He  was 
born  at  Lawrenceville,  Gwinnett  count}',  Ga.,  on  the  24th  of  July,  1834. 
He  is  the  son  of  Robert  M.  and  Harriet  (Neal)  Cleveland,  the  former 
a  native  of  Asheville,  N.  C,  born  March  3,  1803,  and  the  latter  of 
Franklin  county,  Ga.  Robert  M.  Cleveland  was  the  son  of  Jeremiah 
and  Sarah  (Vannoy)  Cleveland,  both  of  whom  were  natives  of  Bull 
Run  Creek,  Va.  Jeremiah  Cleveland  was  a  nephew  of  Gen.  Benjamin 
Cleveland,  who  commanded  the  Continental  forces  at  the  battle  of 
Kings  Mountain.  The  father  of  Jeremiah  was  Alexander  Cleveland, 
who,  with  his  brother  John,  emigi-ated  from  England  to  this  country, 
and  it  is  believed  that  from  these  two  brothers  sprung  all  the  persons 
in  this  country  bearing  that  name.  One  settled  in  Massachusetts  and 
the  other  in  Virginia.  Robert  M.,  the  father  of  William  C.  Cleveland, 
was  united  in  marriage  to  Harriet,  daughter  of  John  Neal,  in  1833, 
and  had  two  sons,  one  of  whom,  William  C,  is  the  elder.  The 
younger.  Judge  Jeremiah  Cleveland,  is  a  resident  of  Greenville 
county,  S.  C.  The  mother  of  William  C.  Cleveland  died  in  1838,  and 
a  few  years  later  his  father  was  married  to  Fanny  Wight,  who  was 
born  and  raised  in  Rhode  Island,  and  who  bore  him  four  sons  and 
three  daughters,  all  of  whom,  except  one  son,  are  still  living.  The 
mother  is  also  still  living,  her  present  home  being  at  Marietta,  Ga. 
The  father  has  been  dead  several  years.  Shortly  after  his  mother's 
death,  William  C.  Cleveland,  then  but  four  j-ears  of  age,  came  to 
Greenville  and  has  made  his  home  with  his  aunt,  Mrs.  Caroline 
Choice,  in  whose  family  he  spent  all  his  boyhood  days.  He  received 
his  earlier  education  at  the  Greenville  Male  academy,  and  at  fifteen 


SOUTH   CAROLINA.  453 

entered  Georgetown  college,  District  of  Columbia.  After  remaining 
at  that  institution  three  years,  he  returned  to  Greenville,  which  has 
ever  since  been  his  home.  Here  he  has  given  his  attention  to  various 
enterprises  of  a  business  nature.  He  was  a  strong  advocate  and  sup- 
porter of  the  Greenville  &  Laurens  railroad,  and  was  elected  one  of 
the  directors  of  that  company.  He  is  at  present  largely  interested  in 
railroads  in  Georgia,  and  has  been  quite  an  extensive  dealer  in  real 
estate,  both  in  the  city  and  county,  holding  a  large  amount  of  prop- 
erty therein.  He  is  the  heaviest  taxpayer  in  Greenville  county,  and  is 
largely  interested  in  the  banking  business.  He  is  a  stockholder  in  the 
Savings  bank-  and  People's  bank,  both  of  Greenville,  and  the  Georgia 
Railroad  &  Banking  company,  and  the  National  Exchange  bank,  both 
of  Augusta.  He  also  holds  stock  in  the  Greenville  Fertilizer  com- 
pany, is  one  of  the  original  stockholders  of  the  Greenville  Street 
railway,  and  has  been  one  of  its  directors.  He  has  just  completed  a 
handsome  business  block  in  Greenville,  built  of  brick,  two  stories  high 
and  containing  two  excellent  business  rooms.  He  is  the  owner  of  250 
acres  of  unimproved  land  within  the  limits  of  Greenville.  He  was 
elected  president  of  the  first  Building  &  Loan  association  organized 
in  Greenville,  and  has  served  with  much  credit  to  himself  and  ad- 
vantage to  the  city  as  member  of  the  board  of  aldermen  of  Green- 
ville for  one  term,  and  was  also  chosen  for  one  term  as  mayor  of  that 
city.  At  the  expiration  of  his  term  as  mayor,  he  was  elected  to  the 
state  legislature,  heading  the  ticket,  and  receiving  the  heaviest  vote 
which  had  ever  been  polled  for  a  candidate  for  the  office  up  to  that 
time,  the  term  being  two  years,  during  both  of  which  he  served  as  a 
member  of  the  ways  and  means  committee.  In  1880  he  was  elected 
as  a  delegate  to  the  state  democratic  convention,  and  by  that  body 
was  chosen  as  a  delegate  to  the  national  democratic  convention,  which 
that  year  met  at  Cincinnati.  At  that  convention  he  cast  his  vote  for 
Gen.  Hancock  as  a  candidate  for  the  presidency.  He  has  always  been 
a  democrat  of  the  liberal  type.  In  June,  1867,  he  was  married  to  Miss 
Amelia  Theresa  Omberg,  daughter  of  Adolph  Omberg,  of  Rome,  Ga. 
They  have  had  two  children,  one  of  whom,  Harriet  Emma,  died  at 
the  age  of  seventeen.  The  other,  also  a  daughter,  died  in  infancy. 
Mr.  Cleveland  is  a  liberal  contributor  to  public  enterprises,  and  an 
open-handed  patron  of  religious  and  educational  institutions.  He 
and  Mrs.  Cleveland  are  worshipers  at  the  Presbyterian  church,  of 
which  she  is  a  member,  and  he  is  a  liberal  supporter  in  a  financial 
direction. 

HON.  WILLIAM  S.   JACKSON, 

of  Chesterfield  county,  S.  C,  was  born  in  that  county,  in  1854,  his 
parents  being  Stephen  and  Roxanna  (Timmons)  Jackson,  natives  of 
South  Carolina.  Stephen  Jackson  was  a  planter,  and  was  prominent 
in  public  affairs,  having  served  as  sheriff  of  his  county  for  four  years, 
as  county  commissioner  for  ten  years,  and  subsequently  he  repre- 
sented his  county  in  the  legislature  for  three  or  four  terms.     He  was 


454  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

also  a  member  of  the  convention  which  declared  for  secession,  and 
voted  for  that  measure.  During  the  war  he  served  as  treasurer  and 
tax-collector.  Col.  Jackson  died  in  1887  at  the  age  of  eighty.  Mrs. 
Jackson  is  still  living.  William  S.  Jackson  is  the  youngest  of  seven 
children  born  to  them.  He  was  educated  at  Furman  university,  and 
after  completing  his  collegiate  course  turned  his  attention  to  civil  en- 
gineering. He  has  followed  this  profession  since  in  connection  with 
agriculture,  and  has  been  successful  in  his  various  enterprises.  In 
1S81  he  was  chosen  county  treasurer,  and  held  that  office  for  five 
years,  having  been  re-elected  in  18S2,  and  again  in  1884.  In  1889  he 
was  the  successful  candidate  for  the  legislature  from  his  count}',  and 
after  the  close  of  his  term  refused  to  allow  his  name  to  he  placed  in 
nomination  for  a  second  term.  While  in  the  legislature  he  served 
on  several  important  committees,  and  his  conduct  was  able  and  dig- 
nified. This  family  is  one  of  the  oldest  and  most  highly  connected 
in  the  state,  and  its  members  have  risen  to  positions  of  trust  and 
honor.  During  the  Revolution  representatives  of  the  connection 
fought  as  patriotic  soldiers,  and  since  that  time  there  have  been  many 
to  prominently  identify  themselves  with  the  growth  and  advancement 
of  the  country. 

HON.  W.  C.   COKER, 

president  of  th^  Bank  of  Darlington,  and  also  of  the  Darlington  Cot- 
ton Mill  company,  was  born  in  1839.  The  family  has  resided  in 
South  Carolina  for  many  generations,  and  its  members  have  greatly 
contributed  to  the  prosperity  of  the  state.  His  parents  were  Caleb 
and  Hannah  (Lyde)  Coker.  Caleb  Coker  was  a  son  of  Caleb,  Sr., 
who  was  the  son  of  Thomas  Coker,  a  Virginian  by  birth,  his  father 
having  removed  to  South  Carolina  in  1740,  and  settled  on  the  Pee 
Dee  river.  Thomas  served  as  a  colonial  soldier  in  the  war  for 
American  independence.  Caleb,  Sr.,  was  an  extensive  planter,  and  the 
father  of  a  large  family  of  children.  His  son  and  namesake  was  born 
in  1802,  and  obtained  a  fair  education.  He  entered  mercantile  life 
when  quite  young  at  Society  Hill,  and  was  engaged  in  merchandising 
and  planting  until  1869.  He  married  Miss  Hannah  Lyde  in  1830,  and 
four  sons  and  six  daughters  were  born  to  them.  The  father  was  a 
prominent  and  able  man,  and  was  considered  one  of  the  most  influ- 
ential and  substantial  citizens  of  his  day.  He  was  a  director  in  the 
Bank  of  Cheraw,  and  also  in  the  Cheraw  and  Darlington  Railroad 
company.  W.  C.  Coker  was  graduated  from  the  South  Carolina  col-, 
lege  in  1859.  Until  the  memorable  year  of  1861,  Mr.  Coker  was  en- 
gaged in  teaching  in  the  acadamy  at  his  home  in  Society  Hill,  and  in 
that  year  offered  his  services  to  the  cause  of  the  south,  by  enlisting 
in  Company  F,  Eighth  South  Carolina  regiment.  In  1863,  he  was 
wounded  at  Gettysburg,  and  was  captured  by  the  enemy  while  re- 
treating, and  was  held  a  prisoner  of  war  until  March,  1865,  at  Johns- 
town and  Ut.  Delaware.  He  served  faithfully  and  well  in  the  battles 
of  first   Bull   Run,   Malvern   Hill,  where  he   was  slightly  wounded, 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  455 

Chanccllorsvillc,  Maryland  Heights,  and  Gettysburg,  having  been 
grieviously  wounded  in  the  foot  during  tlie  latter  engagement.  In 
1862,  he  was  promoted  to  the  rank  of  captain,  and  his  enforced  ab- 
sence from  the  scenes  of  conflict  after  1863,  was  the  only  cause  for 
his  not  being  still  further  advanced,  as  he  was  always  found  at  the 
post  of  duty,  with  a  cool,  active  brain  to  direct  him  in  his  course,  and 
his  dash  and  unflinching  courage,  carried  him  to  the  very  front. 
After  his  release  from  the  Federal  prison,  Capt.  Coker  was  engaged 
in  teaching  school  for  one  year,  when  he  turned  his  attention  to  the 
study  of  law,  and  in  1S68,  was  admitted  to  practice.  After  one  year 
of  active  professional  life,  at  Darlington,  he  abandoned  the  law  and 
engaged  in  planting,  in  which  he  has  since  met  with  unusual  success. 
Mr.  Coker  was  prominent  in  the  organization  of  the  Bank  of  Dar- 
lington, and  served  as  a  director  until  the  resignation  of  his  father 
from  the  presidency  of  the  concern,  in  December,  1S89,  when  he  was 
elected  to  succeed  as  president.  He  is  a  member  of  the  board  of  direc- 
tors of  the  C.  &  D.  railroad ;  and  in  1 884,  was  associated  with  his  brother, 
Maj.  J.  L.  Coker,  and  others,  in  the  establishment  of  the  Darlington 
Cotton  Mill  company,  of  which  he  was  elected  president  soon  after 
its  organization,  and  he  has  since  occupied  that  office,  the  concern  hav- 
ing prospered  greatly  under  his  able  management.  In  1877,  a  va- 
cancy occurred  in  the  state  senate,  and  Mr.  Coker  was  elected  to  fill 
the  unexpired  term,  his  course  as  a  member  of  that  distinguished 
body,  being  so  able  and  satisfactory  to  the  people,  that  he  was  twice 
re-elected  thereafter,  his  senatorial  career  extending  ov^s  a  period 
of  nine  years.  One  of  the  happiest  and  most  fortunate  events  of  his 
life,  was  his  marriage  to  Miss  Mary  E.  Mclver,  in  1869.  Seven  children 
were  born  to  the  union.  Mrs.  Coker  died  in  1883,  and  in  1S85,  he 
married  for  his  second  wife.  Miss  Livonia  Mclver.  Mr  Coker  is  a 
member  of  the  A.  L.  of  H.,  and  is  a  consistent  and  valued  communi- 
cant of  the  Baptist  church.  His  whole  career  has  been  characterized 
by  progressiveness  and  the  most  rigid  integrity,  and  today  no  man  is 
held  in  higher  confidence  in  Darlington  county  than  he. 


MAJOR   J.   L.   COKER. 

Of  the  many  able  and  progressive  business  men  of  Darlington 
county,  S.  C,  none  stand  higher  in  the  estimation  of  the  people  than 
Maj.  J.  L.  Coker,  the  founder  of  the  town  of  Hartsville,  .S.  C.  He 
was  born  at  Society  Hill,  in  Darlington  county,  in  the  year  1837,  his 
parents  being  Caleb  and  Hannah  N.  (Lide)  Coker,  an  extended  men- 
tion of  whom  will  be  found  elsewhere  in  this  work.  Maj.  Coker  was 
educated  at  St.  David's  academy,  at  Society  Hill,  and  completed  his 
scholastic  training  at  the  Arsenal  school  at  Columbia,  and  in  the  Cit- 
adel academy  of  Charleston.  After  spending  one  year  in  the  scien- 
tific course  at  Harvard  college,  in  1858,  studying  chemistry  and  bot- 
any, he  returned  home  and  gave  his  attention  to  planting,  in  which 


456  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

he  was  engaged  at  the  outbreak  of  the  Rebellion  in  1861.  In  Decem- 
ber, i860,  he  organized  a  company  of  which  he  was  elected  captain, 
the  command  being  assigned  to  the  Ninth  South  Carolina  regiment 
infantry.  That  regiment  was  re-organized  in  1862,  and  his  company 
then  became  a  part  of  the  Sixth  South  Carolina.  In  May,  1862,  they 
fought  their  first  important  battle  at  Williamsburg,  and  they  distin- 
guished themselves  in  the  battles  of  Seven  Pines,  and  the  seven  days' 
battles  around  Richmond.  Capt.  Coker  was  severely  wounded  in  a 
night  engagement  just  after  the  battle  of  Chickamauga,  his  left 
thigh  having  been  broken  by  a  ball.  At  this  time  he  was  serving 
on  Gen.  Bratton's  staff.  For  five  months  he  lay  ill  of  his  wound, 
a  prisoner  ot  war.  After  receiving  his  grievous  wound,  Capt.  Coker 
was  promoted  to  the  rank  of  major  for  gallant  conduct.  In  1864  he 
was  elected  to  the  state  legislature,  and  again  in  1866,  serving  until 
the  state  was  re-constructed.  After  the  war  he  engaged  in  merchan- 
dising at  Hartsville,  and  also  carried  on  a  plantation.  In  1874  he  be- 
came a  member  of  the  firm  of  Nowood  &  Coker,  general  commission 
merchants  at  Charleston,  S.  C,  and  in  1878  removed  to  that  city, 
where  he  resided  until  1881,  when  he  returned  to  Hartsville,  and  again 
assumed  the  management  of  his  business  at  that  place.  In  the  same 
year  he  organized  the  National  bank  of  Darlington,  and  served  as  its 
president  until  it  was  changed  from  a  national  to  a  state  bank.  In 
1884  he  organized  the  Darlington  Manufacturing  company,  and 
served  as  its  president  for  a  short  time,  and  is  at  present  its  largest 
stockholder  and  a  director.  At  the  organization  of  the  Cotton  Seed 
Oil  mill,  he  took  part  in  its  establishment,  and  is  still  interested  in  the 
enterprise.  One  of  his  happiest  ventures  was  made  in  1S89,  when  he 
built  a  line  of  railroad  extending  from  Hartsville  to  the  C.  &  D.  R.  R., 
a  distance  of  some  ten  miles,  and  he  now  owns  and  operates  that 
road,  which  has  done  much  to  open  up  the  surrounding  country, 
thereby  increasing  the  prosperity  of  the  community.  A  company  was 
formed  in  iSgo,  at  Hartsville,  for  the  manufacture  of  chemical  fibre, 
and  of  paper  from  wood,  and  Maj.  Coker  was  the  prime  mover  in  its 
formation,  and  is  occupying  the  office  of  president  of  the  flourishing 
concern.  His  marriage  in  i860,  to  Miss  Susan  Stout,  of  Welumpka, 
Ala.,  has  been  blessed  by  the  birth  of  four  sons  and  three  daughters. 
The  family  are  earnest  and  consistent  members  of  the  Baptist  church, 
and  occupy  a  high  social  position.  Someone  has  very  aptly  said  that, 
"The  true  benefactor  of  the  American  community  is  the  man  or 
woman  wdio  increases  its  resources."  No  other  one  man  has  done 
more,  if  as  much,  to  build  up  the  large  community  of  Darlington 
county,  and  to  give  to  it  increased  facilities  for  establishing  and  car- 
rying on  business.  This  region  was  devastated  during  the  Civil  war 
to  an  alarming  extent,  and  its  wonderful  recovery  is  due  to  the  efforts 
of  such  men  as  this  one  of  whom  we  write.  On  the  battlefield  of  his 
people's  cause,  he  served  with  devotion  and  faithfulness.  When  that 
cause  was  set  aside  forever,  and  the  southern  and  northern  soldiers 
returned  to  their  respective  homes  to  rebuild  their  shattered  fortunes, 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  457 

some  who  had  worn  the  grey  laid  them  down  and  died  of  broken 
hearts,  but  others  came  to  the  front  as  re-builders,  as  they  had  come 
to  the  front  on  the  field  of  conflict,  and  have  made  the  new  condition 
better  than  tlic  old. 

MICHAEL  BROWN, 

a  leading  business  man  of  Barnwell  county,  S.  C,  was  born  in  the  city 
of  New  York  on  the  27th  of  October,  1S55.  His  father,  .Simon  Brown, 
removed  from  New  York  to  Blackville,  S.  C,  when  our  subject  was 
but  three  years  of  age.  Mr.  Brown  was  given  a  good  education  in 
the  schools  of  Blackville,  and  when  he  had  attained  his  thirteenth 
year,  was  sent  to  New  York  city  to  complete  his  scholastic  training 
there.  Returning  to  his  home  after  three  years  he  at  once  entered 
the  extensive  mercantile  establishment  of  his  father,  as  book-keeper 
and  general  manager.  In  1884  Mr.  Brown  removed  to  Barnwell  and 
embarked  in  business  for  himself.  At  that  time  the  town  was  in 
rather  a  dead  condition.  It  had  been  burned  during  the  war  by  Sher- 
man on  his  famous  march.  Mr.  Brown's  removal  to  the  city  was  fol- 
lowed by  great  improvements,  of  which  he  was  the  author.  The 
Branch  railroad,  running  from  that  place  and  intersecting  the  South 
Carolina  railroad  at  Blackville,  is  owned  and  operated  solely  by  him. 
He  is  the  vice-president  of  the  Barnwell  bank,  which  was  organized 
principally  through  his  efforts,  and  a  movement  is  now  on  foot  for 
the  establishment  of  another  banking  concern;  this  is  likewise  his 
work.  He  is  prominently  identified  with  the  Middle  Georgia  &  At- 
lantic railroad,  in  which  he  is  a  large  stockholder,  this  corporation 
having  lately  purchased  Hutchinson's  Island  of  the  city  of  Savannah. 
He  is  president  and  principal  owner  of  the  Barnwell  Oil  and  Fertilizer 
company,  and  was  largely  instrumental  in  the  erection  of  the  Knights 
of  Pythias  hall,  and  also  Masonic  hall,  both  creditable  structures. 
When  the  Catholic  and  Methodist  churches  were  being  built  his 
purse  was  open  to  both  alike.  No  movement  looking  toward  the  im- 
provement of  city,  county  or  state,  fails  in  gaining  him  as  its  firm 
friend.  As  a  planter  he  stands  at  the  head,  owning  and  operating  ex- 
tensive cotton  plantations.  His  ability  is  recognized  throughout  the 
south,  as  is  evidenced  by  the  fact  that  at  the  organization  of  the  Sea- 
board Construction  company,  in  Savannah,  Mr.  Brown  was  chosen  as 
its  president.  During  the  recent  centennial  celebration  in  New  York 
city  he  held  an  important  office  on  Gov.  Richardson's  staff.  In  1S77 
he  was  so  fortunate  as  to  secure  Miss  Jennie  Kline,  graduate  of  the 
Girls'  Normal  school,  of  Philadelphia,  for  his  wife;  and  to  their  union 
have  been  born  four  daughters  and  three  sons,  all  of  whom  are  living. 
Broad-minded  and  progressive  to  a  marked  degree,  his  wealth  is  not 
hoarded  for  his  own  needs,  but  is  scattered  where  it  will  do  the  most 
good.  It  has  been  said  of  him,  "  That  for  everj'  dollar  he  makes  for 
himself  he  makes  ten  for  his  neighbors."  It  is  claimed  that  to  him 
the  credit  belongs  of  organizing  the  Savannah  Construction  company, 
which    has    about    completed    the    South     Bound    railroad    running 


458  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

from  Columbia  to  Savannah;  the  second  bank  in  Barnwell,  known  as 
the  Citizens'  Savings  bank,  has  since  been  organized  and  is  in  successful 
operation.  The  Southern  Investment  company,  of  which  he  is  gen- 
eral manager,  is  now  constructing  the  Carolina  Midland,  of  which  he 
is  vice-president  and  treasurer. 

A.  BAXTER  SPRINGS. 

In  every  generation  there  arise  men  who  tower  above  their  fel- 
lows in  force  of  character  and  in  expansion  of  views,  who  draw  to 
them  that  deference  which  mankind  yield  to  superior  endowment. 
These  are  they  who  naturally  take  their  places  as  "  leaders  of  men," 
these  are  the  men  whose  sagacity  discerns,  whose  wisdom  guides, 
whose  energy  leads,  whose  courage  sustains  in  all  that  contributes  to 
social  and  material  advancements;  the  men  whom  after  generations 
revere  and  imitate,  and,  such  confidence  or  reverence  is  not  so  much 
the  necessary  effect  of  prominent  or  striking  action  or  servicye  as  the 
are  the  influence  of  a'uniformity  of  excellence,  always  sustained  on  a 
lofty  plane,  a  form  more  enduring  than  is  often  attained  by  more 
daring  challenge  to  the  wonder  and  admiration  of  mankind.  Such 
position  was  that  of  Andrew  Baxter  Springs,  always  elevated,  never 
conspicuous,  always  active  and  useful,  never  obtrusive  or  ambitious  in 
the  pursuit  of  what  the  world  calls  distinction.  Distinguished  he 
was,  most  assuredly;  but  distinguished  more  for  fullness  and  volume 
than  for  noise  and  impetuosity;  more  for  depth  and  strength  than 
for  those  outward  manifestations  of  power  which  dazzle,  astonish,  or 
overwhelm.  He  gained  all,  through  that  confidence  of  relying  upon 
his  own  faculties,  and  through  patient  abiding,  the  result  of  his  wis- 
dom, and  through  that  calm  conviction  that  he  was  right  in  his  course. 
Though  he  never  courted  popular  favor,  he  commanded  popular  con- 
fidence; though  not  seeking  public  honors,  he  was  accorded  claim  to 
them  all;  and  for  over  a  half  century  was  a  central  figure  in  the  an- 
nals of  South  Carolina,  his  native  state,  and  in  which  the  greater  por- 
tion of  his  life  was  spent.  Mr.  Springs  was  born  in  York  district, 
S.  C,  on  the  21st  day  of  October,  1S19,  and  before  we  further 
proceed  with  an  outline  of  his  career,  we  will  give  a  brief  men- 
tion of  the  Springs  family  to  which  he  belonged.  No  definite  knowl- 
edge of  the  family  back  of  John  Springs,  born  on  Long  Island,  X.  Y., 
about  1717,  can  be  gained.  Tradition,  however,  indicates  that  John 
Springs  was  of  Holland  lineage,  and  if  so,  the  family  must  have  been 
among  the  first  settlers  of  New  York,  but  nothing  in  his  language  or 
appearance  was  indicative  of  his  descent.  It  is  conceded  that  the 
orthography  of  the  family  name  was  Springstein,  which  has  been 
abridged  into  Springs.  Leaving  Long  Island,  John  Springs  for  a 
time  lived  in  Jones  Neck,  near  Dover,  in  the  state  of  Delaware; 
and  at  a  later  period  at  Lancaster,  Penn.,  and  about  1768,  removed 
to  Mecklenburg  county,  N.  C,  where  he  died  about  the  year  1789, 
aged  about  seventy-two  years.  He  married  Miss  .Sophia  Cassoway, 
from  the  state  of  Maryland.     They    had  three    daughters   and  two 


'**' 


/S^ 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  459 

sons:  John  and  Richard  were  the  names  of  the  two  sons.  The  par- 
ents after  long  and  useful  lives  died  in  respected  old  age,  and  were 
buried  at  Providence  church,  in  Mecklenburg  county,  of  which 
church  they  were  members.  Richard  Springs,  their  second  son,  was 
born  in  Jones  Neck,  Delaware,  on  the  22nd  of  October,  1754,  and 
was  about  fourteen  years  of  age  when  his  parents  removed  to  Meck- 
lenburg county,  N.  C.  June  7,  1781,  he  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Miss  Jane  Baxter,  of  Lancaster,  Penn.,  and  soon  after  (1784)  settled 
down  in  life  at  Big  Sugar  creek,  on  the  Catawba  lands,  in  Lancaster 
district,  S.  C.  Richard  .Springs  was  of  Revolutionary  fame,  and  as  a 
captain  of  a  Colonial  company  participated  with  gallantry  in  a  num- 
ber of  campaigns.  He  was  a  good  citizen,  an  honest  man,  and  an  in- 
dustrious and  successful  planter.  He  reared  and  educated  a  family 
of  nine  children,  and  died  in  1833,  in  his  eightieth  year.  He  had  a 
son,  John  Springs  by  name,  who  was  born  in  Mecklenburg  county, 
N.  C,  December  24,  1782,  and  was  a  child  of  two  years  when  his  par- 
ents removed  to  Lancaster  district.  S.  C,  where  he  grew  to  manhood. 
In  1S06,  he  married  his  cousin.  Miss  Mary  Springs,  daughter  of  John 
Springs,  and  soon  after  his  marriage  removed  to  York  district,  locat- 
ing upon  a  plantation  (known  as  Springfield  plantation)  near  Fort 
Mills,  where  he  lived  and  died.  By  means  of  his  assiduity  and  ac- 
quirement he  soon  arose  to  wealth  and  prominence,  and  though  he 
began  his  business  career  with  limited  capital,  he  died  one  of  the 
wealthiest  men  in  his  state.  As  a  financier  and  planter  he  was  un- 
rivaled, and  he  was  no  less  prominent  in  the  field  of  manufacturing, 
industrial  improvement,  or  in  the  arena  of  political  economy.  He 
served  with  distinction  in  the  state  legislature  for  several  terms,  and 
as  agent  for  the  Catawba  Indian  tribe,  he  was  most  influential  with 
the  tribe,  who,  unmistakably,  regarded  him  as  a  true  friend,  and  ad- 
viser. He  bore  prominence  among  the  originators  of  many  of  the 
early  banks  of  .South  Carolina,  and  for  several  years  acted  as  a  di- 
rector in  several  banking  institutions  of  the  state.  He  was  promi- 
nent as  an  originator  of  the  Granetsville  Cotton  factory,  one  of  the 
earliest  manufacturing  establishments  of  its  kind  in  South  Carolina. 
He  was  an  early  and  ardent  advocate  of  railroads,  and  was  an  origi- 
nal stockholder  and  for  many  years  director  in  C.  C.  &  A.  railroad. 
He  was  three  times  married,  but  only  the  first,  which  was  consummated 
with  Mary  Springs,  as  above  stated„resulted  in  issue.  He  had  three 
sons  and  two  daughters.     He  died  in  1853,  aged  si.xty-eight  years. 

A.  Baxter  Springs  was  his  son,  and  it  is  he  whom  we  have  intro- 
duced as  the  subject  of  this  biographical  mention.  He  was  graduated 
at  the  college  of  South  Carolina,  at  Columbia,  in  1S45,  ^'"^d  soon 
afterward  began  the  study  of  law  under  the  late  Judge  Withers,  of 
Camden,  S.  C,  and  being  admitted  to  the  bar,  he  began  the  practice 
of  his  chosen  profession  at  Camden.  His  predilections  led  him  to 
the  stud}'  of  law,  a  calling  suited  to  his  tastes,  the  character  of  his 
mind,  and  the  ardor  of  his  temperament,  an  avocation,  in  his  young 
daj's  especiall}-  adapted  to  give  active  employment  to  the  accumulated 
stores  of  a  liberal  education,  and  one  affording  opportunity  for  the 


460  SOUTH   CAROLINA. 

future  attainment  of  those  higher  poHticaH-ionors,  to  which  his  posi- 
tion might  justly  entitle  him  to  aspire.  Though  well  equipped  for  the 
practice  of  law,  he  did  not  continue  in  the  profession  but  for  a  brief 
period,  because  of  the  burden  that  fell  upon  him,  in  aiding  his  father 
in  the  management  of  his  vast  and  varied  agricultural  and  other 
business  interests.  These  duties  devolved  upon  him,  ajid  cheerfully 
he  sacrificed  the  ambitions  to  be  gratified  in  a  professional  or  politi- 
cal career,  to  the  more  obscure,  more  exacting,  more  responsible,  but 
not  the  less  useful,  life  of  the  intelligent  planter  and  competent  busi- 
ness man.  Taking  charge  of  his  father's  affairs  in  business,  he  took 
up  his  father's  career,  only  to  lay  it  down  when  death  called  him 
from  the  scenes  of  a  long  and  active  life.  Like  his  father,  he  served 
several  terms  in  the  state  legislature,  became  the  model  farmer,  and 
was  a  financier  unrivaled.  He  became  interested  in  several  of  the 
banking  institutions  and  railroads  of  the  state,  and  officiated  in  both 
as  a  director  for  years.  Mr.  Springs  exhibited  in  the  conduct  of  his 
responsibilities,  for  nearly  a  half  century,  an  administrative  and 
financial  ability,  energy,  and  integrity,  which  would  have  secured  him 
high  honors  in  any  field  of  action,  and  his  career  was  characterized 
by  simple  straight-forward  devotion  to  what  he  conceived  to  be  duty 
in  every  relation  of  life.  In  i860,  he  was  a  member  of  the  secession 
convention  of  his  state,  and  argued  against  the  measure  of  secession, 
but  accepted  the  ordinance  of  secession,  and  went  with  the  people  in 
their  choice,  with  heart  and  soul,  and  joined  the  military  ranks  to 
perform  his  dut}';  but  such  pressure  was  brought  to  bear  upon  him 
and  to  the  effect  that  he  should  remain  at  home  and  look  after  the 
families  of  others  who  were  in  the  ranks,  that  he  finally  yielded;  and 
during  the  progress  of  the  Civil  war.  he  devoted  his  entire  time,  giv- 
ing his  plantation  revenue,  and  largely  of  other  means,  to  the  support 
of  the  families  of  the  soldiers  and  the  southern  Confederacy.  The 
war  ending,  Mr.  Springs  was  among  the  first  to  adjust  the  deplorable 
state  of  affairs;  he  was  a  member  of  the  reconstruction  convention, 
and  subsequently  served  in  the  lower  house  of  the  legislature.  Dur- 
ing the  war  his  estate  wonderfully  decreased  in  value,  but  by  means 
of  his  superior  financial  ability,  he  soon  recuperated  in  wealth,  and  at 
the  time  of  his  death  his  estate  was  worth  a  quarter  of  a  million  dol- 
lars. Mr.  Springs  married  in  1850,  Miss  Julia  Baxter,  a  daughter  of 
Judge  E.  H.  Baxter,  of  Hancock  county,  Ga.  Unto  this  marriage 
were  born  seven  sons  and  one  daughter,  all  of  whom  reached  matur- 
ity. The  eldest  son  is  Eli  B.  Springs,  now  a  prominent  business  man 
and  citizen  of  Charlotte,  N.  C,  being  engaged  in  the  wholesale  groc- 
ery traffic,  president  of  the  A.  T.  &  O.  R.  R.;  director  in  the  Char- 
lotte Oil  &  Fertilizer  company,  director  for  the  Charlotte  Consolidated 
Construction  company,  and  beside  interested  in  several  cotton  mills. 
The  second  son,  was  John  Springs,  now  deceased;  Richard  A.  .Springs, 
is  a  practicing  attorney  in  New  York  city.  A.  Baxter  Springs,  the 
fourth  son,  died  in  early  life;  Alvin  C.  Springs,  is  a  real  estate  dealer 
in  Kansas;  Brevard  D.  .Springs,  a  planter  and  railroad  contractor,  re- 
sides in  Columbia,  S.  C.     The   youngest  son,  Le  Roy  Springs,   is  a 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  461 

prosperous  merchant  at   Lancaster,  S.  C,  and  is  a  director  in  the 

C.  C.  &  A.  R.  R.  The  only  daughter,  Miss  Bleetier  B.  Springs,  is  the 
youngest  of  the  family,  and  resides  with  her  mother,  in  Charlotte, 
N.  C.  Mr.  .Springs  continued  to  live  for  many  years  at  "  .Springfield," 
his  plantation,  but  toward  the  close  of  his  life,  he  removed  his  resi- 
dence to  Charlotte,  N.  C,  and  was  residing  here  when  he  died.  His 
death  occurred  January  27,  1886,  while  on  a  visit  in  New  York  city. 
Such  is  a  brief  outline  of  the  life  of  one  whose  impression  upon  his 
time  will  not  soon  be  effaced,  whose  personality  is  stamped  on  feat- 
ures not  to  be  forgotten,  whose  influence  for  good  will  long  act  upon 
those  who  fell  in  his  sphere. 

A.  H.  TWITCHELL, 

treasurer  of  the  Clifton  Manufacturing  companj-,  and  of  the  D.  E. 
Converse  company,  both  of  Spartanburg  county,  was  born  at  New 
York  Mills,  Oneida  county,  N.  Y.,  Februar}'  13,  1841.  He  was  the 
son  of  Winslow  and  Anne  (Carroll)  Twitchell,  the  former  a  native  of 
Swanzy,  N.  H.,  born  in  iSio,  and  the  latter  a  native  of  Ireland,  born 
about  iSiQ.  She  came  to  America  with  her  parents  while  she  was 
yet  an  infant.  The  father  was  of  English  descent.  They  were  mar- 
ried about  the  year  1835,  and  had  three  children,  two  sons  and  a 
daughter.  Mr.  Twitchell,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  and  the  daugh- 
ter, are  the  survivors  of  the  family,  the  daughter  being  the  wife  of 

D.  E.  Converse,  of  .Spartanburg.  The  mother  died  when  A.  H.  was 
but  sixteen  months  old,  but  the  father  lived  until  the  gth  of  /\ugust, 
1889.  By  occupation  he  was  a  manufacturer.  When  his  son,  the 
subject  of  this  sketch,  was  only  four  years  old,  he  removed  to  Cohoes, 
N.  Y.,  a  manufacturing  town,  where  the  son  spent  his  youth.  He  re- 
ceived an  academic  education  at  the  academy  in  Stillwater,  N.  Y., 
and  in  1S59,  when  he  had  arrived  at  the  age  of  eighteen  he  came  to 
Spartanburg  county,  and  took  a  position  as  book-keeper  in  a  cotton 
mill  at  Glendale,  operated  by  J.  Bomar  &  Co.  The  place  was  then 
called  Bivingsville.  He  continued  in  that  capacity  until  August, 
1 86 1,  when  he  enlisted  in  Company  C,  Thirteenth  South  Carolina 
regiment,  McGowan's  brigade,  and  served  until  the  close  of  the  war. 
He  was  in  the  battles  in  the  vicinity  of  Richmonci,  Fredericksburg 
and  the  Second  Manassas.  He  was  transferred  to  the  quarter- 
master's department  in  the  early  part  of  1863,  and  there  served  about 
sixteen  months.  He  then  returned  to  the  line,  remaining  in  that  ser- 
vice two  months,  when  he  was  detailed  to  the  pay-master's  depart- 
ment. There  he  remained  until  a  short  time  before  the  close  of  the 
war,  when  he  was  transferred  to  the  commissary  department.  He 
was  at  Appomatox  when  Lee  surrendered,  after  which  he  walked  to 
his  home  in  Spartanburg  county.  He  resumed  his  position  as  book- 
keeper for  J.  Bomar  &  Co.  About  the  year  1868  Mr.  Bomar  died, 
but  the  works  were  operated  under  his  name  for  some  years  after  his 
death.  In  1870  Mr.  Twitchell  took  a  proprietory  interest  in  the  mill, 
yet  still  performing  the  duties  of  book-keeper,  and  shortly  afterward 


462  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

the  name  was  changed  to  D.  E.  Converse  &  Co.  At  the  time  this 
change  was  made,  Mr.  Twitchell  was  made  treasurer  of  the  company, 
and  has  held  that  position  ever  since,  having  been  the  financial  man- 
ager for  about  twenty  years.  In  August,  1889,  the  name  was  changed 
to  D.  E.  Converse  company,  at  which  time  it  was  made  a  stock  con- 
cern. Upon  the  formation  of  the  Clifton  Manufacturing  company, 
1880,  Mr.  Twitchell  was  chosen  its  treasurer,  and  he  has  held  that  po- 
sition ever  since.  He  and  his  brother-in-law,  Mr.  D.  E.  Converse, 
were  the  prime  movers  in  the  organization  of  the  Clifton  Manufac- 
turing company.  In  fact  the  D.  E.  Converse  company  is  the  parent 
of  the  Clifton  Manufacturing  company,  though  the  child  is  now  much 
larger  than  the  parent.  Both  mills  together  have  65,000  spindles  and 
nearly  2,000  looms.  Their  annual  consumption  is  30,000  bales  of  cot- 
ton. Mr.  Twitchell  is  also  a  stockholder  and  director  in  the  Spartan 
mills.  For  the  past  ten  years  he  has  devoted  his  attention  to  the 
duties  of  treasurer  and  financial  manager  of  the  D.  E.  Converse 
company  and  the  Clifton  Manufacturing  company,  and  is  a  director 
in  both.  He  is  a  stockholder  and  director  in  the  National  bank  and 
the  Fidelity  Loan  &  Trust  company,  and  the  Iron  District  Fire  Insur- 
ance company,  all  of  Spartanburg,  and  Spartanburg  Savings  bank. 
Mr.  Twitchell  continued  to  reside  at  Glendale  until  in  October,  1890, 
when  he  removed  to  .Spartanburg,  having  erected  in  the  latter  city  an 
elegant  residence,  than  which  there  are  few  costlier  or  handsomer  in 
the  state.  Mr.  Twitchell  was  married  December  21,  1865,  to  Miss 
Mary  A.,  daughter  of  Washington  Bomar,  formerly  of  Charleston, 
S.  C.  They  have  two  daughters,  Nellie  Converse  and  Emma  Bomar. 
The  family  are  all  members  of  the  Presbyterian  church.  In  politics 
Mr.  Twitchell  is  a  democrat. 

CAPT.  JOHN  H.  MONTGOMERY, 

president  of  the  Spartan  Mills,  and  of  the  Pacolet  Manufacturing 
company,  was  born  on  a  farm  in  Spartanburg  county,  fourteen  miles 
west  of  the  city  of  Spartanburg,  December  8,  1833.  He  is  the  son 
of  Benjamin  F.  Montgomery,  also  a  native  of  Spartanburg  county, 
born  in  1810.  He  led  the  life  of  a  farmer  and  is  still  living,  his  home 
being  in  Texas.  The  maiden  name  of  his  wife  was  Harriet  B.  Moss. 
She  was  born  in  Spartanburg  county,  and  died  in  1857,  after  having 
given  birth  to  twelve  children,  eleven  of  whom  were  alive  at  the  time 
of  her  death,  and  of  whom  John  H.,  the  subject  of  this  sketch  was  the 
eldest.  Six  are  yet  living.  The  father  has  been  twice  married  since 
her  death.  He  was  the  son  of  John  Montgomery,  who  was  also  born 
in  Spartanburg  county,  and  in  the  same  neighborhood  in  which  his 
son  and  grandson  were  born.  He  was  the  son  of  John  Montgomery 
who  emigrated  to.  America  from  the  north  of  Ireland  and  first  settled 
in  Pennsylvania  where  he  married  Rosa  Roddy.  In  1785  he  removed 
■to  .South  Carolina,  and  located  in  Spartanburg  county,  in  the  neigh- 
borhood in  which  his  son  was  born.  The  mother  of  Capt.  Mont- 
gomery was  the  daughter  of  lames   Moss,  a  native  of  the   Yadkin 


I 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  463 

Valley,  in  V'irginia.  The  j^randfathcr,  John  Montgomery,  married 
Margaret  Miller.  They  had  thirteen  children  of  whom  Benjamin  F., 
the  father  of  Capt.  Montgomery  was  the  fourth.  Capt.  John  H. 
Montgomery  spent  the  first  nineteen  years  of  his  life  on  the  farm 
where  he  was  born.  He  received  a  common  school  education  and  at 
nineteen  his  father  put  him  in  a  country  store  as  a  clerk.  It  was  in 
the  southeastern  part  of  the  county,  and  was  owned  by  James  Nesbit. 
The  reason  for  this  act  was  the  fact  that  the  son  did  not  possess  what 
might  be  called  a  rugged  constitution  suitable  for  work  on  the  farm. 
He  held  his  position  for  one  year,  for  which  he  was  paid  $5  per 
month  and  board.  He  thus  acquired  a  knowledge  for  business,  and 
he  attributes  a  good  share  of  the  success  he  has  since  achieved  to  this 
early  training.  During  this  year,  besides  performing  all  the  duties  of 
a  clerkship,  he  had  other  work  to  do  about  the  house  and  barn  of  his 
employer.  Though  hired  as  a  clerk,  his  first  work  was  to  drive  a 
four  horse  team  loaded  with  flour  to  the  present  site  of  Clifton,  a  dis- 
tance of  thirty  miles  loading  back  Avith  iron  and  nails.  He  obeyed 
orders  implicitly,  never  questioning  the  propriety  of  undertaking 
whatever  his  employer  directed  him  to  do.  From  Mr.  Nesbit's  store, 
Mr.  Montgomer}'  went  to  Columbia  and  for  four  months  worked  in  a 
store  owned  by  Robert  Brice  as  a  clerk.  That  was  during  the  winter 
of  1853-4.  The  next  spring  he  was  pursuaded  by  his  brother-in-law, 
Dr.  E.  R.  W.  McCrary,  to  resign  his  clerkship  and  undertake  the 
mercantile  business  with  him  at  Hobbysville  a  point  near  the  store 
of  his  old  employer.  They  began  business  there  on  letters  of  credit 
from  their  respective  fathers,  not  possessing  both  together  sufficient 
capital  to  pay  the  expense  of  one  trip  to  Charleston  and  return  for 
the  purchase  of  their  stock  of  goods.  In  the  fall  of  1855.  Mr.  Mont- 
gomery's parents  and  his  four  brothers  and  six  sisters  removed  to 
Texas,  leaving  him  as  the  sole  member  of  the  family  remaining  in 
South  Carolina.  His  brother-in-lav/  and  partner  also  went  to  Texas, 
thus  leaving  him  alone  to  bear  the  brunt  of  paying  back  the  borrowed 
capital  with  which  they  had  started  in  business.  It  was  close  times 
with  him  for  a  while,  but  in  modern  parlance,  he  pulled  through, 
paj'ing  all  the  debts  the  firm  had  contracted.  He  continued  in  busi- 
ness there  until  1S58,  when  he  moved  his  stock  to  a  store  owned  by 
his  father-in-law  two  miles  distant.  There  he  continued  in  business 
until  the  opening  of  the  Civil  war.  In  December,  1861,  he  volunteered 
his  services  to  his  country  and  was  enrolled  in  Company  E,  Eigh- 
teenth South  Carolina  regiment  as  a  private.  Upon  the  organization 
of  the  regiment  he  was  appointed  regimental  commissary  with  the 
rank  of  captain.  This  office  was  soon  after  abolished,  namely  in  1863, 
and  Capt.  Montgomery  was  made  an  assistant  commissary  of  the  bri- 
gade. In  1S64  that  office  also  was  abolished  and  he  was  then  made  an  as- 
sistant division  commissary,  continuing  as  such  until  the  close  of  the 
war,  surrendering  with  Gen.  Lee  at  Appomatox,  April  9,  1865. 
Meanwhile,  prior  to  the  war  he  had  established  a  small  tannery  on 
the  premises  of  his  father-in-law  in  Spartanburg  county,  and  it  was 
the   earnings    of    this   business,   together    with    the    products   of    a 


464  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

small  farm,  upon  which  he  depended  for  the  support  of  his  family 
during  the  war.  When  he  returned  from  his  military  service,  he  had 
no  means  whatever,  the  only  property  he  possessed  being  a  small 
stock  of  leather.  He  resumed  his  tannery  business  and  farmed  in  a 
small  way.  In  1S66  he  began  the  use  of  commercial  fertilizers  upon 
his  farm,  an  experiment  that  few  of  his  neighbors,  if  any,  had  ven- 
tured upon.  They,  at  first,  made  light  of  it,  but  soon  recognized  the 
advantage  of  this  means  of  stimulating  plant  growth,  and  soon  pre- 
vailed upon  him  to  purchase  fertilizers  for  their  use.  He  began  the 
business  in  1867  and  was  remarkably  successful,  and  in  a  short  time 
his  annual  cotton  crop  amounted  to  about  100  bales.  He  still  con- 
tinued the  tanning  business  and  after  a  few  successful  years,  was  en- 
abled to  resume  his  merchandising,  about  1870.  In  connection  with 
his  general  trade  he  handled  fertilizers,  and  this  latter  business  soon 
assumed  such  proportions  as  to  make  it  necessary  to  abandon  farm- 
ing, and,  later  to  give  up  all  other  branches  of  business.  In  1874  he 
removed  to  Spartanburg,  and  turned  his  attention  exclusively  to 
fertilizers,  becoming  the  partner  of  Col.  Joseph  Walker  and  Dr.  C.  E. 
Fleming.  He  thus  continued  until  1884,  in  which  year  he  retired 
from  the  firm.  In  the  meantime,  in  188],  the  firm  of  Walker,  Flem- 
ing &  Co.,  to  which  he  belonged,  purchased  a  water  power  on  Pacolet 
river,  thirteen  miles  east  of  Spartanburg,  and,  in  1S82,  began  the 
erection  of  the  Pacolet  Manufacturing  company.  This  was  com- 
pleted in  1883.  The  company  was  incorporated  in  1881,  with  Capt. 
Montgomery  as  its  president  and  treasurer,  which  position  he  still 
holds.  The  mill,  on  its  completion,  had  12,000  spindles  and  328 
looms.  These  were  increased  in  18S7  to  26,224  spindles  and  S40 
looms.  In  the  present  capacity  of  this  factory,  the  annual  consump- 
tion of  cotton  is  10,000  bales.  Its  output,  which  consists  of  standard 
sheetings  and  drills,  amounts  to  $50,000  per  month,  and  it  employs 
600  operatives.  Its  capital  at  present  is  $450,000.  In  1889  Mr.  Mont- 
gomery was  prevailed  upon  to  accept  the  presidency  and  treasurj'ship 
of  the  Spartan  mills,  which  were  not  then  built  but  a  charter  for 
which  had  been  granted  in  1888.  Capt.  Montgomery  gave  new  life 
to  the  enterprise,  which,  prior  to  his  connection  with  it,  had  been 
conducted  upon  an  installment  plan,  which  was  very  impracticable. 
He  persuaded  the  interested  parties  to  inaugurate  a  system  upon  an 
altogether  different  basis.  Under  the  old  plan  the  stockholders  were 
required  to  pay  $1  a  share  per  month.  On  this  plan  $125,000  had 
been  subscribed,  but  at  the  end  of  one  year  only  $15,000  had  been 
paid  in.  At  this  rate  it  would  have  required  several  years  to  collect 
enough  to  build  a  mill.  Capt.  Montgomery  called  personally  upon 
the  stockholders  and  secured  the  consent  of  nearly  all  to  pay  their 
whole  subscription  by  the  first  of  May,  1890,  and  with  this  assurance 
the  erection  of  a  mill  was  undertaken  in  the  spring  of  1889.  The 
capital  was  increased  to  $500,000,  and  the  present  handsome  Spartan 
mill  was  completed  in  time  to  start  its  machinery  in  June,  iSgo.  It 
has  30,000  spindles  and  i,ioo  looms.  Its  annual  consumption  will  be 
about  7,500  bales.     Its  product  is  a  finer  quality  of  brown  sheetings 


-SOUTH    CAROLINA.  465 

than  arc  protluccd  at  the  I'acolct  mill.  When  full  it  will  retjuire  600 
operatives.  Capt.  Montgomery  is  a  director  in  the  Whitney  Manu- 
facturing^ company,  and  a  stockholder  in  the  Clifton  Manufacturing 
company,  both  of  Spartanburg  county.  He  is  also  a  stockholder  in 
the  Beaumont  manufacturing  company  of  that  county,  and  a  stock- 
holder and  director  in  the  Spartanburg  National  bank,  and  a 
stockholder  in  the  Iron  District  F"ire  Insurance  company.  Capt.  Mont- 
gomery was  married  in  ^857  to  Miss  Susan  A.  Holcombe,  daughter  of 
David  Holcombe,  a  native  of  Union  county,  who  settled  in  Spartan- 
burg in  1845.  They  have  had  eight  children,  only  four  of  whom  are 
now  living,  viz.:  Victor  M.,  Walter  S.,  Benjamin  W.  and  Katie  L. 
Those  who  have  died  were:  David  F.,  Mary,  John  and  an  infant 
unnamed.  Capt.  and  Mrs.  Montgomery  are  members  of  the  Baptist 
church.  In  politics  he  is  a  protectionist  democrat.  Mr.  Montgomery 
is  one  of  Spartanburg's  best  and  most  influential  citizens;  he  has 
done  and  is  doing  much  for  the  material  and  social  prosperity  of  the 
city. 

DEXTER  EDGAR  CONVERSE. 

president  of  the  Clifton  Manufacturing  company  and  the  D.  E.  Con- 
verse Manufacturing  company,  of  Glendale,  S.  C,  was  born  in  Swan- 
ton,  Vt.,  April  21,  182S.  He  was  the  son  of  Orlen  and  Louise 
Converse,  who  were  natives  of  New  Hampshire,  and  both  of  Eng- 
lish descent.  His  father,  who  was  a  woolen  manufacturer,  died 
when  Dexter  E.  Converse  was  but  three  years  old,  and  his  mother 
afterward  married  Ira  Wicher,  of  Addison  county,  Vt.,  who  died 
about  the  year  1S65.  The  mother  died  in  1889,  aged  eighty-four 
years.  After  his  father  died,  Mr.  Converse  was  taken  by  an  uncle,  a 
resident  of  Canada,  and  with  him  he  lived  until  he  was  twenty-one 
years  of  age.  He  acquired  a  knowledge  of  the  ordinary  branches  of 
learning  in  the  common  schools.  His  uncle  was  a  manufacturer  of 
woolen  goods.  At  twenty-one  he  took  a  position  in  a  cotton  mill  at 
Cohoes  Falls,  near  Albany,  N.  Y.,  where  he  remained  five  years.  In 
1854  he  went  to  Lincolnton  county,  N.  C,  where  he  was  employed  a 
few  months  in  a  cotton  mill.  Later  on,  in  February,  1S55,  he  came  to 
South  Carolina  and  located  at  Glendale,  Spartanburg  county,  where 
he  resided  until  January,  i8qi,  and  then  removed  to  Spartanburg 
where  he  has  erected  a  magnificent  residence,  one  of  the  most  elegant 
in  the  state,  and  where  he  intends  in  future  to  live.  Upon  locating  at 
Glendale  in  1855,  he  purchased  an  interest  in  a  cotton  mill  at  that 
place  and  also  became  its  manager.  This  mill,  which  was  known  then 
as  the  Bivingsville  mill,  when  he  assumed  charge,  was  an  old  mill 
containing  only  1,300  spindles  and  twenty-six  looms.  This  was  the 
nucleus  of  his  present  extensive  works  and  the  beginning  of  his  bril- 
liant career  as  a  cotton  manufacturer.  Its  name  was  soon  changed  to 
the  Glendale  mill.  In  1865  this  mill  was  rebuilt  with  5,000  spindles 
and  120  looms,  and  with  this  extension  of  facilities,  a  new  era  was  in- 
augurated in  the  cotton  manufacturing  industry  in  this  part  of  the 
A— 30 


466  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

country.  It  was  incorporated  in  iSSS,  under  the  name  of  the  D.  E. 
Converse  company,  and  has  lately  been  enlarged  to  15,000  spindles 
and  500  looms.  This  company'  also  operates  a  saw-mill,  a  cotton  gin, 
a  flouring  mill  and  a  1,300-acre  farm.  The  village  of  Glendale,  which 
has  a  population  of  500,  belongs  to  the  company.  Its  church  and 
school  company  also  belong  to  the  company  and  in  fact  every  specie 
of  property  about  the  place.  In  1880,  Mr.  Converse,  together  with 
some  associates-,  purchased  a  water  power  on  the  Pacolet  river,  seven 
miles  east  of  the  city  of  Spartanburg,  and  one  mile  from  the  Piedmont 
Air  Line  railway,  with  which  it  is  connected  by  a  special  branch  line 
belonging  to  the  cotton  company.  A  stock  company  was  at  once 
formed,  and  the  erection  of  the  mills  of  the  present  Clifton  Manufac- 
turing Co.  begun.  Its  capital  stock  subscribed  was  $175,000,  which 
has  since  been  increased  to  $700,000,  all  paid  up.  Two  large  cotton 
mills  have  been  built  of  23,000  spindles  and  27,000  spindles,  respect- 
ively. Both  together,  contain  nearly  1,500  looms.  The  total  invest- 
ment up  to  this  date  amounts  to  $1,250,000.  The  town  of  Clifton, 
which  has  a  population  of  3,000  owes  its  existence  to  the  Clifton  Man- 
ufacturing Co.,  there  having  been  no  improvements  there  until  the 
mills  were  erected,  save  that  it  was  the  site  of  an  old  ironworks  plant. 
The  whole  town,  including  all  business  houses,  churches,  schools  and 
everything,  was  built  by  the  company  and  is  owned  by  it.  The  mill 
at  Glendale,  when  it  is  completed,  will  have  a  capacity  of  8,000  bales 
of  cotton  per  year.  The  annual  consumption  of  the  Clifton  Manufac- 
turing Co.  is  22,000  bales.  The  product  at  Glendale  is  standard 
sheetings,  shi'-tings  and  drills.  One  of  the  mills  at  Clifton  also  man- 
ufactures the  same  kind  of  goods,  and  the  other,  four  and  five  yard 
goods.  These  Clifton  mills  are  the  most  extensive  in  the  south  under 
one  organization,  and  are  reputed  to  be  as  successful  as  any  in  the 
southern  states.  The  stock  is  now  quoted  at  160.  Mr.  Converse 
owns  the  majority  of  the  stock  at  Glendale,  is  a  large  stockhold.er  in 
the  Clifton  Co.  and  owns  stock  in  the  Pacolet  mills,  the  Whitnej' 
Manufacturing  Co.  and  the  Spartan  mills.  He  is  president  of  the 
D.  E.  Converse  Co.  and  of  the  Clifton  Manufacturing  Co.  He  is  a 
director  and  stockholder  in  the  First  National  bank  and  a  stockholder 
in  the  Merchants  &  Farmers'  bank,  both  of  Spartanburg.  He  is  a 
large  real  estate  owner  and  a  trustee  of  the  state  institution  for  the 
education  of  the  deaf  and  dumb  and  blind  at  Cedar  Springs.  He  is 
president  of  the  Converse  college  Co.,  which  he  founded  in  1889. 
This  institution  is  designed  for  the  higher  education  of  young  ladies. 
It  is  located  at  .Spartanburg  and  has  supplied  a  long-felt  want.  It  has 
started  out  under  most  favorable  circumstances,  having  an  enroll- 
ment, this,  its  first  year,  of  over  150  pupils.  Mr.  Converse  is  a  repub- 
lican when  it  comes  to  national  questions,  but  a  democrat  in  state  and 
local  politics.  He  is  one  of  the  most  prominent  business  men  in  the 
state.  During  the  Civil  war  he  was  enrolled  in  the  Confederate  ranks, 
but  was  detailed  to  attend  to  his  factories,  for  the  product  of  which, 
the  government  had  need. 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  467 


JOHN  MALCOLM  JOHNSTONE, 

president  of  the  Newberry  Oil  company,  was  born  in  tlu;  city  of  New- 
berry in  the  year  1S47.  He  is  the  son  of  Job  Johnstone,  a  sketch  of 
whom  appears  elsewhere  in  this  work.  John  AI.  Johnstone  was  edu- 
cated in  the  schools  of  the  city  and  the  Newberry  college.  He  com- 
pleted his  education  by  a  course  in  the  Virginia  university,  leaving 
that  institution  in  186S.  He  gave  his  attention  to  planting  after  com- 
pleting his  studies,  and  at  the  present  time  is  extensively  engaged  in 
that  occupation.  Previous  to  his  entering  the  University  of  Virginia 
he  enlisted  in  Company  E,  of  the  Fourth  South  Carolina  infantry,  in 
1863,  and  served  until  the  surrender.  The  service  was  mostly  con- 
fined to  the  coast  defense.  He  followed  farming  continuously  until 
July,  i8go,  when,  in  company  with  Thomas  M.  Neel,  L.  VV.  Floyd 
and  others,  he  organized  the  Newberry  Cotton-seed  Oil  and  Fertil- 
izer company,  of  which  he  is  now  president.  He  has  always  taken 
an  active  part  in  politics,  and  has  served  as  a  delegate  to  numerous 
conventions,  both  county  and  state.  He  was  elected  mayor  of  the 
city  in  i8S7,and  served  two  terms  in  that  office,  the  duties  of  which  he 
discharged  with  singular  credit  to  himself  and  with  great  acceptance 
to  his  fellow  citizens.  He  is  not  a  member  of  any  secret  order.  In 
politics  he  has  ever  been  an  ardent  democrat.  In  1S88  he  was  elected 
to  the  state  legislature  by  a  large  majority.  He  was  defeated,  how- 
ever, in  his  second  trial,  as  were  many  other  candidates  on  his  ticket. 
In  his  business  enterprises  he  has  been  very  successful,  and  he  enjoys 
the  good-will  of  all  who  have  business  connections  with  him.  As  a 
member  of  society  he  is  universally  respected.  In  his  first  race  for 
mayor,  he  had  decided  opposition,  but  in  the  second  race  was  elected 
without  opposition,  receiving  every  vote  cast.  He  also  received  the 
nomination  of  the  convention  for  the  third  term,  which  he  declined 
to  accept. 

HON.  B.  F.  SLOAN. 

Hon.  Benjamin  F"ranklin  Sloan,  a  prominent  citizen  of  Oconee 
county,  S.  C,  was  born  in  Franklin  county,  Ga.,  April  21,  1834.  He 
was  named  after  his  father,  who  was  born  in  Anderson  county,  in 
1798,  and  was  a  cotton  manufacturer,  having  built  a  cotton  mill  in 
1836,  which  has  ever  since  been  operated  under  the  name  of  the  Pen- 
dleton Manufacturing  company.  He  was  identified  with  this  estab- 
lishment as  its  president  and  principal  owner  for  about  thirty  years. 
He  died  in  1867.  He  was  the  son  of  David  Sloan,  a  native  of  Lon- 
donderry, Ireland.  The  maiden  name  of  his  wife,  the  mother  of  the 
subject  of  this  sketch,  was  Eliza  C.  Earle.  She  was  a  daughter  of 
Gen.  John  B.  Earle,  who  was  a  Revolutionary  soldier.  For  many 
years  he  served  as  adjutant  and  inspector-general  of  South  Carolina, 
and  was  a  planter  by  occupation.  She  was  first  cousin  to  Judge  Earle, 
of  Greenville  county,  S.  C,  and  died  in  1863.  When  the  parents  of 
Benjamin  Franklin  Sloan  removed  to  Anderson  county,  he  was  but 


468  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

two  years  of  age,  and  in  that  county  he  was  reared  to  manhood.     He 
was  educated  in  the  Pendleton  academy,  where  besides  the   English 
branches,  he   also  acquired  a  fair  knowledge   of  Latin  and    Greek. 
During  his  youth  he  acted  as  book-keeper  for  the  Pendleton  Manu- 
facturing company,  continuing  in  that  service  about  two  years.     He 
also  acted  as  a  clerk  in  a  store  at  Pendleton,  one  year.    At  the  age  of 
nineteen  he  engaged  in  merchandising  at  Pendleton,  as  the  partner 
of  his  elder  brother,  Col.  J.  B.  E.  Sloan,  now  of  Charleston.     Except 
an  interval  of  between   three  and  four  years,  during  the  war,  that 
partnership   continued   until    1S69.     In  the  latter  part  of  1861,  Mr. 
Sloan  entered  the   Confederate  service,  in  Trenholm's  squadron,  in 
which  he  served  until  the  close  of  the  war.    This  squadron  afterward 
became  a  part  of  Gary's  cavalry  brigade,  under  the  command  of  Gen. 
M.  W.  Gary.     Mr.  Sloan  was  in  the  service  about  three  and  one-half 
years.     His  politics  have  always  been  democratic,  and  in  1868  he  was 
elected  a  member  of   the  state  legislature    to    represent  Anderson 
county.     After  serving  one  term   in  the  legislature,  he  removed  to 
Oconee  county,  and  took  up  his  residence  on  a  farm,  in  the  spring  of 
1870.     There  he  resided  eleven  years,  giving  his  attention  to  planting. 
In  1S76  he  was  elected  to  the  lower  branch  of  the  legislature  as  a 
representative  of  Oconee  county.     He  was  one  of  the  ten  members 
of  the  Wallace  house,  who  were  selected  to  break  open  the  door  of 
the  house.     He  served  one  term  ending  in  187S.    In  1S81  he  removed 
to  Seneca,  where,   in   1882,  he  engaged  in  merchandising.     About  a 
year  later  his  store  was  burned.     He   held  an  insurance   policy  upon 
the  property,   but  the  company  which  issued  the  policy  unfortunately 
became  insolvent  just  before  the  fire  occurred,  so  that  he  only  re- 
ceived ten  per  cent,  of  his  premium.   Since  1885  his  place  of  residence 
has  been  at  Walhalla,  where  for  three  years  and  a  half  he  held  the 
office  of  store-keeper  and  ganger  under  the   United   States  govern- 
ment.    He    resigned  that  position  in  i88g,  and  accepted  the  post  of 
manager  of  the  Seneca  Oil  and   Fertilizer  company,  which  he  still 
holds.     In  1874  he  was  appointed  trial  justice  by  Gov.  Chamberlain, 
and  served  in  that  capacity  four  years.     Notwithstanding  these  occu- 
pations, Mr.  Sloan  has  been  closel}'  identified  with  the  farming  inter- 
ests ever  since  1869,  and  he  now  owns  about  700  acres  of   farm  land 
in   Oconee   county.      He  is  one  of  the  leading  stockholders  in  the 
Seneca  Oil  and  Fertilizing  company.     He  is  an  official  member  of 
the    Presbyterian  church.     Mr.  Sloan  has  been  twice  married.     His 
first  wife  was  Miss  Rebecca  G.  Benson,  daughter  of  E.  B.  Benson,  of 
Pendleton.     She  died  in  August,  1862,  leaving  a  son  and  daughter, 
the  former  of  whom  has  since  died.     In  October,  1S66,  he  was  united 
in  marriage  with  Miss  Ellen  Lewis,  daughter  of  J.  P.  Lewis,  Esq.,  a 
member  of  the  Pendleton  bar. 

CAPTAIN  ELLISON  ADGER  SMYTH, 

now  president  of  the  Pclzcr  Mills,  of  Anderson  county,  S.  C,  is  the 
son  of  Rev.  Thomas  Smyth,  D.  D.,  a  distinguished  Presbyterian  divine, 


SOUTH    CAKOIJNA.  469 

who  for  forty  years  was  pastor  of  the  Second  Presbyterian  church  of 
Charleston,  S.  C.  He  was  also  a  writer  of  national  reputation,  hav- 
ing been  the  authoh,  in  all,  of  thirty-two  books  bearing  upon  theolog- 
ical subjects.  Capt.  Smyth  was  born  in  Charleston,  S.  C,  on  the  26th 
of  October,  1847.  He  was  raised  in  that  city,  and  was  educated  in 
part  in  the  Citadel  Military  academy,  of  Charleston.  When  only 
sixteen  years  of  age  he  entered  the  Confederate  service,  in  the  bat- 
talion of  the  state  military  cadets,  commanded  by  Col.  John  P. 
Thomas.  Prior  to  this  training  in  the  Citadel  academy,  he  had  served 
four  months  in  Company  B,  of  the  Third  South  Carolina  regiment, 
acting  as  sergeant.  In  the  battalion  he  served  as  a  cadet  officer.  At 
the  close  of  the  war  he  returned  to  Charleston  and  entered  the  em- 
ploy of  J.  E.  Adger  &  Co.,  acting  in  the  capacity  of  a  clerk  in  their 
wholesale  hardware  establishment  for  the  term  of  three  years.  In 
1869  he  became  the  partner  of  Mr.  Adger,  his  uncle  and  namesake, 
and  their  partnership  continued  for  eleven  years,  to  and  including 
1879.  In  1880,  Mr.  Smyth  became  one  of  the  organizers  of  the 
Pelzer  Manufacturing  company,  of  Anderson  county,  the  other  mem- 
bers of  the  firm  being  F.  J.  Pelzer  and  William  Lebby.  Mr.  Smyth 
was  chosen  president  and  a  member  of  the  board  of  directors,  which 
two  positions  he  has  ever  since  filled  with  signal  abilitJ^  The  capital 
stock  of  the  company  was  at  first  $400,000  and  the  capacity  of  the 
mill  10,000  spindles.  The  capital  has  since  been  increased  to  $600,000, 
paid  up,  and  they  have  now  three  mills  running  50,000  spindles,  sup- 
plying work  for  1,300  men.  They  use  25,000  bales  of  cotton  annually, 
their  three  factories  containing  1,500  looms.  A  town  called  Pelzer 
has  sprung  up  in  the  vicinity  of  the  mills,  which  now  contains  a  popu- 
lation of  3,000.  The  entire  town,  consisting  of  400  cottages  and  six 
stores,  belongs  to  the  Pelzer  company.  A  handsome  and  commod- 
ious church  building  has  been  erected  in  which  the  employes  attend 
divine  worship,  and  a  lyceum  building  has  also  been  erected  for  their 
benefit,  containing  three  departments:  a  reading-room,  a  recreation- 
room  and  a  library.  The  town  contains  a  good  hotel,  the  property  of 
the  company,  and  the  Chicora  Savings  bank,  a  separate  institution,  is 
located  there,  of  which  Mr.  Smyth  is  the  president.  In  politics,  Capt. 
Smyth  is  a  democrat,  favoring  a  high  protective  tariff.  His  religious 
faith  is  Presbyterian.  In  iSSi  he  removed  his  family  from  Charleston 
to  Pelzer,  but  six  years  later  removed  to  Greenville,  where  he  had 
erected  a  beautiful  and  attractive  residence.  Capt.  .Smyth  was  mar- 
ried in  1869  to  Miss  Julia  Gambrill,  daughter  of  Launcelot  Gambrill, 
formerly  of  Baltimore,  Md.  Mrs.  Smyth  was  raised  by  her  uncle.  Bishop 
George  F.  Pierce,  late  of  Georgia.  They  have  six  living  children, 
the  names  of  whom  are  Margaret  Adger,  James  Adger,  Annie  Pierce, 
Sarah  Anne,  Jane  Adger  and  Ellison  Adger.  The  maiden  name  of 
Capt.  Smyth's  mother  was  Margaret  Milliken  Adger,  eldest  daughter 
of  James  Adger,  formerly  a  wealthy  merchant  of  Charleston.  In 
1867,  Capt.  Smyth  was  one  of  the  organizers  of  the  Carolina  Rifle 
club,  of  which  he  was  made  a  vice-president.  In  1875  he  was  elected 
president  of  the  Washington  Artiller}-  rifle  club,  and  bought  for  the 


470  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

club  a  batter}'  of  artiller}'  from  Gen.  Benet,  chief  of  the  ordnance  de- 
partment of  the  United  States  army.  During  the  riotous  times  of 
1S76  in  Charleston,  Capt.  Smyth  took  a  very  active  and  notable  part, 
being  captain  of  the  Washington  artillery.  He  was  a  zealous  de- 
fender of  the  position  taken  by  the  whites,  and  though  not  wounded 
in  any  of  the  tumultuous  proceedings,  his  hat  was  pierced  by  a  bullet 
from  the  rifle  of  one  of  the  rioters,  thus  having  a  narrow  escape  from 
a  serious,  if  not  fatal,  wound.  He  never  shirked  his  duty  but  bravely 
stood  at  his  post,  scarcely  ever  taking  time  to  visit  his  home  for  weeks 
during  the  prevalence  of  the  disturbance.  In  December,  1877,  he  was 
appointed  captain  of  the  Washington  artillery,  his  commission  being 
the  first  issued  by  Gov.  Hampton.  He  resigned  the  captaincy  in  1880, 
and  was  succeeded  by  F".  W.  Dawson.  The  eldest  son  of  Capt.  Smyth 
is  now  a  cadet  in  the  Citadel  Military  academy.  Thomas  Smyth,  D.  D., 
father  of  Capt.  Smyth,  was  born  in  Belfast,  Ireland,  in  1807.  He 
came  to  America  when  twenty  years  of  age  and  graduated  at  the 
Princeton  (N.J.)  Theological  seminary.  He  married  Margaret  Milli- 
ken  Adger  in  1832.  He  died  August  20,  1873,  hi^  widow  surviving 
him  until  July  23,  1884.  She  was  a  granddaughter  of  Major  Robert 
Ellison,  of  Fairfield,  S.  C,  who,  while  of  the  Continental  army,  was 
captured  by  the  British  forces,  and  died  while  on  a  prison  ship  in 
Charleston  harbor.  For  forty  years  prior  to  her  death,  the  mother 
of  Capt.  Smyth  was  president  of  the  Ladies'  Education  society  of  the 
Second  Presbyterian  church,  Charleston,  through  whose  patronage 
thirty-eight  clergymen  received  their  education.  Capt.  Smyth  was, 
for  several  years  before  leaving  Charleston,  the  president  of  the  cor- 
poration of  the  Second  Presbyterian  church,  in  which  his  family  have 
worshiped  for  five  generations,  and  also  president  of  the  Palmetto 
Boat  club  of  that  city.  He  is  now  a  director  in  several  financial  and 
insurance  and  other  corporations.  Capt.  Smyth  is  president  of  the 
Greenville  Musical  association,  and  in  1S89  was  chosen  president  of 
the  Greenville  board  of  trade.  At  present  he  is  also  the  president 
of  a  Cotillion  club. 

EDGAR  H.  FULENWIDER, 

president  of  the  Huguenot  mills,  of  Greenville,  S.  C,  was  born  in 
Shelby,  Cleveland  county,  N.  C,  June  5,  1859,  being  the  son  of  Eli  H. 
and  Mary  C.  (Hoey)  Fulenwider.  She  was  the  widow  of  Maj. 
Samuel  INIcConnel,  of  Yorkville,  S.  C,  before  marriage  to  Mr.  Fulen- 
wider. The  former  was  a  native  of  Lincoln  county,  N.  C,  born  in 
1831,  and  the  latter  a  native  of  Union  county,  S.  C,  born  in  1S32. 
They  were  married  in  1858.  Eli  H.  Fulenwider,  who  was  a  merchant 
by  pursuit  for  over  twenty  years,  was  the  treasurer  of  Cleveland 
county.  The  father  of  Eli  H.  Fulenwider,  and  other  members  of  the 
family,  were  iron  manufacturers,  owning  large  furnaces  in  Lincoln 
county,  N.  C.  The  father  of  Edgar  H.  died  in  1874,  and  his  wife 
survived  him  until  1SS3,  their  deaths  occurring  in  Cleveland  county, 
N.  C.     Edgar  II.  I'^ilenwider  was  reared  to  manhood  in   his  native 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  47' 

town,  receiving  a  knowledge  of  the  ordinary  branches  of  learning  by 
the  time  he  was  eleven  years  of  age.  From  that  age  until  he  was 
nineteen,  he  followed  clerical  pursuits.  At  the  latter  age  he  engaged 
in  the  mercantile  trade  for  himself.  In  1885  he  went  to  Asheville, 
N.  C,  there  becoming  a  member  of  the  wholesale  dry  goods  firm  of 
C.  E.  Graham  &  Co.,  at  the  same  time  retaining  an  interest  in  the 
store  at  Shelby,  leaving  his  younger  brother,  who  was  his  partner,  to 
conduct  it.  In  the  spring  of  1886,  the  hrm  of  C.  E.  Graham  &  Co., 
of  which  Mr.  Fulenwider  was  a  member,  purchased  a  controling  in- 
terest in  the  Huguenot  mills,  of  Greenville,  S.  C,  and  in  December 
of  that  year  the  latter  exchanged  his  interest  in  the  wholesale  estab- 
lishment, also  his  interest  in  a  shoe  factory  at  that  place  owned  and 
operated  by  C.  E.  Graham  &  Co.,  for  Mr.  Graham's  interest  in  the 
Huguenot  mills.  Shortly  after  this  transaction  Mr.  Fulenwider  sold 
his  business  at  Shelby,  his  brother,  who  had  managed  it  and  been 
part  owner,  becoming  his  partner  in  the  mills.  Edgar  Fulenwider 
became  president  of  the  concern  as  soon  as  the  exchange  with  Mr. 
Graham  was  made,  and  he  has  held  that  position  ever  since.  In  1888 
he  purchased  some  stock  in  a  cotton  mill  at  Asheville,  N.  C,  which 
was  operated  under  the  name  of  the  C.  E.  Graham  Manufacturing 
company,  it  having  been  built  by  Mr.  Graham  in  18S7.  Mr.  Fulen- 
wider became  treasurer  of  the  company,  and  held  the  position  two 
years,  residing  during  that  time  in  Asheville,  although  retaining  his 
interest  in  the  Huguenot  mills  and  holding  the  position  of  its  presi- 
dent. In  1889  he  sold  his  interest  in  the  C.  E.  Graham  Manufactur- 
ing company  and  returned  to  Greenville,  since  which  time  he  has 
devoted  his  entire  attention  to  the  Huguenot  mills.  The  work  of 
the  mills  is  done  b}'  200  looms  and  2,500 spindles,  12,000  yardsof  vari- 
ous kinds  of  colored  goods  being  manufactured  in  a  day.  Fifteen 
hundred  bales  of  cotton,  besides  a  large  amount  of  yarn  which  is 
purchased,  is  consumed  annually.  Upon  his  return  to  Greenville, 
Edgar  H.  Fulenwider  purchased  the  interest  of  his  brother,  H.  E. 
Fulenwider,  in  the  mills,  the  latter  having  until  this  time  been  treas- 
urer of  the  business.  Upon  his  retirement  from  this  office  he  was 
succeeded  by  another  brother,  Walter  J.,  who  had  been  a  stockholder 
since  1S87.  Mr.  Fulenwider,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  is  and  has 
been  a  director  in  the  People's  bank  since  it  was  founded,  in  1887. 
Fraternally  he  is  a  Mason  and  a  Knight  Templar;  politically  he  is  a 
low  tariff  democrat,  taking  an  active  part  in  politics,  though  in  no 
sense  of  the  word  an  office  seeker.  Edgar  H.  Fulenwider  is  an  in- 
fluential citizen  of  his  county,  highly  respected  by  all  who  know  him. 

HENRY  P.  HAMMETT, 

an  honored  and  highly  distinguished  citizen  of  Greenville,  S.  C,  was 
born,  December3i,  1822,  In  Greenville  county,  about  twelve  miles  east 
of  the  city  in  which  he  has  since  resided.  He  is  the  son  of  Jesse  and 
Nancy  E.  Hammett,  who  also  were  natives  of  Greenville  county. 
His  mother's  maiden  name  was  Nancy  E.  Davis.     Jesse  Hammett 


472  SOUTH   CAROLINA. 

was  the  son  of  John  F.  and  Milly  Underwood  Hammett — the  former, 
a  native  of  Virginia,  and  the  latter,  of  North  Carolina.     The  mother 
of  Jesse,  was  the  daughter  of  Jonathan  and  Molly  Austin  Davis,  who 
were  respectively  natives  of  Maryland  and  Virginia.     The  two  grand- 
sires  of  Henry  P.  Hammett,  were  planters,  as  was  also-  his  father,  who 
was  besides,  a  justice  of  the  peace,  serving  in  that  capacity,  as  many 
as  twenty  years.     He  died  in   1863,  and  the  mother  of  our  subject, 
closed  her  earthly  career,  in   1856.     Henry  P.   Hammett,  spent   the 
earlier  years  of  his  life  upon  the  old  homestead,  his  birth  place.     His 
early  education  was  acquired  in  the  common  schools  of  his  neighbor- 
hood, and  at  eighteen,  he  engaged  as  a  teacher,  which  vocation  he 
pursued  for  two  and  one  half  years.    At  the  age  of  twenty-two  he  be- 
came  a  partner  in  a  country  store,   in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  his 
old  home,  and  continued  in   the  mercantile  business  for  the  four  suc- 
ceeding  years.     In   1848,   he  was  married  to    Miss   D.   Jane   Bates, 
daughter  of  William  Bates,  who  at  that  time,  was  one  of  the  proprie- 
tors of  the   Batesville  cotton   factory.     Immediately  after  his   mar- 
riage, he  sold  his  interest  in  the  store  to  his  partner,  Nathaniel  Mor- 
gan,  and   purchased  an  interest  in  the  cotton  factory  of  which  his 
father-in-law  was  part  owner.     He  was  the  financial  and  commercial 
agent  of  that  enterprise,  from  the  beginning,  and  continued  in  that 
connection,  for  more  than  fourteen  j-ears,  up  to  May,  1S63.     Before 
his  connection   with  the  firm,  its  name  was  Bates  &  Cox,  but  on  his 
accession  to  the  company,  it  took  the  firm  name  of  William  Bates  & 
Co.     In   May,  1863,  this  firm  sold  out,  at  which  time  Mr.  Hammett, 
removed  to  Greenville,  where  he  has  since  resided.     In  September, 
of  the  same  year  he  entered  the  Confederate  service,  taking  at  once, 
the  rank  of  quartermaster  of   his  regiment  —  the   First  regiment  of 
South  Carolina  state  troops.     The  regiment  was  stationed  at  Char- 
leston, but  after  a  few  months,  Mr.  Hammett  was  compelled,  on  ac- 
count of  ill  health,  to  return  to  his  home.     But,  early  in   1864,  much 
to  his  surprise,  he  was  detailed  as  war  assessor,  for  Greenville  county, 
which  office  he  held  until  the  close  of   the   war.     In  the  autumn  of 
1865,  he  was  elected  a  member  of  the  popular  branch  of  the  state 
legislature,  in  which  he  served  for  one  term,  declining  a  re-election. 
In  May,  1866,  he  was  elected  president  of  the  Greenville  &  Columbia 
railroad  company,  a  distinction  which  came  to  him  unsolicited.     He 
held  this  position  for  a  term  of  four  years,  declining  a  re-election.    In 
the  meantime,  in  1862,  he  had  purchased  a  water  power  on  the  line 
of  this  railway,  intending  at  some  future  day  to  erect  upon  this  site,  a 
cotton  mill.     In  1S71,  he  was  elected  a  member  of  the  board  of  alder- 
men of  the  city  of  Greenville,  succeeding  the  next  year  to  the  mayor- 
alty, and  serving  in  each  capacity  for  one  term.     In  1873,  agreeably 
to  his  original  intention,  he  began  the  erection  of  the  Piedmont  mills, 
having  organized  a  corporation,  under  a  charter  secured  in  1874,  and 
Mr.   Hammett  was  elected  its  first  president  and  treasurer.     In  this 
capacity,  he  has  ever  since  served,  and  has  been  and  is  now,    the 
heaviest  stockholder  in   the   company.     From   small   beginnings   in 
1873,  the  corporation  has  developed  inlo  mammoth  proportions  and 


SOUTH    CAROI.IxNA.  473 

is  now  one  of  tlic  leading  manufactories  in  tlie  country.  It  employs 
47,000  spindles,  and  1,300  looms,  and  consumes  annually,  25,000  bales 
of  cotton.  The  village  which  has  grown  up,  and  belongs  to  this  mag- 
nificent corporation,  contains  a  population  of  3,000,  of  whom  1,300  are 
in  the  immediate  employ  of  the  manufactory.  The  coporate  name 
of  the  concern  is.  The  Piedmont  Manufacturing  company,  the  mills 
being  called  the  Piedmont  Mills.  The  village  and  postoffice  also  take 
the  name  of  Piedmont,  the  village  owing  its  existence  to  the  estab- 
lishment of  the  mills  at  that  point.  The  Piedmont  mills  were  the 
pioneer,  large,  modern  cotton  mills  of  the  upper  part  of  South  Caro- 
lina, and  to  the  success  of  this  enterprise  is  due  the  establishment  of 
the  numerous  large  mills,  which  have  since  sprung  into  a  succes!?ful 
existence.  At  the  sale  of  the  Camperdown  Mills,  in  Greenville,  in 
August,  1885,  Mr.  Hammett,  and  some  other  gentlemen  associated 
with  him,  were  the  purchasers,  and  they  organized  it  into  a  new  cor- 
poration, changing  its  name  to  the  Camperdown  Cotton  Mills.  Mr. 
Hammett  was  chosen  president  and  treasurer,  and  still  holds  these 
positions.  He  also  owns  an  interest  in  a  number  of  other  corpora- 
tions. In  politics,  Mr.  Hamniett  was  a  lifelong  democrat,  and  he  and 
Mrs.  Hammett,  were  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church. 
From  this  brief  sketch  it  will  be  seen,  that  Mr.  Hammett  has  enacted 
a  most  busy  and  useful  career,  and  that  by  the  probity  and  upright- 
ness of  his  character  and  his  thoroughly  practical  business  habits,  he 
had  so  firmly  secured  the  confidence  and  esteem  of  his  fellow  citizens, 
as  to  be  intrusted  with  many  and  important  rfsponsibilities,  inforced 
upon  him  gratuitously  and  entirely  without  self-solicitation.  His  pre- 
ferment, though  unsought  by  him,  was  well  and  faithfully  earned. 

Mr.  Hammett  died  on  the  8th  of  May,  1891,  aged  sixty-eight 
years,  four  months  and  seven  days,  of  congestion  of  the  kidneys, 
after  a  short  illness,  and  his  death  was  regarded  as  a  personal  loss,  to 
probably  a  larger  number  of  people  than  that  of  any  man  in  the 
state,  for  he  not  only  left  a  large  family  and  many  personal  friends  to 
mourn  for  him,  but  over  four  thousand  operatives  and  employes, 
who  labored  under  his  personal  direction,  felt  that  they  had  lost  not 
only  an  employer  and  head,  but  a  friend  and-  benefactor.  The  town 
of  Piedmont  was  wrapped  in  gloom,  and  all  sorrowed  as  if  they  had 
lost  one  of  their  own,  for  they  not  only  knew  him  personally  and 
trusted  him  implicitly,  but  they  had  all  come  there,  to  assist  him  in 
the  great  enterprise,  which  his  brain  h^d  conceived,  and  his  energy, 
judgment  and  ability  had  created  and  perfected.  While  he  was  rigid 
in  his  discipline,  he  controlled  his  employes  by  kindness  and  absolute 
justice,  rather  than  by  fear.  The  result  of  this  treatment  was  that 
the  friction,  jealousies  and  insubordination,  so  frequent  in  towns  of 
that  character,  was  entirely  unknown  at  Piedmont,  and  all  worked 
most  harmoniously  and  in  unison.  He  not  only  took  great  interest  in 
their  comfort  and  material  welfare,  but  paid  especial  attention  to 
their  educational,  religious  and  moral  affairs,  and  although  the  town 
necessarily  had  a  large  proportion  of  uneducated  and  ignorant  people, 
the  moral  and  religious  tone  of  the  place  taken  as  a  whole  was  equal 


474  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

to  any  town  of  the  size  in  this  state.  His  stockholders  regretted  his 
loss  from  a  money  standpoint,  but  these  people  mourned  for  him  as 
for  a  patron  and  benefactor,  and  while  those  magnificent  buildings, 
with  every  line  showing  strength  and  symmetr}',  and  the  50,000 
spindles  and  1,300  looms,  running  with  the  precision  of  clockwork, 
give  unmistakable  evidence  of  his  ability  and  power  as  a  successful 
business  man  and  manufacturer,  in  the  hearts  of  his  employes,  he  has 
erected  for  himself  a  monument,  which  is  of  more  value  here,  and  of 
inestimably  more  hereafter.  In  his  intercourse  with  his  fellowmen,  Col. 
Hammett  was  reserved,  quiet  and  dignified,  though  frank,  genial  and 
sincere,  a  man  of  firm  convictions  and  very  decided  views.  While 
most  averse  to  hurting  anyone's  feeling,  no  matter  how  humble,  still 
when  the  time  came  to  speak  out,  he  not  only  had  the  courage  of  his 
convictions,  but  the  power  to  express  them  most  clearly'  and  fear- 
lessly, and  he  who  contested  a  point  with  him,  "  met  a  foeman 
worthy  of  his  steel."  He  entertained  a  supreme  contempt  for  polit- 
ical demagogues,  and  the  frequent  success  of  that  class  made  him 
steer  clear  of  po  itics  to  a  great  extent  for  a  number  of  years  before 
his  death.  Col.  Hammett's  character,  however,  appeared  stronger 
and  to  a  greater  advantage  in  his  private  and  religious  life  than  to 
the  public.  As  was  said  by  one  of  his  life-long  friends  at  the  time  of 
his  death:  "He  had  more  virtues  and  fewer  faults  than  any  man  I 
ever  knew."  His  strongest  point  was  his  honesty,  not  merely  the 
honesty  which  pays  100  cents  when  a  dollar  is  due,  but  that  honesty 
which  does  unto  others  as  you  would  be  done  by,  that  honesty,  which 
makes  30U  fair  and  just  unto  all  men,  that  recognizes  merit  and 
worth  alike  in  the  poor  man  and  the  rich;  that  despises  deceits  and 
pretenses  and  does  the  right  because  it  is  right.  It  has  been  said  that 
"An  honest  man  is  the  noblest  work  of  God,"  and  if  that  is  true,  then 
Henry  P.  Hammett  was  as  noble  a  specimen  of  mankind  as  South 
Carolina  has  ever  produced.  Col.  Hammett  was  for  many  years  a 
member  of  the  Methodist  church,  and  as  he  carried  his  religion  in 
his  work,  he  carried  his  strong  personalit}-  and  firm  convictions  into 
his  religion.  He  was  an  earnest,  liberal,  laboring  Christian,  without 
ostentation  or  show,  yet  he  gave  more  liberally  than  any  man  in  his 
church,  without  any  parade  or  fuss;  he  did  his  full  share  of  the  work; 
as  an  officer  he  was  regular  in  his  attendance,  faithful  in  his  duties, 
conscientious  in  his  life,  and  prepared  for  death  when  it  found  him. 
At  the  north  he  was  regarded  as  the  leading  cotton  manufacturer  of 
the  south,  and  his  success  at  Piedmont  paved  the  way  and  made  pos- 
sible the  many  great  cotton  mills  in  upper  Carolina,  which  have  so 
wonderfully  improved  her  material  condition  and  added  to  her  wealth 
and  prosperity.  He  left  a  wife  and  the  following  children:  Mrs.  J.  B. 
Henry,  Mrs.  James  L.  Orr,  Edwin  P.,  Thomas  C,  William  H., 
James  D.  and  George  P.  Hammett. 

WILLIAM  E.  PRESCOTT, 

superintendent  of  the  oil  mill  of  Edgefield,  was  born  in  the  county  in 
1850.     His  parents,  William  E.    and  Alfa   (Holmes)    Prescott  were 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  475 

both_ natives  of  this  county,  the  former  l)einga  son  of  Daniel  Prescott, 
who  was  a  native  of  Edgefield  county.  He  was  a  planter  and  followed 
the  business  through  life.  He  was  born  in  1822,  received  l)Ut  an  ordi- 
nary education  and  began  planting  at  an  early  age.  He  enlisted  in 
1861,  as  captain  of  the  Seventh  South  Carolina  regiment,  and  served 
for  some  time  until  his  health  failed,  when  he  was  transferred  to  the 
state  troops  surrounding  Charleston.  His  family  consisted  of  three 
sons  and  two  daughters.  His  was  a  quiet  life  and  he  never  took  an 
active  part  in  public  affairs.  William  E.  Prescott  was  educated  in 
the  schools  of  this  state,  completing  his  education  in  the 
Furman  university  of  Greenville.  He  began  the  study  of  medicine 
soon  after  leaving  college,  and  in  1874  entered  the  medical  depart- 
ment of  Augusta  college,  graduating  from  there  the  year  following. 
He  began  practicing  the  same  year  in  the  county,  and  followed  it 
until  1879  when  he  abandoned  his  profession  to  engage  in  planting, 
his  occupation  until  181^0.  Then  with  A.  J.  Norris,  J.  C.  Sheppard, 
Dr.  J.  M.  Hill  and  others  organized  a  stock  company  for  the  purpose 
of  manufacturing  cotton  seed  oil,  erecting  a  large  mill  of  thirty  tons 
capacity  in  the  city  of  this  county.  He  is  a  director  and  acted  as 
superintendent  for  the  first  year.  He  was  married  in  1871  to  Miss 
Ellen  Culbrath  of  this  county.  They  have  had  four  children,  two  now 
living,  a  son  and  a  daughter.  Mr.  Prescott  is  a  director  in  the  bank 
of  Edgefield,  and  holds  the  same  position  in  the  banking  and  loan 
companies.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Baptist  church  in  which  he  is  a 
deacon,  and  belongs  to  the  Knights  of  Honor  fraternity.  He  has 
been  a  successful  business  man,  being  now  the  owner  and  operator  of 
a  3,000-acre  plantation  and  a  large  owner  of  land  property. 

W.  E.  LUCAS, 

president  of  the  Spartanburg  Iron  works,  was  born  in  Darlington,  Dar- 
lington county,  S.  C,  November  16,  1864.  He  is  the  son  of  Dr.  B.  S. 
Lucas,  a  prominent  physician  of  Darlington.  The  early  days  of  W.  E. 
Lucas,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  were  spent  in  his  native  place,  where  he 
.attended  the  country  schools.  He  entered  Wofford  college,  and  com- 
pleted the  sophomore  year  in  that  institution  when  nineteen  years  of 
age.  He  then  engaged  in  the  cotton  business  at  Columbia,  S.  C,  in 
the  employ  of  Ford,  Talley  &  Co.,  and  at  the  end  of  one  year  became 
a  partner  in  that  firm  and  manager  of  its  business  in  the  eastern  part 
of  the  state.  He  remained  a  member  of  the  firm  two  years  when,  in 
1S87,  he  entered  the  employ  of  Walker,  Fleming  &  Sloan,  prominent 
cotton  merchants  in  Spartanburg.  With  them  he  remained  one  year  as 
buyer.  In  1888  he  entered  the  employ  of  the  Pacolet  Manufacturing 
company,  of  Spartanburg,  for  which  he  bought  cotton  one  year. 
During  the  year  1S89  he  constructed  the  Spartan  Mills,  at  Spartan- 
burg. These  mills  are  among  the  largest  and  best  cotton  mills  in  the 
south;  the  very  largest  under  one  roof.  Mr.  Lucas  is  a  stockholder 
in  this  institution.  Its  business  occupied  his  attention  until  x-\ugust  i, 
1890.     Upon  that  day  the  Morgan  Iron  works  were  organized  with 


476  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

Mr.  Lucas  as  president  and  one  of  the  leading  stockholders.  .  The 
capital  stock  paid-up  is  $25,000,  with  an  authorized  capital  of  $100,000. 
He  now  gives  his  whole  attention  to  the  management  of  this  plant. 
He  is  a  stockholder  in  the  Produce  Mills,  the  Iron  District  Fire  In- 
surance company  and  the  Converse  College  company.  In  politics  he 
is  a  democrat.  In  his  literary  associations  he  is  a  member  of  the 
Kappa  Alpha  fraternity.  In  religious  faith  he  adheres  to  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  church.  December  18,  i8go,  he  was  united  in  mar- 
riage with  Miss  Cora  Cox,  of  Nashville,  Tenn. 

CAPTAIN   OTIS    P.    MILLS, 

president  of  the  Greenville  Fertilizer  company,  was  born  in  Ruther- 
ford county,  N.  C,  February  22,  1840,  the  son  of  John  and  Eliza  C. 
(Graham)  Mills,  the  former  a  native  of  Rutherford  county  and  the 
latter  of  Cleveland  county,  N.  C.  John  Mills  was  the  son  of  Marvel 
Mills,  and  Eliza,  his  wife,  was  the  daughter  of  William  Graham.  On 
the  paternal  side  Capt.  Mills  is  of  English  descent,  while  maternally 
he  is  of  Scotch  descent.  John  Mills  was  a  merchant  by  occupation 
and  died  in  1844,  his  wife  surviving  him  until  1889.  Capt.  Otis  P. 
Mills  was  the  fourth  of  a  famil}'  of  five  children,  three  of  whom  are 
living.  When  yet  a  child  his  parents  removed  to  Henderson  county, 
N.  C,  where  his  father  died,  and  where  his  boyhood  and  youth  were 
spent  on  a  farm.  He  received  a  knowledge  of  the  ordinary  branches 
of  learning,  and  at  fifteen  j^ears  of  age  engaged  as  a  clerk  in  Hen- 
dersonville  continuing  in  that  capacity  four  years.  At  the  breaking 
out  of  the  war  he  resigned  his  clerkship  for  the  purpose  of  entering 
the  service  of  the  Confederate  arm\-.  He  served  throughout  the  en- 
tire war  in  North  Carolina  regiments.  Entering  the  army  as  a  pri- 
vate, he  was  twice  promoted,  first  to  the  rank  of  first  lieutenant,  and 
second  to  that  of  captain.  His  was  companj'  G,  of  the  Fifty-sixth 
North  Carolina  regiment.  He  participated  in  all  the  battles  in  which 
his  command  was  engaged.  Shortly  after  the  close  of  the  war  he 
located  at  Greenville,  S.  C,  and  engaged  in  the  mercantile  business. 
He  followed  this  pursuit  for  more  than  twenty  years,  when  he  retired 
in  1887,  one  of  the  principal  merchants  of  Greenville,  as  well  as  one 
of  the  oldest.  His  partner  during  the  whole  time  was  H.  I.  McBrayer, 
the  firm  name  being  Mills  &  ?kIcBrayer.  In  Februar}-,  i8go,  Capt. 
Mills  helped  to  organize  the  Greenville  Fertilizer  company,  and  he 
was  made  its  president,  which  position  he  now  holds.  This  is  the 
third  largest  establishment  of  its  kind  in  the  state,  its  annual  capacity 
being  30,000  tons,  and  its  capital  paid  up  $100,000.  It  is  a  most  im- 
portant manufacturing  industry  and  a  livelj' enterprise  for  Greenville. 
The  stock  is  about  evenl}'  divided  between  Greenville  and  Charles- 
ton. Capt.  Mills  is  a  stockholder  in  the  banks  of  Greenville,  being 
a  director  in  the  Peoples'  bank  of  that  city.  He  has  for  a  number  of 
years  been  a  member  of  the  executive  committee  of  the  state  agri- 
cultural society,  and  owns  a  fine  farm  of  300  acres  adjoining  the  city 
of  Greenville,  which  is  known  as  the  "Millsdale   Farm."     This  has 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  477 

been  his  home  for  hftcen  years.  Capt.  Mills  has  had  much  to  do  with 
agricultural  luirsuits,  and  has  been  among  the  foremost  mc-n  in  the 
state  in  advancing  both  farming  and  stock  raising.  He  has  paid  much 
attention  to  the  breeding  of  Jersej'  cattle,  and  possesses  a  very  fine 
herd.  The  Presbyterian  church  holds  his  religious  belief,  while  he  is 
a  democrat  in  politics.  On  October  15,  1S67,  his  marriage  to  Miss 
Susan  C,  the  eldest  daughter  of  lion.  T.  C.  Gower,  of  Greenville, 
occurred.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mills  are  the  parents  of  five  children  whose 
names  are  as  follows:  Anne  M.,  Jane  G.,  Otis  P.,  Arthur  L.  and 
Cordelia. 

HENRY  C.  MARKLEY, 

proprietor  of   the  Greenville  coach  factory,  is  a  native  of  Charleston, 
S.  C.,  and  was  born  June  9,  1827.     His  father,  John  Markley,  was  born 
on  a  farm,  about  eighteen  miles  out  of  Charleston,  in  July,  iSoo.     His 
mother,  whose  maiden  name  was  Rebecca  M.  Cox,  was  born  in  the 
city  of  Charleston,  May  2,  1808.     They  had  a  family  of  six  sons  and 
as  many  daughters.     Of  them,  four  sons  and  only  two  daughters  are 
now  living.     Henry  C.  was  the  third  child  in  the  order  of  birth.     The 
father  learned  the  trade  of  a  carriage  maker  in  Charleston,  and  in 
1838  removed  to  Greenville,  where,  for  many  years,  he  was  a  partner 
in  the  Greenville  coach  factory.     He  held  the  rank  of  sergeant  in  the 
state  militia,  and  was  a  member  of  the  common  council  of  the  city  of 
Greenville.     He  died  in  1S72,  but  his  wife  survived  until  1885.     Henry 
C.  Markley  came  to  Greenville  with  his  parents  when  eleven  years 
of  age,  and  that  city  has  ever  since  been  his  home.     At  fourteen  years 
of  age  he  quit  school,  and  engaged  in  the  Greenville  coach  factory, 
in  which  he  served  a  two  3'ears'  apprenticeship  at  the  carriage-making 
trade.     For  ten  years  after  that,  he  was  engaged  in  the  capacity  of 
a  clerk,  a  year  and  a  half  of  which  time  he  was  in  the  employ  of  the 
well-known  firm  of  Paul  &  Brown,  of  Charleston.     January,  1853,  he 
purchased  an  interest  in  the  Greenville  coach  factor3%  with  Thomas 
M.  Cox,  E.  N.  Gower  and  T.  C.  Gower  as  partners  in  the  business, 
.  the  firm  name  being  changed  to  Gower,  Cox  &  Markley.     The  fac- 
tory was  founded  in  1835  by  T.  M.  Cox,  of  Charleston,  who  afterward 
took  in  Mr.  E.  N.  Gower  as  a  partner,  and  the  firm  name  became 
Cox  &  Gower.     This  firm  was  succeeded  b}'  that  of  Cox  &  Westfield, 
and  this  again  by  that  of  Gower,  Cox  &  Gower.     In  January,  1853,  as 
stated  above,  the  firm  became  Gower,  Cox  &  Markley.     E.  N.  Gower 
withdrew  from  the  firm  in  1S55,  and  the  same  year  the  firm  took  in  as 
a  partner,  Mr.  Louis  Worthington,  of  Connecticut,  and  for  several 
years  the  firm  name  was  known  as  Gower,  Cox,  Markley  &  Co.     For 
several  years  prior  to  the  war  this  firm  did  a  very  large  business.    Mr. 
Worthington  died,  and  in  1878  Mr.  T.  C.  Gower  withdrew,  thus  leav- 
ing the  firm  composed  of  Messrs.  Cox  &  Markley.     In  September, 
1879,  Mr.  Cox  died,  but  his  heirs  continued  to  own  his  interest  in  the 
concern  until  July,  18S2,  when  that  interest  was  purchased  by  Mr. 
Markley  who  has  ever  since  been  its  sole  owner.     His  connection  with 


478  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

the  establishment  is  one  which  reflects  much  credit  upon  him  as  an 
upright,  energetic  and  enterprising  business  man.  In  it  he  learned 
his  trade  when  a  mere  boy,  little  dreaming  that  one  day  he  would  be- 
come its  owner.  His  proprietary  connection  with  the  business  dates 
back  nearly  forty  years,  without  interruption  for  a  single  day.  The 
establishment  has  always  enjoyed  an  excellent  reputation,  largely  due 
to  the  high  personal  character  and  integrity  of  its  present  owner.  In 
politics  Kir.  Warkley  is  democratic,  and  though  himself  a  manufac- 
turer, he  is  in  no  sense  a  protectionist.  He  has  for  several  terms  been 
chosen  a  member  of  the  city  council.  In  April,  1861,  he  entered  the 
service  of  the  Confederate  army,  enlisting  in  the  Second  South  Caro- 
lina regiment,  serving  therein  a  little  more  than  a  year.  He  was  then 
detached  to  look  after  the  mail,  first  for  his  own  regiment,  and  later 
on  for  the  army  of  the  Potomac.  Continuing  in  that  service  for  a 
year  and  a  half,  he  was  again  detached  by  the  governor,  and  appoint- 
ed to  a  position  in  the  South  Carolina  soldiers'  home  in  the  old  Ex- 
change hotel  in  Richmond,  Ya.  He  there  remained  looking  after 
the  sick  and  wounded  soldiers  and  performing  other  duties  until  the 
end  of  the  war.  It  will  be  seen  that  throughout  the  four  years'  war 
he  was  in  the  service  of  his  country,  contributing  all  in  his  power  to 
promote  its  welfare,  and  being  true  to  its  cause.  He  is  a  member  of 
the  Episcopal  church,  being  one  of  its  wardens.  He  was  married  in 
1868,  to  Elizabeth  Evatt  Gass,  who  died  in  the  same  year. 

HON.  JEROME  P.  CHASE, 

mayor  of  Florence,  S.  C,  comes  of  an  old  and  influential  southern 
family.  His  parents  were  Gen.  Jacob  P.  and  Mary  E.  (Bowen)  Chase, 
the  former  a  native  of  Virginia,  and  the  latter  of  South  Carolina.  Gen. 
Chase  was  born  in  1801.  In  early  manhood  he  removed  to  Tennessee, 
and  soon  rose  to  prominence  in  the  state,  becoming  one  of  the  most 
extensive  merchants  of  his  day,  and  also  a  power  in  the  politics  of 
the  commonwealth.  He  was  sent  to  the  state  senate  at  the  earliest 
age  permissible  for  candidacy,  and  so  wise  and  upright  was  his  course 
in  that  body  that  the  people  retained  him  in  the  office  from  his  first 
election  until  his  removal  from  the  state.  His  military  career  was 
honorable,  and  for  several  years  he  was  a  brigadier-general  in  the 
Tennessee  militia.  It  is  said  that  Gen.  Chase  was  one  of  the  young- 
est senators  ever  elected  at  the  time  of  his  admission  to  the  floor  of 
that  house.  His  father,  Obediah  Chase,  was  also  a  man  of  special 
prominence  and  wealth.  At  one  time  he  owned  an  extensive  farm, 
which  has  since  been  incorporated  within  the  limits  of  the  city  of 
New  York.  Mary  E.  (Bowen)  Chase  was  a  woman  of  marked  refine- 
ment and  piety.  She  was  the  daughter  of  Capt.  George  Bowen,  of 
Laurens  county,  S.  C.  Her  demise  occurred  on  the  17th  of  October, 
1883,  at  the  age  of  sixty-six  years.  A  life-long  member  of  the  Presby- 
terian church,  her  beautiful  Christian  character  endeared  her  to  the 
hearts  of  all  with  whom  she  came  in  contact.  Capt.  George  Bowen 
was  a  captain  of  artillery  during  the  war  of  18 12.     His  enterprise  was 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  479 

only  equaled  by  his  i^reat  ability,  ami  his  death  in  the  year  1859 
caused  a  great  loss  to  the  community  in  which  he  lived.  Capt  Bovven 
lived  to  the  age  of  seventy-six  years.  I  lis  wife's  maiden  name  was 
Tobitha  Conant,  a  lady  of  good  birth  and  exceptional  culture.  With 
this  brief  outline  of  the  immediate  antecedents  of  our  subject,  Mr. 
Jerome  P.  Chase,  we  will  now  proceed  to  give  a  more  detailed  account 
of  his  career  as  a  business  man  and  public  official.  I  lis  birth  occurred 
at  New  Market,  Tenn.,  on  the  2Sth  of  July,  1838,  he  being  the  second 
of  thirteen  children,  of  whom  six  are  now  living.  The  son  accom- 
panied his  parents  to  Laurens  county,  .S.  C,  at  the  time  of  their  re- 
moval from  Tennessee,  he  being  at  that  time  but  three  years  of  age. 
Eight  years  later  the  family  took  up  their  residence  in  Washington, 
D.  C,  and  it  was  in  the  latter  city  that  Mr.  Chase  obtained  the  greater 
part  of  his  scholastic  training.  While  in  Washington  he  was  em- 
ployed at  different  times  to  do  clerical  work  for  .Senator  Morril,  Hon. 
J.  C.  Breckinridge  and  James  L.  Orr.  At  the  age  of  twenty-one  we 
find  him  engaged  as  a  telegraph  operator  in  South  Carolina,  in  which 
he  continued  until  the  outbreak  of  the  war,  when  he  offered  his  ser- 
vices to  the  Confederacy  as  a  "  free"  fighter,  his  delicate  health  not 
permitting  him  to  enlist  in  the  regular  manner.  For  eighteen  months 
or  thereabouts,  he  accompanied  different  commands  in  battle,  and 
bore  his  share  of  the  conflict  with  bravery  and  faithfulness.  At  the 
expiration  of  that  time  he  became  a  military  telegraph  operator,  and 
later  was  placed  in  charge  of  a  large  forage  district  in  the  quarter- 
master's department,  in  which  he  continued  for  a  year  and  a  half. 
After  the  war  Mr.  Chase  embarked  in  the  mercantile  business  at 
Florence,  S.  C,  but  after  two  years  turned  his  attention  to  the  real 
estate  enterprise,  and  to  this  he  subsequently  added  the  insurance 
business.  He  was  elected  the  first  chairman  of  the  first  board  of 
selectmen,  organized  to  govern  his  township,  and  after  the  incorpor- 
ation of  the  town,  was  made  intendant,  and  twenty  years  later,  when 
Florence  became  a  city,  was  elected  its  first  mayor.  In  1878  he  was 
sent  to  the  legislature,  and  in  1880  declined  a  re-election,  but  one  year 
later  was  chosen  to  fill  a  vacancy  in  that  body,  and  while  a  member, 
■was  on  the  committee  on  railroads,  and  introduced  and  secured  the 
passage  of  the  bill  prohibiting  the  running  of  freight  trains  on  Sunday 
in  the  state.  We  find  in  Mr.  Chase  a  man  of  progressive  and  intelli- 
gent purpose;  always  a  leader  in  every  movement  promising  the  up- 
building of  the  city  and  state.  As  chairman  of  the  board  of  school 
commissioners,  he  favors  most  earnestly  the  uplifting  of  the  people 
through  more  extended  educational  facilities,  and  devotes  time  and 
money  to  the  securing  of  this  end.  He  is  president  or  a  director  in 
most  of  the  various  stock  companies  of  Florence,  and  the  large  for- 
tune acquired  by  sagacious  and  persistent  effort  Is  devoted  to  the 
good  of  those  about  him.  In  1866  Miss  Hettie  McLeod,  daughter  of 
Napoleon  McLeod,  of  Clarendon  county,  S.  C,  became  his  wife,  and 
to  their  happy  union  have  been  born  five  children,  named:  Lawson, 
Sanborn,  Jerome,  Jr.,  Hattie  and  Clara.  The  two  elder  sons  are  as- 
sociated with  the   father  in  business,  the  firm  name  being  Jerome  P. 


480  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

Chase  &  Sons.  Mr.  Lawson  Chase  manages  the  real  estate  depart- 
ment, while  his  brother,  Sanborn,  attends  to  the  insurance  business. 
Lawson  Chase  was  married  to  Miss  Mattie  Motz,  of  Penns3'lvania. 
Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Chase,  Sr.,  are  active  and  valued  communicants  of 
the  Presbyterian  church,  of  which  Mr.  Chase  has  been  an  elder  for 
the  past  thirty  years,  and  superintendent  of  the  Sabbath  school  for 
more  than  that  period.  The  firm  of  Jerome  P.  Chase  &  .Sons  is  one 
of  the  largest  of  its  kind  in  the  state.  The  senior  partner  has  amassed 
much  wealth,  having  property  in  several  different  states  of  the  Union. 
It  is  to  such  men  that  South  Carolina  owes  its  rapidly  increasing 
prosperity. 

JOHN  S.  RIGGS. 

Among  the  prominent  and  representative  men  of  Charleston, S.  C, 
who  for  over  a  quarter  of  a  century  have  been  actively  identified  with 
the  growth  and  development  of  the  city  and  its  enterprises,  is  Mr. 
John  .S.  Riggs,  president  of  the  Charleston  City  Railway  company.  Mr. 
Riggs  was  born  in  the  city  of  Norfolk,  Va.,  in  1823,  but,  since  his  tenth 
year,  has  been  a  resident  of  Charleston,  having  removed  here  with 
his  parents  in  1833.  His  education  was  obtained  by  attending  the 
public  schools  of  Charleston  until  his  fifteenth  year,  where  he  ac- 
quired a  plain  English  education,  to  which  he  has  since  added,  by 
studious  habits,  a  large  and  varied  fund  of  general  information  per- 
taining to  literature  and  other  subjects,  and  especially  to  practical 
every-da}'  business  life.  And  in  addition  to  all  this  he  is  endowed 
with  native  business  talents  of  no  ordinary  nature,  which  have  been 
full}-  developed  and  expanded  during  his  long  and  useful  career  as  a 
successful  and  influential  citizen  of  Charleston. 

From  force  of  circumstances  Mr.  Riggs  was  at  a  very  earl}'  age 
compelled  to  take  up  the  battle  of  life  and  enter  into  business  at  a 
time  when  most  young  men  were  in  college,  and  that,  too,  without 
friends  or  assistance  of  any  kind,  and  was  forced  to  make  his  way  in 
the  world  solely  by  his  merit  and  energy,  and  to  his  own  e.xertions 
alone  is  he  indebted  for  the  success  he  has  achieved  and  the  promi- 
nent position  he  has  attained.  And  this  independent  and  meritorious 
course  he  has  pursued  all  through  life  with  a  determination  to  suc- 
ceed by  every  honorable  effort  and  conscientious  means,  relying  or 
depending  on  no  one  for  favors  and  influence,  such  as  frequently  fall 
to  the  lot  of  many  others.  Thus,  determined  and  settled  in  purpose, 
he  has  pursued  his  way  through  life,  winning  for  himself  the  favor 
and  esteem  of  his  fellow  citizens,  and  acquiring  a  competency  which 
by  many  would  be  regarded  as  a  fortune.  His  influence  and  means 
have  been  used  always  for  the  building  up  of  his  adopted  city  and  for 
the  development  of  its  enterprises,  and  he  has  at  different  times  been 
connected  with  some  of  the  largest  banks  and  other  corporations, 
either  as  a  director  or  stockholder,  and  always  as  a  moving  spirit. 
But  it  is  as  the  projector,  builder  and  president  of  the  Charleston 
City  railway  that  Mr.  Riggs  has  been  most  conspicuous  and   useful 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  481 

than  in  any  other  direction,  and  as  sucli  lias  won  the  gratitude  of  his 
fellow  citizens.  This  much  needed  and  hi,L,ddy  appreciated  enter- 
prise was  projected  by  him  following  the  close  of  the  late  war,  at  a 
time  in  the  history  of  the  city  and  state  when  the  business  interests  and 
industries  were  prostrate  and  demoralized,  and  was  indeed  a  gigan- 
tic untlcrtaking;  yet,  through  his  own  efforts  and  by  his  individual 
means  the  road  was  projected,  built  and  equipped,  and  to  Mr.  Riggs 
are  the  credit  and  honor  cheerfully  given  by  his  appreciative  fellow 
citizens  who  recognize  that  but  for  him  the  city  might  to-day  be  with- 
out so  admirable  a  street  railway  system  as  that  projected  by  him 
over  twenty-five  years  ago,  and  of  which  he  has  since  been  the  presi- 
dent and  guiding  spirit,  managing  its  affairs  with  great  success  for 
the  stockholders  and  for  the  convenience  and  welfare  of  the  public. 
The  Charleston  City  Railway  company  has  over  thirteen  miles  of 
railway  in  the  city,  its  lines  penetrating  the  principal  business  and 
residence  portions  of  the  city,  and  extending  along  the  leading  ave- 
nues and  thoroughfares,  and  is  considered  one  of  the  best  equipped 
and  best  managed  street  railway  systems  in  the  south.  Mr.  Riggs  is 
also  identified  with  the  Charleston  Gas  company,  of  which  he  is  a  di- 
rector, and  with  the  Magnolia  cemetery,  and  is  also  one  of  the  largest 
owners  of  city  real  estate,  by  the  improvement  of  which,  from  year  to 
year,  he  has  largely  contributed  and  added  to  the  material  growth 
and  building  up  of  the  city. 

Notwithstanding  his  busy  life,  Mr.  Riggs  has  found  time  to  devote 
some  attention  to  public  affairs,  and  has  been  honored  several  times 
by  election  to  positions  of  importance  and  responsibility.  He  served 
with  credit  for  a  term  in  the  state  legislature,  and  for  over  ten  years 
in  succession  was  a  valuable  member  of  the  city  board  of  aldermen, 
during  which  time,  as  mayor  pro  ton.,  he  frequently  occupied  the 
mayor's  chair,  and  discharged  the  duties  of  the  same  with  honor  and 
credit  to  himself  and  the  city;  and  his  public  career,  like  that  of  his  busi- 
ness and  private  life,  was  always  marked  by  that  thorough  devotion  to 
duty  and  excellent  business  capacity  so  characteristic  of  the  man  that  it 
gained  for  him  the  reputation  of  being  a  well-equipped  and  faithful 
friend  whose  advice  on  all  important  questions  can  always  be  im- 
plicitly relied  upon.  Mr.  Riggs  is  an  active  and  valued  member  of 
the  Charleston  chamber  of  commerce.  He  is  a  self-made  man  in 
every  sense  of  the  term.  Beginning  life  for  himself  when  but  a  boy, 
with  neither  friends,  money  nor  influence,  he  has  by  his  own  efforts 
and  energy  and  the  exercise  of  his  splendid  business  capacity, 
climbed  to  a  top  rung  on  the  ladder  of  life.  Success  has  attended  all 
his  efforts  in  business,  for  those  efforts  have  always  been  directed  by 
a  master  mind,  whose  skill  and  knowledge  were  gained  in  the  school 
of  experience.  Mr.  Riggs  is  public-spirited,  and  broad  and  liberal  in 
his  views  on  all  questions,  and  has  always  responded  to  any  public 
movement  or  enterprise  looking  to  the  improvement  and  advance- 
ment of  the  city,  giving  freely  of  his  time  and  means,  and  for  this 
well  known  enterprising  and  progressive  spirit  he  is  respected  and 
esteemed  by  all  his  fellow  citizens,  who  have  long  recognized  and  ap- 


4S2  SOUTH   CAROLINA. 

preciated  his  sterling  worth  of  character,  his  strong  integrity  and 
conscientious  business  methods.  Personally,  Mr.  Riggs  is  affable, 
courteous  and  genial,  and  possessed  of  social  inclinations,  and,  though 
engrossed  with  business  cares  throughout  the  daj',  can  always  find 
time  for  a  pleasant  word  with  his  friends,  or  polite  attention  to  those 
who  call  on  him,  be  they  acquaintances  or  strangers. 

COLONEL   JOSEPH   WALKER. 

Col.  Joseph  Walker,  a  prominent  citizen  of  Spartanburg,  and  sev- 
eral terms  the  mayor  of  that  city,  derives  his  military  title  from  his 
participation  in  the  Civil  war,  in  the  service  of  the  Confederate  army. 
At  the  breaking  out  of  that  war  he  volunteered  his  services,  and  at 
the  organization  of  Company  K,  of  the  Fifth  South  Carolina  regi- 
ment, in  April,  1861,  he  was  chosen  its  captain.  He  commanded  this 
company  one  year,  which  was  the  term  for  which  he  had  enlisted.  In 
April,  1S62,  upon  the  re-organization  of  the  South  Carolina  troops, 
he  was  elected  a  lieutenant-colonel  of  the  Palmetto  sharpshooters, 
a  regiment  composed  of  twelve  companies.  Shortly  afterward  he  was 
promoted  to  the  colonelcy  of  the  regiment,  and  served  as  such  till  the 
end  of  the  war.  He  participated  in  nearly  all  the  battles  in  which 
Lee's  army  was  engaged,  and  was  a  brave  and  loyal  soldier,  and  an 
able  and  efficient  officer.  Col.  Walker  was  born  in  a  log  cabin  on 
Fair  Forest  creek,  Spartanburg  county,  within  two  miles  of  the  city 
of  Spartanburg,  May  18,  1835.  He  was  the  son  of  Jacob  A.  and 
Susan  (Cannon)  Walker,  both  natives  of  Spartanburg  county,  S.  C, 
born  respectively  in  iSii  and  1S14.  The  father  was  the  son  of  Col. 
John  Walker,  a  native  of  Virginia,  and  the  mother  the  daughter  of 
John  Cannon,  also  a  native  of  Virginia.  They  were  married  in  1833, 
and  had  four  children,  of  whom  Col.  Walker  was  the  eldest.  Two 
were  sons  and  two  were  daughters.  Col.  Walker's  only  brother, 
Felix  Walker,  was  killed  in  the  Civil  war,  at  the  battle  of  Seven 
Pines.  The  mother  of  this  family  died  in  1850,  and  subsequently  the 
father  married  Miss  Adaline  Patterson,  who  bore  him  five  children, 
four  sons  and  one  daughter.  Three  of  the  sons  and  the  daughter 
are  still  living.  The  father  who  was  a  farmer  by  occupation,  died  in 
i860.  His  second  wife  is  still  living.  Col.  Walker,  the  subject  of  this 
sketch,  was  reared  upon  the  homestead  farm,  receiving  a  common 
school  education.  In  1853  he  secured  a  position  as  clerk  in  the  store 
of  John  B.  Cleveland,  formerly  a  worthy  and  influential  citizen  of 
Spartanburg,  and  remained  with  him  three  years,  during  which  time 
he  acquired  his  business  education.  From  1856  until  i860,  he  did 
business  on  his  own  account,  availing  himself  of  the  means  he  had 
accumulated  while  clerk.  In  i860,  he  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Miss  Susan  F.,  daughter  of  Alexander  W'ingo,  who  was  once  sheriff 
of  Spartanburg  count}'.  At  the  close  of  the  Civil  war,  his  participa- 
tion in  which  is  above  related.  Col.  Walker  engaged  in  the  cotton 
trade,  at  .Spartanburg,  and  that  has  ever  since  been  his  avocation. 
F'or  a  period  of   twenty-five  years  he  has  been  one  of  the  principal 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  483 

cotton  mcrcliants  in  that  city,  and  has  achieved  success.  He  is  in 
good  financial  circumstances,  and  is  justly  regarded  as  one  of  Spar- 
tanburg's solid  and  substantial  men.  In  1871,  he  helped  to  organize 
the  National  bank,  of  Spartanburg,  and  has  ever  since  been  a  stock- 
holder and  director  therein.  He  was,  also,  in  1S88,  one  of  the  organ- 
izers of  the  Merchants'  &  F"armers'  bank,  and  has  ever  since  been  its 
president.  He  has  been  identified  with  various  other  important  cor- 
porations; in  fact  there  has  scarcely  been  any  important  enterprise 
undertaken  in  the  history  of  Spartanburg,  in  which  he  has  not  been 
an  efficient  actor.  He  was  one  of  the  incorporators  in  1881,  of  the 
Spartanburg  Pacolet  Manufacturing  company,  and  has  always  been 
one  of  its  directors.  He  is  a  directer  in  the  Whitney  Cotton  mills, 
the  Beaumont  Cotton  mills,  the  Produco  mills,  all  of  Spartanburg 
county,  and  a  director  in  the  Columbia  &  Greenville,  and  the  Spar- 
tanburg, Union  &  Columbia  railroad  companies.  He  is  a  director 
and  vice-president  of  the  Asheville  &  Spartanburg  railroad  company, 
and  holds  the  same  office  in  the  Iron  District  Fire  Insurance  company, 
■of  Spartanburg,  and  a  director  in  the  Converse  College  company. 
He  is  also  a  director  in  the  Spartanburg  I/crald  company,  in  the 
Fidelity  Loan  &  Trust  company,  president  and  director  of  People's 
Building  &  Loan  company,  and  a  director  in  the  Columbia  Phosphate 
company.  In  political  faith.  Col.  Walker  is  a  democrat,  and  the  par- 
tialty  of  his  fellow  citizens  has  for  six  terms  elevated  him  to  the  may- 
oralty of  the  city,  and  chosen  him  for  one  term  in  the  state  legisla- 
ture. His  reputation  as  well  in  business  circles  as  in  social  is  one  to 
be  envied,  and  no  man  more  completely'  and  firmly  holds  the  respect 
and  esteem  of  the  citizens  of  Spartanburg  county. 

ROBERT  A.  BRAND, 

was  born  in  Clarendon  county,  S  C,  on  the  12th  of  December,  1858. 
After  attending  the  common  schools  of  the  county,  he  prepared  for 
college  under  the  instruction  of  H.  S.  Cunningham,  of  William'sburg, 
S.  C,  but  did  not  enter  upon  a  college  course,  commencing  work  in 
January,  1S77,  for  the  Atlantic  Coast  Line  railroad  company,  at  Sum- 
ter. He  has  remained  in  the  employ  of  this  company  ever  since,  ris- 
ing in  the  line  of  promotion  until  he  has  reached  the  responsible  posi- 
tion of  general  and  soliciting  agent.  He  was  married  February  12, 
1855,  to  Margaret  E.  Blanding,  daughter  of  Col.  J.  D.  Blanding  of 
Sumter.  They  have  three  children  named  Lenora,  Susie  and  Etta 
Sloan  Brand.  Mr.  Brand  was  elected  and  served  as  alderman  in  the  city 
of  Sumter  during  iSSS  and  1889.  He  is  president  of  the  democratic 
club  of  Sumter,  and  since  1885  has  been  captain  of  the  Sumter  light 
infantry.  His  father's  name  was  William  S.  Brand  and  he  was  born 
in  Clarendon  county,  S.  C.  He  was  a  planter  up  to  1S73,  when 
he  went  into  the  employ  of  the  Atlantic  Coast  Line  R.  R.  Co., 
in  whose  service  he  remained  until  the  time  of  his  death  in  1883.  He 
entered  the  Confederate  service  early  in  1861  and  served  through- 
out the  entire  war.     He  belonged  to  the  army   of  northern  Virginia 


484  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

under  Gen  R.  E.  Lee,  and  was  present  at  the  surrender  at  Appo- 
matox.  He  was  slightly  wounded  at  the  second  Manassas  encounter. 
He  enlisted  as  a  private  but  rose  to  the  rank  of  captain  and,  two 
weeks  prior  to  the  surrender,  was  promoted  to  major,  but  never  re- 
ceived his  commission.  He  was  in  all  the  battles  in  which  the  army 
of  northern  Virginia  was  engaged  and  proved  himself  a  brave  and 
gallant  soldier.  He  was  married  in  1855  to  Susan  C.  Pierson, 
daughter  of  Rev.  Philip  P.  Pierson,  a  native  of  New  Jersey,  who  came 
to  South  Carolina  when  fourteen  years  of  age.  There  were  nine 
children  born  to  this  marriage,  all  of  whom  still  survive.  Their  res- 
pective names  are  Cora  G.,  wife  of  C.  W.  Hewitt  of  Darlington,  S.  C; 
Robert  A.,  Minnie  H.,  wife  of  Dr.  J.  S.  Garner  of  Darlington;  Will- 
iam S.,  private  secretary  to  Major  Green,  general  manager  of  the 
Georgia  railroad  and  banking  company;  Rosa  E.,  Covert  M.,  agent 
for  the  Atlantic  Coast  railroad  company,  at  .Sumter;  James  M.,  pri- 
vate secretary  to  Col.  Fowler,  general  manager  of  the  C.  S.  «&  N.  R.  R.; 
Hazel  H.,  and  Beauford  R.  Brand.  Mr.  Brand's  grandfather  was 
William  Brand,  born  in  Fayetteville,  N.  C,  in  1797.  He  came  to  South 
Carolina  about  1827  where  he  was  engaged  in  planting  during  the  re- 
mainder of  his  life,  which  came  to  a  close  in  1881.  He  was  tax  col- 
lector for  Clarendon  county  from  1S65  to  1867. 

CAPTAIN  W.  H.  DAY, 

the  master  car  builder  of  the  Wilmington,  Columbia  &  Augusta 
railroad,  is  a  Virginian  by  birth,  and  first  saw  the  light  in  Henrico 
county,  January  21,  1S42.  His  parents  were  Robert  P.  and  Cynthia  A. 
(Eubank)  Day,  who  were  also  Virginians.  The  father  was  a  carpen- 
ter during  his  active  career,  and  is  now  a  retired  citizen  of  Richmond,  ■ 
Va.,  where  he  is  highly  respected  for  having  lived  an  honorable  and 
useful  life.  The  mother  died  in  1S46,  leaving  two  sons,  W.  H.  and 
Robert  A.;  the  latter  has  since  died,  aged  thirty-three  years.  He 
served  as  a  private  in  Company  A,  Fifteenth  Virginia,  during  the 
Civil  war,  and  his  death  resulted  from  hardships  incident  to  his  long 
service  in  the  army,  he  having  fought  until  the  final  surrender.  The 
mother  was  a  godly  woman,  and  was  a  lifelong  communicant  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church.  W.  H.  Day  was  educated  in  the  Rich- 
mond city  schools,  and  began  active  work  at  the  age  of  twelve  years, 
as  an  apprentice  to  the  carpenters'  trade.  He  was  engaged  in  his 
trade  until  the  summer  of  1861,  when  he  enlisted  in  Courtney's  bat- 
talion of  artillery.  Confederate  army,  and  remained  in  the  field  until 
peace  was  declared,  having  fought  in  the  battles  of  Winchester, 
seven  days'  fight  around  Richmond,  after  which  engagement  he  was 
transferred  to  the  Trans-Mississippi  department  and  assigned  to  the 
quartermaster's  department.  After  the  war  Mr.  Day  resumed  his 
former  business,  and  in  1866  became  an  employe  of  the  Chesapeake 
&  Ohio  railroad,  continuing  in  the  employ  of  that  company  until 
1869.  In  the  latter  year  he  worked  as  a  journeyman  carpenter  for 
the  rajlroad,  and  was  still  in  their  employ  when  called  to  his  present 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  485 

position  in  1873.  For  five  years  Mr.  Day  has  held  the  office  of  in- 
tendant  of  Florence,  and  for  three  years  he  has  been  a  school  com- 
missioner of  the  city,  being  chairman  of  the  latter  committee.  Mr. 
Day  is  recognized  as  one  of  the  most  substantial  citizens  of  the 
county,  and  is  held  in  the  highest  esteem  and  respect  wherever 
known. 

G.  G.  LYNCH, 

one  of  the  prominent  railroad  men  of  Florence  county,  S.  C,  is  a 
native  of  Halifax,  N.  C,  where  he  was  born  March  8,  1852,  the  son 
of  G.  G.  and  Emma  (Whitaker)  Lynch,  both  North  Carolinians. 
The  father  was  also  a  railroad  man,  having  been  in  the  employ  of  a 
railroad  as  agent  at  Weldon,  N.  C.  Before  the  Civil  war  he  held  the 
office  of  special  agent  for  the  United  States  postoffice  department, 
and  during  'he  Civil  war  held  a  like  position  with  the  Confederate 
government.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lj-nch  were  devout  members  of  the  Metho- 
dist Episcopal  church.  Eight  children  were  born  to  them,  ofwhom  six 
now  survive.  Mr.  G.  G.  Lynch,  Jr.,  was  the  third  child.  His  education 
was  obtained  in  his  native  state  and  at  the  age  of  fifteen  years  he 
began  active  work  as  a  local  baggage  agent  and  office  boy  for  a  rail- 
road. He  was  then  promoted  to  the  position  of  conductor  on  the 
Wilmington  &  Weldon  railroad,  and  was  engaged  in  that  until  March, 
1874,  then  he  was  promoted  to  a  passenger  conductor,  and  May  21, 
1881,  he  was  made  assistant  master  of  transportation.  In  1886  he 
was  promoted  to  train  master  of  the  Atlantic  coast  line.  Mr.  Lynch 
is  a  director  in  the  Union  Trust  company,  and  is  a  commissioner  of 
the  Florence  graded  schools,  and  is  also  extensively  interested  in  the 
bank  of  the  Carolinas,  in  which  he  is  a  director.  For  two  years  he 
filled  the  office  of  alderman  of  Florence  most  satisfactorily,  and  he  is 
recognized  as  one  of  its  leading  and  most  influential  citizens.  De- 
cember 18,  1873.  his  marriage  to  Miss  Florence  Whitaker,  daughter 
of  Col.  M.  T.  Whitaker,  of  Enfield,  N.  C,  was  solmnized,  and 
resulted  in  the  birth  of  five  children,  those  living  being  De  Leon  and 
Ida.  The  mother  died  in  July,  1886.  She  was  a  consistent 
member  of  the  Episcopal  church.  June  ;q,  i8Sg,  Mr.  Lynch 
married  for  his  second  wife  Miss  Clara  Whitaker,  a  sister  of 
his  first  wife.  Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lynch  are  communicants  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church,  and  he  is  also  a  member  of  the  Ameri- 
can Legion  of  Honor.  Starting  life  in  a  humble  way  he  has  steadily 
worked  his  way  to  the  present  honorable  and  important  position  he 
now  holds. 

EDWARD  W.  LLOYD. 

One  of  the  leading  citizens  of  Florence  county,  S.  C,  is  Ed- 
ward W.  Lloyd,  who  is  a  native  of  the  city  of  Charleston,  S.  C, 
where  he  was  born  June  26,  1S30,  the  son  of  William  and  Mary 
(Rebb)  Lloyd,  both  of  whom  were  South  Carolinians.     He  received 


486  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

his  scholastic  training  in  the  Charleston  schools,  and  engaged  in  the 
manufacture  of  carriages,  and  at  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  war  was 
one  of  the  most  extensive  manufacturers  in  that  line  in  the  south. 
December  26,  1S60,  Mr.  Lloyd  enlisted  in  the  Confederate  service, 
and  took  part  in  the  captureof  Castle  Pinckney  in  Charleston  harbor. 
Subsequently  he  was  made  captain  of  Company  B,  Washington 
light  infantry,  this  command  being  one  of  three  that  formed  the 
Washington  light  infantry  battalion,  one  of  which  was  in  the  Hamp- 
ton legion,  and  the  other  two  in  the  Eutaw,  Twenty-fifth  regiment, 
South  Carolina.  This  company  was  first  organized  in  1807,  at  the 
time  of  the  difficulty  between  the  Chesapeake  and  Leopard,  and  con- 
tinued in  service  on  the  coast  until  1862,  when  Virginia  became  their 
headquarters.  In  the  latter-  state  they  took  a  prominent  part  in  all 
the  battles  fought  within  its  boundary.  Capt.  Lloyd,  as  senior  captain, 
was  for  a  time  in  command  of  his  regiment.  At  Fort  Sumter  he 
was  wounded,  but  soon  recovered  and  went  to  the  front,  where  he  re- 
mained until  August,  1864,  when  he  was  retired  and  placed  on  the  in- 
valid corps,  and  assigned  to  duty  at  Florence,  where  he  had  charge 
of  the  Federal  prisoners  as  adjutant  inspector-general  on  Gen.  Har- 
rison's staff.  After  the  removal  of  the  prisoners  to  Salisbury,  N.  C, 
Capt.  Lloyd  was  made  quartermaster  in  charge  at  Cheraw,  S.  C, 
where  he  remained  until  the  close  of  the  war.  After  the  close  of 
hostilities  he  took  up  his  residence  in  Florence,  and  soon  resumed 
the  carriage  business.  Subsequently  he  was  elected  clerk  of  the 
council  and  trial  justice,  and  has  held  these  offices  for  many  years. 
For  a  long  time  he  has  held  the  office  of  district  deputy,  grand  mas- 
ter of  the  Grand  lodge  of  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  of  South  Carolina,  and  has 
been  worshipful  master  of  the  Hampton  lodge.  No.  204,  at  Florence, 
for  several  years.  He  has  been  twice  married,  first  in  January,  1851, 
to  Miss  R.  A.  Rebb,  by  whom  he  had  two  children,  both  of  whom  are 
deceased.  Mrs.  Lloyd  died  in  1885,  aged  fifty-one  years.  His  second 
marriage  was  to  a  younger  sister  of  his  first  wife,  Mrs.  Thomas  Oliver. 

COLONEL  JOHN  B.  PATRICK, 

principal  and  proprietor  of  the  Patrick  Military  institute,  at  Anderson, 
was  born  in  Barnwell  county,  S.  C,  March  23,  1S32.  He  is  the  son 
of  John  M.  I^atrick,  also  a  native  of  Barnwell  county,  born  January  9, 
1803.  His  occupation  was  farming.  He  married  Lavina  Gillam,  a 
native  of  the  same  county,  born  April  2,  iSio.  She  was  the  daughter 
of  Jacob  Gillam,  who  removed  from  Virginia  to  South  Carolina,  and 
was  of  English  descent.  The  father  died  in  1869;  his  wife  only 
about  three  months  earlier.  John  M.  was  the  son  of  John  Patrick, 
who  was  also  of  American  birth,  born  in  1781.  His  father  also  bore 
the  name  of  John,  as  did  his  father  before  him.  The  genealogy  of 
the  Patrick  faniily  goes  back  through  England  to  Strasburg,  Ger- 
many. Cal.  John  B.  Patrick  was  reared  on  a  farm  in  Barnwell 
county,  and  his  early  education  was  acquired  at  the  country  schools. 
In  his  eighteenth  year  he  began  the  vocation  of  teacher  and  taught 


SOUTH   CAROLINA.  487 

for  nine  months,  after  which,  at  the  age  of  nineteen,  he  entered  the 
South  Carolina  MiHtary  academy,  from  which  he  graduated  in  1855, 
as  a  Heutenant.     He  then  because  a   tutor  in   Furman   university,  at 
Greenville,  where  he  remained  three  years,   during  the  tirst  two   of 
which  he  pursued  classical  studies  in  addition  to  performing  his  duties 
in  the  university.     In  December,   1858,  he   accepted  the  position  of 
assistant  professor  of  mathematics  in   the  South  Carolina  Military 
academy.     A  year  and  a  half  later  he  was  promoted  to  the  full  pro- 
fessorship in  mathematics  in  the  same  institution   and   that   position 
he  held  until  the  close  of  the  Civil  war.     In  1866  he  started  a  private 
school  in  Greenville,  and  was  a  few  months  later  made  principal  of 
the    preparatory   department  of    Furman    university.     Three   years 
later  he  resigned  this  position  to  take  charge  of  what  was  then  known 
as  the  Peabody  school,  at  Greenville.     He  remained  its  principal  two 
years  when  the  Peabody  fund  was  withdrawn.     In  1870  he  organized 
the  Greenville  high  school,  and  eight  years  later  converted  it  into 
the  Greenville  military  institute.     In  1S87  he  removed  the  institution 
to  Anderson  in  order  to  secure  better  buildings  and  then  changed  its 
name  to  the   Patrick  military  institute.     The  present  enrollment  is 
122,  and  it  has  proved  one  of  the  most  successful  military  institutions 
in  the  south.     As  an  evidence  of  the  popularity  of  this  institution 
and  also  of  the    permanent   character   and    high   standard   enjoyed 
abroad,  it  may  be  stated  that  the  United  States  government  has  de- 
tailed an  ofificer  from  the  regular  army  to  fill  the  chair   of  military 
science  and  tactics.     Col.  Patrick  enjoys  a  wide  reputation  as. a  prac- 
tical educator  of  a  high   grade.     The    faculty  consists  of  seven    in- 
structors, all    males,  one   of    whom,  the   professor  of    ancient   and 
modern  languages,  is  Capt.  John   M.   Patrick,  a  son  of  Col.  Patrick, 
the  subject  of  this  sketch.     As  a  proof  of  the  fine  scholarship  of  Col. 
Patrick  it  is  shown   that   he   graduated  from   the   Citadel  military 
academy  without  a  single  mark   of  discredit.     He    is  a    democrat  in 
political  faith,  but  is  by  no  means  a  partisan,  being  a  conservative;  is 
a  member  of  the  K.  of  H.,  an  official  member  of  the  Baptist  church, 
having  been  a  deacon  in  that  church  for  thirty  years.     For   two   or 
three  years  he  was  secretary  of  the  Baptist  state  convention.     For 
twelve  years  he  was   chairman   of   the  executive  committee  of  the 
Baptist  association.     During  six  years  of  his  residence  in  Greenville 
county,  he  was  a  member  of  the  examining  board  for  teachers.     In 
June,    1859,  he   married   Miss   M.    Louisa   Goodlett,  of    Greenville, 
daughter  of  Col.  R.  P.  Goodlett,  formerly  of  that  city.     They  have 
seven  children  living,  three  of  whom  are  sons.     In    1861,  when  Col. 
Patrick  was  promoted  to  the  rank  of  professor  in  the  South  Carolina 
Military   academy,    he   was   also  elected  secretary  of  the  board  of 
visitors  of  that  institution,  serving  as  such  during  his  entire  professor- 
ship.    During  the  time  which  covered  a  period  of  four  years  he  coni- 
piled  much  valuable  information  relating  to  the  alumni  of  the  insti- 
tution, which  has  since  been  published  in  Col.  John  P.  Thomas'  his- 
torical sketch  of  the  South  Carolina  military  academy.    This  is  a  very- 
complete  record  in  condensed  form  of  all  the  graduates  of  that  insti- 


488  SOUTH    CxVROLlNA. 

tution  from  1S46  until  1S64.  During  tlie  Civil  war  Col.  Patrick 
rendered  service  to  the  Confederate  army  in  connection  with  the  South 
Carolina  battalion  of  cadets,  and  the  statement  made  in  a  preceding 
paragraph  to  the  effect  that  he  held  a  professorship  throughout  the 
whole  time  of  the  war,  should  be  modified  by  the  above  fact. 

GENERAL  LEWIS  MALONE  AYER, 

ex-member  of  the  United  States  congress,  ex-member  of  the  Confed- 
erate congress,  and  at  present  a  member  of  the  faculty  of  the  Patrick 
military  institute,  at  Anderson,  S.  C,  was  born  November  12,  1S21. 
His  father  was  Lewis  Malone  Ayer,  and  served  several  years  in  the 
state  senate  of  South  Carolina,  and  lived  to  be  ninety-five  years  of 
age.  He  died  in  1863.  He  was  one  of  the  prominent  men  of  his 
time,  being  one  of  the  old  whig  or  democratic  party  men  in  the  early 
part  of  the  century.  His  father  was  Thomas  Ayer,  who  was  high 
sheriff  in  the  PeeDeecountryof  South  Carolina  prior  to  the  Revolution- 
ary war,  holding  his  commission  from  King  George  IIL  of  England. 
Thomas  Ayer  was  a  native  of  the  north  of  Ireland,  and  came  to 
America  in  company  with  an  elder  brother.  Both  located  in  \'irginia 
at  first  and  both  married  their  wives  in  that  state.  Subsequently  the 
other  brother  removed  to  New  England,  where  he  now  has  a  large 
number  of  descendants.  Thomas  removed  to  South  Carolina,  so  that 
in  the  Civil  war  the  descendants  of  the  two  brothers  were  on  oppo- 
site sides  of  the  contest.  The  maiden  name  of  Gen.  Ayer's  mother 
was  Rebecca  Erwin,  born  in  Barnwell  county,  S.  C.  She  was  the 
daughter  of  Major  James  Erwin,  who  also  came  to  this  country  from 
the  north  of  Ireland.  On  both  sides  Gen.  Ayer  is  of  Scotch-Irish 
descent.  His  mother  died  in  1864,  just  one  year  after  the  death  of 
his  father,  she  being  eighty  years  old.  He  was  their  youngest  child, 
but  both  his  parents  lived  to  see  him  forty  years  of  age.  He  was 
reared  to  manhood  on  a  farm  in  Barnwell  county,  S.  C.  His  father 
was  a  wealthy  planter,  owning  a  farm  of  8,000  acres,  and  was  worth 
more  than  a  half  million  of  dollars  at  the  time  of  his  death.  His  son 
Lewis  walked  three  miles  to  attend  a  country  school  in  his  youth. 
At  the  age  of  twelve  years  he  was  sent  to  a  high  school  at  Edgefield, 
where  he  spent  two  j'ears.  He  was  subsequentl)'  prepared  for  college 
at  Winnsborough,  S.  C-,  under  Prof.  J.  W.  Hudson,  a  leading  educa- 
tor of  that  day.  He  entered  the  South  Carolina  college  in  1838 
where  he  took  his  junior  course.  He  then  entered  the  University  of 
Virginia,  where  he  took  his  senior  course  and  graduated  in  1841. 
While  at  the  university  he  also  took  the  junior  course  in  the  law  de- 
partment of  that  institution.  In  the  fall  of  1841,  he  entcn'ed  the  law 
department  of  Harvard  university,  in  which  he  took  his  senior  law 
course,  graduating  in  1842.  Returning  home,  he  was  admitted  to  the 
bar  in  the  fall  of  the  same  year,  after  v.-hich  he  practiced  three  years 
at  Barnwell  C.  H.,  S.  C.  In  1846  he  retired  from  practice  after  hav- 
ing made  the  reputation  of  an  able  and  successful  lawyer.  He  then 
removed  to  his  plantation  in  Barnwell  county,  given  him  by  his  father. 


SOUTH    CAROIJNA.  489 

and  turned  his  attention  to  planting  and  politics.  He  was  elected  to 
the  South  Carolina  legislature  in  1848,  having  the  highest  vote  that 
had  ever  been  cast  for  any  candidate  in  that  county.  In  1852,  he  was 
re-elected,  serving  in  all  four  years  and  declining  to  run  again.  In 
1853  he  was  elected  a  brigadier-general  of  the  third  brigade,  .South 
Carolina  militia,  in  which  capacity  he  served  four  years  and  then 
resigned,  having  become  wearied  of  its  irksome  requirements.  In 
the  fall  of  i860  he  was  elected  a  member  of  the  United  States  con- 
gress from  the  Third  South  Carolina  district,  but  before  the  time 
came  for  him  to  take  his  seat,  his  state  seceded,  he  having  been  a 
member  of  the  secession  convention  and  having  signed  the  secession 
ordinance.  He  was  elected  to  that  convention  from  his  county  by  a 
very  large  majority. 

In  the  spring  of  1861  Mr.  Ayer  was  elected  to  the  Confederate 
congress  from  the  same  district  that  had  elected  him  to  the  Federal 
congress,  defeating  Gen.  D.  F.  Jameson,  the  president  of  the  South 
Carolina  secession  convention.  In  1863  he  was  re-elected  to  the  Con- 
federate congress,  defeating  the  Hon.  R.  Barnwell  Rhett,  an  ex-sen- 
ator of  the  United  States,  and  an  aspirant  for  the  presidency  of  the 
Confederate  states.  He  served  in  the  Confederate  congress  until  the 
close  of  the  war,  when  his  plantation  having  been  plundered  and 
ruined  by  Gen.  Sherman's  army,  he  located  at  Charleston,  where  for 
two  years  he  was  engaged  as  a  cotton  merchant,  by  the  end  of  which 
time  he  had  his  plantation  repaired  and  put  in  a  habitable  condition. 
He  re-located  on  his  plantation  in  1868,  having  the  full  8,000  acres 
formerly  owned  by  his  father,  he  having  come  into  possession  of  it  at 
his  father's  death.  It  is  worthy  of  remark  that  when  he  returned  to 
his  plantation  he  found  every  negro  still  there,  numbering  some  two 
hundred,  so  great  was  their  love  for  their  old  master  and  former 
owner.  He  was  the  hrst  man  in  that  section  to  rent  land  to  the  ne- 
groes. He  inaugurated  that  system  in  Barnwell  county.  He  remained 
on  his  plantation  five  years,  being  successful  as  a  planter,  always  rais- 
ing good  crops.  Though  he  had  never  belonged  to  a  church  or  b^en 
in  any  way  identified  with  church  work  prior  to  that  time,  in  1869  he 
became  impressed  with  his  responsibilit}'  to  God,  and  began  without 
the  knowledge  even  of  his  own  family  to  study  the  Bible.  The  more 
he  read  it  the  stronger  became  his  conviction  that  he  should  live  a 
godly  life.  Prior  to  this  his  life  had  been  a  very  ungodly  one,  and 
before  the  year  1869  ended,  he  united  with  the  Baptist  church  and  at 
once  took  an  active  part  in  church  work.  He  was  chosen  delegate  to 
several  religious  conventions  of  the  Baptist  persuasion  and  occasion- 
ally exhorted,  without,  however,  any  intention  or  desire  to  become  a 
minister  of  the  gospel.  The  knowledge  of  the  fact  spread  abroad, 
and  in  the  fall  of  1872  he  received  a  call  from  the  Anderson  Baptist 
church  to  become  its  pastor.  He  replied  that  he  was  no  minister,  but 
such  a  pressure  was  brought  to  bear  upon  him  by  members  of  the 
church  and  by  his  friends  that  he  finally  yielded,  and  for  the  purpose 
of  accepting  the  call  he  was  ordained  in  1872.  In  January,  1873,  he 
removed  to  Anderson  and  assumed  the  duties  of  pastor,  and  held  the 


490  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

position  two  years.  In  1875  he  received  a  call  from  the  Baptist 
church  of  Jefferson,  Tex.  As  South  Carolina  was  then  under  radical 
rule,  he  concluded  to  accept  the  call,  thinking  that  Texas  would  be  a 
better  state  in  which  to  raise  his  children.  He  accordingly  went  to 
Jefferson,  but  after  a  brief  stay  there  concluded  he  had  not  bettered 
himself  by  the  move  and  wished  to  return.  He  had  made  a  good  im- 
pression upon  the  congregation  there  and  was  strongly  urged  to  re- 
main. He  finally  consented  to  engage  with  them  by  the  month,  so 
that  he  might  terminate  his  connection  with  them,  if  desirable,  within 
a  short  period.  He  was  provided  with  a  comfortable  parsonage  and 
promptly  paid  $150  per  month.  In  the  fall  of  1875  he  returned  to 
South  Carolina,  and  during  the  following  winter  attended  the  Baptist 
Theological  seminary,  at  Greenville.  In  the  summer  of  1876  he  re- 
ceived a  call  from  the  Anderson  Baptist  church,  in  which  he  had  pre- 
viously preached,  and  also  a  call  from  the  Baptist  church  at  Mur- 
freesboro,  Tenn.  The  latter  he  accepted,  and  filled  a  pastorate  of 
three  years  with  that  society.  In  the  latter  part  of  1879  he  was  in- 
duced by  leading  citizens  of  Anderson  to  return  there  and  establish 
what  was  known  as  the  Anderson  Female  seminary.  He  conducted 
that  school  very  successfully  for  a  period  of  seven  years,  averaging 
130  pupils  a  year.  In  1887  he  discontinued  the  school  and  went  for  a 
time  to  reside  with  a  son  at  Macon,  Ga.  He  returned  to  Anderson 
in  1S90,  and  took  the  position  of  professor  of  mental  and  moral 
science,  geology  and  political  economy  in  the  Patrick  military  insti- 
tute, a  professorship  which  he  still  holds.  He  is  a  democrat  in  poli- 
tics. He  occasionally  occupies  the  pulpit  of  his  church,  though  upon 
the  superannuated  list.  He  is  a  Mason  and  has  taken  the  chapter 
and  council  degrees. 

HON.  HENRY  BUCK. 

The  success  of  a  state  is  due  to  the  enterprise  and  integrity  of  its 
citizens.  Perhaps,  no  man  has  done  more  towards  establishing  a  new 
and  great  industry  in  South  Carolina  than  did  the  Hon.  Henry  Buck, 
the  pioneer  lumberman  of  the  state.  He  was  a  native  of  Maine,  born 
April  3rd,  1800,  at  Bucksport,  that  state.  About  the  year  1829,  South 
Carolina  was  so  fortunate  as  to  gain  his  citizenship,  he  having  at  that 
timeremoved  to  Charleston  from  his  native  state.  In  1832  he  set- 
tled in  Horry  county,  and  there  remained  until  his  death,  which  oc- 
curred on  the  1st  of  October,  1870.  Mr.  Buck  engaged  in  the  steam- 
saw-mill  business  in  1835  on  the  Waccamaw  river,  and  founded  the 
place  now  known  as  Bucksville.  As  the  pioneer  in  the  lumber  busi- 
ness, which  at  that  time  was  almost  an  experiment  in  the  southern 
states,  he  was  eminently  successful,  and  opened  up  and  developed 
vast  lumber  territory  in  Horry  and  adjoining  counties.  He  was  a  man 
of  progressive  and  able  mind,  and  in  his  business  dealings  relied  upon  a 
strict  adherence  to  the  principles  of  right.-  His  verbal  agreement 
was  an  unchanging  bond.  His  keen  foresight  taught  him  the  value 
of  the  country  he  had  selected  for  his  operations  and  as  fast  as  pos- 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  49 1 

sible  he  added  new  machinery  and  facilities  for  extending  his  busi- 
ness. In  1S35,  he  began  the  shipping  of  hard  pine  himber,  which,  at 
first,  was  mostly  exported  to  the  northern  states,  but  subsequently  he 
found  a  ready  market  for  his  product  in  the  West  Indies  and  South 
America.  He  was  early  appointed  postmaster  of  the  town  named  in 
his  honor,  and  took  an  active  interest  in  developing  to  the  fullest  ex- 
tent the  resources  of  the  town  and  county,  as  well  as  the  state  at  large. 
At  the  time  of  his  death  the  town  of  Bucksville  was  exporting  materail 
of  greater  value  than  any  other  point  in  the  state,  with  the  exception 
of  the  city  of  Charleston.  Mr.  Buck  had  large  interests  in  mills,  lum- 
ber, and  real  estate,  and  left  a  fortune  of  great  magnitude.  He  was 
thfc  first  to  introduce  the  use  of  southern  pine  in  the  construction  of 
ships,  and  that  timber  has  since  come  to  be  indispensable  in  ship 
building.  For  several  terms  he  served  with  efficiency  in  the  state 
legislature  and  senate,  and  left  behind  him  a  name  unimpeachable 
for  integrity  and  worth.  In  1S36  he  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss 
Fanny  Norman,  who  was  born  in  Horry  county,  S.  C,  February  9, 
1818.  She  was  a  woman  of  great  worth.  The  needy  poor  never  ap- 
plied to  her  bounteous  purse  and  tender  heart  in  vain.  Her  carriage 
was  found  at  the  door  of  the  destitute  and  sick  at  all  times  of  the  day 
and  night,  and  the  death-bed  of  many  poor  wretches  was  sweetened 
by  her  godly,  loving  presence,  and  their  last  moments  comforted  by 
her  touching  faith  in  the  power  of  her  Master  to  redeem.  A  mother 
to  the  community  in  which  she  lived,  she  was  long  known  by  the  sweet 
title  of  "  Aunt"  Fanny,  and  her  death  was  sincerely  mourned  by  black 
and  white  wherever  she  was  known.  A  woman  of  remarkable 
character,  she  was  extensively  known  and  beloved  as  a  ministering 
angel.  She  was  the  mother  of  seven  children,  named  respectively: 
Orilla,  wife  of  H.  H.  Wright  (deceased);  Lucinda,  wife  of  Capt. 
Cephas  Gilbert;  Henry  L.,  the  successor  to  his  father's- business  at 
Bucksville;  Fannie,  wife  of  Rev.  J.  J.  Anderson,  a  Presbyterian  clergy- 
man, and  at  present  a  professor  in  a  college  at  Holland,  Mich;  George 
O.,  who  was  a  student  at  Columbia,  when  the  students  were  ordered  ,,J^ 
on  duty  at  Johns  Island  during  the  late  war.  He  died  on  duty,  of 
pneumonia,  January  23,  1S65,  aged  18  years;  Holmes  (deceased).  He 
resided  at  Bucksport,  Me.,  where  he  married,  lived  and  died;  and 
Alice,  who  married  Capt.  A.A.Springs.  The  mother  of  these  children 
went  to  rest  on  the  ist  of  October,  1885,  that  day  being  the 
fifteenth  anniversary  of  the  death  of  her  devoted  husband. 

DOCTOR  M.  BRODHAM. 

Among  the  prominent  and  progressive  citizens  of  Manning,  Clar- 
endon county,  S.  C,  appears  the  name  of  Doctor  M.  Brodham.  His 
birth  took  place  in  Clarendon  county,  July  6,  1849,  his  parents  being 
A.  R.  and  Lenora  (Kelley)  Brodham,  both  South  Carolinians.  The 
father  was  a  leading  and  influential  planter  of  the  county,  and  died 
at  the  age  of  forty-five  years,  his  wife  surviving  him  until  1890,  when 
she,  too,  wenl  to  rest,   having  attained   her   seventy-seventh  j-ear. 


492  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

Both  parents  were  valued  members  of  the  Baptist  church.  Doctor 
Brodham  was  the  ninth  of  twelve  children  born  to  them.  He  was  edu- 
cated in  private  schools,  and  for  two  years  attended  Newberry  college. 
When  eighteen  years  of  age  he  began  his  business  career  as  a  clerk 
in  a  mercantile  establishment,  in  which  he  continued  for  two  years, 
after  which  he  embarked  in  the  same  business  for  himself,  at  Man- 
ning. In  1880  he  added  a  new  venture  to  his  interests,  having  at  that 
time  established  a  lumber  milling  business,  and  has  carried  these  en- 
terprises to  success  by  consistent,  honest  effort,  backed  by  ability  and 
sterling  integrity.  In  1888  he  was  elected  warden  of  Manning,  and 
two  j'eate  later  was  elected  intendant  of  the  town,  an  office  he  still 
holds.  His  marriage  to  Miss  Hattie  Huggins,  daughter  of  Dr.  G. 
Allen  Huggins,  of  Manning,  was  most  happily  solemnized  in  1875, 
and  has  resulted  in  the  birth  of  the  following  named  children: 
Allan  C,  Marion,  Herman  H.,  Anna  G.,  Ingram,  and  an  infant  as  yet 
unnamed.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Brodham  are  active  and  valued  communi- 
cants of  the  Baptist  church,  and  he  is  also  a  prominent  member  of 
the  Masonic  fraternity.  Wherever  his  name  is  known  it  is  honored 
as  that  of  an  able,  upright  gentleman. 

C.  R.  HARVIN. 

a  member  of  the  extensive  lumber  firm  of  C.  R.  Harvin  &  W.  S.  Har- 
vin,  of  Manning,  S.  C.,  was  born  in  Sumter,  now  Clarendon  county, 
S.  C.,  on  the  27th  of  January,  1849,  and  is  a  son  of  C.  R.  and  Ann  S. 
(Lindel)  Harvin,  both  natives  of  South  Carolina.  The  father  was  a 
planter  in  his  early  manhood,  and  subsequently  turned  his  attention 
to  the  milling  business.  He  was  a  practical  mechanic,  and  was 
possessed  of  much  business  tact  and  ability.  When  the  Civil  war 
broke  out  Mr.  Harvin  was  too  old  to  enter  the  service,  but  at  the 
time  of  Potter's  raids  he  entered  the  ranks  to  protect  the  homes  of 
his  neighbors  and  friends.  His  death  occurred  September  14,  1867, 
at  Columbia,  where  he  was  compelled  to  stop  by  illness  while  on  his 
way  to  Glenn  Springs  to  recuperate  his  health.  He  died  in  his  fifty- 
fourth  year.  Mrs.  Harvin  still  survives  him  at  the  advanced  age  of 
seventy.  Thirteen  children  were  born  to  these  parents,  eleven  of 
whom  were  reared  to  maturity,  and  ten  of  them  are  yet  living.  The 
son,  C.  R.  Harvin,  received  his  scholastic  training  in  the  private 
schools  of  Clarendon  county,  and  at  the  age  of  eighteen  began  busi- 
ness life  for  himself  as  a  planter,  in  which  he  was  engaged  for  one 
year.  He  then  embarked  in  the  milling  business  and  has  since  fol- 
lowed that  with  marked  success.  During  the  past  three  years  he  has 
been  associated  with  his  brother,  Mr.  W.  S.  Harvin,  in  business.  In 
1872  he  married  Miss  Kate  Le  Grand,  daughter  of  Mr.  Lucius  Le- 
Grand,  of  Camden,  S.  C,  who  was  drowned  with  twenty  others  while 
at  a  picnic.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Harvin's  home  has  been  brightened  by 
the  advent  of  ten  children,  their  names  being  Lenora  A.,  who  gradu- 
ated from  the  Sumter  institute  in  1890;  Charles  R.,  Lucius  L.,  Mary 
M.,  Walters.,  Luly  F.,  Sarah  C,  Harriet,  Clara  B.,  and  Stewart   I. 


^JV^  Qiy^OTT^^^^^^  y^r?-^'  -z/^^""^ 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  493 

The  family  arc  members  of  ihe  Presbyterian  church,  in  which  Mr. 
Harvin  is  an  elder,  and  he  is  also  a  member  of  the  Masonic  order. 
In  1S64,  at  the  age  of  sixteen  he  enlisted  in  the  state  troops  and 
served  during  the  remainder  of  the  war,  having  been  on  duty  at 
Charleston  when  that  city  was  evacuated.  Charles  R.,  Samuel, 
his  father,  and  Ilarvin  the  great-grandfather  of  our  subject,  were  all 
reareci  at  the  fork  of  the  Black  river,  the  latter  having  settled  there 
in  the  seventeenth  century.  Samuel  was  a  soldier  in  the  war  of  1812. 
The  Harvin  saw-mill  is  one  of  the  most  important  industries  in  the 
county,  and  gives  employment  to  a  large  force  of  men.  Its  owners 
are  progressive,  intelligent  business  men,  and  are  held  in  the  highest 
esteem  throughout  the  community  in  which  they  live. 

REV.  DR.  ANTHONY  TOOMER  PORTER. 

The  paternal  grandfather  of  Dr.  Porter  was  John  Porter,  a  native 
of  Massachusetts,  who  settled  in  South  Carolina  in  about  1748,  and 
became  a  planter.  The  maternal  great-grandfather  of  Dr.  Porter 
was  Maj.  Anthony  Toomer,  who  was  a  native  of  one  of  the  eastern 
states.  Maj.  Toomer  was  a  major  of  artillery  in  the  Revolutionary 
war.  At  the  surrender  of  Charleston,  on  May  12,  1780,  he  was  taken 
prisoner  by  the  British,  and  was  confined  in  prisons  both  at  St.  Au- 
gustine, Fla.,  and  Philadelphia,  Penn.  The  father  of  Dr.  Porter  was 
John  Porter,  Jr.,  who  was  born  at  Georgetown,  S.  C,  in  1786.  He 
was  graduated  from  South  Carolina  college,  and  was  afterward  a 
trustee  of  the  same.  He  was  a  lawyer  by  profession,  and  was  also  a 
planter.  He  was  a  prominent  figure  in  his  county,  and  represented  it 
continuously  in  the  state  legislature  from  the  time  he  reached  man- 
hood until  his  death,  in  1829.  His  wife  was  Esther  Ann  Toomer, 
who  was  born  in  Georgetown,  S.  C,  in  1801,  and  was  the  daughter  of 
Anthony  Toomer,  Jr.,  who  was  born  in  Charleston.  Her  death  oc- 
curred in  1887.  There  were  five  children  born  to  the  parents  of  Dr. 
Porter,  of  whom  he  is  the  only  one  surviving.  Dr.  Porter  was  born 
in  Georgetown  S.  C,  on  January  31,  1828.  His  early  education  was 
obtained  at  the  school  of  Dr.  Prior,  in  Georgetown.  In  1843  he  was 
sent  to  Charleston,  and  for  two  years  attended  the  school  of  Chris- 
topher Cotes.  After  a  severe  attack  of  typhoid  fever,  he  attended 
for  two  years,  upon  recommendation  of  his  physician,  the  Mt. 
Zion  academy,  at  Winnsboro,  S.  C,  then  in  charge  of  that  well  known 
and  eminent  educator  J.  W.  Hudson.  At  this  juncture  in  life  he  de- 
cided to  become  a  planter,  having  inherited  two  large  plantations, 
with  some  100  slaves,  and  in  order  to  obtain  a  oractical  business  edu- 
cation, secured  a  position  in  the  counting  house  of  Robertson  & 
Blacklock,  the  largest  rice  factors  of  Charleston  of  that  day,  where 
he  remained  for  four  years  without  salary  or  remuneration  of  any 
kind.  So  valuable  an  assistant  had  he  proved  himself  that  upon  de- 
ciding to  leave  the  firm,  he  was  offered  a  partnership  in  the  business 
if  he  would  convert  his  plantations  into  cash  and  put  it  into  the  busi- 
ness.    But  this  he  declined  to  do,  and  at  the  age  of  twent3'-one  years 


494  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

became  a  planter  in  the  Georgetown  district,  and  continued  as  such 
for  two  3'ears. 

When  thirteen  years  of  age  Dr.  Porter  was  confirmed  by  Bishop 
Gadesden,  of  the  Episcopal  church,  and  became  a  communicant  and 
Sunday-school  teacher.  After  his  two  years  at  planting,  he  became  con- 
vinced that  his  true  sphere  in  life  was  in  the  church,  and  he  became 
a  candidate  for  the  ministry.  On  April  i6,  1854,  he  was  ordained  a 
deacon,  by  Bishop  T.  F.  Davis,  D.  D.,  at  St.  Michael's  church,  in 
Charleston,  and  on  May  15,  1S55,  was  ordained  priest,  by  Bishop 
Davis,  in  Camden,  S.  C.  He  was  first  called  by  the  vestry  of  the 
church  of  the  Holy  Communion,  of  C  harleston,  and  began  his  first 
work  on  January  8,  1854,  a  few  months  before  his  ordination,  in  one 
of  the  upper  rooms  of  the  building  of  the  United  States  arsenal.  He 
found  only  eight  people  present  at  the  first  service,  and  the  vestry  in 
possession  of  only  one  lot.  Situated  on  the  corner  ofCannon  and 
Ashley  streets  was  the  foundation  of  a  small  cruciform  church  build- 
ing. He  at  once  prevailed  upon  the  vestry  to  change  the  plans  of 
the  proposed  building  to  one  twice  its  size,  and  then  raised  money 
himself,  to  complete  the  same,  which  was  consecrated  out  of  debt,  on 
October  26,  1S56.  In  185S,  Dr.  Porter  traveled  in  Europe,  for  about 
seven  months,  and,  returning,  continued  his  church  work  until  the 
late  war.  In  1S58,  upon  the  death  of  Dr.  Gillman,  he  was  chosen 
chaplain  of  the  Washington  light  artillery,  of  Charleston,  of  which 
organization  he  is  still  chaplain.  He  delivered  the  first  sermon  ever 
preached  to  South  Carolina  troops,  during  the  late  war,  at  services 
held  at  Castle  Pinckney,  on  the  Sunday  following  Major  Anderson's 
occupation  of  Fort  Sumter,  his  text  being:  "As  good  soldiers  of  Jesus 
Christ,"  which  sermon  he  preached  twenty-four  years  afterward,  to 
the  same  organization  at  the  Holy  Communion,  without  changing  a 
word  of  the  same.  When  the  two  companies  of  Washington  light 
infantry  joined  Hampton's  legion  of  the  army  of  northern  Virginia, 
Dr.  Porter  accompanied  them  as  chaplain,  and  remained  with  them 
until  the  legion  was  broken  up,  and  then  he  was  elected  chaplain  of 
the  Twenty-fifth  regiment.  Col.  Simonton  commanding,  where  he 
served  until  1864.  He  then  returned  to  Charleston,  at  the  solicita- 
tion of  the  vestry  of  the  Holy  Communion  church,  through  the  bishop, 
to  open  the  church,  as  there  was  at  that  time,  no  Episcopal  church 
open  in  the  city.  He  remained  in  Charleston  until  the  city  was  evacu- 
ated, and  then  went  to  Columbia,  S.  C,  and  joined  his  family. 

In  1877  Dr.  Porter,  at  the  request  of  the  bishop,  took  charge  pf 
St.  Mark's  church,  a  colored  congregation,  in  addition  to  the  church 
of  the  Holy  Communion,  and  for  ten  years  served  as  pastor  of  the 
same  without  pay,  resigning  in  1887,  during  which  time  finishing  the 
church  building.  When  he  took  charge  of  St.  Mark's  as  pastor  he 
found  the  same  in  poor  condition,  but  he  left  the  same  one  of  the 
strongest  colored  parishes  in  the  United  States,  having  350  communi- 
cants. In  1880,  w^hcn  he  moved  into  the  Arsenal,  he  refitted  the  house 
in  which  the  boys  had  lived,  and  founded  the  Carolina  Wilkerson 
Home,  named  after  the  wife  of  the  Bishop  of  Truro,  of  England, 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  495 

which  is  a  home  for  ladies  in  need,  bein^  taken  care  of  by  the  parish 
of  the  church  of  the  Holy  Communion. 

In  1867,  Dr.  Porter  realizing  the  in-gent  need  for  a  school  wherein 
could  be  educated  the  children  of  white  parents  whose  fortunes  had 
been  wrecked  by  the  issues  of  the  war,  set  about  to  establish  such  an 
institution.  An  appeal  was  made  to  the  people  of  the  north,  and 
through  the  instrumentality  of  friends  in  England,  he  was  materially 
aided  by  liberal  contributions  from  both  sections  for  the  consumma- 
tion of  that  laudable  desire.  It  must  be  remembered  that  there  were 
no  public  schools  of  any  character  in  these  days  in  South  Carolina, 
either  under  the  auspices  of  the  state  or  any  of  her  municipalities, 
few  of  the  state  colleges  had  any  state  aid,  so  that  the  child  of  the 
poor  man  got  his  education  as  best  he  could.  Despite  this  fact,  it 
must  be  observed  that  many  of  the  .great  men,  of  whom  the  south 
has  furnished  so  large  a  quota,  came  from  the  middle  and  lower 
walks  of  life.  It  was  the  first  school  at  the  south  to  add  the  manual 
department,  it  having  a  complete  work-shop  where  the  hand  as  well 
as  the  mind  is  trained  to  usefulness  and  cunning.  The  school  is  still 
in  existence,  and  it  is  to  be  hoped  will  continue  as  an  enduring  monu- 
ment to  its  worthy  benefactor.  In  1S66  he  went  north  at  the  request 
of  Bishop  Davis,  and  raised  sufficient  funds  to  carry  on  the  Diocesan 
Theological  seminary  for  three  years,  and  at  the  same  time  and  at 
the  same  request,  collected  funds  sufficient  to  establish  a  school  for 
colored  people  until  the  free  school  system  of  the  state  was  inaug- 
urated. 

In  1S89,  Dr.  Porter's  health  having  failed  from  overwork  and  anx- 
iety, he  went  to  Europe  in  June,  funds  for  the  trip  having  been 
furnished  by  friends.  The  following  October,  when  about  to  return 
home,  he  was  invited  by  Bishop  of  Truro,  of  England,  to  go  to  Egypt 
with  him,  that  gentleman's  health  having  failed  and  he  was  ordered 
to  Egypt  for  recuperation.  English  friends  supplied  necessary  funds 
for  Dr.  Porter  to  accompany  the  English  bishop,  and  in  March,  iSgo, 
when  about  to  return  to  America,  Dr.  Porter  was  met  and  invited  by 
American  friends  to  join  them  in  a  visit  to  the  H0I3'  Land,  which 
kind  invitation  he  accepted,  and  did  not  return  home  until  June,  iSgo. 
During  his  time  Dr.  Porter  has  educated  nearly  2,000  boys,  fully  1,500 
of  whom  would  have  had  no  education  but  for  him.  Fourteen  of  his 
students  have  been  ordained  in  the  Episcopal  church  and  one  in  the 
Presbyterian  church.  He  has  sent  174  boys  to  college,  being  respon- 
sible for  their  expenses  while  in  college.- 

JOHN   McLAREN  McBRYDE 

was  born  at  xAbbeville  C.  H.,  S.  C,  January  i,  1S41,  of  Scottish  parent- 
age. He  began  attendance  at  school  when  five  years  of  age  and  was 
well  fitted  for  college  in  Latin,  Greek  and  mathematics.  He  entered 
South  Carolina  college  in  December,  1858,  at  the  age  of  seventeen 
years.  He  was  one  of  four  youths,  out  of  a  large  number,  to  be  ad- 
mitted into  the  sophomore  class  without  condition.     At  the  rising 


496  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

junior  examination  in  December,  1859,  he  stood  first  in  his  class.  In 
April,  1S60,  he  witlidrew  from  college  on  account  of  ill  health.  In 
October  of  the  same  year  he  entered  the  University  of  Virginia,  but 
early  in  January,  1861,  left  the  university  to  join  Gregg's  First  regi- 
ment of  South  Carolina  volunteers  just  ordered  to  Sullivan's  Island. 
After  the  fall  of  Fort  Sumter  he  volunteered  with  the  greater  part  of 
his  regiment  for  the  service  in  Virginia.  When  the  regiment  was 
re-organized  in  July,  1861,  he  went  into  the  cavalry  service.  In  the 
fall  he  joined  Black's  First  South  Carolina  cavalry  regiment.  In  the 
summer  of  1862  he  contracted  the  coast  fever,  followed  with  hemor- 
rhages and  came  near  dying.  He  was  appointed  to  a  clerkship  in  the 
Confederate  States  treasury  department  in  December,  1862,  and  rose 
to  the  position  of  chief  of  the  division  in  the  war-tax  bureau.  He 
was  charged  with  the  organization  of  his  division  —  a  new  one  for 
the  examination  and  control  of  assessor's  returns  —  one  of  the  most 
important  divisions  in  the  bureau,  employing  a  large  number  of 
clerks.  This  was  a  responsible  position  for  a  young  man  only 
twenty-two  years  of  age,  well  calculated  to  test  the  strength  of  his 
powers  and  the  extent  of  his  mental  resources.  After  the  close  of 
the  war  he  engaged  in  farming  in  Albemarle  county,  near  the 
University  of  Virginia,  devoting  himself  at  the  same  time  to  the 
study  of  botany  and  agricultural  chemistry.  He  was  soon  elected 
president  of  the  Belmont  farmers'  club,  one  of  the  most  famous 
agricultural  clubs  in  Virginia,  embracing  in  its  membership  professors 
of  the  university  of  the  scientific  branch  of  the  faculty,  members  of 
congress,  etc.  In  1876  he  was  elected  a  member  of  the  board  of 
trustees  of  the  agricultural  department  of  the  University  of  Virginia, 
to  succeed  Hon.  Alexander  Rives,  United  States  district  judge  for 
Virginia.  In  1879  he  was  elected  professor  of  agriculture  and  bot- 
any in  the  University  of  Tennesee  at  Knoxville.  During  his  connec- 
tion with  the  university  he  published  three  annual  reports  of  his 
experimental  work,  which  attracted  general  attention  throughout  the 
country. 

In  1882  Mr.  McBryde  was  offered  the  professorship  of  agriculture 
in  South  Carolina  college,  just  re-organized.  The  board  of  trustees 
of  the  university,  to  retain  him,  offered  an  increase  of  salary  amount- 
ing to  $800,  and  passed  very  complimentary  resolutions,  appointing  a 
committee  to  wait  on  him.  But  he  accepted  the  offer  of  the  South 
Carolina  college  and  removed  there  in  18S2.  Dr.  W.  P.  Miles,  hav- 
ing resigned  the  presidency  of  the  college  during  the  summer.  Prof. 
McBryde,  on  September  9,  was  elected  chairman  of  the  faculty,  and 
as  such  was  charged  with  all  the  duties  of  the  president.  He  had 
only  a  few  weeks  to  get  the  college  readj'  for  opening  on  October  i, 
calling  for  great  executive  ability  on  his  part,  but  he  met  the  emer- 
gency and  his  administration  was  satisfactory.  In  May,  1883,  he  was 
elected  president  of  the  college.  In  1884  he  received  the  degree  of 
LL.  D.  from  the  Southwestern  Presbyterian  university,  at  Clarks- 
ville,  Tcnn.  In  1886  he  declined  the  directorship  of  the  Texas  agri- 
cultural experiment  station.     In  18S7,  with  the  increase  of  the  faculty, 


SOUTH    CAROI.IXA.  4Q7 

he  was  elected  president  of  the  University  of  Tennessee,  and  offered 
a  large  increase  of  salary  and  also  power  to  appoint  his  own  faculty. 
The  university  also  conferred  upon  him  the  degree  of  Ph.  D.  His 
own  board  of  trustees  passed  resolutions  in  regard  to  his  retention, 
and  appointed  a  committee  to  wait  on  him,  and  he  determined  to  re- 
main. In  the  fall  of  1887  he  was  offered  the  directorship  of  the 
South  Carolina  experiment  station,  which  the  board  of  trustees  gave 
him  leave  to  accept,  and  relieved  him  of  a  jjart  of  the  duties  devolv- 
ing upon  him  as  the  president  of  the  college.  The  college  was  re- 
organized in  December,  as  a  university,  and  in  January  he  was  elected 
president  of  the  university,  also  director  of  1  letch  agricultural  ex- 
periment station.  In  1S87  he  was  elected  corresponding  member  of 
the  Elisha  Mitchell  scientific  society,  in  i88g,  a  fellow  of  the  Ameri- 
can Geographical  society,  and  in  1890,  a  fellow  of  the  American  Sta- 
tistical association.  President  McBryde  has  published  numerous  re- 
ports and  articles  on  subjects  connected  with  agricultural  science,  and 
delivered  many  addresses  upon  the  same  subject.  "  It  would  be  diffi- 
cult to  be  extravagant  in  the  e.xpression  of  high  estimate  of  President 
McBryde.  He  is  emphatically  a  wise  man — self-possessed,  well  bal- 
anced, practical,  clear  sighted  and  wide  in  the  range  of  his  S3'mpa- 
thies  and  of  his  culture.  A  natural  leader,  he  takes  easy,  unopposed 
and  unirritating  control  of  those  about  him;  and  so  many  practical 
talents  and  accomplishments  are  united  in  him  that  he  is  able  to  di- 
rect with  the  skill  of  a  master  every  work,  from  the  highest  to  the 
lowest  required  by  the  purposes  and  interests  of  the  college." 

PROF.  ROBERT  MEANS  DAVIS 

was  born  in  Fairfield  county,  S.  C,  April  9,  1849.  He  attended  school 
at  Willington,  under  the  instruction  of  Mr.  O.  T.  Porcher.  Then  he 
was  prepared  for  college  at  the  historic  Mount  Zion  institute,  at 
Winnsboro.  He  received  the  baccalaureate  degree  in  1869,  after  a  two 
years'  course  In  the  University  of  South  Carolina.  After  teaching  _a 
while  in  the  Kings  Mountain  Military  school,  he  went  to  California 
and  taught  there,  filling  at  one  time  temporarily  the  chair  of  classics  in 
the  Pacific  Methodist  college.  Returning  to  .South  Carolina  in  187 1, 
he  took  the  law  course  in  the  university  and  after  graduation  opened 
an  office  in  Winnsboro,  where  he  also  conducted  the  News  and  Herald. 
In  1876  he  was  on  the  staff  of  the  lYcws  and  Courier,  of  Charleston, 
which  he  left  and  became  secretary  of  the  democratic  executive 
committee  during  the  exciting  campaign  of  1876.  Removing  to 
Winnsboro  in  1877,  he  resumed  the  editorship  of  the  Neivs  and  Herald, 
and  organized  Alt.  Zion  graded  school,  the  pioneer  of  all  graded 
schools  supported  by  local  taxation  in  the  state,  outside  of  Charleston. 
His  work  here  led  to  his  election  to  the  professorship  of  history  and 
political  science  in  the  South  Carolina  college  (the  name  given  to 
what  had  been  the  university).  Prof.  Davis  has  always  been  a  strong 
advocate  of  public  education.  He  \yas  a  member  of  the  Fairfield 
county  board  of  examiners  for  several  years,  and  afterward  of  the 
A—;  2 


498  SOUTH   CAROLINA. 

state  board  of  examiners,  until  1S90.  In  1S77  Mr.  Davis  married 
Miss  Sallie  LeConte,  daughter  of  Dr.  Joseph  LeConte,  of  the  Uni- 
versity of  California,  a  native  of  Georgia.  They  have  six  children. 
Prof.  Davis  is  a  grandson  of  Dr.  James  Davis  of  Columbia,  and  the 
eldest  of  a  family  of  seven  children  of  Henry  C.  Davis,  a  planter  of 
Fairfield,  and  Isabella,  daughter  of  Rev.  Robert  Means.  Neither 
parent  is  living. 

PROF.   EDMUND    L.    PATTON 

was  born  in  Abbeville  district,  now  county,  Februarj'  15,  1S27.  He 
received  his  early  education  in  Erskine  college  in  Abbeville.  He  com- 
pleted the  junior*  year  and  then  went  to  Columbia  and  entered  the 
same  class  in  the  South  Carolina  college,  graduating  in  December, 
1846.  William  C.  Preston,  formerly  United  States  senator,  was  pres- 
ident of  the  college  at  that  time.  Mr.  Patton  graduated  with  first 
honors  of  his  class.  After  graduating  he  studied  law  for  a  time,  when 
in  1854  he  was  elected  professor  of  Latin  in  Erskine  college,  remain- 
ing in  that  position  until  1859,  when  he  was  elected  president  of  the 
college,  holding  the  office  until  he  resigned  in  1866.  After  this  he 
taught  a  classical  academy  in  Abbeville  county  for  three  years.  In 
1869  he  was  elected  president  of  the  West  Tennessee  college  at  Jack- 
son, Tenn.,  remaining  there  until  1S77,  when  he  was  appointed  pro- 
fessor of  Greek  and  Hebrew  in  the  Erskine  Theological  seminary,  at 
the  same  time  holding  the  professorship  of  Greek  in  the  college.  In 
1882  he  was  elected  professor  of  ancient  languages  in  the  University 
of  South  Carolina.  In  1887  the  chair  was  divided,  and  he  was  made 
professor  of  Greek.  In  184S  Prof.  Patton  attended  Yale  college  for 
one  summer.  He  was  given  the  degree  of  A.  B.  by  the  South  Carolina 
college,  and  LL.  D.  by  the  Erskine  college.  In  1859  Prof.  Patton  was 
married  to  Miss  Mary,  daughter  of  Rev.  Henry  Bryson,  D.  D.,  of 
Lincoln  county,  Tenn.,  and  to  them  were  born  four  children:  Will- 
iam C;  Henry  Cooper,  elected  in  1S90  to  the  legislature;  John  Bry- 
son, naval  cadet,  and  Edmund  L.  Patton.  In  1S62  Mr.  Patton  enlisted 
in  Col.  Foster  Marshall's  regiment  serving  several  months.  His  fath- 
er's name  was  William  Patton,  a  native  of  Abbeville  county,  where 
he  was  a  merchant  and  a  successful  planter.  In  1S83  he  started  for 
Peoria,  111.,  and  was  foully  murdered  and  robbed  by  his  traveling 
companion  while  crossing  the  Cumberland  mountains.  The  murderer 
was  soon  apprehended,  tried,  convicted  and  received  the  sentence  of 
death.  He  was  born  in  1792,  and  was  married  in  1817,  to  Miss  Jane 
Kennedy,  and  to  them  were  born  nine  children,  of  whom  three  sur- 
vive: John  F".  Patton,  of  Jefferson  county,  Ala.;  Edmund  C,  and  Mrs. 
John  B.  Kennedy,  of  Due  W^est,  Abbeville  county.  The  mother  of 
Prof.  Patton  died  September  16,  1844. 

PROF.  BENJAMIN   SLOAN 

was  born  in  Pendleton,  S.  C,  April  15,  1S36,  and  attended  the  Pendle- 
ton academy,  of  which  John  C.  Calhoun  was  president  of  the  board 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  499 

of  trustees.  In  1853  he  went  to  Charleston  and  attended  the  Citadel 
academy,  a  military  school,  where  he  remained  about  eighteen  months. 
After  staying  at  home  about  one  year,  he  went  to  West  Point,  grad- 
uating in  1860.  His  classmates  were  Gen.  Merritt,  Gen.  Morace  Por- 
ter, Gen.  C.  H.  Wilson,  Gen.  John  H.  Wilson,  now  superintendent  of 
West  Point,  and  Gen.  Ramseur.  After  graduating  at  West  Point,  he 
entered  the  Second  regiment  United  States  dragoons  of  the  regular 
army,  and  was  sent  to  New  Mexico,  serving  under  Gen.  Fauntleroy 
and  Gen.  Canby,  until  March,  1S61,  when  he  resigned.  On  returning 
to  his  home  in  Pendleton,  S.  C,  he  was  appointed  first  lieutenant  of 
the  First  regiment  of  Confederate  artillery,  serving  as  such  until  the 
spring  of  1862.  He  was  then  made  adjutant  of  Col.  Orr's  regiment  of 
rifles  and  served  three  months,  when  he  was  assigned  to  the  staff  of 
Gen.  Huger,  serving  there  about  a  year.  Then  he  was  appointed 
major  in  the  ordnance  department,  and  for  three  months  was  inspector 
of  the  Tredegar  Iron  works  at  Richmond,  Va.  He  was  after  this  on 
Gen.  Whiting's  staff,  acting  as  chief  ordnance  officer  of  the  depart- 
ment of  North  Carolina,  remaining  as  such  until  the  capture  of  Fort 
Fisher.  He  then  went  on  Gen.  Bragg's  staff  from  the  time  he  left 
Wilmington  until  Bragg  got  to  Greensborough,  and  then  went  on 
Gen.  J.  E.  Johnston's  staff,  where  he  remained  until  the  fall  of  the 
Confederacy.  After  the  surrender,  Prof.  Sloan  was  appointed  super- 
intendent of  the  Columbia  &  Greenville  railroad,  which  position  he 
held  until  186S,  when  he  went  on  a  farm  for  a  while.  In  1874  he  was 
appointed  professor  in  Adger  college,  in  Walhalla,  S.  C,  remaining 
there  until  1877,  when  he  was  appointed  professor  of  mathematics  in 
South  Carolina  university.  In  18S7,  he  accepted  the  professorship  of 
physics  and  civil  engineering  and  dean  of  the  college  of  agriculture 
and  mechanic  arts.  He  was  married  in  1S62  to  Miss  Anna,  daughter 
of  Capt.  John  H.  Maxwell,  of  Pendleton,  S.  C.  She  died  in  1876, 
leaving  one  daughter,  Anna,  wife  of  J.  B.  Beverly,  of  P"auquier  county, 
Va.  The  father  of  Prof.  Sloan  was  Thomas  M.  Sloan,  a  native  of 
South  Carolina,  who  died  in  1850,  aged  about  fifty  years.  He  was 
married  in  1820  to  Miss  Nancy  Blassinghame. 

DR.  JOHN  L.  GIRARDEAU. 

Dr.  John  L.  Girardeau  was  born  on  James  Island,  St.  Andrew's 
parish,  Charleston  county,  S.  C,  November  14,  1825,  and  received  his 
early  education  at  the  College  of  Charleston,  graduating  with  the 
first  honor,  in  1844,  at  eighteen  years  of  age.  Subsequently  he  at- 
tended the  Presbyterian  theological  seminary  at  Columbia,  and  fin- 
ished the  course  at  that  institution  in  1848.  He  soon  afterward 
entered  upon  the  profession  for  which  he  had  been  preparing  him- 
self, preaching  first  in  Christ  Church  parish,  at  Wappetaw,  S.  C.  He 
was  stationed  there  but  a  short  time,  however,  and  was  next  located 
at  Wilton  church  in  St.  Paul's  parish,  Colleton  county.  Here  he  was 
ordained  and  installed  a  full  pastor,  in  1850.  After  three  years'  labor 
in  this  relation,  he  was  removed  to  Charleston,  where  he  performed 


500  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

missionary  work  among  the  colored  people.     He  began  this  work  in 
1854  and  continued  at  the  same  until  the  outbreak  of  the  late  war, 
when  he  became  chaplain  of  the  Twenty-third   regiment  of  South 
Carolina  volunteers.     He  remained  with  that  regiment,  in  this  capaci- 
ty, until  he  was  captured  at  Sailor's  Creek,  Va.,  April  6,  1865.     He 
was  held  as  prisoner  on  Johnson's  Island  for  about  three  months,  and 
after  his  release  returned  to  Charleston  where  he  resumed  the  labors 
of  his  chosen  profession  as  pastor  of  the  Zion   Presbyterian  church, 
Glebe  street.     He  was  located  there  until  1S76,  when  he  was  appointed 
to  the  chair  of  systematic  theology,  at  Columbia,  and  went  there  to 
fill  that   position.     Since  that  time  he  has  most  acceptabl}'  occupied 
the  same  high  position.     In   1865  our  subject  was  honored  by  being 
tendered  the  degree  of  D.D.,  by  the  Oglethorpe  university,  of  Georgia, 
and  subsequently  of  LL.  D.,  by  the  Southwestern  Presbyterian  uni- 
versity.    His  abilit}'  and  partial  proof  of  this  honor  are  exhibited  in 
the  fact  that  he  is  the  author  of  three  ably  written  theological  works, 
published  in  18SS,  1890  and  1S91.     Dr.  Girardeau  was  married  in  1849, 
to  a  daughter  of  Thomas  Hamlin,  planter,  of  Christ  Church  parish, 
S.  C.    His  father,  John  Bohun  Girardeau,  was  born  in  Colleton  county, 
S.  C,  in  1798.     He  was  a  planter  in  the  low  country,  during  the  whole 
of  his  life,  dying  in  1852.     He  was  married  in  1824  to  Claudia  H.  Freer, 
daughter  of  Edward  Freer,  of  Charleston  county,  and  to  them  were 
born  six  children,  of  whom  two  only  survive,  our  subject  being  the 
eldest  dhild.     Dr.  Girardeau's  grandfather  was  John  Girardeau;  born 
in  Liberty  county,  Ga.,  in  1756,  but  who,  in  early  manhood,  moved  to 
South  Carolina.     Like  his  son,  after  him,  he  was  a  planter.     He  dis- 
tinguished himself  hy  serving  in  the  Revolutionary  war,  and  died  in 
1837.     The  father  of  the  last  named  was  Isaac  Girardeau,  a  native 
born  American,  but  of  French  descent,  his  ancestor,  Pierre  Girardeau, 
being  a  resident  of  Talmont,  province  of  Poitou,  France.    John,  a  son 
of  the  last  named,  was  among  the  Huguenots  who  fled  to  America, 
upon  the  revocation  of  the  edict  of  Nantes,  in  1685.     Among  our  sub- 
ject's classmates,  during  his  collegiate  course,  and  who  afterward  be- 
came distinguished  men,  were  Rev.  W.  T.  Capers,  C.  P.  Bolles,  of  the 
United  States  coast  survey;    Dr.  W.  B.  Corl3ett,  Judge  J.  Randolph 
Burns  and  T.  S.  Marion,  a  descendant  of  Gen.  Francis  Marion,  of 
Revolutionary  fame. 

REV.  LEWIS  M.  DUNTON,  A.  M.,  D.  D., 

was  born  in  Martinsburg,  N.  Y.,  on  September  22,  1S48.  He  was  the 
son  of  Lorenzo  M.  Dunton  and  grandson  of  Samuel  Dunton,  one  o 
the  earliest  settlers  in  this  section  of  the  state.  Milo  M.  Dunton, 
M.  D.,  of  New  York  city,  is  an  only  brother.  The  family  is  of  Scotch 
and  French  descent,  and  claims  a  noble  ancestry.  The  subject  of 
this  sketch  spent  his  early  years  upon  his  father's  farm,  in  his  store 
and  in  his  factory.  He  received  a  liberal  education  in  Cazenovia  and 
P'alley  seminaries  and  the  Syracuse  university.  His  university  course, 
however,  was  cut  short  on  account  of    failing   health,  and   he  was 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  5OI 

obliged  to  seek  rest  and  recuperation  in  a  milder  climate.  In  [anu- 
ary,  1873,  ^ipp^irently  in  the  latter  stages  of  the  consumption,  he  turned 
his  face  toward  South  Carolina.  His  health  began  to  improve,  and 
becoming  interested  in  the  education  of  the  freedmen,  he  decided 
that  if  the  Lord  would  restore  his  health  that'  he  would  spend  his 
years  in  this  service.  In  the  fall  of  the  same  year  he  married  Miss 
Mary  E.  Phelphs,  of  his  native  town,  and  returned  south  and  began 
what  has  proven  to  be  their  life  work.  In  the  early  part  of  1874,  he 
joined  the  South  Carolina  conference  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church,  and  was  stationed  by  Bishop  Gilbert  Haven,  at  Greenville, 
S.  C.  Here  he  found  a  large  and  prosperous  church,  and  after  a  few 
months  assumed  the  general  management  of  the  public  schools  for 
colored  children.  At  the  end  of  three  years  the  enrollment  in  the 
schools  exceeded  five  hundred.  His  next  pastorate  was  at  Centenary 
church,  Charleston.  The  society  numbered  over  2,000,  and  was  prob- 
ably the  largest  church  in  Methodism.  At  the  expiration  of  three 
years  he  was  returned  to  Greenville  where  he  labored  one  year  more 
very  successfully,  and  then  was  appointed  presiding  elder  of  the 
Greenville  district.  He  filled  this  office  acceptably  for  three  years, 
and  then  was  unanimously  elected  vice-president  of  the  Claflin  uni- 
versity. State  Agricultural  college  and  Mechanic's  institute.  He  en- 
tered upon  his  duties  at  the  university  in  October,  1883,  and  in  the 
following  January,  on  account  of  the  protracted  ill-health  of  the  pres- 
ident he  assumed  the  practical  management  of  the  school.  At  the 
annual  meeting  of  the  board  of  trustees,  it  was  decided  that  as  the 
president  would  not  be  able  in  all  probability  to  conduct  the  affairs 
of  the  university  longer,  his  resignation  was  accepted  and  the  vice- 
president  was  elected  president,  which  office  he  fills  at  the  present 
time.  Mrs.  Dunton  was  elected  preceptress  and  professor  of  English 
literature,  which  position  she  now  holds. 

The  Claflin  university  was  founded  in  iS69bythe  Hon.  Lee  Claflin, 
of  Boston.  In  1872  the  state  located  one  department  of  the  Agricul- 
tural college  and  Mechanics'  institute  at  Orangeburg,  as  a  co-ordinate 
department  of  the  university.  The  state  of  South  Carolina,  the 
Freedmen's  aid  and  Southern  Education  society,  the  trustees  of  the 
John  F.  Slater  fund  and  the  Peabody  fund,  foster  the  institution. 
The  university  has  now  grown  to  be  the  largest  and  one  of  the  best 
of  its  kind  in  the  south.  The  literary  courses  of  study  extend  through 
thirteen  years.  Music  and  art  are  taught.  Twenty  trades,  such  as 
carpentry,  masonry,  house  painting,  blacksmithing,  cooking,  sewing 
laundrying,  etc.,  are  taught.  The  greatest  present  need  of  the  insti- 
tution is  an  endowment  fund  to  meet  current  expenses.  Dr.  Dunton 
has  succeeded  not  only  in  building  up  a  large  and  prosperous  school, 
but  has  received  commendation  as  a  good  financier,  a  judicious  man- 
ager, a  capable  minister  and  a  progressive  teacher.  Dr.  and  Mrs. 
Dunton  have  traveled  extensively  in  the  United  States  and  Europe, 
and  in  this  way  as  well  as  others,  have  sought  to  prepare  themselves 
more  fully  for  their  life  work. 


502  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 


PROFESSOR  WILLIAM   MILLER  McCASLAN, 

president  of  the  Laurensville  Female  College,  was  born  on  a  farm  in 
Abbeville  count}^  S.- C,  March  19,  1S38.  He  is  the  son  of  William 
McCaslan,  also  a  native  of  Abbeville,  born  in  May  1807,  and  a  farmer 
by  occupation.  He  died  in  1887.  He  was  the  son  of  Robert  Mc- 
Caslan, a  native  of  county  Antrim,  Ireland,  of  Presbyterian  faith. 
He  emigrated  to  America  in  the  latter  part  of  the  eighteenth  century, 
and  settled  in  Abbeville  county.  He  was  accompanied  to  this  coun- 
try by  a  brother  who  located  in  the  northwest,  and  who  now  has  a 
large  line  of  descendants  in  that  section,  some  of  whom  are  clergy- 
men of  Presbyterian  sect.  The  wife  of  William  McCaslan,  mother 
of  William  M.,  was  Sarah  E.  Scott,  a  native  of  Abbeville  county,  born 
in  June,  1813,  and  a  daughter  of  Major  William  Scott  who  gained  his 
military  rank  in  the  Revolutionary  war.  Maj.  Scott  was  born  in 
Carabas  county,  N.  C.  He  was  a  son  of  John  Scott,  a  native  of  Scot- 
land, who  upon  emigrating  to  America  located  in  North  Carolina. 
William  Scott,  the  maternal  grandfather  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch, 
served  as  major  in  the  Revolutionary  war  and  at  the  close  of  the  war, 
was  presented  by  Col.  William  Washington,  with  the  sword  with 
which  the  latter  had  cut  off  the  fingers  of  the  British  Col.  Tarleton. 
This  sword  is  still  in  the  possession  of  the  family  and  is  a  highly 
prized  relic.  The  mother  of  Prof.  McCaslan  is  still  living,  being  now 
a  venerable  lady  of  about  eighty  years,  in  the  full  possession  of  all  her 
faculties,  and  in  the  enjoyment  of  sound  health.  She  resides  with 
her  son.  Prof.  McCaslan.  He  was  reared  on  the  old  homestead  in 
Abbeville  county,  receiving  his  early  education  in  the  country  schools. 
At  eighteen  years  of  age  he  entered  Erskine  college  from  which  he 
graduated  with  the  degree  of  A.  B.  in  1857.  He  at  once  took  up  the 
vocation  of  a  teacher  which  he  has  ever  since  followed.  He  began 
his  profession  as  a  teacher  at  a  place  called  Dorn  Gold  Mines,  now 
known  as  McCormick.  He  taught  that  school  with  two  assistants 
until  September,  1S61,  when  he  resigned  his  position  to  enter  the 
army.  The  school  under  his  tutelage  was  very  successful  and  his 
position  was  a  lucrative  one.  In  September,  1861,  he  entered  Com- 
pany K,  of  the  Fifteenth  South  Carolina  regiment  of  volunteers  as  a 
private  and  served  to  the  close  of  the  war,  coming  out  of  the  service 
first  lieutenant.  He  was  in  the  battles  of  Second  Manassas,  Sharps- 
burg,  Fredericksburg,  Chancellorsville,  Gettysburg  and  South  Moun- 
tain, in  the  last  of  which  he  was  slightly  wounded.  He  was  also  in 
other  less  noted  engagements.  At  the  close  of  the  war  he  resumed 
his  profession  but  after  teaching  a  term,  he  turned  his  attention  to 
agricultural  pursuits  which  for  several  years  he  followed,  then  again 
resuming  teaching.  After  teaching  in  the  vicinity  of  his  old  home 
two  years,  in  1880,  he  took  charge  of  the  Piedmont  Institute  at 
Pickens  C.  H.,  which  position  he  held  for  seven  years.  In  1887  he 
resigned  the   position  to  accept  the  presidency  of  the   Laurensville 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  5O3 

female  college.  This  position  he  has  filled  with  signal  ability.  I  lis 
political  faith  is  democratic.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  lodge 
and  of  the  Presbyterian  church,  in  which,  for  twenty-five  years  he 
held  the  position  of  elder.  He  is  a  member  of  the  state  teachers' 
association  and  of  the  industrial  teachers'  association.  Prof.  Mc- 
Caslan  was  married  in  1865,  to  MissSeptima  L.,  daughter  of  Johathan 
Jordan  of  Abbeville.  They  have  five  children  living,  all  of  whom  are 
daughters.  The  degree  of  A.  M.  has  been  conferred  upon  Prof.  Mc- 
Caslan  bj'  his  alma  mater. 

J.  W.  KENNEDY. 

Prof.  Joseph  Whitner  Kennedy,  A.  M-,  deceased,  who  was  presi- 
dent of  the  Presbyterian  college  of  South  Carolina,  at  Clinton,  and 
was  one  of  the  rising  young  educators  who  had  attracted  puljlic  atten- 
tion, was  born  in  Anderson  county,  S.  C,  June  6,  1854.  He  was  the 
son  of  Rev.  John  Leiand  Kennedy,  A.  M.,  a  native  of  Laurens  county, 
born  December  12,  1801,  who  graduated  from  the  South  Carolina  col- 
lege in  1824,  after  which  he  entered  the  Presbyterian  ministry 
in  which  he  labored  until  his  death,  in  1877.  For  forty-nine  years 
he  was  also  engaged  as  an  educator,  being  for  a  long  time  principal 
of  the  Thalian  academy,  of  Anderson  county,  and  once  professor  of 
ancient  languages  in  Oglethorpe  university.  He  was  the  son  of  Rev. 
John  B.  Kennedy,  also  a  Presbyterian  divine,  who  was  a  native  of 
Ireland,  and  of  Scotch-Irish  descent.  Rev.  John  B.  Kennedy  came 
to  America  in  his  boyhood,  with  his  parents,  and  settled  with  them  in 
Laurens  county.  The  celebrated  Ann  Kennedy,  of  Revolutionary 
fame,  in  Spartanburg  county,  was  a  cousin  of  Rev.  John  L.  Kennedy, 
the  father  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch.  The  maiden  name  of  the 
mother  of  Prof.  Joseph  W.  Kennedy  was  Jane  Harvey  Chamblin,  a 
native  of  Spartanburg  county.  She  died  in  1858.  She,  too,  was  of 
Scotch-Irish  descent.  Prof.  Joseph  W.  Kennedy  was  reared  to  man- 
hood in  Anderson  county,  most  of  the  time  at  Williamston.  He  re- 
ceived a  classical  education,  and  the  degree  of  A.  M.  was  conferred 
upon  him  by  the  Presbyterian  college,  of  which  he  afterward  became 
president.  He  took  up  teaching  when  quite  young,  acting  as  the  as- 
sistant of  his  father  in  school  work,  and  from  that  time  devoted 
himself  to  the  profession,  and  soon  gained  high  rank  as  an  educator. 
His  labors  in  this  profession  were  wholly  confined  to  his  native  state. 
He  was  for  five  years  principal  of  the  academy  at  Fair  View,  Green- 
ville county,  and  for  five  years  principal  of  the  academy  at  Greer's, 
Greenville  county.  For  two  years  he  held  the  office  of  county  super- 
intendent of  schools  in  Greenville  county.  In  1887  he  was  elected 
principal  of  the  preparatory  department  of  the  Presbyterian  college, 
at  Clinton,  and  professor  of  English  literature  in  the  collegiate  de- 
partment. During  the  first  session  after  he  entered  upon  those  posi- 
tions, which  he  filled  with  signal  ability,  and  to  the  great  satisfaction 
of  the  patrons  of  the  college,  he  was  elected  president,  and  held 
that  position  until  his  death.     He  was  a  member  of  the  State  Teach- 


504  SOUTH   CAROLINA. 

ers'  association.  In  politics,  President  Kennedy  was  identified  with 
the  democratic  party.  He  was  married  August  i,  1878,  to  Miss  Penel- 
ope, daughter  of  N.  C.  McDuffie,  formerly  of  Marion,  S.  C,  and  be- 
came the  father  of  four  children,  two  sons  and  two  daughters.  Prof. 
Kennedy  devoted  his  whole  attention  to  his  collegiate  duties,  and  the 
college  under  his  presidency  proved  a  prosperous  and  progressive  in- 
stitution. Besides  his  literary  attainments  he  possessed  a  good 
knowledge  of  the  law,  having  been  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1883.  Edu- 
cational work,  however,  was  more  congenial  to  his  taste  than  the  prac- 
tice of  law,  and  to  the  fulfillment  of  that  preference,  he  yielded  his 
life  work.  Prof.  Kennedy  died  on  February  22,  1891.  He  was  pre- 
pared for  South  Carolina  college,  but  never  entered,  as  that  institu- 
tion was  then  under  radical  rule,  together  with  the  other  state 
institutions,  and  he  declined  to  enter  on  that  account. 

SAMUEL  B.  JONES 

was  born  in  Charleston,  S.  C,  December  29,  1828.  He  acquired  the 
rudiments  of  his  education  in  his  native  city,  and  afterward  attended 
Citadel  academy,  in  the  same  city,  graduating  in  1847.  Out  of  a  class 
of  sixty,  with  whom  Mr.  Jones  entered,  but  four  survived  the  rigid 
examination  and  graduated.  Their  names  were:  Johnson  Hagood, 
ex-governor  of  South  Carolina;  L.  E.  Herriot,  a  prominent  civil  en- 
gineer; S.  B.  Jones,  and  John  P.  Sothern,  deceased,  formerly  a  banker 
in  Columbia.  Leaving  the  college,  Mr.  Jones  began  his  business  life 
as  a  civil  engineer  on  the  Greenville  &  Columbia  railroad,  vvhich  po- 
sition he  occupied  about  three  years.  He  was  then  elected  president 
of  the  Anderson  Female  college.  His  presidency  continued  up  to 
1S54,  when  he  joined  the  South  Carolina  Conference  of  the  Metho- 
dist Episcopal  church,  south.  He  then  preached  on  circuits,  stations 
and  districts  for  about  thirty-five  years,  serving  during  that  time  as 
president  of  the  Spartanburg  Female  college.  He  is  now  president 
of  the  Columbia  Female  college,  succeeding  Dr.  O.  A.  Darby  in  that 
ofifice.  The  degree  of  D.  D.  was  conferred  upon  President  Jones  in 
1874,  by  Wofford  college,  in  Spartanburg.  He  served  two  terms  in 
the  state  legislature,  representing  Abbeville  county,  in  1862-65. 
Since  1877  he  has  been  one  of  the  board  of  visitors  of  the  State 
IMilitary  academy,  at  Charleston,  which  board  has  absolute  control  of 
the  affairs  of  that  institution.  He  has  at  four  different  times  been  a 
delegate  to  the  general  conference  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church, 'south.  President  Jones  has  been  twice  married;  first  in  1848, 
to  Emma,  daughter  of  Bishop  William  Capers,  of  Charleston,  by 
whom  he  had  four  children,  only  one  of  whom  survives,  namely, 
Elizabeth,  wife  of  Dr.  A.  N.  Talley.  Mr.  Jones'  first  wife  died  in 
1855,  ^"'1  he  was  married  again  in  1856,  to  Charlotte  E.,  daughter  of 
John  Power,  of  Aljbeville.  They  have  had  seven  children,  of  whom 
five  are  still  living,  namely:  Mrs.  John  E.  Carlisle,  of  Spartanburg; 
William  M.  Jones,  editor  of  the  Spartanburg  Herald;  Mrs.  George  W. 
Nichols,  of  Spartanburg;  Samuel  B.  Jones,  Jr.,  and  Lottie  Lee  Jones. 


SOUTH   CAROLINA.  505 

Mr.  Jones'  father  was  Thomas  Legare  Jones,  Ijorn  in  Charleston,  in 
iSoo.  He  was  a  lawyer,  and  in  1S27  married  Emeline'  Fishburne, 
daughter  of  Richard  iMshburne,  of  Colleton  county,  S.  C.  They  had 
but  one  child,  the  subject  of  this  sketch.  The  grandfather  of  Mr. 
Jones  was  Samuel  B.  Jones.  He  was  cashier  of  the  .State  bank,  at 
Charleston,  for  a  number  of  years.  The  great-grandfather  of  Mr. 
Jones  was  Thomas  Jones,  a  native  of  South  Carolina,  and  a  wealthy 
planter  before  the  Revolutionary  war.  His  maternal  ancestors  were 
the  I^ostells,  of  Colleton  county. 


REV.  WILLIAM  R.  ATKINSON,  D.  D., 

was  born  in  Georgetown,  S.  C,  April  25,  1841,  and  was  educated  at 
St.  James  college,  Maryland.  On  leaving  that  institution  he  returned 
to  Columbia,  S.  C,  where  he  entered  South  Carolina  college,  gradu- 
ating from  there  in  the  class  of  1S61.  He  had  as  classmates  Dr. 
McBryde,  now  president  of  the  university  from  which  he  graduated; 
Rt.  Rev.  R.  B.  Elliott,  late  bishop  of  Texas,  and  numerous  others 
who  afterward  gave  up  their  lives  in  the  Civil  war  of  the  states.  Im- 
mediately after  graduation  he  enlisted  in  the  Confederate  army  in 
the  Richland  volunteer  rifle  company,  as  a  private.  In  that  com- 
pany also  was  Gen.  R.  N.  Richburg,  of  Columbia,  a  candidate  In 
iSqo  for  adjutant  and  inspector-general  on  the  "straight-out"  ticket. 
Dr.  Atkinson  served  through  the  war  and  at  the  time  of  the  sur- 
render of  Johnston's  arm}'  held  a  commission  in  the  regular  Confed- 
erate army  as  ordnance  officer.  After  the  war  he  taught  school  at 
Abbeville,  S.  C.  During  this  time  he  prepared  for  the  South  Caro- 
lina university  Prof.  R.  M.  Davis,  now  professor  of  history  and  politi- 
cal economy  in  that  institution,  and  other  students,  for  the  higher 
courses  of  study.  In  1S67  he  entered  the  Presbyterian  Theological 
seminary,  from  which  he  graduated  in  i86q.  Upon  leaving  the  sem- 
inary he  entered  the  University  of  V^irginia  for  a  post-graduate  course 
in  mental,  moral  and  the  natural  sciences.  In  1871  he  was  called  to 
the  pastorate  of  the  Presbyterian  church  in  Smithville,  Va.,  where  he 
remained  five  years.  He  then  accepted  a  position  as  teacher  in  the 
Peace  institute  for  young  ladies  in  Raleigh,  N.  C,  where  he  remained 
three  years.  Then  he  accepted  the  presidency  of  the  Charlotte,  N.  C, 
Female  institute,  which  position  he  held  for  twelve  years,  raising  the 
institute  from  an  impoverished  and  depressed  condition  to  that  of  the 
most  prosperous  and  successful  it  had  ever  enjoyed.  In  iSgo  he 
accepted  the  presidency  of  the  South  Carolina  College  for  Women, 
at  Columbia,  S.  C,  which  position  he  still  holds.  In  June,  iSgo,  the 
South  Carolina  university,  his  alma  mater,  conferred  upon  him  the 
degree  of  doctor  of  divinity.  President  Atkinson  was  married  at 
Smithville,  Va.,  in  1872,  to  Miss  Lucy  Hannah,  the  daughter  of* 
George  C.  Hannah,  Esq.,  of  Charlotte  county,  Va.  Dr.  Atkinson's 
father  was  William  R.  Atkinson,  born  in  Georgetown,  S.  C,  in  1815. 
He  was  a  lawyer  by  profession  and  died   in  Columbia,  at  the  age  of 


506  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

twenty-five,  leaving  two  children,  of  whom  the  subject  of  this  sketch 
is  the  sole  survivor. 

STILES  RIVERS  MELLICHAMP, 

son  of  St.  Lo  ]\Iellichamp,  and  Margaret  Lorimore,  was  born  or. 
James  Island,  near  Charleston,  S.  C,  on  the  nth  of  February,  1841. 
He  belongs  to  an  old  Huguenot  family,  well  known  in  South  Caro- 
lina. His  grandfather  took  an  active  part  in  the  Revolutionary  war 
and  his  father  in  the  war  of  181 2.  On  the  8th  of  February, 
1S66,  he  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Sarah  Carolina  Miller, 
daughter  of  John  D.  Miller,  of  Charleston.  At  the  age  of  twelve,  he 
entered  the  high  school,  of  Charleston,  where,  under  such  excellent 
teachers  as  Henry  Laurens,  Charles  B.  Cochran,  J.  T.  Lee,  and  H. 
M.  Bruns,  he  was  prepared  for  the  college  of  Charleston,  at  which  in- 
stitution he  graduated  in  1861,  under  the  presidency  of  the  venerable 
Dr.  N.  R.  Middleton.  An  incident  of  the  graduation,  showing  the 
patriotic  spirit  of  the  times,  was,  that  all  the  young  men  of  the  class, 
left  their  studies,  a  month  or  two  before  the  end  of  the  course  to  go 
into  the  army,  but  were  generously  recalled,  by  a  resolution  of  the 
faculty,  in  consideration  of  the  extraordinary  circumstances,  to  re- 
ceive their  diplomas.  This  they  did,  and  immediately  rejoined  their 
respective  regiments  in  the  field.  At  this  time,  Mr.  i\lellichamp  was 
with  the  troops,  on  Sullivan's  Island,  that  were  stationed  there  for 
the  protection  of  Fort  Moultrie,  during  the  memorable  battle  of 
Fort  Sumter.  After  the  surrender  of  the  fort,  he  continued  with  his 
regiment,  in  various  places  on  the  coast,  until  he  was  elected  teacher 
of  the  Marine  .School  of  Charleston.  Here  he  devoted  himself  as- 
siduously to  the  training  of  the  young  sailors,  until,  impelled  by  love 
for  his  state,  he  sent  in  his  resignation,  in  order  to  rejoin  his  com- 
rades in  arms.  The  trustees  showed  their  appreciation,  by  refusing 
to  accept  his  resignation,  and  filled  his  place  temporarily,  until  his 
return  from  the  army.  He  then  followed  the  flag  of  the  Confederacy, 
as  a  private  in  the  ranks,  until  called  into  the  service  of  the  engineer 
corps.  In  this  capacity,  he  laid  out  many  of  the  batteries  around 
Savannah  and  Macon,  Ga.,  and  was  detached,  in  the  latter  part 
of  the  war,  along  with  four  other  engineers,  to  make  maps  of  the 
country,  lying  between  the  two  armies,  especially  in  the  northern  part 
of  Alabama. 

After  the  war,  finding  that  the  marine  school  was  broken  up,  Mr. 
Mellichamp  accepted  a  position  as  teacher  in  Orangeburg  county, 
S.  C.  In  1871  he  moved  to  the  city  of  Orangeburg,  where  he  estab- 
lished a  school  of  his  own,  the  reputation  of  which  has  extended  far 
beyond  its  immediate  surroundings.  In  this  high  school  for  nineteen 
years  he  prepared  boys  and  girls  for  college  and  for  the  practical 
duties  of  life,  drawing  students  from  many  counties  of  the  state,  and 
sometimes  from  other  states.  In  1878  he  purchased  the  Orangeburg 
Times,  which  a  few  years  later  was  consolidated  with  the  Democrat, 
under  the  name  of  the  Orangeburg  Times  and  Democrat.     He  thus 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  507 

continued  in  editorial  work  about  seven  years,  until  increasing  school 
duties  compelled  him  to  retire,  against  the  wishes  of  his  partner.  In 
1880  he  was  elected  school  commissioner  of  Orangeburg  county,  to 
which  office  he  was  re-elected  by  handsome  majorities  for  four  suc- 
cessive terms,  holding  the  office  eight  years  in  all.  During  his  term 
he  greatly  improved  the  schools  of  his  county,  and  by  his  financial 
management  placed  the  system  on  a  cash  basis,  the  beneficial  effects 
of  which  are  still  being  enjoyed.  In  1888  he  published  the  Melli- 
champ  School  Journal,  in  the  interest  of  his  school  and  the  teachers  of 
his  county.  In  1889  he  started  the  Carolina  School  Journal,  a  monthly, 
which  was  made  the  official  organ  of  the  State  Teachers'  association. 
It  was  well  received  and  patronized  by  the  best  teachers  of  the  state, 
but  was  discontinued  for  want  of  proper  financial  support.  In  1890 
the  citizens  of  Orangeburg,  in  the  spirit  of  progress  and  improve- 
ment, determined  to  adopt  the  graded  school  system.  The  result  of 
this  movement  was  the  consolidation  of  the  schools.  In  this  way  the 
Mellichamp  high  school,  which  had  been  in  prosperous  existence  for 
over  nineteen  years,  was  merged  into  the  Orangeburg  graded  school, 
in  which  Mr.  Mellichamp,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  is  now  the  prin- 
cipal of  the  female  department.  This  school  has  not  long  been  es- 
tablished, but  is  already  the  pride  of  the  city,  and  gives  every  prom- 
ise of  future  usefulness. 

It  will  thus  be  seen  that  Mr.  Mellichamp  has  made  teaching  his 
life  work,  in  which  he  has  attained  a  degree  of  success  which  is  not 
the  portion  of  all  who  enter  this  noble  profession. 

HON.  PAUL  AGALUS   McMICHAEL. 

Among  South  Carolina's  bravest  and  most  honored  sons  may  be 
found  the  name  of  the  Hon.  Paul  Agalus  McMichael,  soldier,  states- 
man and  scholar.  He  was  born  in  the  month  of  March,  1S20, 
being  the  eleventh  of  fourteen  children  born  to  Jacob  McMichael. 
He  was  of  Scotch  descent,  the  founders  of  the  American  branch  of 
the  family  having  come  to  this  country  in  colonial  days.  The  two 
brothers  who  came  from  Scotland  settled  in  Carolina  and  that  state 
has  since  been  the  home  of  their  descendants.  Mr.  McMichael  was 
educated  in  the  schools  of  Orangeburg  county,  where  he  was  born, 
and  most  of  his  schooling  was  obtained  under  the  tutelage  of  a  _Mr. 
Sheldon,  who  was  a  prominent  educator  of  Orangeburg  at  that  time. 
At  the  early  age  of  fifteen  the  boy  began  teaching,  and  he  was  suc- 
cessfully engaged  in  that  calling  for  about  ten  years.  When  twenty- 
four  years  old  he  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Margaret  Tyler, 
daughter  of  the  Hon.  Elisha  Tyler,  who  was  for  some  time  a  mem- 
ber of  the  South  Carolina  legislature.  Of  the  eight  children  born  to 
them  five  died  in  infancy.  The  three  still  surviving  are  Cornelia  E., 
(Mrs.  Connor,)  Mary  A.,  and  Thomas  M.  McMichael,  all  of  whom 
are  residents  of  Orangeburg  county.  At  that  time  military  service 
was  enjoined  on  all  by  law  and  Mr.  McMichael  took  up  the  study  of 
military  science  and  his  proficiency  therein  soon  brought  him   into 


508  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

prominence.  Before  the  Civil  war  he  served  as  adjutant  of  militia; 
and  at  about  that  period  was  tax  collector  (county  treasurer).  His 
services  in  the  latter  office  were  such  as  to  prove  him  a  man  of 
affairs,  and  of  great  ability.  When  the  war  broke  out  he  organized 
a  company  and  entered  the  service  as  a  captain  of  volunteers.  Here 
his  knowledge  of  military  science  rapidly  brought  him  to  notice  as  a 
member  of  the  Twentieth  South  Carolina  volunteer  regiment.  Dur- 
ing the  first  three  years  of  the  war  his  command  was  stationed  as  a 
guard  to  the  city  of  Charleston.  History  shows  how  gallantly  they 
discharged  their  duties  as  defenders.  In  1864  Capt.  McMichael  was 
promoted  to  the  rank  of  colonel  and  was  sent  to  Virginia  in  com- 
mand of  the  Twentieth  regiment.  Arriving  at  his  post  of  duty  in 
an  enfeebled  condition  he  was  sent  to  the  hospital,  which  he  left  with 
his  characteristic  energy  before  fully  recovered  to  resume  his  com- 
mand. He  led  his  regiment  at  the  battle  of  Cedar  Creek,  and  in  thai 
ill-fated  engagement  was  taken  prisoner  and  sent  to  Fort  Delaware, 
where  he  was  confined  for  several  months  after  the  declaration  of 
peace.  In  August,  1S65,  he  reached  his  home  shattered  in  health  and 
fortune.  After  rallying  from  a  serious  attack  of  typhoid  fever  he 
bravely  went  to  work  to  repair  his  fortunes.  His  eminent  qualifica- 
tions soon  called  him  back  to  public  life  and  he  was  appointed  ordi- 
nary (probate  judge)  of  Orangeburg  county,  in  1S66,  which  of^ce  he 
filled  for  about  two  years.  In  186S  he  was  nominated  for  the  state 
senate  by  the  democratic  party,  but  was  defeated  by  a  negro  candi- 
date, the  election  having  been  decided  by  the  color  line  and  not  on 
the  merits  of  the  candidates.  In  such  defeat  he  found  honor. 
.Shortly  after  this  he  began  to  feel  the  first  pangs  of  the  dread 
paralysis  which  terminated  his  life  January  13,  1869.  He  met  death, 
against  which  he  had  fought  so  often  and  well,  as  he  had  duty,  fear- 
lesslj' and  unflinchingly,  and  passed  away  in  the  steadfast  hope  of  a 
final  resurrection  of  the  just.  During  the  greater  part  of  his  life  he 
was  a  devoted  member  of  the  Baptist  church,  and  held  many  import- 
ant positions  as  layman,  being  for  a  number  of  years  clerk  of  the 
Edisto  Baptist  association.  Hospitable  to  the  extreme,  his  home 
was  ever  open  to  friend  and  stranger  alike,  and  his  purse  knew  no 
tightening  in  the  presence  of  distress.  He  was  a  man  of  rare  refine- 
ment and  culture,  an  accomplished  musician  and  fluent  talker,  his 
presence  was  sought  in  society  wherever  he  went.  Of  fine  personal 
appearance,  with  a  face  that  inspired  respect  and  obedience,  he  was 
born  to  command.  Gentleman,  soldier  and  Christian,  his  name  will 
long  be  cherished  by  those  who  knew  him.  .Such  are  the  men  who 
have  defended  the  escutcheon  of  the  proud  "  Palmetto  "  state. 

PROF.  FRANCIS  S.  HOLMES, 

late  of  Charleston  county,  S.  C,  now  deceased,  left  a  record  toward 
which  his  descendants  may  well  point  with  pride  and  reverence.  It 
is  eminently  fitting  that  his  name  should  appear  in  this  work,  and, 
indeed,  no  history  of  South  Carolina's  honored  names  would  be  com- 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  5O9 

plete  without  his.  Francis  S.  Ilohnes  first  saw  the  light  in  the  city 
of  Charleston,  S.  C.  Both  his  parents  were  natives  of  the  same  state 
as  their  son,  and  were  people  of  intelligence  and  culture,  and  both 
descendants  of  good  stock.  Ilaving  obtained  a  thorough  schooling 
in  the  excellent  educational  institutions  of  his  native  city,  the  boy  be- 
gan active  life  at  the  age  of  twenty  as  an  accountant  in  the  counting 
house  of  a  mercantile  establishment.  But  he  did  not  remain  in  that 
occupation  long.  He  was  an  ardent  lover  of  nature,  and  agriculture 
held  for  him  many  inducements,  so  it  was  not  many  months  before 
we  find  him  busih-  engaged  in  operating  a  large  plantation,  and  he 
continued  in  this  for  many  years  with  great  success.  ,Prior  to  the  war 
he  was  elected  curator  of  the  Charleston  college  museum,  and  was 
elected  professor  in  natural  history  and  geology.  Until  the  war,  he 
filled  these  chairs  acceptably.  To  the  combined  efforts  and  enterpris- 
ing persistency  of  Prof.  Holmes  and  Dr.  N.  A.  Pratt,  a  distinguished 
chemist,  the  "  Palmetto"  state  owes  the  great  industry  of  phosphate 
mining,  for  to  them  is  due  the  honor  of  having  first  discovered  the 
phosphate  rock  of  the  state,  and  of  building  the  first  plant  for  reducing 
it.  The  pioneer  works  were  erected  on  Prof.  Holmes'  own  place,  the 
company  then  organized  being  known  as  the  Charleston  Mining  & 
Manufacturing  company,  of  which  Prof.  Holmes  was  president  until 
his  retirement  from  active  business.  This  concern  is  still  in  existence 
and  stands  as  a  worthy  monument  to  these  two  public  benefactors. 
He  found  time  to  write  a  valuable  treatise  on  the  "  Phosphate  Rocks 
of  South  Carolina,"  and  to  aid  in  the  preparation  of  an  exhaustive 
work  on  the  "  Birds  and  Reptiles  of  Carolina,"  published  by  A.  Baron 
Holmes,  Charleston,  S.  C. 

After  his  resignation  of  the  presidency  of  the  Charleston  Mining 
&  Manufacturing  company.  Prof.  Holmes  retired  to  his  rice  planta- 
tion near  Charleston  and  devoted  his  time  to  literary  work  and  the 
superintendency  of  his  large  acres.  At  this  time  he  re-organized  the 
old  "Colonial"  Episcopal  church,  known  as  the  "Goose  Creek" 
church,  and  with  Rev.  Mr.  Drayton,  as  rector,  this  historic  edifice  once 
more  contained  devout  worshipers.  The  church  has  been  consid- 
ered by  many  as  the  most  interesting  relic  of  colonial  times,  as  it  was 
built  in  171 1,  and  unlike  other  old  churches,  was  never  rebuilt,  but  al- 
lowed to  remain  as  its  designer  left  it-  In  its  churchyard  lie  many  of 
the  descendants  of  Landgrave  Thomas  Smith,  who  was  born  in 
1648,  in  Dexter,  Devonshire,  England,  and  emigrated  to  America,  in 
167 1.  Prof.  Holmes  was  an  earnest  follower  of  the  St.  Paul's  Epis- 
copal church,  of  Ratliffborough,  and  superintendent  of  its  Sunday 
school  for  many  years,  as  well  as  a  vestryman  for  a  long  period.  Like 
most  thinking  men,  he  had  an  implicit  faith  in  the  tenets  held  by  the 
lovers  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  died  in  the  firm  belief  of  the 
power  of  his  .Saviour.  He  left  a  most  valuable  cabinet  of  natural  his- 
tory curios,  which  was  divided  between  the  Smithsonian  institute  and 
the  Central  park  museum,  of  New  York  city.  This  great  collection 
is  now  to  be  found  in  these  places,  and  fully  attests  the  devotion  of 
the  great  naturalist  to  his  favorite  subject.     In  his  domestic  relations 


5IO  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

he  was  most  happy.  Miss  Toomer  became  his  wife,  and  to  their 
union  were  born  seven  children,  viz.:  George,  Baron,  Anna,  Helen, 
Hennie,  John  and  Lizzie.  The  mother  of  these  children  died,  and 
Prof.  Holmes  married  for  his  second  wife,  Miss  Sarah  Hazzard,  who 
bore  him  six  children,  named,  William  W.  H.,  Mary,  wife  of  Henry 
Martin;  Sarah,  wife  of  Geo.  Von  Rolintz;  Eliza,  Richard  H.  and  Bessie. 
The  death  of  Mrs.  Holmes  occurred  in  1SS7.  She  died  at  the  age  of 
thirty  years. 

WILLIAM  JOHNSON 

was  one  of  the  most  distinguished  of  the  Revolutionary  patriots 
of  South  Carolina.  He  was  by  occupation  a  mechanic,  whose 
sturdy  spirit  of  freedom  and  strong  character  made  him  always 
prominent  among  his  associates.  Under  the  leadership  of  Chris- 
topher Gadsden,  as  early  as  1766,  he  became  an  active  promoter 
of  resistance  to  the  encroachments  of  the  British  government 
at  Charleston,  S.  C.  He  was  one  of  that  band  of  citizens  who, 
joining  hands  around  the  "  Liberty  tree,"  pledged  themselves 
to  use  measures  to  secure  the  absolute  independence  of  the  colo- 
nies, a  purpose  then  held  only  by  Gadsden  and  a  few  others,  among 
the  patriots  who  were  ready  to  seek  some  redress.  Declining  office 
in  the  First  regiment  of  artillery,  William  Johnson  served  as  a  private 
soldier  of  that  command,  in  and  around  Charleston,  from  the  first 
period  of  the  Revolution  and  through  the  siege,  to  the  capture  of  the 
city  by  the  British  in  1780.  Then,  with  Gen.  C.  Gadsden  and  sixty- 
seven  others,  who  refused  protection,  he  was  exiled  to  St.  Augustine, 
in  Florida,  being  at  the  time  a  member  of  the  legislature.  Upon  his 
exchange,  he  returned  to  Charleston,  where  he  spent  the  remainder 
of  his  days,  dying  in  181S,  at  the  age  of  seventy-six  years.  One  of 
the  staunchest  "whigs"  of  the  Revolution,  he  was  respected  and  hon- 
ored in  his  own  city  by  all  who  knew  him. 

WIILLAM   JOHNSON,  Jr., 

eldest  son  of  the  preceding,  was  born  in  Charleston,  S.  C,  Decem- 
ber 27,  1 771,  and  died  in  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  August  16,  1834.  After  re- 
ceiving the  highest  honors  of  Princeton  college,  N.  J.,  at  his  gradua- 
tion about  1790,  he  returned  to  Charleston  and  studied  law  in  the 
office  of  Gen.  Charles  Cotesworth  Pinckney,  being  admitted  to  the 
bar  in  January,  1793.  Five  years  afterward  he  was  elected  speaker 
of  the  house  in  the  legislature  of  the  state,  at  the  early  age  of  twenty- 
seven  years.  His  talents  fitting  him  for  still  more  honorable  station, 
he  was  elected  by  the  legislature  judge  of  the  court  of  common  pleas, 
in  the  next  year.  From  the  state  bench  he  was  soon  elevated  by  Mr. 
Jefferson,  then  president,  to  the  higher  office  of  associate  justice  of 
the  supreme  court  of  the  United  States.  He  must  have  been  one  of 
the  yoimgcst  justices  ever  appointed,  for  he  was  but  thirty-two  years 
of  age  at  this  time,  6th  of  March,  1804.     Nearly  one-half  of  his  life 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  5  I  I 

was  thus  spent  in  the  duties  of  the  supreme  court,  bringing  him  into 
contact  and  correspondence  with  sucli  men  as  Jefferson,  Marshall  and 
Madison.  Later,  he  undertook,  at  the  request  of  the  family  of  Gen. 
Nathaniel  Greene,  the  writing  of  an  elaborate  life  of  that  distin- 
guished officer.  It  was  published  in  Charleston  in  1822,  appearing  in 
two  volumes,  quarto,  with  maps  and  documents,  and  forming  a  work 
of  lasting  historical  value  in  the  literature  of  America.  Judge  John- 
son found  himself  opposed  to  the  principles  of  nullification,  which 
had  sway  in  South  Carolina  during  the  last  years  of  his  life.  He  did 
not  enter  into  the  public  contests  of  that  exciting  period;  his  station 
forbade  it;  but  he  shared  the  opinions  of  a  strong  minority,  with 
such  men  as  Joel  R.  Poinsett,  Judge  linger,  James  L.  Pettigru,  Will- 
iam Drayton,  and  his  own  brother,  Dr.  Joseph  Johnson.  Absenting 
himself  much  from  the  state  during  her  dissensions,  he  contracted  a 
fever  in  the  western  part  of  Pennsylvania.  This  was  in  the  summer 
of  1833.  While  suffering  from  its  consequences,  he  repaired  to  New 
York  for  medical  advice;  but  soon  after  suffering  a  surgical  opera- 
tion, which  appeared  to  be  successful,  and  was  borne,  by  him  with 
great  fortitude,  he  began  to  sink,  and  expired  surrounded  by  friends, 
in  Brooklyn,  where  he  had  taken  up  his  temporary  residence.  In 
person  Judge  Johnson  was  described  as  possessing  remarkable  dig- 
nity with  much  attractiveness  of  manner  and  appearance.  His  early 
rise  to  distinction,  his  accomplishments  as  lawyer  and  judge,  his  traits 
of  manly  independence,  and  his  unblemished  character,  all  prove  him 
to  have  been  one  of  the  foremost  men  in  the  state  of  South  Carolina. 

JOSEPH   JOHNSON,  M.  D., 

the  fourth  son  of  the  Revolutionary  patriot,  William  Johnson,  was 
born  June  15,  1776,  and  died  October  6,  1862.  After  obtaining  a 
superior  education  in  Charleston,  he  graduated  in  medicine  at  the 
Philadelphia  medical  school  and  returned  to  Charleston,  his  native 
city.  There  he  passed  a  long  and  useful  life  in  the  practice  of  the 
medical  profession  and  in  the  sale  of  drugs  and  medicines.  He 
was  honored  with  many  important  and  responsible  appointments, 
among  which  were  intendant  of  the  city,  in  1826;  president  of  the 
State  Medical  society;  president  of  the  Apprentices'  Library  society, 
and  of  the  .South  Carolina  society;  president  of  the  Branch  bank,  of 
the  United  States  in  Charleston,  in  iSiS,  and  at  a  later  period  sub- 
treasurer  of  the  United  States  in  the  same  city.  Dr.  Johnson  was  a 
prominent  member  of  the  Union  party  at  the  time  when  John  C.  Cal- 
houn was  propagating  the  nullification  doctrine,  deeming  it  unwise  to 
imperil  the  results  of  the  Revolution  for  which  his  father  had  devoted 
his  best  years.  Whether  in  holding  high  offices  of  trust  or  in  aiding 
and  stimulating  the  young  to  a  higher  education,  or  in  making  local 
historical  collections,  Dr.  Johnson  entitled  himself  to  the  gratitude 
of  not  only  his  contemporaries,  but  of  those  to  come  after  him.  He 
was  a  frequent  contributor  to  the  press  of  his  time,  writing  addresses 
and  papers  upon  scientific  topics,  and  particularly  upon  medical  sub- 


512  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

jects.  His  best  known  work  is  entitled  "  Traditions  and  Reminiscences 
of  the  American  Revolution  in  theSouth."  —  i  volume,  8vo.,  Charles- 
ton, 1 85 1.  Born  near  the  opening  of  the  war  for  the  independence 
of  the  American  colonies,  the  annals  of  that  eventful  period  came 
from  his  pen  with  all  the  freshness  and  interest  of  a  contemporary 
writer.  He  lived  to  see  his  beloved  country  involved  in  civil  war,  but 
was  not  permitted  to  witness  or  experience  the  results,  having  passed 
away  in  1S62,  at  the  advanced  age  of  eighty-six  years. 


REV.  JOHN  JOHNSON,  D.  D., 

youngest  son  of  Joseph  Johnson,  1\I.  D.,  was  born  in  Charleston,  S.  C, 
December  25,  1829,  and  after  receiving  an  excellent  academic  educa- 
tion at  the  school  of  Mr.  C.  Cotes,  engaged  in  the  professional  and 
active  life  of  a  civil  engineer.  During  ten  years  of  such  occupation, 
he  was  employed  in  the  surveys  and  construction  of  railroads,  water- 
works, etc.,  preparing  and  publishing,  under  the  patronage  of  the 
state,  a  large  map  of  South  Carolina,  considered  to  be  the  best  au- 
thority of  the  time,  1853,  and  for  many  years  afterward.  A  fondness 
for  study  and  letters  determined  him  to  spend  two  sessions  at  the 
University  of  Virginia,  1858-60.  There  he  won  the  honors  of  a  gold 
medal  for  the  best  contribution  to  the  magazine  of  the  university,  and 
also  the  valedictory  of  the  Jefferson  society.  Having  decided  later 
to  enter  the  sacred  ministry  of  the  Protestant  Episcopal  church,  he 
began  such  preparations,  and  was  a  student  at  Camden,  S.  C,  under 
the  direction  of  Bishop  Thomas  F.  Davis,  when  the  war  of  the  Con- 
federacy broke  out  and  suspended  his  purpose.  Joining  the  south- 
ern army  he  passed  through  the  grades  of  lieutenant,  captain  and 
major  of  engineers,  while  performing  active  service  on  the  fortifica- 
tions of  Savannah,  Wilmington  and  Charleston.  Twice  wounded  at 
Fort  Sumter,  where  he  did  duty  as  an  engineer-in-charge,  during 
fifteen  months  of  its  severest  bombardments,  he  took  part  later  in  the 
battles  of  Averysboro,  and  Bentonville,  N.  C,  and  was  paroled  as 
senior  officer  of  engineers,  at  the  surrender  of  Gen.  Joseph  E.  John- 
ston's army,  at  Greensboro,  N.  C.  In  January',  1S66,  he  was  ordained 
to  the  ministry,  and  assumed  charge  of  Grace  church,  Camden,  S.  C. 
Thence  in  187 1,  he  removed  to  Charleston,  to  become  assistant  minis- 
ter of  St.  Philip's  church,  being  made  rector  in  the  following  year, 
and  so  continuing  to  the  present  date.  He  has  been  repeatedly  elected 
to  the  general  convention  of  the  Protestant  Episcopal  church,  in  the 
United  States.  In  July,  1890,  he  published  a  work  of  great  historical 
and  technical  importance,  entitled,  "The  Defense  of  Charleston  Har- 
bor, including  P'ort  Sumter  and  the  Adjacent  Islands,"  i  vol.,  8vo., 
Charleston.  The  book  has  received  high  commendations  from  the 
best  literary  and  military  critics,  and  has  passed  into  a  second  edition. 
In  the  summer  of  1891,  the  degree  of  doctor  of  divinity  was  con- 
ferred upon  him  by  the  trustees  of  the  University  of  the  South,  at 
Sevvanee,  Tenn. 


.^^Hv       X 


/^  Z^^^^,^^ 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  513 


REV.  OSGOOD  A.  DARBY,  D.  D., 

is  a  native  of  Charleston,  S.  C,  born  September  17,  1828.  Mis  early 
education  was  acquired  in  the  Charleston  high  school  and  at  the 
Cokesbury  school,  in  Abbeville,  S.  C.  He  graduated  from  the  South 
Carolina  military  academy,  in  Charleston,  November,  1850.  After 
leaving  college,  Mr.  Darby  taught  in  the  academy  of  Hon.  B.  R.  Car- 
roll, in  Charleston.  He  joined  the  South  Carolina  conference, 
Methodist  Episcopal  church,  south,  in  1S52,  and  ever  since  has  been 
preaching  the  gospel,  except  during  the  years  1877-8,  when  he  held  a 
professorship,  in  the  Williamston  female  college,  in  Anderson  count}', 
S.  C,  and  from  1880  to  1890,  while  president  of  the  Columbia  Female 
college.  Dr.  Darby,  is  well  and  most  favorably  known,  throughout 
his  native  state.  He  is  distinguished  for  his  learning  and  piety.  His 
high  character  and  almost  womanly  gentleness  gave  him  immense 
influence  over  the  young  women,  whom  he  had  the  honor  of  prepar- 
ing for  the  duties  of  life.  He  and  Mrs.  Darby  have  retired  from 
active  life,  and  are  now  residing  in  Columbia,  S.  C. 

REV.  BENJAMIN  F.  WILSON, 

president  of  Converse  college,  of  Spartanburg,  was  born  in  Sumter 
county,  S.  C,  March  20,  1S62.  He  is  the  son  of  Capt.  Benjamin  F. 
Wilson,  of  Sumter  county,  and  one  of  its  largest  cotton  planters. 
The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  reared  to  the  age  of  seventeen  on  his 
father's  farm  in  his  native  county,  and  up  to  this  age  had  the  benefit 
only  of  the  country  school.  In  the  fall  of  1880,  when  eighteen  years 
of  age,  he  entered  Davidson  college,  of  North  Carolina,  from  which 
he  graduated  in  1SS4,  as  a  bachelor  of  arts.  He  received  medals 
both  in  his  junior  and  senior  years,  the  former  of  which  was  awarded 
to  him  as  the  best  representative  of  the  two  college  literary  societies; 
the  latter  as  the  best  representative  of  his  own  society  proper.  He 
was  elected  the  valedictorian  of  his  class  during  the  senior  year  by 
the  literary  society  of  which  he  was  a  member.  In  the  fall  of  1884, 
he  entered  the  theological  seminary  at  Columbia,  in  which  he  spent 
one  year.  In  the  fall  of  18S5  he  entered  Princeton  Theological  sem- 
inary, at  Princeton,  N.  J.,  from  which  he  graduated  in  the  summer  of 
1887.  During  his  first  year  there  he  took  the  second  scholarship 
prize  in  Greek,  and  during  his  last  year  he  took  the  first  scholarship 
prize  in  Hebrew.  In  the  summer  of  1887  he  became  pastor  of  the 
Presbyterian  church  in  Spartanburg.  He  spent  the  summer  of  1888  in 
the  University  of  Berlin,  pursuing  philosophical  and  philological 
studies.  He  was  elected  alumnus  orator  by  his  alma  mater  iov  the  '89 
commencement.  In  the  springof  1889  he  was  elected  pastor  of  the  First 
Presbyterian  church,  Richmond,  Ky.,  and  also,  at  the  same  time,  to  the 
chair  of  Christian  apologetics  of  the  Central  University  of  Richmond, 
Ky.,  both  of  which  he  declined.  In  the  winter  of  1889  he  was  elected 
president  of  the  Converse  college,  a  non-sectarian    institution   for 

A ^  "^ 


514  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

young  ladies,  which  position  he  now  holds.  He  was  joined  in  mar- 
riage July  ^o,  1S90,  with  Mrs.  Sallie  Foster,  daughter  of  J.  C.  Farrar, 
a  prominent  merchant  of  Charleston.  She  was  the  widow  of  the 
late  J.  A.  F"oster,  a  merchant  of  Spartanburg.  Rev.  Mr.  Wilson  is  a 
member  of  the  Sigma  Alpha  Epsilon  fraternity.  He  is  a  talented 
young  clergyman  and  his  achievements  are  already  such  as  to  fore- 
shadow a  useful  and  brilliant  career. 

REV.  WILLIAM  PLUMMER  JACOBS,  D.  D., 

pastor  of  the  Presbyterian  church  at  Clinton,  and  founder  and  president 
of  the  Thornwell  orphanage  at  that  place,  was  born  in  Yorkville,  S.  C, 
March  15,  1842.  He  is  the  son  of  Rev.  Ferdinand  Jacobs,  D.  D.,  now 
a  resident  of  Nashville,  Tenn.,  and  who  has  reached  the  age  of  eighty- 
three  years.  Rev.  Ferdinand  Jacobs  was  born  at  /Alexandria,  \'a.,  in 
1808.  He  graduated  at  Hampden-Sidney  college  and  Union  Theo- 
logical seminary,  after  which  he  entered  the  ministry  of  the  Presby- 
terian church,  in  which  he  has  labored  for  more  than  sixty  years.  The 
greater  part  of  his  ministry  has  been  in  South  Carolina.  He  has  also 
been  prominent  in  educational  work.  The  paternal  grandfather  of 
the  subject  of  this  sketch  was  Pressley  Jacobs,  a  native  of  Virginia 
and  a  Revolutionary  soldier.  He  lost  a  brother  and  three  sons  in 
the  battle  of  Germantown,  Penn.  The  family  is  of  English  ciescent, 
its  founder  in  this  country  having  emigrated  from  England  and  set- 
tled in  Pennsylvania  about  forty  years  prior  to  the  Revolution.  The 
mother  of  Rev.  William  P.  Jacobs  was  Mary  Redbrook,  daughter  of 
James  Redbrook.  Her  parents  both  died  while  she  was  in  her  child- 
hood, and  her  death  occurred  in  1845.  The  subject  of  this  sketch 
graduated  from  Charleston  college  when  nineteen  years  of  age,  and 
from  the  Columbia  Theological  seminar^'  at  twenty-two.  He  was 
licensed  to  preach  in  April,  1862,  and  was  ordained  in  May,  1863. 
His  first  charge  was  the  church  of  Clinton,  S.  C,  of  which  he  has  been 
the  pastor  ever  since  —  a  period  of  twenty-seven  years.  He  at  first 
had  three  churches,  two  of  which  he  gave  up  later,  but  he  has  since 
organized  out  of  the  one  he  retained  two  other  churches  which  are 
now  in  charge  of  other  parties. 

Rev.  Mr.  Jacobs,  besides  being  one  of  the  prominent  Presbyterian 
divines  in  the  state,  has  also  made  himself  distinguished  for  his  edu- 
cational and  charitable  work,  not  as  a  leader,  but  as  a  founder  and 
organizer.  In  1886  he  established  a  monthly  magazine,  devoted  to 
religion,  education  and  charity,  of  which  he  has  been  editor  and  pub- 
lisher ever  since.  He  was  married,  April  20,  1865,  to  Miss  Mary  J., 
daughter  of  James  H.  Dillard,  formerly  of  Laurens.  She  died  Janu- 
ary 15,  1879,  leaving  five  children,  four  of  whom  are  sons.  Of  these, 
two  are  in  the  ministry.  The  daughter,  who  is  the  eldest,  is  married. 
Mr.  Jacobs  is  a  royal  arch  Mason  and  a  Good  Templar.  In  political 
faith  he  is  a  democrat.  In  educational  and  charitable  work  he  is  one 
of  the  most  conspicuous  and  best  known  individuals  of  the  south,  and 
has  made  for  himself  a  name  which  will  shine  in  undimmed  brilliancy 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  515 

throiii^hout  the  coming  ages.  He  is  a  member  of  the  national  con- 
ference of  charities  and  corrections,  and  has  frequently  been  a  dele- 
gate to  the  prominent  conventions  of  his  church.  For  five  years  dur- 
ing his  early  manhood,  he  was  a  reporter  successively  on  the  staff  of 
The  Charleston  Courier,  The  Charleston  Alercury,  The  Daily  Carolinian, 
of  Columbia,  and  The  Southern  Presbyterian,  of  Columbia.  He  is  a 
great  advocate  of  short-hand,  and  possesses  one  of  the  best  phono- 
graphic libraries  in  the  country.  He  studied  it  under  the  famous 
Josephus  Woodruff,  formerly  of  South  Carolina.  He  is  one  of  the 
most  distinguished  linguists  in  the  country,  being  able  to  read  and 
write  some  twelve  or  fourteen  languages.  He  has  read  the  Greek 
Testament  through  thirty-three  times,  by  reading  ten  minutes  each 
morning  before  his  breakfast  hour.  He  has  been  a  frequent  contrib- 
utor to  the  leading  periodicals  of  the  day,  and  all  work  from  his  pen 
commands  both  remuneration  and  attention.  Mr.  Jacobs  is  the 
founder  of  the  Thornwell  Orphanage,  of  Clinton,  which  is  one  of  the 
best  known  and  most  successful  charitable  institutions  in  the  United 
States.  His  connection  with  it  entitles  him  to  a  place  among  the  first 
men  in  the  country  in  charitable,  benevolent  and  educational  work. 
An  account  of  his  connection  with  this  institution  will  be  found  in  the 
book  entitled,  "The  Lord's  Care." 

REV.  ALBERT   GOODALL  WARDLAW, 

pastor  of  the  Presbyterian  church  of  Laurens,  was  born  in  Fort  Val- 
ley, Ga.,  January  20,  1856,  and  is  the  son  of  Rev.  John  B.  VVardlaw, 
of  Oglethorpe,  Ga.  The  maiden  name  of  the  wife  of  John  B.  Ward- 
law  was  Martha  Eliza  Goodall,  sister  of  Albert  Goodall,  late  of  New 
York  city,  who  for  many  years  was  president  of  the  American  Bank 
Note  company  and  was  a  very  prominent  Mason.  The  grandfather 
of  Rev.  Albert  G.  Wardlaw  was  Capt.  William  Wardlaw,  a  native  of 
Abbeville,  S.  C,  who  removed  to  Georgia.  He  served  as  captain  in 
the  war  of  181 2,  and  by  occupation  was  a  planter.  On  the  paternal 
side  the  family  is  of  Scotch  descent.  Rev.  Albert  G.  Wardlaw  is  a 
descendant  of  Hugh  Wardlaw,  who  was  one  of  the  three  brothers, 
natives  of  Virginia,  and  whose  father  emigrated  from  Scotland  to 
America.  Hugh  Wardlaw  removed  from  Virginia  to  Abbeville, 
S.  C,  where  he  died.  On  the  paternal  side  the  subject  of  this  sketch 
traces  back  his  ancestral  line  to  an  English  royal  family,  of  whom 
James  VI.  of  Scotland  was  a  member.  On  the  maternal  side  he  is  of 
Welsh  descent.  His  maternal  grandmother,  whose  maiden  name 
was  Lucas,  at  an  early  day,  before  railroads  were  in  use,  undertook 
to  go  from  her  home  in  Alabama  to  Texas,  where  she  possessed 
large  tracts  of  land.  She  made  the  whole  trip  from  Alabama  to 
New  Orleans  in  a  carriage,  but  in  that  city  caught  the  yellow  fever 
and  died.  Both  the  father  and  mother  of  Albert  G.  Wardlaw  are 
living.  He  was  reared  to  the  age  of  fifteen  in  Cuthbert,  Ga.  At 
that  age  he  was  sent  north  for  academical  instruction,  and  at  seven- 
teen was  sent  abroad  to  study  the  modern  European  languages.     He 


5l6  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

Spent  one  year  at  Geneva,  Switzerland,  then,  returning  hopie,  pur- 
sued his  collegiate  course  at  Randolph-Macon  college.  He  subse- 
quently completed  his  literary  course  at  Emory  college,  Oxford,  Ga., 
graduating  in  1879  with  the  degree  of  A.  B.  and  A.  M.  By  this  time 
he  had  determined  to  prepare  himself  for  the  ministry,  and  in  Sep- 
tember, 1879,  entered  the  theological  seminary  at  Princeton,  N.  J., 
from  which  he  graduated  in  Maj',  1882.  He  also,  during  the  time, 
pursued  a  post-graduate  course  in  contemporary  and  ancient  philoso- 
phy in  the  college  of  New  Jersey  under  President  McCosh,  and  re- 
ceived the  degree  of  A.  M.  Since  then  he  has  been  in  the  active 
pastorate  in  the  states  of  Virginia,  Georgia  and  South  Carolina.  He 
has  served  churches  in  Danville,  Richmond  and  Culpepper,  Va.,  and 
Augusta,  Atlanta  and  Macon  in  Georgia.  He  was  serving  temporarily 
the  First  church  at  Macon  when  he  was  called  to  the  Presbyterian 
church  at  Laurens,  in  May,  iSgo.  He  was  married,  April  27,  1887,  to 
Miss  Hattie  Lee  Field,  daughter  of  James  W.  Field,  a  large  planter 
of  Christian  county,  Ky.  Mrs.  Wardlaw  is  a  cousin  of  Gen.  James 
Field,  who  belongs  to  the  same  family  of  Stephen  J.  and  Cyrus  W. 
Field.  They  have  one  child,  a  son,  John  B.  Wardlaw,  who  was  born 
May  II,  18S8.  Rev.  A.  G.  Wardlaw  is  a  member  of  Chi  Phi  fratern- 
ity. His  brother,  John  B.  Wardlaw,  Jr.,  who  died  in  July,  1881,  was 
one  of  the  most  brilliant  of  the  younger  clan  of  journalists  of  the 
present  time.  He  was  graduated  from  the  college  of  New  Jersey  in 
1887  with  distinction,  and  was  immediately  elected  a  fellow  of  the 
school  of  mental  science  of  Princeton.  In  June,  1877,  he  was  offered 
a  position  on  the  editorial  staff  of  the  New  York  IVorldhy  its  then  pro- 
prietor, Hurlbut,  which  position  he  declined  on  account  of  ill  health 
and  accepted  a  fellowship  instead.  He  subsequently  resigned  the 
fellowship  and  entered  the  field  of  journalism.  He  became  widely 
known  as  the  author  of  southern  literature,  which  received  en- 
comiums from  some  of  the  leading  New  York  dailies  and  which  made 
for  him  an  enviable  reputation  as  a  writer.  He  was  born  in  1S54. 
The  country  has  probably  never  produced  a  man  who  developed 
more  brilliancy  at  so  early  an  age.  He  was  but  twenty-seven  when 
he  died.  Rev.  A.  G.  Wardlaw,  though  young,  has  already  developed 
great  ability  and  attained  an  enviable  prominence  in  the  ministry. 
He  is  recognized  as  an  orator  of  great  force  and  uncommon  brilliancy. 

REV.  SAMUEL   LANDER,  M.  A.,  D.  D., 

president  of  the  Williamston  female  college,  was  born  in  Lincolnton, 
N.  C,  January  30,  1833.  His  father  was  the  Rev.  Samuel  Lander,  also 
a  minister  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  south.  His  mother  was 
Eliza  Ann  Miller.  Both  parents  were  natives  of  Ireland,  and  were 
married  in  that  country  in  1812.  Removing  to  America  in  iSiS,  they 
located  in  Lincolnton,  N.  C,  in  1826.  There  they  both  died,  the 
father  in  1868,  and  the  mother  in  1876.  In  the  house  of  George  Miller, 
Dr.  Lander's  maternal  grandfather,  the  Rev.  John  Wesley,  preached 
on  several  occasions. 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  517 

Dr.  Lander  was  reared  in  Lincolnton,  receiving  his  early  educa- 
tion in  tiie  village  academy.  At  fifteen,  he  went  to  Lexington,  N.  C, 
and  was  prepared  for  college,  under  Prof.  J.  W.  Murphy,  a  well-known 
educator,  of  that  day,  who  had  previously  been  his  teacher,  at  Lincoln- 
ton.  Under  him  he  completed  all  the  studies  of  the  freshman  class, 
and,  the  next  year,  he  entered  the  sophomore  class,  in  Randolph- 
Macon  college,  Va.,  from  which  institution  he  graduateci  as  a  B.  A., 
in  June,  1852.  Though  he  was  the  youngest  but  one  in  his  class, 
he  stood  at  its  head.  On  leaving  college  he  gave  some  attention, 
incidentally,  to  civil  engineering,  and  to  the  study  of  law.  In  October, 
1853,  he  accepted  a  position  as  assistant  professor  in  the  Catawba  col- 
lege, in  Newton,  N.  C,  under  the  presidency  of  Prof.  H.  H.  Smith. 
He  remained  there  about  a  year,  and,  in  1854,  he  became  a  member 
of  the  faculty  of  the  Olin  institute,  in  Iredell  county,  N.  C.  He  sub- 
sequently became  adjunct  professor  in  Randolph-Macon  college;  but 
he  soon  resigned  this  position,  to  accept  the  presidency  of  Olin  insti- 
tute. In  August,  1857,  he  became  professor  of  Latin  and  mathematics, 
in  the  Greensboro  female  college,  which  position  he  held  for  two  and 
a  half  years.  In  the  latter  part  of  1859,  he  took  charge  of  a  female 
school,  at  High  Point,  N.  C,  where  he  remained  three  years.  Mean- 
while, he  began  the  study  of  theology,  having  yielded  to  his  long  stand- 
ing conviction  of  duty,  to  prepare  himself  for  the  ministry.  In  i860, 
he  was  licensed  to  preach;  and  he  has  labored  in  the  ministry  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church,  south,  ever  since.  In  connection  with 
his  ministerial  duties,  he  has  continued  his  labors  as  an  educator.  In 
1863,  he  took  charge  of  the  Lincolnton  female  seminary,  in  his  native 
place,  which  position  he  held  until  1867.  In  1864,  he  was  admitted 
into  the  South  Carolina  conference.  He  was  ordained  deacon  in 
1866,  and  elder  in  1S68.  While  at  the  head  of  the  Lincolnton  female 
seminary,  he  also  performed  the  duties  of  pastor  of  the  village  church, 
this  being  his  first  appointment.  In  the  latter  part  of  1867,  he  was 
appointed  president  of  Davenport  female  college,  at  Lenoir,  N.  C, 
which  position  he  filled  three  years.  In  1871,  he  became  joint  pro- 
prietor of  the  Spartanburg  female  college,  in  connection  with  the 
Rev.  Samuel  B.  Jones.  There  he  remained  only  one  year.  Toward 
the  close  of  the  year,  he  was  elected  president  of  the  Columbia  female 
college,  on  condition  that  that  institution,  which  had  been  suspended 
since  the  war,  should  be  re-opened;  and  for  this  reason  he  left  his 
place  in  Spartanburg. 

The  re-opening  of  the  Columbia  female  college  having  been  de- 
ferred, Mr.  Lancler  was  placed  in  charge  of  the  Williamston  circuit, 
with  his  residence  at  Williamston,  S.  C.  Shortly  after  his  arrival 
there,  he  established  the  Williamston  female  college,  which  he  has 
conducted  very  successfully  ever  since,  and  which  is  now,  one  of  the 
most  flourishing  female  institutions  in  South  Carolina.  During  five 
of  the  twenty  years  he  has  been  in  Williamston,  he  has  been  pastor 
of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  south,  in  that  place.  Rev.  Mr. 
Lander  ranks  as  one  of  the  foremost  educators  of  his  state.  The 
degree  of  D.  D.  was  conferred  on  him,  by  Trinity  college,  N.  C.    Dr. 


5l8  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

Lander  is  a  Royal  Arch  Mason,  a  Knight  of  Honor,  a  Son  of  Tem- 
perance, and  a  strong  prohibitionist,  taking  an  active  part  in  temper- 
ance work.  The  Wilhamston  female  college  is  one  of  the  most  thor- 
ough and  popular  institutions  of  the  kind,  in  the  south.  One  special  feat- 
ure of  the  schpo!  is  the  fact,  that  the  young  ladies  who  attend  it  are 
not  educated  for  the  stage  or  platform,  but,  on  the  contrary,  are  dis- 
couraged from  both.  In  connection  with  composition,  reading  spell- 
ing, etc.,  each  pupil  has  either  one  principal  study  for  five  weeks,  or, 
at  most,  two  for  ten,  thus  avoiding  the  dissipation  of  thought,  pro- 
duced by  having  the  mind  burdened  with  several  difficult  subjects  at 
the  same  time.  There  are,  thus,  eight  periods  during  the  school 
year  at  which  a  pupil  may  graduate.  Dr.  Lander  was  married  De- 
cember 20,  1S53,  to  Miss  Laura  Ann,  eldest  daughter  of  Rev.  Angus 
McPherson,  of  the  South  Carolina  conference.  They  have  nine 
children  living,  seven  of  whom  are  sons.  Three  of  the  sons  have 
graduated  from  Wofford  college;  and  two  of  these  delivered  the  val- 
edictory addresses.  The  eldest.  Rev.  John  Mc  Pherson  Lander,  is 
principal  of  the  American  Granbery  college,  in  Juiz  de  Fora,  Brazil. 
The  second  son,  William  Tertius  Lander,  is  associated  with  his 
father,  in  the  Williamston  female  college.  Another  son,  Malcom 
McPherson  Lander,  is  principal  of  the  Kingstree  academy,  S.  C. 
The  eldest  daughter,  Mattie  McPherson,  is  the  wife  of  George  E. 
Prince,  a  leading  attorney  of  Anderson,  S.  C. 

REV.  WILLIAM  HOOPER  ADAMS 

was  born  in  Boston,  Mass.,  January  8,  1828.  He  was  the  son  of  Rev. 
Dr.  Nehemiah  and  Martha  Hooper  Adams.  He  entered  Harvard 
university  in  1S56,  and  graduated  with  high  honors  in  i860.  He 
studied  at  Andover  theological  seminary,  but  in  January,  1861  en- 
tered the  theological  seminary  at  Columbia,  S.  C.  On  the  27th  of 
September,  1862,  he  was  licensed  to  preach  the  gospel,  by  the  presby- 
tery of  Hopewell,  and  about  a  year  later  was  ordained  an  evangelist 
by  the  same  authority.  He  began  his  ministry  as  an  evanglist  to  the 
churches  of  Danielsville  and  Sandy  Creek,  and  extended  his  labors 
to  the  people  of  Paoli  and  Beth  Haven,  Ga.  He  first  permanently 
settled  in  the  vicinity  of  Eufaula,  Ala.,  where  his  labors  rnet  with 
great  acceptance.  In  the  summer  of  1865,  he  visited  his  native  city, 
Boston,  where  he  remained  about  two  years,  and  on  the  28th  of  Feb- 
ruary, returned  to  Charleston,  S.  C,  accepting  an  invitation  to  the 
pastorate  of  the  Circular  church  in  that  city.  This  settlement  con- 
tinued for  twelve  years.  In  the  spring  of  1880  the  Charleston 
presbytery  held  a  session  at  which  Mr.  Adams  was  in  attendance, 
but  not  many  days  after  its  adjournment,  his  spirit  took  its  flight  to 
the  unseen  world. 

For  some  years  previous  to  his  death  Mr.  Adams  had  been  en- 
gaged in  the  most  engrossing  ministerial  and  literary  work,  and  in 
order  to  be  in  the  neighborhood  of  his  father,  he  had  supplied  the 
Vine  street  church  at  Roxbury,  Mass.,  the  church  of  Middleton,  Mass. 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  519 

and  afterward  the  Mancock  churcli  at  Lexington,  Mass.  During  this 
divided  pastorate,  he  was  preparing  a  work  entitled  "Seven  Words 
from  the  Cross,"  a  production  which  did  great  honor  to  his  literary 
ability  and  the  tenderness  of  his  sensibilities.  His  eminent  charac- 
teristics were  unselfishness  and  devotion.  During  his  ministration 
in  the  south  he  was  a  great  favorite  with  the  colored  population  and 
always  e.xhibited  toward  them  as  he  did  toward  all  a  kind  and 
obliging  consideration.  By  none  was  his  decease  more  sincerely 
mourned  than  by  these  lowly  members  of  his  congregation.  He  pre- 
pared his  sermons  with  great  care,  but  did  not  allow  the  engrossment 
of  his  study  to  interfere  with  his  pastoral  duties.  Whatever  was  in- 
teresting to  his  church  always  elicited  his  own  interest,  and  this  sym- 
pathy of  interest  tended  to  make  him  all  the  more  beloved  and 
venerated.  Whether  in  their  joys  or  their  sorrows,  his  whole  heart 
responded  to  those  of  his  devoted  flock.  The  resolution  of  his  pres- 
bytery, on  his  lamented  death,  bear  this  appreciative  testimony  of  his 
character  and  worth: 

"  Brother  Adams  was  a  heavenly-minded,  cheerful  and  loving 
Christian,  and  as  a  minister  of  the  gospel,  was  able,  earnest  and  zeal- 
ous. It  can  truly  be  said  of  him  as  it  was  said  of  another  preacher  of 
Christ,  after  his  decease,  '  There  was  no  taint  of  bigotry  in  his  nature. 
All  followers  of  Christ  were  Christians  to  him,  and  in  every  sinner  he 
saw  a  possible  saint,  and  hoped  and  prayed  that  the  possibility  might 
be  realized.'  " 

ISAAC    STOCKTON    KEITH, 

Presbyterian  divine,  was  born  in  Newton,  Bucks  county,  Penn.,  Janu- 
ary 20,  1755.  He  was  a  graduate  of  Princeton  college  in  1775.  In 
1 791  he  received  the  title  of  D.  D.  from  the  University  of  Pennsyl- 
vania. Immediately  after  his  graduation  he  engaged  in  teaching  at 
Elizabethtown,  N.  J.,  but  in  1778,  he  was  licensed  by  the  presbytery 
of  Philadelphia  to  preach,  and  two  years  afterward  was  installed 
pastor  of  the  Presbyterian  church  at  Alexandria,  Va.  In  1778  Dr. 
Keith  removed  to  Charleston,  S.  C,  and  was  installed  as  pastor  of  the 
Independent  church  of  that  city,  known  as  the  Circular  church,  on 
account  of  the  peculiar  structure  of  the  church  edifice.  He  was  the 
collegiate  pastor  of  the  church  with  Rev.  Dr.  Hollingshead,  who  ha.d 
preceded  him  in  the  pastorate  of  the  society,  and  was  his  senior  in 
age.  Dr.  Keith  held  a  high  rank  as  an  able  and  eloquent  preacher, 
and  he  ministered  to  the  church  at  Charleston  for  twenty  years  to 
great  acceptance,  respected  and  beloved  by  his  congregation.  He  was 
twice  married;  first  to  a  daughter  of  Rev.  Dr.  Sproat,  of  Philadelphia. 
She  died  September  30,  1796,  and  on  the  3rd  of  April,  1798,  he  was 
married  to  Catharine,  daughter  of  Thomas  Lagare,  of  Charleston. 

In  personal  appearance  Dr.  Keith  was  described  as  "  imposing, 
large  in  stature,  dignified  in  manner,  grave  in  aspect  and  in  speech, 
and  yet  so  courteous  and  affable  as  to  invite  the  confidence  of  the 
most  timid  child."     He  was  of  a  generous  and  charitable  disposition. 


520  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

and  no  person  in  poverty  or  distress  applied  to  him  without  eliciting 
froni  him  his  aid,  sympathy  and  encouragement.  He  fulfilled  the 
scriptural  characterization  of  a  true  Christian;  he  wept  with  those 
that  wept,  and  rejoiced  with  those  that  did  rejoice.  His  sermons  were 
elaborate;  they  were  the  product  of  deep  thought,  and  his  applica- 
tions were  of  a  nature  to  awaken  the  earnest  attention  of  his 
hearers.  His  religious  doctrines  were  those  formulated  in  the  West- 
minster Assembly  Catechism,  and  his  mission  was  to  preach  Christ 
and  Him  crucified.  He  was  peculiarly  effective  in  prayer,  addressing 
the  throne  of  grace  in  apt  and  fervid  terms.  Dr.  Keith  died  Decem- 
ber 13,  1S13.  In  Dr.  Sprague's  "  Annals  of  the  American  Pulpit"  a  let- 
ter from  Rev.  Edward  Palmer,  of  Walterboro,  S.  C,  is  published, 
portraying  the  character  of  Dr.  Keith,  which  closes  as  follows:  "  Dr. 
Keith's  loss  was  deeply  felt  in  every  circle  in  which  he  moved. 
Among  the  demonstrations  of  grief  attending  his  funeral,  one  of  the 
most  touching  was  that  of  a  venerable  minister  of  the  Episcopal 
church  bending  over  his  lifeless  form  and  exclaiming  with  a  profusion 
of  tears:  '  I  have  known  a  multitude  of  ministers  of  various  denom- 
inations, both  in  Europe  and  America,  but  never  have  I  known  a 
more  faithful  servant  of  Jesus  than  this  dear  saint.'  " 

RIGHT   REV.   JOHN   ENGLAND, 

■first  bishop  of  Charleston,  was  born  in  Cork,  Ireland,  September  23, 
1786.  He  received  all  the  advantages  of  education  afforded  by  the 
schools  of  his  native  city.  When  about  fifteen  j-ears  of  age  he  ex- 
pressed a  desire  to  embrace  the  ecclesiastical  state,  and  from  that 
time  on  until  he  entered  college  he  was  under  the  particular  care  of 
the  very  Rev.  Robert  McCarthy,  dean  of  the  diocese.  In  August, 
1803,  he  left  Cork  for  the  college  of  Carlow,  where  he  remained  until 
1808.  He  then  returned  to  Cork  to  receive  holy  orders,  being  at  that 
time  under  canonical  age,  and  a  dispensation  had  to  be  procured  from 
Rome.  October  9,  1808,  he  received  the  order  of  deacon  and  that  of 
priesthood  on  the  following  da}^  A  few  weeks  later  he  was  appointed 
lecturer  at  the  cathedral.  He  was  appointed  president  of  the  di- 
ocesan college  of  St.  Mary,  in  181 2.  In  i8i3,he  performed  a  principal 
part  in  the  ministerial  functions  attendant  upon  the  jubilee  granted 
by  the  pope  to  the  Catholics  of  Cork  on  the  completion  of  their  new 
cathedral.  He  was  appointed  in  181 7  to  the  parish  of  Bandon,  in 
which  he  continued  until  his  appointment  to  the  see  of  Charleston, 
in  1820.  He  was  consecrated  September  21,  1820,  and  left  Belfast 
for  America  October  10,  1820.  After  a  rough  voyage  he  reached 
Charleston,  December  20,  1820.  He  began  his  labors  in  America  on 
the  1st  of  January,  1821. 

Bishop  England's  diocese  embraced  three  states  —  North  Caro- 
lina, South  Carolina  and  Georgia.  On  his  first  introduction  to  his 
diocese,  he  found  only  two  churches  open  to  his  ministrations,  and 
his  clergy  were  equally  limited.  But  with  a  brave  spirit  he  began  his 
work,  and  churches  soon  began  to  multiply  around  him.     His  task 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  52  I 

was  that  of  a  missionary,  and  he  traveled  many  hundreds  of  miles  in 
its  performance.  Among  his  first  objects  was  to  establish  churches 
at  Savannah,  Augusta,  and  at  many  other  places  of  less  note.  At  a 
place  called  Locust  Grove,  he  preached  his  hrst  open  air  sermon,  the 
church  being  too  small  to  accommodate  his  four  hundred  hearers,  who 
had  collected  from  considerable  distances  to  hear  him.  He  found  at 
Columbia  a  flock  of  between  two  and  three  hundred,  composed  largely 
of  Irish  laborers,  at  work  e.xcavating  for  a  canal.  There  being  no 
church  building  in  the  city,  he  preached  in  the  court-house,  to  a  large 
and  respectable  audience,  many  Protestants  being  in  attendance. 
Having  planted  the  seed  for  a  church  here,  as  well  as  in  other  places 
he  had  visited,  he  returned  to  Charleston  and  took  up  his  great  life 
work  in  that  city  —  a  work  which  has  made  his  name  historic  in  the 
annals  of  Catholicism.  He  began  a  course  of  lectures,  and  during 
th.e  Lenten  season,  taught  the  great  principles  of  his  faith,  in  a  way 
that  did  not  fail  to  awaken  serious  attention,  and  his  labors  were 
crowned  with  the  acivent  into  the  church  of  many  converts.  In  his 
diary,  kept  about  this  time,  he  made,  among  other  matter,  the  follow- 
ing entry:  "The  Catholics  who  live  here,  and  they  who  occasionally 
come  here,  were  in  the  habit  of  going  to  other  places  of  worship  — • 
Episcopal,  Protestant,  Methodist  and  Presbyterian  —  and  had  nearly 
lost  all  idea  of  Catholicity." 

Like  all  the  Irish  Catholics  of  the  day  in  which  he  lived,  he  lost 
no  time  in  taking  the  proper  steps  to  become  an  American  citizen, 
and  throughout  his  eminent  career  he  acted  the  part  of  a  loyal  sub- 
ject of  the  government  of  his  adoption,  was  proud  of  its  greatness 
and  ready  jealously  to  defend  its  honor.  Bishop  England's  efforts  in 
behalf  of  his  faith  were  not  confined  to  the  pulpit,  but  he  became  the 
real  founder  of  Catholic  journalism  in  America.  In  1822  he  estab- 
lished The  United  States  Catholic  Aliscellany,  and  for  twenty  years  the 
columns  of  that  publication  gave  evidence  of  his  masterful  ability  as 
an  erudite,  graceful  and  effective  writer. 

Bishop  England  was  a  fine  classical  scholar,  and  finding  that  the 
taste  for  the  classics  had  deteriorated  in  Charleston,  he  started  a 
school  in  which  were  numerous  scholars  from  the  best  families  in 
Charleston,  and  it  became  a  source  of  considerable  income  to  those 
students  who  were  fitting  themselves  for  the  priesthood,  the}'  taking 
charge  of  the  classes  in  the  school.  For  a  time  this  school  was  very 
prosperous,  but  at  length  it  evoked  the  jealousy  of  the  Protestant 
denominations,  after  which  its  success  was  greatly  curtailed.  Besides 
his  reformatory  efforts  in  church  lines,  Bishop  England  took  time  to 
engage  in  literary  and  scientific  work,  and  he  was  the  originator  of 
an  anti-dueling  association  which  became  effective  in  improving  the 
morals  of  society.  He  had  the  honor  to  be  invited  by  members  of 
the  national  house  of  representatives  to  deliver  a  sermon  before 
them  in  Washington.  He  accepted,  being  the  first  Catholic  who  had 
ever  preached  in  the  representative  hall.  This  fearless,  renowned, 
highly  cultivated  and  most  excellent  prelate  closed  his  earthly  career 


522  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

on  the  nth  of  April,  1S42,  lamented,  not  by  those  of  his  own  faith 
alone,  but  by  all  who  appreciated  his  eminent  and  unselfish  services 
to  his  fellow  men. 

RIGHT  REV.  PATRICK  NIESON  LYNCH,  D.  D., 

third  bishop  of  Charleston,  was  born  in  Ireland,  March  10,  181 7.  His 
parents  emigrated  to  America  in  1S19,  landing  at  Georgetown,  S.  C, 
but  settling  at  Cheraw,  in  that  state.  While  a  lad  young  Lynch 
entered  the  seminary  of  St.  John  the  Baptist,  at  Charleston,  at  the 
suggestion  of  Bishop  England.  By  too  strict  application  to  his 
studies  his  health  became  impaired  and  he  was  compelled  to  return 
to  Cheraw,  where  for  some  time  he  led  a  rural  life.  His  health  being 
restored  he  resumed  his  studies,  being  sent  to  Rome,  where  he  entered 
the  famous  college  of  the  Propaganda.  Here  he  was  graduated  with 
honors,  receiving  the  degree  of  D.  D.  He  was  ordained  priest  in 
1840,  and  returned  to  Charleston,  where  he  officiated  until  the  death 
of  Bishop  England  and  the  consecration  of  Bishop  Reynolds,  in  1844. 
He  was  placed  by  Bishop  Reynolds  in  charge  of  St.  Mary's  church 
for  the  next  eleven  years,  and  appointed  principal  of  the  Collegiate 
Institute  and  vicar-general  of  the  diocese.  Upon  the  death  of  Bishop 
Reynolds  in  1S55,  he  became  administrator  of  the  vacant  see,  and  on 
March  14,  1858,  he  was  consecrated  bishop  of  Charleston.  His  death 
occurred  February  26,  1882. 

When  South  Carolina  seceded  from  the  Union,  Bishop  Lynch  sup- 
ported the  Confederacy  with  zeal  and  ardor,  but  in  the  first  year  of 
the  war  the  new  cathedral,  in  which  his  large  congregations  met,  and 
his  residence  and  other  church  property,  were  burned.  This  calamity 
with  the  siege  and  bombardment  of  the  city,  had  the  effect  of  disin- 
tegrating his  church  membership,  many  of  his  flock  joining  the  army 
in  defense  of  the  Confederate  cause.  But  calamities  did  not  come 
singly  to  Bishop  Lynch.  When  Sherman  made  his  devastating 
march  to  the  sea,  his  church,  college  and  convent,  at  Columbia,  be- 
came also'  food  for  the  flames.  Archbishop  Hughes  at  that  time 
was  as  ardently  engaged  for  the  Union  cause,  as  Bishop  Ljmch  was 
for  the  Confederate,  and  had  gone  to  Rome  to  enlist  the  papal  au- 
thority in  favor  of  his  cause.  To  counteract — at  least  to  neutralize 
the  efforts  of  the  archbishop.  Bishop  Lynch  was  deputed  by  the  Con- 
federate government,  on  a  special  mission  to  France,  provided  with 
an  autogragh  letter  by  President  Jefferson  Davis  to  the  pope.  This 
journey  was  doubtless  a  work  of  supererogation,  and  it  was  at  the  cost 
to  the  bishop  of  the  almost  total  dispersion  of  his  church  member- 
ship. Besides  the  loss  of  the  church  property  by  conflagration,  he 
had  incurred  a  debt  of  more  than  $100,000,  borrowed  money,  mostly 
trust  funds,  which  had  been  deposited  with  him  by  poor  people  out  of 
their  small  savings.  To  re-build  the  cathedral,  college  and  convent, 
destroyed  by  fire,  would  require  an  outlay  of  $150,000  or  more.  To 
meet  his  indebtedness  and  the  contemplated  expenses  of  re-building 


SOUTH   CAROLINA.  523 

what  llie  flames  had  destroyed,  lie  had  no  resources  in  immediate 
view,  and  the  task  before  him  seemed  likely  to  tax  his  energies  for 
the  remainder  of  his  days.  But  he  went  about  his  work  with  a  hero- 
ism and  an  energy  that  did  him  great  credit.  He  made  his  wants 
known  outside  of  his  own  diocese,  and  spent  much  time  and  untiring 
labor  in  the  cause  of  his  church. 

Bishop  Lynch  was  the  po.ssessor,  naturally,  of  a  vigorous  constitu- 
tion, but  the  cares  and  perplexities  and  embarrassments  through 
which  he  was  called  to  pass  in  rehabilitating  his  diocese,  in  trying  to 
discharge  his  indebtedness  and  to  raise  funds  to  rebuild  his  destroyed 
structures,  were  undoubtedly  the  means  of  greatly  shortening  his 
days  and  lessening  his  usefulness.  Bishop  Lynch  illustrated  his  hu- 
mane, religious  and  unselfish  instincts  in  184S,  when  he  took  charge, 
regardless  of  danger  to  himself,  of  a  hospital  during  the  prevalence 
of  epidemic  yellow  fever.  He  persisted  in  caring  for  the  sick,  even 
after  he  himself  had  taken  the  disease,  and  only  suspended  his  ef- 
forts when  weakness  from  the  effect  of  the  disorder  compelled  him  to 
do  so.  Twenty  j-ears  or  more  later,  when  the  same  dangerous  epi- 
demic broke  out  in  Charleston,  he  was  absent  from  his  diocese,  but 
on  being  informed  of  its  spread  he  hastened  home  to  render  the 
same  kind  offices  to  the  suffering  that  he  had  rendered  on  the  former 
occasion.  He  was  not  alone  a  theologian;  he  was  a  fine  classical 
scholar  and  a  student  of  the  sciences.  He  was  a  facile  writer  and 
his  published  articles,  which  were  not  few,  exhibit  a  forcible  style  and 
profound  thought.  Many  of  his  writings  in  various  contemporary 
reviews  and  periodicals  were  afterward  collected  and  published  in 
book  form. 

RIGHT  REV.  IGNATIUS  ALOYSIUS  REYNOLDS, 

second  bishop  of  Charleston,  was  born  in  Nelson  county,  Ky., 
August  22,  1798.  At  an  early  age  he  entered  the  theological  semi- 
nary at  Bardstown,  Ky.,  to  which  place  his  father  had  removed  and 
settled  on  a  farm,  where  he  was  one  of  the  first  students.  He  entered 
St.  Mary's  seminary  at  Baltimore,  in  December,  1812,  where  he  fol- 
lowed a  complete  course  of  theology  and  also  enjoyed  the  advantages 
of  a  thorough  and  profound  training  in'the  phj'sical  sciences.  Hav- 
ing finished  his  course  with  distinction,  he  was  ordained  at  Baltimore, 
October  24,  1823.  He  immediately  returned  to  Kentucky  and  was 
soon  afterward  appointed  professor  of  St.  Joseph's  college  at  Bards- 
town, and  subsequently'  became  president  of  that  institution,  holding 
that  position  for  several  years.  He  was  appointed  successor  to 
Bishop  Kendrick,  professor  in  the  theological  seminary,  at  Bards- 
town, by  Bishop  Floget.  For  many  years,  subsequently,  he  was 
vicar-general  to  Bishop  Floget.  In  i84i,when  the  Episcopal  see  of 
Kentucky  was  transferred  from  Bardstown  to  Louisville,  Father 
Reynolds,  then  vicar-general,  paid  a  visit  to  Europe  to  recruit  his 
health,  after  which  he  proceeded  to  Louisville,  which  was  his  mission, 
united  to  which  were  the  duties  of  vicar-general.     He  remained  there 


524  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

until  1S44,  when  he  was  appointed  Bishop  of  Charleston,  upon  the 
death  of  Bishop  England.     He  was  consecrated    bishop,  March  19, 

1844,  in  the  Cathedral  of  Cincinnati,  after  which  he  proceeded  to 
Charleston  b}-  way  of  Baltimore.     He  died  March  g,  1S58. 

Bishop  Reynolds  was  a  worthy  successor  of  Bishop  England.  The 
labors  of  his  predecessor  in  a  diocese  composed  of  the  three  states 
of  North  Carolina,  Georgia  and  South  Carolina,  with  the  planting  of 
numerous  churches,  in  each  of  these  states,  had  opened  for  the  new 
bishop  an  extensive  field.  Bishop  England  had  been  highly  popular 
and  greatly  beloved  throughout  the  diocese,  and  Bishop  Reynolds 
found  his  new  charge  a  homogeneous  people  who  gave  him  a  cordial 
reception.     But  the  wants  of  the  church  are  ever  growing,  and  in 

1845,  Bishop  Reynolds  made  a  visit  to  Europe  to  solicit  funds  to- 
wards the  erection  of  a  cathedral  at  St.  Finbar.  He  was  success- 
ful, and  the  cathedral  was  erected,  and,  in  1854,  it  was  consecrated. 
In  his  eleven  years' administration  of  the  episcopate,  Bishop  Reynolds 
was  an  active  attendant  upon  all  the  ministerial  councils  of  his  church 
throughout  the  United  .States,  and  by  his  rare  learning  and  forceful 
eloquence  made  himself  effective  in  devising  plans  for  the  spread 
and  prosperity  of  Catholicism  in  the  country  at  large.  But  his  strict 
devotion  to  this  work  at  length  began  to  tell  upon  his  physical  powers, 
which  from  the  beginning  were  not  robust,  and  he  was  finally  com- 
pelled to  rest  from  his  more  arduous  efforts  in  behalf  of  the  cause. 
He  visited  Kentucky,  his  native  state,  with  the  purpose  and  hope  of 
recuperation,  but  soon  returned  to  his  diocese  with  health  still  im- 
paired. In  May,  1855,  the  bishops  in  council  at  Baltimore,  in  a  letter 
to  the  propaganda  at  Rome,  apprised  that  body,  that  Bishop 
Reynolds  had  finished  his  missionary  work  —  that  "  he  had  worn  him- 
self out  in  the  service  of  his  church."  But  even  amid  this  great 
pressure  of  missionary  and  priestly  work,  Bishop  Reynolds  found  time 
to  edit  the  "works"  of  his  illustrious  diocesan  predecessor.  Bishop 
John  England,  in  five  volumes,  at  Baltimore  in  1849. 

RIGHT   REV.  HENRY   PINCKNEY   NORTHROP, 

fourth  bishop  of  Charleston,  who  is  also  the  second  vicar  apostolic  of 
North  Carolina,  which  comprises  the  whole  state,  is  a  member  of  a 
highly  respectable  southern  family.  He  began  his  classical  education 
at  Georgetown  college  in  1853,  and  in  1856  entered  Mount  St.  Mary's 
college  at  Emmettsburg,  Md.,  from  which  he  graduated  in  1S60.  Then 
he  entered  the  seminary  there  from  which  he  graduated  in  1864.  He 
afterward  went  to  Rome  to  the  American  college,  where  he  was  or- 
dained, June  26,  1865.  Returning  to  his  native  land  he  at  once  en- 
gaged in  clearing  away  and  dissipating  the  dense  prejudices  which 
had  a  firm  hold  of  the  non-Catholic  population  of  the  south,  and  the 
thick  undergrowth  of  ignorance  among  many  of  his  own  people  in 
that  section.  In  1881  he  was  placed  at  the  head  of  the  vicariate,  hav- 
ing in  the  meantime  served  the  cathedral  at  Charleston  and  St.  Pat- 
rick.    Although  made  bishop  of  Rosalia  and  vicar  apostolic  of  North 


SOUTH   CAROLINA.  525 

Carolina  in  1881,  he  was  not  consecrated  by  Arclibishop  Gibbons 
until  January  8,  1S82.  January  27,  18S3,  he  was  translated  by  papal 
brief  to  the  see  of  Charleston,  retaining  the  vicariate  of  North  Caro- 
lina until  recently. 

For  a  time  after  his  return  from  his  visit  to  Rome  Father  Northrop 
was  attached  to  the  church  of  the  Nativity,  in  New  York,  where  he 
rendered  acceptable  service.  On  his  advent  to  Charleston  in  1S66  he 
was  stationed  as  assistant  pastor  at  St.  Joseph's  church,  a  position 
which  he  occupied  for  about  a  year.  In  1868  he  went  to  New  Berne, 
N.  C,  as  a  volunteer  for  mission  work  in  that  state,  remaining  there 
for  four  years.  At  the  end  of  this  period  he  returned  to  Charleston, 
S.  C,  acting  there  as  assistant  pastor  in  the  cathedral  aixl  pastor  at 
Sullivan's  Island.  He  acted  in  this  capacity  for  six  years,  then  for 
one  year  was  pastor  of  St.  Patrick's  church  in  Charleston.  In  1884 
he  was  present  at  the  third  plenarj'  council  of  Baltimore. 

REV.  JOSEPH   ALEXANDER. 

Rev.  Joseph  Alexander  was  born  about  the  year  1740.  He  gradu- 
ated from  Princeton  college  in  1760,  and  was  licensed  by  the  New- 
castle presbj'terj',  in  1767.  He  was  immediately  installed  pastor  of 
the  Sugar  Creek  Presbyterian  church  in  North  Carolina.  Here  he 
established  a  classical  school,  which  grew  to  be  one  of  the  most  popu- 
lar schools  in  the  south.  About  1765,  he  began  to  preach  occasion- 
ally at  Indian  Creek  and  Grassy  .Springs.  A  house  of  worship  had 
been  erected,  trustees  chosen  and  the  congregation  organized,  under 
the  name  of  Union.  The  site  of  this  church  was  on  Brown's  creek, 
some  four  miles  from  the  present  town  of  Unionville,  near  the  road 
leading  from  that  place  to  Pinckneyville.  The  church  edifice  was 
intended  for  the  use  of  both  Presbyterians  and  Episcopalians,  and 
this  was  why  it  was  called  Union  church.  It  was  a  place  of  some  note, 
and  finally  gave  its  name  to  the  county  in  which  it  was  situated.  Dr. 
Alexander  ministered  to  this  church  until  1773.  He  was  afterward 
installed  pastor  of  Bullock's  Creek  church,  where  he  remained  until 
1801.  On  the  27th  of  March  of  that  year  he  dissolved  his  connection 
with  that  church,  at  his  own  request  and  with  the  consent  of  the  peo- 
ple of  his  charge.  In  his  letter  to  the  presbytery,  giving  a  report  from 
his  congregation,  at  the  close  of  which  he  asked  a  release  from  his 
pastoral  relation,  he  said  that  his  church  consisted,  at  that  time,  of 
eighty-five  communicants.  He  had  baptized  eleven  adults,  and  seven 
hundred  and  fifty-three  infants.  /V  want  of  interest  and  harmony 
among  his  people,  was  given  as  his  reasdn  for  resigning  his  charge. 

In  1807,  the  College  of  South  Carolina  conferred  upon  Mr.  Alex- 
ander the  degree  of  D.  D.  Having  reached  a  good  old  age,  he  did 
not  seek  another  pastorate.  His  death  occurred  July  30,  1809.  Dr. 
Alexander  was  of  small  size  and  was  lame  as  reported  by  Gov.  David 
Johnson,  who  was  one  of  his  admirers.  He  was  endowed  with  fine 
accomplishments,  with  talents  of  the  highest  order,  and  was  an  uncom- 
monly animated  and  popular  pulpit  orator.     He  lived  through  the 


526  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

trials  and  excitements  of  the  Revolution  and  was  an  ardent  patriot. 
In  1807  a  small  volume  of  his  sermons  was  issued  at  Charleston.  He 
was  not  alone  distinguished  as  a  minister  of  the  gospel,  but  was  an 
educator  of  great  eminence.  For  this  he  was  honored  by  having 
Alexandria  college  named  for  him  by  special  act  of  the  South  Caro- 
lina legislature. 

GOV.  BENJAMIN  RYAN  TILLMAN. 

Hon.  Benjamin  R.  Tillman,  governor  of  South  Carolina,  was 
born  in  Edgefield,  that  state,  August  11,1847.  His  father  was  Ben- 
jamin R.  Tillman,  and  his  mother  was  Sophia  Handcock,  both  of 
whom  were  natives  of  South  Carolina.  The  ancestors  of  Gov. 
Tillman  emigrated  from  Virginia  to  South  Carolina  prior  to  the 
Revolutionary  war,  and  settled  in  the  Edgefield  district.  On  both 
sides  of  the  family  were  soldiers  of  the  Revolutionary  war.  Gov. 
Tillman  was  educated  at  Bethany  academy,  in  the  upper  part  of 
Edgefield  county.  At  the  age  of  si.xteen  or  seventeen  years,  young 
Tillman  left  school  to  join  the  Confederate  army,  but  a  week  later 
was  taken  seriously  ill  and  for  five  months  was  confined  to  his  bed 
and  was  an  invalid  for  two  years  following.  During  this  illness,  in 
1864,  an  abcess  destroyed  his  left  eye,  and  he  was  also  for  a  time 
paralyzed,  and  there  were  no  hopes  of  his  final  recovery  entertained. 
In  the  latter  part  of  1866  the  death  of  his  brother,  Capt.  James  Till- 
man, placed  the  governor  in  charge  of  a  large  plantation  of  3,500 
acres,  there  being  no  other  member  of  the  family  to  attend  to  the 
duties  of  the  plantation.  In  1867,  however,  he  went  to  Florida,  where 
his  mother  had  always  desired  to  live,  and  there  bought  a  plantation 
in  Marion  county,  residing  upon  the  same  for  two  years.  While  liv- 
ing in  Florida,  on  January  8,  1868,  he  was  married  to  Miss  Sallie 
Stark,  of  Georgia.  She  is  the  daughter  of  Samuel  Stark,  a  native  of 
Longtown,  Fairfield  county,  S.  C.  To  the  union  of  Gov.  Till- 
man and  wife  three  sons  and  three  daughters  have  been  born,  all  of 
whom,  with  one  exception,  are  living.  In  December,  1868,  Gov. 
Tillman  returned  from  Florida  and  located  on  the  old  homestead 
with  his  mother  and  two  sisters.  He  continued  to  liye  with  his 
mother  and  to  attend  to  her  affairs  until  her  death  in  1876,  after 
which  event  he  settled  upon  his  portion  of  the  estate  and  farmed 
with  good  success  until  his  election  as  governor  of  the  state.  In 
1882  Gov.  Tillman  was  a  delegate  to  the  state  democratic  con- 
vention, and  supported  Gen.  Bratton  for  governor.  There  was  a 
strong  pressure  about  this  time  to  have  him  stand  for  election  to  the 
legislature,  but  he  refused  outright  to  become  a  candidate.  At  about 
this  time  the  study  of  the  agricultural  interests  of  the  state  and  the 
system  then  pin-sued  gave  him  very  pronounced  ideas  as  to  the  needs 
of  a  reformation,  and  at  different  times  he  contributed  strong  articles 
to  the  agricultural  papers.  In  August,  1885,  the  state  agricultural  and 
mechanical  society  and  the  state  grange  held  a  meeting  at  Bentonville, 
which    Gov.   Tillman   attended  as  a  delegate,  and   read  an  address 


SOUTH    CAKOJ.INA.  527 

in  which  he  analyzed  the  cause  of  the  agricultural  depression  of  the 
state  and  the  remedy, and  demanding  better  facilities  for  the  educa- 
tion of  farmers  at  the  university  of  the  state,  the  re-organization  of 
the  agricultural  department,  establishment  of  experimental  farms, 
and  the  holding  of  farmers'  institutes.  This  convention  was  attended 
by  representatives  of  the  best  farming  interests  of  the  state,  and  his 
address  was  received  with  applause,  and  was  endorsed  in  an  emphatic 
manner.  This  brought  him  into  prominence  as  a  reformer  and  as  a 
champion  of  special  educational  facilities  for  farmers,  and  his  promi- 
nence and  popularit}'  increased  from  year  to  year  until  in  i8qo  he 
was  nominated  and  elected  to  the  office  of  governor. 

JOHN   PETER   RICHARDSON. 

The  following  sketch  was  taken  from  the  Sniulay  Xcws,  of  Charles- 
ton, S.  C,  December,  5,  1885:  John  Peter  Richardson  was  born 
in  Clarendon  county  fifty-five  years  ago.  He  was  the  son  of 
Gov.  John  Peter  Richardson,  who  was  the  son  of  John  Peter  Richard- 
son and  the  grandson  of  Gen.  Richardson,  of  distinguished  record 
before  and  during  the  Revolutionary  war.  Gen.  Richard  Richard- 
son moved  to  South  Carolina  from  Virginia  in  colonial  times,  and 
after  a  careful  examination  of  many  sections  of  the  state  settled 
upon  lands  in  Clarendon  county  on  the  Santee  river,  noted  for  their 
fertility  and  adaptability  for  agricultural  purposes,  and  there  acquired 
during  a  life  of  remarkable  enterprise  and  industry,  an  immense 
estate.  He  was  a  commander  of  the  forces  of  the  colony  in  the 
"snow  campaign,"  just  preceding  the  Revolution,  possessed  almost 
unbounded  infiuence  in  that  part  of  the  state,  and,  although  over 
eighty  years  of  age,  was  during  the  struggle  for  independence,  arrested 
by  Tarleton,  the  "  butcher,"  placed  on  a  horse  behind  a  trooper, 
carried  to  Charleston,  imprisoned  on  board  of  a  prison  ship  in  the 
harbor  and  was  only  released  in  time  to  enable  him  to  reach  home 
to  die.  Gen.  Richardson's  eldest  son,  James  Burchell  Richardson, 
was  elected  governor  in  1804,  and  his  grandson,  John  Peter  Richard- 
son, was  raised  to  the  same  office  in  1840,  while  a  member  of  congress. 
His  great-grandson,  the  subject  of  the  present  sketch,  is,  therefore, 
the  third  of  the  name  that  has  filled  the  gubernatorial  chair  of  South 
Carolina.  Two  other  descendants  of  Gen.  Richardson  have  held  the 
same  high  office  —  Gov.  Richard  J.  Manning  and  his  son  Gov.  John 
L.  Manning — while  many  more  have  won  distinction  in  the  councils 
of  the  state  and  nation.  It  is  worthy  of  note  that  Gov.  James  B. 
Richardson,  during  his  term  of  office,  was  the  leader  in  the  organization 
of  the  South  Carolina  college. 

John  Peter  Richardson,  the  worthy  scion  of  a  family  of  governors, 
spent  his  early  youth  almost  wholly  in  Clarendon  count}^  He  was 
not  placed  at  school  at  the  usual  age  because  of  the  lack  of  proper 
educational  facilities  in  so  isolated  a  country  neighborhood.  He  had, 
however,  the  advantages  of  the  cultured  and  refined  surroundings  of 
the  family  circle.     His  only  instructor,  with  the  exception  of  a  pri- 


528  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

vate  tutor  under  whose  care  he  was  placed  for  a  brief  period,  was  Mr. 
Leslie  McCandlass,  of  Camden,  a  distinguished  educator  of  that 
beautiful  and  historic  town.  Mr.  McCandlass  prepared  him  for 
admission  into  the  South  Carolina  college,  then  in  the  very  zenith  of 
its  reputation  and  usefulness,  under  the  administration  of  the  illustri- 
ous William  B.  Preston.  At  this  institution  he  graduated  in  1849,  in  the 
same  class  with  Judge  Charles  H.  Simonton,  Judge  W.  H.  Wallace,  Gen. 
James  Connor,  Maj.  Theodore  G.  Barker,  Col.  Thomas  Glover,  Capt. 
George  Cuthbert,  the  Rev.  T.  E.  Wannamaker,  Major  W.  K.  Leitner 
and  others,  who  have  distinguished  themselves  in  various  walks  of 
life.  This  class  was  the  largest  that  ever  graduated  from  the  college 
and  among  the  worthy  competitors  Gov.  Richardson  won  distinction, 
receiving  the  third  appointment.  He  was  elected  to  the  legislature 
from  Clarendon  in  1S56,  1858  and  i860,  thus  serving  through  the  most 
e.xciting  period  of  our  legislative  histor}'.  In  1S62  he  joined  the  army 
of  the  west,  acting  on  the  staff  of  Gen.  James  Cantey,  first  as  brigade 
and  after  as  division  inspector  general.  After  being  stationed  at  Mobile 
and  various  other  points  in  Alabama  and  Mississippi,  he  served  with 
Gen.  Cante}'  through  the  entire  campaign  of  .Sherman  and  Johnston 
from  Tennessee  to  Atlanta,  enduring  all  the  dangers,  privations  and 
hardships  of  that  remarkable  struggle  with  singular  exemption  from 
the  usual  accidents  of  battle.  His  service  was  continued  until  the 
surrender  of  Gen.  Lee. 

After  the  war,  his  ample  fortune  gone,  he  devoted  himself  to  his 
hereditary  occupation  of  agriculture,  in  the  attempt  to  retrieve  what 
war  had  so  effectually  destroyed.  Few,  even  among  Gov.  Richard- 
son's friends  know  of  the  labors  and  privations,  which  he  for  years 
assumed  with  steady  cheerfulness,  living  in  a  cabin  and  working  with 
a  hoe  in  the  fields.  His  services  were,  soon  after  the  war,  again 
called  in  requisition  by  his  friends  and  fellow  citizens,  who,  with  prac- 
tical unanimity,  elected  him  to  represent  them  in  the  convention  of 
the  people,  called  by  President  Johnson,  in  1865,  to  frame  a  provisional 
government  for  the  state.  Of  the  legislature  elected  under  the  con- 
stitution framed  by  that  convention,  Gov.  Richardson  was  elected  a 
member.  He  continued  to  sit  in  the  house,  and  for  a  time  in  the 
senate,  filling  the  vacancy  caused  by  the  election  of  ex-Gov.  Man- 
ning to  the  United  States  senate,  until  the  military  government  was 
inaugurated  by  the  action  of  congress.  He  was  active  as  an  unflinch- 
ing and  enthusiastic  democrat  in  organizing,  encouraging  and  leading 
the  apparently  hopeless  attempt  to  stem  the  flood  of  infamy  and  mis- 
rule, which  followed  the  reconstruction  acts  in  everj'  election,  by 
speech  and  example,  endeavoring  to  keep  perfect  the  consolidation 
of  the  democracy. 

In  1876  he  was  the  nominee  of  the  democracy  of  his  county  for  the 
house,  the  senator  holding  over,  but  was  defeated  by  a  largel}'  re- 
duced majority.  In  187S,  when  Clarendon  was  redeemed  from  radi- 
calism, he  was  elected  to  the  house,  and  in  iSSo,  was  made,  without 
opposition,  the  candidate  of  his  party  for  state  treasurer.  Elected  to 
the  treasurership  in  that  year,  he  was  unanimously  re-nominated  in 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  529 

1882  and  1884,  and  was  elected.  His  administration  of  the  treasury 
for  six  years  has  been  able  and  acceptable.  In  the  democratic  state 
convention  of  1885,  he  was  presented  as  a  candidate  for  the  gover- 
norship. On  the  first  ballot  he  received  forty-four  votes  more  than 
his  most  prominent  competitor,  and  continued  to  gain  until  on  a  third 
ballot  he  received  a  large  majority  of  the  votes  cast,  and  was  nomi- 
nated by  acclamation.     I  lis  election  was  without  opposition. 

In  1888,  after  an  able  administration.  Gov.  Richardson  was  nomi- 
nated for  a  second  term,  and  re-elected  without  opposition.  Gov. 
Richardson  has  administered  the  affairs  of  the  government,  over 
which  he  has  control,  with  ability  and  progressiveness.  His  educa- 
tional policy  has  been  particularly  liberal  and  progressive.  In  deal- 
ing with  the  other  race,  he  has  been  not  only  just,  but  very  merciful, 
and  as  the  result  the  negro  is  better  satisfied  and  more  prosperous 
than  he  has  been  since  his  emancipation.  During  the  last  four  years 
the  state  has  made  greater  progress  than  during  any  other  period  of 
similar  length  for  thirty  years. 

HUGH  L.  FARLEY 

was  born  in  Laurens  county,  S.  C.,  on  the  15th  of  June,  1S44.  He  re- 
ceived his  early  education  at  Laurens  academy  and  at  Kings  Moun- 
tain institute,  where  he  was  in  attendance  when  the  war  broke  out. 
He  enlisted  as  a  private  in  the  Third  South  Carolina  volunteer  in- 
fantry at  the  age  of  sixteen,  and  soon  after  his  enlistment  was  made 
a  sergeant  in  the  company.  At  the  end  of  his  term  of  service,  which 
was  twelve  months,  he  was  made  an  orderly  sergeant,  having  in  the 
meantime  been  acting  as  the  principal  drill  officer  of  his  company, 
which  was  G,  of  the  Third  volunteer  infantry  of  South  Carolina. 
Just  previous  to  the  battle  of  Fredericksburg  he  was  elected  ensign 
of  his  company.  Commencing  at  the  battle  of  Gettysburg,  he  served  as 
adjutant  in  the  place  of  Adjt.  Y.  J.  Pope,  who  was  wounded  in  that 
battle.  His  services  as  adjutant  continued  until  the  arrival  of  the 
regiment  at  Chickamauga,  at  which  time  he  was  ordered  to  report  to 
Gen.  J.  B.  Kershaw,  commanding  McLaw's  division.  He  served 
through  the  memorable  battle  of  Chickamauga  as  staff  officer  to 
Gen.  Kershaw,  and  was  sent  to  Richmond,  Va.,  to  represent  Gen. 
Longstreet's  corps,  in  company  with  two  non-commissioned  officers, 
to  carry  the  official  report  of  the  battle  of  Chickamauga,  and  to  bear 
to  the  seat  of  government  the  colors  captured  of  the  enemy  in  that 
battle.  At  the  same  time  he  was  recommended  for  promotion  on  ac- 
count of  brave  and  gallant  conduct  on  the  field.  This  service  per- 
formed, he  joined  his  company,  then  before  Chattanooga,  taking  com- 
mand. He  served  through  the  winter  campaign  in  east  Tennessee, 
and  was  wounded  before  Knoxville,  though  not  so  much  disabled  as 
to  necessitate  the  abandonment  of  his  command.  After  the  battle  of 
Knoxville  he  marched  to  Gordonsville,  and  was  soon  engaged  in  the 
battle  of  the  Wilderness,  where  he  was  shot  through  the  face,  suffer- 
ing a  severe  but  not  fatal  wound.     Recovering  in  time  to  take  part  in 

A— 34 


530  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

the  struggle  at  Cold  Harbor,  he  remained  with  his  company  and  reg- 
iment until  Grant  invested  Richmond  and  Fredericksburg,  and  then 
under  the  recommendation  which  had  been  tendered  him  for  promo- 
tion, he  was  transferred  to  the  cavalry  division  of  the  army  of  north- 
ern Virginia,  to  take  part  in  organizing  and  drilling  the  dismounted 
cavalry  of  that  army.  In  this  service  he  acted  as  adjutant  general  of 
the  dismounted  corps,  remaining  thereuntil  Sherman  reached  Savan- 
nah, at  which  time  he  was  ordered  to  Columbia,  S.  C,  on  detached  serv- 
ice. On  the  evacuation  of  Columbia,  Gen.  Farley  organized  a  party  of 
scouts,  marched  to  the  rear  of  Sherman's  army  and  harassed  its  out- 
posts till  the  close  of  the  war,  reporting  in  the  meantime  to  Gen. 
Joseph  E.  Johnston.  After  the  surrender,  the  scouts  were  discharged 
and  went  to  their  several  homes.  A  summary  of  Gen.  Farley's  mili- 
tary career  shows  him  to  have  been  actively  engaged  in  the  battles  of 
the  first  Bull  Run,  Yorktown,  Williamsburg,  the  seven  days'  struggle 
around  Richmond,  where  he  was  twice  wounded,  Winchester,  Freder- 
icksburg, Chattanooga,  Gettysburg,  Chickamauga,  Calhoun  Station, 
Knoxville,  where  he  was  slightly  wounded.  Bean  Station,  the  Wilder- 
ness, Cold  Harbor,  Deep  Bottom,  Petersburg,  Burgess'  Mills,  Cum- 
mings'  House,  Columbia  and  many  other  minor  engagements,  skir- 
mishes, etc. 

On  the  return  of  Gen.  Farley,  at  the  close  of  the  war  from  these 
numerous,  sanguinary  and  bravely  fought  battles,  he  was  chosen 
reading  clerk  of  the  house  of  representatives  of  his  native  state.  In 
1866  he  went  to  the  Sea  Islands,  and  engaged  in  the  raising  of  Sea 
Island  cotton,  in  which  business  he  continued  for  four  years  and  a 
half,  returning  to  Laurens  county  in  1869.  He  took  an  active  part 
in  the  disturbance  of  1870,  which  ended  in  the  famous  riot  at  Lau- 
rens, caused  by  the  resistance  of  the  people  to  the  radical  rule.  This 
popular  movement  was  undoubtedly  the  initiatory  step  toward  the 
general  uprising  which  occurred  in  1876.  Though  not  engaged  in  that 
riot.  Gen.  Farley  was  arrested  and  charged  with  participation  therein, 
and  was  kept  in  confinement  with  others  for  two  weeks,  but  was 
never  brought  to  trial.  He  then  moved  to  Spartanburg,  where  he 
engaged  in  the  railroad  service  for  four  years,  being  connected  with 
the  Spartanburg,  Union  &  Columbia.  He  then  became  the  editor  of 
the  Carolina.  Spartan,  and  for  four  years  conducted  that  paper  with 
rare  tact  and  ability,  taking  an  active  and  energetic  part  in  the  polit- 
ical campaign  of  1876,  both  as  editor  and  canvasser.  He  still  held 
his  editorship  for  two  years  after  that  memorable  contest,  in  the 
meantime  becoming  an  ardent  supporter  of  Gen.  M.  W.  Gary,  who 
conceived  and  inaugurated  the  campaign  in  which,  in  1876,  Gen. 
Wade  Hampton  was  elected  governor,  and  restored  the  supremacy 
of  the  white  race  in  South  Carolina.  In  1879  Gen.  Farley  went  to 
Edgefield,  and  engaged  in  the  study  of  the  law  in  the  ofifice  of  Gen. 
M.  W.  Gary,  and  made  such  acquirement  in  the  theory  and  practice 
of  that  profession  as  to  be  admitted  to  the  practice  the  next  year. 
He  then  returned  to  Spartanburg,  where  he  opened  a  law  office.  In 
1882  he  was  nominated  and  elected  to  the  legislature,  serving  through 


SOUTH   CAROLINA.  53I 

the  term  of  18S2-3.  He  kept  up  his  hiw  practice  till  1886,  when  the 
farmers'  movement  beyan.  He  was  then  called  to  Columbia,  where 
he  was  nominated  by  that  party  for  adjutant-.ifeneral,  but  was  defeated 
in  the  election  by  barely  four  votes.  In  the  beginning  of  that  move- 
ment he  had  identified  himself  with  it,  and  was  one  of  its  principal 
supporters.  In  i8go  it  swept  the  state  and  Gen.  Farley  was  triumph- 
antly elected  to  the  office  for  which  four  years  previous  he  had  suf- 
fered a  narrow  defeat.  He  has  frequently  been  the  choice  of  his 
party  as  delegate  to  its  state  conventions,  of  which  he  is  always  a 
leading  member.  He  is  a  genuine  scion  of  the  old  Virginia  and 
South  Carolina  stock  of  politicians.  Mr.  Farley  is  the  son  of 
William  R.  Farley,  a  native  of  Charlotte  county,  Va.,  who  was  born 
in  iSoo.  He  was  a  lawyer  by  profession,  and  came  to  South  Carolina 
while  yet  a  young  man.  About  the  year  1830  he  was  married  to 
Phebe  M.  Downs,  of  Laurens  county,  who  was  a  granddaughter  of 
Maj.  Jonathan  Downs,  of  Revolutionary  fame.  Mr.  b'arley's  grand- 
mother was  a  daughter  of  Maj.  Saxon,  who  also  took  a  conspicuous 
part  in  the  great  struggle  by  which  this  country  became  independent 
of  the  British  government.  Nine  children  have  been  born  to  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Farley,  only  four  of  whom  now  survive.  Mr.  Farley  is  the 
seventh  in  the  order  of  their  birth.  His  father  died  in  1859,  but  his 
mother  survived  till  November,  1887,  having  reached  the  ripe  age  of 
seventy-six  years.  It  will  be  seen  by  this  sketch  that  Gen.  Farley  has 
taken  a  conspicuous  part  in  public  affairs,  both  civil  and  military,  of 
his  state,  and  that  he  must  take  a  foremost  rank  among  the  makers 
of  its  more  recent  history. 

HUGH   SMITH   THOMPSON. 

Perhaps  no  man  of  late  years  has  brought  greater  honor  to  the 
old  Palmetto  state  than  the  Hon.  Hugh  Smith  Thompson,  at  pres- 
ent one  of  the  three  United  States  civil  service  commissioners.  He 
comes  from  a  line  of  men  who  have  from  time  to  time  added  new 
lustre  to  the  proud  old  southern  state  who  bore  them.  On  his  father's 
side  he  claims  Virginian  blood,  although  his  grandfather,  Waddy 
Thompson,  came  to  South  Carolina  early  in  life,  and  became  famous 
in  his  adopted  home.  For  nearly  a  quarter  of  a  century  he  was  one 
of  the  judges  of  the  court  of  equity,  and  is  the  man  to  whom  Gov. 
Perry  referred  when  he  said,  "  Had  he  cultivated  properly'  his  talents, 
he  might  have  been  one  of  the  great  men  of  America."  Another 
illustrious  member  of  the  family  was  Gen.  Waddy  Thompson,  Jr.,  an 
uncle  of  the  subject  of  this  mention,  who  represented  South  Carolina 
in  congress,  for  many  years,  and  during  the  presidency  of  William 
Henry  Harrison,  was  minister  to  "Mexico.  Through  his  mother 
he  is  descended  from  one  of  the  old  Huguenot  families  of  South 
Carolina.  Hugh  Smith  Thompson,  was  born  in  Charleston,  S.  C, 
January  24,  1836.  He  was  graduated  from  the  South  Carolina  mili- 
tary academy,  in  1856.  One  year  later  he  was  made  an  assistant 
professor  in  the  Arsenal  academy,  of  Columbia,  where  he  filled  the 


532  SOUTH   CAROLINA. 

chair  of  French  and  belles-lettres,  and  was  promoted  to  a  captaincy. 
At  the  beginning  of  the  war  he  warmly  espoused  the  cause  of  the  peo- 
ple with  whom  he  was  reared  and  educated,  and  was  placed  in  com- 
mand of  a  company  of  cadets  in  Charleston,  and  during  the  entire 
period  of  that  trying  time  was  found  at  his  post  in  that  city  and  else- 
where in  the  state.  At  the  close  of  the  war  he  was  placed  in  charge 
of  the  Columbia  male  academy,  which,  under  his  efficient  manage- 
ment, became  one  of  the  most  popular  and  thorough  schools  of  the 
south.  It  was  while  president  of  this  institution  of  learning  that  po- 
litical honor  was  first  thrust  upon  him.  In  1S76  he  was  elected 
state  superintendent  of  education,  by  the  democratic  party,  although 
the  position  was  neither  sought  after  nor  asked  by  him.  Thus  began 
the  career  of  this  man  who  has  so  modestly. carried  off  some  of  the 
greatest  honors  conferred  upon  American  citizens.  During  the  sum- 
mer and  autumn  of  the  memorable  year  of  1876,  this  man's  voice 
was  heard  throughout  the  state,  eloquently  proclaiming  against  radi- 
calism, and  such  was  his  fervor  and  earnestness  that  the  people  of  the 
whole  state  heard  and  loved  him  for  his  manliness.  From  his  home, 
under  the  shadow  of  the  Blue  Ridge,  to  the  "  City  by  the  Sea,"  which 
he  had  so  gallantly  defended  in  the  dark  hour  of  her  trial,  was  he 
heard  and  honored.  No  man  had  a  greater  anchorage  in  the  hearts 
of  the  people  than  he,  none  did  more  to  establish  Anglo-Saxon  su- 
premacy and  pure  government  in  the  dishonored  commonwealth. 
The  state  to-day  owes  her  efficient  public  school  system  to  HughS. 
Thompson.  In  this  connection  the  words  of  one  of  the  most  promi- 
nent educators  of  the  state  may  be  quoted.  Speaking  of  Mr.  Thomp- 
son's executive  ability  he  said:  "  He  did  more  for  popular  education 
in  the  state  than  any  other  man  South  Carolina  has  yet  produced." 
In  1878  and  again  in  1880,  he  was  elected  by  overwhelming  majori- 
ties to  this  high  position,  and  in  1882  was  offered  the  presidency  of 
the  South  Carolina  university,  which  he  was  about  to  accept  when 
unanimously  nominated  for  the  gubernatorial  chair  of  the  state. 

It  is  rare  in  these  days  to  find  a  man  in  political  life  who  has  not 
obtained  his  position  by  chicanery  and  intense  effort.  There  is  indis- 
putable evidence  that  Mr.  Thompson  neither  asked,  nor  expected 
this,  or  any  other  office  at  the  hands  of  the  people.  Indeed,  it  has 
been  clearly  proven  that  he  absolutely  refused  to  allow  his  name  to 
be  put  in  nomination,  and  the  following  article,  written  by  one  of  the 
ablest  men  of  the  state,  will  aniply  substantiate  this  assertion:  "  No 
combination  was  made  to  put  Col.  Thompson  in  nomination  until  the 
morning  of  the  day  of  the  convention.  It  was  the  spontaneous  act  of 
some  of  the  delegates  from  Anderson,  Greenville,  and  the  Pee-Dee 
country,  who  were  not  willing  to  support  the  other  candidates.  We 
have  personal  knowledge  of  this  fact,  and  a  similar  statement  is  made 
by  the  editor  of  the  Anderson  Thtcllio;cnccr,  who  was  one  of  the  dele- 
gates who  advocated  the  nomination  of  Col.  Thompson.  It  is  unques- 
tionably true  likewise  that  Col.  Thompson  declined  to  be  a  candidate 
for  re-nomination  of  superintendent  of  education,  because  he  intended 
and  desired  to  accept  the  presidency  of  the  South  Carolina  college, 


SOUTH    CAROLINA. 


533 


to  which  office  he  would  have  been  elected   at  the   meeting  of  the 
trustees  then  about  to  be  held.     Col.  Thompson  was  not  in  any  sense 
of  the  word  a  candidate  for  the  democratic  nomination  for  governor, 
and   this  announcement  was  made  in  the  convention  before  the  bal- 
loting began.     We   have  personal   knowledge,  also,  of  the  fact  that, 
after  his  name  had  been  put  in  nomination  the  result  of  the  first  ballot 
had  been  announced.  Col.  Thompson  sent  a  peremptory  message  to 
one  of  the  delegates  requesting  him  to  withdraw  his  name  absolutely. 
Col.  Thompson's  name  was  not  withdrawn,   however,  because  the 
delegate  to  whom  he  sent  his  message  was  satisfied  that  nothing  that  he 
could  say  would  avail  to  stop  Col.  Thompson's  support  by  those  who, 
without  his  authority,  and  even  without  his  knowledge,  had  brought 
his  name  before  the  convention."     On  the  second  ballot  he  received 
147   votes,    157   being  necessary  for  a  choice.     At  this  juncture  the 
names  of  the  other  candidates  were  withdrawn  and  Col.  Thompson 
was  nominated,  and  elected  governor  of  South  Carolina.     His  inau- 
gural  address   was  a  masterpiece,   simple,  yet  comprehensive.     We 
quote  the  following  passage  from  it:    "  Strict  economy  in  the  conduct 
of  government,  reduction  of  taxation  of  every  kind  to  the   lowest 
point  consistent  with  the  efficient  administration  of  government;  a 
judicious  tariff;  wise,  equal  and  just  laws  impartially  administered; 
the  prevention  of  oppressive  monopolies;  home  rule,  which  under  the 
constitution  of  the  United  States  shall  preserve  the  state  governments 
in  their  proper  spheres,  while  it  maintains  the  general  government  in 
its  proper  sphere;  popular  education  as  the  only  safeguard  of  free 
institutions;  the  sacred  preservation  of  the  public  credit,  federal  and 
state;  a  civil  service  reform  which  shall  regard  public  offices  as  public 
trusts  to  be  exercised  for  the  benefit  of  the  people,  and  not  for  party 
purposes,  and  which  shall  make  merit  the  test  for  appointment  to  and 
retention  in  office  —  these  are  some,  at  least,  of  the  demands  which 
the  people  make  of  their  chosen  public  servants.     Let  us  see  to  it 
that  South  Carolina  contributes  her  share  to  the  pure  administration 
of  public  affairs  by  keeping  her  state  government  true  to  the  prin- 
ciples  which   formed   the    political    creed    of    the    founders    of    the 
republic."     This  is  of  course  but  an  extract,  but  the  sentiment  goes 
to  show  the  calibre  of  the  man,  and  also  proves  him  to  be  the  author 
of  the  famous  sentence,  "  public  offices  are  public  trusts." 

Mr.  Thompson  was  placed  in  office  by  a  sweeping  majority.  In 
1884  he  was  again  nominated,  this  time  without  opposition,  and  was 
discharging  the  duties  of  governor  when,  on  June  30th,  1886,  he  re- 
ceived the  appointment  of  assistant  secretary  of  the  United  States 
treasury  from  the  hands  of  President  Cleveland.  Gov.  Thomp- 
son knew  nothing  of  this  appointment  until  called  to  Washington  by 
the  president.  It  was  entirely  unsought  and  unlooked  for.  Again 
the  man  was  to  be  distinguished  as  but  few  are,  while  calmly  doing  his 
duty  in  his  own  place.  Honor  sought  him,  and  he  was  found  ready 
to  fulfill  the  duties  of  the  arduous  task  with  ability  and  vigor.  While 
the  acting  secretary  of  the  treasury  he  undoubtedly  averted  what 
would  have  proved  one  of  the  most  fearful  financial  calamities  in  the 


534  SOUTH   CAROLINA. 

history  of  this  country.  In  the  summer  of  18S7,  while  some  were 
groaning  and  cowering  before  the  expected  storm,  tliis  man  stood  to 
his  post  and  forced  the  markets  and  securities  of  the  country  back  to 
their  normal  condition.  He  evinced  the  same  financial  ability  there 
that  brought  the  public  schools  of  South  Carolina  from  wreck  and 
debt  into  life  and  usefulness.  Americans  know  that  President  Cleve- 
land relied  on  Secretary  Thompson,  and  that  he  proved  Avorthy  of 
his  trust  by  turning  back  the  billows  of  bankruptcy.  In  February, 
i88q,  he  was  called  to  the  office  he  now  holds,  having  been  appointed 
by  President  Cleveland,  but  as  the  appointment  was  not  acted  on  by 
the  senate  he  had  the  honor  of  receiving  the  appointment,  to  that 
office  from  President  Harrison,  in  May  of  the  same  year.  Commis- 
sioner Thompson  is  a  true  representative  of  the  cultured,  well  poised 
southern  gentleman.  He  is  about  the  average  height,  of  rather 
slender  build  and  with  decidedly  handsome  features.  Seemingly 
calm  and  self-contained  on  all  occasions,  he  yet  strikes  one  as  a  man 
of  indomitable  determination  and  will  power.  His  mind  is  keen, 
aggressive  and  susceptible  of  grasping  everything  in  an  emergency. 
It  is  remarkable  that  with  his  great  financial  abilities  he  has  not 
amassed  a  fortune;  but  he  seems  to  have  turned  his  efforts  to  a 
higher  and  nobler  sphere.  He  has  been  content  to  give  his  life  and 
work  to  the  state  whose  people  have  loved  him  so  well. 

It  is  eminently  proper  that  this  sketch,  necessarily  brief,  should 
close  with  an  article  which  appeared  in  one  of  the  most  conservative 
and  able  newspapers  in  this  country.  It  was  written  at  the  time 
when  Mr.  Thompson  was  filling  the  ofifice  of  secretary  of  the  treas- 
ury, and  although  his  course  at  that  time  was  universally  endorsed  by 
•he  newspaper  press  generally,  this  article  is  selected  as  coming  from 
1  source  of  undisputed  reliability.  It  begins  thus:  "Several  south- 
erners have  won  fame  and  important  places  in  the  departments; 
among  them  is  Hugh  S.  Thompson,  ex-governor  of  South  Carolina, 
and  at  present  the  acting  secretary  of  the  treasury.  Gov.  Thompson 
has  for  months  borne  the  burden  of  the  national  finances  and  dis- 
charged the  full  responsibility  of  a  cabinet  minister.  He  has  shown 
an  exceptional  administrative  capacity,  coming  up  to  the  full  demand 
of  great  financial  needs.  He  has  shown  a  peculiar  ability,  meeting 
the  higher  requirements  of  exalted  position,  demonstrating  the  most 
valuable  qualifications,  grasp  of  duty  and  executive  supcriorit}'.  He 
has  a  quick  comprehension  and  instantaneous  decision  in  difficult 
matters,  and  a  frank  way  of  dealing  with  hard  questions  that  has 
kept  him  straight  as  a  die.  He  has  held  his  own  in  the  best  gather- 
ings of  strong  spirits,  grappling  with  great  questions  with  consum- 
mate tact  and  decision.  His  mind  is  clear  and  strong,  and  his  honesty 
crystal.  I  do  not  know  of  a  public  man  that  has  shown  more  capac- 
ity for  large  responsibilities  than  Gov.  Thompson,  and  he  has  im- 
pressed his  value  and  integrity  upon  the  ablest  and  broadest  men." 
And  again  quoting  from  the  leading  journal  of  his  native  state:  "  It 
is  pleasant  to  everybody  in  .South  Carolina  to  note  the  appreciative 
kindliness  of  the  comments  on  Gov.  Thompson's  apj^ointment  as  as- 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  535 

sistant  secretary  of  the  treasury.  From  newspapers  and  from  indi- 
viduals in  all  parts  of  the  United  States  come  hearty  expressions  of 
confidence,  besides  in  the  integrity,  impartiality  and  ability  which  he 
will  bring  to  the  discharge  of  his  duties.  The  people  of  his  state 
have  the  cheery  satisfaction  of  knowing  that  Gov.  Thompson  will, 
in  his  new  office,  as  in  every  other  office  he  has  held,  fully  deserve 
the  golden  opinions  that  have  been  expressed  concerning  him.  It  is 
well  known  that  Gov.  Thompson  did  not  seek  the  place  which  the 
president  has  conferred  upon  him.  Indeed  every  public  honor  which 
he  has  enjoyed,  or  which  has  been  offered  him,  has  come  to  him 
unsought." 

After  making  mention  of  Mr.  Thompson's  career  as  an  educator, 
the  article  goes  on  to  say:  "  His  example  is  well  worthy  the  consid- 
eration of  the  young  men  of  South  Carolina,  and  his  rapid  promotion 
from  one  high  position  to  another  may  well  afford  strong  encourage- 
ment to  ambitious  youth,  everywhere,  to  strive  to  rise  b}'  honest, 
earnest  work,  faithfully  performed  in  the  sphere  in  which  they  hap- 
pen to  be,  rather  than  by  changing  from  place  to  place,  and  from  task 
to  task,  in  the  hope  of  finding  something  worthy  of  their  efforts  and 
supposed  talents.  The  country  has  need  always  of  the  services  of 
capable,  honest,  earnest  men  in  the  public  offices;  and  the  people  of 
the  country  feel  the  need  of  such  men  more  and  more  every  year. 
They  are  not,  usually,  the  men  who  —  failing  at  everything  else  —  are 
forever  seeking  appointment  or  election  to  petty  offices.  The  career 
of  men  of  this  class  ends  where  it  begins.  It  is  only  the  man  or  the 
boy  who  proves  himself  too  large  for  a  small  place  in  any  calling,  by 
filling  it  full  and  overflowing  it,  that  is  entrusted  with  larger  responsi- 
bilities. This  is  the  lesson  taught  to  the  youth  of  -South  Carolina  by 
Gov.  Thompson's  successes  and  honors,  and  they  will  do  well,  every 
one,  to  lay  it  to  heart."  The  foregoing  article  will  be  thought  the 
more  of,  when  it  is  known  that  its  author  was  the  great  editor-captain, 
F.  W.  Dawson,  who  was  so  foully  murdered  in  Charleston,  some  time 
since.  A  letter  written  to  the  Boston  Herald,  by  the  Rev.  Dr.  Cook, 
of  Newton,  Mass.,  who,  at  one  time,  was  president  of  the  Claflin  uni- 
versity of  South  Carolina,  and  who  became  the  warm  personal  friend 
of  Mr.  Thompson,  pays  great  honor  to  that  gentleman.  It  runs  as 
follows: 

"The  papers  announce  the  appointment  Gov.  H.  S.  Thompson,  of 
South  Carolina,  as  assistant  secretary  of  the  treasury.  From  an  in- 
timate acquaintance  with  that  gentleman,  of  twelve  years,  and  a  resi- 
dence in  South  Carolina  of  ten  years,  I  feel  prepared  to  say  that 
President  Cleveland  could,  in  my  judgment,  have  made  no  better 
choice  for  that  responsible  and  difficult  position,  than  Gov.  Thomp- 
son. No  truer  man  can  be  found,  and  none  who  will  devote  himself 
more  intelligently  and  more  faithfully  to  the  public  interests  than  he. 
He  is  now  in  the  full  strength  of  a  liberal  culture  and  broad  views,  a 
progressive,  growing  man.  He  was,  I  believe,  educated  at  the  mil- 
itary institute,  in  Charleston,  an  institution  modeled  somewhat  after 
West  Point  academy,  scholarly  in  his  attainments,  and  yet  a  man  of 


53^  .  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

the  people.  When  Gen.  Wade  Hampton  was  elected  governor,  Mr. 
Thompson  was  placed  upon  the  same  ticket,  as  superintendent  of 
education,  the  duties  of  which  office  he  discharged  for  two  terms  with 
so  much  ability  and  impartial  justice  to  both  white  and  colored 
schools,  that  the  public  voice,  almost  by  acclamation,  designated  him 
as  candidate  for  governor  of  that  proud  commonwealth.  He  was 
generally  spoken  of  for  the  presidency  of  the  state  university,  at  Col- 
umbia, and  for  the  military  institute,  at  Charleston,  either  of  which 
would  have  been  a  lucrative  and  life-long  position.  But  he  obeyed 
the  voice  of  the  people,  and  was  elected  to  the  gubernatorial  chair. 
As  governor,  he  has  shown  the  same  evidence  of  superior  ability,  the 
same  devotion  to  the  public  interest,  and  the  same  unyielding  integ- 
rity of  principle,  that  he  did  as  superintendent  of  public  instruction. 
Mr.  Thompson  never  sought  political  life,  but  politics  sought  him,  and 
called  him  to  the  front,  because  the  people  believed  in  him.  Pro- 
gressive, and  yet  conservative,  he  accepts  the  situation  and  labors, 
to  produce  the  best  results  for  the  public  good.  I  predict,  that  it  will 
be  clearly  seen  at  Washington,  that  the  responsible  duties  committed 
to  his  hands  have  found  the  right  man  in  the  right  place.  All  honor 
to  Gov.  Thompson,  of  South  Carolina." 

Mr.  Thompson  was  so  fortunate  as  to  form  a  marriage  alliance 
with  Miss  Clarkson,  daughter  of  Thomas  Bolton  Clarkson,  of  Col- 
umbia, S.  C.  The  latter  was  a  lineal  descendant  of  the  Rev.  Thomas 
Boston,  the  famous  Scotch  divine. 

JAMES  EARLE  HAGOOD, 

clerk  of  the  United  States  circuit  court  for  the  district  of  South  Car- 
olina, is  a  native  of  Pickens  county,  S.  C,  and  was  born  November 
30,  1826.  His  father  was  Col.  Benjamin  Hagood,  who  was  a  native 
of  Edgefield  county,  S.  C,  and  was  born  about  1789.  For  forty-five 
years  previous  to  his  death  Col.  Hagood  was  a  resident  of  Pickens 
county,  where  he  followed  planting  and  merchandising.  He  was  one 
of  the  prominent  men  of  his  county,  and  for  many  years  represented 
what  was  then  known  as  the  old  Pendleton  district,  in  both  branches 
of  the  legislature.  (What  was  the  old  Pendleton  district  now  com- 
prises the  counties  of  Pickens,  Oconee  and  Anderson.)  Col.  Hagood 
was  an  old  line  whig,  and  was  a  strong  believer  and  supporter  of  the 
doctrines  of  Clay  and  Harrison,  and  yet  was  a  believer  in  nullifica- 
tion, and  in  1832  was  in  favor  of  his  state  seceding.  And  again  in 
i860  he  advocated  secession,  being  all  through  life  a  strong  believer 
in  states  rights.  He  met  with  success  through  life,  and  prior  to  the 
late  war  was  a  man  of  large  fortune.  But,  notwithstanding  his  losses 
occasioned  by  the  war  he  left  a  large  estate  at  his  death  in  1S65. 
His  wife  was  Adaline,  the  daughter  of  James  Ambler,  of  the  same 
neighborhood,  but  a  native  of  Scotland,  who  was  married  in  Charles- 
ton, S.  C.,to  Susan  Hagood,  who  was  an  aunt  of  Gov.  Johnson  Ha- 
good, of  Barnwell,  S.  C.  To  the  union  of  Col.  Hagood  and  wife  six 
children  were  born,  five  of  whom  survive,  and  all  li\c  in  the  imincdi- 


SOUTfr    CAROLINA.  537 

ate  neighborhood  of  I'ickens.     The  mother  died  in  1S74,  in  her  sev- 
enty-hrst  year. 

The  early  days  of  our  subject  were  spent  on  the  pkmtation  and  in 
the  store  in  Pickens  county.  His  education  was  obtained  in  the  pub- 
lic or  common  schools,  his  principal  preceptor  being  the  Rev.  John 
L.  Kennedy,  a  well  known  and  noted  educator  of  that  county  and 
section.  In  1856,  while  in  his  thirtieth  year,  he  was  elected  clerk  of 
the  circuit  court  of  Pickens  county,  a  position  he  filled  with  ability 
until  1S68.  After  the  war  he  read  law,  and  was  admitted  to  practice, 
and  from  1868  until  1873  was  the  law  partner  of  Judge  Joseph  K. 
Norton,  of  Pickens  Court  House.  He  represented  Pickens  county  in 
the  legislatures  of  1869-70-71,  and  on  April  21,  1S73,  was,  by  Judge 
Hugh  L.  Bond,  appointed  to  his  present  office  of  clerk  of  the  United 
States  circuit  court.  He  is  also  United  States  commissioner  and 
special  master  in  the  United  States  circuit  court.  Our  subject  was 
married  May  4,  iS47,to  Esther  Benson  Robinson,  who  was  born  in 
Pickens  county  on  April  i,  1829.  She  is  the  daughter  of  Dr.  John  and 
Eliza  Robinson,  of  Greenville,  S.  C,  and  granddaughter  of 
Gen.  John  Blossengame,  of  Greenville,  who  was  an  officer  in  the 
American  army  during  the  Revolutionary  war.  Mrs.  Hagood  died 
on  July  26,  1889.  To  their  union  ten  children  were  born, six  of  whom 
survive.  Our  subject  owns  the  old  homestead  in  Pickens  county,  and 
also  a  large  plantation,  besides  large  tracts  of  valuable  real  estate 
upon  which  are  cjuantities  of  timber  and  rich  deposits  of  mica,  asbes- 
tos and  other  minerals.  Since  he  arrived  at  manhood  Mr.  Hagood  has 
been  a  member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity. 


HON.  JOHN  WILLCOX, 

the  present  county  clerk  of  Marion  county,  S.  C.,  was  born  inAIarion, 
in  1S47,  on  the  2rstof  February.  He  is  the  son  of  John  Willco.x,  of 
whom  mention  is  made  in  another  place  in  this  volume.  Mr.  Willcox 
was  educated  in  the  county  schools  and  at  Davenport  college,  N.  C. 
His  collegiate  course  was  interrupted  by  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil 
war,  and  like  many  another  southern  student,  he  abandoned  his  books 
to  take  up  arms  in  defense  of  his  state.  In  the  latter  part  of  1864  he  en- 
listed in  the  South  Carolina  reserves,  under  command  of  Gen.  Blouch- 
ard,  as  sergeant  majer,  and  served  until  the  close  of  the  war,  in  1865. 
After  leaving  the  army,  Mr.  Willcox  returned  to  IVIarion,  and  resumed 
his  studies  for  a  year  or  two.  IniS67  he  accepted  the  position  of  book- 
keeper in  the  sheriff's  office,  and  was  occupied  in  that  position  until 
1879,  when  he  was  appointed  to  that  office  to  fill  an  unexpired  term. 
Upon  the  expiration  of  his  two  years'  term,  he  became  assistant  in 
the  county  clerk's  office,  and  in  June,  1882,  was  appointed  to  serve  the 
remainder  of  an  unexpired  term  in  the  clerk's  office.  In  1884  he  was 
elected  to  the  position,  and  again  in  1888.  During  the  year  1S69  he 
held  the  office  of  township  clerk,  and  in  all  these  positionsof  trust 
and  honor  he  has  evinced  much   efficiency,  and  the  utmost  integrity 


538  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

in  the  discharge  of  his  duties.  He  was  one  of  the  warmest  support- 
ers of  the  graded  school  system  at  Marion  at  the  time  of  its  estab- 
lishment, and  has  ever  taken  a  leading  position  on  progressive  lines. 
He  is  a  stockholder  in  the  cotton  mill  of  Marion,  and  is  a  prominent 
Mason,  and  also  a  member  of  the  K.  of  H.,  and  a  communicant  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  church.  In  18S3,  Miss  Lelia  Smith  became 
his  wife,  and  four  children  have  been  born  to  them,  the  survivors  be- 
ing John  A.  Willcox  and  John,  Jr. 

WILLIAM  J.  ASSMAN, 

clerk  of  the  court  of  his  native  county,  was  born  at  Sandy  Run,  Lex- 
ington county,  S.  C,  in  1841.  His  father's  name  was  Frederick  Will- 
iam, and  his  mother's  Mary  Kersh.  The  father  was  a  native  of  Ger- 
many and  the  mother,  though  born  in  Lexington  county,  was  of  Ger- 
man extraction.  Frederick  William  Assman  was  born  at  Enger, 
Westphalia,  one  of  the  western  provinces  of  Germany,  and  when  of 
school  age,  he  attended  the  German  school  until  his  fourteenth  year, 
when  he  emigrated  to  the  United  States  and  located  in  Lexington 
county  on  Sandy  Run,  where  he  began  working  in  a  general  merchan- 
dise store  owned  by  his  uncle.  He  afterward  purchased  the  business 
and  followed  that  and  planting  until  his  death  in  18S0.  He  was 
married  to  Mary  Kersh  while  living  in  Sandy  Run.  She  was  the 
daughter  of  Godfrey  Kersh,  also  a  resident  of  South  Carolina,  whose 
father  was  a  soldier  in  the  Revolutionary  war  and  was  killed  at  Sulli- 
van's Island.  The  issue  of  this  marriage  was  six  children,  though 
only  one  is  now  living.  Frederick  William  never  took  any  part  in 
politics,  but  held  one  or  two  appointive  offices,  such  as  commissioner 
of  roads  and  postmaster.  William  J.  Assman  was  educated  in  the 
common  schools  of  Lexington  county  and  was  about  ready  to  enter 
college  when  the  war  broke  out  and  he  enlisted  in  Company  A,  of 
the  Fifteenth  South  Carolina  infantry  regiment  in  1861.  He  served 
until  1864,  when  his  left  arm  was  shot  awa}-  in  a  skirmish  between 
Charlestown  and  Harper's  Ferry  with  Federal  cavalry.  He  was  also 
wounded  in  his  left  leg  at  the  battle  of  Gettysburg.  He  was  in  the 
army  of  northern  Virginia  in  Longstreet's  corps,  and  was  in  all  the 
battles  in  which  his  regiment  took  part.  He  was  taken  prisoner  and 
held  for  a  short  time  while  suffering  from  his  wounds,  but  on  recov- 
ering sufficiently  he  escaped  and  returned  home.  He  followed  no 
particular  business  until  1872,  when  he  was  elected  to  the  office  he 
now  holds,  and  which  he  has  held  continuously  since  his  election.  He 
was  married  in  1887  to  Mrs.  Alice  Drafts,  a  daughter  of  Uriah  Crout. 
He  is  a  stockholder  in  the  Lexington  Manufacturing  company  and 
the  Commercial  bank,  of  Columbia.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Luth- 
eran church,  and  he  and  his  wife  are  highly  respected  in  the  circles 
in  which  they  move.  In  his  official  capacity  Mr.  Assman  has  served 
the  people  of  his  county  long  and  faithfully,  and  has  gained  hosts  of 
warm  personal  friends. 


I 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  539 


EUGENE  ALONZO  WEBSTER, 

United  States  collector  of  inti;raal  revenue  for  the  district  of  South 
Carolina,  is  one  of  the  prominent  and  representative  citizens  of 
Orangeburg,  S.  C,  and  is  well  and  favorably  known  throughout  the 
state,  having  been  a  conspicuous  figure  in  the  politics  of  South  Caro- 
lina for  a  number  of  j^ears.  Mr.  Webster  is  a  native  of  Vermont,  but 
since  early  manhood  has  been  a  citizen  of  South  Carolina.  His  father 
was  the  Rev.  Alonzo  Webster,  D.  D.,  who  for  over  twenty  years  fol- 
lowing the  late  war  was  closely  identified  with  the  religious  and  edu- 
cational work  in  the  Palmetto  state.  Rev.  Webster  w^as  a  native  of 
Vermont,  in  which-  state  he  was  educated  for  the  ministry,  and  for 
years  he  was  a  prominent  Methodist  Episcopal  divine.  He  received 
the  degree  of  A.  M.  from  the  Middleborough,  Vt.,  college,  and  of  D.  D. 
from  the  Allegany  college.  During  the  war  he  served  for  a  time  as 
chaplain  of  the  Sixth  and  Sixteenth  Vermont  regiments,  and  was  also 
at  one  time  chaplain  of  the  Sloan  hospital  at  Montpelier  under  a  com- 
mission as  a  chaplain  of  the  United  States  arm}-.  Being  a  man  of 
more  than  ordinary  ability  in  church  work,  to  which  he  was  devoted, 
he  was  selected  by  Bishop  Baker  in  1865  to  come  to  South  Carolina 
and  re-organize  the  old  Methodist  Episcopal  church.  He  first  located 
at  Charleston,  where  he  remained  for  two  years,  removing  in  1868  to 
Orangeburg,  and  there  made  his  permanent  residence.  He  was  one 
of  the  founders  of  Claflin  university,  of  which  he  served  as  president 
for  several  years,  and  with  which  he  was  identified  until  his  death  in 
1887,  during  all  of  which  time  he  rendered  invaluable  aid  and  assist- 
ance to  the  cause  of  education  in  a  direction  most  needed.  His  mis- 
sion to  the  south  was  to  educate,  christianize  and  elevate  the  colored 
race,  and  there  is  to-day  ample  evidence  that  he  performed  his  mis- 
sion well.  In  1866  his  family  joined  him  in  the  south,  and  his  wife 
died  at  Orangeburg  in  1884.  Two  sons  were  born  to  Rev.  Webster 
and  wife,  our  subject  and  brother  D.  P.  Webster,  who  is  now  a  prom- 
inent physician  of  Brattleboro,  Vt. 

Mr.  Webster  was  born  at  Montpelier,  \'t.,  on  February  16,  1S49. 
He  had  the  advantage  of  good  schools,  and  was  prepared  for  college 
before  coming  south.  Erom  1S66  to  1868,  he  taught  school  in  Charles- 
ton, and  during  the  latter  year,  returned  to  \'ermont,  and  entered 
Wesleyan  university,  where  he  was  graduated  in  1872,  receiving  the 
degree  of  A.  M.,  three  3^ears  later.  The  same  year  he  returned  to 
South  Carolina,  joining  his  father  at  Orangeburg,  and  accepted  the 
chair  of  ancient  languages  in  Claflin  university,  which  he  acceptably 
filled  for  two  years.  In  the  meantime,  however,  he  engaged  in  the 
newspaper  business,  by  establishing  The  Citizcii,  at  Orangeburg,  which 
paper  he  successfully  conducted  until  1877.  Having  been  pursuing 
a  course  of  law  studies  after  leaving  college,  Col.  Webster  was  ad- 
mitted to  practice  in  the  courts  of  the  state,  in  1S77,  and  began  the 
practice  in  co-partnership  with  Abial  Lathrop,  the  present  United 
States  district  attorney,   for  South  Carolina.     In  1874  Col.  Webster 


540  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

became  identified  with  the  politics  of  the  state,  and  in  1S76  was  ap- 
pointed by  Gov.  Chamberlain  treasurer  of  Orangeburg  county,  which 
position  he  held  for  a  short  time  only.  In  August,  1889,  President 
Harrison  appointed  him  to  his  present  position  of  United  States  col- 
lector of  internal  revenue  for  the  district  of  South  Carolina,  which 
position  he  is  filling  with  entire  satisfaction  to  all  concerned.  For 
fifteen  years  Col.  Webster  filled  the  position  of  chairman  of  the  repub- 
lican committee  of  his  county,  and  for  the  past  ten  years  has  been  a 
member  of  the  state  executive  committee,  and  is  the  present  chair- 
man of  that  committee.  He  has,  since  becoming  identified  with  poli- 
tics, been  a  delegate  to  all  the  republican  state  conventions  of  South 
Carolina,  and  has  several  times  been  a  delegate  to  the  republican 
national  conventions.  In  1888  he  was  a  member  of  the  Chicago  con- 
vention, and  was  one  of  the  original  Harrison  men. 

For  years  Mr.  Webster  has  been  a  member  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church  and  has  been  quite  prominent  in  church  work.  He 
was  a  lay  member  of  the  general  conference  of  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal church  which  mefat  New  York  in  1888,  and  has  otherwise  been 
honored  by  the  church.  Mr.  Webster  was  married  in  1873  to  Miss 
J.  E.  B.  Dutton,  a  native  of  New  Hampshire,  who  died  in  1880,  in  her 
thirtieth  year,  leaving  a  son  and  daughter.  On  September  29,  1S90,  he 
was  married  to  E.  M.  Dickinson,  of  Chelsea,  Vt.  Mr.  Webster  is 
thoroughly  identified  with  the  material  prosperity  of  his  adopted  state, 
and  a  staunch  friend  and  supporter  of  the  state  and  her  institutions. 
Representing  as  he  does  the  minority  party  in  politics,  he  is  necessarily 
prominent  in  public  life,  and  his  conduct  has  always  been  such  as  to 
challenge  the  respect  and  good  will  of  his  opponents.  He  is  progressive 
and  enterprising,  liberal  in  his  views,  and  always  ready  to  encourage 
and  assist  all  worthy  movements  and  enterprises  having  for  their  object 
the  improvement  of  the  state  and  her  people.  As  a  champion  and 
educator  of  the  colored  race  he  has  followed  in  the  footsteps  of  his 
father,  and  like  his  memory,  is  esteemed  and  honored  universally  by 
that  people. 

HON.  ROBERT  HENRY  GLENN. 

The  Hon.  Robert  Henry  Glenn,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  was 
born  November,  2,  1S29,  on  the  Catawba,  near  the  North  Carolina 
line  in  York  county,  in  which  county  he  has  spent  his  whole  life  as 
one  of  its  most  respected  and  honored  citizens.  He  is  the  son  of 
William  and  Eliza  M.  (Boyd)  Glenn.  The  father  was  born  in  the 
place  as  his  son,  and  lived  and  died  there.  He  was  a  son  of  James 
Glenn,  Esq.,  a  Pennsylvanian,  who  served  in  the  Revolution,  having 
fought  in  the  battle  of  Kings  mountain.  Just  after  the  close  of  the 
war  he  removed  to  York  county,  S.  C,  and  remained  there  the  rest 
of  his  life  as  a  planter.  His  children  were:  James,  William,  John, 
Franklin,  Milton,  .Siimuel,  Elizabeth,  Mary  and  Martha.  William 
began  business  life  as  a  clerk  in  a  mercantile  establishment;  he  next 
became  a  teacher  and  finally  turned  his  attention  to  agriculture,  to 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  54  I 

which  ItIs  later  life  was  devoted.  He  was  the  father  of  the  following 
named  offspring:  John,  Jane,  James,  Robert  H.,  William,  Thomas, 
David,  Samuel  and  Parmelia.  I^obert  1  lenry  Glenn  was  reared  on 
the  paternal  plantation.  At  the  age  of  eighteen  years  he  left  school, 
having  laid  a  good  foundation  for  the  extended  reading  of  after  life. 
At  the  latter  age  he  began  an  apprenticeship  to  the  carpenters'  trade. 
Ten  years  later,  December  17,  1S57,  he  married  Miss  Elizabeth  Sim- 
ril,  who  died  in  1S81,  leaving  seven  children.  In. 1885,  Mr.  Glenn  was 
united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Virginia  Simril,  a  cousin  of  his  first  wife, 
lie  answered  his  people's  call  for  armed  men  in  April,  1861,  and 
joined  the  Confederate  army  as  a  captain  in  the  Fifth  South  Carolina 
regiment  commanded  by  Col.  Jenkins,  and  served  until  his  surrender 
with  Lee.  At  the  railroad  bridge  across  the  Rappahannock  in  Virgi- 
nia, Capt.  Glenn  was  sevexely  wounded  by  a  shell,  and  being  stricken 
Avith  typhoid  fever,  he  was  rendered  unfit  for  service  for  sometime. 
\\'hen  the  war  was  at  an  end  he  returned  home,  and  in  1866  was 
elected  sheriff  of  York  count}',  taking  charge  of  the  office  in 
1866,  on  the  22nd,  of  December.  His  term  of  service  was  only  ended 
by  his  resignation  in  1888.  His  record  as  sheriff  for  twenty-two  years 
and  eleven  days  is  unspotted.  In  November,  iSgo,  he  was  elected  to 
the  house  of  representatives.  Mr.  Glenn  is  a  Royal  Arch  Mason,  a 
member  of  the  L.  of  H.,  and  of  the  K.  of  H. 

GEORGE  IRVING  CUNNINGHAM 

was  born  in  Monroe  county,  Tenn.,  six  miles  east  of  Madisonville,  on 
September  8,  1835.  His  father  was  Abner  Cunningham,  a  native  of 
South  Carolina,  and  his  mother,  who  was  Celia  Stephens,  was  born 
near  Flat  Rock,  N.  C.  The  parents  were  residents  of  Monroe  county 
when  married.  George  Cunningham,  the  grandfather,  was  a  South 
Carolinian  and  a  soldier  in  the  Revolutionary  war.  Abner  Cunning- 
ham was  a  minister  of  the  Gospel  of  the  Christian  denomination. 
His  death  occurred  when  his  son  George  was  quite  young,  in  the  year 
1S47,  when  he  was. about  forty-three  years  old.  The  mother  departed 
this  life  in  1877,  at  the  age  of  sixty  years.  Of  the  six  children  born 
to  them,  one  is  now  living.  Mr.  Cunningham  remained  in  Monroe 
county  until  he  was  seventeen  years  of  age,  and  then  came  to 
Charleston,  in  company  with  a  Mr.  Metcalf,  with  whom  he  was  em- 
ployed. About  a  year  later  he  engaged  in  the  cattle  and  butchery 
business  for  himself.  Later  he  became  a  partner  of  Thomas  K. 
Brown,  with  whom  he  remained  until  the  close  of  the  war.  Subse- 
quently William  K.  Brown,  son  of  Thomas  K.,  went  into  partnership 
with  him,  and  the  firm  thus  formed  continued  for  twent}'  years.  For 
the  last  ten  or  twelve  years  Mr.  Cunningham  has  been  engaged  more 
particularly  in  raising  and  grazing  cattle.  He  owns  a  great  amount 
of  land  in  the  vicinity  of  Charleston.  During  reconstruction  he  was 
appointed  an  alderman  by  the  military.  In  1873  he  was  elected 
mayor  by  the  republican  party,  and  in  1875' was  re-nominated  'i^d 
elected.     Mr.  Cunningham    was   chairman  of   the  board  of   county 


542  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

commissioners  of  Charleston  county  for  1872,  and  re-elected  in  1874 
and  1876.  He  was  appointed  United  States  marshal  on  June  20,  1889, 
and  took  office  on  July  i.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity, 
president  of  the  Charleston  Waterworks  company,  and  various  other 
enterprises.  These  few  facts  by  no  means  comprise  the  biography  of 
Mr.  Cunningham,  but  they  show  in  a  slight  measure  how  completely 
he  has  the  respect  and  esteem  of  his  fellow  citizens. 

HENRY  TIMROD. 

It  is  not  for  the  matter-of-fact  pen  of  the  ordinary  biographer  to 
touch  the  tender  sentiments,  and  recite  with  fitting  pathos,  the 
memories  of  so  sweet  a  child  of  nature,  as  Henry  Timrod,  the  gentle 
minstrel  of  the  old  south  state.  Among  the  many  gifted  children  of 
verse,  whom  the  south  has  produced,  none  ranks  higher  than  Henry 
Timrod.  All  literary  men  of  America,  who  have  a  fair  knowledge  of 
our  own  writers,  are  familiar  with  his  poetic  works,  although  the  poet 
died  at  a  very  early  age.  The  father  of  Henry  Timrod  was,  himself, 
a  most  remarkable  man  —  one  of  great  conversational  and  poetic 
genius.  He  came  of  wealthy  ancestors,  but  an  unfortunate  secret 
marriage  wasted  his  funds,  and  the  father  of  our  subject,  at  an  early 
age,  apprenticed  himself  to  a  bookbinder,  and,  in  after  life,  he  wrote 
quite  a  number  of  poems,  which  are  both  remembered  and  admired 
by  the  literary  people  of  the  south.  He  held  a  lucrative  position  at 
the  time  of  his  death  in  the  Charleston  custom  house.  The  son, 
Henry  Timrod,  was  educated  in  the  best  schools  of  Charleston.-  He 
entered  college  at  the  age  of  seventeen,  and  matriculated  at  the  Uni- 
versity of  Georgia.  There  his  vivid  intelligence  and  scholarly  ardor 
began  to  assert  themselves,  and  he  sought  to  enlarge  his  culture  and 
refine  his  taste,  by  continual  converse  with  the  classics.  And  it  was 
at  this  interesting  period  of  his  life,  when  the  mind  was  yet  untutored 
by  rough  usage  with  the  world,  and  varied  experience  with  men,  that 
he  conceived  some  of  the  best  poems  of  his  life.  His  style  is  a  mani- 
fold one,  writing  as  he  did  in  the  triple  school  of  heroic,  sentimental 
and  patriotic  verse. 

Poets  are  to  a  great  extent  creatures  of  their  nativity  and  environ- 
ments; thus  the  Norse  masters  sang  the  praise  of  heroes,  unmoved 
by  sentiments  of  love,  and  unsoothed  by  a  soft  creation  of  tropic 
birth.  The  Roman  poet  sang  of  deeds  of  arms,  of  violence,  blood  and 
military  prowess,  but  to  the  poet  of  the  south  has  been  conceded  the 
laurel  crown  of  victory  for  those  more  natural  effusions  which,  ema- 
nating from  nature,  appeal  more  strongly  to  nature's  heart.  The 
young  poet's  college  career  was  brought  to  a  sudden  close  by  a 
period  of  ill  health,  followed  by  a  premonition  of  the  grim  destroyer 
in  the  way  of  several  severe  hemorrhages  of  the  lungs.  i\fter  leaving 
college  he  entered  the  law  office  of  the  celebrated  James  L.,  after- 
ward chief-justice,  Petigru.  In  1848-9  he  contributed  a  number  of 
poems  to  the  Soitllicni  Mcsscno;cr,  which  excited  great  admiration  for 
their  literary  worth.     The  necessity  for  immediate  means  required 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  543 

him  to  drop  the;  law  and  devote  his  time  to  teaching.  In  i860  our 
poet  removed  to  old  Columbia  where,  by  the  aid  of  a  friend,  he  be- 
came part  owner  and  associate  editor  of  the  South  Carolinian.  Be- 
fore entering  upon  his  duty  on  the  12th  of  January,  1864,  he  married 
Miss  Goodwin,  a  young  English  lady  of  good  family  and  graceful  ac- 
complishments. A  little  volume  contains  most  of  the  published 
works  of  Mr.  Timrod,  edited  and  published  by  no  less  a  man  than 
the  poet,  Paul  H.  Hayne,  and  for  the  benefit  of  those  who  have  never 
read  a  poem  by  Mr.  Timrod  we  take  the  following  two  verses  at  ran- 
dom from  the  work.  The  poem  is  entitled  "Second  Love,"  in  which 
he  pleads  an  excuse  for  having  loved  another. 

**  It  was  indeed  that  early  love, 

But  foretaste  of  this  second  one  — 
The  soft  light  of  the  morning  star 
Before  the  morning  Sun. 

"  .She  might  have  been  —  She  was  no  more, 
Tlian  what  a  prescient  hope  could  make  — 
A  dear  presentiment  of  thee, 
I  loved  but  for  thy  sake." 

The  poet  died  in  October,  1867,  and  admiring  friends  have  erected 
a  handsome  monument  to  his  memory. 


ALBERT  H.  MOWRY. 

Among  the  well  known  early  citizens  of  Charleston,  S.  C,  who  for 
many  years  ranked  as  one  of  the  leading  and  most  enterprising  men 
of  that  city,  was  Smith  Mowry,  grandfather  to  Mr.  Albert  H.  Mowry, 
the  present  efficient  postmaster  of  Charleston.  He  was  a  native  of 
Smithfield,  R.  I.,  and  was  born  March  17,  1795.  About  1816  he  re- 
moved to  Charleston,  but  in  1823,  returned  to  his  old  home  where, 
on  September  23,  of  that  3'ear,  he  was  married  to  Amy,  daughter  of 
Lewis  Dexter,  of  -Smithfield.  Smith  Mowry  was  for  many  years  a 
successful  cotton  factor  in  Charleston,  and  occupied  positions  of  emi- 
nent usefulness  and  responsibility.  He  was  active  in  many  enter- 
prises of  his  adopted  home,  and  was  an  energetic  director  of  the 
South  Carolina  railroad  company.  He  was  among  the  foremost  to 
suggest  the  building  of  the  Northeastern  railroad,  of  which  company 
he  also  became  a  director.  He  was  president  of  the  Southwestern 
telegraph  company,  and  a  director  in  the  Union  bank,  of  Charleston. 
When  Smith  Mowr}^  became  of  age  his  father  gave  him  a  certain 
portion  of  lumber  from  his  farm  for  his  own.  This  he  cut  and  drove 
to  Providence  for  the  purpose  of  shipping  it  south,  thinking  to  realize 
more  on  it  than  by  selling  in  the  local  market.  This  he  shipped  on  a 
vessel  for  Charleston,  coming  with  it.  On  coming  to  Charleston,  a 
stranger,  he  found  it  difficult  at  first  to  secure  the  business  he  sought, 
but  he  persevered  and  soon  established  himself.  By  his  business  sa- 
gacity and  unostentatious  manner,  he  rose  rapidly  to  the  position 
of  one  of  the  largest   merchants   in   the  city  and  accumulated  during 


544  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

his  life,  a  handsome  estate.  His  death  occurred  March  i6,  iS6f,  and 
that  of  his  wife,  i\Iay  q,  1874.  There  were  seven  children  born  to  this 
marriage,  as  follows:  Lewis  Dexter,  born  June  22,  1824;  Elisha  Cook, 
born  September  16,  1S26;  Edward  Smith,  born  August  31,  1S28;  Lydia 
Comstock,  born  in  Smithfield,  R.  I.,  September  11,  1835,  Albert,  born 
September  10,  1839  and  died  August  22,  1842,  at  New  Rochelle,  N.  Y. 
Lewis  Dexter  Mowrj',  the  father  of  Postmaster  Mowry,  was  for  many 
years  one  of  the  leading  business  men  of  Charleston.  When  a  mere 
youth  he  entered  his  father's  business  and  afterward,  Avhen  it  came 
into  his  hands,  largely  extended  it.  He  served  as  president  of  the 
Union  bank  and  was  interested  in  many  enterprises  of  the  city.  He 
retired  from  active  business  in  1SS4,  and  since  June,  1S85,  has  been 
residing  at  Englewood,  N.  J.  He  was  married  March  12,  1846,  to 
Margaret  D.  McNellage,  and  two  children  were  born  to  them  as 
follows:  Albert  Haven,  and  an  infant  son  who  lived  only  a  few 
weeks. 

Albert  Haven  Mowry  was  born  in  Charleston,  July  2,  1S47.  He 
was  educated  in  the  private  schools  of  the  city,  finishing  his  educa- 
tion at  the  Cheraw  institute.  In  1864  he  entered  the  Confederate 
service  in  Company  D,  Sixth  .South  Carolina  cavalry,  Butler's  brigade, 
Hampton's  division  of  Johnson's  corps,  and  served  until  the  final 
surrender,  his  parole  being  received  at  Hillsboro,  N.  C,  April  26,  1865. 
On  the  first  of  the  September  following  he  returned  to  Charleston, 
and  upon  his  father's  resumption  of  his  old  business  he  clerked  for 
him  until  January,  1869,  and  was  then  taken  into  the  house  as  a  full 
partner.  The  business  was  wound  up  in  1884,  and  he  then  accepted 
an  appointment  in  Washington  city,  January  7,  1886,  as  secretary  of 
the  committee  on  public  buildings  and  grounds  of  the  house  of  rep- 
resentatives, which  position  he  resigned  in  April,  1887.  He  was  ap- 
pointed postmaster  on  March  31st,  1887,  by  President  Cleveland,  and 
qualified  on  April  10,  1887.  Mr.  Mowry  was  selected  by  the  president 
to  fill  the  unexpired  term  of  the  late  B.  F.  Huger,  and  in  December 
of  the  same  year  was  nominated  by  President  Cleveland  and  con- 
firmed by  the  United  States  senate  in  the  early  part  of  the  fiftieth 
congress.  It  is  but  proper  here  to  state  that  Mr.  INIowry  made  no  ap- 
plication for  the  position,  but  was  appointed  by  President  Cleveland 
without  his  knowledge  or  any  solicitation  on  his  part.  This  appoint- 
ment was  due  principally  to  the  honorables  Wade  Hampton,  Samuel 
Dibble  and  Hugh  S.  Thompson.  In  1876  Mr.  Mowry  was  compli- 
mented by  the  appointment  as  ordnance  officer  on  the  staff  of  Gen. 
B.  H.  Rutledge,  which  position  he  held  for  four  years.  Mr.  Mowry 
is  a  member  of  Washington  lodge  No.  5,  F.  &  A.  M.,  Delta  Lodge  of 
Perfection,  No.  14,  and  of  Rosequoix  Chapter.  He  is  also  a  member 
of  both  the  K.  of  H.,  and  K.  &  L.  of  H.,  of  Congressional  lodge, 
N.  U.,  of  Charleston  Port  society,  St.  Patrick's  Benevolent  society, 
Hibernian  society.  New  England  society  and  of  the  Charleston  and 
Queen  City  clubs.  Mr.  Mowry  was  married  on  January  12,  1869,  to 
Emma,  the  daughter  of  H.  M.  Manigault,  of  Charleston,  and  to  them 
have  been  born  the  following  children:     Lewis  Dexter,  born  October 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  545 

24,  1869;  Albert  liuvcn,  born  October  22,  1870;  Adele  Manijrault, 
born  April  30,  1872,  died  October  20,  1872;  Emma  Manigault,  born 
August  I,  1874;  Helen  Middleton,  born  October  6,  1876;  Louise 
Parker,  born  August  29,  1878,  died  May  7,  1882;  Celestine,  born 
December  11,  1879;  Ethel  Drayton,  born  October  17,  1881;  Henry 
Manigault,  born  July  7,  1883,  died  February  i,  188S;  Julian  Parker, 
born  September  19,  1885;  Mildred  Wells,  born  July  20,  1888,  and 
Rosalie,  born  February  2,  1890. 

GENERAL  JAMES  W.  CANTEY, 

one  of  the  most  distinguished  military  men  in  South  Carolina,  and  a 
descendant  of  one  of  its  oldest  and  most  honored  families,  was  born 
November  30,  1794.  a  son  of  that  most  gallant  soldier,  James  Cantey. 
No  history  of  South  Carolina  would  be  complete  without  honorable 
mention  of  this  eminent  gentleman,  but  the  biographical  annals  of 
the  state  are  so  replete  with  the  history  of  this  family  that  a  detailed 
sketch  of  Gen.  Cantey's  ancestry  would  be  a  work  of  supererogation 
within  the  limits  of  this  volume.  It  is  sufficient  to  say  that  on  both 
the  paternal  and  maternal  line  of  his  progenitors  were  some  of  the 
bravest  and  most  patriotic  defenders  of  the  American  colonies  in  their 
struggle  to  free  themselves  from  British  domination,  and  protect 
themselves  from  the  incursions  of  the  savage  aborigines.  Gen.  Cantey 
was  educated  in  his  native  state  and  in  Georgia.  His  fathef  placed 
him  in  Col.  Morgan  Brown's  store  at  Sandersville,  Ga.,  in  181 1,  and 
he  held  the  position  of  clerk  when  the  war  of  1S12  broke  out.  He 
joined  a  volunteer  cavalry  company,  enlisted  in  Georgia  under  Capt. 
John  Irwin,  son  of  Gov.  Irwin,  of  Georgia,  and  fought  in  the  Creek 
war.  He  was  elected  a  lieutenant  of  the  South  Carolina  militia  in 
1814,  and  in  1816  was  appointed  brigade  quartermaster  by  Gov.  Will- 
iams. In  1S19  he  organized  a  corps  of  volunteer  infantry  in  Cam- 
den, and  in  1821  was  unanimously  elected  major  of  the  Twenty-second 
regiment.  He  was  made  colonel  in  1823  and  commanded  the  regi- 
ment until  the  re-organization  of  the  militia  in  1833,  when  he  was 
elected  brigadier-general  of  the  Fifth  brigade  by  the  state  legislature. 
Gov.  Richardson  appointed  him  adjutant  general  in  1841,  and  the  leg- 
islature elected  him  to  the  same  position  for  seven  successive  terms. 
In  1 82 1  Gen.  Cantey  was  elected  sheriff  and  served  one  term  in  that 
office.  In  1832  his  political  sympathies  were  in  consonance  with  the 
nullification  doctrines  of  John  C.  Calhoun,  and  he  rendered  that  great 
leader  and  his  party  efficient  aid.  He  was  sent  to  the  legislature  in 
1838,  as  the  representative  of  the  Kershaw  district,  and  was  one  of 
the  leading  members  of  that  body.  Gen.  Cantey  married  Camilla  F. 
Richardson,  daughter  of  John  P.  Richardson,  and  a  large  family  of 
children  was  the  issue  of  the  marriage. 

COLONEL   FRANKLIN   WHITNER   KILPATRICK, 

who  was  killed  at  the  battle  of  Lookout  Mountain,  was  one  of  the 
most  brilliant   and   promising   military  officers  of  his  age,  which  the 

A— 35 


546  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

State  of  South  Carolina  has  ever  produced.  He  was  born  near  Pen- 
dleton, Anderson  county,  S.  C,  September  30,  1837.  His  father  was 
John  C.  Kilpatrick,  and  he  was  born  in  what  is  now  Oconee  county. 
He  was  the  son  of  Col.  John  C.  Kilpatrick,  who  commanded  a  regi- 
ment in  the  war  with  the  Florida  Indians.  He  was  born  in  South 
Carolina,  but  his  parents  were  natives  of  Ireland.  Col.  Kilpatrick's 
mother,  before  marriage,  was  Amanda  Whitner,  a  native  of  Edge- 
held  county,  having  been  bofn  near  the  state  lime,  opposite  Augusta, 
Ga.  She  was  the  daughter  of  Col.  B.  F.  Whitner,  whose  father, 
Joseph  Whitner,  emigrated  from  Germany  to  this  country.  Wlien 
Joseph  Whitner  was  on  his  way  to  America  with  his  parents,  the  ves- 
sel in  which  they  sailed,  and  which  was  owned  by  his  father,  was 
shipwrecked  on  the  river  Rhine  and  the  parents  were  both  lost.  He 
together  with  his  sister  came  to  America,  he  being  then  a  mere  lad. 
Col.  Kilpatrick's  father  died  in  1840,  but  his  mother  survived  until 
1885.  Their  only  surviving  children  are  Mrs.  Clara  Livingston,  widow 
of  the  late  Col.  J.  W.  Livingston,  of  Seneca,  and  Mrs.  Gideon  Lee,  of 
New  York.  Col.  Kilpatrick  received  his  collegiate  education  at 
Franklin  college  and  at  the  University  of  Virginia.  Upon  the  break- 
ing out  of  the  Civil  war,  though  he  was  then  a  very  j-oung  man,  he 
organized  a  company  and  was  chosen  its  captain.  His  company, 
however,  was  not  called  for  just  at  the  time,  and  being  a  very  enthus- 
iastic supporter  of  the  Confederacy,  he  became  impatient  of  the  de- 
lay and  entered  another  command  as  a  private.  The  company  which 
he  entered  wa!s  commanded  by  Col.  James  M.  Perrin,  and  the  regi- 
ment by  Col.  Gregg.  He  served  in  this  regiment  only  a  few  months 
when  an  opportunity  came  for  his  company  to  enter  the  war.  Re- 
turning home  he  re-organized  the  company  and  re-entered  the 
service  as  its  captain.  The  enlistment  was  for  one  year  and  the  com- 
pany served  the  full  term  in  the  Fourth  regiment  of  South  Carolina 
volunteers,  commanded  by  Col.  J.  B.  E.  Sloan.  Upon  the  expiration 
of  his  term  of  service  in  1862,  he  re-enlisted  and  was  at  once  made 
colonel  of  the  Second  regiment  of  South  Carolina  volunteers.  He 
was  a  gallant  and  heroic  officer  and  held  his  command  until,  in  the 
battle  of  Lookout  Mountain,  he  was  killed,  October  29,  1863.  He 
participated  in  several  of  the  most  sanguinary  and  important  battles 
of  the  war,  among  them  being  the  First  and  Second  Manassas,  Peters- 
burg, Cold  Harber,  Chancellorsville,  Fredericksburg,  the  seven  dajs' 
fight  and  Gettysburg.  The  Confederate  army  did  not  possess  a  more 
fearless  or  loyal  soldier  and  commander.  Brave,  intrepid,  patriotic 
and  full  of  enthusiasm,  he  entered  the  war  with  all  the  ardor  of  a 
hero,  and  until  shot  clown  at  his  post  of  duty,  never  wavered  or 
shrunk  from  the  defense  of  his  cause.  At  the  time  he  was  killed, 
steps  were  being  taken  by  his  superiors  in  command  to  promote  him 
to  the  rank  of  brigadier-general,  and  though  he  was  then  only 
twenty-six  years  of  age,  had  he  been  spared  a  few  days  longer,  he 
would  have  been  the  recipient  of  this  richly  deserved  honor.  From 
the  time  the  war  broke  out  until  the  day  of  his  death  he  was  one  of 
tHe  most  ardent  and  spirited  supporters  of  the  Confederacy  that  held 
a  place  in  the  southern  army. 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  547 


OCTAVUS  COHEN, 


founder  of  The  Daily  IVor/d  and  The  Sunday  Budg-et,  and  managing 
editor  of  the  several  publications  of  the  World- Budget  Co.,  comes  of 
one  of  the  oldest  and  best  known  Hebrew  families  in  the  south.  It 
is  a  matter  of  history  that  the  first  Jewish  synagogue  erected  in  the 
southern  states  was  built  by  Mr.  Cohen's  great-great-grandfather,  at 
about  the  time  the  first  president  of  the  United  States  was  a  schoolboy. 
Mr.  Cohen  was  not  born  in  Charleston,  but  in  Montgomery,  Ala. 
(where  his  father  was  temporarily  looking  after  business  interests), 
August  29,  1S60.  He  was  educated  in  the  best  schools  Charleston 
afforded  —  schools  that  were  famous,  and  from  which  men  have  gone 
forth  to  honor  every  class  of  professional  endeavor.  His  primary 
newspaper  business  was  acquired  in  Cohoes,  Troy,  Albany  and  New 
York  city.  But  before  he  entered  journalism  he  made  several  trips 
across  the  Atlantic,  visiting  some  of  the  principal  cities  of  Europe, 
and  thereby  acquiring  a  knowledge  of  the  ways  of  the  world  that  has 
been  of  incalculable  advantage  to  him  in  his  newspaper  work.  Leav- 
ing regular  newspaper  work  for  awhile,  Mr.  Cohen  edited  a  special 
department  for  the  American  Press  Association,  and  wrote  a  series 
of  syndicate  articles  over  the  noni  de  plume  of  "  Crispin,"  and  "  Octy 
Cohen,"  which  were  published  all  over  the  American  continent,  and 
won  him  considerable  notoriety.  He  returned  to  Charleston  in  1887, 
and  established  The  Sunday  Budget.  It  was  a  success  from  the  first 
issue,  and  soon  opened  the  way  for  TJie  Daily  World,  which  under 
vigorous  and  careful  management,  at  once  went  to  the  front  among 
leading  southern  newspapers.  In  the  spirited  political  state  cam- 
paign of  1S90,  instituted  by  the  farmers'  movement,  The  PVorld  stood 
alone  among  the  dailies  of  the  state,  and  by  dint  of  hard  and  con- 
scientious work,  had  the  pleasure  of  seeing  its  candidates  elected. 
Besides  being  a  newspaper  writer  of  pleasing  powers  —  deep  and 
analytical,  or  light  and  sparkling,  as  occasion  may  require  —  Mr. 
Cohen  is  the  author  of  at  least  two  opera  librettos,  two  comedy-melo- 
dramas, a  southern  play,  and  a  high  grade  drama  depicting  life  in  the 
Elizabethan  age.     He  is  a  married  man. 

JAMES  CALVIN  HEMPHILL, 

managing  editor  of  The  N'ews  and  Courier,  of  Charleston,  was  born 
at  Due  West,  Abbeville,  county,  S.  C,  May  i8,  1850.  He  was  the  son 
of  Rev.  W.  R.  Hemphill,  D.  D.,  many  years  professor  of  history  and 
belles-lettres,  at  Erskine  college;  a  grandson  of  Rev.  John  Hemphill, 
D.  D.,  in  his  day  one  of  the  most  eminent  theologians  of  the  Associ- 
ate Reformed  Presbyterian  church,  and  a  nephew  of  John  Hemphill, 
chief  justice  of  the  supreme  court  of  Texas,  and  senator  of  the  United 
States  and  the  Confederate  States.  The  characteristics  of  his  Scotch- 
Irish  blood,  strong,  accentuated,  determined  will,  high  character  and 
intellectual  force,  still  mark  the  descendants  of  the  protogonist  of  the 


548  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

family  in  tliis  country,  the  Irish  Presbyterian  emigrant,  who  settled  in 
Chester  county,  S.  C,  over  a  century  ago.  The  family  name  is  well 
known  in  literary  and  professional  life,  in  more  than  five  southern 
states  and  still  has  its  representative  in  congress.  James  C.  Hemp- 
hill, was  educated  in  the  village  schools  and  at  Erskine  college,  Abbe- 
ville count}',  from  which  he  was  graduated,  with  the  baccalaureate 
degree,  in  1S70.  In  1S71,  he  taught  school  for  three  months,  in  Ken- 
tucky, after  which  he  returned  to  South  Carolina,  and  engaged  for 
the  first  time  in  journalism,  as  editor  of  the  Abbeville  Medium.  The 
bent  of  his  mind,  and  the  characteristics  necessary  for  distinction  and 
pre-eminence  in  the  fourth  estate  were  so  clearly  indicated  by  his 
career  in  the  limited  field  of  provincial  journalism,  that  he  was,  in 
April,  1S80,  offered  a  position  on  the  reportorial  staff  of  The  Nezvs  and 
Courier,  of  Charleston,  and  in  1882,  was  put  in  charge  of  the  news 
bureau  of  that  paper,  at  the  state  capital,  Columbia.  In  1S85,  he  was 
promoted  city  editor,  and  from  time  to  time,  acted  as  managing 
editor,  during  the  absence  of  Capt.  F".  W.  Dawson,  in  Europe  and 
elsewhere.  After  the  murder  of  Capt.  Dawson,  in  March,  1889,  Mr. 
Hemphill,  was  elected  manager  and  editor-in-chief  of  The  News  and 
Coitricr,  which  position  he  has  since  filled  with  ability. 

Mr.  Hemphill  has  probably  confined  himself  so  much  to  the  en- 
grossing duties  of  the  editorial  chair  that  comparatively  few  have  any 
idea  of  his  ability  in  other  fields.  A  literary  address  before  his  alma 
7nater  in  1883,  and  a  number  of  articles  in  The  News  and  Courier  bear- 
ing indisputable  marks  of  their  authorship,  prove  conclusively  Mr. 
Hemphill  could  have  obtained  other  than  the  ephemeral  fame  which 
is  the  reward  of  the  arduous  labors  of  the  journalist  of  the  past  and 
present.  In  Mr.  Hemphill  are  found  administrative  and  executive 
abilities  of  a  high  order,  as  shown  in  the  management  of  The  News 
and  Courier  since  the  death  of  its  virtual  founder,  Capt.  Dawson,  as 
well  as  a  capacity  for  gauging  the  requirements  and  meeting  the  de- 
mands of  the  public  for  a  representative  guide  as  well  as  index,  of 
public  opinion.  He  writes  with  logical  force  and  perspicuous  clear- 
ness, which  occasionally  gives  way  in  semi-editorials  to  a  fertile  fancy 
which  he  cannot  and  would  not  suppress.  Intensely  devoted  to  the 
interests  of  the  south  in  general  and  of  his  native  state  in  particular, 
he  has  "in  scorn  of  consequences"  and  without  regard  to  the  com- 
ment or  criticism  of  men  or  newspapers,  consistently  defended  all 
that  was  highest  and  holiest  in  the  principles  of  the  south,  past  and 
present;  but  he  is  as  quick  to  applaud  and  approve  the  right  as  to 
denounce  the  wrong,  whether  in  friend  or  foe,  and  no  one  ever  wins 
his  friendship  or  makes  his  acquaintance  without  being  convinced  of 
his  transparent  truthfulness,  his  ability  and  the  geniality  and  warmth 
of  his  nature. 

MAJ.  DAVID  FRANKLIN  BRADLEY, 

a  prominent  and  honored  citizen  of  Easley,  S.  C,  was  the  son  of 
Maj.   Joel    Bradley,  a    native   of   Pickens   county,    by   occupation   a 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  549 

farmer.  His  fatlicr  gained  his  military  title  by  service  in  the  state 
militia.  He  died  in  1881.  He  was  the  son  of  Ambrose  Bradley, 
whose  progenitors  came  from  England  and  settled  in  Virginia.  The 
mother  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch  before  marriage  was  Plllen 
Scolds,  a  native  of  Buncombe  county,  N.  C,  who  died  in  1858.  She 
was  of  Scotch  descent.  Maj.  David  F.  Bradley  was  born  in  Pickens 
county,  S.  C,  September  5,  1842.  He  passed  his  early  life  on  a  farm 
in  his  native  county,  but,  in  1859,  he  went  to  Florida,  from  which 
state,  in  April,  186 1,  he  entered  the  Confederate  service,  in  Com- 
pany A,  Second  Florida  regiment,  known  as  the  Pensacola  Rifle 
Rangers.  In  that  regiment  he  served  until  the  battle  of  the  Wilder- 
ness, in  which  he  lost  his  left  arm.  He  was  also  wounded  in  the  left 
hip  in  the  same  engagement.  Previous  to  this,  in  the  battle  of 
Fraser's  Farm,  he  had  been  wounded  in  the  right  shoulder,  and  as  a 
result  had  been  compelled  to  spend  two  months  in  the  hospital.  He 
entered  the  army  as  a  private,  but  was  promoted,  first  to  the  rank  of 
orderly  sergeant,  second  to  that  of  second  lieutenant.  After  the  bat- 
tle of  the  Wilderness  he  spent  one  month  in  a  hospital,  where  he  was 
assigned  to  duty  in  the  enrolling  department  of  Florida.  But  while 
en  route  for  that  state  he  was  intercepted  by  Gen.  Sherman  and 
obliged  to  return  home.  In  1865  he  resumed  his  studies  in  a  country 
school,  and  from  that  time  until  186S,  attended  school  and  taught 
alternately.  In  the  latter  j'ear  he  was  elected  school  commissioner  of 
Pickens  county,  in  which  capacity  he  served  six  consecutive  years, 
having  been  twice  re-elected.  In  1871  he  helped  to  found  the  Pickens 
Sentinel,  of  which  he  was  sole  editor  until  1SS5,  during  all  of  which 
time  he  held  a  proprietary  Interest  in  the  establishment.  For  a  part  of 
that  time  he  was  the  sole  owner.  During  his  incumbency  of  the  of^ce 
of  school  commissioner,  and  his  connection  with  the  Pickens  Sentinel, 
he  resided  at  Pickens.  It  was  while  he  was  school  commissioner  that 
the  free  school  system  was  established  in  Pickens  county,  and  upon 
retiring  from  the  commissionership,  in  1874,  he  was  elected  to  the 
lower  branch  of  the  state  legislature,  where  he  served  two  terms. 

In  1878  Mr.  Bradley  was  elected  to  the  state  senate;  serving  in 
that  body  the  constitutional  term  of  four  years.  He  was  appointed  by 
President  Cleveland,  internal  revenue  collector  for  South  Carolina  in 
1885,  and  held  the  position  from  that  year  until  1SS9,  when  he  resigned, 
owing  to  the  change  in  the  administration.  During  that  time  his 
residence  was  at  Columbia,  but  in  the  fall  of  1889,  he  returned  to 
Pickens  county  and  located  at  Easley,  where  he  still  resides.  In 
1879  he  was  elected  by  the  state  legislature,  a  member  of  the  board 
of  penitentiary  directors  of  South  Carolina,  serving  in  that  capacity 
until  1885,  when  he  resigned  to  accept  the  office  of  internal  revenue 
collector.  During  the  last  three  years  he  was  chairman  of  the  board. 
He  is  a  democrat  in  political  faith  and  an  elder  in  the  Presbyterian 
church.  Ever  since  the  war  he  has  been  identified  with  the  farming 
industry  and  is  the  owner  of  a  stock  and  dairy  farm  near  Easley.  He 
is  president  of  the  Easley  oil  mill,  Fertilizer  &  Ginnery  company,  in 
which  he  is  one  of  the  largest  stockholders.     He  is  a  stockholder  also, 


550  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

and  at  one  time  was  a  director  in  the  Carolina,  Cumberland  Gap  & 
Chicago  railroad,  only  a  portion  of  which  road,  however,  is  in  opera- 
tion. He  is  one  of  the  trustees  of  the  Easley  high  school  and  chair- 
man of  the  board.  In  February,  1891,  he  helped  to  establish  The 
Easley  Democrat,  of  which  he  has  since  been  editor  and  joint  owner. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity.  In  politics  he  has  already 
taken  an  active  interest  and  as  a  popular  speaker  in  the  political 
forum,  he  has  taken  a  high  rank  and  made  a  most  creditable  record. 
He  has  served  as  chairman  of  the  democratic  committee  of  Pickens 
county  a  number  of  years  and  been  a  delegate  to  a  number  of  the 
state  conventions  of  his  party.  Maj.  Bradley  was  married  in  Novem- 
ber, 1865,  to  Mary  B.  Breezeale,  of  Pickens  county. 

FRANCIS  W.  DAWSON, 

late  editor  and  proprietor  of  the  Ncii's  and  Courier,  the  leading  paper 
of  Charleston,  .S.  C,  and  of  the  south,  was  born  in  London,  England, 
May  17,  1840.  He  was  educated  in  the  schools  of  London,  in  which 
he  made  rapid  progress,  maintaining  a  high  standard  in  his  classes. 
He  early  exhibited  a  great  fondness  for  literature,  and  after  com- 
pleting his  studies  devoted  considerable  attention  and  time  to  liter- 
ary work.  For  several  years  prior  to  i860  Capt.  Dawson  paid 
particular  attention  to  the  industrial  and  social  condition  of  the 
United  States,  and  became  deeply  interested  in  the  causes  which  led 
to  the  destruction  of  the  Union  and  the  secession  movement  of  the 
southern  states.  He  was  in  London  when  the  news  of  the  fall  of 
Fort  Sumter  was  received,  and  immediately  resolved  to  come  to 
America  and  serve  in  the  Confederacy.  He  felt  convinced  that  the 
constitution  had  been  violated;  that  the  south  was  fighting  for  liberty 
and  self-government,  and  that  it  was  his  privilege  and  duty  to  take  sides 
with  her  in  the  fight.  No  opportunity  offered  of  coming  to  America 
until  the  steamship  Nashville,  in  which  Mason  and  Slidell  were  to 
have  sailed,  reached  Southampton,  England,  and  Capt.  Dawson  then, 
armed  with  letters,  approached  the  commander,  Capt.  Pegram,  and 
made  known  his  wishes  and  intentions.  He  was  so  youthful  that 
the  captain  refused  to  aid  him,  and  so  dismissed  the  matter.  But 
Capt.  Dawson  was  deeply  in  earnest  and,  taking  advantage  of  the 
captain's  absence  in  London  a  few  days  before  the  Nashville  sailed, 
assumed  the  garb  of  a  sailor  and  was  enlisted  by  the  first  lieutenant 
of  the  vessel.  During  the  homeward  voyage  of  the  Nashville  his  ad- 
mirable conduct  secured  the  applause  of  all  the  officers  and  men 
al)oard,  and  immediately  after  running  the  blockade  at  Beaufort, 
N.  C,  he  was  appointed  master's  mate  in  the  Confederate  States  navy 
upon  the  recommendation  of  Capt.  Pegram.  This  was  in  the  early 
part  of  1862,  and  from  that  time  until  the  summer  of  1S65  Capt.  Daw- 
son did  his  whole  duty  manfully,  earnestly  and  without  complaint. 

After  reaching  the  Confederacy  Dawson  was  ordered  to  tluly  at 
Norfolk,  Va.,  where  he  served  for  a  short  time.  He  was  next  ordered 
to  New  Orleans,  but  upon  approaching  the  city  discovered  that  his 


SOUTH- CAROLINA.  55 1 

ship  had  gone  down,  and  that  the  city  had  been  captured  by  the 
enemy.  He  was  next  ordered  to  the  James  river,  but  soon  afterward 
resigned  his  position  in  the  navy,  and  took  service  as  a  private  in 
Pcrcell's  battery,  Field's  i^rigadc,  Mill's  division,  army  of  northern 
Virginia,  in  June,  1862.  In  the  engagement  of  Mechanicsville,  he 
was  badly  wounded,  on  June  25,  1862,  but  did  not  leave  his  gun  until 
so  exhausted  from  loss  of  blood  that  he  was  carried  from  the  field. 
For  his  service  and  the  bravery  and  gallantry  displayed  on  this  oc- 
casion, he  was  commissioned  lieutenant.  Before*  he  had  fully  recov- 
ered from  his  wound  he  applied  for  a  position  in  the  ordnance  corps, 
passed  a  brilliant  examination,  and  was  ordered  to  duty  in  August, 
1862,  with  Longstreet's  corps,  as  assistant  ordnance  officer,  with  rank 
of  first  lieutenant  of  artillery,  in  which  he  served  until  the  fall  of 
1864.  After  the  battle  of  South  Mountain,  in  1862,  Dawson  was  cap- 
tured by  the  Federal  cavalry,  and  was  confined  at  Fort  Delaware, 
being  exchanged  just  in  time  to  take  part  in  the  battle  of  Fredericks- 
burg, in  December,  1862.  He  was  with  Longstreet  through  the 
Gettysburg  and  East  Tennesee  campaigns,  and  was  by  his  side  when 
he  was  wounded  and  Jenkins  was  killed  at  the  Wilderness. 

In  the  winter  of  1863-4  he  passed  an  examination  for  promotion, 
and  received  his  commission  as  captain  of  artillery  in  May,  1864. 
After  his  promotion  he  was  relieved  of  his  command  at  his  own  re- 
quest and  appointed  ordnance  officer  of  Fitzhugh  Lee's  division,  and 
in  this  capacity  served  through  the  Valley  campaign  to  Five  Forks, 
in  March  31,  1865,  where  he  was  wounded  in  the  shoulder.  He  took 
part  with  bravery,  valor  and  distinction  in  the  following  battles: 
Mechanicsville,  Second  Manassas,  Fredericksburg,  Gettysburg,  Chat- 
tanooga, Knoxville,  Wilderness,  Spottsylvania  C.  H.,  north  side 
lames  River,  1864,  Valley  of  Virginia,  1864,  Five  Forks,  1865.  He 
was  wounded  at  Mechanicsville,  June  26,  1862,  at  Harrisonburg,  Va., 
1864,  at  Five  Forks,  March  31,  1865.  Was  taken  prisoner  of  war  near 
Williamsport,  Va.,  on  September  14,  1862,  and  released  on  parole  in 
October,  1862.  He  surrendered  at  the  close  of  the  war  and  was  pa- 
roled in  May,  1863.  After  the  war  Capt.  Dawson  went  to  Peters- 
burg, Va.,  but  failing  to  find  congenial  employment  there  he  removed 
to  Richmond  in  July,  1865,  where  he  began  arrangements  with  a 
friend  for  publishing  a  small  weekly  paper.  Before  the  first  issue 
could  be  made  the  office  was  seized  and  closed  by  the  Federal  officer 
in  command  at  Richmond.  A  little  later  Capt.  Dawson  was  offered 
a  position  on  the  Richmond  Examiner,  which  he  accepted  and  held 
until  that  paper  also  was  suppressed  by  the  Federal  authorities.  In 
March,  1866,  he  accepted  a  position  on  the  staff  of  the  Richmond 
Dispatch,  which  position  he  resigned  in  September,  1866,  and  was  ap- 
pointed an  agent  of  the  National  Express  and  Transportation  com- 
pany, which  company  failed  soon  afterward. 

In  the  fall  of  1866  Capt.  Dawson  was  offered  and  accepted  the 
position  of  assistant  editor  of  the  Charleston  Mercury,  and  he  arrived 
in  Charleston  on  November  10,  1866.  In  the  fall  of  1S67,  Capt.  Daw- 
son, with  others,  purchased  the  Charleston  Nezus,  which  they  published 


55-2  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

a 5  the  Nezvs  until  April  3,  1S73,  when  they  purchased  the  old  Charleston 
Courier,  and  consolidated  the  two  papers  under  the  name  of  the  News 
and  Courier.  Capt.  Dawson's  journalistic  and  political  career  was 
bright,  energetic,  brilliant  and  conservative,  and  he  rendered  invalu- 
able aid  and  service  to  his  adopted  state  and  city  during  her  darkest 
days.  On  the  field  of  battle,  he  was  brave,  courageous  and  brilliant, 
and  as  a  journalist  he  was  able,  conscientious  and  progressive.  His 
death  occurred  in  Charleston,  on  Tuesday,  March  12,  1889,  having 
been  foull}'  murdered  by  a  citizen  with  whom  he  had  remonstrated 
for  his  conduct  in  regard  to  a  member  of  his  household,  in  the  person 
of  a  governess  for  his  children. 

JAMES    TOWNES    ROBERTSON. 

a  prominent  citizen  of  Abbeville,  was  born  in  Abbeville  county,  near 
Diamond  Hill,  in  1S32.  His  parents  were  Francis  P.  and  Elizabeth 
(Hollinand)  Robertson,  both  of  whom  are  natives  of  Virginia.  Fran- 
cis P.  Robertson  was  born  in  Lunenburg,  and  his  wife  in  Culpepper, 
county.  He  was  the  son  of  \\  illiam  Robertson,  also  a  native  of  Vir- 
ginia, born  at  Charles  City  on  the  James  river.  William  Robertson 
was  a  planter  and  merchant,  which  occupations  he  followed  until  he 
came  to  South  Carolina  and  settled  in  Abbeville  county  in  the  Cal- 
houn settlement.  His  two  half-sisters  who  came  with  him  afterward 
married  brothers  of  John  C.  Calhoun.  He  afterward  moved  to  what 
was  at  one  tim.e  Pickensville,  being  the  founder  of  the  place.  He 
again  moved  to  Pendleton,  and  then  to  Abbeville  county,  where  he 
remained  until  his  death.  Francis  Robertson  acquired  his  education 
in  the  high  schools  of  Anderson  county.  When  quite  young  he  began 
farming,  and  followed  that  occupation  through  life.  The  greater 
part  of  his  life  was  spent  in  this  count}-,  where  he  died  in  1878.  He 
was  married  after  coming  here,  to  the  mother  of  the  subject  of  this 
sketch,  and  they  had  seven  children,  four  sons  and  three  daughters, 
all  of  them  reaching  their  majority.  The  four  sons  were  in  the  Con- 
federate army.  One  died  in  the  service,  one  was  seriously  wounded 
at  Chancellorsville,  and  the  other  two  served  until  the  surrender. 
The  father  was  active  in  politics  but  never  sought  office.  J.  Townes 
Robertson  was  educated  in  the  schools  of  the  county,  after  which  he 
engaged  as  clerk  in  a  general  store  in  Abbeville,  following  that  busi- 
ness for  seven  years.  In  1857  he  engaged  in  business  on  his  own  ac- 
count with  a  partner,  the  firm  name  being  Gray  &  Robertson,  and 
they  carried  on  trade  together  until  the  breaking  out  of  tine  war,  when 
Mr.  Robertson  enlisted  as  a  private,  January,  1S61,  in  Company  D, 
commanded  by  Capt.  Perrin.  This  command  was  disbanded,  and  he, 
with  others,  raised  a  company  known  as  Company  B,  of  Orr's  Rifles. 
Mr.  Robertson  was  soon  chosen  second  lieutenant,  which  rank  he  held 
until  the  battle  of  Second  Manassas,  when  he  was  made  captain,  Mr. 
Perrin  having  been  advanced  in  rank.  He  served  as  captain  until  in 
1863,  when  he  was  promoted  to  the  rank  of  major  on  account  of  mer- 
itorious conduct.     After  the  death  of  Col.  Haddoii  lie  was  made  lieu- 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  553 

tenant-colonel  of  the  regiment,  and  held  that  rank  until  lie  surrendered 
in  command  of  the  regiment  at  Appomatox. 

After  the  close  of  the  war,  Mr.  Robertson  returned  home  and  en- 
gaged in  merchandising,  following  that  business  until  1876.  At  that 
date  he  took  an  active  part  in  the  political  campaign,  and  was  ap- 
pointed county  auditor,  serving  in  that  ofhce  four  years.  In  1880,  he 
gave  his  attention  to  farming,  in  which  occupation  he  took  a  leading 
position  among  the  agriculturists  of  the  county.  He  raises  from  200 
to  250  bales  of  cotton  annually.  Being  a  prominent  member  of  the 
farmers'  alliance,  when  the  campaign  of  1SS9  came  on,  he  was  elected 
to  the  legislature,  from  Abbeville  county  by  a  large  majority.  He  is 
at  present  vice-presic' ^nt  of  the  county  alliance,  and  vice-president  of 
the  Farmers'  bank  ot  Abbeville,  is  a  member  of  the  K.  of  H.,  and  of 
the  Masonic  fraternity.  He  has  held  some  of  the  highest  offices  in 
these  organizations  for  many  years.  His  dwelling  was  burned  in 
1880,  and  he  has  rebuilt  a  handsome  brick  residence,  on  the  old  Mar- 
shall lot.  He  was  partially  paralyzed  in  1885,  but  with  recovered  en- 
ergy and  tact,  he  is  able  to  attend  to  his  farming  interests,  and  give 
a  portion  of  his  time  to  the^  public  affairs  of  his  state  and  county.  He 
is  an  active  alliance  man,  and  has  always  been  pronounced  in  favor 
of  the  farmers'  movement,  and  believes  that  B.  R.  Tillman  is  the 
man  to  carry  out  the  program  of  the  party.  With  a  record  in  peace 
and  war,  of  which  any  citizen  might  feel  proud,  we  are  sure  that 
Abbeville  county  could  have  no  better  representative,  and  that  the 
state  could  be  served  by  no  better  man  in  her  legislative  halls.  In 
1872,  Mr.  Robertson  was  married  to  Miss  Eugenia  Miller,  and  they 
have  had  five  children,  two  sons  and  three  daughters.  He  and  his 
family  are  members  of  the  Episcopal  church,  in  which  he  has  been  a 
vestryman  for  twenty-five  years.  In  the  war,  Mr.  Robertson  made 
for  himself  a  fine  military  reputation,  having  been  several  times  pro- 
moted for  gallant,  soldierly  and  meritorious  conduct  in  the  face  of 
the  enemy. 

HENRY  MIDDLETON. 

Henry  Middleton,  eldest  son  of  Arthur  Middleton,  one  of  the  sign- 
ers of  the  Declaration  of  Independence,  was  born  at  Middleton  place, 
on  Ashley  river,  S.  C  in  1771.  He  was  a  lineal  descendant  of  Henry 
Middleton,  who  was  president  of  the  convention  which  threw  off  the 
proprietary  government  of  South  Carolina  and  adopted  the  royal 
government  of  Great  Britain.  He  accompanied  his  father  during  the 
session  of  the  AxUierican  congress  in  Philadelphia,  but  owing  to  the 
breaking  out  of  the  Revolution  during  his  youthful  days  his  early 
education  was  necessarily  neglected,  and  it  is  believed  that  he  did  not 
enjoy  the  benefit  of  a  collegiate  course.  But  he  had  a  private  tutor 
by  whom  he  was  instructed  in  the  classical  languages  and  in  French 
and  Italian.  He  had  also  the  advantage  of  a  trip  to  Europe,  and 
was  in  France  during  the  French  Revolution.     He  was  a  member  of 


554  SOUTH   CAROLINA. 

the  South  Carolina  legislature  from  iSoi  to  iSio,  and  from  the  latter 
date  to  1812  he  was  governor  of  the  state. 

On  the  4th  of  December,  1815,  Gov.  Middleton  took  his  seat  in 
the  national  house  of  representatives,  and  was  re-elected  for  a  second 
term,  holding  the  office  till  the  4th  of  March,  1819.  He  was  ap- 
pointed minister  to  Russia  by  President  Monroe,  in  1820,  and  held 
this  office  through  the  administration  of  President  John  Ouincy 
Adams,  and  the  first  half  of  President  Jackson's  first  term,  a  foreign 
service  of  over  ten  years'  duration.  During  his  long  stay  in  Europe 
he  became  personally  acquainted  with  nearly  all  of  the  distinguished 
men  of  that  period  in  Europe.  He  was  a  gentleman  of  easy  and 
polished  manners,  a  most  engaging  companion,  and  his  home  was 
always  the  center  of  social  life  where  hospitality  and  good  cheer 
always  abounded.  He  died  in  Charleston,  June  14,  1846,  leaving  a 
large  family.  His  sons,  Arthur,  John  Izard,  Edward  and  William 
filled  important  diplomatic,  naval  or  other  public  positions,  in  the 
administration  of  which  they  did  honor  to  themselves  and  their 
parentage.  Gov.  Middleton's  long  absence  abroad  did  not  weaken 
or  alienate  his  affection  for  nor  fealty  to  his  native  land.  He  was  re- 
called at  a  time  when  the  nullification  sentiment  In  South  Carolina 
had  about  reached  its  climax,  but  he  did  not  sympathize  with  that 
sentiment,  and  when  he  found  his  sons  Inclined  to  follow  the  lead  of 
Mr.  Calhoun,  he  did  much  to  win  them  back  to  his  own  views  upon 
that  question.  He  was  a  man  of  very  extensive  information,  and 
possessed  a  cool,  deliberate  judgment.  Though  brought  up  In 
polished  society  both  at  home  and  abroad,  he  was  not  aristocratic  In 
his  notions  and  easily  fraternized  with  all  men  of  good  character  and 
standing  in  society,  whatever  might  be  their  condition  as  to  prop- 
erty. While  a  member  of  the  legislature  he  Illustrated  these  char- 
acteristics by  strongly  advocating  the  rights  of  suffrage  to  all  citizens 
of  the  state. 

HON.  THOMAS  CLAGHORN  GOWER, 

one  of  the  prominent  and  influential  business  men  and  honored  citi- 
zens of  Greenville,  S.  C,  was  born  at  Abbott,  Piscataquis  county,  Me., 
April  23,  1822,  llvlng'there  until  he  was  nineteen  years  of  age,  receiv- 
ing his  common  school  and  academic  education  there  and  at  Fox- 
croft  academy.  On  leaving  the  academy  he  taught  one  term  of 
school,  at  the  close  of  which  he  came  to  this  place,  arriving  January  19, 
1842,  having  been  twenty-one  days  on  the  trip.  As  times  and  methods 
of  travel  have  so  changed  since  then,  we  give  a  sketch  of  the  trip. 
He  left  home  (about  twenty  miles  south  of  Moosehead  lake)  with 
horse  and  sleigh,  traveling  in  that  manner  to  Great  Falls,  N.  H.;  the 
snow  not  affording  good  sleighing  from  that  point,  he  was  forced  to  ex- 
change the  sleigh  for  a  light  wagon,  continuing  the  trip  via  Boston  to 
Dedham,  where  he  sold  his  turnout  (comprising  horse,  wagon,  har- 
ness, robes,  etc.) ,  taking  stage  coach  for  Providence.  On  reaching 
Providence  the  journey  was  continued  by  rail  to  Washington,  D.  C, 


^^^■^^^"^7  c/p 


Y>7^^^-z^^^^--^ 


L=iRANT*  FULLER   PUE.": 


I 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  555 

thence  dowa  the  Potomac  to  Aquia  creek,  there  taknig  the  stage  for 
Fredericksburg,  Va.,  resuming  travel  by  rail  then  to  Raleigh,  N.  C, 
thence  by  stage  again  via  Greensboro  and  Lincolnton  to  Greenville. 
In  consequence  of  the  bad  condition  of  both  rail  and  stage  roads  and 
the  slow  schedules  of  the  former,  the  trip  occupied  twenty-one  days, 
which  could  now  be  made  in  forty  hours.  Greenville  county  has  been 
his  home  since  his  first  arrival,  which  in  a  few  months  will  complete  a 
half  century.  At  this  day  there  is  but  one  man  living  in  Greenville 
who  was  in  business  here  on  Mr.  Gower's  arrival.  lie  went  to  work 
with  an  indefatigable  energy  and  pluck,  first  serving  a  two  years'  ap- 
prenticeship at  carriage  manufacturing  in  the  Greenville  Coach  fac- 
tory, which  was  established  in  1835,  by  Thomas  M.  Cox  and  E.  N. 
Gower,  an  elder  brother  of  Thomas  C,  who  had  removed  to  .South 
Carolina  from  Massachusetts  in  1834,  and  was  by  trade  a  blacksmith 
of  rare  skill.  This  factory  is  still  flourishing,  and  is  now  owned  by 
Henry  C.  Markley. 

On  July  25,  1844,  Mr.  Gower  married  jane  Jones  Williams,  of  Will- 
iamston,  Anderson  county,  S.  C,  a  daughter  of  West  Allen  Williams, 
and  granddaughter  of  Samuel  Williams,  the  latter  giving  her  a  farm 
in  Greenville  county,  fourteen  miles  south  of  what  was  then  called 
Greenville  village,  the  fall  succeeding  their  marriage,  to  which  they 
moved  in  January,  1845.  There  Mr.  Gower  farmed  during  the  sea- 
son of  1845,  but  in  consequence  of  an  almost  entire  failure  in  crops 
that  year,  owing  to  a  general  and  long  continued  drouth,  and  a  loss 
of  several  hundred  dollars  thereby,  he  determined  to  resume  his  trade 
and  establish  a  carriage  and  wagon  factory  on  his  farm,  in  which  en- 
terprise he  was  very  successful,  during  the  four  3'ears  that  he  contin- 
ued in  it.  In  January,  1849,  he  returned  to  Greenville,  and  became  a 
partner  in  the  Greenville  coach  factory,  the  firm  name  becoming 
Gower,  Cox  &  Gower.  The  business  was  very  prosperous  for  that 
day  and  time,  and  at  the  commencement  of  the  war,  by  dint  of  hard 
work,  untiring  energy  and  rigid  economy,  Mr.  Gower  had  accumu- 
lated about  $60,000.  At  the  first  call  for  Confederate  volunteers,  he 
promptly  responded,  joining  the  Brooks  troops,  and  after  drilling  for 
several  weeks  the  company  left  here  on  the  6th  of  June,  1861,  and 
was  mustered  into  service  in  the  Hampton  legion.  His  business  inter- 
ests were  left  in  charge  of  his  wife  and  eldest  daughter,  the  latter 
having  just  graduated  from  the  Laurensville  female  college,  and  who 
is  now  the  wife  of  Capt.  O.  P.  Mills,  of  Greenville,  S.  C.  Mr.  Gower 
served  one  year  as  assistant  quartermaster  of  Hampton's  brigade,  at 
the  end  of  which  time  he  was  detailed  by  the  Confederate  govern- 
ment to  return  home,  and  manufacture  for  the  quartermaster  and 
ordnance  departments,  supplies,  consisting  of  ambulances,  wagons, 
gun  carriages,  caisons,  saddles,  etc.,  continuing  in  this  until  the  close 
of  the  war. 

It  may  here  be  stated  that  in  the  spring  of  1865,  the  ordnance  de- 
partment paid  to  the  firm  of  Gower,  Cox,  Markley  &  Co.,  some 
$60,000  or  $70,000,  which  was  then  worthless  as  Gen.  Lee  had  already 
surrendered,  a  fact  that  neither  the  officers  of  the  government  nor 


556  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

members  of  the  firm  were  aware  of;  about  a  like  amount  was  due 
them  from  the  quartermaster's  department,  which  is  still  unpaid.  In 
consequence  of  losses  already  mentioned,  and  other  heavy  losses  in- 
cident to  the  freeing  of  the  slaves,  the  condition  of  the  firm  was  re- 
duced to  a  very  low  ebb,  in  fact  it  was  a  financial  wreck,  as  was  the 
condition  of  most  other  southern  business  men  at  that  time.  To  add 
to  the  troubles  and  afi^ictions  or  Mr.  Gower,  about  this  time  his  wife 
sickened,  and  after  an  illness  of  a  year,  died,  August  4,  1866.  Notwith- 
standing these  depressing  circumstances,  financial  and  domestic,  Mr. 
Gower,  with  the  same  pluck  and  energy  that  had  characterized  his 
previous  careef,  set  about  anew  to  re-build  his  ruined  fortunes  and 
regain  his  former  condition  of  comfort  and  independence.  The  firm 
soon  re-established  itself,  and  for  several  years  did  a  prosperous  busi- 
ness, but  in  consequence  of  becoming  security  for  a  large  amount  of 
debts,  mostly  ante-bellum,  he  was  obliged  to  suspend  business.  The 
debts,  of  which  the  ante-bellum  were  chiefly  for  negroes,  aggregated 
between  $40,000  and  $50,000.  He  had  become  obligated  for  these 
debts  before  the  breaking  out  of  the  war,  and  it  was  the  emancipa- 
tion of  the  slavf=s  that  ruined  the  men  for  whom  he  had  become  surety, 
causing  him  to  lose  heavily. 

In  the  meanwhile,  February  26,  1S67,  Mr.  Gower  had  married 
Bettie  S.  Rowland,  tiee  Brooks,  daughter  of  John  Wesley  and 
Melissa  Duncan  Brooks;  she  died  November  27,  1872,  and  Oc- 
tober 28,  1S73,  '■'G  married  Sallie  tK.  Martin,  daughter  of  John  Camp- 
bell Martin,  and  Mary  A.  Starke,  of  Abbeville,  S.  C.;  she  fortunately 
had  some  means  of  her  own  and  with  these  came  to  her  husband's 
rescue.  In  the  payment  of  his  debts,  however,  only  Mr.  Gower's  indi- 
vidual means  were  used,  and  the  fact  that  they  were  finally  paid  in 
full  is  one  of  which  he  has  just  reason  to  be  proud,  allowing  him  to 
re-embark  in  business  as  extensively  as  before  his  troubles.  His  ef- 
forts have  been  attended  with  his  usual  prosperity,  and  he  has  fully 
regained  himself,  being  now  in  as  good  financial  condition  as  ever 
before.  He  has  nearly  reached  his  three  score  and  ten  years  of  age, 
but  is  yet  as  vigorous  as  a  man  of  fifty,  and  conducts  personally  all  of 
his  business  interests  which  are  extensive.  During  his  corinection 
with  the  Greenville  Coach  factory,  that  establishment  passed  through 
several  proprietary  changes.  The  firm  of  Gower,  Cox  &  Gower, 
which  was  formed  on  his  accession,  was  succeeded  in  order  mentioned 
by  the  firm,  Gower,  Cox  &  Markley,  Gower,  Cox,  Markley  &  Com- 
pany, and  Gower,  Cox  &  Markley.  Mr.  Gower's  connection  with  it 
ceased  in  1877.  Meanwhile  in  1875  he  had  formed  a  partnership  with 
a  Mr.  Sumner,  and  the  firm  of  Gower  &  Sumner  established  a  sash, 
door  and  blind  business.  In  1876  Mr.  Gower  purchased  the  interest 
of  Mr.  Sumner,  and  January,  1878,  the  firm  of  Gower,  Shumate  & 
Reilly  was  formed.  Mr.  .Shumate  retired  in  1S82,  after  which  the 
firm  continued  under  the  name  of  Gower  &  Reill}'  until  it  was  dis- 
solved by  the  death  of  Mr.  Reilly  in  1S89.  Since  then  Mr.  Gower 
has  taken  his  eldest  son,  Arthur  G.  Gower,  as  his  partner,  and  the 
•  business  is  conducted  under  the  name  of  T.  C.  Gower  &  Son.     This 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  557 

firm,  besides  dealing  in  sash,  tloors  and  blinds,  all  kinds  of  building 
material  and  coal,  does  a  large  insurance  and  drayage  business. 
Their  main  warehouse  is  a  two-story  brick,  87x120  feet,  metal  roof 
with  storage  capacity  for  3,000  bales  of  cotton,  for  which  purpose  it  was 
originally  built.  The  office  is  located  in  it  and  the  whole  is  fitted  up 
with  all  needed  fixtures  to  facilitate  business.  Adjacent  to  this  is 
another  substantial  building  used  as  the  stable  of  the  Greenville 
street  railway  company,  of  which  Mr.  Gower  is  owner,  a  public  hall  in 
second  story  and  adjoining  lot  is  used  by  them  as  a  coal  and  supply 
yard.  They  also  have  a  ware  house  octagonal  in  form  and  of  large 
capacity,  near  the  Air  Line  depot,  which  is  likewise  used  for  the  stor- 
age of  their  heavy  goods,  such  as  lime,  cement,  dressed  lumber,  shin- 
gles, laths,  etc.  They  do  a  general  drayage  business  in  connection 
with  the  street  railway,  utilizing  twenty  wagons  and  about  thirty  head 
of  horses  and  mules.  In  the  insurance  line  they  represent  several  of 
the  leading  companies  of  this  country  and  Europe. 

Mr.  Gower  was  elected  mayor  of  Greenville  in  1870,  upon  the  is- 
sue of  whether  or  not  a  bridge  should  be  erected  at  the  Main  street 
crossing  of  the  I^udy  river.  He  was  in  favor  of  the  bridge,  while  his 
opponent  was  against  it.  After  a  warm  contest,  Mr.  Gower  was 
elected.  He  pushed  ahead  and  contracted  for  the  structure,  not- 
withstanding the  fact  that  the  aldermanic  ticket,  opposed  to  him,  was 
elected,  and  he  had  their  opposition  to  surmount.  The  bridge  took 
the  name  of  the  man  who  was  responsible  for  its  existence,  and  has 
ever  since  been  known  as  the  Gower  bridge.  It  has  been  so  popular 
that  in  i88g  it  was  replaced  by  a  handsome  iron  structure,  which  goes 
to  show  that  Mr.  Gower's  course  has  met  with  public  approval,  and 
that  the  bridge  is  regarded  as  indispensable. 

Mr.  Gower  has  also  been  active  in  educational  matters.  At  the 
first  meeting  of  the  citizens  in  the  spring  of  1886,  called  to  decide 
whether  or  not  an  additional  tax  should  be  levied  for  the  purpose  of 
establishing  a  graded  school  in  the  city,  he  was  an  ardent  advocate 
of  the  tax,  and  was,  with  others,  instrumental  in  effecting  an  educa- 
tional organization.  He  was  elected  a  member  of  the  board  of  trus- 
tees and  was  chosen  its  chairman,  which  position  he  still  holds.  Soon 
after  this  public  meeting  the  state  legislature  was  petitioned  b}'  the 
citizens  to  authorize  the  issue  of  bonds  to  meet  the  expense  of  erect- 
ing the  graded  school  buildings,  but  that  body  refused  its  sanction  on 
account  of  a  protest  signed  by  many  of  our  prominent  citizens.  Mr. 
Gower  took  up  the  work  anew,  and  in  1887  secured  an  election  in  the 
city,  by  which  a  nearly  unanimous  vote  was  cast  in  favor  of  issuing 
the  bonds.  Yielding  to  this  unanimity,  the  legislature  passed  a  bill 
authorizing  and  requiring  the  city  council  to  issue  the  bonds.  They 
were  issued  to  the  amount  of  $18,000,  and  placed  in  Mr.  Gower's 
hands  to  negotiate.  He  sold  the  bonds  and  purchased  the  most 
eligible  and  desirable  lots  on  which  buildings  were  erected,  to  the  ap- 
proval of  all  the  people.  Mr.  Gower  was  chairman  of  the  building 
committee;  large  and  commodious  buildings  were  erected,  but  owing 
to  the  prosperity  of  the  city  and  the  increase  of  pupils,  these  build- 


558  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

ings  are  alreadj'  inadequate  to  meet  the  wants  for  which  they  were 
erected,  and  application  was  made  to  the  legislature,  and  they  author- 
ized the  city  council  to  issue  $7,000  more  bonds  to  erect  new  build- 
ings for  the  colored  schools  and  enlarge  the  others. 

Upon  the  resignation  of  Capt.  E.  A.  Smythe,  in  1889,  as  president 
of  the  board  of  trade,  Mr.  Gower  succeeded  to  that  position  by 
virtue  of  the  office  he  held  prior  to  that  time  which  was  that  of  first 
vice-president.  He  has  since  been  twice  elected  to  that  position  and 
is  now  the  president  of  the  board.  The  Gower  family  is  descended 
■from  an  eminently  respectable  English  line,  many  members  of  which 
were  very  prominent.  Of  Mr.  Gower's  first  marriage  six  children 
were  born,  three  of  his  second  and  his  present  wife  has  brought  him 
five.  Their  names  and  the  dates  of  their  births  and  deaths  of  the 
deceased  ones  areas  follows:  Susan  Cordelia,  born  December  8,  1845; 
Williams  H.,  born  April  22,  1848,  died  February  5,  1850; -Mary  E., 
born  November,  11,  1852;  Thomas  E.,  born  xA.pril  9,  1859,  died  Decem- 
ber 3,  1865;  Arthur  G.,  born  October  14,  1861 ;  Charles  E.,  born  Nov- 
ember ig,  1863;  Thomas  E.,  born  July  3,  1S68,  died  July  3,  1869; 
Lola  Elise,  born  May  22,  1870;  Brooks,  born  November  ib,  1S72, 
died  November  16,  1872;  Annie  Mae,  born  August  31,  1874,  died 
September  i,  1874;  Sadie  Mae,  born  November  26,  1875,  died  April  4, 
1876;  Marie  C,  born  December  10,  1877;  Nell,  born  in  1878,  died  in 
childhood;  Thomas  C,  born  March  18,  1880.  Mr.  Gower  has  been  an 
elder  in  the  Presbyterian  church  for  thirty-nine  j^ears  and  he  is  a 
member  of  the  F.  &  A.  M.,  the  I.  O.  O.  F.and  the  democratic  party. 

BROOKS  FRANK  SLATER, 

was  born  at  Bamberg,  S.,  C,  on  the  2d  of  August,  1S55.  His  parents 
were  John  D.  and  Eliza  (Bamberg)  Slater,  the  latter  being  a  sister  of 
ex-Treasurer  of  State  Bamberg.  The  father  was  for  many  years  a 
leading  merchant  of  Bamberg,  where  he  remained  the  greater  por- 
tion of  his  life.  He  was  a  progressive,  able  business  man  and  was 
widely  known.  Brooks  Frank  Slater  was  one  of  three  children  born 
to  the  latter  union,  of  which  he  was  the  youngest.  It  was  the  intention 
of  the  parents  to  name  the  boy  Frank  Marion,  in  honor  of  his  uncle 
Gen.  Frank  Marion  Bamberg,  but  at  about  this  time,  Preston  S. 
Brooks,  of  South  Carolina,  chastised  Charles  Sumner,  at  Washing- 
ton, D.  C,  and  the  father  decided  that  the  child  should  be  called 
Brooks  Frank.  At  the  tender  age  of  seven  years  he  was  deprived  of 
his  father.  Until  his  fifteenth  year  he  attended  the  schools  of  his 
native  county,  when  he  entered  college  at  Reidville,  S.  C.  Owing  to 
delicate  health  and  his  mother's  desire  to  have  him  at  home,  his  col- 
legiate career  was  abandoned  in  a  short  time.  Two  years  later,  at 
the  age  of  seventeen,  he  struck  out  boldly  for  himself  and  embarked 
in  the  mercantile  business  at  Bamberg.  His  great  aptitude  for  busi- 
ness and  sterling  character  soon  endeared  him  to  the  community,  and 
his  business  venture  proved  a  great  success.  In  January,  1876,  Mr. 
Slater  sold  his  business  at  Bamberg  and   removed  to  Orangeburg, 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  ^  559 

where  he  associated  himself  with  liis  brother,  Edward  Slater,  in  the 
stock  business.  This  firm  continued  for  one  year,  at  the  e-xpiration 
of  which  time  our  subject  withdrew  and  engaged  in  the  same  business 
alone.  From  the  start  this  enterprise  prospered.  While  a  resident 
of  Orangeburg,  Mr.  Slater  held  several  different  positions  of  public 
trust,  having  been  a  member  of  the  city  council  for  one  term  and 
president  of  the  democratic  club  during  the  memorable  campaign  of 
1880. 

In  April,  1879,  a  most  fortunate  marriage  alliance  was  formed 
with  Mary  F'ran<;es,  daughter  of  Patrick  and  Rachel  (Dukes)  Doyle, 
and  the  union  was  blessed  by  the  advent  of  four  bright  children, 
named  Mazie,  Ray,  Brooks  Frank  jr.,  and  Isaac  Bamberg,  all  of 
whom  are  living  with  the  exception  of  Brooks  Frank  Jr.,  who  died 
at  the  age  of  four  years.  The  happy  home  was  robbed  of  its  dearest 
occupant  on  the  17th  of  September,  1887,  when  the  husband  and 
father  was  stricken  down  in  the  early  dawn  of  his  manhood.  The 
death  of  Mr.  Slater  was  a  public  calamity.  The  sorrowing  family 
was  joined  in  mourning  by  the  entire  community  with  which  he  had 
been  so  closely  identified.  Frank  Slater,  as  his  friends  loved  to  call 
him,  was  manly,  generous  to  a  fault,  and  of  integrity  undoubted.  He 
succeeded  in  the  face  of  great  odds,  and  had  his  life  been  prolonged 
to  the  age  allotted  to  man,  would  doubtless  have  become  one  of  the 
wealthiest  men  in  the  state.  The  young  man  persevered  and  the  re- 
sult was  an  honor  to  him,  and  a  benefit  to  the  community  in  which 
he  lived.  He  was  a  staunch  and  loyal  member  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church,  but  his  purse  was  ever  open  to  assist  anj'  denomi- 
nation that  called  on  him  for  aid.  The  beautiful  home  he  left  in 
Orangeburg  is  still  occupied  by  his  widow  and  three  children,  and 
long  after  the  walls  shall  have  fallen,  his  name  will  be  held  in  loving 
memory  by  the  many  unfortunates  who  found  relief  at  his  hands. 

WILLIAM  M.  HAGOOD, 

one  of  the  prominent  merchants  and  bankers  of  Easle}-,  was  born 
in  Pickens  county,  S.  C,  December  2q,  1850.  His  father  is  Hon. 
James  E.  Hagood,  the  present  clerk  of  the  United  States  circuit 
court  at  Charleston.  His  mother's  maiden  name  was  Esther  B.  Rob- 
inson. She  died  July  26,  i8Sq.  Mr.  Hagood  was  reared  in  Pickens 
county,  which  has  always  been  his  home.  Between  the  years  1856 
and  1868,  his  father  was  clerk  of  the  old  Pickens  district,  and  during 
his  boyhood  the  son  was  employed  at  times  in  his  father's  office.  He 
received  a  common  school  education,  and,  in  1S66,  entered  the  store 
owned  by  his  father  at  Old  Pickens,  as  a  clerk,  and  remained  there 
two  years.  He  then  went  to  Anderson,  v/here  he  acted  as  clerk  and 
book-keeper,  between  three  and  four  years,  for  C.  A.  Reed.  In  1872 
he  went  to  what  was  then  known  as  New  Pickens  and  engaged  in 
merchandising  on  his  own  account.  He  remained  there  five  \'ears, 
his  brother-in-law,  P.  McD.  Alexander,  being  his  partner.  In  1877 
Mr.  Hagood  moved  to  Easley,  still  retaining  an  interest  in  the  store 


560  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

at  Pickens,  the  partnership  with  his  brother-in-law  still  continuing. 
The  firm  at  Pickens  went  under  the  firm  name  of  Hagood  t^  Alex- 
ander. Upon  locating  at  Easley  in  1877,  Mr.  Hagood  established 
a  store  there  in  which  Mr.  Alexander  had  an  interest,  the  firm  name 
being  W.  M.  Hagood  &  Co.  Mr.  iVlexander  conducted  the  store  at 
Pickens  and  resided  there  while  Mr.  Hagood  conducted  the  store  at 
Easley  and  resided  there.  They  continued  in  this  way  until  1S84, 
when  Mr.  Hagood  exchanged  his  interest  in  the  store  at  Pickens  for 
Mr.  Alexander's  interest  in  the  store  at  Easley.  Immediately  after 
this  transfer  Mr.  Hagood  took  in  as  partners  in  his  Easley  business 
two  young  men  who,  prior  to  that  time,  had  been  in  his  employ  as 
clerks  for  several  years.  They  were  J.  McD.  Bruce  and  \V.  W. 
Robinson.  They  have  been  his  partners  in  business  ever  since,  but 
the  firm  name  has  continued  to  be  W.  M.  Hagood  &  Co. 

Upon  the  death  of  Mr.  Alexander,  in  18S8,  the  firm  of  W.  M.  Ha- 
good &  Co.,  purchased  the  store  he  had  left,  which  they  have  owned 
and  conducted  ever  since,  in  the  name  of  Hagood,  Bruce  &  Co. 
Their  store  at  Easley  is  one  of  the  best  in  that  section  of  the  state. 
The  building  is  of  brick,  32x120  feet,  and  in  it  the  firm  carries  a  fine 
stock  of  general  merchandise.  The  firm  also  occupies  a  frame  store- 
room, adjoining  the  brick  building,  28x80  feet,  which  is  stocked  with 
furniture.  There  is  scarcely  any  article  in  an}'  branch  of  merchan- 
dise which  cannot  be  found  on  sale  by  this  firm.  It  is  the  leading  cot- 
ton firm  in  Easley,  having  during  the  past  season,  handled  4,500  bales. 
In  February,  iSqi,  Mr.  Hagood  helped  organize  the  Easley  Banking 
company,  and  was  elected  its  president,  which  position  he  now  holds. 
The  company  has  an  authorized  capital  stock  of  $50,000.  For  several 
years  he  has  been  a  stockholder  and  director  in  the  People's  bank,  of 
Greenville.  He  is  one  of  the  leading  stockholders  of  the  Easley  Oil 
Mill  company,  and  is  its  secretary  and  treasurer.  He  is  a  stockholder 
in  the  Spartan  mills  and  the  Whitney  mills  of  Spartanburg,  also  in 
the  Anderson  Cotton  mills,  and  in  the  Greenville  Fertilizer  company. 
He  is  one  of  the  trustees  of  the  Easley  high  school.  In  politics  he  is 
a  firm  adherent  to  the  democratic  party.  He  is  an  elder  in  the  Pres- 
byterian church.  November  6,  1873,  he  was  married  to  Miss  Kate 
Cleveland,  of  Spartanburg,  and  they  have  five  children  living,  three 
of  whom  are  sons.  Mr.  Hagood  is  one  of  the  most  prosperous,  alert 
and  progressive  young  merchants  in  the  state.  He  is  an  ideal  busi- 
ness man  of  the  most  pronounced  type.  Investing  his  profits  as  he 
does,  as  fast  as  they  accumulate,  where  they  will  yield  the  highest 
income,  his  business  interests  have  not  only  become  niuch  diversified 
but  very  productive  and  profitable. 

JAMES    HAMILTON,  Jr. 

James  Hamilton,  Jr.,  a  statesman  of  .South  Carolina,  was  born  in 
Charleston,  in  that  state,  May  8,  1786.  His  father,  whose  christian 
name  was  also  James,  was  one  of  the  heroes  of  the  Revoluton,  and 
held  the  rank  of  major,   upon  General   Washington's  staff.    James 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  56 1 

Hamilton,  Jr.,  after  recelvin<if  a  literary  education,  studied  law,  was 
admitted  to  the  bar,  and  opened  an  office  for  practice  in  Charleston. 
He  enlisted  in  defense  of  his  country  in  the  war  of  1S12,  and  was 
major  of  a  regiment  assigned  to  the  Canadian  frontier.  He  returned 
from  the  military  field  to  his  law  ])ractice  in  Charleston,  of  which  cit}' 
he  was  afterward  chosen  mayor,  holding  that  office  for  several  suc- 
cessive terms.  He  was  several  times  elected  to  represent  the  Charles- 
ton district  in  the  state  legislature.  In  1822,  he  was  elected  to  con- 
gress, and  represented  his  congressional  district  for  three  consecutive 
sessions.  He  was  an  ardent  admirer  of  John  C.  Calhoun,  and  in  con- 
gress was  conspicuous  for  his  earnest  advocacy  of  states  rights  and 
free  trade.  During  the  pendency  of  the  nullification  scheme,  he  was 
in  practice  what  Mr.  Calhoun  was  in  theory,  taking  active  and  effect- 
ive steps  to  organize  the  nullification  party  throughout  the  state. 
Before  that  scheme  had  materialized,  however,  he  was  the  fast  friend 
of  President  Andrew  Jackson,  who  offered,  in  1828,  to  make  him  sec- 
retary of  war,  and  to  appoint  him  minister  to  Mexico.  He  declined 
both  positions.  He  was  elected  governor  of  the  state  two  years  after- 
ward, and  favored  armed  resistence  against  the  enforcement  of  the 
tariff  act.  He  officially  advised  the  legislature  to  pass  an  ordinance 
of  nullification. 

When  Gov.  Hayne  succeeded  Gov.  Hamilton  he  appointed  the 
ex-governor  to  the  command  of  the  troops  raised  to  enforce  the  nul- 
lification act  and  resist  the  collection  of  tariff  duties.  Failing  in  these 
operations.  Gov.  Hamilton  removed  to  Texes,  investing  heavily  in 
Texas  lands,  and  taking  an  active  part  in  favor  of  the  recognition  by 
France  and  Great  Britain  of  that  state  as  a  republic,  for  which  pur- 
pose he  was  chosen  as  the  mediator.  He  afterward  took  the  lead  in 
procuring  the  admission  of  Texas  into  the  Union.  That  object  ac- 
complished, it  was  fit  that  the  new  state  should  recognize  his  services 
in  its  behalf,  and  he  was  elected  one  of  its  United  States  senators,  but 
he  did  not  live  to  take  his  seat  as  such  officer.  He  was  drowned  at 
sea  near  the  Texan  coast,  November  15,  1S57,  a  victim  of  a  collision 
between  the  Galveston  and  Opalousas  steamships,  Mr.  Hamilton  be- 
ing on  board  the  latter  vessel,  enroute  for  New  Orleans.  His  death 
in  this  catastrophe  was  an  illustration  of  his  humane  and  chivalrous 
spirit.  He  lost  his  life  in  an  unselfish  effort  to  save  that  of  a  lady 
fellow  passenger.  Besides  being  a  graceful  and  pleasant  public 
speaker.  Gov.  Hamilton  was  a  writer  of  rare  merit.  He  was  one  of 
the  originators  of  The  Southern  Quarterly  Reviezv,  a  publication  of 
great  literary  merit.  He  was  also  one  of  the  founders  of  the  bank  of 
Charleston,  and  took  rnuch  interest  in  internal  improvements,  the 
building  of  railroads  and  manufactories,  and  the  extension  of  the 
commercial  interests  of  South  Carolina. 

EDWARD    FREDERICK    SLATER, 

is  the  eldest  son  of  John  D.  and  Anna  Eliza  (Bamberg)  Slater,  and 
was  born   at   Bamberg,    Barnwell   county,  S.  C,   in   the   year   1850. 

A— 36 


562  SOUTH   CAROLINA. 

John  D.  Slater,  the  father,  was  the  son  of  John  D.  Slater,  Sr.,  who 
emigrated  to  the  United  States  from  Germany  about  the  year  iSoo, 
and  settled  in  Barnwell  county,  S.  C,  where  he  passed  the  remainder 
of  his  life.  He  died  about  the  year  1S50.  He  married  Nancy  Her- 
loch,  also  a  native  of  Germany.  The  father  of  our  subject  was  born 
in  Barnwell  county  and  spent  his  entire  life  there.  His  birth  took 
place  in  1827,  and  he  died  in  1863.  His  early  life  was  spent  on  his 
father's  farm,  but  at  the  time  of  his  marriage  he  removed  to  Bam- 
berg and  engaged  in  the  mercantile  business,  and  also  carried  on  a 
real  estate  business  at  the  same  time.  Soon  after  the  war  broke  out 
he  removed  to  Branchville  and  established  a  hotel  at  that  place.  He 
was  a  man  of  great  business  ability,  and  at  the  time  of  his  death  was 
discharging  the  duties  of  commissary  for  the  Confederate  army.  His 
wife,  Anna  E.  Bamberg,  was  the  daughter  of  Isaac  Bamberg,  who 
came  to  this  country  from  Germany  and  located  at  "Three  Mile 
Creek,"  near  Bamberg.  Edward  F.  Slater,  the  principal  of  this  bio- 
graphical mention,  was  given  his  preliminary  schooling  in  the  public 
schools  of  Bamberg.  After  the  war  his  mother  removed  to  the  latter 
place,  where  she  conducted  a  boarding  house,  and  the  son  was  obliged 
to  assist  her.  At  this  time  he  was  about  fifteen  years  of  age,  and 
already  had  given  evidence  of  considerable  shrewdness  in  trading. 
Even  at  this  time  he  had  bought  several  lots  of  poultry  and  produce 
and  run  them  into  besieged  Charleston.  While  thus  engaged  he  had 
some  remarkable  escapes  from  death,  as  the  city  was  under  bombard- 
ment. 

In  1867  Mr.  Slater  secured  a  position  with  his  uncle,  F.  M.  Bam- 
berg, who  was  an  extensive  stock  dealer.  Here  he  was  given  much 
information  in  the  handling  of  stock,  and  he  remained  with  his  uncle 
as  an  employe  until  1870,  when  they  formed  a  co-partnership  in  the 
stock  business  at  Orangeburg,  S.  C.  The  firm  was  dissolved  the  suc- 
ceeding year,  however,  Mr.  Slater  having  purchased  his  partner's 
interest  in  the  business.  For  one  year  thereafter  he  conducted  the 
concern  alone,  and  at  the  expiration  of  that  time  his  brother,  Brooks 
Frank  Slater,  became  associated  with  him.  They  added  to  the  stock 
business  a  full  line  of  vehicles  of  all  descriptions,  and  for  one  year 
prospered  greatly.  At  the  end  of  the  year  the  brother  withdrew  from 
the  firm  and  Mr.  Slater  continued  alone.  Few  firms  in  the  south  in 
this  line  of  business  equal  the  house  of  E.  F.  Slater.  Mr.  Slater  has 
been  identified  with  some  of  the  leading  improvements  of  Orange- 
burg. He  is  president  of  a  stock  organization  carrying  on  the  wood 
and  material  shops,  and  it  is  through  his  progressive  industry  that 
the  citizens  of  Orangeburg  are  enjoying  the  benefits  of  an  electric 
plant.  He  is  the  president  of  the  company.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
I.  O.  O.  F.,  and  has  been  a  consistent  communicant  of  the  Baptist 
church  since  1872.  On  the  17th  of  December,  1874,  Mr.  Slater  was 
joined  in  marriage  to  Miss  Anna  Dukes,  daughter  of  J.  H.  W.  Dukes, 
one  of  the  most  extensive  and  successful  planters  in  the  state.  To 
this  hapjjy  union  have  been  born  six  children,  four  sons  and  two 
daughters. 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  563 


EUCLIES  D.  REEVES, 

a  leading  business  man  of  Oran<,relHiri^,  is  the  eldest  living  son  of 
John  C.  and  Mary  (Dukes)  Rec;ves.  John  C.  Reeves  was  a  son  of 
Joseph  H.  Reeves,  in  whose  honor  Reevesville  was  named.  He  was 
one  of  the  early  settlers  of  South  Carolina.  John  C.  Reeves  was  a 
successful  merchant  at  Orangeburg  until  the  breaking  out  of  the  Civil 
war.  About  this  time  he  accepted  a  position  as  conductor  on  the 
South  Carolina  railroad,  and  was  thus  engaged  for  about  a  year,  after 
which  he  entered  the  Confederate  service.  At  the  close  of  the  v/ar 
he  again  entered  business,  changing  his  residence  to  Branchville, 
where  he  continued  until  i88q,  when,  owing  to  failing  health,  he  re- 
tired from  active  commercial  life,  and  removed  to  Orangeburg.  His 
health  having  improved,  he  embarked  in  the  stock  business,  in  which 
he  is  actively  engaged  at  this  time.  The  subject  of  this  sketch  was 
born  May  i8,  1S63,  at  Orangeburg.  He  attended  the  public  schools 
at  Branchville  in  his  early  youth,  and  when  fourteen  removed  to 
Orangeburg,  and  continued  his  studies  in  that  place.  After  three 
years  he  returned  to  Branchville  and  secured  a  clerkship  in  the  dry 
goods  establishment  of  F.  E.  Bruce,  with  whom  he  remained  for 
about  one  year.  In  1881  he  entered  the  employ  of  his  uncle,  Dr.  A.  C. 
Dukes,  as  a  clerk  in  his  drug  store.  Three  years  later  his  uncle  sold  his 
business,  and  Mr.  Reeves  became  associated  with  Mr.  Lowman,  under 
the  firm  name  of  Lowman  &  Reeves,  and  this  partnership  was  suc- 
cessfully continued  until  1888,  when  Dr.  Dukes  purchased  Mr.  Low- 
man's  interest,  and  the  firm  name  was  changed  to  Dukes  &  Reeves, 
and  this  house  is  still  in  existence.  Mr.  Reeves  has  evinced  sterling 
qualities  as  a  business  man  and  citizen.  He  is  a  communicant  of  the 
Baptist  church,  and  is  a  staunch  democrat. 

BARNEY  S.  DUNBAR, 

for  many  years  one  of  the  leading  cotton  merchants  of  Hamburg, 
S.  C,  was  born  in  Augusta,  Ga.,  in  the  year  1S21.  He  was  educated 
in  the  city  schools  and  at  the  age  of  nineteen  began  clerking  for  the 
firm  of  Sibley  &  Fook,  prominent  merchants  of  Hamburg.  About 
the  year  1842,  he  began  business  for  himself  on  a  small  scale  and  con- 
tinued until  1856.  When  he  started  out  he  had  no  capital,  and  but 
limited  means  At  the  end  of  five  j-ears  he  was  conducting  one  of 
the  most  extensive  business  operations  in  the  place.  At  the  time  of 
his  locating  in  Hamburg  it  was  merely  a  thriving  business  center,  but 
it  grew  to  be  the  chief  cotton  market  for  all  the  upper  country, 
the  receipts  being  about  75,000  bales  per  year.  In  1856,  Mr.  Dunbar 
disposed  of  his  interests  in  Hamburg  and  removed  to  Augusta,  where 
he  began  handling  cotton  on  orders  only,  finding"  himself  unable  to 
conduct  all  the  business  at  Hamburg.  He  built  up  an  immense  trade 
in  distant  cities  of  this  country,  and  in  Liverpool,  England,  continuing 
his  merchandising  through  the  war  and  up  to    1877,  when  he  retired 


564  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

from  active  work.  When  he  removed  from  Hamburg  to  Augusta, 
Ga.,  havuigbeen  largely  patronized  by  the  citizens  of  South  Carolina, 
he  proved  a  benefactor  to  the  city,  having  capital,  credit  and  large 
business  transactions  with  distant  parties  who  compensated  him  for 
all  his  work,  and  he  was  a  strong  competitor,  for  the  staple  produc- 
tion, cotton.  Mr.  Dunbar  was  married  to  Miss  Rogers,  daughter  of 
Beverly  Rogers,  the  founder  of  Aiken.  Since  retiring  from  business 
he  has  been  offered  many  positions  of  honor,  but  has  declined  them 
all,  preferring  to  lead  a  life  of  retirement. 

JOHN  GEDDES, 

one  of  South  Carolina's  old-time  governors,  was  born  in  Charleston, 
about  the  year  1773.  His  father  was  a  Charleston  merchant,  who 
was  able  to  give  his  son  a  liberal  education,  and  John  was  entered 
and  graduated  from  the  college  in  his  native  city  some  time  about 
1795.  He  developed  a  taste  for  the  legal  profession,  studied  law  and 
was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1797.  His  entry  to  the  political  arena  was 
signalized  by  his  election  to  the  house  of  representatives,  of  South 
Carolina,  and  in  1810  he  was  chosen  its  speaker.  He  was  again 
chosen  speaker  In  1812.  At  the  session  of  1814  and  1816,  he  was 
again  nominated  for  speaker,  but  was  defeated  by  Thomas  Bennett,  who 
like  Mr.  Geddes,  was  afterward  macie  governor.  Some  anecdotes  are 
related  of  Mr.  Geddes  while  he  occupied  the  speaker's  chair,  one  of 
which  was  that  he  was  in  the  habit  of  addressing  the  members  of  the 
house  as  if  they  held  some  military  rank,  and  this  habit  often  led  him 
to  make  most  ludicrous  mis-applications  of  titles,  often  to  the  disgust 
of  the  members  addressed,  and  the  merriment  of  their  fellow  mem- 
bers. He  carried  the  custom  to  such  an  e.xtent  that  the  house  finally 
adopted  a  rule  providing  that  members  should  be  recognized  only  by 
plain  Mr.,  and  by  no  other  title. 

In  1818  Mr.  Geddes  was  elected  governor  and  held  that  office  for 
two  years.  During  his  gubernatorial  term  President  Monroe  visited 
South  Carolina,  and  Gov.  Geddes  entertained  him  at  his  home  in 
Charleston  in  a  most  hospitable  and  sumptuous  manner.  This  was 
not  done,  of  course,  without  an  elaborate  expenditure,  which  doubt- 
less made  a  serious  inroad  upon  the  fortune  of  the  governor.  It  was 
no  more  than  just  that  this  heavy  outlay  for  the  entertainment  of  the 
chief  executive  of  the  nation  should  be  refunded  to  Gov.  Geddes'  es- 
tate, and  some  years  after  his  decease,  the  state  legislature  made  an 
appropriation,  in  part  payment  to  his  heirs  for  this  quasi  public  ex- 
penditure, which  with  the  governor's  characteristic  private  hospitality, 
carried  sometimes  to  an  extravagant  extent,  had  crippled  the  re- 
sources of  his  heirs.  Previous  to  his  election  to  the  executive  chair 
Gov.  Geddes  had  held  the  office  of  city  intendant,  and  administered 
this  trust  to  great  acceptance,  and  he  was  not  unused  to  military  hon- 
ors, having  been  elected  major  of  a  regiment  of  cavalry;  and  even 
after  his  gubernatorial  service  he  was  promoted  to  the  rank  of  briga- 
dier-general.    One  of  his  biographers  claims  that   he    was  afterward 


SOUTH   CAROLINA.  565 

made  a  major-i^cncral.  Gov.  Geddes  married  Miss  Chalmers,  the 
daughter  of  a  wealthy  Charleston  mechanic,  and  they  had  two  sons 
and  a  daughter.  He  died  at  Charleston,  March  5,  1828.  Mr.  Thomas, 
who  published  a  memoir  of  Gov.  Geddes,  says,  "  he  was  not  a  very 
talented  man,  but  his  close  attention  to  business  and  his  great  tact 
and  system  rendered  him  an  excellent  executive  officer,  and  fully 
supplied  his  want  of  literary  culture.  He  was  very  public-spirited 
and  enterprising,  a  good  husband,  a  good  father  and  a  warm  friend." 

HON.  ALTAMONT   MOSES. 

The  geneaology  of  f-fon.  Altamont  Moses,  so  far  as  traceable  in 
this  country,  is  as  follows:  His  great-grandfather,  Myer  Moses,  was 
born  in  Charleston,  S.  C,  and  died  in  the  same  city.  His  grandfather, 
whose  christian  name  was  also  Myer,  was  born  in  Charleston.  He 
engaged  in  the  mercantile  business,  and  in  1807  was  elected  a  mem- 
ber of  the  state  legislature,  to  represent  his  native  city.  In  the  war 
of  181 2,  he  rose  to  the  rank  of  major  in  the  army.  He  died  in  1832. 
The  christian  name  of  the  father  of  Altamont  Moses,  the  subject  of 
this  sketch,  was  Montgomery,  and  he  was  born  in  Charleston,  S.  C, 
in  1808.  He  removed  to  Sumter  about  the  year  1832.  By  profession 
he  was  a  lawyer.  In  1832  he  married  Katharine  Phillips,  daughter  of 
Zalegman  Phillips,  a  prominent  lawyer  of  Philadelphia,  Pa.  Eight 
children  were  born  of  this  marriage,  five  of  whom  now  survive, 
namely:  Franklin  J.,  Henry  C,  Altamont,  Arabella  P.  and  Kath- 
arine C.  The  mother  died  in  1885,  and  the  father  in  the  year  follow- 
ing. The  father  was  judge  of  the  Seventh  judicial  circuit  of  South 
Carolina,  from  1871  to  1875.  Franklin  J.  Moses,  Sr.,  uncle  of  Alta- 
mont, was  chief  justice  of  the  supreme  court  of  South  Carolina,  from 
1868,  to  the  time  of  his  death,  in  1S77.  Altamont  Moses  was  born  in 
Sumter,  August  5,  1846.  In  his  boyhood  he  attended  the  schools  of 
Sumter.  Afterward,  in  1862,  he  attended  the  -State  military  academj^ 
in  Columbia,  for  a  few  months.  He  then  returned  home  to  Sumter, 
and  learned  telegraphy.  He  acted  as  telegraphic  operator  mostly  in 
North  Carolina,  where  he  was  in  the  telegraph  branch  of  the  Confed- 
erate service.  Up  to  1866,  he  continued  in  this  business,  after  that 
going  into  the  mercantile  business.  He  first  engaged  as  clerk,  then 
as  partner,  and  finally  by  himself,  in  Sumter.  In  1881,  in  connection 
with  his  mercantile  trade,  he  added  the  fire  and  life  insurance  agency. 
He  was  elected  a  member  of  the  city  council  of  Sumter,  in  1885,  and 
was  twice  re-elected,  thus  serving  three  terms,  In  1886  he  was  elected 
a  member  of  the  lower  house  of  South  Carolina  legislature,  was  re- 
elected in  1888,  and  again  in  i8go.  He  was  a  delegate  to  the  na- 
tional democratic  convention,  in  1888,  and  has  many  times  been 
chosen  delegate  to  the  state  conventions,  the  first  time  when  he  had 
but  just  reached  the  age  of  majorit3%  thus  early  demonstrating  that 
his  sterling  qualities  had  gained  for  him  the  confidence  of  his  fellow- 
citizens.  Hon.  Altamont  Moses  was  married  in  January,  1871,  to  Oc- 
tavia  Cohen,  daughter  of  Marx   E.Cohen,  of  Charleston,  S.  C,  and 


566  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

grand-daughter  of  Isaac  Harby,  deceased,  also  of  Charleston.  Of 
this  marriage  seven  children  have  been  born,  of  whom  six  are  still 
living:  Their  names  are  Katharine,  Herbert,  Vivian,  Emile,  Armida 
and   Henry.     In  politics,  Mr.  Moses  has  always  been  a  democrat. 

JOHN  O.  PEOPLES. 

Among  all  the  business  houses  in  the  cit}'  of  Newberry,  there  is 
no  firm  more  popular  than  that  of  Peoples  &  Johnson,  dealers  in 
hardware  and  carriage  supplies,  of  which  firm  John  O.  Peoples  is  the 
senior  partner.  He  is  one  of  Newberry's  prominent  citizens  and  was 
born  near  Charlotte,  N.  C,  in  the  j'ear  1825.  His  parents,  John  and 
Sarah  (Osborn)  Peoples,  were  both  natives  of  North  Carolina. 
John,  Jr.,  was  the  son  of  John  Peoples,  Sr.,  the  father  being  also  a 
native  of  North  Carolina.  John  Peoples,  Jr.,  was  born  in  the  3'ear 
1794,  and  received  a  limited  education  in  the  schools  of  his  native 
state,  after  which  he  gave  his  attention  to  planting,  which  he  followed 
until  his  death,  in  1828.  He  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Sarah 
Osborn,  of  whom  six  children,  three  sons  and  three  daughters,  were 
born.  All  are  now  dead  except  the  subject  of  this  sketch.  The 
mother  died  about  the  year  1865.  John  Peoples  was  never  actively 
engaged  in  politics,  but  was  a  firm  and  consistent  democrat.  JohnO. 
Peoples  spent  his  early  life  in  the  vicinity  of  his  birthplace  near 
Charlotte,  N.  C,  and  followed  farming  until  reaching  his  majority. 
In  1846  he  came  to  Newberrj^  and  engaged  in  the  saddle  and  harness 
trade  with  his  elder  brother,  William  C.  Peoples,  under  the  firm  name 
of  William  C.  Peoples  &  Bro.  This  firm  existed  until  1856,  in  which 
year  a  partnership  was  formed  with  T.  S.  Duncan  and  .Silas  Johnson, 
under  the  firm  name  of  Duncan,  Peoples  &  Co.,  which  was  changed 
in  1858  to  Boozer,  Peoples  &  Co.  This  firm  was  dissolved  in  1S61, 
when  Mr.  Peoples  enlisted  in  the  Confederate  arm3^  serving  about 
three  3'ears  in  a  government  shoe  factory.  The  war  carried  away  his 
means  and  after  its  close  he  accepted  a  clerkship,  which  he  held  from 
1865  to  1870,  in  the  firm  of  Boozer  &  Piaster.  In  1870  he  purchased 
the  interest  of  Mr.  Piester,  and  the  business  was  conducted  by  Boozer 
&  Co.  for  five  years.  Then  Mr.  Peoples  disposed  of  his  interest  to 
Mr.  Boozer  and  for  the  next  two  years  he  was  engaged  in  the  jewelry 
business.  The  store  was  destroyed  by  fire  in  1S78  and  he  disposed  of 
his  stock  and  accepted  a  clerkship  with  Coppock  &  Johnson.  In 
November,  1879,  he  purchased  Mr.  Coppock's  interest  and  the  firm 
of  Peoples  &  Johnson  was  then  organized  and  still  exists. 

Mr.  Peoples  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Fanny  L.  Norris, 
of  Anderson  county,  in  1852,  and  of  this  marriage  two  daughters  have 
been  born,  one  of  whom  died  in  October,  1891.  Mr.  Peoples  has 
never  given  any  particular  attention  to  politics,  but  is  a  firm  believer 
in  the  political  faith  of  the  dcMuocratic  party.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Masonic  fraternity,  having  joined  in  1864,  and  held  the  office  of 
master  for  several  terms,  and  is  still  holding  it.  He  is  a  member  also 
of  the  K.  of  H.,  in  which  he  has  been  an  officer.     For  some  years  he 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  567 

has  been  a  director  of  the  National  bank,  of  Newberry,  and  is  vice- 
president  of  the  Buildinrj  &  Loan  association,  of  whicli  he  was  the 
organizer.  He  has  held  the  jjresidency  of  the  board  of  trade,  and  is 
a  stockholder  in  the  cotton  mills  of  Newberry.  He  was  one  of  the 
organizers  of  the  Newberry  Cotton-Seed  Oil  and  P'ertilizer  company. 
In  his  business  relations  he  has  achieved  fair  success,  and  is  now  re- 
cognized as  one  of  the  best  business  men  in  the  state,  throughout 
which  he  has  many  warm  friends.  He  and  his  family  are  members 
of  the  Presbyterian  church,  in  which  for  many  years  he  has  been  one 
of  the  elders.  The  firm  of  Peoples  &  Johnson  occupies  premises 
centrally  located  on  Court  House  square,  their  building  being  20x100 
feet,  and  admirably  adapted  to  their  extensive  trade.  Their  stock 
includes  a  full  line  of  general  hardware,  mechanics'  and  blacksmiths' 
tools,  manufacturers'  supplies,  agricultural  implements,  lime,  plaster, 
etc.  The  members  of  the  firm,  Mr.  John  O.  Peoples  and  Mr.  William 
Johnson  are  recognized  as  among  the  county's  most  honorable  and 
experienced  merchants. 

JOHN   CURTIS    GARY. 

a  prominent  and  influential  business  man  of  Seneca,  S.  C,  was  born 
in  what  is  now  Oconee  county,  near  the  site  of  the  old  Pickens  court 
house,  eight  miles  northeast  of  Seneca,  July  lo,  1848.  He  was  the  son 
of  Capt.  John  W.  L.  Cary,  a  native  of  what  is  now  Pickens  county, 
who  was  born  in  1822.  He  was  a  carriage-maker  by  trade,  but  in  his 
later  years,  followed  farming.  He  served  as  treasurer  of  Pickens  dis- 
trict twelve  years.  For  a  few  months,  in  1863,  he  served  as  captain 
of  his  company  in  the  Confederate  army.  His  military  service  was 
shortened  by  an  accident  which  befell  him.  While  on  the  South  Caro- 
lina coast,  he  had  the  misfortune  to  be  kicked  by  a  horse,  which  per- 
manently disabled  him,  and  from  the  effects  of  which  he  never  fully 
recovered.  His  death  occurred  July  25,  1866.  He  was  the  son  of 
James  Cary,  a  native  of  Virginia.  The  progenitor  of  the  paternal 
branch  of  the  family  was  an  Englishman,  who  emigrated  to  America, 
and  located  in  Virginia  in  the  early  history  of  that  state.  John  C. 
Cary's  mother,  before  marriage,  was  Martha  M.  Curtis.  She  was 
born  in  what  is  now  Oconee  county,  and  was  the  daughter  of  John 
and  Sarah. (Boone)  Curtis.  Her  mother  was  the  daughter  of  Nathan 
Boone,  a  descendant  of  the  famous  Kentucky  hunter,  Daniel  Boone. 
She  still  lives,  residing  in  Oconee  county.  John  Curtis  Cary  was 
reared  on  a  farm  in  Oconee  county,  and  was  prepared  for  college  in 
the  Thalian  academy,  taught  by  the  Rev.  J.  L.  Kennedy,  a  distin- 
guished educator  of  that  time.  During  his  academic  course  he  also 
served  six  months  in  the  Confederate  army,  in  the  latter  part  of  1864, 
holding  the  rank  of  second-lieutenant  of  Company  I,  First  regiment, 
of  South  Carolina  militia.  He  was  then  but  sixteen  years  of  age, 
entering  the  army  in  response  to  a  call  for  sixteen-year-old  boys.  He 
served  with  the  same  command  until  the  close  of  the  war.  Shortly 
after  returning  home,  from  the  war,  he  re-entered  the  Thalian  acad- 


568  SOUTH    CAROLINA.. 

emy,  where  he  remained  until  in  August,  iS66.  In  the  fall  of  that  year 
he  received  the  appointment  of  beneficiary  from  Pickens  district  to 
the  South  Carolina  college,  but  his  father  having  recently  died,  he 
would  not  leave  home.  During  the  year  1S67  he  was  a  student  under 
Prof.  W.  J.  Ligon,  of  Anderson.  He  spent  the  year  1868  on  the  home- 
stead farm.  In  1869  he  took  a  clerkship  in  a  store  at  Walhalla,  hold- 
ing the  position,  however,  only  a  few  months.  He  had  received  a 
good  education,  embracing  Latin  and  Greek,  and  a  good  knowledge 
of  mathematics,  and  in  the  latter  part  of  1869,  he  accepted  a  position 
with  a  corps  of  engineers  surveying  the  line  of  the  Blue  Ridge  rail- 
road. This  occupied  his  attention  until  1872,  when  he  entered  the 
employ  of  a  railroad  contractor  as  bookkeeper  and  paymaster,  which 
position  he  held  for  a  year.  In  the  spring  of  1873,  he  was  employed 
by  the  Savannah  &  Memphis  railroad  company,  in  the  engineering 
department,  but  the  financial  panic  of  that  year,  which  soon  followed, 
compelled  the  suspension  of  the  work.  While  awaiting  other  employ- 
ment he  was  engaged  for  a  few  months  upon  the  farm,  but  during 
the  summer  of  1874  he  helped  to  survey  a  railroad  line  from  Green- 
ville, S.  C.,  to  Asheville,  N.  C.  In  the  fall  of  the  same  year,  he  secured 
a  clerkship  in  a  store  of  general  merchandise  at  Seneca.  This  posi- 
tion he  held  until  1876.  During  all  these  years,  from  the  close  of  the 
war  up  to  this  period,  everything  he  had  saved  from  his  earnings,  he 
had  given  to  his  mother,  and  toward  the  support  and  education  of 
his  younger  brothers.  There  were  six  of  them,  and  one  sister,  and 
he  provided  for  the  education  of  all  of  them,  giving  one  a  collegiate 
course. 

In  1876,  when  he  quit  clerking,  Mr.  Car}-  had  not  a  dollar  upon 
which  to  lay  his  hands,  having  given  everything  he  had  made  prior 
to  that  time  to  the  maintenance  of  the  family.  That  year  he  was  a 
candidate  for  the  office  of  clerk  of  Oconee  county  and  took  a  very 
active  and  enthusiastic  part  in  the  memorable  campaign  of  that  fall. 
He  received  a  very  flattering  vote  for  clerk,  but  failed  to  be  elected. 
He  was  one  of  the  most  active  and  indomitable  workers  in  the  cam- 
paign, and  was  an  ardent  admirer  of  Gen.  Wade  Hampton,  doing  all 
he  could  to  promote  his  cause  and  secure  his  election.  After  the 
state  government  had  securely  passed  into  the  hands  of  the  whites, 
he  turned  his  attention  in  other  directions.  In  November,  1876,  he 
was  made  the  agent  of  George  H.  McFadden  &  Brother,  of  Philadel- 
phia, Penn.,  and  Liverpool,  England,  prominent  cotton  merchants. 
Ever  since,  he  has  been  their  representative  for  western  South  Caro- 
lina and  northeastern  Georgia,  a  period  of  more  than  fifteen  years. 
Aside  from  performing  the  duties  of  this  laborious  and  responsible 
position,  lie  has  devoted  much  attention  to  the  farming  industry.  He 
owns  about  2,000  acres  of  farm  land  in  Oconee  county,  is  the  owner 
of  one  very  valuable  water-power  and  is  part  owner  of  another.  He 
is  now  organizing  a  company  for  the  purpose  of  developing  the  former, 
it  being  his  intention  to  erect  upon  it  a  cotton  mill.  The  power  is 
capable  of  running  40,000  spindles.  It  is  located  within  one  mile  of 
the  Richmond  &  Danville  railroad.     Mr.  Cary  is  a  large  real  estate 


SOUTH   CAROLINA.  569 

owner  in  Seneca.  In  ;88o  he  erected  the  Kcowee  hotel  of  .Seneca, 
which  has  become  famous  in  that  section  of  the  state,  and  is  a  very 
productive  piece  of  property.  'Ihis  he  sold  in  1888.  He  is  now  pres- 
ident of  the  Seneca  Oil  Mill  &  Fertilizer  company.  The  political 
creed  of  Mr.  Cary  is  democratic  and  he  sustains  his  creed  by  active 
endeavor.  In  18S4  he  was  a  delegate  to  the  democratic  national 
convention  which  put  Grover  Cleveland  in  nomination.  He  has  rep- 
resented his  county  in  several  state  conventions  of  his  party.  In  1884 
he  was  delegate  from  Oconee  county  to  the  congressional  convention 
of  the  third  congressional  district  which  met  in  .Seneca,  and  was  a 
strong  supporter  of  D.  Wyatt  Aiken,  who  was  a  candidate  for  re- 
nomination.  Mr.  Cary  was  selected  to  make  the  nominating  speech, 
which  he  did  with  telling  effect.  His  able  and  eloquent  presentation 
was  followed  by  the  re-nomination  and  re-election  of  Mr.  Aiken. 
Mr.  Cary  is  an  elder  in  the  Presbyterian  church  and  is  a  Mason.  He 
was  married,  February  12,  1885,  to  Miss  Mary  F'razer  Livingston, 
eldest  daughter  of  the  late  Col.  J.  W.  Livingston,  of  Seneca. 

The  affectionate  devotion  cherished  by  Mr.  Cary  toward  his  wid- 
owed mother  is  one  of  the  brightest  and  most  noticeable  characteristics 
of  his  life.  The  manner  in  which  he  has  comforted,  cared  and  pro- 
vided for  her  is  indeed  most  commendable,  and  has  won  for  him  the 
praise  and  admiration  of  all  who  have  been  witnesses  of  it.  Mr.  Cary 
is  a  thoroughly  reliable  man  in  every  respect,  and  the  confidence  in 
which  he  is  held  by  his  fellow  citizens  is  absolute  and  perfect.  He 
has  built  himself  up  gradually  and  surely  as  a  buyer  of  cotton,  until 
he  has  now  a  business  which  extends  over  large  portions  of  South 
Carolina  and  Georgia.  He  makes  it  a  rule  to  pay  as  high  a  price  as 
he  can  possibly  afford,  and  he  has  in  this  way  become  widely  known 
among  the  cotton  producers  as  a  good  man  to  whom  to  sell  the  pro- 
ducts of  their  toil.  His  financial  success  has  been  almost  phenomenal, 
taking  into  consideration  the  fact  that  in  1876,  he  started  out  with  ab- 
solutely nothing  except  the  high  gifts  with  which  nature  had  endowed 
him.  In  the  short  space  of  fifteen  years  he  has  reached  a  prominence 
and  influence  in  the  financial  world  rarely  equaled  in  his  section  of 
the  state.  Mr.  Cary  is  a  member  of  the  board  of  trustees  for  the 
Seneca  public  schools  and  at  present,  secretary  of  that  board.  He  is 
descended  from  a  very  prominent  English  family,  many  members  of 
which  came  to  America  and  bore  a  conspicuous  part  in  the  settlement 
and  development  of  Virginia.  Among  them  was  Col.  Miles  Cary,  who 
came  over  from  Bristol,  England,  and  served  in  the  colonial  council  of 
Virginia  under  Gov.  Berkele}'.  Sir  George  Cary  and  Sir  Henry  Cary, 
who  were  members  of  the  London  company  in  1620,  were  members 
of  the  same  family.  A  son  of  .Sir  George  Cary  whose  name  was  Sir 
Henry  Cary  took  up  arms  for  Charles  I.,  and  upon  the  triumph  of  the 
parliament  was  obliged  to  pay  a  heav}'  fine.  In  1651  he  was  again 
put  under  the  law,  and  his  large  estate  known  as  Cockington.  was 
consficated.  Three  3'ears  later  he  emigrated  to  \'irginia,  but  returned 
to  Englanci  at  the  restoration,  and  died  there. 

The  Revolutionary  patriot,  Archibald  Cary,  was  a  member  of  the 


570  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

family.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Virginia  convention  in  1776,  and 
was  conspicuous  for  his  zeal  and  ability.  As  the  owner  of  a  large 
iron  furnace  and  mills,  which  were  burned  by  Tarleton  during  the 
war,  Archibald  Cary  came  to  be  called  "Old  Iron,"  though  the 
sobriquet  had  also  its  personal  significance;  for  he  it  was  that  in  the 
spirit  of  Brutus,  sent  word  to  Patrick  Henry  when  there  was  talk  in 
certain  quarters  of  making  him  dictator  of  Virginia,  that  "the  day 
of  his  appointment  should  be  the  day  of  his  death,  for  he  should  find 
his  dagger  in  his  heart  before  the  sunset  of  that  day."  The  Cary 
family  is  descended  from  Adam  De  Karr^',  Lord  of  Castle  Karry,  of 
Somerset  county,  Eng.,  of  the  twelfth  century.  The  name  originally 
was  Kari.  Henry  Cary,  Lord  of  Kursdon,  who  for  many  years 
served  as  governor  of  Berwick  and  as  warden  of  the  borders,  was  a 
cousin  of  Queen  Elizabeth,  through  his  mother,  Mary  Boleyn.  He  is 
noted  for  having  suppresed  the  rebellion  of  the  north.  He  was  the 
ancestor  of  the  earls  of  Devon  and  Monmouth.  The  Sir  Henry  Cary 
of  the  London  company  was  distinguished  for  his  literar}'  attain- 
ments, and  James  L  fconferred  on  him  the  Scotch  title  of  Viscount 
Falkland.  His  son,  Lucius  Cary,  the  second  Lord  of  Falkland,  served 
as  secretary  of  state  to  Charles  L,  and  was  the  cavalier  par  excellence 
of  his  race.  The  poet,  Patrick  Cary,  was  also  a  member  of  this  il- 
lustrious family. 

JOHN  J.  HUNTER 

is  a  native  of  York  county,  S.  C,  having  been  born  there  October  22, 
1844,  the  son  of  John  B.  Hunter.  M.  D.  The  father  was  born  Janu- 
ary 31,  1S03,  and  was  reared  in  Belfast,  Ireland.  At  the  age  of  six- 
teen he  left  his  native  shores  and  came  to  the  United  States,  landing 
at  Charleston,  S.  C,  October  i,  181Q.  He  located  at  Blairsville,  York 
county,  S.  C,  clerked  in  a  store  and  afterward  went  to  Yorkville, 
S.  C,  and  clerked  in  the  store  of  Capt.  Blair.  While  with  Capt. 
Blair  he  was  thrown  from  a  horse,  and  from  a  wound  received  had  his 
leg  amputated  above  the  knee.  At  the  same  time  he  turned  his  atten- 
tion to  the  study  of  medicine,  and  graduated  at  Charleston  in  1S29. 
In  this  intricate  science  he  became  a  proficient,  and  his  name  is  re- 
membered by  the  people  of  York  county  as  that  of  a  man  of  brilliant 
attainments,  great  success  in  his  calling  and  of  integrity  undeniable. 
When  in  the  prime  of  manhood,  at  the  age  of  forty-nine,  he  was 
thrown  from  his  horse  and  killed.  The  society  of  which  he  was  a 
member  passed  these  resolutions: 

"  Whereas,  Tt  has  pleased  an  all-wise  1^-ovidence,  by  a  sudden  and 
unexpected  call,  to  remove  from  our  midst  our  brother  in  profession 
and  fellow  member  in  society,  Dr.  John  B.  Hunter,  who  by  his  de- 
votedness  to  the  science  of  medicine,  by  his  zeal  and  energy  so  often 
manifested,  so  continually  exerted  for  the  promotion  of  the  great  ob- 
ject of  our  society,  had  endeared  himself  to  us  not  only  as  a  body  but 
also  as  individuals  by  the  strongest  ties  of  respect  and  friendship;  who, 
though  sorely  afflicted  in  early  life,  still  with  unfailing  courage  and 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  57 1 

untiring  industry,  continued  to  labor  in  the  path  of  active  duty  until 
he  fell  a  martyr  to  his  profession,  thus  attracting  our  attention  and 
exciting  our  admiration,  he  secured  for  himself  a  name  and  charac- 
ter which  we  shall  ever  cherish  with  feelings  of  delight  mingled  with 
those  of  sorrow;  therefore. 

Resolved,  That  we  deeply  lament  the  loss  of  so  useful  and  worthy 
a  meniber  of  our  society,  whose  private  virtues  need  no  comment 
here,  but  whose  attainments  in  the  science  of  medicine,  and  whose 
experience  and  skill  as  a  practicing  physician  were  such  as  to  com- 
mand our  universal  esteem  and  admiration. 

Resolved,  That  we  fully  sympathize  with  the  bereaved  widow  and 
children  of  the  deceased  who  have  so  suddenly  been  deprived  of  an 
affectionate  husband  and  kind  parent. 

Resolved,  That  in  accordance  with  the  provision  of  our  constitu- 
tion we  will  wear  the  usual  badge  of  mourning  for  thirty  days  as  an 
humble  tribute  of  respect  to  the  memory  of  our  friend  and  fellow 
member. 

Resolved,  That  these  resolutions  be  published  in  the  Miscellany 
and  Re/iiedy,  and  that  a  copy  signed  by  the  president  of  the  society 
be  forwarded  by  the  secretary  to  the  family  of  the  deceased." 

In  1830  Dr.  Hunter  was  joined  in  marriage  to  Miss  Mary  Mor- 
rison Jackson,  daughter  of  John  Jackson,  a  South  Carolinian.  '  He 
settled  at  Bethel,  York  county,  S.  C,  where  he  practiced  medicine 
until  his  death  in  1852.  By  this  marriage  he  had  nine  children,  four 
sons  and  five  daughters.  After  his  removal  to  this  country  Dr.  Hunter 
sent  for  his  father,  mother  and  two  sisters,  and  all  except  one  sister 
have  died  in  this  state.  Dr.  Hunter's  earlj'  education  was  acquired 
in  Belfast,  Ireland,  his  emigration  to  this  country  at  an  early  age 
doubtless  interfering  with  a  thorough  course.  John  J.  Hunter,  the 
immediate  subject  of  this  sketch,  was  reared  upon  a  plantation  until 
his  twelfth  year.  The  father  died  when  the  boy  was  but  seven  years 
old,  and  the  death  of  his  devoted  mother,  eight  years  later,  left  him 
an  orphan.  He  entered  the  store  of  Simons  «&  Jackson,  at  Bethel, 
as  a  clerk  in  1S57,  and  subsequently  became  an  employe  in  the  mer- 
cantile establishment  of  G.  R.  Ratchford  &  Company,  at  Yorkville, 
with  whom  he  remained  until  February,  1862,  when  he  entered  the 
Confederate  service,  in  Company  H,  of  the  Eighteenth  regiment  of 
South  Carolina  volunteers.  Having  served  for  three  years,  he  sur- 
rendered with  Lee,  at  Appomatox,  then  being  sergeant-major  of  his 
regiment.  During  his  term  of  service  in  the  Confederate  army  he 
was  excused  from  duty  on  account  of  sickness  only  five  days.  He 
was  in  every  battle  in  which  his  regiment  was  engaged,  from  the  time 
he  entered  it  until  the  close  of  the  war  and  never  received  a  wound. 

For  several  years  after  the  war  he  held  a  clerkship  with  business 
houses  at  Yorkville,  and  in  1876  embarked  in  business  with  Mr.  J.  F. 
Oates,  under  the  firm  name  of  Hunter  &  Oates.  This  is  one  of  the 
leading  dry  goods  houses  of  Yorkville.  Mr.  Hunter  has  served  as 
mayor  of  the  cit^',  and  is  esteemed  wherever  known  as  a  man  of  abil- 
ity and  probity.      In  October,  1876,  he  was  happily  married  to  Miss 


572  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

Elizabeth  W.,  daughter  of  Dr.  John  F.  Lindsay,  a  sketch  of  whom 
appears  elsewhere  in  this  work.  vSeven  children  have  blessed  this 
union.  During  the  troubles  of  1871,  Mr.  Hunter  was  unjustly  sus- 
pected, with  many  other  leading  citizens,  of  conspiracy  as  a  member 
of  the  famous  Ku  Klux  Klan,  and  to  escape  the  heat  of  inquiry,  and 
probable  unjust  conviction,  left  his  native  state  and  sought  refuge  in 
Texas  for  a  time.  During  President  Hayes's  administration  these 
charges  were  proven  false  and  he  then  returned  to  Yorkville.  Both 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hunter  are  valued  communicants  of  the  Presbyterian 
church. 

HON.  DIEDERICH  BIEMANN, 

late  an  honored  citizen  of  Walhalla,  was  born  in  the  town  of  Bah- 
1am,  province  of  Thetinghausen,  Germany,  on  the  10th  day  of  May, 
1816.  He  had  a  passion  in  earl}'  life  for  the  merchant  marine  ser- 
vice, and  went  to  sea  on  vessels  plying  between  Bremen  and  St. 
Petersburg,  in  Russia,  and  Mexico  and  Central  America.  During  his 
first  voyage  to  America  his  vessel  touched  at  Baltimore,  and  then  going 
ashore  he  was  much  impressed  with  the  wonderful  resources  of  the 
New  World.  This  led  him  in  time  to  give  up  his  penchant  for  sea- 
farirtg,  and  he  settled  in  Charleston,  S.  C.  His  parents  being  in  poor 
circumstances,  he  was  early  thrown  upon  his  own  resources,  which 
developed  in  him  an  unwonted  degree  of  self-reliance,  energy  and 
perseverance.  When  he  located  in  Charleston,  his  exchequer  only 
showed  a  balance  of  thirty  cents,  a  slender  foundation  upon  which  to 
build  up  a  fortune.  But  he  early  secured  a  position  as  a  clerk  in  a 
grocery  store,  and  by  dilligent  and  faithful  service  he  soon  won  the 
esteem  and  confidence  of  his  emploj-er.  By  rigid  economy  in  his 
personal  expenses,  he  was  soon  enabled  to  begin  business  on  his  own 
account,  setting  out  as  the  proprietor  of  a  grocery  store.  From  this 
day  of  small  beginnings  he  rose  to  be  a  prominent  merchant  in  the 
city.  On  the  8th  day  of  December,  1847,  he  was  married  to  Miss 
Catharine  Dohnken,  who  sailed  from  Germanj%  and  came  to  meet 
her  betrothed  in  Charleston,  where  they  were  united  in  the  holy 
bonds  of  matrimony.  For  forty  years  they  trod  together  life's 
checkered  fortunes,  rejoicing  in  the  sunshine  of  prosperity  and  sor- 
rowing in  the  shade.  He  remained  in  business  in  Charleston  until 
1850,  when  he  removed  to  Walhalla,  which  was  then  but  an  expanse 
of  wild  forest  land ;  he  had  paid  a  visit,  the  previous  year  to  this  place 
and  was  struck  with  its  natural  resources  and  the  beauty  of  its  land- 
scapes, and  decided  to  cast  his  lot  in  that  then  sparsely  settled  re- 
gion. Returning  to  Charleston,  in  1849,  he  was  instrumental  in  or- 
ganizing the  German  colonization  society  of  South  Carolina,  and  this 
society  purchased  several  thousand  acres  of  land  lying  around  Wal- 
halla, extending  to  and  including  High  P^alls.  Mr.  Biemann  was  a 
charter  member  of  this  society,  and  for  a  number  of  years  was  its 
treasurer.  He  was  the  first  of '  the  band  of  pioneers  to  settle  upon 
this  purchase,  and,  in  1850,  built  the  first  house  erected  in  Walhalla. 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  573 

It  was  a  log  structure  reared  upon  the  pr(;scnt  site  of  Biemann  hotel, 
some  of  the  timbers  of  the  primitive  dwelling  still  holding  a  place  in 
its  modern  successor. 

On  his  arrival  at  Walhalla  Mr.  Biemann  at  once  began  a  mer- 
chandising business  and  soon  after  opened  Biemann  hotel,  which 
presently  became  a  favorite  resort  for  the  traveling  public,  drawn 
there  by  bountiful  fare  and  kindly  attentions  of  the  host.  His  mer- 
cantile business  was  also  prosperous  and  he  soon  became  noted 
throughout  the  state  as  a  most  successful  as  well  as  most  liberal 
dealing  man.  Me  could  never  turn  a  customer  away  because  he 
was  poor,  and  it  can  be  truly  said  of  him  that  he  was  more  lib- 
eral in  extending  credit  to  the  poor  and  needy  than  perhaps  any 
other  merchant  in  that  part  of  the  state.  He  had  never  learned 
to  say  no  when  the  appeal  of  this  class  was  brought  to  bear  upon 
his  tenderness  of  heart.  In  the  organization  of  the  town  govern- 
ment, Mr.  Biemann  was  repeatedly  elected  as  a  member  of  the 
council,  and  being  one  of  the  first  settlers  he  was  always  looked 
to  to  lead  off  in  all  enterprises  projected  for  the  good  of  the  place. 
When  in  1868  Pickens  district  was  divided  and  Oconee  county  was 
set  off  therefrom,  Mr.  Biemann  was  the  first  state  senator  elected 
from  the  new  county,  serving  the  constitutional  term  of  four  years, 
and  retiring  in  1872.  It  was  during  the  regime  of  the  radicals, 
but  he  was  elected  as  a  democrat,  his  life-long  fealty  having  been 
accorded  to  the  democratic  party.  The  foreign  foe  and  the  native 
traitor  bore  rule  in  those  days,  but  in  the  midst  of  the  most  ad- 
verse surroundings,  viewed  from  the  political  standpoint,  he  stood 
firm  and  immovable,  acting  for  what  he  conceived  to  be  the  high- 
est practical  good  of  the  county,  the  state  and  his  party.  In  1884 
he  was  again  called  by  the  people  to  represent  them  in  the  same 
honorable  and  responsible  position,  and  responding  to  the  call  he 
served  another  term  of  four  years,  when  from  his  own  choice  he 
retired  to  private  life,  relinquishing  the  public  service  with  its 
cares  and  responsibilities  to  younger  hands.  In  his  early  years  he 
had  united  with  the  German  Lutheran  church,  and  he  remained  a 
consistent  and  conscientious  member  to  the  close  of  his  long  and 
useful  life.  He  was  for  many  years  a  member  of  the  council  of 
the  Walhalla  Lutheran  church,  and  has  been  a  heavy  contributor 
to  the  building  and  maintenance  of  the  church.  He  was  a  patron 
also  of  educational  work,  and  was  instrumental  in  securing  the  re- 
moval of  the  Newberry  college,  soon  after  the  close  of  the  war, 
from  the  place  which  gave  it  its  name,  and  locating  it  at  Walhalla. 
Towards  Its  establishment  and  maintenance  there  he  contributed  a 
large  sum  of  money.  Mr.  Biemann  died  March  7,  i8qi.  His  wife 
and  son,  Henry  D.  A.  Biemann,  their  only  child,  survive  him.  The 
son  is  an  influential  merchant  and  business  man  of  Walhalla. 

RICHARD  IRVINE  MANNING, 

a  native  and  once  governor  of  South  Carolina,  was  born  in  Clarendon 
county,  in  that  state,  May  i,  1789.     He  was  the  son  of  a  soldier  of 


574  SOUTH   CAROLINA. 

the  Revolution,  Lieut.  Lawrence  Manning,  who  served  first  in  an 
infantry  regiment  and  afterwards  in  a  corps  of  light  horse  cavalry. 
Richard  I.  Manning  was  a  graduate  of  South  Carolina  college  in  the 
class  of  iSii.  Before  he  had  had  time  to  enter  any  professional  oc- 
cupation our  entanglement  with  Great  Britain  culminated  in  the  war 
of  1812-15,  and  Mr.  Manning  at  once  entered  the  military  service  of 
his  country.  He  was  made  captain  of  a  company  of  volunteers  who 
were  assigned  to  defend  Charleston,  which  as  a  sea-port  town  was 
seriously  threatened  by  the  British  fleet.  After  the  close  of  hostil- 
ities he  was  elected  a  member  of  the  state  legislature,  and  in  1824, 
was  chosen  governor,  in  which  ofiice  he  served  for  two  years.  This 
was  the  period  of  Gen.  La  Fayette's  second  visit  to  this  country,  whose 
triumphal  tour  extended  to  most  of-  the  principal  cities  and  towns,' 
both  north  and  south.  When  the  distinguished  marquis  reached 
Charleston,  he  was  escorted  to  the  residence  of  Gov.  Manning,  where 
he  was  entertained  with  a  royal  hospitality. 

Later  on,  during  the  nullification  imbroglio  in  South  Carolina, 
Gov.  Manning  was  nominated  for  congress  as  a  union  candidate  to 
represent  the  Charleston  district,  but  he  was  defeated  on  that  issue. 
In  1834,  however,  having  affiliated  with  the  democratic  party,  he  was 
elected  as  a  union-democrat,  his  death  occurring  near  the  completion 
of  his  first  term  in  that  bod}'.  It  is  mentioned  as  a  singular  coinci- 
dence of  relationship,  that  Mr.  Manning's  wife  was  at  once  the  mother 
of  a  governor,  the  aunt  and  foster-mother  of  a  governor,  the  sister 
of  a  governor,  the  niece  of  a  governor,  and  the  wife  of  a  governor. 
Gov.  Manning  died  in  Philadelphia  May  i,  1S36,  on  his  forty-seventh 
birthday. 

CRAYTON  LITTLE  REID, 

one  of  the  prominent  merchants  of  Wahalla,  was  born  in  Anderson 
county,  S.  C,  September  25,  183S.  His  father,  Thomas  L.  Reid,  was 
born  in  the  same  county  in  181 1.  His  mother,  whose  maiden  name 
was  Annie  Sitton,  was  a  native  of  what  is  now  Pickens  county,  having 
been  born  about  the  3'ear  1818.  She  was  the  daughter  of  William 
Philip  Sitton,  an  Englishman,  whose  wife  was  a  native  of  Scotland. 
Thomas  L.  Reid  was  a  farmer  by  occupation  and  died  in  1888,  his 
wife  having  died  in  1870.  He  was  the  son  of  Henry  Reid,  a  native 
of  Wales,  who  upon  emigrating  the  America,  located  in  what  is  now 
Anderson  county.  He  was  also  a  farmer  by  occupation.  His  wife's 
maiden  name  was  Easter  Crayton,  a  native  of  Ireland.  They  were 
married  in  this  country.  Crayton  L.  Reid,  the  subject  of  this  sketch, 
was  reared  on  a  farm  in  Anderson  county  until  he  arrived  at  the  age 
of  fifteen  years.  At  that  period  he  went  to  Pendleton,  in  the  same 
county,  where  for  seven  years  he  was  engaged  as  a  clerk  in  a  store. 
During  the  whole  of  this  time  he  was  in  the  store,  his  only  schooling 
having  been  acquired  at  a  country  school  before  he  entered  upon  his 
clerkship.  Even  then  he  attended  school  but  very  little,  the  whole 
time  probably  not  amounting  to  more  than  twelve  months.     In  the 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  575 

spring  of  1861  he  resigned  his  position  in  the  store  for  the  purjiosc  of 
entering  the  service  of  the  Confederate  army.  lie  was  accordingly 
enrolled  in  the  Fourth  South  Carolina  regiment,  commanded  by 
Col.  J.  B.  E.  Sloan,  under  which  command  he  served  for  twelve 
months,  his  term  of  enlistment.  In  the  spring  of  1862  he  re-enlisted 
in  Company  C,  of  the  Palmetto  sharpshooters,  where  he  served  for 
the  remainder  of  the  war.  He  was  in  the  first  Manassas  battle,  the 
battle  of  Seven  Pines,  the  seven  days'  fighting  and  at  Fredericksburg, 
at  Frazer's  Farm  and  Will's  Valley,  beside  many  other  battles  of 
less  note.  At  the  battle  of  Frazer's  Farm  he  was  wounded  by  a  ball 
which  entered  his  left  shoulder,  passed  through  his  body  and  out  of 
his  right  shoulder.  This  compelled  him  to  spend  four  months  in  the 
hospital  and  at  his  home.  He  was  again  wounded  at  the  battle  of 
Will's  Valley,  in  this  instance  while  kneeling  and  preparing  to  fire 
upon  the  enemy.  The  ball  by  which  he  was  wounded  first  struck  his 
left  hand  on  the  middle  finger,  taking  it  off  to  the  first  joint.  The 
same  ball  next  took  off  the  two  first  fingers  and  almost  the  thumb  of 
the  right  hand,  and  then  struck  his  left  leg  just  below  the  knee,  pass- 
ing through  the  thigh  and  lodging  between  the  left  knee  and  the  left 
hip.  What  was  remarkable  about  this  wound  was  that  when  the  ball 
was  extracted  there  was  attached  to  it  a  piece  of  his  finger  nail,  the 
one  bullet  making  eight  scars.  This  accident  occurred  in  the  fall 
of  1863,  and  after  spending  a  short  time  in  the  hospital  he  was  borne 
home  on  a  litter,  and  was  confined  to  his  bed  during  the  remainder 
of  the  war. 

It  was  not  until  1867,  that  Mr.  Reid  was  able  to  engage  in  any 
business.  During  that  year,  he  again  took  a  position  in  a  store  at 
Pendleton,  where  he  remained  about  two  years.  Then  he  came  to 
Walhalla  and  engaged  in  merchandising  for  himself,  devoting  his  at- 
tention to  that  pursuit  ever  since  —  a  period  of  twenty-two  years. 
The  time  during  which  he  has  done  business  on  his  ovvn  account, 
added  to  the  time  of  his  clerical  occupation,  aggregates  about  thirty- 
four  years  of  work  behind  the  counter,  the  time  of  an  entire  genera- 
tion. His  business  career  has  been  crowned  with  success,  and  he  is 
now  in  good  circumstances,  owning  fine  residence  and  business 
property,  all  free  from  any  incumbrance.  This  is  the  result  of  his  own 
personal  efforts  since  the  close  of  the  war  and  is  the  reward  of  fair 
dealing,  fine  business  habits  and  a  promptness  in  payment,  which  has 
never  allowed  a  single  obligation  to  reach  maturity  before  it  has  been 
discharged.  His  physical  health  has  been  such,  that  he  has  had  no 
use  in  a  single  instance,  for  the  doctor  or  his  medicines,  during  the 
past  thirty  years.  He  is  proud  of  the  fact,  that  his  wife  is  his  own 
willing  house-keeper,  having  sole  charge  of  the  culinary  department 
of  his  home.  In  politics  he  acts  with  the  democratic  party,  and  that 
party  has  chosen  him  as  a  member  of  the  town  council  of  Walhalla, 
for  the  past  eighteen  years,  all  of  which  time  he  has  served  as  clerk 
of  the  council.  The  organizations  of  K.  of  H.,  and  of  A.  O.  U.  W. 
claim  him  as  an  active  member.  He  has  been  twice  married,  his  first 
wife  being,  Roxie  A.  Stribling,  whom  he  married  in  1868.     She  died 


576  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

about  fifteen  months  after  marriage,  leaving  an  only  son,  who  sur- 
vived his  mother  only  a  few  months.  In  1870,  he  was  united  in  mar- 
riage, with  Mary  E.  Stribling,  a  sister  of  his  first  wife.  They  have 
five  living  children,  two  of  whom  are  sons. 

OLIVER  HAZARD  PERRY  FANT. 

Among  the  prominent  citizens  of  Anderson  county,  S.  C,  Oliver 
Hazard   Perry   Fant    holds   a  conspicuous    place.     He    was   born    in 
Union  county,  S.  C,  August  2,  1821,  and  was  the  son  of  James  R.  Fant, 
a  native  of  Fairfield  county,  S.  C.     James  R.  Fant  was  a  farmer  by 
occupation,  and  died  in   1866.     He  was  the  son  of  Samuel  Fant,  a 
Virginian  by  birth,  and  he  was  also  a  farmer.     On  the  paternal  side 
the  subject  of  this  sketch  is  of  English  descent.     His  mother's  maiden 
name  was  x^nnie  Hughey,  a  native  of  North  Carolina,  and   daughter 
of  John   Hughey,  also  a  native  of  that  state.     She  was  of  Irish  de- 
scent.    Her  death  occurred  in  1856.     O.  H.  P.  Fant  removed  with  his 
parents  from  Union  county  to  Anderson  county  while  he  was  but  two 
years  of  age.     There  he  was  reared  on  a  farm,  receiving  a  good  com-^ 
mon  school  education.     From    1837  until  the  latter  part  of  1839  he 
acted  as  clerk  in  the  service  of  Christopher  Orr,  a  merchant  of  An- 
derson, and  the  father  of  ex-Gov.  James  L.  Orr.     During  the  winter 
of  1839  he  engaged  as  clerk  in  Hamburg,  a  place  not  now  known  by 
that  name.     Between  the  years  1840  and  1845  he  worked  at  farming 
in  Anderson  county,  and  from  the  latter  date  until    1859  he  taught 
school  at  different  places  in  South  Carolina  and  Georgia.     In   1859 
he  was   appointed  agent  of  the  Gi-eenville  &  Columbia  railroad,  to 
reside  at  Anderson.     This  position  he  held  fourteen  years,  resigning 
in  1873,  when  he  was  succeeded  by  his  son,  H.  B.  Fant,  who  has  ever 
since  held  the  position.     Beginning  in  the  fall  of  1865  Mr.  Fant  was 
a  partner  with  Capt.  William  S.  Sharp,  in  the  mercantile  business  in 
Anderson  until  1869.     In  1873  Mr.  Fant  again  engaged   in  mercantile 
pursuits  at  Anderson,  with  E.  A.  Bell,  and  followed  that  business  for 
two  years,  during  which   time   he  also   did   a   wholesale  business  in 
tobacco.     He  was  elected,  in  1874,  a  member  of  the  board  of  county 
commissioners,  an  office  which  he  had  not  sought,  and  did  not  desire, 
accepting    it    much    against    his   inclination.     He    was,  however,   re- 
elected in  1S76,  and  served  for  two  yearly  terms  thereafter.     From 
1878  until  1885  he  was  chiefly  engaged  in  the  tobacco  business,  but  in 
the  latter  year  he  removed  to   his  farm  in   Oconee  county,  near  the 
Anderson  county  line.    This  farm  he  had  bought  in  1869.    It  contains 
1,196  acres,  and  is  known  as  the   mountain  View  farm,  from  the  fact 
that  upon  the  premises  one  has  an  excellent  and  extensive  view  of 
the  Blue  Ridge  Mountains.     Since  his  removal  to  this  farm  Mr.  Fant 
has  directed  his  attention  to  its  management.     In   politics  he  is  a 
democrat,  and  in  his  religious  views  a  Baptist,  being  a  member  of  that 
church.     Mr.  Fant  was  married,  January  16,   1844,  to   Miss  Mildred 
Ann,  the    daughter  of  Tilman  C.   Magee.     They   have   reared   ten 
children,  five  sons  and  five  daughters,  all  of  whom  have  reached  their 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  577 

majority.  In  about  1S53  and  1854  Mr.  Fant  was  a  justice  of  the  peace 
in  old  I'ickcns  county.  lie  also  served  as  adjutant  of  the  Forty- 
second  militia  regiment  in  Anderson  county. 

JOHN   J.  PLUSS, 

one  of  the  leading  grocers  in  Laurens,  is  a  native  of  Switzerland,  born 
April  23,  1846.  He  received  a  good  education  in  his  native  country, 
graduating  from  a  college  at  Zofingen,  at  the  age  of  twenty  years. 
After  having  spent  four  years  in  this  institution,  he  was  taught  both 
in  the  German  and  French  languages.  He  then  spent  three  j'ears  as 
book-keeper  in  a  wholesale  establishment  in  iMurgenthal.  Following 
this  he  spent  two  years  in  a  school  at  Neuchatel  for  the  purpose  of 
completing  his  French  education.  Then,  in  1870,  he  emigrated  to  the 
United  States,  landing  at  New  York.  After  tarrying  there  for  a  few 
weeks,  he  came  direct  to  Laurens  county,  where  he  has  ever  since 
remained.  One  reason  why  he  came  to  this  country  was  on  account 
of  its  fine  climate,  and  another  was  that  the  German  and  French  lan- 
guages were  not  in  use  here  to  any  extent,  and  his  desire  was  to 
acquire  the  English  language  as  soon  as  possible  by  mixing  in  a  com- 
munity where  that  tongue  was  exclusively  in  use.  Here  he  engaged 
at  farming,  which  he  followed  until  1880.  In  that  year  he  engagecl  in 
the  grocery  business  in  Laurens,  and  that  has  been  his  occupation 
ever  since.  His  engagement  here  gave  a  new  impetus  to  business  in 
the  city,  he  being  the  first  man  to  open  up  a  broad  and  extensive 
scale.  At  the  end  of  the  first  year  he  expressed  a  willingness  to  com- 
pare books  with  all  the  other  merchants  in  the  city,  claiming  that 
such  comparison  would  demonstrate  that  he  had  done  more  business 
than  all  the  others  put  together.  His  business  has  steadily  enlarged 
and  improved  until  it  has  reached  mammoth  proportions,  and  Mr. 
Pluss  has  become  one  of  the  most  prominent  and  successful  mer- 
chants in  Laurens.  He  is  a  stockholder  in  the  Oil  &  Fertilizer  com- 
pany of  Laurens,  and  also  a  stockholder  and  director  in  the  National 
bank,  of  Laurens.  He  owns  a  half  interest  in  the  Laurens  foundry 
and  machine  shop.  His  politics  are  democratic  and  he  has  served 
three  terms  in  the  town  council.  He  is  a  trustee  of  the  Laurensville 
female  college  and  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  church,  and  also 
of  the  Masonic  lodge.  He  is  chief  of  the  Laurens  fire  department. 
In  March,  1874,  Mr.  Pluss  was  married  to  Miss  Sue  B.  Davis. 

WILLIAM  A.  JAMIESON, 

one  of  the  prominent  merchants  of  Laurens,  was  born  in  Chester 
county,  S.  C,  May  3,  1852.  His  father  was  William  C.  Jamieson,  who 
was  also  a  native  of  Chester  county,  and  by  occupation,  a  farmer.  He 
died  in  1880.  The  family  on  the  paternal  side  is  of  Irish  lineage. 
The  maiden  name  of  William  A.  Jamleson's  mother  was  Susan  E. 
Minter,  a  native  of  York  county,  S.  C,  and  a  daughter  of  William  A. 
Minter,  whose  birthplace  was  also  in  Chester  county.  She  is  still 
A— 37 


578  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

living,  her  home  being  in  Mississippi.  William  A.  Jamieson  left 
Chester  county  when  he  had  arrived  at  the  age  of  thirteen  years  and 
went  with  his  parents  to  Tippah  county,  Miss.,  where  he  spent  his 
later  youth  as  a  farmer.  He  received  a  good  English  education  in- 
cluding a  course  in  the  Bryant  &  Stratton  business  college,  at  Balti- 
more, from  which  he  graduated  at  the  age  of  twenty-one  years.  He 
at  once  secured  a  clerkship  in  a  country  store  in  Union  county,  where 
he  remained  eight  years,  during  the  latter  part  of  which  time  he  was 
the  buj-er  for  the  concern.  He  also  supervised  a  farm  for  his  em- 
ployer. In  i8Si,  with  the  money  he  had  accumulated  in  his  clerkship, 
he  came  to  Laurens  and  engaged  in  business  for  himself  as  the  part- 
ner of  his  former  employer,  John  R.  M inter,  the  firm  name  being 
M inter  &  Jamieson,  which  co-partnership  has  ever  since  existed  and 
is  now  the  general  leading  merchandising  firm  of  Laurens.  When 
first  established,  the  business  was  on  a  considerably  smaller  scale,  the 
stock  consisting  only  of  clothing,  boots  and  shoes  and  furnishing 
goods.  The  firm  then  employed  but  one  clerk.  The  entire  manage- 
ment has  devolved  upon  Mr.  Jameison  for  the  whole  time,  Mr.  Min- 
ter  being  still  a  resident  of  Union  county,  and  interested  in  other 
mercantile  enterprises.  With  the  exception  of  groceries  and  hard- 
ware, the  firm  at  Laurens  carries  a  full  line  of  every  description  of 
merchandise.  In  1883  this  firm  erected  a  handsome  brick  block,  two 
stories  with  a  basement,  the  structure  covering  60x100  feet  of  ground. 
This  they  have  ever  since  occupied,  the  building  being  divided  into 
two  large  business  rooms,  one  of  which  is  used  exclusively  for  the 
furniture  department,  being  one  of  the  largest  and  finest  of  its  kind  in 
the  state.  They  are  now  doing  a  mammoth  business,  and  this  is  due 
almost  wholly  to  the  superb  management  of  Mr.  Jameison,  whose 
ample  business  capacity  is  thoroughly  recognized.  The  increased 
trade  of  the  firm  now  requires  a  force  of  twelve  assistants  to  carry 
on  its  operations.  Mr.  Jamieson  is  a  director  in  the  Laurens  Build- 
ing &  Loan  association,  is  a  staunch  democrat  in  politics,  and  is  a 
member  of  the  board  of  aldermen  of  the  city  of  Laurens.  In  religious 
faith  he  is  a  Presbyterian,  a  deacon  of  the  church  and  its  treasurer. 
He  was  married  in  February,  1881,  to  Miss  Julia  C.  Mabone,  daughter 
of  Capt.  R.  C.  Mabone,  who  was  an  officer  in  the  Civil  war.  They 
have  three  children,  one  son  and  two  daughters.  Mr.  Jamieson  is  a 
business  man  of  sleepless  energy  and  push,  and  makes  thorough  and 
practical  use  of  the  correct  principles,  the  study  of  which  formed  so 
large  a  share  of  his  early  education.  Though  yet  young,  with  a  busi- 
ness experience  of  only  nine  years,  he  has  already  taken  a  forempst 
rank  among  the  successful  merchants  of  the  state,  a  position  which  he 
seems  likely  to  hold  as  long  as  he  shall  be  engaged  in  its  pursuit. 

WILLIAM    H.    ELLERBE, 

comptroller-general  of  South  Carolina,  and  a  prominent  young  man 
of  the  state,  residing  at  Marion,  is  a  native  of  the  Palmetto  state, 
and  was  born   near  Marion  on  April  7,  1862.     His  father  was  Will- 


SOUTH   CAROLINA.  579 

iam  S.  Ellcrbce,  also  a  native  of  South  Carolina,  and  born  in  Marion 
county,  in  1833,  and  tlic  son  of  John  Ellerbe,  a  native  of  Cheraw 
county,  S.  C.  The  first  of  the  Ellerbe  family  to  come  to  America 
were  tw(j  twin  brothers,  natives  of  I:^ngland,  who  came  to  the  United 
States  in  about  1734,  and  located  on  the  (jreat  Pee  Dee  river,  in  the 
Cheraw  neighborhood.  William  S.  Ellerbe  was  a  planter,  and  was 
the  largest  and  most  successful  in  his  section.  He  was  married  in 
1S51  to  Sarah  E.,  daughter  of  Maj.  James  Haselton,of  Marion  county, 
S.  C,  and  to  this  union  thirteen  children  were  born,  four  sons  and 
nine  daughters,  all  of  whom  are  living.  William  E.  died  in  June, 
1S90.  He  devoted  himself  to  agricultural  pursuits  exclusively,  declin- 
ing all  invitation  to  enter  public  life,  refusing  always  to  accept  official 
honors.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Methodist  church,  and  a  man  uni- 
versally respected  and  esteemed  for  his  sterling  worth  and  excellent 
traits  of  character. 

William  H.  Ellerbe  was  reared  on  his  father's.plantation  in  Marion 
county.  His  education  was  obtained  from  private  tutors  at  the  home 
of  his  father  and  at  a  neighboring  school  taught  by  L.  B.  I^rince,  a 
well-known  educator  who  had  charge  of  Pine  Hill  academy,  where 
he  was  fitted  for  college.  In  1S80  he  entered  Wofford  college  at 
Spartanburg,  S.  C,  where  he  attended  two  sessions.  He  then  entered 
V'anderbilt  universit}-,  at  Nashville,  Tenn.,  but  remained  at  this  col- 
lege only  a  few  months,  when  his  health  failed,  and  his  physician 
ordered  him  home  to  his  father's  plantation,  recommending  a  life  of 
active  and  outdoor  exercise.  He  worked  with  his  father  for  a  while, 
but  subsequently  purchased  a  plantation  of  his  own.  In  November, 
1S89,  he  engaged  in  merchandising  in  Marion,  as  a  member  of  the 
firm  of  Holliday,  Ellerbe  &  Co.,  where  he  continued  until  November, 
1890.  During  his  business  career  he  also  conducted  his  plantation, 
and  was  uniformly  successful.  At  the  beginning  of  the  farmer 
movement,  in  1SS6,  Mr.  Ellerbe  became  identified  with  the  same,  and 
in  1889  he  joined  the  alliance,  but  was  suspended  from  membership 
in  the  same  when  he  engaged  in  merchandising.  In  iSgo  he  was 
nominated  without  solicitation  for  the  position  of  comptroller-general 
of  the  state  and  was  elected  without  an  active  canvass.  He  is  the 
youngest  man  ever  elected  to  a  state  office  in  South  Carolina.  He 
took  a  conservative  position  during  the  campaign  and  was  voted  for 
by  both  parties.  His  administration  of  the  office  of  comptroller- 
general  is  vigorous,  able  and  entirely  satisfactory,  being  equal  to  that 
of  older  officials.  Mr.  Ellerbe  was  married  in  June,  18S7,  to  Miss 
Henrietta,  daughter  of  Henry  J.  Rogers,  of  Marlboro  county,  S.  C, 
and  to  this  union  two  sons  have  been  born.  Mr.  Ellerbe  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  and  is  chairman  of  the  board 
of  stewards  of  that  church  of  Mullins  circuit. 

THOMAS    SUMTER. 

General  Thomas  Sumter  was  among  that   conspicuous   class  of 
South  Carolinians  whose  connection  with  our  Revolutionary  struggle 


580  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

will  always  make  their  names  illustrious  on  the  pages  of  history.  But 
like  many  of  that  same  class  of  individuals  there  is  very  little  to  be 
found  concerning  the  private  life  of  Gen.  .Sumter.  Even  the  exact 
place  and  date  of  his  birth  are  unknown.  In  a  general  way  it  is  re- 
corded that  he  was  born  in  Virginia  in  1734.  At  that  time  the  colonists 
were  often  engaged  in  conflicts  with  the  Indian  tribes,  and  early  in  life 
Sumter,  having  in  the  meantime  removed  to  South  Carolina,  was  a 
volunteer  in  the  French  and  Indian  war,  and  his  braver}-  was  such  as 
to  attract  the  attention  of  the  then  ruling  authorities.  He  was  pres- 
ent at  the  defeat  of  Braddock,  and  subsequently  took  an  active  and 
conspicuous  part  in  the  Revolutionary  war.  Early  in  1776  he  became 
lieutenant-colonel  of  a  South  Carolina  regiment,  and  was  one  of  the 
prominent  actors  in  the  defense  of  Charleston  previous  to  its  capitu- 
lation. A  short  time  after  the  surrender.  Col.  Sumter  was  promoted 
to  the  rank  of  brigadier-general  by  Gov.  Rutledge.  At  that  time 
South  Carolina  was  pretty  thoroughly  invested  by  British  troops,  and 
many  of  the  inhabitants  maintained  their  adhesion  to  the  British  gov- 
ernment; but  Gen.  Sumter  was  among  those  that  took  refuge  in  the 
Santee  swamps,  holding  themselves  in  readiness  to  strike  the  enemy 
whenever  an  opportunity  should  offer.  When  his  estate  was  ravaged 
and  his  buildings  were  burned  by  the  enemy,  in  which  the  tories  took 
part,  he  retired  to  North  Carolina,  where  took  command  of  a  small 
force  of  patriots  there  collected.  He  was  one  of  that  brilliant  few 
whose  patriotism  did  not  forsake  them  in  the  darkest  hour  through 
which  his  adopted  state  was  called  to  pass,  and  he  ranked  with  such 
leaders  as  Marion,  Pickens  and  Lee,  who  annoyed  the  enemj^  contin- 
ually at  every  vulnerable  point. 

At  Catawba,  on  tjie  12th  of  July,  17S0,  Gen.  Sumter  attacked  a 
superior  force  of  the  British  under  command  of  Capt.  Huck,  and 
completely  routed  and  dispersed  them,  Capt.  Huck  being  among  the 
number  killed.  On  the  30th  of  the  same  month,  with  only  a  force  of 
600,  he  attacked  the  British  port  at  Rocky  Mount,  but  for  want  of 
heavy  artillery  and  the  defection  of  some  of  his  men,  he  was  repulsed. 
Within  one  week,  however,  he  engaged  with  a  strong  force  of  British 
and  tories,  at  Hanging  Rock,  and  gained  a  decisive  victory.  His 
soldiers  were  short  of  ammunition  at  the  beginning  of  the  action,  but 
this  only  afforded  them  an  incentive  to  make  haste  and  supply  them- 
selves from  the  enemy,  which  they  shortly  accomplished.  This  bril- 
liant feat  was  followed  by  an  attack  upon  the  stores  of  the  main 
army,  by  which  nearly  fifty  wagon-loads  of  stores  and  clothing  were 
secured,  with  a  number  of  prisoners.  As  often  happens,  this  was  fol- 
lowed by  a  reverse,  the  victors,  rendered  unwary  b}'  their  suc- 
cess, being  surprised  by  Gen.  Tarleton,  at  Fishing  creek  and  com- 
pletely routed.  The  stores  he  had  captured  were  retaken  and  Gen. 
Sumter  lost  150  men  killed  and  twice  that  number  taken  prisoners. 
He  himself  escaped  unhurt  and  immediately  began  tore-organize  his 
forces  and  enlist  new  men.  With  his  new,  but  yet  small  force  all 
mounted,  he  was  enabled  to  be  a  source  of  constant  harassment  to 
the  enemy,  menacing  their  outposts  and   cutting  off  their  sujiplies. 


BRAN  i 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  S'Sl 

These  skirmishes  became  so  damaging  that  Cornwallis,  earlj'  in  the 
fall  of  i/So,  detc:rmined  to  overthrow  Sumter,  and  he  sent  a  special 
force  under  Major  Wemyss  to  joursue,  and,  if  possible,  destroy  this 
little  army.  Sumter  was  encamped  on  Broad  river,  and  on  the  12th 
of  November,  gave  his  besiegers  a  warm  reception.  Wemyss'  forces 
were  defeated  and  he  was  taken  prisoner.  A  week  afterward  Sum- 
ter was  attacked  by  Tarleton,  but  after  a  short  and  sharp  conflict  the 
British  general  was  defeated.  Unfortunately  .Sumter  was  wounded 
in  this  battle,  and  was  compelled  for  a  few  months  to  suspend  his 
command,  which  was  a  matter  of  much  congratulation  on  the  part  of 
the  British  generals.  But  congress  recognized  the  eminent  service 
he  had  performed,  and  in  January,  1781,  passed  a  vote  of  thanks 
upon  him  and  his  men  "  for  their  bravery,  patriotism  and  military 
conduct." 

In  February,  Sumter  again  took  the  field,  and  a  series  of  brilliant 
successes  followed  his  military  occupations.  After  the  close  of  the 
war,  Gen.  Sumter  was  chosen  a  member  of  the  convention  called  to 
consider  and  adopt  the  Federal  constitution,  and  he  was  sent  to 
represent  his  state  in  the  national  congress  from  1789  to  1793.  In 
that  body  he  was  one  of  the  members  who  voted  for  locating  the 
National  capital  upon  the  Potomac.  In  1801  he  was  elected  a  United 
States  senator,  which  office  he  held  till  he  was  appointed  minister  to 
Brazil,  in  1809.  At  the  end  of  two  years,  he  resigned  this  officeand 
retired  to  private  life.  He  took  up  his  residence  at  Bradford  Springs, 
where,  June  i,  1832,  he  departed  this  life  in  the  ninety-eighth  year  of 
his   age,  being  the  last  surviving  officer  of  the  Revolution. 

MELVIN  L.  KINARD. 

Among  the  prominent  representative  merchants  of  Columbia,  S.C., 
is  Melvin  L.  Kinard,  who  is  decidedly  the  largest  and  leading  retail 
dealer  in  clothing,  boots,  shoes,  hats,  caps  and  gents  furnishing  goods 
in  the  state.  Mr.  Kinard  is  a  Carolinian  by  birth,  having  been  born 
at  Newberry  on  May  9,  1S40.  His  parents  were  John  G.  and  Eliza- 
beth (Harmon)  Kinard,  both  of  whom  were  born  at  Newberry,  the 
father  in  the  year  1798,  and  the  mother  in  1806.  The  paternal  grand- 
father of  Mr.  Kinard  was  one  of  two  brothers  who  were  natives  of 
Germany,  and  came  to  America  when  quite  young.  They  served  in 
the  Revolutionary  war,  after  which  they  located  in  South  Carolina  on 
land  that  had  been  granted  them  by  the  government.  Only  one  of 
the  brothers  ever  married.  John  G.  Kinard  was  a  planter,  and  lived 
his  long  and  useful  life  upon  the  plantation  upon  which  he  was  born. 
His  wife  died  in  1S46,  but  his  death  did  not  occur  until  in  the  spring 
of  1889.  To  their  union  five  daughters  and  seven  sons  were  born,  and 
of  the  latter  our  subject  is  the  only  one  surviving.  Mr.  Kinard  was 
reared  on  the  plantation  in  Newberry  until  his  seventeenth  year,  and 
attended  the  local  schools.  In  1857  he  left  home  and  came  to  Colum- 
bia to  enter  the  dry-goods  store  of  his  brother,  John  II.  Kinard,  one 
of  Columbia's  early  merchants.     He  remained  with  his  brother  until 


582  SOUTH   CAROLINA. 

)  861,  when  he  entered  the  Confederate  army.  For  some  time  pre- 
vious to  that  event  he  had  been  a  member  of  a  local  militia  company, 
known  as  the  I^ichland  V'olunteer  Rifle  company,  and  it  was  with  this 
organization  that  he  entered  the  war.  The  Richland  Rifles  were 
among  the  very  first  mustered  into  the  service  of  South  Carolina. 
The  company,  with  others.,  was  ordered  to  report  to  Charleston  dur- 
ing the  winter  of  1860-61,  where  they  were  mustered  in  for  six  months 
and  quartered  the  balance  of  the  winter  and  spring.  With  his  com- 
pany Mr.  Kinard  participated  in  the  siege  of  Fort  Sumter,  they  being 
stationed  as  sharpshooters  on  Cummings  Point,  where  Stephens'  iron 
battery  was  located.  The  company  remained  in  Charleston  until  its 
re-organization  in  the  summer  of  1S61,  but  before  that  time  Mr. 
Kinard  had  left  it  and  joined  the  Garlington  Rifles  from  Laurens, 
which  was  attached  to  the  Third  regiment  South  Carolina  volunteers. 
The  company  at  that  time  was  with  the  regiment  in  V'irginia,  where 
Mr.  Kinard  proceeded,  reaching  it  in  time  to  participate  in  the  first 
battle  of  Bull  Run.  A  short  time  afterward  he  was  taken  sick  with  a 
complicated  attack  of  measles  and  pneumonia,  and  for  four  months 
was  dangerously  ill  at  a  Virginia  farm  house  distant  about  four  miles 
from  the  above  battle  field.  As  soon  as  he  had  sufficiently  recovered 
to  be  able  to  travel,  the  surgeon  of  the  Third  recommended  that  he 
be  transferred  to  the  coast  until  he  should  have  recovered  his  health, 
and  he  returned  to  Columbia  to  recuperate.  But  before  he  had  been 
at  home  a  month  he  joined  Pierson's  company,  then  being  organized, 
which  was  attached  to  Stephens'  Twentj'-fourth  regiment.  The 
Twenty-fourth  remained  on  the  coast  until  after  the  battle  of  Seces- 
sionville,  and  then  under  orders  joined  the  western  army,  then  under 
command  by  Gen.  Joseph  E.  Johnston. 

Mr.  Kinard  was  with  the  western  army  during  all  its  campaigning 
from  Dalton  to  x'\tlanta,  Ga.,  and  afterward  was  with  the  same  army 
under  Gen.  Hood  when  it  made  the  disastrous  raid  through  Alabama 
and  Tennessee  to  Nashville.  He  was  surrendered  in  1865  at  Golds- 
boro,  N.  C.  Among  the  campaigns  and  engagements  participated  in 
by  Mr.  Kinard  were  those  of  Fort  Sumter  and  the  First  Manasses,  in 
1861;  James  Island,  including  Secessionville,  in  1862;  campaign  in 
Mississippi,  including  fighting  around  Jackson,  in  1863;  campaigns  of 
Johnston  and  Hood,  in  1863  and  1864,  in  Georgia,  Alabama  and 
Tennessee,  including  battles  of  Chickamauga,  Alission  Ridge,  the 
long  fighting  retreat  from  P)alton  to  Atlanta,  and  Franklin  and  Nash- 
ville, in  Tennessee.  A  thrilling  incident  occurred  in  Mr.  Kinard's 
army  life  in  June,  1864,  during  Gen.  Johnston's  campaign  in  Georgia. 
The  Twenty-fourth  South  Carolina  regiment,  of  which  he  was  an 
officer,  had  been  left  to  cover  the  rear  of  Walker's  divisiqji  in  retreat 
from  one  of  the  lines  of  battle  held  by  Gen.  Johnston.  The  regiment 
had  been  continually  on  picket  duty  for  days,  and  the  supply  of  food 
in  the  liaversacks  of  the  men  had  been  exhausted  for  some  time. 
The  division  having  retired.  Col.  Ellison  Copers,  commanding  the 
T\v(>nty-fourth  regiment,  South  Carolina  volunteers,  was  ordered  to 
hold  his  position  until  daylight  and  then  retire.     The  enemy,  seeing 


SOUTH   CAROLINA.  583 

the  situation  of  the  Twenty-fourth  pressed  up  so  closely  that  it  was 
necessai'}'  to  retire  skirmishing.  The  regiment  being  a  splendidly 
drilled  and  well  disciplined  regiment,  was  kept  well  in  hand,  and  after 
a  charge  against  the  enemy,  driving  them  back  some  distance,  com- 
menced the  retreat  with  the  support  of  a  small  cavalry  force  in  its 
rear.  Lieut  Kinard  had  been  sick  for  several  days,  and  was  e.xceed- 
ingly  weak;  his  feet  were  blistered  and  he  was  wholly  unfit  for 
service,  but  had  refused  to  leave  his  command  in  action.  The  march 
in  retreat  being  rapid  Col.  Copers  rode  to  the  rear  to  see  how  things 
were  progressing,  where  he  found  Lieut.  Kinard  exhausted  and  un- 
able to  proceed  further.  He  reported  his  inability  to  his  colonel  and, 
in  a  fainting  condition,  asked  him  to  take  his  sword  and  save  it  from 
capture,  as  it  was  impossible  for  him  to  go  on.  Col.  Copers  replied: 
"  No,  Kinard,  you  are  too  good  a  man  and  too  valuable  an  officer  to 
be  captured;"  and  then  dismounting  added:  "Take  my  horse  and 
ride  on  until  you  overtake  the  ambulances."  Lieut.  Kinard  mounted 
the  horse  and  rode  all  night,  while  his  colonel  trudged  along  on  foot, 
and  was  thus  saved  from  capture  by  the  Yankees,  if  not  from  a  worse 
fate.  This  incident  was  at  once  expressive  of  the  colonel's  apprecia- 
tion of  his  ofificer,  and  an  evidence  of  the  pluck  and  endurance  of 
the  men  who  followed  the  standard  of  Gen.  Johnston. 

After  the  war  Mr.  Kinard  returned  to  his  father's  plantation,  at 
Newbery,  and  assisted  him  during  the  summer  of  1865,  in  putting  in 
the  crops,  after  which  he  proceeded  to  Columbia,  and  engaged  in 
buying  cotton  for  other  parties.  In  this  way  he  made  about  $600 
in  gold,  and  then  determined  to  engage  in  business  for  himself.  With 
$500  of  the  money  he  erected  a  storehouse,  on  Plain  street,  near  Main, 
and  then  obtained  a  stock  of  goods  on  credit,  from  a  New  York  house, 
in  paying  the  freight  on  which  he  expended  the  remaining  $100,  so 
that  by  the  time  his  goods  were  on  the  shelf,  his  supply  of  cash  was 
exhausted.  However,  business  opened  up  good,  and  from  that  day 
to  the  present,  Mr.  Kinard  has  prospered.  For  awhile  his  brother 
was  associated  in  business  with  him  under  the  firm  name  of  J.  H.  & 
M.  L.  Kinard,  but  that  partnership  lasted  but  a  few  years,  when  our 
subject  drew  out  of  the  same  and  engaged  in  the  clothing  business,  at 
which  he  has  since  continued.  He  has  also  been  identified  and  con- 
nected with  other  enterprises,  at  different  times,  in  all  of  which  he  met 
with  success.  His  clothing  business  has  increased  steadily,  from  year 
to^'ear,  until  it  grew  into  the  largest  in  the  state. 

Mr.  Kinard  was  married  in  1871,  to  Miss  Cornelia  Williams,  a 
granddaughter  of  Judge  Earl,  of  Greenville.  She  died  the  following 
year,  and  in  1876  he  was  married  to  Miss  Florence  Lyles,  daughter 
of  the  Hon.  William  Lyles,  of  Fairfield,  S.  C,  who  for  years  was  a 
member  of»  the  legislature  and  a  promiment  citizen.  To  this  union 
five  daughters  and  one  son  have  been  born.  Mr.  Kinard  may  well 
be  termed  a  self-made  man.  After  the  war  he  returned  to  Columbia 
without  a  dollar  of  capital,  yet  by  his  own  exertions,  and  the  exer- 
cise of  his  splendid  business  talents,  he  has  succeed  in  building  up 
one  of  the  largest  retail  establishments  in  the  south,  and  the  leading 


584  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

one  in  the  state,  and  has  accumulated  a  splendid  competency.  He  is 
essentially  a  business  man,  both  by  inclination  and  adaptability,  and 
has  made  a  study  of  merchandizing  in  his  line.  Painstaking  and  sys- 
tematic in  his  methods,  he  has  by  assiduous  attention  to  business,  and 
by  fair  and  honest  dealing,  won  the  respect  and  esteem  of  his  fellow- 
citizens,  and  built  up  a  commercial  character  second  to  no  man  in  the 
state.  Modest  and  retiring  in  his  manners  and  conduct  before  the 
people,  he  has  always  been  adverse  to  public  or  political  honors,  uni- 
formly declining  offices  of  any  kind,  preferring  the  independent  life 
of  a  private  citizen  to  that  of  a  public  official.  And  this  same  char- 
acteristic prevented  him  from  receiving"  higher  honors  during  the  late 
war,  in  recognition  and  return  for  his  long  and  faithful  service  in  the 
field.  But  notwithstanding  this  disposition,  Mr.  Kinard  has  always 
taken  a  decided  and  active  interest  in  public  affairs  generally,  and 
particularly  in  all  things  pertaining  to  the  interests  of  his  city 
and  vicinity,  and  always  stands  ready  to  encourage  and  aid  all  wor- 
thy public  enterprises  having  for  their  object  the  improvement  and 
advancement  of  the  community.  He  is  broad  and  liberal  in  his  views, 
progressive  and  enterprising,  and  is  recognized  as  one  of  the  truly 
representative  business  men  of  the  state. 

RICHARD  SMALLWOOD   DesPORTES. 

Prominent  among  the  representative  citizens  of  Columbia,  S.  C,  is 
Capt.  Richard  S.  DesPortes,  who  for  many  years  has  been  closely 
identified  with  the  business  interests  of  the  city,  and  who  has  borne 
a  conspicuous  part  in  its  government.  He  is  a  Carolinian  b}'  birth, 
born  in  Charleston,  September  21,  1S41;  the  son  of  Augustus  and 
Emeline  (Smallwood)  DesPortes.  The  father  was  a  native  of  Bor- 
deaux, France;  born  in  1813,  and  was  brought  by  his  mother  to 
America,  when  an  infant,  his  father  having  been  killed  in  the  battle 
of  Waterloo.  His  wife  was  born  in  Charleston,  and  was  a  descend- 
ant of  Gen.  Smallwood,  of  Revolutionary  fame.  Augustus  DesPortes, 
was  a  journalist  by  profession,  and  died  in  1S61;  his  wife's  death  oc- 
curring a  few  months  later.  Six  children  were  born  to  these  parents, 
of  whom  the  subject  of  this  sketch  is  the  second  in  the  order  of  birth. 
Capt.  DesPortes  received  his  education  at  Mount  Zion  college,  at 
Winnsboro,  S.  C,  leaving  that  institution  in  the  spring  of  1S61,  to  en- 
list in  the  Confederate  army.  He  joined  Company  G,  (Aiken 
Guards)  of  the  Third  South  Carolina  battalion,  with  the  rank  of  sec- 
ond lieutenant,  which  he  held  until  April,  1S62,  when,  having  con- 
tracted pneumonia  from  exposure  while  on  a  reconnoisance,  he 
resigned.  After  his  recovery,  he  joined  the  army  of  "  southern  Vir- 
ginia and  North  Carolina,"  and  was  given  a  position  on  the  staff  of 
Gen.  S.  G.  French,  as  ordnance  officer  and  inspector  of  field  artillery 
and  small  arms,  with  the  rank  of  first  lieutenant  of  artillery.  On  this 
staff  he  remained  until  June.  1863,  when  he  was  transferred  to  the 
staff  of  (ien.  D.  II.  Hill,  brother-in-law  of  Stonewall  Jackson.  After 
the  battle  of  White  House,  on  the  James  River,  Gen.  Hill  and  staff 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  585 

were  ordered  to  Chattanooga,  where  Lieut.  UesPortes,  took  part  in 
the  bombardment  of  that  place,  and  in  the  battle  of  Chickamauga, 
after  which,  Gen.  Hill  and  staff  were  relieved  from  duty  by  President 
Jefferson  Davis,  as  the  result  of  a  petition,  signed  by  (jen.  flill,  asking 
the  president  to  relieve  Gen.  Bragg  from  duty,  for  failure  to  press 
Gen.  Rosecrans  after  his  defeat  at  Chickamauga.  Mr.  UesPortes 
then  reported  to  Adjutant  and  Inspector  General  Cooper,  in  Rich- 
mond, and  in  two  weeks  was  ordered  to  report  back  to  the  "army  of 
Tennessee"  and  resume  his  old  position  on  the  corps  staff,  then  com- 
manded by  Maj.  Gen.  Hindman. 

In  the  spring  of  1S64  Lieut-Gen.  J.  B.  Hood  was  transferred  from 
the  army  of  northern  Virginia  to  the  army  of  Tennessee,  and  placed 
in  command  of  the  army  corps  to  which  Mr.  DesPqrtes  belonged,  the 
latter  remaining  on  his  staff  until  about  the  first  of  July,  1864,  when 
Gen.  Hood  was  promoted  to  the  rank  of  full  general  and  placed  in 
command  of  the  army,  vice  Gen.  Joseph  E.  Johnston  removed.  Gen. 
Hood's  staff  did  not  participate  in  his  promotion,  Gen.  Johnston's 
staff  being  turned  over  to  Gen.  Hood.  Gen.  Cheatham  was  assigned 
to  the  command  of  the  corps  to  which  Mr.  DesPortes  belonged, 
and  under  him  he  participated  in  the  battles  of  Peach  Tree  Creek, 
and  "Twenty-second  of  July"  (Atlanta),  at  which  battle  Gen.  Mc- 
Pherson  of  the  P^ederal  army  was  killed.  Then  Lieut.-Gen.  S.  D. 
Lee  was  transferred  from  the  army  of  the  Mississippi  and  given  the 
command  of  the  army  corps  to  which  Mr.  DesPortes  belonged,  and 
under  Gen.  Lee  he  participated  in  the  battles  of  "Lick  .Skillet  Road," 
or  "Ezra  Church,"  jonesboro,  Dalton,  Resaca,  the  splendid  crossing 
of  the  Tennessee  at  Florence,  the  battles  of  Columbia,  Tenn.,  Spring 
Hill,  Tenn.,  Franklin,  Tenn.,  Murfreesboro,  Tenn.,  and  he  was  with 
the  rear  guard  of  the  Confederate  army  in  its  retreat  from  Tennessee, 
in  which  the  fighting  was  continuous.  When  he  reached  the  Ten- 
nessee river  on  the  retreat,  the  Federal  infantry  were  behind  in  large 
numbers,  the  cavalry  on  both  flanks,  and  the  Federal  gun-boats  on 
the  river  in  front  of  them,  the  subject  of  this  sketch  and  the  survivors 
of  the  shattered  army  of  Tennessee  escaped  across  the  river  under 
cover  of  the  spray  thrown  up  by  the  shells  from  the  gun-boats,  and 
went  to  Tupelo,  Miss.,  and  from  there  to  Meridian,  Miss.,  then  to 
Montgomery,  Ala.,  then  to  Columbus,  Ga.,  then  to  Augusta,  and  then 
to  Orangeburg,  S.  C,  where  a  line  of  battle  was  formed,  and  a  three 
days'  fight  was  inaugurated  along  the  Edisto  river.  From  Orange- 
burg, Mr.  DesPortes,  with  his  corps,  moved  along  the  river  to  within 
three  miles  of  Columbia,  S.  C,  where  with  the  remnant  of  the  once 
grand  army  corps  of  the  army  of  Tennessee,  in  all  about  2,500  men, 
they  fought  for  three  da3''s,  holding  back  a  corps  of  Federal  troops 
30,000  strong.  On  the  night  of  February  16,  1865,  Mr.  DesPortes, 
with  his  comrades  marched  through  Columbia  and  bivouacked  that 
night  at  Doko,  seventeen  miles  north  of  Columbia.  Leaving  Doko 
on  the  morning  of  February  17,  he  went  to  Ridgeway,  and  there 
formed  line  of  battle,  and  threw  up  breastworks,  under  the  impres- 


586  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

sion  that  the  Federal  cavalry  were  after  them.  On  the  morning  of 
the  iSth  he  and  his  comrades  moved  on  through  Winnsboro  to  Black- 
stocks,  and  thence  easterly  to  Landsford,  on  the  Catawba  river.  On 
that  morning  he  led  his  corps  across  the  Catawba  river,  and  that 
night  stayed  at  the  house  of  a  German  named  Isenhower,  near  Char- 
lotte, N.  C,  where  he  remained  several  days.  He  then  went  by  rail, 
in  the  night  time,  to  Kingston,  N.  C,  where,  with  Gen.  Hoke  com- 
manding a  North  Carolina  division,  the  battle  of  Kingston  was  fought, 
capturing  1,500  prisoners  and  twenty  pieces  of  artillery.  Then  with 
his  comrades  he  moved  toward  Bentonville,  where  the  battle  of  Ben- 
tonville  was  fought,  driving  the  Federal  army  out  of  their  lines  of 
breastworks  and  capturing  a  number  of  prisoners,  many  pieces  of 
artillery  and  small  arms. 

The  army  then  moved  to  Raleigh,  where  they  heard  of  Lee's  sur- 
render. The  next  morning  Mr.  DesPortes  went  to  his  staff  com- 
mander. Gen.  S.  D.  Lee,  and  proposed  to  go  with  him  across  the 
Mississippi  river  and  fight  it  out  there.  Gen.  Lee  promised  an  an- 
swer later,  and  the  troops  then  marched  on  to  Greensboro,  where 
they  met  the  advance  column  of  Gen.  R.  E.  Lee's  disbanded  army 
passing  through  Greensboro  to  a  point  equi-distant  between  Greens- 
boro and  High  I^oint.  Mr.  DesPortes  and  his  corps  surrendered. 
After  the  battle  of  Resaca  he  was  recommended  for  promotion  to 
the  rank  of  captain  of  artillery,  and  on  endorsing  the  application. 
Gen.  Hood,  on  whose  staff  he  had  served,  said:  "  Lieut.  DesPortes 
is  a  brave  and  efficient  officer."  He  was  also  recommended  for  pro- 
motion by  Maj.-Gen.  French  and  Lieut. -Gen.  S.  D.  Lee  in  very  com- 
plimentary terms.  Mr.  DesPortes  took  part  in  twenty-seven  battles 
in  the  last  campaign  which  began  on  the  4th  day  of  May,  1864,  and 
ended  on  the  26th  of  April,  1865.  Many  of  these  battles  extended 
through  three  days,  beside  a  number  of  skirmishes  larger  than  some 
of  the  battles  of  the  first  Revolution,  i.  e.,  1776.  After  the  surrender 
Mr.  DesPortes  returned  to  Winnsboro  (May  10,  1865),  and  remained 
there  a  short  time.  He  then  went  to  Ridgeway,  S.  C,  where  he  be- 
gan business,  his  capital  being  the  proceeds  of  a  bale  of  cotton,  for 
which  he  had  traded  his  war  horse.  He  remained  in  Ridgeway  until 
18S0,  prospering  in  his  business  in  a  high  degree.  He  then  moved 
to  Columbia,  in  order  to 'educate  his  children.  On  coming  there 
he  formed  a  partnership  with  R.  H.  Edmunds,  Jr.,  in  the  mercantile 
trade,  the  partnership  continuing  until  iSSS,  when  Capt.  DesPortes 
retired  from  business.  He  has  served  as  aldermen  of  Columbia  from 
1883  up  to  the  present  time,  all  the  while  serving  as  chairman  of  the 
committee  of  ways  and  means.  He  is  a  trustee  of  the  Columbia 
canal,  and  vice  president  of  the  Carolina  National  bank,  of  Columbia; 
he  is  a  director  in  the  Land  &  Investment  company,  and  in  the 
.South  Carolina  Home  Insurance  company.  Capt.  DesPortes  was 
married  in  November,  1867,  to  Susan  Lowther,  of  Lee  county,  Ala., 
whom  he  met  during  the  war.  They  have  three  children,  of  whom 
two  survive,  whose  names  are  Williani  Lowther  and  Richard  S. 
DesPortes. 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  587 


COLONEL  THOMAS  J.  LIPSCOMB, 

was  born  in  Abbeville  county,  S.  C,  March  27,  1833,  and  received  his 
education  in  South  Carolina  college  and  in  the  University  of  Vir- 
ginia at  Charlottesville.  From  the  latter  he  went  to  Philadelphia  and 
took  a  course  in  the  Jefferson  medical  college,  afterward  returning 
to  Charleston.  Here  he  graduated  from  the  medical  college  in  1854. 
On  leaving  college,  he  went  to  Paris,  P"rance,  where  he  remained 
eighteen  months,  having  previously  spent  six  months  in  New  York. 
Returning  from  Paris,  called  home  on  account  of  the  fatal  illness  of 
his  father,  he  bought  a  plantation  in  Laurens  county,  and  remained 
there  three  years.  He  then  sold  out  and  bought  a  plantation  near 
Newberry,  where  he  remained  until  early  in  1861  when  he  volunteered 
to  serve  in  the  Confederate  army.  He  was  made  second  lieutenant 
of  Company  B,  of  the  Third  regiment  of  volunteer  infantry,  Col.  James 
Williams  commanding.  He  was  in  the  first  Bull  Run  battle,  and 
after  that  Gen.  Bonham  took  him  on  his  staff  as  his  aide-de-camp. 
He  served  with  him  until  the  general  was  elected  governor  of  South 
Carolina  in  1S62,  and  then  served  on  the  staff  of  Gen.  J.  B.  Kershaw, 
who  succeeded  Gen.  Bonham,  and  of  Gen.  Jubal  B.  Early,  until  early 
in  1S63.  Col.  Lipscomb  then  raised  a  cavalry  company  and  was 
made  captain  of  it,  and  his  command  was  assigned  to  Gen.  Wade 
Hampton's  command.  At  the  battle  of  Stevensburg  he  was  made 
major  and  soon  after,  lieutenant  colonel.  At  Gettysburg  he  was  made 
colonel  and  held  that  rank  at  the  close  of  the  war.  Col.  Lipscomb 
was  in  the  battles  of  Brandy  Station,  Antietam,  Gettysburg, 
Thorough-fare  Gap  and  in  all  the  battles  in  which  Hampton's  com- 
mand participated  and  in  the  campaign  in  North  Carolina.  Return- 
ing home  to  his  plantation  near  Newberry,  he  there  remained  until 
1S67,  when  his  home  was  burned  and  he  was  driven  from  the  premises 
by  the  radical  element,  losing  all  he  had  and'being  compelled  to  re- 
main away  from  home  about  three  years.  In  1870  he  settled  in  New- 
berry and  went  into  the  business  of  buying  cotton,  remaining  there 
until  1878.  He  was  then  elected  superintendent  of  the  state  peniten- 
tiary and  has  been  re-elected  by  the  legislature  every  two  years  up  to 
the  present  time.  During  his  tenure  of  Sffice,  he  had  saved  the  state 
many  thousand  of  dollars,  and  made  many  improvements  in  the 
buildings  and  management  of  the  institution.  Col.  Lipscomb  was 
married  in  December,  186S,  to  Miss  Hattie,  daughter  of  William  H. 
Harrington  and  grand-daughter  of  Chief-Justice  O'Neal.  To  them 
were  born  six  children,  only  two  of  whom  are  now  living,  namely, 
William  H.  and  Thomas  J.  Lipscomb,  Jr.  The  name  of  Col.  Lips- 
comb's father  was  John  Lipscomb,  who  was  born  in  .South  Carolina 
in  1790.  His  father,  Nathan  Lipscomb,  was  a  native  of  Virginia. 
John  Lipscomb  was  three  times  married;  the  mother  of  Col.  Lips- 
comb before  marriage  was  Sarah  M.  Bonham  sister  of  Gov.  L.  M. 
Bonham.     They  were  married  about  the  year  1S20,  and  the  fruit  of 


588  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

this  marriage  was  twelve  children,  only  four  of  whom  are  now  living. 
The  mother  died  in  1S49,  and  the  father  in  1857. 

WADE    HAMPTON    GIBBS 

was  born  in  Columbia,  S.  C,  April  3,  1837,  and  received  his  educa- 
tion in  Columbia.  In  1855  he  went  to  West  Point,  where  he  gradu- 
ated in  i860,  being  one  of  the  only  full  class  which  ever  completed 
the  entire  term  of  five  years.  Among  his  classmates  were  Horace 
Porter,  of  New  York;  Wesley  Merrett,  brigadier-general  of  the  United 
States  regular  army;  Gen.  J.  M.  Wilson,  superintendent  of  the  engineer 
corps  of  West  Point.  On  his  graduation  Mr.  Gibbswas  breveted  first 
lieutenant,  and  assigned  to  Capt.  Palmer's  command  at  Camp  Cooper, 
Tex.,  but  resigned  and  came  to  Charleston,  receiving  a  commission 
from  the  state  as  first  lieutenant  in  the  regular  artillery,  and  served 
as  such  in  the  assault  on  Fort  Sumter,  firing  the  first  shell  into  the 
fort  immediately  after  the  signal  gun  for  the  bombardment  to  com- 
mence. After  the  fall  of  Sumter  he  resigned  from  the  state  service 
and  reported  at  Richmond  for  service,  where  he  was  assigned  to  the 
command  of  Gen.  Henry  A.  Wise,  in  western  Virginia,  with  the  rank 
of  major  of  artillery.  He  served  three  or  four  months  with  Gen. 
Wise,  when  illness  compelled  him  to  return  to  Richmond,  where  he 
was  laid  up  about  six  weeks.  He  then  came  to  Columbia  where  he 
took  charge  of  a  camp  of  instruction  for  about  four  months,  until  he 
recovered  his  strength.  He  then  reported  for  duty  and  was  assigned 
to  the  command  of  Gen.  Kirby  Smith,  in  Kentucky,  joining  it  the 
next  day  after  the  battle  of  Perryville,  and  was  detailed  on  Gen. 
Heath's  staff.  When  the  retreat  from  Kentucky  commenced,  he  went 
with  his  command  and  was  again  attacked  with  typhoid  fever  at  Knox- 
ville,  Tenn.  With  great  effort  he  reached  Columbia,  where  he  re- 
mained for  some  time.  On  his  recovery  he  went  to  Bermuda  and 
Nassau  for  a  month  or  six  weeks.  On  his  return  he  was  assigned  to 
duty  at  Wilmington,  N.  C.,as  commandant,  where  he  remained  about 
nine  months,  and  then  reported  to  Gen.  Longstreet  at  Charlottesville, 
Va.,  and  soon  after  went  into  the  Wilderness  campaign,  which  com- 
menced with  the  battle  of  the  Wilderness,  and  ended  for  him  at  the 
battle  of  Petersburg,  where 'he  was  dangerously  wounded.  He  was 
in  the  battles  of  Spottsylvania,  Second  Cold  Harbor  and  the  battle  of 
Petersburg,  where  the  mine  was  exploded.  About  a  month  after  be- 
ing wounded,  he  got  home  to  Columbia  where  he  remained  three  or 
four  months  until  recovered.  He  then  reported  for  duty  and  took 
charge  of  the  artillery  at  Chapin's  Bluff  ten  miles  below  Richmond- 
Here  he  remained  until  April  3,  1865,  when  the  retreat  toAppomatox 
commenced  and  the  surrender  of  Lee  at  that  place.  It  is  claimed 
for  him  that  he  fired  the  last  shell  at  Appomatox.  After  the  surrendeV 
he  located  on  a  farm  he  bought  at  Keysville,  Va.,  where  he  remained 
for  six  months.  Then  he  returned  to  Columbia  where  he  engaged  in 
contracting  to   build  a  railroad,  which   kcjot   him   employed  about  a 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  589 

year,  and  he  then  went  on  a  farm  near  Columljia  where  he  remained 
until  1876.  In  1877  he  was  appointed  treasurer  of  Richland  county, 
S.  C,  by  Gov.  Hampton,  which  office  he  held  until  the  expiration  of 
the  term,  and  was  re-elected  three  times.  In  18S5  he  was  appointed 
postmaster  of  Columbia  by  President  Cleveland,  holding  that  office  for 
four  years  and  a  half.  At  the  expiration  of  his  term  of  office  he  went 
into  the  machinery  business  with  his  son,  the  style  of  the  firm  being 
W.  H.  Gibbs,  Jr.,  &  Co.  He  is  vice  president  of  the  Central  National 
bank,  also  vice  president  of  the  Electric  Light  company  and  president 
of  the  Richland  Wine  company.  Mr.  Gibbs  was  married  in  Novem- 
ber, i860,  to  Miss  Jane  A.,  daughter  of  Dr.  Alexander  H.  Mason,  of 
Falmouth,  Va.,  and  to  them  were  born  six  children,  of  whom  five  sur- 
vive, as  follows:  VV.  H.  Gibbs,  Jr.,  James  M.,  Frances  G.,  Alexander 
Mason  and  Frank  Huger.     Mr.  Gibbs'  wife  departed  this  life  in  1887. 

B.  WALLACE  JONES. 

Among  the  leading  business  men  of  Williamsburg  county,  S.  C, 
we  find  the  name  of  B.  Wallace  Jones.  Mr.  Jones  is  a  native  of  the 
county  where  he  now  lives,  having  been  born  there  on  the  nth  of 
December,  1858,  the  son  of  Stephen  and  x-Xnn  Jones,  both  of  whom 
were  born  in  the  Palmetto  state.  The  father  was  a  planter,  and  was 
very  successful  in  his  calling.  He  died  in  1866,  aged  fifty-eight  years; 
his  wife  surviving  him  until  1879,  when  her  demise  occurred  at  the 
age  of  sixty- nine  years.  The  mother  was  a  life-long  member  of  the 
Baptist  church,  and  was  a  most  godly  woman.  Eleven  children  were 
born  to  these  parents,  six  of  whom  are  now  living.  B.  Wallace  Jones, 
the  youngest  of  these  children,  was  educated  at  Chatata  in  the  East 
Tennessee  seminary,  and  on  completing  the  course  at  that  institution, 
returned  to  his  home  and  embarked  in  a  general  mercantile  business, 
also  manufacturing  naval  stores.  After  three  years  he  removed  his 
business  to  Lake  City,  S.  C,  and  has  since  conducted  a  most  success- 
ful concern  at  that  place.  In  1SS3  Mr.  Jones  was  married  to  Miss 
Ella  F.  Jones,  daughter  of  the  late  Lucius  M.  Jones,  of  Charleston, 
S.  C,  and  of  the  six  children  who  have  been  born  to  their  union,  five 
are  living,  their  names  being,  B.  Wallace,  Jr.,  Arthur  L.,  Anna  F., 
C.  LeRoy  (deceased),  Helen  B.,  and  Madison  W.  Both  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Jones  are  active  and  valued  communicants  of  the  Baptist  church, 
and  are  numbered  among  the  most  charitable  people  of  the  city.  Mr. 
Jones  is  a  prominent  member  of  the  Good  Templars'  order,  and  has 
held  the  office  of  worthy  chief  templar  of  his  lodge  for  two  terms, 
being  at  present  its  lodge  deputy.  He  has  been  especially  active  in 
temperance  work,  and  has  devoted  much  of  his  time  to  the  advance- 
ment of  the  temperance  movement.  In  the  city  government,  he  has 
held  the  offices  of  warden,  and  intendant,  and  his  incumbency  of  these 
positions  was  attended  with  much  satisfaction  to  the  people.  Since 
the  organization  of  the  .Southwestern  Building  &  Loan  association, 
he  has  been  its  president,  and  in  all  his  business  relations  he  has  been 
most  happy,  in  that  he  has  won  a  name  for  ability  and  the  most  rigid 


590  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

integrity.     He  has  also  been  elected  president  of  the  Lake  City  cor- 
net band,  of  which  he  was  the  moving  spirit  in  organizing. 

JAMES  M.  IVY. 

It  is  with  pleasure  that  we  review  the  career  of  the  late  James  M. 
Ivy,  one  of  the  most  eminent  business  men  York  county  has  ever  had. 
Mr.  Ivy  first  saw  the  light  on  the  5th  of  December,  1S39, in  Lancaster 
county,  S.  C.  His  father,  the  Rev.  Adam  Ivy,  is  still  a  resident  of 
that  county,  and  is  well  known  in  the  religious  world.  James  M.  Ivy 
began  his  studies  under  the  tutelage  of  W.  H.  Thornasson  and  Gen. 
J.  A.  Alston;  and  when  the  latter  gentleman  was  called  to  the  presi- 
dency of  the  Mount  Zion  academy,  his  pupil  accompanied  him  as  a 
student,  in  the  year  1858.  He  completed  his  preparation  for  college 
under  Mr.  John  R.  Shurley,  at  Ebenezer,  and  entered  the  South  Car- 
olina college  in  1859.  He  was  in  Columbia  during  the  stormy  scenes 
of  i860,  and  in  the  springof  i86i,when  war  was  declared,  the  students 
of  South  Carolina  college  were  called  into  action  under  the  command 
of  Capt.  John  Gary.  Cadet  Ivy  accompanied  the  command  to  Charles- 
ton, in  the  capacity  of  sergeant,  and  was  an  eye  witness  of  the  bom- 
bardment of  Fort  Sumter.  Sometime  after,  the  cadets  were  ordered 
back  to  Columbia,  but  Sergt.  Ivy  decided  to  give  his  life  and  services 
to  the  cause  of  his  people,  and  soon  we  find  him  hastening  to  Charles- 
ton to  enlist  in  the  Washington  Light  infantrv,  under  command  of 
Capt.  James  Conner.  This  company  made  up  at  Charleston,  after- 
ward became  a  portion  of  the  famous  Hampton  legion.  He  passed 
safely  through  the  battle  of  Manassas,  although  frequently  struck  by 
spent  balls,  and  was  in  Rickett's  desperate  charge  in  which  the  Hamp- 
ton legion  sustained  such  a  loss.  Until  1862  he  remained  in  the  army 
of  northern  Virginia,  and  at  that  time  was  transferred  to  the  Penin- 
sula, where  in  the  battle  of  Seven  Pines,  he  was  severely  wounded  in 
the  left  shoulder.  He  was  confined  in  the  hospital  at  Richmond  until 
the  following  July,  when  he  was  honorably  discharged  and  returned 
a  disabled  soldier.  August  5th,  1863,  he  was  married  to  a  daughter 
of  Hon.  Henr}^  Connor,  of  Lincoln  county,  N.  C,  who  entered  the 
United  States  army  as  aide-de-camp  to  Gen.  Joseph  Graham,  in  the 
Creek  war,  and  afterward  served  as  a  member  of  congress  from  1821 
to  1 84 1. 

Mr.  Ivy  settled  at  Beattie's  Ford  after  his  marriage,  on  account  of 
the  failing  health  of  his  wife's  father,  and  it  was  in  this  place  that  he 
commenced  the  mencantile  career  in  which  he  succeeded  so  well.  In 
1866  he  established  a  mercantile  house,  and  one  year  later  organized 
the  firm  of  Ivy,  Roach  &  Jones,  merchants  of  Rock  Hill,  although  the 
senior  partner  still  continued  to  reside  at  Beattie's  Ford,  as  the  mana- 
ger of  the  business  there.  After  the  death  of  Major  Connor,  in 
June,  1869,  Mr.  Ivy  sold  his  business  in  North  Carolina,  and  removed 
to  Rock  Hill,  and  on  the  ist  of  January,  1870,  the  firm  of  J.  M.  Ivy 
&  Co.  was  formed,  composed  of  J.  M.  Ivy,  J.  J.  Roach  and  R.  T.  May. 
Mr.  .'\llcn  Jon:js  retired  fnjm  the  firm  of  Ivy,  Roach  <.\:  Jones,  in  1872 


SOUTH    CAROLINA. 


SQI 


but  became  a  member  of  the  house  of  Ivy  &  Co.,  upon  the  retire- 
ment of  Messrs.  Roach  and  May.  In  1S77,  Ivy  &  Fewell  came  into 
the  business  world  as  fjeneral  merchants,  while  the  old  firm  of  J.  M. 
Ivy  &  Co.  conducted  the  cotton  fertilizer  and  banking  business.  Mr. 
Ivy  soon  came  to  be  known  as  one  of  the  largest  and  most  successful 
cotton  operators  in  the  state,  and  his  business  increased  greatly  in  all 
its  departments.  He  was  prominently  identified  with  the  establish- 
ment of  the  Rock  Hill  cotton  factory,  and  was  a  director  in  that  con- 
cern from  its  inception.  In  iSSi,  the  weight  of  his  splendid  person- 
ality was  thrown  against  the  license  system  of  the  city,  and  it  was 
largely  due  to  his  e.xertions  that  the  campaign  ended  in  prohibit- 
ing the  sale  of  intoxicating  liquors  in  the  municipality.  At  this  time 
he  founded  the  drug  house  of  Ivy  &  Robertson,  and  assisted  largely 
in  the  establishment  of  The  Lantern,  a  journal  published  under  the 
management  of  Gen.  Johnston  Jones,  in  1872,  Subsequently,  when 
disaster  overtook  this  venture,  he  came  to  its  aid  with  his  influence 
and  money,  and  assumed  its  editorship,  changing  the  name  of  the 
paper  to  the  Roek  Hill  Herald.  He  was  soon  compelled  to  relinquish 
this  position,  however,  owing  to  press  of  other  business  matters,  but 
still  continued  to  support  it,  and  at  the  time  of  his  death  the  paper 
was  self-supporting.  It  is  not  surprising  that  a  man  of  such  intelli- 
gence should  early  own  his  allegiance  to  his  God.  As  a  member  of 
the  Episcopal  church,  he  contributed  largely  of  his  means  toward  the 
building  of  the  new  edifice,  and  his  gifts  were  not  confined  to  his  own 
church  alone.  On  the  nth  of  September,  1885,  he  was  called  to 
eternal  rest.  The  heritage  of  a  life  lived  in  the  fear  of  God,  and  in 
the  love  of  his  fellow  men  is  left  to  his  family  and  friends. 

HON.  JOHN  H.  BLACKWELL,  M.  D., 

one  of  South  Carolina's  most  noted  physicians,  and  one  of  her 
honored  sons,  was  born  in  Darlington  county,  in  1S15,  the  son  of 
Samuel  Blackwell,  who  emigrated  from  England  in  1790,  and  settled 
in  the  lower  portion  of  South  Carolina,  on  a  rice  plantation,  but  later 
removed  to  Darlington  county,  where  he  died.  The  father  was  twice 
married,  his  second  wife  being  Miss  Hamlin,  who  bore  him  two  sons, 
Samuel  and  John  H..  and  four  daughters.  John  H.  Blackwell  was 
given  a  liberal  literary  education,  and  began  the  study  of  medicine 
under  the  direction  of  Dr.  Timothy  Dargan,  an  eminent  physician  of 
his  day;  and  afterward  entered  the  Charleston  medical  college,  where 
he  graduated  with  honor.  From  that  time  until  his  death,  in  1890, 
he  practiced  in  Darlington  county,  where  he  was  regarded  as  one  of 
the  most  skillful  and  intelligent  physicians  and  surgeons  in  the  state. 
He  was  prominent  in  politics,  and  was  a  member  of  the  state  legisla- 
ture in  the  years  1850-51,  and  again  in  1S60  and  '61,  and  served  as  a 
member  of  the  secession  convention.  His  .first  marriage  w-as  to  a 
Miss  Windom,  of  Alabama,  by  whom  he  had  one  son  and  one 
daughter.  After  the  death  of  this  lady  he  was  married  to  Miss 
Sallie  Pettigrew,  who  was  a  daughter  of  Robert  Pettigrew,  of  Dar- 


592  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

Hngton  county,  S.  C,  who  was  a  son  of  Robert  Pettigrew,  who  at  one 
time  was  a  leading  citizen  of  Darlington  county.  This  second  union 
resulted  in  the  birth  of  one  son  and  two  daughters.  The  son,  Rob- 
ert J.  Blackwell,  was  educated  in  his  native  county  and  entered  upon 
his  business  career  as  a  clerk  in  a  general  store.  In  1874  he  took  a 
course  in  a  commercial  college,  after  which  he  removed  to  Marion, 
where,  in  1879,  he  embarked  in  the  mercantile  business  with  a  Mr. 
Young,  and  later  with  Mr.  G.  A.  Norwood,  of  Greenville,  S.  C.  Mr. 
Blackwell  is  quite  extensively  interested  in  the  Marion  Cotton  mill, 
and  is  president  of  the  Cotton-seed  Oil  Mill  company,  and  is  also  a 
stockholder  in  the  Bank  of  Marion.  In  18S1  he  married  Miss  Celeste 
Young,  and  two  sons  and  two  daughters  are  the  issue.  Mr.  Black- 
well  is  a  consistent  member  of  the  Baptist  church,  and  is  recognized 
in  the  community  as  one  of  its  ablest  and  most  substantial  business 
men.  He  is  but  just  entering  the  prime  of  his  manhood,  having 
been  born  in  1854,  and  should  life  and  health  be  spared  doubtless  a 
long  and  honored  career  awaits  one  of  such  integrity  and  ability. 

HON.  C.  S.  McCALL 

was  born  in  Clio,  Marlboro  county,  S.  C,  in  1S43.  He  is  one  of  eight 
children,  all  of  whom  are  living,  born  to  John  L.  and  Nancy  (Sin- 
clair) McCall.  The  parents  are  still  living,  and  the  father,  before  the 
secession  of  the  state,  held  prominent  public  otifices,  among  them 
being  that  of  tax  collector.  Our  immediate  subject,  Mr.  C.  S.  Mc- 
Call, enlisted  in  the  Confederate  service  in  1862,  as  a  member  of 
Peterkins  company  of  the  Twentieth  South  Carolina  regiment.  In 
1864  he  was  transferred  from  that  regiment  to  the  Hampton  legion, 
and  fought  with  them  until  the  final  surrender.  In  1865  he  secured  a 
clerkship  with  Mr.  William  Murchison,  at  Bennettsville,  remaining 
in  that  gentleman's  employ  until  1869,  when  he  embarked  in  the  mer- 
cantile business  for  himself.  His  concern  is  now  the  largest  mercan- 
tile establishment  in  the  county,  this  success  having  been  attained 
only  by  perseverance,  ability  and  integrit}',  as  he  started  with  but  a 
small  capital.  In  1876  he  was  elected  chairman  of  the  democratic 
county  committee,  and  as  such  he  took  an  active  and  prominent  part 
in  the  famous  Hampton  campaign  of  that  year.  So  able  was  his  ad- 
ministration of  the  affairs  of  that  important  office  that  he  was  suc- 
cessively elected  to  it  until  1888.  In  1877  he  was  elected  to  the  state 
senate  to  fill  an  unexpired  term,  and  was  re-elected  in  1878,  and  again 
in  1882  and  1886.  From  1880  to  1888  he  was  a  member  of  the  state 
democratic  executive  committee,  and  in  1880  was  a  delegate  to  the 
national  convention  of  his  party.  Since  1889  Mr.  McCall  has  held 
the  office  of  mayor  of  the  city  of  Bennettsville.  His  career  as  a  busi- 
ness man  has  been  phenomenal,  and  stamps  him  as  one  of  the  most 
eminent  financiers  of  the  state.  During  the  past  year  he  has  held 
the  office  of  president  of  the  Marlboro  Oil  company,  antl  he  is  also 
vice-president  of  the  Bank  of  Marlboro.  His  magnificent  plantation, 
located  two  miles  west  of  Bennettsville,  and  known  as  "Appin,"  is 


SOUTli    CAK(J1,INA.  593 

one  of  the  most  extensive  in  tiie  state,  being  under  the  highest  culti- 
vation. His  title  of  "  colonel  "  was  obtained  in  1876,  when  Gov. 
Hampton  appointed  him  a  member  of  his  staff,  with  that  rank,  his 
service  in  the  Confederate  army  having  been  as  a  non-commissioned 
officer. 

WILLIAM  B.  PLUNKETT,  JR., 

a  member  of  the  firm  of  Merritt  &  Plunkett,  of  Batesburg,  dealers 
in  general  merchandise,  was  born  in  Barnwell  district,  now  Harkin 
county,  in  the  year  1838.  His  parents,  John  D.  and  Sarah  H.  (Mer- 
ritt) Plunkett  were  both  natives  of  South  Carolina,  the  former  being 
a  son  of  Peter  Plunkett,  also  a  native  of  South  Carolina.  He  was  a 
planter  through  life,  residing  in  Barnwell  district,  and  was  the  father 
of  three  sons,  being  twice  married.  John  D.  Plunkett  was  born  in 
1811,  received  but  an  ordinary  education,  and  followed  the  planting 
business  through  life.  He  was  the  father  of  three  sons,  all  deceased 
but  him,  who  is  the  subject  of  this  sketch.  The  other  two  were 
killed  in  the  late  war,  one  at  Cold  Harbor  and  the  other  in  the  bat- 
tle of  the  Wilderness.  He  took  no  part  in  politics,  but  served  as 
county  commissioner.  He  died  in  1878.  William  B.  Plunkett,  Jr., 
was  educated  in  the  schools  of  the  state,  but  began  clerking  in 
Harkin  when  quite  young,  following  it  until  1861.  He  enlisted  in 
Company  H,of  the  Fourteenth  regiment,  and  served  until  the  sur- 
render of  the  army.  He  was  in  the  battles  of  Cold  Harbor,  Francis' 
Farm,  Antietam,  Harper's  Ferry,  Gettysburg,  Chancellorsville  and 
numerous  others.  He  was  mustered  out  as  orderly-sergeant  of  his 
company.  After  the  war  he  came  back  to  Harkin,  and  in  1867  began 
business  at  that  place.  In  1869  he  came  .to  Batesburg,  and  has  re- 
mained here  ever  since  in  business  under  the  firm  name  of  Merritt  & 
Plunkett.  Mr.  Plunkett  was  married  in  1859,  to  Miss  Cecelia  Court- 
ney. He  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity  and  also  of  the  Bap- 
tist church.  The  business  firm  to  which  he  belongs  has  been  highly 
successful  and  now  enjoys  an  extensive  and  lucrative  trade. 

JOHN  O.  C.  FLEMING, 

a  prominent  merchant  of  the  city  of  Laurens,  was  born  there  No- 
vember 14,  1843.  He  was  the  son  of  Samuel  Fleming,  also  a  mer- 
chant, born  on  a  farm  six  miles  from  Laurens,  and  who  died  in  1882. 
Samuel  was  the  son  of  Robert  and  Elizabeth  Fleming,  both  of  whom 
were  natives  of  Ireland,  but  were  married  in  this  country.  Samuel 
Fleming  was  engaged  in  mercantile  pursuits  in  Laurens  for  more 
than  fifty  years  and  was  one  of  the  leading  and  most  successful 
merchants  in  that  city.  The  mother  of  John  O.  C.  Fleming  was 
Harriet  J.  Willianis,  who  was  born  on  a  farm  three  miles  from  Laur- 
ens, and  was  the  only  daughter  of  Charles  Williams,  also  a  native  pi 
Laurens  county,  who  served  several  terms  in  the  South  Carolina  legis- 
lature. Her  ancestors  resided  in  Virginia.  Mr.  Fleming's  mother 
A-38 


594  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

I 

died  in  iS88.  His  fatlier,  by  the  time  the  Civil  war  brolce  out,  had  ac- 
cumulated a  large  amount  of  property,  being  one  of  the  wealthiest 
men  at  that  time  in  Laurens  county.  He,  however,  like  hundreds  of 
others,  lost  the  most  of  his  property  by  the  war.  He  was  one  of  the 
most  honored  and  respected  men  in  the  city  of  Laurens,  being  widely 
known  as  an  honest  man  and  a  worthy  citizen  who  made  his  business 
a  success.  The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  reared  in  Laurens,  and 
that  place  has  been  his  home  all  his  life.  He  was  educated  in  the 
Laurensville  male  academy,  and  The  King  Mountain  military  insti- 
tute at  Yorkville,  S.  C.  At  sixteen  he  entered  the  Confederate  army, 
enlisting  in  Company  A,  Third  South  Carolina  regiment.  He  served 
in  the  commissar}'  department  about  one  year,  being  then  a  young 
beardless  boy,  small  of  his  age.  Then  he  entered  the  ranks  and 
served  until  the  first  battle  of  F"redericksburg,  where  he  was  wounded 
by  a  ball  in  the  right  lower  limb.  He  then  spent  several  weeks  in  the 
hospital  at  Richmond,  after  which  he  returned  home,  having  been 
rendered  unfit  for  further  active  service.  From  that  time  till  the  end 
of  the  war  he  was  upon  light  duty  in  the  vicinity  of  his  home. 

For  two  years  after  the' war  Mr.  Fleming  was  employed  on  a  farm 
and  as  a  clerk.  In  1867  he  spent  four  months  in  the  Poughkeepsie 
Commercial  college,  after  which  he  returned  to  Laurens  and  engaged 
in  mercantile  pursuits  as  the  partner  of  his  brother,  Robert  F.  Flem- 
ing, for  whom  he  had  previously  acted  as  clerk.  The  firm,  under  the 
name  of  R.  F.  &  J.  O.  C.  Fleming,  continued  until  1883,  doing  a  mam- 
moth business.  In  that  year  R.  F.  Fleming  was  succeeded  by  H.  B. 
Kennedy,  the  present  partner  of  Mr.  Fleming,  who  had  been  a  clerk 
for  the  old  firm  for  about  twelve  years.  Since  1SS3,  the  firm  name 
has  been  J.  O.  C.  Fleming  &  Co.  Mr.  Fleming  has  been  exception- 
ally successful  as  a  merchant,  and  he  has  reached  a  position  as  one 
of  the  foremost  business  men  and  wealthiest  citizens  of  Laurens 
county.  He  is  now  one  of  the  heaviest  tax  payers.  He  is  also  one 
of  the  most  extensive  freeholders  in  the  county,  owning  several  good 
farms.  He  is  a  stockholder  and  director  in  the  People's  Loan  &  Ex- 
change bank,  and  of  the  Oil  &  Fertilizer  company,  and  is  also  one  of 
the  owners  of  the  Ware  Shoals  water  power  in  Laurens  county,  which 
is  considered  one  of  the  finest  in  the  south.  He  is  a  trustee  in  the 
Laurensville  female  college,  and  for  the  past  sixteen  years  has  been 
one  of  the  school  trustees  of  Laurens  township.  In  politics  he  is  a 
democrat,  and  in  religious  faith  a  Presbyterian,  being  a  member  of 
that  church.  Mr.  Fleming  was  married,  January  25,  1888,  to  Miss 
Carrie  L.  Todd,  of  Due  West,  Abbeville  county,  but  a  native  of 
Laurens  county.  She  was  the  daughter  of  James  R.  Todd.  They 
have  an  only  son,  Samuel,  two  years  of  age. 

JUDSON  P.  MARTIN, 

late  a  prominent  merchant  of  Laurens,  and  late  mayor  of  that  city, 
was  born  at  Babbs  P.  O.,  Laurens  county,  S.  C,  November  14,  1859. 
He  was  the  son  of  Reuben  and  Jane  M.  (Hanna)  Martin,  the  former 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  595 

i 

of  whom  died  when  Judson  was  eighteen  years  of  age.  The  father 
was  an  extensive  farmer,  and  also  conducted  a  plantation  store. 
The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  reared  on  his  father's  plantation,  and, 
during  his  youth,  assisted  his  father  in  the  store.  He  received  agood 
English  education  in  the  country  schools,  and  subsequently  attended 
a  high  school  at  Woodruff,  Spartanburg  county,  and  a  school  at  Green- 
ville. About  a  year  after  that  he  secured  a  clerkship  in  a  store  at 
Greenville  and  held  that  position  between  one  and  two  years,  when 
he  came  to  Laurens.  Here  he  took  a  position  as  clerk,  with  the  firm 
of  Minter  &  Jamieson,  which  place  he  filled  for  three  years.  He  was 
married,  March  9,  1884,  to  Miss  Mattie  Allen  Poole,  the  daughter  of 
Dr.  John  T.  and  Anna  Wofford  (Allen)  Poole.  She  was  born  in 
Spartanburg  county,  S.  C.,  October  15,  1865.  Her  father  is  a  lead- 
ing physician  of  Laurens.  Her  mother  is  a  niece  of  Rev.  Benjamin 
Wofford,  the  founder  of  Wofford  college.  In  September,  1884,  Mr. 
Martin  engaged  in  business  for  himself  in  the  city  of  Laurens.  He 
established  a  hardware  store,  which  he  conducted  with  marked  suc- 
cess for  three  years,  and  had,  as  a  partner,  his  father-ir.-law.  Dr.  J.T. 
Poole,  the  firm  name  being  J.  F.  Martin  &  Co.  After  carrying  on 
the  hardware  business  one  year,  the  firm  started  a  dry  goods  and 
clothing  establishment.  In  18S7  the  firm  discontinued  the  hardware 
business,  when  its  entire  attention  was  turned  to  dry  goods  and  cloth- 
ing, until  Mr.  Martin's  death,  December  13,  1890.  The  full  control 
of  the  business  devolved  upon  Mr.  Martin,  Dr.  Poole  devoting  his 
whole  attention  to  the  practice  of  his  profession.  The  firm  was  very 
prosperous  and  did  an  extensive  business,  requiring  the  services  of 
ten  clerks.  Under  the  able  management  of  Mr.  Martin,  the  concern 
developed  into  one  of  the  largest  establishments  of  the  kind  in  the 
city,  there  being  but  one  other  store  of  its  class  that  ranked  with  it, 
and  that  was  the  establishment  of  Minter  &  Jamieson,  his  former 
employers. 

Mr.  Martin  was  a  democrat  in  politics,  and  at  the  time  of  his 
death  was  mayor  of  Laurens,  having  served  in  that  capacity  with  ex- 
ceptional ability  since  March,  1890.  One  of  the  leading  traits  of  his 
character  was  his  indomitable  enterprise,  and  the  spirit  with  which  he 
conducted  his  private  business  was  carried  out  and  exemplified  in  his 
acts  as  a  public  officer.  During  his  too  brief  administration  as  the 
chief  magistrate  of  the  municipality,  he  proposed  and  advocated  sev- 
eral measures  for  its  improvement,  and  it  is  safe  to  say  that  had  his 
useful  life  been  prolonged,  he  would  have  carried  his  anticipated  im- 
provements into  execution.  Among  the  measures  proposed  by  him 
were  the  establishment  of  an  electric  light  plant,  and  of  city  water- 
works, both  of  which  constitute  so  much  of  adornment  and  healthful- 
ness  of  a  city.  Mr.  fvlartin  was  a  member  of  the  Baptist  church,  hav- 
ing embraced  that  faith  and  joined  the  church  at  the  age  of  eighteen. 
His  business  career  is  a  fine  illustration  of  what  intrepid  enterprise 
and  push  can  accomplish.  His  splendid  tact  in  the  management  of 
his  private  affairs  as  well  as  his  capacity  as  a  public  officer  have  made 
him  a  conspicuous  character  and  one  to  be  emulated,  yet  they  make 


596  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

his  premature  death  all  the  more  to  be  lamented.  Not  only  the  city, 
but  the  state  has  lost  in  him  a  man  of  brightest  promise.  He  left 
three  children,  one  son  and  two  daughters,  the  son  being  the  eldest 
and  he  but  five  years  of  age.  Their  respective  names  are  Judson 
Ralph,  Annie  Louise,  aged  three  years,  and  Leonora,  aged  sixteen 
months.  A  few  months  prior  to  his  death,  Mr.  Martiji  began  the 
erection  of  a  very  handsome  residence  of  the  finest  in  Laurens.  He, 
however,  did  not  live  to  see  it  completed,  though  it  was  nearly  ready 
for  occupancy  when  the  dread  summons  came.  Though  he  had 
reached  but  thirty-one  years,  and  been  in  business  but  a  small  portion 
of  that  time,  he  had  accumulated  a  good  competency  and  left  his 
young  family  in  comfortable  circumstances. 

COL.  ALLEN  WATSON  BURNSIDE, 

a  Laurens  citizen  of  prominence,  was  born  on  a  farm  in  Laurens 
county,  January  28,  1835.  He  was  the  son  of  Edwarci  J.  Burnside, 
the  maiden  name  of  his  mother  being,  Martha  Ewell  YVatson,  both 
natives  of  Laurens  county,  the  former  born  in  1806,  and  the  latter  in 
1803.  She  was  the  daughter  of  Elijah  Watson,  a  Laurens  county 
farmer,  who  for  many  years  was  a  magistrate.  Edward  J.  Burnside, 
Is  still  living,  but  his  wife  died  in  1858.  He  was  the  son  of  John 
Burnside,  whose  father  came  to  i\merica  with  two  brothers  from 
Scotland.  Two  of  the  brothers  settled  in  the  north,  and  from  one  of 
them.  Gen.  Ambrose  E.  Burnside,  was  descended.  The  third  located 
in  South  Carolina,  and  he  was  the  great-grandfather  of  the  subject 
of  this  sketch.  The  younger  days  of  Col.  Burnside  were  spent  on  the 
farm,  in  Laurens  county,  and  he  received  his  education  in  the  com- 
mon schools  of  the  county.  In  early  life  he  taught  school  three  years, 
beginning  when  he  was  only  nineteen  years  of  age.  In  1859,  he  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Mary  E.  Wallace,  daughter  of  Martin 
Wallace,  formerly  of  Laurens  county.  Immediately  after  his  mar- 
riage he  engaged  in  farming.  Upon  reaching  the  age  of  eighteen, 
he  had  become  a  member  of  the  state  militia,  and  he  remained  in 
that  organization  until  the  breaking  out  of  the  war,  having  reached 
the  rank  of  colonel.  In  the  spring  of  1861,  on  the  14th  day  of  April, 
he  entered  the  Confederate  service,  with  the  first  troops  from  Lau- 
rens county,  as  first  lieutenant  of  Company  G,  Third  South  Carolina 
regiment,  and  served  in  the  same  capacity  till  the  spring  of  1863, 
when  he  was  transferred  to  Company  E,  of  the  Third  South  Caro- 
lina sharpshooters,  which  belonged  to  the  same  brigade  and  division 
in  which  he  had  formerly  served.  Upon  entering  this  company  he 
was  made  its  captain,  and  in  1864,  he  was  promoted  to  lieutenant 
colonel,  in  which  capacity  he  served  till  the  close  of  the  war.  He 
was  in  the  seven  days'  fight  at  Richmond,  the  battles  of  Sharpsl)urg, 
Fredericksburg,  Gettysburg,  Chickamauga,  Kno.wille,  Wilderness, 
Spottsylvania,  Cold  Harbor,  Petersburg  and  others.  Upon  the  third 
of  the  seven  days'  fight,  he  was  wounded  by  a  ball  in  the  left  leg, 
which  rendered  him  unfit  for  duty  for  three  months. 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  597 

At  the  close  of  the  war  Mr.  Bvirnside  returned  home  and  resumed 
farming,  continuing  in  that  occupation  till  1876,  in  which  year  he  was 
elected  probate  judge  of  Laurens  county.  He  has  served  in  that 
capacity  ever  since,  having  been  re-elected  for  si.\  successive  terms. 
He  has  just  turned  the  office  over  to  his  successors,  after  having 
served  most  acceptably  for  fourteen  years.  At  the  end  of  his  late  term 
he  declined*  a  re-election,  otherwise  he  would  doubtless  have  been 
contined  as  long  as  he  would  have  been  willing  to  serve.  In  politics 
he  is  a  democrat,  and  in  religious  faith  a  Baptist,  having  joined  the 
Baptist  church  when  fifteen  years  of  age,  and  having  been  chosen  to 
official  stations  in  that  church.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  fra- 
ternity, and  has  taken  the  chapter  and  council  degrees.  He  joined 
the  lodge  at  twenty-one  years  of  age.  He  has  been  a  partner  in  a 
mercantile  firm  since  1883,  and  now  devotes  his  attention  both  to 
farming  and  merchandising,  having  retained  possession  of  his  farm 
throughout  his  fourteen  years  administration  of  the  office  of  probate 
judge.  He  is  a  stockholder  in  the  National  bank,  of  Laurens,  and  in 
the  Building  &  Loan  association  of  that  place.  He  is  the  father  of 
four  children  living,  two  sons  and  two  daughters.  One  of  the  daugh- 
ters is  married,  and  one  son  is  now  a  student  in  the  Furman  univer- 
sity, at  Greenville. 

GEN.  WILLIAM  MOULTRIE, 

an  accomplished  author  who  gave  to  the  reading  public  two  valuable 
historical  volumes,  entitled  "  Memories  of  the  American  Revolution," 
was  born  in  South  Carolina  in  1730,  descended  frorii  distinguished 
Scotch  ancestry.  For  the  time  in  which  he  lived  and  the  circum- 
stances surrounding  him,  his  education  was  respectable.  Little  is 
known  of  his  early  days,  but  he  made  his  name  illustrious  by  the 
gallant  and  patriotic  part  he  took  in  the  Revolutionary  war,  and  in 
the  Indian  wars  preceding  that  great  struggle.  In  the  campaign 
against  the  Cherokee  Indians  in  1761,  Moultrie  was  a  captain,  and 
Marion  was  his  lieutenant,  and  the  campaign,  arduous  and  daring, 
ended  in  the  defeat  of  the  savages,  and  their  complete  subjugation.  At 
the  conclusion  of  this  campaign,  Moultrie  betook  himself  to  his  planta- 
tion where  he  remained  amidst  the  quiet  of  rural  pursuits  until  the  be- 
ginning of  the  Revolution.  The  news  of  the  battles  of  Concord  and 
Lexington  was  the  signal  for  such  men  as  Moultrie  to  resume  their 
arms,  and  those  events  found  him  ready.  The  conflict  had  cast  its 
shadow  before,  and  preliminary  preparations  had  already  taken  place 
under  the  lead  of  Moultrie  and  others. 

The  provincial  congress  which  met  in  Charleston,  Januar}'  1 1, 
1775,  numbered  Col.  William  Moultrie  among  Its  delegates,  and  he 
was  one  of  the  most  conspicuous  members  of  that  body.  He  was 
among  the  brave  body  of  men,  who,  finding  themselves  short  of  am- 
munition and  arms  to  undertake  the  war  for  Independence,  resolved 
to  help  themselves  from  the  British  arsenal.  Wrenching  the  bolts 
and  bars  of  this  depository,  the}'  supplied  themselves  with  a  thousand 


598  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

Stand  of  arms  and  an  abundant  store  of  ammunition.  Moultrie  was 
chosen  colonel  of  the  Second  South  Carolina  regiment  on  the  first 
opening  of  hostilities.  He  was  placed  in  command  of  a  body  of 
troops  despached  to  Heiddrill's  Point,  with  a  few  pieces  of  artillery 
to  repulse  two  sloops  of  war  which  had  for  some  time  served  as  a 
menace  to  the  citizens  of  Charleston.  The  movement  was  successful 
and  the  sloops,  after  a  few  shots,  were  compelled  to  hail^l  off  out  of 
range  of  the  beleaguered  city.  Col.  Moultrie  was  in  command  on 
Sullivan's  Island  when  that  military  post  was  besieged  in  the  begin- 
ning of  June,  1776,  by  the  British  fleet  under  command  of  Sir  Henry 
Clinton.  This  island  was  the  key  to  Charleston  harbor,  and  as  the 
British  had  resolved  to  invest  that  city  and  the  state  at  large,  this 
was  their  first  strategic  point.  It  had  been  fortified  with  palmetto 
logs  and  embankments  of  sand.  Col.  Moultrie's  able  and  gallant 
defense  of  Sullivan's  Island  received  a  vote  of  thanks  from  congress, 
and  it  has  its  place  among  the  brilliant  records  of  the  events  of  the 
Revolution.  Some  time  after  this  splendid  achievement,  Moultrie 
joined  Gen.  Lincoln's  army,  and,  by  order  of  that  general,  was  sent 
with  a  detachment  of  soldiers  to  the  scene  of  his  former  defense,  to 
dislodge  the  enemy  at  Beaufort.  Without  firing  a  shot  the  enemy 
spiked  their  cannon  and  retreated,  and  Moultrie  took  possession  of 
the  place.  Their  retreat  proved  to  be  a  ruse,  and  they  returned  to 
dispute  Moultrie's  possession.  He  did  not  wait  for  their  attack  but 
went  out  to  meet  them,  and  drove  them  from  the  island  after  most 
severely  punishing  them. 

After  Charleston  was  retaken  by  our  forces,  Gen.  Lincoln  requested 
leave  of  congr^s,  on  the  plea  of  ill-health,  to  suspend  his  command, 
and,  on  the  iith  of  May,  1779,  this  request  was  granted  and  Gen. 
Moultrie  was  appointed  commander-in-chief  of  the  southern  army  in 
place  of  his  superior  officer.  It  appeared,  however,  that  Lincoln  did 
not  avail  himself  of  his  privilege,  but  remained  near  his  headquarters, 
yet  entrusting  most  of  the  active  operations  to  the  direction  of  Moul- 
trie, who  proved  himself,  as  always  before,  a  wise  and  brave  com- 
mander. When  Charleston  was  taken  by  the  overshadowing  land 
and  naval  forces  of  the  British,  Gen.  Moultrie  fell  into  the  hands  of 
the  enemy  and  was  confined  in  that  city  as  a  prisoner  of  war.  While 
■such  prisoner,  overtures  of  the  most  enticing  nature  were  made  to 
him  to  abandon  the  cause  of  his  country  and  take  command  of  a 
British  regiment  to  be  stationed  at  Jamaica.  His  answer  to  these 
proposals  was  not  only  honorable  and  highly  creditable  to  him,  but 
was  made  in  such  a  terse  and  determined  voice  that  no  further  attempt 
was  made  to  win  him  over.  While  a  prisoner  in  Charleston,  Gen. 
Moultrie  made  himself  most  serviceable  to  his  fellow  prisoners  in 
seeding  that  they  were  well  cared  for  and  that  their  rights  as  ijrisoners 
were  not  infringed.  After  his  release,  he  had  the  satisfaction  of  be- 
ing present  when  Charleston  was  evacuated  by  the  British. 

But  the  public  services  of  Gen.  Moultrie  did  not  cease  at  the  close 
of  the  Revolution.  In  1785,  he  was  elected  governor  of  South  Caro- 
lina, and  in  1794  he  was  again  calknl  to  that  high  ofiicc.     Then,  hav- 


SOUTH   CAROLINA.  599 

ing  filled  this  office  to  great  acceptance,  he  retired  to  private  life. 
One  of  his  biographers  closes  an  appreciative  account  of  his  charac- 
teristics with  these  words:  "  His  name,  deeds  and  virtues  constitute 
a  noble  portion  of  American  character,  to  which  we  may  point  the 
attention  of  our  sons,  with  a  sure  confidence  in  the  excellence  of  his 
example."  He  died  September  27,  1S05,  in  the  seventy-fifth  year  of 
his  age.        ^ 

SAMUEL  R.  TODD, 

one  of  the  oldest  and  most  honored  merchants  of  Laurens,  now  re- 
tired from  the  business,  was  born  in  county  Monaghan,  Ireland,  Oc- 
tober 7,  1S07.  His  father's  christian  name  was  Andrew,  and  the 
maiden  name  of  his  mother  was  Mary  Simpson,  both  of  whom  were 
natives  of  Ireland,  of  Scotch-Irish  descent.  In  1816,  Samuel  R.  Todd 
accompanied  his  parents  to  America  and  the  family  settled  in  Laur- 
ens county.  Two  brothers  of  the  father,  both  physicians,  preceded 
him  and  his  family  to  this  country.  John  Todd,  a  brother  of 
Samuel  B.,  served  under  Wellington  and  was  killed  in  the  battle  of 
Waterloo.  The  father  and  mother  spent  the  remainder  of  their  lives 
in  Laurens  county,  the  former,  who  was  a  farmer,  reaching  the  age  of 
eighty-four.  Samuel  R.  Todd  has  resided  in  the  town  of  Laurens  for 
seventy-five  3'ears.  He  received  a  good  English  education  and 
throughout  his  youth  followed  clerical  pursuits.  In  1829,  at  the  age  of 
twenty-one  years,  he  engaged  in  mercantile  pursuits  in  that  city. 
During  the  whole  time  he  did  business  in  his  own  name,  never  hav- 
ing had  a  partner.  He  was  one  of  the  leading  merchants  of  the  place. 
January  i,  1885,  he  turned  the  business  over  to  his  ?ons.  Dr.  T.  E. 
Todd  and  John  W.  Todd,  the  former  being  a  physician  by  profession, 
and  the  latter  assistant  eashier  of  the  People's  Loan  &  Exchange 
bank  of  Laurens.  The  firm  name  is  now  Todd,  Simpson  &  Co.,  Mr.  P.  A. 
Simpson  having  become  a  member  of  the  firm.  They  have  one  of  the 
principal  mercantile  establishments  in  the  city  of  Laurens.  Mr.  Todd 
has  been  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  church  for  more  than  fifty 
years.  He  is  one  of  the  original  members  of  that  church  at  Laurens, 
which  was  organized  in  1S32  or  1^3.  In  politics  he  is  a  democrat 
and  has  often  served  in  the  municipal  positions  in  his  town.  He  was 
elected  in  his  boyhood  the  captain  of  a  military  company  at  Laurens, 
which  position  he  resigned,  however,  on  becoming  of  age,  to  give  his 
whole  attention  to  his  business.  He  has  been  twice  married,  both  of 
his  wives  now  being  dead.  His  first  wife  was  Emeline  Milner,  who 
died  in  December,  1S34,  about  four  years  after  their  marriage,  which 
occurred  in  1829.  She  left  two  children,  one  of  whom  survived  the 
mother  only  a  short  time.  The  other,  Col.  R.  P.  Todd,  died  about 
the  year  1886.  Mr.  Todd  was  again  married  In  January,  1837,  his 
second  wife  being  Miss  Jane  M.  Boyd,  who  died  October  i,  1869.  By 
her  he  now  has  four  children  living,  three  of  whom  are  sons.  Mr. 
Todd  is  a  stockholder  in  both  the  National  and  People's  Loan  & 
Exchange  banks  at  Laurens,  and  in  the  first  named  he  is  a  director. 


600  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

He  is  also  a  stockholder  in  the  Oil  iS:  Fertilizer  Co.,  and  in  the  Laur- 
ens Building-  &  Loan  association.  He  is  president  of  the  board  of 
directors  of  the  Laurensville  female  academy.  In  his  mercantile  oper- 
ations Mr.  Todd  was  very  successful,  being  one  of  the  wealthiest 
merchants  in  the  state.  He,  however,  lost  heavily  by  the  war,  but  is 
still  in  good  circumstances.  His  name  still  holds  a  place  on  the 
county  tax  list  among  those  of  the  heaviest  property-holders.  His 
career  has  throughout  been  a  most  honorable  one  and  on  none  of  his 
debts  or  obligations  has  he  ever  paid  less  than  loo  cents  to  the  dollar. 

WILLIAM  L.  GRAY,  A.  B., 

a  prominent  citizen  and  merchant  of  Laurens,  is  the  son  of  Robert  A. 
Gray,  a  native  of  Laurens  county,  born  in  1827,  and  a  farmer  by  oc- 
cupation. He  is  still  living,  and  resides  at  Williamston,  S.  C.  His 
father  was  Zachariah  Gray,  a  native  of  South  Carolina.  On  the 
paternal  side  the  lineage  of  the  family  goes  back  to  England.  The 
maiden  name  of  the  wife  of  Robert  A.,  and  mother  of  William  L. 
Gray,  was  Hannah  Abercrombie,  also  a  native  of  Laurens  county, 
and  a  daughter  of  Jonathan  Abercrombie,  a  native  South  Carolinian. 
She  died  in  1883.  William  L.  Gray,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  was 
born  on  a  farm  in  Laurens  county,  ten  miles  north  of  the  city  of 
Laurens,  on  the  7th  of  March,  1856.  He  was  reared  on  the  home- 
stead and  birthplace.  In  1872  he  entered  Wofford  college,  from 
which  he  graduated  in  1876,  as  an  A.  B.  After  graduating  he  taught 
school  three  years,  during  the  last  two  of  which  he  was  principal  of 
the  Laurensville  male  academy.  In  connection  with  his  work  as 
teacher  he  found  time  to  read  law,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in 
1S78.  During  the  last  year  as  principal  of  the  academy,  he  was  en- 
gaged in  law  practice,  and  was  also  interested  in  mercantile  pursuits. 
He  retired  from  the  practice  of  law  in  1881,  and  turned  his  whole  at- 
tention to  merchandising.  He  has  followed  this  business  very  suc- 
cessfully ever  since,  and  is  now  one  of  the  most  prominent  merchants 
in  Laurens  county.  He  is  the  principal  partner  in  three  different 
firms,  one  being  a  large  grocery  establishment  in  Laurens,  another  a 
carriage  business  in  the  same  city,  and  the  third  a  general  merchan- 
dise house  at  Gray  Court,  his  old  home  and  birthplace,  which  takes 
the  first  part  of  its  name  from  the  Gray  family.  Mr.  Gray  is  a  stock- 
holder and  director  in  the  People's  Loan  &  Exchange  bank,  also  a 
stockholder  and  director  in  the  Oil  &  Fertilizer  company,  of  Laurens. 
He  holds  the  same  relation  to  the  Laurens  Building  &  Loan  associa- 
tion, and  is  one  of  the  owners  of  the  Ware's  Shoals  Water  Power,  of 
Laurens  county,  which  is  one  of  the  finest  in  the  state.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  board  of  advisers  of  Wofford  college,  and  a  director 
in  the  Port  Royal  &  Western  Carolina  railway.  He  is  a  democrat 
in  politics,  and  has  been  frecjucntly  solicited  to  accept  important  offi- 
cial trusts  and  has  invariably  declined,  preferring  to  devote  his  at- 
tention to  his  own  private  business.  He  has,  however,  been  a 
freqTicnt   member  of  his  party's  conventions,  both  county  and  state. 


SOUTH    CAKOrjNA.  6oi 

He  is  an  official  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  and 
takes  an  active  part  in  church  and  Sabbath-school  work.  He  is  at 
present  steward  and  trustee  of  his  church,  and  supcM-intendent  of  the 
Sabbath-school.  He  has  often  been  honored  with  the  position  of 
delegate  to  the  conferences,  both  state  and  national,  of  his  church. 
In  May,  i8go,  he  was  a  delegate  to  the  general  conference  at  St. 
Louis,  Mo.  He  belongs  to  the  Kappa  Alpha  fraternit}'.  Mr.  Gray 
was  married,  December  4,  1879,  to  Miss  Loula  S.  Dial,  daughter  of 
Capt.  Albert  Dial,  of  Laurens  county.  They  have  three  children, 
two  of  whom  are  sons. 

P.  T.  VILLEPIGUE, 

the  leading  dry  goods  merchant  of  Camden,  S.  C,  was  born  in  the 
city  of  Charleston,  S.  C,  on  the  ist  of  April,  1854,  his  parents  being 
Paul  T.  and  Martha  Elizabeth  (Bracey)  Villepiguc.  They  removed 
from  Charleston  to  Camden  in  1855,  at  which  time  the  son  was  but  a 
year  old.  Paul  Yillepigue  was  the  son  of  Erancis  Villepigue,  who  was 
born  in  Erance  and  was  a  native  of  Camden.  Paul  escaped  from  St. 
Domingo  to  Charleston  with  his  mother  and  a  brother,  through  the 
faithfuhiess  of  a  slave,  the  husband  and  father  having  been  murdered 
during  the  terrible  insurrection  of  St.  Domingo.  The  family  subse- 
quently removed  to  Camden.  Mr.  P.  T.  Villepigue,  the  subject  of 
this  biographical  mention,  received  his  schooling  at  Camden,  prin- 
cipally under  the  direction  of  Prof.  Leslie  McCandless.  Prom  his 
early  boyhood  he  has  been  dependent  upon  his  own  resources,  as  the 
close  of  the  Civil  war  found  the  family  in  desperate  circumstances.  At 
that  time  he  was  but  eleven  years  of  age,  but  he  soon  became  the 
support  of  the  family.  He  began  his  mercantile  career  as  a  clerk  in 
a  Camden  business  house,  and  continued  in  that ,  capacity  until 
March  i,  1884,  when  he  purchased  the  stock  of  dry  goods  from  Mr. 
C.  Bell,  and  succeeded  that  gentleman  in  the  enterprise.  Although 
the  business  was  a  failure  at  the  time  of  his  assumption  of  its  manage- 
ment, and  despite  the  fact  that  he  started  with  no  capital,  save  ability 
and  energy,  he  has  succeeded  in  building  up  a  very  large  trade,  and 
the  business  is  constantly  growing.  In  December,  1886,  Mr.  R.  N. 
Kennedy  retired  from  business,  and  at  that  time  Mr.  \'illepigue  pur- 
chased the  store  formerly  occupied  by  that  gentleman.  P^Iiss  Elise 
McCaa,  daughter  of  Dr.  John  McCaa,  became  his  wife  in  1880,  and 
four  surviving  children  are  the  fruit  of  the  union.  Both  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Villepigue  are  communicants  of  the  Episcopal  church,  and  he  is  pres- 
ident of  the  Camden  Building  &  Loan  association,  a  director  in  the 
bank  of  Camden  and  a  leading  member  of  the  board  of  trade. 

JOHN  FERGUSON. 

Among  the  distinguished  citizens  of  Greenville,  S.  C,  John  Eer- 
guson,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  is  a  prominent  figure.  He  was 
born    in    Pickens   county   C.    H.,   on   the   26th  of  July,    1841.     He   is 


602  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

the  son  of  Judge  Grimkee  Ferguson,  the  maiden  name  of  his  motlier 
being  Jane  Mansell.  Both  of  his  parents  were  natives  of  Pickens 
county,  S.  C,  the  father  having  been  born  in  the  same  house  in  wliich 
John  first  saw  the  Hght.  It  is  worthy  of  mention  that  the  father  lived 
in  this  same  house  for  seventy-five  years.  It  was  erected  about  the 
year  1790,  b}'  James,  father  of  Judge  Ferguson,  who  also  occupied  it 
fifty-eiglit  years.  He  was  born  in  county  Antrim,  Ireland,  and  emi- 
grated to  America  with  his  parents,  James  and  Mary  (Strain)  Fer- 
guson, when  he  was  only  four  years  of  age.  They  landed  at  Charles- 
ton and  first  located  at  what  is'  known  as  Strawberry  Ferry,  S.  C. 
Prior  to  the  Revolution,  however,  they  removed  to  Laurens  county, 
S.  C,  and  located  at  Cross  Anchor.  The  great  grandparents  of  John 
Ferguson  spent  the  remainder  of  their  lives  in  Laurens  county,  both 
reaching  a  ripe  old  age.  The  great-grandfather  and  all  of  his  sons 
served  in  the  continental  army  throughout  the  Revolution.  Im- 
mediately after  the  war  for  independence,  he  removed  to  Pickens 
county,  where  he  died  in  184S.  Judge  Grimkee  Ferguson,  father  of 
John,  was  born  February  7,  1807,  and  resided,  as  above  stated,  seventy 
five  years  in  the  same  house  in  which  he  was  born.  On  the  i6th  of 
June,  1835,  he  was  united  in  marriage  to  Jane  Mansell,  born  in  1814. 
She  was  the  daughter  of  James  and  Sarah  (Thompson)  Mansell,  the 
latter  of  whom  was  born  in  Greenville  county,  some  miles  south  of 
the  city  of  Greenville,  where  she  resided  until  her  marriage. 

James  Mansell  was  born  in  London,  England,  and  was  left  an  or- 
phan in  his  childhood.  He  was  bound  out  to  a  saddler  whom,  how- 
ever, he  did  not  like,  and  at  the  tender  age  of  eight  years  he  ran 
away  and  embarked  on  a  vessel  bound  for  America.  He  was  desti- 
tute of  money  and  was  consequently  compelled  to  work  his  way  on 
the  vessel.  He  landed  at  Philadelphia,  where  he  remained  until  about 
seventeen  years  of  age,  working  at  the  saddlers'  trade.  He  then 
came  to  Greenville  county,  where  he  was  married  to  Sarah  Thomp- 
son, and  shortly  after  removed  with  his  wife  to  Pickensville.  During 
the  remainder  of  his  life  he  followed  farming.  From  Pickensville  he 
removed  to  a  point  known  as  "The  Trap,"  in  Pickens  county,  when 
about  1849,  he  died,  his  wife  surviving  him  until  1864.  The  parents 
of  John  Ferguson  had  four  children,  of  whom  he  is  the  youngest. 
There  were  two  sons  and  two  daughters,  all  of  whom  are  now  living. 
Their  names  are  Anna,  James  M.,  Sarah  and  John.  Anna,  the  eldest, 
is  the  wife  of  Dr.  Jesse  L.  Dean,  having  first  been  married  to  Robert 
Latham,  who  died  in  1855.  Dr.  Dean  is  a  distinguished  physician, 
residing  at  Waco,  Tex.  James  M.,  the  second,  graduated  at  Charles- 
ton medical  college,  and  at  once  took  a  high  position  as  a  physician. 
He.  however,  now  devotes  his  attention  to  farming,  his  tastes  calling 
him  in  that  direction.  He  resides  near  the  foot  of  Pike's  Peak,  Colo. 
Sarah,  the  third,  has  been  twice  married,  her  first  husband  being  Ab- 
ner  T.  (iriftin,  and  her  second  William  A.  McFall;  both  are  now  de- 
ceased. She  resides  seven  miles  south  of  Anderson  Court  House. 
The  motherof  this  family  died  in  iS63,andthe  father  March  17,  1884. 
She   was   a   member  of  the    Methodist   Episcopal   church,  and  he  a 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  603 

member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity.  His  occupation  was  that  of  a 
farmer. 

John  Ferguson  resided  on  the  old  homestead  in  Pickens  county 
until  he  was  fourteen  years  of  age.  He  then  entered  Thalian  acad- 
emy, better  known  as  Slab  Town,  in  Anderson  county,  remaining  in 
that  institution  three  years.  He  subsequently  bc^came  a  student  of 
Furman  university  for  a  single  term.  In  1S60  he  entered  the  law  office 
of  Maj.  B.  F.  Perry,  of  Greenville,  under  whose  direction  he  pursued 
his  legal  studies  for  about  a  year,  leaving  them  to  enter  the  services 
of  the  Confederate  army.  He  joined  the  Brooks  troop  cavalry  com- 
pany, which  was  a  part  of  the  Hampton  legion.  He  served  through 
the  entire  war,  mostly  in  the  commissary,  quartermaster  and  ord- 
nance departments.  April  19,  1865,  he  was  joined  in  marriage  to 
Miss  Harriet  M.  Grady,  daughter  of  John  Woodfine  and  Louisa 
Ward  (Johnson)  Grady.  Miss  Grady  was  first  cousin  to  the  late 
Henry  W.  Grady,  the  distinguished  orator  and  editor  of  the  Atlanta 
Ctvistitution.  The  father  of  Mrs.  Ferguson  was  born  in  Buncombe 
county,  N.  C.,  and  was  the  son  of  Henry  and  Leah  (King)  Grady, 
natives  respectively  of  Virginia  and  North  Carolina.  The  paternal 
great-grandfather  of  Mrs.  Ferguson  was  also  a  Virginian,  his"  wife's 
maiden  name  being  Samons.  Mrs.  Ferguson's  mother  was  born  in 
Charleston,  S.  C,  in  1821,  and  was  the  daughter  of  Timothy  Ward 
Johnson,  a  native  of  New  London,  Conn.  His  wife's  maiden  name 
was  Louisa  Bennett  Miller,  of  Charleston,  daughter  of  John  Miller, 
whose  wife  was  a  Miss  Bennett.  Her  mother's  maiden  name  was 
Borneau.  Mrs.  Ferguson's  father  and  mother  were  married  in  1840, 
and  had  seven  children,  three  sons  and  four  daughters.  Two  sons 
and  three  daughters  yet  survive.  Their  respective  names  are  Har- 
riet M.,  Agnes  L.,  wife  of  Jacob  P.  Miller,  of  Greenville;  Henry  C, 
who  resides  on  the  old  Ferguson  homestead;  William  .S.,  a  lumber- 
man by  occupation  and  one  of  the  aldermen  of  Greenville;  Lillie  D., 
wife  of  Robert  Terrell  of  Hendersonville,  N.  C;  Jessie,  who  in  her 
lifetime  was  the  wife  of  Robert  Allen,  of  Greenville,  and  John  AL, 
who  was  accidently  drowned  when  only  seven  years  of  age.  The 
father  of  this  family  died  in  1877.  He  was  a  lifelong  merchant. 
His  widow  still  survives  and  is  a  member  of  the  Baptist  church.  Mr. 
Ferguson  has  been  a  resident  of  Greenville  ever  since  his  marriage, 
and  for  twenty-four  years  succeeding  1865,  he  lived  at  the  old  home 
of  Mrs.  Ferguson. 

Ever  since  the  war,  Mr.  F"erguson  has  given  his  attention  to  mer- 
chandising, and  has  been  eminently  successful,  having  become  one  of 
the  most  widely  and  favorably  known  merchants  in  the  state.  Enter- 
prise, uprightness,  honest}' and  integrity  have  been  the  characteristics 
of  his  business  career.  The  greater  part  of  his  attention  has  been 
paid  to  the  grocery  and  provision  trade.  His  mammoth  establish- 
ment is  in  the  Ferguson  and  Miller  block,  the  best  known  business 
block  in  the  cit}'.  It  was  erected  by  Mr.  Ferguson  and  Mr.  Jacob  P. 
Miller,  his  brother-in-law,  in  18S6,  they  have  been  partners  in  business 
for  over  twenty-four  years.     Mr.  and   Mrs.   Ferguson  have  had  eight 


604  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

children:  Henry  Grady,  Lillie  Dean,  John,  James  Mansell,  Frank,. 
Anna  Dean,  Hattie  May  and  Janie  Louisa,  all  of  whom  are  living, 
except  Lillie  Dean,  who  died  at  the  age  of  eleven  months.  Henry 
Grady  Ferguson,  the  eldest,  prepared  for  college  in  Patrick's  mili- 
tary academy,  remaining  there  four  years.  Then  entering  Furman 
university,  he  graduated  at  twenty,  with  first  honors.  He  had  deter- 
mined in  early  boyhood  to  enter  the  ministry,  and  following  his  col- 
legiate course,  he  entered  the  Southern  Baptist  theological  seminary, 
of  Louisville,  Ky.,  from  which  he  graduated  in  iSgo,  among  the  fore- 
most members  of  his  class.  He  is  now  pastor  of  the  Baptist  church 
at  Waynesboro,  Va.  He  is  a  young  man  of  bright  intellect  and  rare 
talents.  Mrs.  Ferguson  is  a  member  of  the  Baptist  church.  Mr.  Fer- 
guson is  a  devoted  partisan  in  the  democratic  party,  and  has  reached 
his  ninth  degree  in  the  Masonic  order.  While  an  active  politician,  he 
has  persistently  refused  to  be  a  candidate  for  office,  though  many 
offers  have  been  tendered  him  in  that  direction.  He  is  a  strict  ab- 
stainer from  the'use  of  spirituous  liquors  and  tobacco,  and  is  one  of 
Greenville's  most  worthy  and  honored  citizens. 

HON.  JAMES  H.  DITJENS, 

treasurer  of  Georgetown  county,  S.  C.,  is  a  son  of  Henry  F.  and 
Sarah  B.  (McGinney)  Ditjens,  natives  of  Amsterdam,  Holland, 
and  South  Carolina,  respectively.  He  was  born  in  Georgetown 
county,  June  13,  1845.  Henry  F.  Ditjens  was  a  sea-captain,  and  was 
shipwrecked  oft  the  coast  of  Maine  on  one  of  his  voyages  to  this 
country.  He  then  settled  in  America,  and  for  many  years  lived  in 
Georgetown  county,  where  he  rose  to  prominence,  at  one  time  having 
been  clerk  of  county  court.  His  death  occurred  in  1S63,  in  his  fifty- 
first  year;  his  wife  also  died  at  that  age  in  October,  1874.  One  son 
and  three  daughters  were  born  to  them,  the  son  James  H.,  being  the 
youngest.  He  was  educated  in  the  military  institute  at  Columbia, 
and  in  1861  enlisted  in  the  state  service,  and  later  in  the  Confederate 
army.  His  company  was  present  at  the  bombardment  of  Fort  Sum- 
ter. For  two  years  Mr.  Ditjens  fought  in  the  Tenth  regiment. 
South  Carolina  infantry  as  a  member  of  Company  E.  At  the  expira- 
tion of  this  time  he  was  discharged  as  he  was  under  age.  Subse- 
quently he  joined  Capt.  Josh  Ward's  light  artillery  company,  and  re- 
mained in  that  command  until  the  close  of  the  war,  having  partici- 
pated in  many  battles,  among  them  being,  Corinth,  Bragg's  Kentucky 
campaign,  and  he  was  in  the  coast  service  until  Hardee  was  forced  to 
evacuate  Savannah  by  .Sherman.  /\fter  Lee's  surrender,  Mr.  Dit- 
jens joined  Col.  James  F.  Pressly's  regiment  which  was  formed  for 
the  purpose  of  stopping  Potter's  raids.  The  trouble  having  been 
settled  he  returned  home,  and  w\as  engaged  in  the  wrecking  business 
until  1S68,  when  he  secured  a  clerkship  in  the  treasurer's  and  sheriff's 
offices  of  the  county,  continuing  in  that  position  until  1876.  P'or  the 
next  four  years  he  was  book-keeper  for  Messrs.  Morgan  &  McQuade, 
of  Georgetown,  and  in   1880  embarked  in  the  mercantile  and  naval 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  605 

Stores  business,  in  which  he  has  since  been  most  successful.  For  two 
terms  Mr.  Diljens  served  as  a  member  of  the  city  council,  and  in 
December,  i8go,  .Gov.  Tillman  appointed  him  treasurer  of  Georgetown 
county.  Mr.  Ditjens  married  Miss  Mary  A.  Riley  in  1872,  and  they 
have  four  children,  Minnie,  James  F".,  Annetta  and  Hasford.  The 
family  are  communicants  of  the  Episcopal  church,  and  Mr.  Ditjens 
is  a  promincMit  member  of  the  South  Carolina  state  farmers'  alliance, 
and  is  county  secretary,  trade  agent  antl  county  lecturer  for  the 
same. 

WILLIAM  B.  PENN, 

leading  druggist  of  Edgefield  county,  was  born  in  that  county  in  1S51. 
His  parents  were  George  L.  and  Louisa  J.  (Norrisj  Penn,  the  former 
a.  native  of  Patrick,  Va.,  and  the  latter  of  Richmond  county,  while  the 
father  of  George  was  a  native  of  V^irginia  also.  George  L.  Penn 
received  his  education  in  the  schools  of  Virginia,  and  for  many  years 
followed  tobacco  raising.  He  removed  from  Virginia  and  settled  in 
Edgefield,  S.C.,  engaged  in  general  merchandising,  conducting  several 
large  business  places  in  the  county.  He  followed  this  business  until 
his  death  in  1S75.  Previous  to  his  coming  to  South  Carolina,  he  was 
married  and  was  the  father  of  two  sons  and  five  daughters.  He  never 
took  anj'  part  in  politics.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Baptist  church 
wherever  he  lived,  being  a  deacon  in  the  same  at  the  early  age  of 
nineteen.  William  B.  Penn  was  educated  in  the  schools  of  the  county, 
after  which  he  began  to  clerk  in  his  father's  store,  and  when  but 
eighteen  years  old  assumed  control  of  the  large  business  on  account 
of  his  father's  failing  health.  He  continued  this  until  1S72,  when  he 
was  taken  in  as  a  partner.  After  his  father's  death  in  1875,  he  con- 
tinued the  business,  which  has  been  twice  destroyed  by  fire,  first  in 
1881,  without  any  insurance,  and  again  in  1884.  He  has  rebuilt  his 
business  in  a  short  time,  suspending  but  two  days.  For  politics,  he 
has  cared  but  little,  preferring  to  attend  strictly  to  trade.  He  is  an 
extensive  planter  and  owns  large  land  interests.  A  stockholder  in 
both  banks,  and  having  the  largest  trade  ever  carried  on  in  Edgefield 
county,  Mr.  Penn  has  been  more  than  successful,  and  has  gained 
many  personal  friends. 

ALVIN  HART, 

a  prominent  citizen  of  Edgefield,  S.  C,  was  born  near  that  citj'  in 
Edgefield  county,  in  1S52.  His  parents  were  Jesse  and  Pauline  ^lay 
Hart,  both  of  whom  were  natives  of  South  Carolina.  The  family  is 
of  English  origin,  the  descendants  for  four  generations  back  having 
been  residents  of  South  Carolina.  The  first  of  the  family  came 
here  during  the  Revolutionary  war  and  settled  in  Edgfield  county, 
where  his  descendants  have  ever  since  resided.  Thej'  mostly  have 
followed  planting  for  their  occupation,  and  have  always  taken 
rank  among  the  foremost  and  best  families  of  the  commonwealth. 


6o6  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

Jesse  Hart  was  born  in  1811,  and  was  educated  in  the  common 
schools.  On  reaching  his  majority  he  began  farming  which  he  has 
followed  continuously.  His  family  consists  of  ten  children  —  eight 
sons  and  two  daughters.  Four  of  the  sons  entered  the  Confederate 
army  and  served  through  the  struggle,  one  dying  while  in  the  service. 
x'\lvin  Hart,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  acquired  his  education  in  the 
schools  of  the  county,  and  after  the  war,  was  compelled  to  find  em- 
ployment for  himself,  being  but  about  sixteen  years  of  age.  He 
found  a  situation  at  Dorn's  Mill,  as  clerk  in  a  general  store,  where  he 
remained  one  year,  his  salary  being  $150.  He  then  taught  school  for 
a  short  time,  and  in  October,  1873,  came  to  Edgefield  as  a  clerk.  The 
following  year  he  engaged  in  business  for  himself  with  a  capital  of 
less  than  a  thousand  dollars.  He  has  steadily  increased  his  stock  un- 
til he  now  owns  and  conducts  one  of  the  largest  business  houses  in 
the  state.  In  1881  the  store  was  destroyed  by  fire,  but  he  built  a 
larger  and  much  better  one  for  his  stock.  He  is  also  the  founder  of 
the  firm  of  E.  B.  Hart  &  Company,  of  Edgefield.  Mr.  Hart  was 
one  of  the  organizers  of  the  Bank  of  Edgefield,  and  holds  the  office 
of  vice-president  in  that  institution,  being  elected  thereto  at  its  or- 
ganization. 

JOHN  B.  NORRIS, 

a  prosperous  and  leading  merchant  of  Trenton,  was  born  in  Edge- 
field county,  November  9,  1849.  He  is  a  brother  of  A.  J.  Norris,  a 
sketch  of  whom  appears  elsewhere  in  this  work.  His  early  education 
was  received  in  the  schools  of  his  county,  and  he  was  prepared  by  his 
elder  brother,  A.  J.  Norris,  to  enter  the  State  military  academy,  when 
the  war  closing  was  the  occasion  for  suspending  the  school.  On 
reaching  an  age  to  permit  him  to  begin  business  for  himself,  he 
engaged  in  farming,  following  that  for  two  years,  and  then  spent  one 
year  in  Augusta,  Ga.,  as  clerk  in  a  grocery  store.  In  1872  he  became 
a  member  of  the  grocery  firm  of  Jones,  Norris  &  Co.  There  he 
remained  until  1S75,  when  he  came  to  Trenton  and  opened  a  general 
merchandising  business,  which  he  has  followed  to  the  present  time. 
Mr.  Norris  married,  in  1877,  Miss  Etta  Rainsford,  daughter  of  John 
Rainsford,  one  of  the  oldest  families  in  this  county.  They  are  the 
parents  of  three  children,  of  whom  only  one  son,  George  S.,  is  now 
living,  and  is  five  years  old.  Mr.  Norris  is  a  stockholder  in  the  Bank 
of  Edgefield,  in  the  oil  mill  and  has  large  land  interests  in  the  county. 
He  has  held  the  office  of  town  intendant,  and  has  served  in  the  town 
council  a  number  of  terms.  He  has  never  taken  an  active  part  in 
politics,  but  has  been  one  of  the  most  successful  merchants  in  the 
state,  and  is  considered  a  public  spirited  citizen. 

FRANK    M.    ROGERS,  Jr., 

is  a  native  of  the  "  Palmetto  "  state,  having  been  born  in  Orangeburg 
county,  March  26,  1857,  the  son  of  Frank   M.  and   Augusta  (Rowe) 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  607 

Rogers,  both  Soutli  Carolinians.  Mr.  Rogers,  Sr.,  has  been  a  planter 
during  his  active  career.  Progressive  and  sagacious,  he  has  devoted 
himself  exclusively  to  his  agricultural  interests  and  has  met  with 
success.  During  the  late  Civil  war  he  served  as  a  lieutenant  in  the 
Confederate  army.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Rogers  are  the  parents  of  three 
children,  all  of  whom  arc  living,  their  names  being:  Mattte,  wife  of 
Thomas  M.  Raysor,  a  prominent  attorney  of  Orangeburg;  Gilmore  .S., 
the  youngest,  is  a  member  of  the  class  of  '91  in  McCabe  university, 
at  Petersburg,  Va.,  and  Frank  M.  Rogers,  the  subject  of  this  mention. 
The  latter  was  graduated  from  the  Sachtleben  academy,  at  Charleston, 
S.  C,  in  1874.  Immediately  after  completing  his  studies  he  returned 
home,  and  for  the  next  five  years  gave  his  exclusive  attention  to  his 
plantation.  Recognizing  the  superior  profits  to  be  secured  from  the 
cultivation  of  tobacco,  he  turned  his  energies  in  that  direction,  and 
soon  met  with  the  most  flattering  success.  Subsequently  he  became 
the  founder  of  the  manufacture  of  tobacco  in  his  section  of  the  state 
by  establishing  a  large  plant.  This  concern  under  his  able  manage- 
ment, has  come  to  be  recognized  as  one  of  the  leading  industries  of 
the  county,  and  its  president,  Mr.  Rogers,  as  one  of  its  most  efficient 
and  intelligent  business  men.  Mr.  Rogers  operates  a  plantation  of 
some  1,500  acres  in  connection  with  his  manufacturing  interests,  giv- 
ing employment  in  factory  and  field  to  about  one  hundred  operatives. 
Starting  his  active  career  with  no  capital  save  brains  and  energy,  he 
has  succeeded  before  reaching  the  prime  of  life  in  giving  to  his  na- 
tive community  a  new  enterprise  which  bids  fair  to  bring  to  it  great 
and  continued  prosperity.  Mr.  Rogers  was  happily  married  on  the 
24th  of  April,  1883,  to  Miss  Ella  D.  Bull,  a  daughter  of  Austin  and 
Elizabeth  (Elliott)  Bull,  the  latter  a  daughter  of  Dr.  Thomas  A.  El- 
liott, of  Connecticut.  To  this  marriage  have  been  born  three  chil- 
dren, viz.:  Norman  Elliott,  Frank  M.,  Jr.,  and  an  infant  as  yet  un- 
named. The  Rogers  family  is  one  of  the  oldest  and  most  highly 
connected  families  in  the  state.  It  has  stood  in  the  front  ranks  of 
progression  in  the  state  since  early  colonial  days.  Its  escutcheon  has 
been  kept  from  stain  and  calumny. 

JOHN  HUGH  MEANS, 

one  of  South  Carolina's  governors,  was  born  in  Fairfield  district, 
August  18,  1812.  His  father,  Thomas  Means,  was  a  native  of  Boston, 
Mass.  John  H.  Means,  after  fitting  himself  at  the  schools  and  acad- 
emies, entered  South  Carolina  college,  from  which  institution  he 
graduated  in  1S32.  After  his  graduation  he  took  up  the  occupation 
of  a  planter,  under  the  old  slavery  regime.  He  was  a  strong  believer 
in  the  doctrine  of  states  rights,  and  his  advocacy  of  that  doctrine, 
made  him  conspicuous  In  the  state;  he  was  chosen  to  the  state  legis- 
lature as  one  of  the  champions  of  that  cause,  during  its  agitation.  He 
was  elected  governor  of  the  state  in  1850,  and  served  in  that  ofifice 
one  term,  of  two  years,  which  at  that  time  was  the  constitutional  limit 
of  eligibility.      During  his  two   years'   tenure    of  the   gubernatorial 


6o8  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

office,  he  made  many  speeches,  favoring  the  withdrawal  of  the  south- 
ern states  from,  the  Union,  and  as  a  preparation  in  case  of  a  conflict, 
he  was  active  in  promoting  tlie  organization  of  the  state  militia.  He 
was  a  member  of  the  state  convention,  which  met  in  1852,  to  consider 
this  subject,  and  was  made  its  president.  In  this  convention  a  resolu- 
tion was  introduced,  and  after  discussion,  adopted,  declaring  the 
right  of  the  state,  at  once  to  dissolve  all  political  connection  with  the 
Federal  Union.  But  there  was  a  reservation  to  the  effect,  that  this 
right  of  separation,  should  not  be  enforced,  unless  the  exigencies  of 
the  situation  demanded  it.  It  was  evident,  however,  that  Gov. 
Means  and  those  who  sympathized  with  him  and  accepted  his  views, 
upon  the  subject  of  complete  sovereignty  of  the  states,  were  deter- 
mined to  be  prepared  for  the  crisis,  and  that  they  looked  for  its  oc- 
currence at  no  distant  day. 

At  the  close  of  the  deliberations  of  this  body  Gov.  Means  retired 
to  private  life,  but  on  the  revival  of  the  controversy  between  the 
slave  and  free  states  which  reached  its  climax  when  Abraham  Lin- 
coln was  elected  president,  Gov.  Means  was  called  from  his  retire- 
ment to  act  as  a  delegate  in  the  convention  which  passed  the  ordinance 
of  secession,  and  his  name  was  subscribed  to  that  memorable  docu- 
ment. He  illustrated  his  devotion  to  his  state  by  enlisting  in  its 
defense  and  sacrificing  his  life  in  its  cause.  He  enlisted  in  the  Seven- 
teenth South  Carolina  infantry,  and  was  made  colonel  of  the  regi- 
ment. He  lost  his  life  in  the  second  battle  at  Manassas,  his  regiment 
belonging  to  Evans'  brigade,  in  the  campaign  of  northern  Virginia. 
In  this  battle  the  Seventeenth,  Eighteenth  and  Twenty-second  South 
Carolina  regiments  took  part,  and  Col.  Means'  regiment  was  in  the 
thickest  of  the  fight.  The  date  of  his  death  was  August  28,  1862.  In 
Brig. -Gen.  Evans'  report  of  the  battle  the  following  allusion  is  made 
to  the  subject  of  this  sketch: 

"Among  the  killed  were  the  gallant  Col.  J.  H.  Means,  of  the 
Seventeenth  regiment,  South  Carolina  volunteers,  and  Col.  J.  M. 
Gadberry,  of  the  Eighteenth  regiment.  These  brave  men  were  shot 
down  while  boldly  leading  their  regiments  into  action.  Col.  Gad- 
berry  was  killed  instantly.  Col.  Means  (mortally  wounded)  survived 
two  days.  It  is  but  just  to  the  memory  of  these  noble  and  gallant 
officers  to  mention  my  appreciation  of  their  valuable  services.  Col. 
Means,  though  much  advanced  in  years,  ever  exhibited  the  energy 
of  youth  in  battling  our  ruthless  foe  and  devoting  his  whole  ability 
to  our  sacred  cause.  His  death  fully  exemplifies  his  devotion  to  his 
country." 

In  the  battle  of  Malvern  Hill,  Col.  Means  deployed  his  regiment 
as  skirmishers,  and  did  gallant  service  in  driving  back  the  Union 
skirmishers.  At  Rappahannock  Station  he  was  ordered  to  support 
Col.  Stevens'  regiment  and  did  effective  service  until  the  two  regi- 
ments were  flanked  by  the  Union  forces  and  were  obliged  to  retire. 
But  there  was  no  braver  officer  in  the  Confederate  army  than  Col. 
Means,  and  as  a  statesman  in  the  councils  of  his  state,  no  man  main- 
tained the  courage  of  his  convictions  with  more  boldness  and 
constancy. 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  609 


COVINGTON    BROTHERS. 

Throughout  ihe  rahnclto  state  the  firm  name  of  Covuigton 
Brothers  is  synonymous  with  integrity  and  success.  Charles  M.  Cov- 
ington was  born  in  Richmond  county,  N.  C,  January  9,  1853,  the  son 
of  Terril  and  Eranda  (Chapel)  Covington,  the  parents  also  being 
natives  of  the  same  state.  The  father  is  now  retired,  having  for 
many  years  been  a  prominent  merchant  of  Wadesboro,  N.  C.  His 
parents  were  Matthew  and  Elizabeth  (Capel)  Covington.  Matthew 
and  Elizabeth  were  born  in  North  Carolina,  and  the  former  was  killed 
in  Georgia,  where  he  had  removed  in  an  early  day,  in  one  of  the 
numerous  Indian  wars  of  that  region.  After  his  death,  his  widow 
returned  to  North  Carolina,  where  she  died  in  January,  1865.  During 
the  Civil  war  Terrill  Covington  held  the  commission  of  quartermaster 
in  a  company  known  as  the  "  Richmond  Boys,"  until  he  was  detailed 
as  a  captain  in  the  Home  Guards,  and  he  remained  in  the  latter  ca- 
pacity until  the  war  closed,  having  fought  in  many  desperate  engage- 
ments with  deserters  from  both  armies,  whose  pride  it  was  to  make 
war  on  the  women  and  children  of  the  defenceless  towns.  Eranda 
Covington  was  a  woman  of  rare  attainments  and  of  rare  purity.  She 
was  a  member  of  the  Baptist  church  for  more  than  a  quarter  of  a 
century,  and  the  influence  of  her  godly  life  will  be  felt  for  all  time. 
She  passed  to  her  reward  in  May,  18S7,  at  the  age  of  fifty-eight  years, 
leaving  ten  children  to  mourn  her  loss,  all  of  whom  are  still  living, 
Charles  M.  being  the  eldest.  The  latter,  owing  to  the  condition  of 
the  country  subsequent  to  the  war,  had  but  few  educational  advant- 
ages. At  the  age  of  twenty  he  began  life  for  himself  as  a  clerk  in  a 
mercantile  establishment,  and  one  year  later  was  taken  into  partner- 
ship with  his  former  employer,  his  labor  being  reckoned  as  his  share 
of  the  capital.  The  style  of  the  firm  name  was  Holiday,  Covington  & 
Brother,  and  the  concern  e.xisted  for  eleven  years,  when  the  Coving- 
ton brothers  embarked  in  the  business  of  manufacturing  naval  stores. 
Commencing  with  $75.00  capital,  they  now  have  an  invested  capital 
of  $175,000,  with  ten  turpentine  distilleries,  in  which  they  employ 
from  400  to  600  men.  In  addition  to  this  they  operate  a  very  large 
live-stock  business  in  Florence  amounting  to  some  $50,000  annually. 
The  firm  is  progressive  and  liberal,  and  its  members  are  recognized  as 
among  the  most  able  and  intelligent  business  men  of  the  state.  Their 
names  appear  as  promoters  of  new  industries,  and  thej'  are  active  in 
every  movement  having  for  its  object  the  advancement  of  the  inter- 
ests of  the  city  and  state  in  which  they  live.  They  are  extensive 
stockholders  in  the  Bank  of  Florence,  in  the  Florence  Cotton  Seed 
Oil  company,  the  Florence  Tobacco  Manufacturing  company,  and 
are  large  holders  of  real  estate. 

Mr.  Charles  Covington,  of  whom  we  are  now  writing  more  partic- 
ularly, was  happily  united  in  marriage  in  October,  1875;  to  Miss  L.  V. 
Capel,  of  North  Carolina.  .She  is  a  daughter  of  Jesse  and  Delilah 
Capel.  The  seven  children  born  to  this  marriage  are,  Leonsa  C, 
A— 39 


6lO  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

died  at  the  age  of  seven  years;  Anna  E.,  deceased  at  the  age  of  four 
years;  Jessie  D.,  Capitola  C,  Lula,  Charles  H.  and  Virginia,  tlie  lat- 
ter having  died  in  early  infancy.  Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Covington  are 
consistent  and  valued  communicants  of  the  Missionary  Baptist  church, 
and  he  is  also  a  member  of  the  Masonic  order.  Henry  L.  Coving- 
ton, the  other  member  of  the  firm  of  Covington  brothers,  was  born  in 
Richmond  county,  N.  C,  July  30,  1S54.  When  eighteen  years  of  age 
he  began  business  life  by  clerking  in  the  general  store  of  J.  W.  Holi- 
day, and  subsequently,  as  before  mentioned,  he  became  associated 
with  his  brother  and  Mr.  Holiday  in  that  business.  There  is  consid- 
erable interest  attached  to  the  formation  of  the  firm  of  Covington 
Brothers.  When  its  members  were  aged  sixteen  and  eighteen  years, 
respectively,  they  agreed  .that  a  partnership  for  life  should  be  formed. 
For  the  last  seventen  years  this  contract  has  been  kept,  and  the  re- 
markable financial  success  attending  their  venture  has  proven  the 
wisdom  of  their  decision.  Should  life  and  health  be  spared  them 
there  can  be  no  doubt  but  that  the  future  holds  a  still  brighter  career 
in  store  for  them.  Mr.  Henry  Covington  married  Miss  Mamie  V. 
Allison  in  November,  1878.  Eight  weeks  later,  death  robbed  him  of 
his  bride.  In  December,  1882,  he  married  Miss  Mary  E.  Bass,  daugh- 
ter of  Dr.  T.  I-l.  and  M.  E.  Bass,  and  Mary  E.,  Henry  L.,  Terril 
Downing  and  Thomas  R.  are  the  offspring  of  the  happy  union. 
Downing  died  in  early  infancy.  Mr.  Henry  Covington  is  also  a  prom- 
inent member  of  the  Masons.  H.  L.  Covington  and  wife  are  also 
prominent  and  useful  communicants  of  the  Missionary  Baptist 
church. 

JAMES  L.  PETIGRU. 

James  Louis  I^etigru,  in  his  lifetime,  was  regarded  not  onl}^  as  a 
leading  lawyer  of  South  Carolina,  but  he  had  the  reputation  of  being 
one  of  the  most  learned  and  accomplished  members  of  the  bar  in  the 
United  States.  He  was  born  in  the  Abbeville  district,  S.  C,  March  10, 
1789.  The  paternal  branch  of  his  family  was  of  Scotch-Irish  descent, 
and  the  ancestors  of  his  mother  came  to  South  Carolina  with  the 
Huguenots,  who  in  1695  emigrated  to  America,  like  the  earlier  Pil- 
grims, to  enjoy  religious  freedom  and  escape  religious  persecution. 
Mr.  Petigru  was  graduated  from  South  Carolina  university  in  1809 
with  the  first  honors  of  his  class;  studied  law  about  two  years  and 
was  admitted  to  practice.  He  began  his  professional  career  in  his 
native  district,  but  soon  after  removed  to  the  more  extended  field  of 
Charleston.  In  1822  he  was  elected  attorney-general  of  the  state,  as 
the  successor  of  Robert  Y.  Hayne,  who  had  been  elected  United 
States  senator,  and  held  the  office  for  the  succeeding  eight  years, 
during  which  he  enjoyed  the  confidence  of  his  constituents  in  the 
highest  degree.  But  when  the  nullification  episode  came  up  in 
1830-32,  Mr.  Petigru  took  strong  ground  against  the  doctrine  of  Mr. 
Calhoun,  and  identified  himself  with  the  Union  party,  in  which  he 
stood  almost  alone  among  the  leading  men  of  the  state.     Such  was 


SOUTH   CAROLINA.  6ll 

his  constancy,  however,  to  his  Union  sentiments  that  he  remained  in 
the  minority  party,  content  even  to  suffer  opprobrium  and  loss  of 
popuhirity,  rather  than  yield  to  what  he  looked  upon  as  erroneous 
statesmanship.  Though  his  party  suffered  defeat,  such  was  his  emi- 
nence as  a  lawyer  that  he  was  afterward  elected  district-attorney,  but 
he  held  the  office  only  a  short  time,  his  political  views  bringing  upon 
him  the  hatred  of  the  majority  party.  He  was  also  elected  to  the 
state  legislature,  but  here  too  he  was  in  the  minority. 

When  the  states  rights  sentiment  of  South  Carolina  culminated  in 
secession,  Mr.  I-'etigru  had  arrived  at  the  period  of  life  which  with- 
drew him  from  active  participation,  in  the  politics  of  the  time,  but  he 
was  vigorously  opposed  in  sentiment  to  the  disunion  movement.  In 
a  letter  to  Reverdy  Johnson,  himself  a  conservative  southerner,  he  ex- 
pressed his  deep  regret  at  the  passage  of  the  secession  ordinance. 
In  his  letter  to  Mr.  Johnson,  dated  April  i6,  1861,  he  said:  "  What  is 
to  be  the  end  of  all  this  seems  to  me  inscrutable.  But  even  if  the 
gulf  states  and  South  Carolina  do  flake  off  forever,  I  shall  never  cease 
to  witness  with  joy  whatever  increases  the  prosperity  and  honor  of 
the  United  States."  Some  time  before  the  outbreak  of  hostilities, 
Mr.  Petigru  had  been  engaged  by  the  legislature  to  undertake  a  work 
for  which  in  spite  of  his  politics,  he  was  rightly  regarded  as  eminently 
fitted,  consisting  of  the  codification  and  annotation  of  the  laws  of 
South  Carolina,  and  the  first  year  of  the  war  found  him  immersed  in 
this  work,  the  most  important  which  had  engaged  his  attention  as  an 
author.  Among  his  other  published  works  are  his  centennial  oration, 
delivered  at  Columbia  (S.  C.)  college  commencement  in  1855,  at 
which  time  he  was  presidejit  of  the  South  Carolina  historical  society', 
and  an  address  before  that  society  in  1858. 

As  to  Mr.  Petigru's  literary  merits,  one  of  his  biographers  has  said: 
"  He  was  formed  to  excel  in  literature.  His  habitual  conversation 
was  with  the  great  authors  of  ancient  and  modern  times.  He  seized 
at  once  on  the  merits  of  a  writer,  and  mastered  the  strong  points  of  an 
argument.  As  instructor,  lecturer,  professor,  president,  in  the  high- 
est places  of  education,  he  would  have  exercised  a  controling  power 
over  the  leading  young  men  of  the  state.  His  influence  over  the 
scholar  was  remarkable  *  *  *  he  was  indeed  an  extraordinary 
man,  original  in  character,  of  noble  virtues,  endowed  with  an  exalted 
intellect,  with  all  the  accompaniments  and  ornaments  of  wit  and  hu- 
mor, and  his  excellences  made  a  deep  impression  on  the  hearts  and 
minds  of  his  countrymen." 

He  had  a  daughter,  Caroline,  who  became  conspicuous  as  an  artist. 
She  was  born  in  Charleston,  S.  C,  May  24,  1819.  She  became  the 
wife  of  William  A.  Carson,  in  1840.  She  went  to  Rome,  where  she 
studied  art  and  produced  some  excellent  portraits,  that  of  her  father 
being  one  of  the  best.  She  inherited  the  love  of  her  father  for  the 
Union  cause,  and  when  her  native  state  decided  to  secede  from  that 
Union  she  removed  to  New  York.  Mr.  Petigru  did  not  live  to  see 
the  Union  restored,  but  died  in  Charleston,  March  3,  1863,  sincerely 
mourned  by  a  large  circle  of  friends  and  admirers. 


6l2  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 


THOMAS  R.  McGAHAN. 

Among  the  representative  business  men  of  South  Carolina,  none 
is  probably  better  known  or  more  prominent  than  the  subject  of 
this  brief  biography,  who  is  the  head  of  the  well  known  and  exten- 
sive wholesale  house  of  McGahan,  Brown  &  Evans,  of  Charlesten. 
Mr.  McGahan  was  born  in  Morgan  county,  Ga.,  on  April  19,  1829,  his 
parents  having  moved  to  that  state  about  the  year  181S.  He  at- 
tended school  at  Madison,  at  that  time  one  of  the  most  flourishing 
towns  in  central  Georgia,  until  the  death  of  his  father,  after  which 
event  his  mother  removed  with  her  family  to  the  western  part  of  the 
state,  where  her  death  occurred  after  an  interval  of  only  eighteen 
months.  This  occasioned  another  change,  and  only  fourteen  3'ears  of 
age,  preferring  to  rely  upon  himself  than  to  be  dependent  upon  oth- 
ers, young  McGahan  found  employment  in  a  store  in  Fayetteville, 
Ga.,  and  immediately  went  to  work  to  support  himself,  and  thus  be- 
gan the  battle  of  life,  giving  evidence,  even  at  that  early  period  of 
life,  of  possessing  those  traits  of  character  which  have  since  been 
fully  developed  and  have  contributed  so  largely  to  his  success  in  life. 
After  remaining  a  clerk  for  several  years,  the  California  fever  broke 
out,  and  in  the  spring  of  1850,  with  a  party  of  ten  or  twelve  others, 
he  set  out  to  make  his  fortune  in  the  gold  fields  of  the  far  west.  On 
April  27,  1850,  the  party  sailed  from  New  Orleans  on  the  steamer 
"  Falcon,"  bound  for  Chagres  via.  Havana.  After  landing  at  Chagres 
the  voyagers  proceeded  up  the  Chagres  river  to  Gorgonia  b}' row  and 
pole  boats,  then  across  the  country  to  Panama,  where  they  were  de- 
tained about  three  weeks  before  they  could  obtain  passage  for  San 
Francisco  so  great  was  the  number  of  people  waiting  to  get  to  the 
gold  fields.  The  trip  to  San  Francisco  on  a  sailing  vessel  was  a  long 
and  tedious  one,  occupying  fifty-eight  days.  After  arriving  in  Cali- 
fornia, a  few  days  were  spent  in  San  Francisco,  and  then  the  part}' 
traveled  on  to  Sacramento,  where  they  obtained  mining  outfits,  and 
then  proceeded  to  Deer  creek  and  the  Yuba  river.  But  after  a  short 
trial  of  the  rough  experience  of  mining  life,  Mr.  McGahan's  health 
became  impaired,  and  he  decided  to  return  to  the  states  while  he  still 
had  sufficient  money  to  defray  the  expenses  of  the  journey  home. 
He  arrived  once  more  in  Georgia  with  enlarged  experience  but  with 
an  empty  purse  and  broken  health.  It  was  more  than  eight  months 
after  his  return  home  before  his  health  would  permit  him  to  go  into 
business  again,  anc^  when  at  last  it  did,  he  went  to  Atlanta  and  took 
a  position  in  a  dry  goods  store  and  clothing  establishment,  where  he 
remained  until  coming  to  Charleston  in  February,  1S53.  Upon  com- 
ing to  Charleston  Mr.  McGahan  went  into  the  clothing  house  of 
Samuel  C.  Uunn  &  Company.  Afterward  he  was  with  the  dry  goods 
house  of  Rankin,  Pulliam  &  Company,  but  that  firm  having  decided 
to  remove  to  New  York,  and  Mr.  McGahan  wishing  to  remain  in 
Charleston,  he  accepted  a  position  with  Hyatt,  McBurney  &  Com- 
])any,  with  which  firm  he  was  connected  several  years,  first  as  a  sales- 


SOUTH    CARULIXA.  613 

man  and  afterward,  in  1S60,  as  a  partner.  The  same  year  he  was 
united  in  marria^^c  with  Mrs.  Fourgeaud,  of  Charleston.  At  the  be- 
ginning of  the  late  war  the  firm  closed  up  their  business. 

In  1864  Mr.  McGahan  ran  the  blockade  off  the  Charleston  harbor 
on  the  steamer  Fox,  bound  for  Nassau,  where  she  arrived  in  safety, 
discharged  her  cargo  of  cotton  and  was  loaded  with  supplies  for  the 
Confederate  government.  In  the  springof  1865  the  blockade  became 
so  strict  and  there  were  doubts  if  the  port  of  Charleston  was  open,  the 
Fox  was  ordered  to  Flavana,  and  in  March  she  sailed  for  Galveston, 
Tex.,  Mr.  McGahan  on  board  as  super  cargo,  which  port  was 
blockaded  by  a  Federal  fleet.  When  about  seventy-five  miles  from 
the  Texas  coast  the  Fox  was  sighted  and  pursued  by  a  gun-boat. 
She  held  to  her  course  and  when  in  sight  of  the  blockading  vessels 
the  Fox  was  fired  upon  by  the  pursuing  gun-boat,  which  attracted  the 
attention  of  the  fleet.  It  was  then  decided  to  beach  the  Fox  and  fire 
her,  which  plan  was  fortunately  abandoned  upon  the  pilot  saying  it 
was  possible  to  run  in  between  the  fleet  and  the  land  and  make  the 
bar,  which  course  was  adopted  and  successfully  carried  out.  The 
Fox  succeeded  in  running  the  blockade  under  a  heavy  fire  from  the 
fleet,  made  the  port  and  discharged  her  cargo  of  much-needed  sup- 
plies, which  was  accomplished  without  serious  injury.  After  remain- 
ing in  Galveston  about  a  week  he  ran  the  blockade  a  second  time 
and  reached  Havana,  wdiere  he  learned  of  Gen.  Lee's  surrender.  In 
June,  1S65,  he  took  passage  on  the  blockade  runner  Wren,  bound 
for  England,  which  vessel  was  to  touch  at  Halifax,  where  he  intended 
to  leave  her,  but  on  the  first  night  out  from  Havana  the  Wren  was 
captured  by  mutineers,  who  were  in  fact  northern  men  who  had 
shipped  as  a  crew.  The  captain  of  the  Wren  was  put  in  irons  and 
Mr.  McGahan  and  the  other  ofificers  were  made  prisoners  and  the 
vessel  was  taken  into  port  of  Key  West,  where  all  were  confined  in 
Fort  Taylor  for  two  days,  when  they  were  paroled  and  permitted  to 
remain  at  the  hotel,  but  they  were  held  practically  as  prisoners,  in 
order  to  have  them  before  the  court  as  witnesses  when  the  \\  ren  was 
condemned,  which  occurred  about  three  weeks  later.  Mr.  McGahan 
then  left  Key  West  in  a  fishing  smack,  for  Havana,  and  from  there 
went  by  steamer  to  New  York,  and  thence  to  Charleston,  where  he 
arrived  in  July,  1865,  to  find  the  city  literally  in  summer  quarters, 
no  business  nor  any  houses  formed  for  any.  The  old  firm  of  Hyatt, 
McBurney  &  Co.  not  resuming  business,  Mr.  McGahan  connected 
himself  with  the  house  of  Edwin  Bates  &  Co.,  which  continued  until 
1884,  when  Mr.  Edwin  Bates  withdrew,  and  the  firm  of  McGahan, 
Bates  &  Co.  succeeded  to  the  business.  In  1887  Charles  K.  Bates 
withdrew,  when  the  firm  of  McGahan,  Brown  &  Evans  was  formed. 
In  1873  Edwin  Bates  and  Charles  K.  Bates  established  a  house  in 
New  York  in  connection  with  the  Charleston  house.  From  that  time 
until  the  withdrawal  of  the  Messrs.  Bates  from  the  business  the 
Charleston  house  was  under  the  control  and  management  of  Mr. 
McGahan.  Aside  from  the  wholesale  business  Mr.  McGahan  has 
many  and  important  interests.     Since   1884  he  has  been  president  of 


6 14  SOUTH   CAROLINA. 

the  Edisto  Phosphate  company,  which  is  among  the  largest  enter- 
prises of  its  Icind  in  the  state,  is  also  president  of  the  chamber  of 
commerce.  He  is  a  member  of  the  agricultural  and  library  societies 
of  the  Charleston  club  and  Hibernian  societies,  being  one  of  the 
oldest  members  of  the  latter. 

Mr.  McGahan  is  a  self-made  man  in  all  that  the  term  implies. 
Having  left  school  when  but  fourteen  years  of  age,  his  education  was 
necessarily  limited.  His  natural  abilities,  however,  are  of  the  high- 
est order  and  in  the  rough  school  of  experience  and  practical,  every- 
day business  life,  have  been  fully  developed,  until  to-day  he  is  classed 
among  the  leading  commercial  and  financial  men  and  deep  thinkers 
of  South  Carolina.  Beginning  life  thus  without  more  than  the 
rudiments  of  an  education,  with  no  means  whatever,  and  without 
the  influence  of  wealthy  friends,  he  has  by  energy,  perseverance  and 
the  exercise  of  the  talents  given  him  by  nature,  climbed  from  the  ob- 
scure position  of  village  store  clerk  to  that  of  the  head  of  one  of  the 
largest  wholesale  houses  in  a  large  city,  and  to  a  place  among  the 
solid  men  of  the  community,  all  of  which  has  been  accomplished  un- 
aided, and  without  the  sacrifice  to-the  smallest  degree  of  esteem  and 
respect  of  his  fellow  citizens.  Mr.  McGahan  is  enterprising  and  pub- 
lic spirited,  and  has  always  contributed  liberally  of  both  time  and 
means  to  assist  in  the  promotion  of  all  enterprises  and  movements 
calculated  to  contribute  to  the  growth  of  his  adopted  city  and  her 
best  interests.  While  seeking  at  no  time  nor  by  any  means  public  or 
official  prominence,  he  yet  takes  an  active  interest  in  all  things  per- 
taining to  the  administration  of  the  city  and  state  governments.  His 
life  has  been  one  of  unceasing  activit}'  and  devotion  to  business,  yet 
he  has  found  time  to  fully  discharge  all  social  obligations,  and  few 
men  of  Charleston  have  more  warm  friends  and  admirers,  all  of 
whom  concede  him  to  be  one  of  the  city's  representative  men. 

GENERAL  JOHN  ANDREAS  WAGENER. 

In  a  work  of  this  nature,  having  for  its  design  the  laudable  one  of 
gathering  together  the  biographies  of  the  useful  and  representative 
men  of  a  community,  and  recording  the  same,  unbiased,  in  a  manner 
calculated  to  insure  their  commemoration  to  future  generations,  it  is 
eminently  fitting  and  just  that  the  life  and  character  of  so  distin- 
guished a  citizen  and  soldier  as  the  late  Gen.  John  Andreas  Wagener, 
of  Charleston,  S.  C,  should  be  portrayed.  John  A.  Wagener  was  a 
native  of  Germany,  having  been  born  on  July  21,  1S16,  in  the  small 
town  of  Sievern,  in  the  former  kingdom  of  Hanover.  When  but  a 
mere  lad  he  came  to  the  United  States,  and  landing  at  New  York, 
remained  in  that  city  a  few  months.  In  1833  he  came  to  Charleston, 
S.  C,  which  city  became  his  future  home.  Having  some  knowledge 
of  mercantile  business,  he  secured  employment  with  little  trouble  in 
a  retail  house  in  the  city,  where  his  ability  and  faithfulness  to  duty 
held  out  a  promise  of  a  successful  career  in  that  line.  But  he  was 
not  destined  to  long  continue  in  mercantile  pursuits,  and  soon,  either 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  615 

from  a  dislike  for  confining  office  work  or  for  an  innate  preference  for 
public  affairs,  or  from  force  of  circumstances,  he  abandoned  his  po- 
sition in  the  store,  and  it  was  then  his  life  of  real  usefulness  began. 
At  that  time  the  Germans  of  Charleston  had  little  or  no  organization, 
and  there  was  neither  a  church,  school  or  society  in  the  city  where 
the  German  language  was  preached,  taught  or  spoken.  Certainly 
there  were  organizations  existing  in  the  city  at  that  time,  but  they 
were  of  long  standing,  and  the  German  language  had  given  place  to 
that  of  the  English.  German  emigration  to  Charleston,  which  for 
years  had  been  small,  became  quite  active  about  this  time,  and  there 
was  great  demand  for  a  leader  among  the  German  citizens,  such  as 
Gen.  Wagener  proved  himself  to  be,  and  it  was  this  circumstance, 
probably,  coupled  with  his  peculiar  ability  and  fitness  for  such  duties, 
which  took  him  from  mercantile  pursuits  and  placed  him  in  public 
life,  and  he  became  a  general  agent  and  representative  among  his 
countrymen,  both  of  Charleston  and  of  the  entire  state  of  South  Car- 
olina. He  opened  a  real  estate  office,  and  being  a  notary  public, 
busied  himself  with  translations,  and  the  making  of  legal  documents 
in  general  where  a  knowledge  of  the  German  language  was  necessary. 
And  thus  he  became  well  acquaintecl  with  all  the  Germans,  and  be- 
came not  only  their  leader,  but  in  a  measure  their  lawyer,  teacher 
and  preacher,  without  actually  being  either.  In  the  capacity  of 
teacher  he  established  and  published  a  German  newspaper,  Tlie 
Teuton,  2X  a  time,  in  1844,  when  the  German  population  of  Charleston 
did  not  exceed  1,200.  This  paper,  under  the  name  of  The  Zcitun^,  is 
still  in  existence.  In  1S40,  mainly  through  his  efforts,  the  German 
church  was  organized,  and  until  the  congregation  was  able  to  pay  the 
salary  of  a  regular  minister,  Gen.  Wagener  officiated  at  the  regular 
Sunday  morning  services,  and  even  after  the  advent  of  a  minister,  he 
became  organist  for  the  congregation.  In  organizing  this  church  it 
was  the  general's  idea  to  establish  a  church  for  all  German  Christians, 
no  matter  of  what  sect  or  confession,  and  the  congregation  then 
organized  exists  to-day  as  the  German  Evangelical  St.  Matthew's 
church. 

The  great  majority  of  the  German  societies  and  organizations  of 
Charleston  owe  their  foundation  to  the  efforts  of  Gen.  Wagener,  as 
he  took  a  peculiar  pleasure  in  organizing  his  fellow  countrymen  into 
societies,  recognizing  that  much  good  would  come  from  such.  In 
1838,  he  organized  the  German  Fire  Engine  company;  in  1S43,  the 
Teuton's  bund;  in  1844,  Walhalla  lodge;  in  1848,  the  Walhalla  colony; 
in  1851,  the  Carolina  Mutual  Insurance  company;  in  1855,  the  Schuet- 
zen  club;  in  1856,  the  D.  B.  B.;  and  in  1857,  re-organized  La  Can- 
deur.  But  the  work  of  organizing  these  societies,  of  which  he  invar- 
iably became  the  president  and  leader  for  a  time  at  least,  was  to  Gen. 
Wagener  purely  a  work  of  love,  and  with  a  single  exception,  he 
derived  no  pecuniary  benefit  or  profit  from  any  of  them.  The  excep- 
tion was  the  Carolina  Mutual  Insurance  company,  and  in  this  in- 
stance, he  served  as  president  and  virtual  general  manager,  for 
twenty-five  years,  for  merely  a  nominal  compensation,  it  not  being 


6l6  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

until  the  twenty-fifth  anniversary  of  the  company,  that  he  received  a 
salary  in  keeping  with  his  duties.  The  directors  at  that  anniversary, 
voting  him  a  salary  of  $2,000  per  year.  This  company  is  to-day,  and 
in  fact  has  alwa^'s  been,  since  its  foundation,  one  of  the  most  success- 
ful and  flourishing  corporations  in  Charleston,  and  is  claimed  to  be 
the  first  purely  mutual  insurance  company  in  the  United  States, 
and  to  Gen.  VVagener  is  conceded  the  credit  of  its  organization  and 
success.  In  a  tribute  of  respect,  to  the  memory  of  Gen.  Wagener, 
by  this  company,  the  following  occurs:  "  His  was  one  of  those  noble 
natures,  that  never  considered  self;  ever  active,  even  unto  self-sacri- 
fice, to  promote  the  welfare  of  his  countrymen,  he  yet  full}'  preserved 
his  individuality,  which  combined  with  wonderful  self-control  and  equa- 
nimity of  spirit,  secured  him  the  influence  and  moral  power  that  en- 
abled him  to  govern  others,  and  to  control  and  direct  affairs  of  pub- 
lic concern,  with  a  power  and  judgment  that  insured  success;  and  in 
this  he  found  his  sweetest  pleasure  and  reward." 

But  it  was  in  military  life,  probably  more  than  in  any  other,  that 
Gen.  Wagener  was  most  conspicuous,  his  brilliant  career  as  a  soldier 
winning  for  him  the  admiration  of  all  citizens  of  his  adopted  state 
alike,  and  creating  for  him  a  deathless  fame  and  glory,  which  will 
ever  be  a  monument  to  his  memory.  As  far  back  as  1S43  he  was 
identified  with  militia  life  as  lieutenant  of  the  German  Fusiliers,  of 
Charleston,  and  in  1847,  after  the  death  of  his  brother,  Jurgen,  who 
organized  the  company,  he  was  elected  captain  of  the  German  artil- 
lery. This  compan}'  was  always  considered  one  of  the  leading  and 
flourishing  militia  organizations  in  Charleston,  and  in  1S60  Gen. 
Wagener  was  elected  major  of  the  same,  and  in  that  capacity,  the 
following  year,  participated  in  the  bombardment  and  reduction  of 
Fort  Sumter,  the  beginning  of  hostilities  of  the  late  Civil  war.  Gen. 
Wagener  was  prompt  in  offering  his  services  to  his  adopted  state  in 
her  hour  of  peril,  and  on  July  24,  1S61,  was  elected  lieutenant-colonel 
of  the  First  regiment  of  artillery.  Promotion  was  rapid,  and  on  Sep- 
tember 5th  following  he  was  elected  colonel  of  the  regiment.  In 
November  of  the  same  year  he  was  distinguished  for  bravery  at  the 
battle  of  Port  Royal,  S.  C,  where  he  commanded  Fort  Walker.  As 
colonel  he  was  in  command  of  the  militia  forces  in  Charleston,  in 
1863-4.  After  the  war  he  was  commissioned  brigadier-general  by 
Gov.  Orr. 

During  the  trying  times  which  followed  the  close  of  the  war.  Gen. 
Wagener  was  called  upon  by  his  fellow  citizens  to  aid  in  bringing 
order  out  of  chaos,  and  in  shaping  tJie  future  of  the  state,  and  as  a 
niember  of  the  constitutional  convention  of  1S65,  and  of  the  first  leg- 
islature after  the  adoption  of  the  new  constitution,  he  rendered  valu- 
able assistance  in  that  direction.  By  this  same  legislature.  Gen.  Wag- 
oner was  ajjpointed  chairman  of  a  committee  of  three,  to  examine 
into  and  make  a  report  upon  the  question  of  inducing  foreign  emi- 
gration to  South  Carolina.  The  report  of  the  committee,  which  was 
the  work  of  Gen.  Wagener,  was  exhaustive  and  complete,  and  a 
wonder  in  its  way.     The  question  in  hand  was  treated  vigorously  and 


SOUTH   CAROLINA.  6lJ 

cornpreliensively,  and  stamped  the  ^renc^ral  as  a  student,  writer  and 
compiler  of  marked  ability.  The  resources  and  capabilities,  and  the 
needs  and  requirements  of  the  state  and  her  people,  were  set  forth 
in  an  original  and  strong  manner,  shedding  light  upon  questions  of 
great  importance,  then  little  understood.  Subsequently,  in  the  capac- 
ity of  commissioner  of  emigration  for  South  Carolina,  he  rendered 
valuable  assistance.  In  illustration  of  his  wise  and  broad  views  upon 
public  questions  in  general,  the  following  extract  is  made  from  a  pub- 
lic letter  written  by  Gen.  Wagener  upon  the  negro  question,  which 
was  a  most  momentous  one,  and  one  hard  to  solve:  "  The  colored 
man  is  clearly  entitled  to  a  prosperous  home  in  South  Carolina,  if  he 
shall  prove  competent  for  the  earning  of  one.  To  become  trust- 
worthy he  must  be  trusted;  to  become  our  friend  he  must  be  met 
with  a  smile,  not  with  a  frown.  He  must  have  encouragement,  be- 
cause he  is  the  child  of  the  soil.  To  do  the  state  a  real  service  we 
must  improve  our  colored  population.  What  can  we  do  otherwise; 
expel  them?  Could  we  drive  more  than  half  our  population  away? 
How  long  would  it  take,  and  where  the  power?  And  if  we  could 
succeed  in  such  monstrous  measures,  what  could  we  do  without  them? 
And  while  we  assist  the  colored  people,  give  them  land,  improve 
them,  make  them  our  grateful  friends  and  supporters,  let  us  welcome 
and  invite  the  industrious  of  every  clime  to  come  here  and  make  a 
happy  home,  and  lend  us  a  helping  hand  in  decorating  our  ever  glor- 
ious Palmetto  with  the  garlands  of  peace,  plenty  and  happiness." 

In  iS/i  Gen.  Wagener  was  elected,  as  a  democrat,  mayor  of  the 
city  of  Charleston  by  the  handsome  majority  of  777  votes,  and  his  ad- 
ministration and' management  of  the  city's  affairs  were  characterized 
by  the  honest}',  ability  and  faithfulness  to  duty  he  had  always  dis- 
played in  other  capacities  and  positions.  Several  needed  reforms 
were  made  during  his  administration,  among  which  was  the  collection 
by  suit  and  otherwise,  of  large  amounts  of  taxes  from  various  corpor- 
ations and  individuals  who  had  long  evaded  the  payment  of  tax  in 
proportion  to  the  aniount  of  property  owned.  This,  of  course,  made 
his  administration  unpopular  to  some  extent,  particularly  by  those 
affected  by  the  reforms  he  inaugurated,  but  principally  among  the 
politicians;  but  let  it  be  said  to  Gen.  Wagener's  honor  that  he  went 
into  office  in  possession  of  the  full  confidence  of  his  fellow  citizens, 
and  left  it  with  their  esteem,  and  without  the  faintest  breath  of  scan- 
dal. No  one  ever  charged  him  with  coming  out  of  the  mayoralty  a 
richer  man  than  he  went  in.  And  such  may  be  said  of  his  connec- 
tions with  all  other  official  positions,  societies,  organizations,  and 
even  business  transactions  of  a  personal  nature.  In  fact  Gen.  Wag- 
ener's one  fault  may  be  said  to  have  been  a  lack  of  self-interest,  and 
notwithstanding  his  long  and  active  life,  extending  over  a  period  of 
half  a  century,  and  his  connections  with  successful  enterprises,  he  died 
a  poor  man. 

In  1876  Gen.  Wagener  was  a  delegate  to  the  St.  Louis  democratic 
convention,  and  later  was  selected,  without  solicitation  on  his  part,  to 
head  the  ticket  of  presidential  electors,  as  elector  at  large,  chosen  to 


6l8  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

represent  the  united  and  re-organized  democracy  of  his  adopted  state. 
And  this  honor  and  recognition  of  his  poHtical  services,  his  true  and 
pure  democracy,  coming  at  tlie  then  unknown  close  of  his  eventful 
life,  was  a  source  of  unfeigned  pleasure  and  delight  to  him.  The 
democrac}'  of  Gen.  Wagener  was  of  the  highest,  purest  and  most  un- 
selfish order.  He  believed  in  the  fundamental  principles  of  the  teach- 
ings of  democracy,  and  his  participation  in  political  life  had  but  one 
aim,  one  object;  that  of  an  honest  and  pure  government  for  the  great- 
est good  to  the  greatest  number  of  people.  And  he  was  uncompro- 
mising in  his  political  ideas.  He  believed  in  democracy  and  democ- 
racy alone,  and  was  bitterly  opposed  to  the  forming  of  fusions  and 
combinations  in  political  elections,  and  in  evidence  of  his  ideas  in  this 
direction,  the  following  extract  is  given  from  a  letter  written  by  him 
from  Walhalla  to  the  editor  of  the  Charleston  Journal  of  Commerce, 
the  then  only  regular  out-and-out  democratic  paper  published  in 
Charleston  during  the  memorable  campaign  of  1S76:  "  It  were  better 
for  the  democratic  party  to  be  beaten  in  ten  consecutive  elections 
with  only  ten  pure  democrats,  than  to  be  successful  with  a  fusion 
ticket."  He  was  one  of  the  strongest  supporters  of  the  movement  to 
nominate  Gen.  Wade  Hampton  for  governor  in  1876,  and  after  that 
gentleman  had  been  nominated,  he  contributed  as  much,  if  not  more, 
than  any  other  one  man  to  the  successful  planning  of  that  eventful 
and  exciting  campaign,  Gen.  Hampton  spending  several  days  in 
close  consultation  with  Gen.  Wagener,  at  Walhalla,  after  the  conven- 
tion, in  discussing  and  formulating  plans  for  conducting  the  campaign. 
Bwt  the  general  did  not  survive  to  see  and  participate  in  the  success 
of  the  election  and  the  dawn  of  the  new  era  in  South  Carolina 

Gen.  Wagener's  death  occurred  August  27,  1876,  at  Walhalla,  S.  C, 
which  flourishing  town  he  had  founded  over  a  quarter  of  a  century 
before,  and  whither  he  had  gone  to  recuperate  his  energies  and 
health,  and  it  was  there,  at  his  own  request,  that  his  remains  were 
laid  away  to  rest.  But  the  following  year  the  citizens  of  Charleston, 
actuated  by  love  and  pride  of  the  man  who  had  been  one  of  their 
honored  fellow  citizens  for  so  long  a  time,  claimed  his  remains,  and 
a  popular  movement  soon  resulted  in  removing  them  to  Charleston, 
and  there,  with  the  fullest  of  military  and  civic  honors,  and  in  the 
presence  of  a  vast  throng  of  people,  all  that  was  mortal  of  the  illus- 
trious citizen  and  soldier  was  consigned  to  the  tomb,  which,  to-day, 
is  marked  by  a  noble  monument  of  granite  and  bronze.  But  more 
enduring  to  memory  than  granite  or  bronze  are  the  many  monuments 
erected  during  life  by  Gen.  Wagener,  in  the  hearts  and  memories  of 
his  friends  and  fellow  citizens,  by  his  many  noble  deeds,  upon  the 
field  of  battle,  in  public  life,  and  as  a  private  citizen.  Gen.  Wagener 
was  a  man  of  marked  ability  and  wonderful  capacity,  both  mentally 
and  physically.  As  was  said  at  the  open  grave  by  one  of  his  eulo- 
gizers,  he  was  "  massive  in  brain  and  in  person;  and  his  entire  organ- 
ism was  naturally  adapted  for  the  possession  of  i)Ower  and  the  exer- 
cise of  influence;  hence,  with  his  earnest  and  propulsive  nature,  he 
was  bound  to  propagandize  his  thoughts.     It  is  thus  that  moral  revo- 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  6ig 

lutions  are  effected;  truth  eliminated  from  antiquated  error,  and  man 
is  raised  and  elevated  in  the  scale  of  intellectual  existence."  As  an 
organizer,  promoter  and  e.Kecutive  his  resources  were  varied  and 
seeijiingly  inexhaustible;  as  a  public  official  he  was  honest,  conscien- 
tious and  faithful;  as  a  soldier,  brave,  brilliant  and  gallant;  as  a  citi- 
zen, enterprising,  progressive  and  influential;  and  as  a  friend,  true, 
steadfast  and  devoted,  always  willing  to  sacrifice  his  own  interests  to 
those  of  friendship.  In  religion  he  was  a  Lutheran  Protestant  by 
confession,  but  was  cosmopolitan  in  his  views  as  to  creeds  and  sects. 
Altogether  Gen.  Wagener  was  a  strong,  true,  brave  man,  and  the 
world,  and  particularly  his  adopted  city  and  state,  is  the  better  for 
his  having  lived,  labored  and  died  in  it. 

JOHN  FREDERICK  HUCHTING, 

now  deceased,  was  a  native  of  Germany,  liaving  first  seen  the  light  at 
Brake,  on  the  2nd  day  of  October,  1S45.  He  attended  the  schools  of 
his  native  town  until  reaching  his  fourteenth  year.  At  the  latter  age 
he  sought  a  wider  field  for  his  life  work,  and  came  to  the  United 
States  in  1866.  Coming  to  South  Carolina  he  fixed  upon  Beaufort 
as  his  home,  and  at  once  engaged  in  the  mercantile  business  at  that 
place.  He  was  a  man  pre-eminently  possessed  of  those  traits  of 
character  which  make  men  popular,  and  soon  a  large  and  lucrative 
business  grew  from  the  humble  beginning.  He  was  a  prominent 
member  of  the  Knights  of  Honor.  His  sad  demise  occurred  on  the 
1 2th  of  December,  1S90,  and  his  loss  was  mourned  by  the  community 
generally.  He  was  a  self-made  man,  able,  progressive  and  keenly 
alive  to  every  opportunity  which  offered.  Charitable  and  large 
hearted,  none  ever  applied  to  him  in  distress  in  vain.  On  the  i8th 
of  August,  1886,  he  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Angela  Campett, 
a  daughter  of  the  late  Capt.  George  Campett.  To  this  happy  union 
were  born  three  children,  all  sons.  Mr.  Huchting  was  a  valued  com- 
municant of  the  German  Lutheran  church,  and  the  greater  part  of 
his  life  was  conformed  to  the  beliefs  of  that  denomination.  Honor- 
able and  true,  his   presence  could  ill  be  spared  from  any  community. 

WILLIAM  LEWERS  BOYD. 

Among  the  most  prominent  and  successful  hardware  merchants  of 
Laurens,  William  Lewers  Boyd  holds  a  conspicuous  and  honorable 
place.  He  was  born  in  Laurens  county.  May  31,  1832.  His  father, 
Isaac  P.  Boyd,  was  also  a  native  of  Laurens,  born  November  30, 
1 801,  and  was  by  occupation  a  mechanic.  He  died  May  3,  1866.  Isaac  P. 
was  the  son  of  William  Boyd,  a  native  of  Ireland,  who  settled  in 
Laurens  count}'  upon  his  first  arrival  in  America.  The  maiden  name 
of  Mrs.  Isaac  Boyd  was  Jane  .S.  Blake,  born  October  31,  1802,  daugh- 
ter of  Robert  Blake,  a  native  of  Newberry  county.  She  died  July  6, 
1S75.  Her  ancestors  were  also  of  Irish  lineage.  William  L.  Boyd 
was  brought  up  on  his  father's  farm,  receiving  a  good  English  educa- 


620  SOUTH   CAROLINA. 

tion.  He  remained  home  assisting  his  father  until  twenty-six  years 
of  age.  Through  no  fault  of  his  own  his  father  had  become  involved 
in  debt,  and  he  remained  at  home  to  assist  in  the  payment  till  the 
last  cent  was  paid.  He  then  engaged  in  teaching  for  two  years,  en- 
tering after  that  the  Confederate  service,  in  iS6i.  He  enlisted  in 
Cctmpany  H,  James  battalion,  as  a  private,  subsequently  being  pro- 
moted to  first  sergeant.  He  served  in  that  command  about  one  year, 
when  he  was  discharged  on  account  of  phj'sical  disability.  Return- 
ing home  he  taught  two  years  more  and  re-entered  the  army  in  1864, 
as  captain  of  Company  C,  of  Col.  Spearman's  regiment,  in  Gen. 
Goodwin's  brigade,  of  the  South  Carolina  reserves,  in  which  position 
he  served  until  the  close  of  the  war.  He  then  returned  home  and  was 
for  a  few  months  engaged  as  a  teacher  at  different  points,  being  anx- 
ious to  improve  his  finances.  He  then  spent  one  year  on  his  father's 
farm,  the  latter  meanwhile  having  died.  During  the  year  1867,  he 
acted  as  agent,  secretary  and  treasurer  of  the  Laurens  railroad,  to 
which  position  he  had  been  elected  by  the  directors.  During  the 
years  1S68  and  1869,  he  was  engaged  as  a  clerk  in  a  hardware  store 
at  Laurens,  being  the  same  one  which  he  now  owns.  He  was  mar- 
ried December  9,  1869,  to  Margaret  L.  Anderson,  daughter  of  James 
Anderson,  formerly  of  Enosee  river,  Spartanburg  count}-.  After  his 
marriage  he  engaged  in  farming  for  three  years  upon  a  farm  he  had 
purchased  in  Laurens  county,  in  which  business  he  was  remarkably 
successful. 

In  1S72,  Mr.  Bo3'd  and  his  brother  James  AL,  purchased  the  hard- 
ware store  in  which  he  had  formerly  served  as  clerk.  The  firm  of 
Boyd  Bros,  continued  until  dissolved  by  the  death  of  the  brother. 
On  May  22,  1876,  he  succeeded  the  firm  as  sole  proprietor,  and  he  has 
owned  and  continued  it  at  a  handsome  profit  ever  since.  He  has 
been  successful  and  now  owns  one  of  the  best  stores  in  Laurens,  and 
two  or  three  nice  farms  in  the  county.  For  many  years  Mr.  Boyd 
was  a  member  of  the  grocery  firm  of  Boj^d,  Pluss  &  Co.,  in  which  he 
did  the  largest  business  of  the  kind  ever  done  in  I^aurens.  This  firm 
was  dissolved  in  1885.  Mr.  Boyd  is  now  a  partner  of  Mr.  George  B. 
Anderson  in  the  machinery  business.  He  is  one  of  the  proprietors  of 
the  Laurens  Spoke  &  Handle  Works,  and  a  stockholder  in  the 
Laurens  Oil  &  Fertilizer  company,  and  also  a  stockholder  and  director 
in  the  Peoples'  Loan  &  Exchange  bank.  He  is  a  stockholder  and 
director  of  the  Laurens  Building  &  Loan  association.  In  politics  he 
is  a  democrat,  and  has  served  as  auditor  of  the  county  for  one  term, 
besides  being  a  member  of  the  common  council  for  two  years.  Mr. 
Boyd  is  an  elder  in  the  Presbyterian  church,  a  member  of  the 
Masonic  order  and  of  the  Knights  of  Honor.  He  ranks  among  the 
most  substantial  men  of  the  city  of  Laurens,  and  what  he  has  and  is, 
is  the  fruit  of  his  own  efforts.  As  a  democrat  he  was  appointed  com- 
missioner of  election  for  Laurens  county,  and  rendered  valuable 
service  during  the  campaign  of  1876,  which  resulted  in  the  election 
of  Gen.  Wade  Hampton  as  governor  of  South  Carolina.  He  is  highly 
respected  throughout  the  county. 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  621 


HON.  J.  J.  RYAN 


will  long  be  remembered  in  the    Palmetto  state  for  his  loyalty  and 
devotion  to  his  people  during  adversity  and  affliction.     lie  was  born 
in  the  year   1817  in   the  county  of  Tipperary,  Ireland.      Three  years 
later   his   parents    emigrated   to    America   and   settled  in    Beaufort 
county,  S.  C,  where   they  resided    until  the  death    of   the    father. 
Shortly  after  this  sad  event  Mrs.  Ryan  removed  to  McPhersonville, 
in  the  same  county,  and   it  was  in  the  schools  of  that  town  that  the 
boy  received  all  the  educational  advantages  that  his  mother  could 
afford.     After  about  three  years  poverty  compelled  him  to  give  up 
his  scholastic  training  and  aid  in  the  support  of  the  family.     'Thus,  at 
the  age  of  fourteen,  he   was  thrown   on  his   own    resources.     Some 
years  later  he  secured  a  clerkship  with  a  relative,  Mr.  M.  D.  Maher, 
a  prominent  merchant  of  Barnwell,  who  proved  to  be  a  father  to  the 
fatherless  boy.     He  remained  with  Mr.  Maher  until  early  manhood, 
when  the   latter  gentleman  decided  to  leave   Barnwell.     Mr.  Ryan 
purchased  his    mercantile   business,  and    successfully  conducted  the 
same  until  the  Civil  war  broke  out.     In  1848  he  established  a  branch 
concern  at  Blackville,  S.  C,  and  this  venture  likewise  proved  a  suc- 
cess.    During   Sherman's  march  through    this   territory   all    of    Mr. 
Ryan's  town  property  in  Barnwell  and   Blackville,  with  the  exception 
of  his  residence    in  the  former   place,  was  destroyed.     In    1836  he 
served  in  the  Florida  war  as  a  lieutenant  in  a  company  raised  in 
Barnwell  county  by  Capt.  J.  D.  Allen.     Some  years  after  the  close  of 
that  war  he  was  elected  colonel  of  the  Eleventh  regiment  of  militia, 
and  held  that  office  for  the  usual  term.     In  1856  he  was  elected  to 
represent   his   county    in    the  legislature,   and  for  three  consecutive 
terms  was  retained  in  that  position.     During  his  mercantile  career  at 
Barnwell  he  was  agent  for  the  Bank  of  Charleston,  and  established 
a  large  business  there  for  the  bank.     Among  the  first  to  offer  his  ser- 
vices to  the   state   at  the  beginning  of  the  Civil  war,  he   first  com- 
manded a  regiment  of  state  troops  in  the  lower  part  of  South  Car- 
olina, and  afterward  was  engaged  with  a  large  force   of  men  under 
his  command  in  building  fortifications  on  the  islands  around  Charles- 
ton.    In  these  positions  he  rendered  valiant  and  efficient  service  for 
the  cause  he  loved.     Immediately  after  the  close  of  the  conflict  Col. 
Ryan  was  again  chosen  by  the  people  to  represent  them  in  the  legis- 
lature, and  served  with  marked  ability  and  fidelity  during  that  trying 
time.     At  the   expiration   of   his   term   he   retired   from    public   life, 
happy  in  the  consciousness  of  having  performed  his  whole  duty,  and 
proud  of  the  approbation  and  regard  of  his  former  constituents.     He 
never  fully  recovered  from  the  shock  occasioned  by  the  downfall  of 
the  Confederacy,  and  the  suffering  of  his  people  rankled  sorely  in  his 
heart.    Bearing  himself  with  manly  courage  and  fortitude  in  the  strug- 
gle for  the  subsistence  of  his  family  which  followed,  his  health  gradu- 
ally became  impaired,  and  a  fatal  disease,  after  a  long  and  painful 
illness,  culminated  in  his  death  in  February,  1869.     Sustained  by  the 


622  .  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

faith  of  his  Fatlier,  and  the  comforting  assurance  which  the  ministra- 
tions of  his  churcli  afforded  him,  witli  sorrowing  wife,  children,  otlier 
kindred  and  devoted  friends  around  him,  he  passed  to  his  eternal 
rest.  A  contemporary  has  well  said  of  him:  "  He  never  deceived  a 
friend;  was  never  defeated  for  any  office  by  the  people;  and  to  know 
him  was  to  love  him." 

WILLIAM  R.  DAVIE. 

William  R.  Davie  was  born  June  15,  1S43.  He  is  the  great-grand- 
son of  Gen.  William  R.  Davie,  of  the  Revolution,  a  sketch  of  whom 
will  be  found  in  this  work,  a  grandson  of  Maj.  Allen  I.  Davie, 
an  officer  of  the  war  of  1S12,  and  son  of  Dr.  William  R.  Davie,  an 
officer  in  the  Florida  or  Seminole  war,  of  1842,  and  was  himself  an 
officer  in  the  Confederate  army  during  the  late  war.  He  was  born 
at  Summerville,  Morgan  county,  Ala.,  but  he  was  removed  to  Coosa 
countj-  in  1S45,  and  resided  there  and  in  Talladega  county  until  the  be- 
ginning of  the  war  of  secession.  He  was  educated  in  the  common 
old  field  schools.  In  November,  1861,  he  enlisted  as  a  private  in  the 
Tenth  Alabama  regiment;  and  upon  the  organization  of  Hilhard's 
Alabama  legion  was  elected  junior  second  lieutenant  of  Company  F, 
Second  battalion  infantry.  P'rom  the  camp  of  instruction  at  Mont- 
gomery, March,  1862,  he  went  with  the  legion  to  Decatur,  Ga.,  join- 
ing Bragg's  army  in  July  at  Chattanooga,  thence  to  Knoxville,  Tenn., 
took  part  in  the  siege  of  Cumberland  Gap,  Ky.,  and  in  the  subsequent 
pursuits  of  the  Federal  Gen.  Morgan  into  Kentucky;  was  present 
at  the  battle  of  Chickamauga,  in  which  his  battalion  lost  half  the  num- 
ber of  those  carried  into  action.  His  battalion  having  become  incorpor- 
ated into  the  Fifty-ninth  Alabama  regiment  and  forming  a  part  of  Gra- 
der's brigade,  he  participated  in  the  siege  of  Chattanooga  until  with 
Bushod  Johnson's  division  it  was  ordered  to  east  Tennessee.  Was  pres- 
ent at  the  siege  of  Knoxville,  taking  part  in  the  attack  upon  Fort 
Brownlow,  and  in  Longstreet's  retreat  after  Bragg's  defeat  at  Mis- 
sionary Ridge.  With  Longstreet's  corps  his  command  was  ordered 
to  join  Lee's  army  and  reached  Richmond,  May,  1S64,  just  in  time  to 
participate  in  the  repulse  of  Sheridan,  after  the  battleof  Yellow  Tav- 
ern; in  the  attack  upon  Butler's  advance,  south  of  the  James  river, 
and  in  the  battle  of  Drury's  Bluff.  Was  commissioned  captain  May 
16,  1864;  took  part  in  repulsing  Grant's  assault  on  Petersburg;  served 
throughout  the  siege  of  Petersburg,  and  was  in  the  battle  of  Hatcher's 
Run,  on  the  3rd  of  March.  From  October,  1864  to  February,  1865 
Capt.  Davie  was  assigned  to  duty  as  brigade  commissary  on  account 
of  an  affection  of  bronchitis;  but  notwithstanding  this  assignment, 
Capt.  Davie  was  present  at  every  battle  in  which  his  company  parti- 
cipated except  that  of  Brown  Station  which  occurred  in  December,  1863. 

Returning  home  at  the  end  of  the  war,  he  removed  with  his 
mother's  family  to  Texas,  in  November,  1865.  He  spent  the  spring 
and  summer  of  1865  with  a  wagon  train  in  Kansas  and  Missouri. 
In  the  fall  of  1S66  he  returned  to  Texas,  and  settled  in    Freestone 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  623 

county,  and  cngajred  in  mercantile  business.  In  June,  1871,  he  mar- 
ried Henrietta  C.  Wortham,  and  carried  on  business  at  Wortham, 
Tex.,  until  1876,  when  he  removed  to  Landsford,  Chester  county, 
S.  C,  upon  the  recovery,  at  law,  of  the  family  homestead  there  —  the 
seat  of  his  great-grandfather.  Gen.  William  R.  Davie.  Soon  after 
his  removal  to  South  Carolina  he  was  appointed  by  Gov.  Wade 
Hampton  an  aide  upon  his  staff.  Col.  Davie  has  taken  a  most  ac- 
tive part  in  political  affairs,  both  in  Texas  and  in  South  Carolina. 
He  was  a  member  of  every  democratic  state  convention  held  in 
Texas  .while  he  lived  there,  and  with  the  exception  of  one,  has  been 
a  member  of  all  that  have  been  held  in  South  Carolina  since  his  re- 
moval to  this  state.  He  was  president  of  the  Landsford  democratic 
club  for  twelve  years,  and  served  as  a  member  of  the  house  of  repre- 
sentatives in  the  legislature  of  18S4-85,  but  was  defeated  for  re-elec- 
tion in  1886,  for  refusing  to  join  in  the  commencement  of  the  move- 
ment of  the  farmers  for  class  representation.  Col.  Davie  though  a 
large  farmer  himself,  has  been  an  uncompromising  foe  to  the  alliance 
movement  in  politics.  While  in  the  legislature  he  earnestly  opposed, 
against  his  own  material  interest,  all  county  subscriptions  to  railroads, 
maintaining  that  railroads,  where  really  needed,  would  be  built  by 
private  capital,  and  that,  where  not  necessary,  the  public  should  not 
be  taxed  for  them.  To  put  a  stop  to  these  unwise  subscriptions  he 
proposed  an  amendment  to  the  constitution,  and  most  ably  support- 
ing it,  carried  his  proposed  amendment  by  a  large  majority  of  the 
house,  but  failed  to  obtain  the  necessary  constitutional  vote  of  two- 
thirds  for  its  passage. 

Colonel  Davie,  though  having  led  a  rough  and  adventurous  life 
in  his  youth,  with  but  little  opportunity  for  study,  is  one  of  the  best 
informed  men  in  the  state  of  South  Carolina,  especially'  upon  the 
political  and  financial  history  of  the  country.  With  a  most  retentive 
memory,  and  reading  everything  within  his  reach,  he  has  acquired  a 
large  fund  of  political  information,  an  admirable  writer  of  clear  and 
vigorous  English,  a  strong  and  original  thinker,  and  an  earnest  and 
honest  citizen,  studying  the  public  good  without  the  least  regard  to 
his  personal  advancement,  his  communications  upon  matters  of  public 
interest  are  always  read  with  interest  and  care,  and  considered  with 
attention  by  the  people  of  the  state.  Gen.  Davie  left  surviving  him 
seven  children:  Allen  Jones  Davie,  who  was  a  major  in  the  war  of 
181 2,  and  who  left  a  large  family,  which  is  now  represented  by  Col. 
William  R.  Davie,  of  Landsford,  Chester  county,  a  sketch  of  whom 
will  be  found  in  the  work;  Hyder  Ali,  who  left  no  son;  Sarah  Jones, 
who  married  Hon.  William  F.  DeSaussure,  of  Columbia,  S.  C,  whose 
son.  Col.  William  Davie  DeSaussure,  was  killed  at  the  battle  of 
Gettysburg;  Mary  Haynes,  who  married  John  Crockett;  Martha, 
who  died  unmarried;  Rebecca,  who  married  Churchill  Jones;  Fred- 
erick W^illiam  Davie,  who  was  a  prominent  citizen  of  South  Carolina, 
for  a  number  of  years  a  representative  in  the  legislature,  who  died 
without  issue. 


624  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 


HON.  GEORGE  F.  TOLLY, 

a  prominent  merchant  of  Anderson,  and  the  present  mayor  of  that 
city,  was  born  in  Prussia,  in  the  German  Empire,  November  7,  1835. 
He  is  the  son  of  John  Tolly,  with  whom  he  came  to  America  in  1850. 
On  reaching  this  country  they  located  in  Baltimore,  where  j'oung 
Tolly  served  an  apprenticeship  at  the  cabinet-maker's  trade.  Six 
years  later  he  came  to  South  Carolina,  and  after  a  brief  stop  in 
Greenville,  he  located  in  Anderson,  and  there  he  has  ever  since  re- 
sided. Here  he  worked  at  his  trade  as  journeyman  two  years,  after 
which,  in  1858,  he  set  up  a  furniture  business  for  himself.  With  the 
exception  of  the  time  he  was  in  the  Confederate  service,  he  has  con- 
ducted a  furniture  business  in  Anderson.  He  now  has  a  mammoth 
establishment,  equal  to  anything  in  the  furniture  line  in  the  state.  He 
has  two  very  large  business  rooms,  two  stories  in  height,  the  one 
100x30  feet,  the  other  107x40  feet.  The  four  floors  are  all  occupied. 
He  carries  the  finest  line  of  furniture,  not  excelled  by  the  best  stock 
in  the  larger  cities.  In  April,  1861,  he  entered  the  service  of  the 
Confederate  army,  enlisting  in  Company  B,  Fourth  South  Carolina 
volunteer  regiment,  with  which  he  served  one  year,  that  being  the 
limit  of  the  enlistment.  He  then  entered  Company  C, of  the  Palmetto 
sharpshooters,  where  he  served  until  the  close  of  the  war.  He  was 
taken  prisoner  in  one  battle  and  was  held  at  Rock  Island,  111.,  for 
more  than  a  year.  He  was  wounded  in  the  battle  of  Frazer's  Farm, 
but  not  seriously  injured.  Throughout  his  service  he  was  a  brave 
and  patriotic  soldier.  In  politics  he  is  a  democrat  in  the  fullest  sense 
of  the  term,  being  a  type  of  the  old-time  branch  of  the  party.  He 
served  three  consecutive  terms  as  intendant  at  Anderson  before  it 
became  a  city,  and  since  has  been  three  times  elected  as  mayor,  hold- 
ing that  office  at  the  present  time.  This  makes  a  total  of  nine  years 
during  which  he  has  stood  at  the  head  of  the  corporate  government, 
and  in  which  he  has  given  the  completest  satisfaction.  He  is  a  faith- 
ful, dignified  and  efficient  public  officer.  The  Presbyterian  church,  in 
which  he  is  an  elder,  holds  his  religious  creed.  He  is  a  member  of 
the  Masonic  lodge,  in  which  he  takes  great  interest,  having  taken  both 
the  chapter  and  council  degrees.  He  has  frequently  served  as  master 
of  his  lodge  and  is  now  the  grand  senior  deacon  of  the  state.  Form- 
erly he  was  a  member  of  the  Sons  of  Temperance,  and  two  terms  was 
grand  worthy  patriarch  of  the  state.  He  is  a  Knight  of  Honor,  and 
has  taken  an  active  part  in  the  work  of  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.,  being  several 
years  chosen  as  president  of  the  association.  He  was  chairman  of 
the  board  of  election  commissioners  of  Anderson  county,  for  several 
years  holding  his  appointment  under  the  governor  of  the  state.  In  the 
line  of  business  he  is  a  stockholder  in  the  Farmers  &  Merchants' 
bank,  of  Anderson,  and  in  the  Anderson  Shoe  &  Leather  company. 
F^or  seven  years  he  has  been  a  director  in  the  Anderson  Building  & 
Loan  association.     Mr.  Tolly  was  married  May  24,  1859,  to  Miss  Mary 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  625 

Jane   George,  daughter  of   Ezekiel   George,   formerly   of  Anderson 
county.     They  have  four  children  living,  three  of  whom  are  sons. 

SYLVESTER   BLECKLEY, 

an  old  and  prominent  merchant  of  Anderson,  S.  C,  was  born  in  Clay- 
ton, Rabun  county,  Ga.,  July  i6,  1832.     He  was  the  son  of  Judge  James 
Bleckley,  who  successively  served  as  sheriff  of  Rabun  county,  and  as 
clerk  of  the  superior  court,  also  judge  of  the  court  of  Rabun  county, 
his  official   services   covering  a  period   of  twenty-five  years.     Sylves- 
ter  Bleckley  is  a  brother  of  Chief  Justice   Logan   H.    Bleckley,  of 
Georgia.     Two  other  brothers,  Franklin  A.  and  John   M.,  reside  in 
Rabun  county,  and   have  served  in  the  state  legislature.     Sylvester 
Bleckley  has  two  sisters  living.     His  paternal  grandfather  was  James 
Bleckley  of  North  Carolina,  and  a  teacher  by  profession.    The  father 
of  Sylvester  was  born  in  Lincoln  county,  N.  C.,  in  1803,  and  died  in 
September,   1870.     Hjs  mother  was  Catherine   E.  Lutz,  a  native  of 
Burke  county,  N.  C,  and  was  born  in  1800.     She  was  the  daughter  of 
John  Lutz,  a  German,  who  spent  his  last  years  in  Indiana.    Her  death 
occurred  in  October,  1874.     Sylvester  Bleckley  was  reared  on  a  farm 
in  Rabun  county,  received  an  academic  English  educational  Clayton, 
and  at  nineteen  went  to  Athens  where  he  clerked  and  acted  as  book- 
keeper two  3'ears.     In  March,  1853,  he  went  to  Anderson,  which  place 
has  been  his  home  ever  since.     Before  he  was  twenty-one  he  formed 
a  partnership  with  his  former  employer  at  Athens,  it  being  arranged 
for  him  to  come  to  Anderson  and  establish  a  store,  the  firm  being 
England,  Bleckley  &   Co.,  consisting  of  four  members,  two  of  whom 
remained  at  Athens  and  two  at  Anderson.     Mr.  Bleckley'  has  'con- 
tinued in  mercantile  pursuits  in  Anderson  ever  since,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  about  three  j'ears  during  the  war,  when  he  suspended  busi- 
ness for  the  time,  he  acting  as  assistant  enrolling  officer.    Mr.  Bleckley 
has  been  prosperous  in  business,  and  is  at  the  head  of  one  of  the  larg- 
est mercantile  firms  of  Anderson,  and  one   of  the   largest  and  best 
stores  in  the  county,  which  fact  is  due  to  his  honesty  and  uprightness, 
combined   with  good  business   habits.     He  is  a  democrat  in  politics, 
and  has  served  as  commissioner  of  Anderson  county,  and  for  many 
years  as  a  member  of  the  town  council.     He  is  a  member  of  the  Bap- 
tist church.     He  is  a  large  stockholder  in  the  Anderson  Cotton  mills, 
in  which  he  is  also  a  director,  the  Oil  &  Fertilizer  Co.,  the  Chiquola 
Hotel   Co.,  the   National  bank,   in   which   he  is  a   director,  and  the 
Farmers  &  Merchants'  bank,  of  Anderson.    He  is  one  of  the  trustees 
of  the   Patrick   military  institute.     In   September,  1856,  Mr.  Bleckley 
was  married  to  Miss  Ann  Elizabeth  Hammond,  a  native  of  Anderson 
county,  and  daughter  of  Benjamin  F.  Hammond,  formerly  of  Ander- 
son county.    They  have  five  children,  all  daughters,  and  four  of  whom 
are  married.     Sylvester  Bleckley  is  one  of  the  leading  tax  payers  of 
Anderson.    He  is  a  fine  appearing,  intelligent  gentleman,  large,  portly 
and  dignified,  and  is  deservedly  popular  among  his  fellow  citizens. 

A —  40 


626  '       SOUTH    CAROLINA. 


RUFUS    SADLER    HILL, 

a  prominent  merchant  of  Anderson,  S.  C,  was  born  in  Hart  county, 
Ga.,  February  13,  1851.  He  was  the  son  of  Col.  Richard  S.  Hill,  a 
native  of  Anderson  county,  who  was  born  in  1S22,  and  a  farmer  and 
merchant  by  occupation.  He  served  as  colonel  of  a  Georgia  regi- 
ment in  the  Civil  war.  His  death  occurred  in  1878.  The  latter  was 
the  son  of  Thomas  O.  Hill,  a  farmer  by  calling.  Paternally,  Rufus 
Sadler  Hill  is  of  Scotch  descent.  His  mother  was  Elizabeth  M. 
Sadler,  a  native  of  Hart  county,  born  in  1827,  being  a  daughter  of 
William  B.  Sadler,  a  native  of  York  county,  S.  C.  She  died  in  1861. 
In  the  fall  of  1S65,  Rufus  S.  Hill  accompanied  his  father  to  Anderson, 
where  the  latter  died,  and  which  place  has  chiefly  been  his  residence 
ever  since.  He  received  his  education  in  Prof.  VV.  J.  Ligon's  male 
academy  of  Anderson  and  VVofford  college  of  Spartanburg.  In  his 
early  manhood  he  studied  civil  engineering,  and  devoted  himself  to 
it  for  three  years,  in  the  southwest.  Owing  to  ill  health  he  returned 
to  Anderson,  and  in  August,  1875,  engaged  in  mercantile  pursuits  in 
that  city.  He  has  been  a  merchant  there  ever  since,  and  is  now  one 
of  the  principal  ones.  He  is  at  the  head  of  the  mammoth  Alliance 
store,  which  was  established  in  September,  1S89,  and  which  is  the 
largest  merchandising  house  in  Anderson.  It  is  without  doubt  the 
finest  retail  establishment  in  the  state.  Mr.  Hill  has  been  at  its  head 
as  leading  stockholder  and  manager  ever  since  it  was  founded.  He 
owns  nearly  a  one-half  interest  in  this  store,  besides  owning  a  half 
interest  in  a  store  at  Pelzer,  S.  C,  and  another  at  Hartwell,  Hart 
county,  Ga.  He  is  president  of  the  Farmers  &  Merchants'  bank,  of 
Anderson,  and  is  its  largest  stockholder.  He  was  one  of  its  organ- 
izers in  1889.  Its  paid  up  capital  is  $100,000,  and  undivided  profits 
$26,000.  Mr.  Hill  is  also  a  stockholder  in  the  Anderson  cotton  mills, 
and  is  a  charter  member  of  the  Anderson  Building  &  Loan  associa- 
tion. He  is  a  devoted  member  of  the  democratic  party,  but  has 
invariably  refused  to  serve  in  any  political  capacity.  Fraternallj',  he 
is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  lodge,  and  is  past  master.  He  is  chair- 
man of  the  board  of  stewards  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  of 
Anderson.  On  December  5,  1878,  Mr.  Hill  was  married  to  Miss 
Emma  H.  McMullan,  daughter  of  Rev.  James  S.  McMullan,  of  Hart 
county,  Ga.     They  have  three  children,  all  of  whom  are  daughters. 

CAPTAIN  PETER  KEYS  McCULLY, 

a  prominent  merchant  and  cotton  dealer  of  Anderson,  S.  C,  was  born 
in  that  city  June  22,  1845.  His  father  was  Stephen  McCully,  one  of 
the  pioneer  settlers  of  Anderson,  a  merchant  and  railroad  contractor, 
who  was  born  in  Ireland  and  came  to  America  in  1S20.  He  located 
in  Anderson  county,  and  later  in  Anderson  town,,  being  one  of  its 
founders.  His  death  occurred  in  18S0.  His  mother  was  Elmina  J. 
Keys,  a  native  of  Anderson  county.    She  died  in  1890.    Capt.  McCully 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  627 

spent  his  boyhood  in  Anderson,  which  jjlace  has  been  his  home 
all  his  life.  He  received  his  early  education  under  John  .S.  Pressley, 
a  well-known  educator  of  that  day,  and  in  January,  1862,  entered  the 
Citadel  military  academy,  of  Charleston,  S.  C,  in  which  he  was  a 
student  until  December,  1864.  He  then  entered  the  Confederate 
service  as  a  member  of  the  Citadel  cadets,  and  served  until  the  close 
of  the  war.  From  the  war  he  returned  to  Anderson  and  managed 
his  father's  farm  for  one  year  in  Anderson  county.  In  1867  he  en- 
gaged in  mercantile  pursuits  at  his  native  town,  which  he  has  followed 
constantly  and  successfully.  He  is  one  of  Anderson's  leading  gen- 
eral merchants,  and  one  of  its  representative  business  men.  He  is 
also  a  very  prominent  cotton  merchant,  being  one  of  the  largest  cot- 
ton dealers  in  Anderson.  In  this  trade  he  has  built  up  a  wide  repu- 
tation as  a  reliable,  successful  dealer.  He  has  as  a  partner  James  M. 
Cathcart,  the  firm  name  being  McCully  &  Cathcart.  The  firm  has 
stock  in  the  Anderson  Shoe  &  Leather  company.  Mr.  McCully 
is  president  of  the  Anderson  Building  &  Loan  association,  and  is  a 
director  in  the  Farmers  &  Merchants'  bank.  He  is  president  of  the 
Anderson  Ginnery  company,  which  has  a  capital  of  $5,000.  He  is 
president  of  the  Western  Carolina  Land  Improvement  company,  of 
Anderson.  In  politics  he  is  a  staunch  democrat.  He  is  a  member  of 
the  present  board  of  aldermen  of  Anderson.  The  Presbyterian 
church  holds  his  religious  creed.  Fraternally  he  is  a  member  of  the 
Knights  of  Honor,  holding  the  position  of  grand  dictator  of  the 
state,  and  is  a  member  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias  lodge,  in  which  he 
is  a  deputy  grand  chancellor.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the  A.  O.  U.  W. 
Mr.  McCully  was  married  on  November  12, 1867,  to  Miss  Margaret  J. 
Cathcart,  the  sister  of  his  partner  and  daughter  of  Robert  Cathcart, 
formerly  of  Columbia,  S.  C.  They  have  four  children  living,  two 
sons  and  tAvo  daughters.  One  of  the  former  is  now  a  student  in  the 
Citadel  military  academy,  of  Charleston.  He  was  one  of  the  pro- 
moters and  organizers  of  the  Anderson  Yarn  and  Knitting  mills,  of 
which  he  is  a  director.  This  is  a  new  enterprise,  and  will  be  in 
operation  during  the  present  season. 

JAMES  M.  SULLIVAN, 

a  prominent  hardware  merchant  and  business  man  of  Anderson, 
S.  C,  was  born  at  AndeVson,  September  8,  1S35.  He  was  the  son  of 
Capt.  N.  K.  Sullivan,  also  a  native  of  Anderson  county,  who  was  born 
in  1S29,  and  who  served  as  a  captain  in  the  Confederate  service.  He 
led  the  life  of  a  merchant  and  died  in  1881.  The  latter  was  the  son 
of  Kelly  Sullivan,  a  native  of  Greenville  county.  Paternally  the  an- 
cestry dates  back  to  Ireland.  The  mother  of  James  M.  Sullivan  was 
Emily  K.  Mattison,  also  a  native  of  Anderson  county,  born  in  1834, 
being  the  daughter  of  Capt.  James  Mattison,  a  militia  captain,  and  is 
still  living.  The  maternal  lineage  traces  back  to  England.  James  M. 
Sullivan  was  reared  in  Anderson,  receiving  his  earl}-  education  in 
a  country  school,  and  under  Prof.  W.  J.  Ligon,  at  Anderson.     He  en- 


628  SOUTH   CAROLINA. 

tered  Davidson  college,  at  eighteen,  which  he  attended  one  year, 
after  this  clerking  for  his  father  in  Anderson,  until  he  was  twenty- 
one,  when  he  became  the  partner,  and  the  firm  name  became  N.  K. 
Sullivan  &  Co.,  so  existing  until  1879.  In  the  fall  of  this  year,  he 
formed  a  partnership  with  his  uncle,  Col.  C.  S.  Mattison,  in  general 
merchandising,  the  firm  continuing  until  it  was  dissolved  by  the  lat- 
ter's  death,  in  18S5.  In  the  fall  of  that  year,  he  formed  a  partnership 
with  his  brother,  H.  K.  Sullivan,  in  the  hardware  and  machinery 
business.  The  firm  of  Sullivan  &  Bro.,  took  in  N.  B.  Sullivan,  an- 
other brother,  in  1888,  since  which  time  the  business  has  been  con- 
ducted in  the  name  of  the  Sullivan  Hardware  company.  They  have 
the  only  hardware  establishment  in  x^nderson,  carrying  a  fine  stock 
and  doing  a  large  and  successful  business.  The  firm  has  had  a  phe- 
nomenally prosperous  career.  Besides  hardware,  they  do  an  exten- 
sive machinery  business,  which  in  fact  is  greater  than  their  hardware 
trade.  In  i8yo,  the  three  brothers  organized  the  Sullivan  Manufac- 
turing company,  of  x^nderson,  which  manufactures  sash,  doors  and 
blinds,  building  materials  etc.,  and  which  is  one  of  the  largest  con- 
cerns of  the  kind  in  the  upper  part  of  the  state.  James  Mt  Sullivan 
is  president  of  the  Anderson  Shoe  &  Leather  company  and  is  a 
stockholder  in  the  Anderson  Cotton  mills,  and  in  the  Western  Caro- 
lina Land  &  Improvement  company.  He  is  also  a  stockholder  in 
the  Anderson  Building  &  Loan  association  and  in  the  Anderson 
opera  house.  He  is  one  of  the  most  active  members  in  the  demo- 
cratic party,  at  Anderson,  but  has  always  declined  official  service. 
He  is  president  of  the  Anderson  board  o'f  trade,  a  director  of  the 
Bank  of  Anderson,  and  a  member  of  the  Knights  of  Honor,  being  a 
member  of  the  grand  lodge  of  the  order.  Mr.  Sullivan  was  married 
in  1877,  to  Miss  Mary  A.  Wannamaker,  of  Orangeburg  county.  They 
have  five  children  living,  three  of  whom  are  sons. 

JOHN  B.  SITTON, 

a  prominent  citizen  and  merchant  of  Pendleton,  was  born  at  a  farm- 
house near  George's  creek,  Pickens  county,  S.C.,  November  28,  1810. 
He  was  the  son  of  Philip  Sitton,  who  was  born  in  the  same  county, 
and  was  a  farmer  by  occupation.  Philip  was  the  son  of  John  Sitton, 
a  native  of  North  Carolina,  and  the  son  of  John  Sitton,  Sr.,  who  came 
from  England  to  America  in  its  earlier  history.  Philip  Sitton,  father 
of  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  died  in  1S2S.  His  wife,  Sarah  Bradley, 
who  was  born  also  in  the  neighborhood  of  George's  creek,  was  the 
daughter  of  Ambrose  Bradley,  a  Baptist  in  religious  creed  and  a 
farmer  by  occupation.  He  also  owned  and  operated  mills  on  George's 
creek.  The  mother  of  John  B.  Sitton  died  in  1S17,  when  he  was  but 
seven  years  old.  He  was  reared  on  the  farm  in  Pickens  county  which 
was  his  birthplace.  On  March  4,  1829,  when  he  had  reached  the  age 
of  eighteen,  and  shortly  after  the  death  of  his  father,  he  came  to 
Pendleton,  walking  the  whole  distance  from  his  former  home  on 
Saluda  river,  carrying  his  entire  possessions  in  a  pocket  handkerchief 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  629 

package.  He  has  lived  in  Pendleton  ever  since,  covering  a  period  of 
over  sixty-two  years.  He  had  received  a  limited  common  school 
education.  Here  he  first  served  an  apprenticeship  of  three  years  at 
the  carriage  making  trade.  In  1832  he  set  up  a  carriage  shop  of  his 
own,  and  carried  on  the  business  continuously  up  to  1886.  Prior  to 
the  war  he  manufactured  extensively,  but  since  the  end  of  the  war 
up  to  the  time  he  closed  his  carriage  making  business,  his  trade  was 
only  moderate  and  the  profits  small.  The  poverty  resulting  from  the 
war  and  the  scarcity  of  workmen  were  the  chief  causes  of  these  results 
in  his  business.  In  the  same  year  in  which  he  set  up  business  for  him- 
self, in  1832,  he  was  appointed  postmaster  at  Pendleton  and  held  the 
position  until  the  breaking  out  of  the  Civil  war.  He  was  kept  in  the 
same  office  uijder  the  Confederate  government  until  the  close  of  hos- 
tilities. At  the  same  date  of  establishing  himself  in  the  carriage 
making  trade  he  also  set  up  a  harness  shop,  which  he  conducted  along 
with  his  other  business  and  his  official  duties,  continuing  the  shop 
until  1S65. 

During  the  war  Mr.  Sitton  served  under  the  Confederate  govern- 
ment, as  receiver  of  Anderson,  Oconee,  Greenville,  Spartanburg  and 
Laurens  counties,  a  very  honorable  and  responsible  office.  He  was 
appointed  to  this  position  by  Judge  A.  G.  McGrath,  without  his  own 
knowledge,  seeking  or  consent,  and  discharged  its  onerous  and  ex- 
acting duties  in  an  eminently  creditable  manner,  holding  the  position 
until  the  close  of  the  war,  and  receiving  high  commendation  from 
his  superior  ofificers.  Since  1865  Mr.  Sitton  has  dealt  in  carriages  of 
all  descriptions,  in  harness,  and  has  conducted  a  large  furniture  and 
hardware  establishment,  increasing  this  latter  business  in  the  same 
ratio  as  the  former  business  has  declined.  •  Mr.  Sitton  is  a  stockholder 
in  the  Bank  of  Pendleton.  He  owns  a  flouring  mill  property  on 
Conneross  creek,  Oconee  county,  known  as  Sitton's  mill,  and  is  one 
of  the  trustees  of  the  Pendleton  female  academy.  In  politics  he  is  a 
democrat  in  the  truest  and  fullest  sense  of  the  term.  He  has  served 
as  mayor  of  Pendleton  for  as  many  as  fifteen  or  twenty  years.  He  is 
a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  church,  and  of  the  Masonic  lodge.  In 
1832  he  was  married  to  Miss  Celena  J.,  daughter  of  Col.  Jeptha 
Norton,  of  Oconee  county.  She  died  in  1862,  after  having  given  birth 
to  eight  children,  four  of  whom  were  sons,  and  all  of  whom  are  still 
living,  except  one  daughter.  Three  of  the  sons  served  in  the  Con- 
federate army,  one  of  whom  was  wounded.  Mr.  Sitton  is  a  man 
who  believes  and  acts  upon  the  progressive  principle;  he  is  one  of 
the  most  distinguished  citizens  of  Anderson  county,  and  one  of  its 
heaviest  tax-payers.  He  also  pays  a  large  amount  of  taxes  in  Oconee 
county,  where  he  owns  about  2,500  acres  of  land,  besides  his  mill 
property.  He  has  an  interest  in  10,000  acres  of  mountain  land  in  the 
same  county.  Mr.  Sitton  and  his  sons  took  an  active  and  decided 
part  in  the  political  revolution  of  1876.  He  is  a  man  of  remarkable 
will-power.  Though  past  eighty  years  of  age  he  might  readily  be 
taken  for  a  man  of  only  sixty-five.  He  is  highly  respected  and  influ- 
ential,  and  his  acquaintance  reaches   far  outside  the  county   of  his 


630  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

residence.     He  is  known  as  a  prosperous,  liberal  and  successful  mer- 
chant, and  as  a  most  worthy,  reputable  and  upright  citizen. 

COLONEL  AUGUSTUS  J.  SITTON, 

president  of  the  Pendleton  ^Manufacturing  company,  of  Anderson 
county,  was  born  in  Pendleton,  December  16,  1838,  being  the  son 
of  John  B.  Sitton  of  Pendleton.  He  received  a  good  English  educa- 
tion, and  in  early  life  learned  the  trade  of  a  carriage  maker  with  his 
father  and  followed  this  until  the  war.  In  April,  1861,  he  entered 
the  Confederate  army  in  Company  K,  of  the  Fourth  South  Carolina 
regiment,  commanded  by  Col.  J.  B.  E.  Sloan.  He  served  in  it  twelve 
months.  The  regiment  then  with  others  was  organized  into  the 
Palmetto  sharpshooters  with  which  he  served  till  the  close  of  the 
war,  surrendering  at  Appomatox.  He  received  a  painful  though  not 
a  dangerous  wound  in  the  first  battle  of  Manassas,  being  second 
sergeant  of  his  company  when  wounded.  At  the  close  of  the  war  he 
resumed  his  trade,  engaging  in  the  business  as  his  father's  partner. 
He  continued  with  him  until  1876,  and  during  the  time  the  firm  of 
J.  B.  &  A.  J.  Sitton  conducted  a  steam  ginnery  at  Pendleton.  In 
1876,  he  accepted  the  management  of  the  Pendleton  Manufacturing 
company,  conducting  the  mills  for  the  .bondholders  fifteen  months. 
In  1878,  with  Col.  Jesse  W.  Norris,  he  purchased  the  mill,  and  they 
have  owned  it  ever  since,  Mr.  Sitton  owning  two-thirds  and  Mr. 
Norris  the  remaining  part.  The  mill  has  2100  spindles,  and  con- 
sumes 1300  bales  of  cotton  per  year,  employing  seventy-five  hands. 
The  firm  owns  at  the  factory  500  acres  of  land,  and  owns  and  con- 
ducts a  large  general  store.  Mr.  Sitton  is  an  official  member  of  the 
Baptist  church.  He  is  a  democrat  and  served  on  Gov-  Hampton's 
staff  two  years,  with  the  rank  of  lieutenant-colonel.  He  was  the 
originator  of  the  "red  shirt"  as  a  campaign  uniform,  which  was  be- 
gun with  the  memorable  political  siege  of  1876.  He  is  a  council 
member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity,  and  was  master  of  Pendleton 
lodge  No.  34,  F.  &  A.  M,  eleven  years,  in  succession  at  present  being 
high  priest  of  his  chapter.  In  the  bank  of  Pendleton  he  is  stock- 
holder, director  and  secretary,  and  in  the  Anderson  Cotton  mills  and 
Pendleton  Canning  factory,  he  is  a  stockholder.  In  1SS4,  Miss 
Leela  E.  Aull,  of  Newberry,  became  his  wife,  and  they  have  three 
children,  two  of  whom  are  sons. 

JUDGE  SIDNEY  FOWLER, 

a  prominent  live  stock  man  and  merchant  of  Anderson,  S.  C,  was 
born  in  Cherokee  county,  Ga.,  September  13,  1S52.  He  was  the  son 
of  James  A  Fowler,  a  farmer  who  was  born  in  Anderson  county,  but 
who  removed  to  Cherokee  county,  Ga.,  in  early  life  where  hedied. 
The  mother  of  Judge  Fowler  was  Elizabeth  Millican,  a  native  of 
Georgia,  and  who  is  still  living.  Judge  Fowler  was  raised  on  a 
farm    in    his    native    county.      He   received  a  common    school  edu- 


SOUTH   CAROLINA.  63  F 

cation,  and  at  the  age  of  twenty-one  he  came  to  Anderson,  his 
father's  native  county,  and  was  engaged  in  farming.  In  1S7S  he  en- 
gaged in  the  live  stock  business,  and  has  fcjlluwcd  it  ever  since,  being 
one  of  the  leading  live  stock  men  in  the  state.  This  branch  of  his 
business  is  confined  chiefly  to  the  horse  and  mule  trade.  Anderson 
is  one  of  the  best  mule  markets  in  the  south,  and  Mr.  F'owler  is  one 
of  the  leading  buyers  of  the  place.  His  stock  business  amounts  to 
$100,000  annually.  For  the  past  five  or  six  years  he  has  also  been  en- 
gaged in  mercantile  pursuits  at  that  place,  being  one  of  the  leading 
merchants.  He  is  extensively  engaged  in  the  livery  business,  having 
one  of  the  finest  livery  and  sale  barns  in  the  state.  He  occupies 
two  large  store  rooms  with  mercantile  goods,  one  occupied  with  gro- 
ceries and  queensware,  and  the  other  with  buggies  and  harnesses. 
He  is  a  stockholder  in  the  Anderson  Cotton  mills,  the  Anderson 
Shoe  &  Leather  company,  the  Chiquola  Hotel  company,  the  Ander- 
son Ginnery  company,  the  Western  Carolina  Land  &  Improvement 
company,  and  the  Anderson  Steam  Laundry  company.  In  poli- 
tics Mr.  Fowler  is  a  democrat,  and  has  served  as  alderman  of  his 
town.  He  is  a  member  of  the  board  of  trade  and  the  cotton  buyers' 
exchange.  Religiously  he  affiliates  with  the  Presbyterian  church. 
At  the  age  of  twenty-three  he  was  married  to  Mrs.  Hortense  Cooley, 
the  daughter  of  John  B.  Earle.  Mr.  Fowler  is  one  of  Anderson's 
most  enterprising  citizens. 

ANDREW  JACKSON  STRINGER, 

merchant  of  Belton,  Anderson  county,  S.  C,  was  born  near  Williams- 
ton,  June  28,  1834.  He  was  the  son  of  Capt.  William  K.  Stringer,  a 
native  of  Virginia  and  a  millwright  by  trade,  but  also  followed  farm- 
ing. The  father  had  served  a  seven  years'  apprenticeship  at  his 
trade,  and  was  very  skillful.  He  came  from  Virginia  to  South  Car- 
olina at  an  early  day,  and  after  a  brief  residence  in  Greenville  county 
came  to  Anderson  county,  where  he  continued,  to  reside  up  to  the 
time  of  his  death.  He  was  married  to  Elizabeth,  daughter  of  Judge 
Gambrell.  He  built  the  first  mill  of  any  consequence  in  Anderson 
county,  and  also  built  a  number  of  other  mills  in  the  northern  part  of 
the  state.  He  accumulated  property  rapidly,  but  died  at  the  early 
age  of  thirty-two  years,  his  son,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  being  at 
that  time  only  fifteen  months  old.  He  had  already,  before  his  death, 
discovered  the  existence  of  oil  in  cotton  seed  and  had  purchased 
machinery  with  a  view  to  extracting  it  for  commercial  purposes. 
This  was  before  the  industrj'  was  inaugurated.  He  died  in  Septem- 
ber, 1835,  his  wife  surviving  him  till  March,  1S77.  Andrew  J.  Stringer 
spent  his  early  life  on  a  farm  in  Anderson  county.  He  received  a 
good  English  education,  and  was  to  some  extent  educated  in  the 
classics.  At  twenty  years  of  age  he  engaged  as  a  clerk  at  Horsey 
Path,  Anderson  county,  and  held  the  position  for  ten  months.  In 
January,  1856,  he  engaged  as  a  clerk  in  I3elton,  his  present  home,  and 
has  been   a   resident   of  that    place  ever  since.     On  first  coming  to 


632  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

Belton  he  entered  the  employ  of  the  firm  of  Lewis  &  Cox,  the  first 
named  being  his  uncle.  He  was  full  of  enterprise  and  push  and  en- 
forced new  life  into  the  business  which  had  been  conducted  on  the 
old-time  plan.  During  the  first  year  he  was  in  the  establishment  the 
business  amounted  to  $12,000,  while  prior  to  that  it  had  never 
amounted  to  more  than  $5,000.  The  firm  was  finally  dissolved,  after 
which,  in  1859,  Mr.  Stringer  became  the  partner  of  his  uncle,  and  the 
firm  of  Lewis  &  .Stringer  did  business  until  i860.  In  that  year  Mr. 
Lewis  retired,  and  was  succeeded  by  Messrs.  Cox  and  McGee,  and 
the  firm  of  Stringer,  Cox  &  McGee  lasted  until  June,  1861,  when  it 
was  dissolved  in  consequence  of  the  war. 

In  June,  1S61,  Mr.  Stringer  entered  the  service  of  the  Confederate 
army,  enlisting  in  Company  D,  of  the  Hampton  legion  infantry,  with 
which  he  served  till  the  close  of  the  war,  surrendering  with  Lee  at 
Appomatox.  He  was  in-  the  first  battle  of  Manassas  and  Boons- 
borough  Gap.  He  was  wounded  in  the  first  battle  by  a  ball  in  his  left 
leg,  and  for  three  months  was  at  home  on  furlough.  He  began  as  a 
private  but  came  out  as  first  lieutenant.  At  the  close  of  the  war  he 
returned  to  Belton.  He  was  in  reduced  circumstances,  but  in  the  lat- 
ter part  of  1865  managed  to  set  himself  up  in  the  mercantile  business 
again,  in  a  small  way,  to  be  sure.  He  has  been  engaged  in  merchan- 
dising in  Belton  ever  since.  Abundant  success  has  attended  him,  and 
he  is  known  throughout  his  own  and  adjoining  counties  as  one  of  the 
leading  merchants,  and  as  a  man  of  the  strictest  integrity  and  of  un- 
impeachable honesty.  He  started  out  by  himself,  doing  business  only 
in  his  own  name,  but  afterward  connected  himself  successive!}'  with 
the  firms  of  .Stringer,  Dean  &  Rice,  A.  J.  Stringer  &  Co.,  Stringer, 
Poore  &  Co.,  and  Stringer  &  Poore,  the  last  of  which  is  the  present 
firm.  In  connection  with  his  mercantile  business  Mr.  Stringer  car- 
ried on  farming  on  his  individual  account,  to  a  limited  extent,  prose- 
cuting the  work  with  hired  help.  He  has  between  700  and  800  acres 
in  cultivation  in  Anderson  county.  He  is  a  stockholder  in  the  Belton 
Oil  Mill  &  Ginnery  company.  In  politics  he  is  a  democrat.  Relig- 
iously he  affiliates  with  the  Baptist  church,  and  is  a  member  of  the 
Masonic  fraternity.  He  has  been  three  times  married,  his  first  wife 
being  Mary  E.  Brock,  whom  he  married  November  3,  1857.  She 
died  May  11,  1867,  leaving  a  son  who  died  November  q,  1885.  Janu- 
ary ID,  1871,  Mr.  Stringer  married  Miss  Mary  E.  Rias;  she  died  De- 
cember 7,  1873,  leaving  two  children,  a  daughter  and  a  son  both  of 
whom  are  living.  He  was  again  married  September  30,  1875,  to  Miss 
Lucy  P.  Breazeale,  who  is  his  present  wife.  A  son,  now  deceased, 
was  born  to  them.  Mr.  Stringer  has  been  an  active,  energetic  busi- 
ness man:  like  many  men  of  the  south  he  suffered  the  loss  of  his 
property  in  the  defense  of  his  state  through  a  desolating  Civil  war,  bu'  by 
that  same  energy  and  activity  which  characterized  his  earlier  career, 
he  has  been  enabled  to  re-instate  himself  and  live  in  the  enjoyment  of 
a  competence,  an  enjoyment  heightened  by  the  rcspcxt  and  esteem  of 
his  fellow  citizens. 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  633 


CAPTAIN  JAMES  WILLBOURNE  POORE, 

a  prominent  and  leadinir  merchant  of  Helton,  S.  C,  first  saw  the 
light  in  Anderson  county,  S.  C,  February  15,  1844.  He  was  the 
son  of  Molhind  Poore,  also  a  native  of  Anderson  county,  and  a  farmer 
by  occupation.  Holland  Poore  died  in  August,  1891.  He  was  the 
son  of  Samuel  Poore,  a  South  Carolinian  by  birth.  The  family  on 
the  father's  side  is  of  Irish  descent.  The  mother  of  Capt.  Poore  be- 
fore marriage  was  Mary  Rabourne,  a  native  of  South  Carolina.  She 
is  still  living,  and  resides  on  a  farm  in  Anderson  county.  Capt. 
Poore,  till  he  reached  sixteen  years  of  age,  lived  on  a  farm  in  Ander- 
son county.  He  received  a  limited  education,  and  at  the  above  men- 
tioned age,  came  to  Belton,  where  he  engaged  as  a  clerk  in  a  store 
carried  on  by  the  firm  of  Stringer,  Cox  &  McGee.  Here  he  re- 
mained one  year  so  closely  tied  to  his  duties  as  clerk  that  he  never 
slept  outside  of  the  store  but  a  single  night  during  the  whole  time. 
In  January,  1S62,  he  entered  the  Confederate  army,  enlisting  in  Com- 
pamny  G,  of  the  Second  Rifle  regiment  of  South  Carolina  volun- 
teers. There  he  served  until  the  Second  Manassas  battle,  when  he 
was  wounded  and  in  consequence  discharged.  Returning  home  he 
remained  a  short  time,  but  returned  to  the  military  service,  joining 
the  Sixth  South  Carolina  cavalry  with  which  he  served  until  the  war 
'was  ended.  He  was  wounded  at  Gravel  Run  near  Petersburg,  \"a., 
and  in  consequence  spent  a  short  time  at  home,  wdiile  he  belonged  to 
the  latter  command.  He  served  as  a  non-commissioned  officer. 
When  the  war  was  over  he  returned  to  Anderson  county,  working  on 
a  farm  during  the  summer  and  attending  school.  In  the  fall  of  1865 
he  took  a  situation  as  clerk  at  Anterville,  Abbeville  county,  remaining 
there  one  year  in  the  store  Wellingham  &  Cox.  In  1866  he  took  a 
position  in  the  store  at  Belton,  but  shortly  after  succeeded  Mr.  Well- 
ingham as  a  member  of  the  firm,  which  then  became  the  firm  of 
Cox  &  Poore.  This  firm  continued  about  three  years,  when  Mr. 
Poore  sold  out  and  engaged  for  a  while  in  farming.  In  the  fall  of 
1874,  he  formed  a  partnership  with  his  present  partner,  Mr.  A.  J. 
Stringer,  and  though  there  have  been  several  business  changes  the 
partnership  existing  between  Messrs.  Poore  and  Stringer  has  existed 
unchanged.  The  firm  consists  only  of  the  two  members,  and  is  one 
of  the  leading  firms  in  tlie  mercantile  trade  in  Belton.  Mr.  Poore  is 
a  director  and  stockholder  in  the  Belton  Oil  mill,  and  in  the  Farm- 
ers &  Merchants'  bank,  of  Anderson.  He  is  a  stockholder  in  the 
Belton  branch  of  the  Atlantic  Building  &  Loan  association,  and  is 
its  president.  He  owns  two-thirds  of  the  Merchants'  Mills,  on  the 
Saluda  river  in  Anderson  county,  and  is  the  sole  owner  in  a  ginnery 
and  saw  mill  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  river  from  the  Merchants' 
Mills.  He  is  one  of  the  trustees  of  the  Belton  public  school.  In  po- 
litical faith  he  is  a  democrat,  fraternally  he  is  a  Mason  and  a  member 
of  the  Sons  of  Temperance.  Religiously  he  is  an  official  member  of 
the   Baptist  church.     On  the  23d  of  February,  1868,   Miss   Corrie    P. 


634  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

Cox,  daughter  of  Abner  Cox,  became  his  wife,  and  they  have  five 
children  Hving,  two  of  whom  are  sons.  One  son  is  dead.  Capt. 
Poore  obtained  his  military  title  by  services  on  Gen.  VV.  W.  Humph- 
rey's staff  of  the  state  militia  with  the  rank  of  captain.  He  served 
during  the  entire  existence  of  the  command,  receiving  his  commission 
from  Gov.  Wade  Hampton.  He  is  a  man  who  has  filled  every  posi- 
tion in  life,  in  which  he  has  been  called  to  act,  with  an  honest  con- 
sciousness of,  and  fidelity  to,  the  duties  which  devolved  upon  him. 

JAMES  HENRY  HAMMOND, 

one  of  South  Carolina's  eminent  statesmen,  was  born  November  15, 
1S07,  in  the  Newberry  district,  S.  C.  He  was  the  son  of  Elisha  Ham- 
mond, a  distinguished  educator,  a  native  of  New  Bedford,  Mass.  The 
father  was  a  graduate  of  Dartmouth  college,  at  Hanover,  N.  H.,  and 
was  a  class-mate  of  Daniel  Webster,  and  afterwards  became  principal 
of  the  Mount  Bethel  academy,  at  Newberry,  S.  C.  James  Henry 
Hammond  graduated  from  the  South  Carolina  college  in  1825,  stud- 
ied law  and  was  admitted  to  practice  in  1828.  He  came  to  manhood 
while  Mr  .Calhoun  was  agitating  the  subject  of  the  sovereignity  of  the 
states,  and  in  1830,  became  the  editor  of  The  Sinitlicrn  Times,  a  news- 
paper published  at  Columbia,  in  which  he  strongly  advocated  Mr. 
Calhoun's  nullification  scheme,  a  doctrine  to  which  he  adhered 
throughout  his  life.  During  the  excitement  of  1830-34,  he  held  the 
military  rank  of  aide  on  the  staff  of  Govs.  Hamilton  and  Hayne. 
Immediately  succeeding  that  time,  in  1S34,  he  was  elected  a  member 
of  congress,  but  did  not  serve  a  full  term  on  account  of  ill  health, 
handing  in  his  resignation,  February  16,  1836.  As  a  restorative  of  his 
impaired  health,  he  visited  Europe,  where  he  tarried  nearly  two  3'e'ars. 
Some  years  after  his  return,  he  was  elected  governor  of  his  native 
state,  holding  the  office  from  1844  to  1846.  While  governor,  his 
former  military  predilections  led  him  to  look  to  the  organization  of 
the  state  militia,  to  which  he  turned  special  attention.  He  was  also 
a  patron  of  the  sciences  and  made  provisions  for  the  geological  and 
agricultural  survey  of  the  state.  At  the  close  of  his  gubernatorial 
term,  instead  of  returning  to  his  law  practice,  he  turned  his  attention 
to  his  extensive  land  estate,  having  in  the  meantime  married  a  lady 
of  large  fortune. 

But  in  1856  Mr.  Hammond  was  again  called  to  take  part  In  the 
politics  of  his  state,  being  elected  to  the  United  States  senate  in  place 
of  Hon.  A.  P.  Bulter,  deceased.  He  took  his  seat  December  7,  1857, 
and  held  It  until  November,  i860.  During  the  time  he  held  his  seat 
in  the  senate  he  made  a  notable  speech  on  the  question  of  the  admis- 
sion of  Kansas  into  the  union  of  states,  in  which  he  used  expressions 
that  were  held  to  be  highly  offensive  to  northern  people,  particularly, 
when  he  characterized  the  laboring  class  in  this  country  as  "  mudsills." 
The  following  excerpt  from  his  speech  contains  the  passage  to  which 
exception  was  taken,  and  the  term  which  became  a  ])olitIcal  by-word: 
In  all  social  systems  there  must  be  a  class  to  do  the  mean  duties,  to 


SOUTH   CAROLINA.  635 

perform  the  drudireryof  life;  that  is,  a  class  requiring  but  a  low  order 
of  intellect  and  but  little  skill.  Its  requisites  are  vigor,  docility,  fidel- 
ity. Such  a  class  you  must  have,  or  you  would  not  have  that  other 
class  which  leads  progress,  refinement  and  civilization.  It  constitutes 
the  very  mudsills  of  society  and  of  political  government,  and  you 
might  as  well  attempt  to  build  a  house  in  the  air  as  to  build  either  the 
one  or  the  other  except  on  the  mudsills,  l-'ortunately  for  the  south, 
she  found  a  race  adapted  to  that  purpose  to  her  hand;  a  race  inferior 
to  herself,  but  eminently  qualified  in  temper,  in  vigor,  in  docility,  in 
capacity,  to  stand  the  climate,  to  answer  all  her  purposes.  We  use 
them  for  the  purpose  and  call  them  slaves.  We  are  old-fashioned  at 
the'south  yet;  it  is  a  word  discarded  now  by  ears  polite,  but  I  will  not 
characterize  that  class  at  the  north  with  that  term;  but  you  have  it; 
it  is  there;  it  is  everywhere;  it  is  eternal."  A  son  of  Senator  Ham- 
mond so  explained  the  reasons  of  his  father's  use  of  the  offensive 
term  as  to  verj'  greatK'  modify,  if  not  to  remove,  the  asperity  of  feel- 
ing which  this  speech  had  aroused,  but  the  excitement  upon  the  sub- 
ject of  slavery  at  that  particular  period  gave  a  significance  to  his 
remarks  which  he  doubtless  had  not  fully  anticipated. 

When  South  Carolina,  through  a  state  convention,  adopted  the 
ordinance  of  secession,  Mr.  Hammond  resigned  his  seat  in  the  senate, 
but  on  account  of  declining  health  and  advanced  age,  took  no  active 
part  in  the  conflict  of  which  the  ordinance  of  secession  was  the  initiatory 
step.  He  contented  himself  in  the  superintendence  of  his  estate,  though 
his  feelings  were  strongly  enlisted  in  favor  of  the  success  of  the  Con- 
federate arms.  In  1853  several  of  the  controversial  letters  written  by 
Mr.  Hammond  in  favor  of  slavery  were  issued  in  book  form  at  Charles- 
ton under  the  title  of  "The  Pro-slavery  Argument."  He  was  a  forci- 
ble writer,  and  was  the  author  of  several  non-political  articles  treating 
upon  agriculture,  manufactures  and  other  industrial  and  commercial 
topics,  and  was  a  fluent  writer  upon  literary  subjects.  His  talents  as 
a  writer  and  public  speaker  were  of  a  high  grade.  Mr.  Hammond 
died  November  13,  1864. 

GEORGE  W.  SULLIVAN, 

a  prominent  merchant  of  Anderson  county,  was  born  in  Laurens 
county,  S.  C,  March  25,  1848.  His  father's  name  was  also  George 
W.  Sullivan,  and  he  was  born  in  Dunklin,  Greenville  county,  S.  C., 
September  27,  1809,  being  the  son  of  Hon.  Hewlett  Sullivan,  one  of 
the  early  settlers  of  Greenville  county.  Hewlett  Sullivan  was  a  Rev- 
olutionary soldier  under  the  noted  Gen.  Francis  Marion.  He  was 
several  times  a  member  of  the  state  legislature.  His  father  was  Owen 
.Sullivan,  a  native  of  Ireland,  who,  upon  his  voyage  to  America,  made 
the  acquaintance  on  board  the  vessel,  of  Margaret  Hewlett,  whom, 
on  his  arrival  in  this  country  he  married,  the  nuptials  being  performed 
in  Charleston,  S.  C.  They  subsequently  located  in  Caroline  county, 
Va.,  later  went  to  Georgia,  and  finally  returned  to  South  Carolina, 
settling  in  Greenville  county.     They  were  the  progenitors  of  one  of 


636  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

the  most  prominent  families  in  Soutli  Carolina,  several  of  their 
descendants  having  been  elected  members  of  the  state  legislature. 
The  wife  of  Hewlett  Sullivan  was  Mary  Dunklin,  for  whom  the  town 
of  Dunklin,  Greenville  county,  was  named.  Capt.  George  W.  Sulli- 
van, father  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  carried  on  farming  and, mer- 
chandising. He  served  as  captain  of  a  company'  of  state  hiilitia,  and 
was  a  member  of  the  state  legislature.  The  greater  portion  of  his 
Jife  was  spent  in  Laurens  county.  He  was  twice  married,  his  first 
wife  being  Jane  W.  Brooks,  of  Edgefield,  and  she  was  the  mother  of 
George  W.  Sullivan,  Jr.  His  second  wife  was  Mrs.  Margaret  Prince. 
He  was,  for  thirty  years  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church, 
and  was  a  successful  business  man,  accumulating  a  large  estate.  'He 
died  December  19,  1887.  His  first  wife,  the  mother  of  the  subject  of 
this  sketch,  was  born  in  Edgefield  county,  about  the  year  182 1,  and 
was  the  daughter  of  Littleton  A.  Brooks.  She  died  February  i,  1855, 
after  having  given  birth  to  nine  children,  three  sons  and  six  daugh- 
ters.    Two  of  the  sons  and  four  daughters  are  still  living. 

George  W.  Sullivan  was  reared  on  a  farm  in  Laurens  county.  In 
1864,  he  joined  the  state  militia  being  then  only  sixteen  years  of  age. 
After  serving  a  few  months  on  the  coast  defense,  he  was  appointed  to  a 
cadetship  in  the  South  Carolina  military  academy,  by  Gov.  McGrath. 
He,  however,  spent  about  only  two  months  there,  when  he  again  en- 
tered the  Confederate  service  as  a  member  of  the  state  cadets,  serv- 
ing there  until  the  close  of  the  war.  While  a  member  of  the  militia 
company  he  held  the  rank  of  orderly  sergeant.  In  1867  he  entered 
Wofford  college,  from  which  he  graduated  in  1870,  as  a  bachelor  of 
science.  On  leaving  college  he  became  a  member  of  the  Sullivan 
Manufacturing  company,  in  which  his  father  and  one  brother,  with 
others,  were  also  interested.  This  company,  in  1870,  erected  a  cot- 
ton mill  at  Fork  Shoals,  Greenville  county,  and  for  ten  years  Mr. 
Sullivan  gave  his  whole  attention  to  the  business  of  this  company,  in 
which  he  held  the  office  of  treasurer.  In  1880  he  sold  his  interest  in 
the  mill,  and  located  upon  a  farm  he  owned  in  the  vicinity,  and  car- 
ried on  both  farming  and  merchandising,  having  a  store  on  his  farm 
In  July,  1885,  he  purchased  a  stock  of  merchandise  at  Pelzer,  Ander 
son  county,  and  has  conducted  a  large  general  store  at  that  place 
ever  since.  In  December,  1885,  he  removed  to  Williamston,  Ander- 
son county,  which  is  his  present  home,  but  he  still  retains  possession 
of  his  farm  at  Fork  Shoals.  In  October,  1890,  he  purchased  a  busi- 
ness building  in  Williamston,  and  established  a  general  store  at  that 
place,  which  he  now  conducts  in  connection  with  his  store  at  Pelzer 
and  his  farming  interests,  the  latter  of  which  are  quite  extensive. 

In  Greenville  county  Mr.  Sullivan  owns  1,000  acres  of  land,  and 
has  three  farms  in  Anderson  county.  He  is  a  stockholder  in  the 
National  bank  and  the  People's  bank,  both  of  Greenville.  He  is  a 
stockholder  in  the  People's  Loan  &  Exchange  bank,  at  Laurens,  in 
the  Farmers  &  Merchants'  bank,  at  Anderson;  in  the  Williamston 
female  college,  and  in  the?  Male  high  school  at  the  same  place.  He  is 
a  director  of  the  former  and  president  of  the  latter.     He  is  an  official 


SOUTH   CAROLINA.  637 

member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  and  in  poHtics  is  a  demo- 
crat, lie  took  an  active  part  in  the  political  revolution  of  1876,  and  in 
1877  was  apjKMnted  upon  the  staff  of  Gen.  J.  W.  Gray,  with  the  rank  of 
rnajor,  a  distinction,  however,  which  he  declined  to  hold.  Mr.  Sul- 
livan is  a  Mason,  and  is  past  master  of  his  lodge.  He  belongs  to  the 
K.  of  H.  In  1877  he  was  married  to  Miss  M.  Lizzie  Chiles,  of  Abbe- 
ville county.  They  have  had  five  sons  and  two  daughters,  all  of  whom 
are  living.  Mr.  Sullivan  ranks  as  one  of  the  solid  and  influential  met* 
of  Anderson  county.  He  has  served  one  term  as  intendant  of  Will- 
iamston,  but  aside  from  this  he  has  declined  all  political  preferment, 
though  frequently  solicited  thereto,  preferring  to  hold  his  position  as 
a  business  man  and  a  private  citizen.  Mr.  Sullivan  was  one  of  the 
incorporators  and  promoters  of  the  Greenville  &  Laurens  railroad, 
and  was  elected  a  director  in  the  same,  by  the  taxpayers  of  Greenville 
county,  serving  in  that  capacity  as  long  as  he  lived  in  Greenville 
county. 

ASBURY  C.  LATIMER 

is  one  of  the  prominent  business  men  of  Belton.  He  was  born  at  a 
place  near  Lowndesville,  Abbeville  county,  S.  C.,  July  31,  1S51.  His 
father,  Clement  T.  Latimer,  was  also  a  native  of  x'\bbeville  county, 
and  was  by  occupation  a  farmer.  He  died  in  1876.  His  father  was 
Dr.  James  M.  Latimer,  a  practicing  physician.  The  wife  of  Clem- 
ent T.  Latimer,  the  mother  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  was  before 
marriage  Miss  Frances  Beulah  Young,  also  a  native  of  Abbeville 
county,  and  daughter  of  William  Young,  a  farmer  by  occupation,  and 
a  man  widely  known  for  his  piety  and  devotion  to  the  Methodist  per- 
suasion. He  was  really  the  founder  of  that  sect  in  that  portion  of 
the  state  where  he  resided.  Mrs.  Latimer,  his  daughter,  died  in  1874. 
Asbury  Churchwell  Latimer  spent  his  youthful  days  and  early  man- 
hood on  a  farm  near  Lowndesville,  there  receiving  his  primary  edu- 
cation at  the  common  schools.  Upon  the  death  of  his  father  he 
managed  the  farm  himself,  and  he  has  ever  since  been  identified  with 
that  pursuit.  June  26,  1877,  he  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss 
Sarah  Alice  Brown,  of  Belton,  and  niece  of  the  Hon.  Joseph  E. 
Brown,  ex-United  States  senator  from  Georgia.  Shortly  after  his 
marriage  Mr.  Latimer  was  appointed  to  a  position  on  the  staff  of 
Gen.  W.  W.  Humphreys,  with  the  rank  of  captain.  His  commission 
to  that  post  was  tendered  to  him,  but  his  devotion  to  his  own  busi- 
ness prompted  him  to  decline  the  position.  In  1880  he  removed  to 
Belton,  but  retained  possession  of  his  farm  and  gave  his  undivided 
attention  to  its  cultivation  until  within  the  year  just  passed,  when  he 
was  elected  president  of  the  Belton  Co-operative  Oil  Mill,  Ginnery 
&  Fertilizer  company,  in  which  he  is  a  large  stockholder.  His  atten- 
tion is  now  divided  between  his  agricultural  interests  and  the  factory. 
Mr.  Latimer  has  become  very  prominent  in  the  farmers'  alliance 
movement,  to  which  he  attached  himself  at  its  organization.  In  iS8g 
he  was  the  prime  mover  in   the  establishment  of  the   large  farmers' 


638  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

alliance  store  at  Anderson,  and  was  the  framer  of  the  constitution 
and  by-laws  which  govern  its  operations.  He  was  one  of  its  largest 
stockholders  and  the  store  itself  is  one  of  the  most  extensive  retail 
establishments  in  the  state,  its  annual  business  amounting  to  nearly 
a  half  million  dollars.  Mr.  Latimer  is  also  a  stockholder  in  the 
farmers'  alliance  store  at  Belton,  and  in  the  Farmers  &  Merchants' 
bank  at  Anderson.  He  also  owns  stock  in  the  People  s  Advocate  news- 
ipaper  at  Anderson.  He  is  likewise  a  stockholder  in  the  Williamston 
female  college.  Mr.  Latimer's  politics  are  of  the  democratic  stamp, 
but  he  has  steadily  refrained  from  allowing  his  name  to  be  used  in 
connection  with  any  political  office,  though  he  has  often  been  solicited 
to  do  so.  In  1S90  he  was  urged  by  numerous  friends  to  accept  the 
people's  nomination  for  lieutenant  governor  on  the  ticket  headed  by 
B.  R.  Tillman,  but  though  it  was  conceded  he  could  have  secured  the 
nomination,  he  declined  to  have  his  name  presented  to  the  nominat- 
ing convention.  He  is  chairman  of  the  democratic  executive  com- 
mittee of  Anderson  county,  and  the  presiding  officer  of  the  demo- 
cratic conventions  of  that  county.  He  took  an  active  part  in  the 
political  campaign  of  iSqo,  making  many  effective  speeches  for  the 
people's  ticket.  When  only  ten  years  of  age  he  united  himself  with 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  church  and  he  has  long  been  an  official 
member,  taking  an  active  part  in  church  affairs  and  in  Sabbath-school 
work.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Latimer  have  four  children,  one  son  and  three 
daughters. 

COL.  JEFFERSON  DAVIS  MAXWELL, 

a  prominent  commission  merchant  of  Anderson,  was  born  in  Oconee, 
then  Pickens  county,  S.  C,  June  5,  1851.  He  was  the  son  of  Dr.  Rob- 
ert D.  Maxwell,  in  his  day  a  prominent  physician,  his  professional 
fame  extending  through  the  northwestern  part  of  South  Carolina  and 
the  northeastern  part  of  Georgia.  He  was  born  in  Oconee  county, 
about  1817,  and  died  in  1858.  He  was  the  son  of  Capt.  John  Maxwell, 
a  South  Carolinian  by  birth.  He  served  as  a  captain  in  the  state 
militia,  and  was  one  of  the  signers  of  the  South  Carolina  secession 
ordinance  of  i860.  He  died  in  1868,  at  the  advanced  age  of  eighty- 
three  years.  Capt.  John  Maxwell  was  the  son  of  John  Maxwell,  who 
emigrated  from  Scotland  to  America  and  settled  in  this  state.  He 
was  killed  by  a  tory  during  the  Revolutionary  period.  Col.  J.  D. 
Maxwell's  mother  was  before  marriage,  Miss  Lucy  Catherine  Sloan, 
daughter  of  David  Sloan,  a  member  of  one  of  South  Carolina's  dis- 
tinguished families.  She  still  lives,  being  now  in  her  seventieth  year, 
having  rcmnained  in  her  widowhood  ever  since  the  death  of  her  hus- 
band. From  the  age  of  eight  to  that  of  fourteen  years,  Jefferson 
Davis  Maxwell  resided  at  Pendleton,  S.  C.  During  that  period  his 
education  was  under  the  tutorage  of  the  late  Prof.  \\^  J.  Ligon,  a  dis- 
tinguished educator.  Under  him  Mr.  Maxwell  not  only  acquired  a 
good  I'lnglish  education,  but  also  a  fair  knowledge  of  the  Latin  and 
Greek  languages.     At  the  age  of  fourteen  he  came  to  Anderson,  and 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  639 

for  over  nine  years  acted  as  book-keeper  for  B.  I''.  Crayton  &  Sons, 
one  of  the  foremost  mercantile  firms  in  the  city.  He  had  had  some 
experience  as  a  clerk,  havin<r  acted  in  that  capacity  in  a  driijr  store, 
prior  to  his  leaving  Pendleton.  While  so  engaged  he  read  medical 
works,  it  having  been  his  original  intention  to  become  a  physician. 
This  idea,  however,  he  had  abandoned,  owing  to  the  condition  of 
things  brought  about  by  the  Civil  war. 

In  1S75,  after  retiring  from  his  engagement  with  the  firm  of  B.  h\ 
Crayton  &  Sons,  Col.  Maxwell  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss 
Alice  von  Borstell,  daughter  of  Maj.  Charles  von  Borstell.  who  emi- 
grated from  Prussia  to  this  country,  having  been  born  at  Stralsund, 
upon  the  shore  of  the  Baltic  sea.  Maj.  von  Borstell  died  December  6, 
1S76.  He  was  a  prominent  citizen  of  Anderson.  When  only  four- 
teen yeate  of  age  he  ran  away  from  his  home  because  his  father 
insisted  upon  his  studying  for  the  ministry,  which  profession  was  re- 
pugnant to  him.  At  the  age  of  twenty-one  he  came  to  America. 
His  father,  John  von  Borstell,  was  a  colonel  of  the  body-guard  of 
Frederick  Charles.  Col.  von  Borstell  was  a  cousin  to  Prince  Bismarck. 
In  1S75  Col.  Maxwell  had  engaged  in  the  insurance  business,  both  fire 
and  life,  and  since  1875  has  followed  that  business  up  to  the  present. 
He  is  the  oldest  life  insurance  agent  in  Anderson.  For  the  past  three 
years  he  has  also  been  a  commission  merchant.  Ever  since  1876  he 
•  has  been  the  owner  of  a  fine  photographic  gallery  in  Anderson.  1  Ic 
was  one  of  the  charter  members  of  the  Anderson  Building  &  Loan 
association,  which  was  organized  in  1883.  He  has  ever  since  held  the 
office  of  secretary  and  treasurer  of  the  association.  He  is  a  stock- 
holder in  the  Chiquola  Hotel  Co.,  and  in  the  Patrick  military  insti- 
tute. In  politics.  Col.  Maxwell  is  a  staunch  democrat.  He  was 
secretary  and  treasurer  of  the  first  democratic  club  of  Anderson,  or- 
ganized for  the  campaign  of  1876.  He  has  been  one  of  the  commis- 
sioners of  Federal  elections  since  1S76.  He  served  as  deputy  super- 
visor of  registration  for  the  election  of  iSgo.  He  is  a  great  admirer 
of  Gen.  Wade  Hampton.  In  1886  he  was  appointed  to  a  position  on 
Gov.  J.  P.  Richardson's  staff  with  the  rank  of  colonel.  He  has  served 
one  term  in  the  city  council,  and  two  years  as  city  clerk.  He  w-as 
chosen  lieutenant  of  a  local  volunteer  company,  known  as  the  Pal- 
metto rifles  in  1875,  and  served  as  such  about  a  year.  He  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  K.  of  P.,  and  K.  of  H.,  and  served  as  the  representative  of 
the  latter  in  the  grand  lodge  of  the  state  for  five  years.  He  is  the 
father  of  four  sons  and  one  daughter. 

ALBERTUS  S.  BROWN 

was  born  in  Sumter  count}',  S.  C,  May  2,  1852,  and  received  his  early 
education  in  the  place  of  his  birth.  He  afterward  attended  the  Mili- 
tary academy  in  Maysville,  S.  C.  Leaving  there  in  1875,  he  came  to 
Sumter,  and  engaged  as  clerk  for  about  a  year,  and  then  went  into 
business  for  himself.  He  is  now  one  of  the  most  successful  mer- 
chants in  Sumter  county.     Mr.  Brown  was  elected  one  of  the  alder- 


640  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

men  of  Sumter  in  April,  1890;  he  was  chosen  a  delegate  to  the  South 
Carolina  state  convention  in  1884,  and  again  in  1886.  On  the  26th  of 
October,  1887,  he  was  married  to  Miss  Lillie  Duboise,  daughter  of 
F.  D.  Duboise,  of  Sumter,  and  they  have  one  daughter,  Marie  Brown. 
The  christian  name  of  Mr.  Brown's  father  was  Leonard,  who  was 
also  born  in  Sumter  county,  in  1813.  He  followed  the  business  of 
planting,  and  in  1834,  was  married  to  Marion  Michan,  daughter  of 
Dr.  Jacob  Michan,  and  to  them  were  born  fifteen  children,  seven  of 
whom  now  survive,  whose  names  are  as  follows:  Julia,  wife  of  T.  J. 
Cummings;  Clara,  wife  of  C.  J.  Clark;  John  S.  R.,  Albertus  S.,  Lillie  E., 
Robert  K.  and  Celia  L.  The  mother  of  this  family  died  in  1864. 
The  grandfather  of  x'Ylbertus  S.,  was  named  Jesse  Brown,  and  he  was 
born  in  Sumter  county,  in  1775.  All  his  life  he  was  engaged  in  plant- 
ing, and  died  in  1850. 


CAPTAIN    ALBERT    A.    SPRINGS, 

a  leading  steamboat  man  of  Georgetown  county,  was  born  in  Bruns- 
wick county,  N.  C,  May  26,  1852,  the  son  of  Joseph  and  Emma  E. 
(Garrison)  Springs,  both  natives  of  North  Carolina.  The  father  was 
interested  in  the.  steamboat  business  during  his  business  career,  and 
was  a  noted  pilot  at  one  time,  having  during  the  late  war  made  twenty- 
three  successful  runs  of  the  blockade.  He  died  in  1870,  his  wife  hav- 
ing preceded  him  to  the  grave  in  1866,  aged  thirty-five.  Of  the  seven 
children  born  to  them  but  two  survive  the  parents,  viz.:  Mrs.  Emma  E. 
Lachicett,  of  Waverly  Mills,  and  Albert  A.  The  latter  was  grad- 
uated from  the  Winyah  Indigo  academy,  and  at  the  age  of  sixteen 
began  to  care  for  himself.  It  is  ample  proof  of  his  ability  that  at  the 
latter  age  he  was  made  master  of  a  tug  boat.  With  the  exception  of 
eight  months  spent  in  the  coastwise  trade  between  Charleston  and 
Baltimore,  Capt.  Springs  has  since  continued  in  this  calling.  In  1876 
he  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Alice  B.  Buck,  daughter  of  Hon. 
Henry  and  Fanny  Buck,  of  whom  a  more  extended  mention  is  made 
elsewhere  in  this  work.  To  this  union  were  born  these  children,  the 
names  of  whom  are  herewith  given:  Holmes  B.,  Albert  A.,  Jr.,  Mor- 
ris E.,  St.  Julian  L.  and  Alice  B.  Springs.  The  wife  and  mother  died 
on  the  20th  of  August,  1890,  at  the  age  of  thirty-six  years.  She  was 
a  lifelong  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  having  been 
brought  up  in  that  faith  by  her  godly  mother.  As  an  invalid  during 
the  greater  portion  of  her  life,  she  suffered  much.  "As  the  gold  is 
refined  by  fire,"  so  was  her  womanly  nature  refined  by  suffering,  and 
the  example  of  her  sweet,  uncomplaining  life,  which  despite  the  em- 
barrassments of  illness,  she  made  so  useful,  is  left  as  a  goodly  heritage 
to  her  children  and  friends.  By  the  side  of  her  honored  father  and 
mother,  in  the  churchyard,  where  her  youthful  steps  were  wont  to 
roam  under  the  pines  she  loved  so  well,  she  sleeps.  Capt.  Springs  is 
a  communicant  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  a  member  of  the 
Masonic  order,  K.  of  P.,  Legion  of  Honor,  and  the  American  Brother- 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  64! 

hood  of  Steamboat  I'ilots,  Enterprise  Harbor  No.  2,  of  Philadelphia. 
He  is  a  progresive'citizen,  and  is  recognized  as  a  business  man  of  in- 
tegrity and  ability. 

CAPTAIN  CEPHAS  GILBERT. 

One  of  Georgetown's  most  substantial  and  honored  citizens  is 
Capt.  Cephas  Gilbert,  who  is  a  native  of  the  state  of  Massachusetts, 
where  he  was  born  in  Franklin  county,  October  13,  1827,  his  parents 
being  Lyman  and  Emily  (Merriman)  Gilbert,  who  were  likewise  na- 
tives of  Massachusetts.  The  family  is  descended  from  emigrant 
Gilbert,  who  came  to  this  country  on  the  Mayflower.  The  father  of 
our  subject  was  a  mercl"ftint  in  Northfield  for  an  extended  period  of 
years,  and  for  many  years  was  postmaster  at  that  place.  He  was 
born  in  1796,  and  died  November  4,  1839.  He  married  Miss  Emily 
Merriman,  February  i,  1823.  The  wife  died  in  1879,  at  the  age  of 
seventy-nine  years.  Thej'^  had  si.x  children,  of  whom  but  two  survive, 
namely,  Cephas  and  Mrs.  Isabel  Battles,  wife  of  James  Battles,  ex- 
mayor,  and  a  prominent  merchant,  of  Aurora.  At  the  age  of  fifteen 
years,  Cephas  Gilbert  became  dependent  upon  his  own  resources. 
One  year  later  he  was  made  master  of  a  steamboat,  and  for  five  years 
commanded  a  boat  on  the  Connecticut  river.  At  the  expiration  of 
that  time  the  boat  was  sold  to  southern  parties  and  sent  to  the  Neuse 
river,  at  Newbern,  N.  C,  and  Capt.  Gilbert  was  employed  to  retain 
command  of  the  Agawam  in  her  new  waters,  at  a  salary  of  $100.00 
per  month.  She  was  re-named  the  "Wayne-,"  and  a  few  years  subse- 
quent burned  at  the  Newbern  wharf.  The  vessel  built  to  take  her 
place  was  christened  the  "  New  Wayne,"  and  was  mastered  by  Capt. 
Gilbert  for  several  years,  after  which  he  removed  to  South  Carolina 
in  1852,  and  for  some  years  thereafter  ran  on  the  Waccama,  Big  Pee 
T)ee  and  Santee  rivers.  In  1S55,  he  went  to  Florida  to  take  the  com- 
mand of  the  steamer  "  Major  Wm.  Barnett,"  which  plied  on  the  St. 
Johns.  After  two  years  he  returned  to  South  Carolina  and  settled 
at  Georgetown,  and  on  the  23rd  of  February,  1858,  was  united  in  mar- 
riage to  Miss  Lucinda  Buck,  daughter  of  the  Hon.  Henry  Buck,  whose 
career  is  given  in  another  place  in  this  work.  At  this  time  Capt. 
Gilbert  engaged  in  the  lumljer  business  with  his  father-in-law,  and 
was  managing  the  mills  at  Buck's  Lower  Mills  when  the  Civil  war 
broke  out.  The  bombardment  of  Fort  Sumter  could  be  distinctly 
heard  on  the  morning  of  April  14th  at  their  mills,  although  they  were 
fifty  miles  from  Charleston.  Five  vessels,  all  hailing  from  the  state 
of  Maine,  lay  in  Bucksville  harbor,  and  it  was  feared  that  they  would 
be  seized,  but  the  haste  of  the  northern  captains  to  quit  the  port  ere 
the  blockade  was  instituted  precluded  that  event. 

For  two  years  Mr.  Gilbert  was  engaged  in  manufacturing  salt  for 
the  Confederate  government.  Subsequently  he  became  a  pilot  on 
the  Confederate  gunboat  "  Pee  Dee,"  and  while  occupying  that  posi- 
tion the  boat  was  ordered  to  proceed  to  the  relie£.of  Gen.  Hardee  at 
Society  Hill,  on  the  great  Pee  Dee  river.     Arriving  there  they  found 

A 41 


642  SOUTH   CAROLINA. 

that  a  general  evacuation  of  the  position  had  been  ordered.  Orders 
were  then  given  to  go  to  Cheraw,  there  to  assist  Hardee  if  necessary, 
but  here  too  they  arrived  only  to  find  the  army  making  a  flank  move- 
ment. The  next  commission  was  to  return  to  Pee  Dee  bridge,  and  if 
it  could  not  be  saved,  they  were  instructed  to  destroy  the  bridge  and 
ship;  the  latter  was  done.  This  was  a  most  remarkable  naval  feat, 
as  the  distance  from  Cheraw  to  the  Pee  Dee  bridge  was  150  miles, 
and  300  miles  from  Georgetown.  They  went  up  the  river  on  what  is 
known  as  the  Sherman  freshet  with  thirteen  feet  of  water,  while  the 
vessel  drew  nine.  After  the  war  Mr.  Gilbert  returned  to  the  lumber 
business,  but  retired  after  two  years.  He  purchased  a  large  planta- 
tion and  6,600  acres  of  pine  land  in  Socastee  township  where  he 
operated  a  turpentine  plant,  and  built  up  the  second  largest  concern 
of  the  kind  that  shipped  its  product  from  Georgetown.  In  1875,  he 
sold  out  his  business  and  returned  to  planting,  but  later  bought  the 
steam-tug  "  Whipple,"  and  for  three  years  commanded  her.  At  this 
time  he  sold  his  agricultural  interests  and  removed  to  Georgetown, 
where  he  planted  rice  the  two  salt  years,  and  lost  heavily;  he  yet 
resides  in  Georgetown.  Mr.  Gilbert  for  some  years  after  his  removal 
to  Georgetown  was  the  holder  of  government  contracts  for  dredging, 
but  finally  retired  from  all  active  business  life,  and  he  is  now  enjoy- 
ing the  fruits  of  a  life  spent  in  earnest,  consistent  endeavor,  having 
amassed  a  small  fortune.  His  children  are:  Frank  L.,  married  Miss 
Minnie  McCloud.  They  reside  in  Texas  where  Mr.  Gilbert  is 
manager  of  a  large  lumber  mill;  Cephas,  married  Inez  Early,  and 
resides  at  Branford,  Fla;  Foster,  married  a  Miss  Smith,  and  lives  at 
Jessup,  Ga.;  Henry  B.,  married  Miss  Retta  Donavan,  and  lives  in 
Richburg,  Miss.;  Emma,  wife  of  P.  E.  Twiggs;  Bell  and  William  F. 
The  two  last  mentioned  are  living  with  their  parents. 


R.  F.  W.  ALLSTON. 

Robert  Francis  Withers  Allston,  a  South  Carolina  statesman, 
scholar  and  agriculturist,  was  born  April  21,  1801,  in  All  Saints'  par- 
ish, in  that  state.  He  was  educated,  first  in  the  schools  of  the  neigh- 
borhood, and  then  entered  West  Point  academy,  from  which  he 
graduated  in  1S21.  His  high  standing  in  his  class  gave  him  an  un- 
usual prestige,  and  he  was  assigned  to  the  artillery  branch  of  the  mili- 
tary service.  Not  choosing  to  follow  the  slow  line  of  promotion  in  the 
regular  army,  he  resigned,  one  year  after  his  graduation,  and  took 
up  the  occupation  of  surveyor  and  civil  engineer,  at  the  same  time  car- 
ing on  a  rice  plantation,  at  that  time  a  source  of  considerable  profit. 
In  1823  he  was  elected  to  the  office  of  surveyor-general  of  South 
Carolina,  and  was  continued  in  that  office  for  a  term  of  four  years. 
He  was  elected  to  the  state  legislature  in  1828,  served  one  term  of 
two  years  in  the  house  of  representatives,  and  was  then  chosen  to 
the  senate,  where  he  served  his  state  with  much  credit  for  many 
years,   becoming  president  of  that  body  from   1S47  to  1S56.     At  the 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  643 

close  of  his  long  lei^islative  experience,  he  was  elected  governor  of 
the  state,  serving  in  that  capacity  for  a  term  of  two  years. 

During  the  nullification  era  and  for  many  years  afterward,  Mr. 
Allston  was  deputy  adjutant-general  of  the  militia,  and,  from  1841  to 
1864,  was  one  of  the  trustees  of  South  Carolina  college,  at  Columbia. 
He  took  great  interest  in  the  improvement  of  agriculture  by  scientific 
methods,  and  was  progressive  in  his  ideas  concerning  all  the  indus- 
trial departments.  He  was  a  member  of  various  societies  whose 
object  was  the  advancement  of  the  material  prosperity  of  South  Car- 
olina. In  furtherance  of  these  objects  he  wrote  a  treatise  on  the  cul- 
tivation of  rice,  entitled,  "A  Memoir  on  Rice,"  and  another  on  sea 
coast  crops.  He  was  interested  in  educational  progress,  and  in  1847 
published  a  report  on  public  schools.  Both  in  this  direction  and  in 
his  efforts  for  the  improvement  in  agriculture,  especially  in  the 
line  of  rice  production  he  rendered  a  real  and  important  service  to 
the  state.  In  politics  he  belonged  to  the  Jefferson  and  Calhoun 
school,  believing  in  the  complete  sovereignty  of  the  states.  He  died 
at  his  residence  near  Georgetown,  S.  C,  April  7,  1864,  within  a  few 
days  of  his  sixy-third  birthday. 


JOHN  HUNTER, 

one  of  the  early  United  States  senators  from  South  Carolina,  was 
born  in  that  state,  as  nearly  as  can  be  ascertained,  in  the  year  1760. 
In  the  troublous  times  in  which  he  came  to  manhood,  he  received 
only  an  academic  education,  but  even  that  served  him  a  good  purpose 
later  on.  He  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits,  but  in  1792,  was  called 
upon  to  represent  his  congressional  district  in  the  national  house  of 
representatives.  He  served  in  that  body  for  one  congressional  term, 
when  he  took  a  step  higher  in  official  advancement,  and  was  elected 
to  the  United  States  senate  in  place  of  Hon.  Pierce  Butler,  who  re- 
signed his  seat  in  the  senate  on  that  date.  Mr.  Hunter  held  the  office, 
however,  but  one  year,  when  he  too  resigned.  The  particulars  of 
Mr.  Hunter's  career,  public  or  private,  occupy  but  a  meager  place  in 
any  biographical  works  now  extant,  and  even  the  date  of  his  decease 
is  not  readily  attainable.  He  appears  to  have  had  no  relatives  whose 
names  have  found  a  place  upon  the  historic  page,  and  the  particular 
place  of  his  birth  is  unrecorded. 


PIERCE  M.  BUTLER. 

Pierce  Mason  Butler  was  born  in  Edgefield  district,  S.  C,  April  11, 
1798.  He  was  the  son  of  William  Butler,  a  native  of  Prince  William 
county,  Va.,  who  bore  a  patriotic  part  in  the  Revolutionary  war,  hav- 
ing been  a  lieutenant  in  Gen.  Lincoln's  army.  He  was  in  the  engage- 
ment at  Stono  and  served  in  the  celebrated  Pulaski  corps.  He  was 
in  many  of  the  noted  battles  of  the  Revolution,  and  finally  came  to 


644  SOUTH   CAROLINA. 

be  first  a  brigadier-general  in  the  army,  and  then  a  major-general  of 
the  militia.  Pierce  M.  Butler,  the  son,  received  a  military  education 
and,  in  1819,  entered  the  army  under  the  most  promising  auspices, 
first  taking  rank  as  second  lieutenant  and  soon  rising  to  that  of  first 
lieutenant,  finally  taking  the  rank  of  captain  of  infantry.  But  in 
peaceful  times,  he  tired  of  the  monotony  of  the  service  and,  in  1829, 
resigned  his  commission,  left  the  army  and  took  up  his  residence  in 
Columbia,  S.  C.  There  he  engaged  in  business  and  was  made  presi- 
dent of  the  Columbia  bank.  This  position  he  held  for  six  or  seven 
years,  when  his  love  for  the  military  repossessed  him,  and  he  accepted 
the  appointment  of  lieutenant-colonel  in  a  volunteer  South  Carolina 
regiment  commanded  by  Col.  Goodwj'n,  and  was  engaged  in  the 
memorable  Seminole  war  in  Florida,  it  was  a  trying  field  where  the 
inimical  climate  of  the  Florida  glades  as  well  as  the  subtle  attacks  of 
the  savages  had  to  be  met,  but  Col.  Butler  bore  his  part  with  a  valor 
and  intrepidity  which  fully  established  his  soldierly  qualities,  and 
brought  into  full  play  the  equipments  of  his  early  education.  He 
distinguished  himself  in  many  a  sanguinary  contest  with  the  wily 
savages,  and  remained  in  the  field  till  the  enemy  was  thoroughly 
conquered. 

The  war  over,  Mr.  Butler  returned  to  his  home,  and,  in  1838,  his 
splendid  military  services  were  recognized  by  his  being  elected  gov- 
ernor of  his  native  state.  His  executive  abilities  proved  to  be  of  the 
highest  quality,  and  his  administration  was  deservedly  popular.  Im- 
mediately after  the  close  of  his  gubernatorial  term,  the  success  which 
had  attended  him  in  his  executive  capacity  commended  him  to  the 
national  authorities  and  he  was  appointed  by  the  president  Indian 
agent,  a  trust  difficult  of  performance,  but  which  he  met  to  the  satis- 
faction of  his  government  and  with  credit  to  his  own  abilities.  He 
was  in  the  discharge  of  this  duty  when  the  war  with  Mexico  began, 
in  1846,  and  he  resigned  his  agency  to  again  enter  the  army.  He 
proceeded  at  once  to  organize  a  regiment  of  volunteers,  to  the  com- 
mand of  which  he  was  chosen,  and  with  which  he  took  a  conspicuous 
part  in  some  of  the  principal  battles  of  that  memorable  conquest.  In 
the  battle  of  Cerro  Gordo  he  led  his  regiment  with  marked  valor 
and  won  high  praise  for  his  courage  and  gallantry.  He  was  in  the 
thickest  of  the  fight  at  Churubusco  and  was  wounded  in  the  early 
part  of  the  battle,  but  could  not  be  persuaded  to  retire  from  the  field. 
He  still  led  his  men  in  a  peculiarl}-  bold  and  dangerous  charge  upon 
the  Mexican  lines,  which  were  carried.  But  it  was  a  costly  victorj'. 
The  intrepid  leader  of  the  charge,  the  gallant  Col.  Butler,  was  in- 
stantly killed  by  a  Mexican  bullet  which  pierced  his  brain,  and  his 
body  was  borne  off  the  field  by  his  aides.  This  sad  event — an  irre- 
parable loss  to  the  army  as  well  as  to  the  state  of  South  Carolina 
and  the  country  at  large  —  occurred  August  22,  1847,  in  the  fiftieth 
year  of  his  age.  Col.  Butler  not  only  had  the  mental  capacity,  but 
the  pliysical  structure  which  fitted  him  for  a  gallant  soldier  and  a  dis- 
tinguished officer.  He  was  over  six  feet  in  height,  of  fine  and  manly 
proportions,  and  of  firmly   knit  texture.     Through  his  classic  frame 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  645 

an  undaunted  spirit  shone  with  a  clear  brilliancy — an  irresistible  in- 
spiration to  all  who  were  under  his  commad.  A  better  or  a  braver 
soldier  never  fou^i^ht  and  fell  upon  the  battle  field. 

DR.  DAVID  RAMSAY 

was  the  son  of  James  Ramsay,  who  emigrated  from  Ireland  to  Penn- 
sylvania, in  the  early  settlement  of  that  state.  He  was  born,  April  2, 
1749,  in  Lancaster  county,  Penn.  Though  his  father  was  far 
from  wealthy,  earning  his  income  by  the  cultivation  of  his  farm,  he 
was  resolved  to  give  his  children  the  best  of  educational  privileges. 
David  evinced  an  early  taste  for  reading  and  study,  and  was  fitted 
for  college,  when  only  twelve  years  of  age.  He  graduated  from 
Princeton,  entering  that  institution  in  the  sophomore  class,  though 
he  was  fitted  for  the  junior  class,  his  extreme  youth,  only  interposing 
to  prevent  him  from  taking  the  higher  class.  He  was  graduated 
at  sixteen,  taking  high  honors  in  his  class.  For  two  years  thereafter, 
he  taught  a  classical  school,  in  Maryland,  after  which  he  began  the 
study  of  medicine,  at  Pennsylvania  college.  He  was  a  protege  of  the 
distinguished  Dr.  Benjamin  Rush,  then  a  professor  in  the  college, 
from  whom  he  received  the  highest  encomiums.  Dr.  Rush  said  of 
him,  "  he  is  far  superior  to  any  person  we  ever  graduated  at  our  col- 
lege, his  abilities  are  not  only  good,  but  great;  his  talents  and  know- 
ledge, universal,"  and  much  more  in  the  same  high  strain. 

Dr.  Ramsay's  first  field  for  the  practice  of  his  profession  was  in 
Maryland,  where  he  remained  only  one  year,  but  in  that  short  time 
gained  a  high  reputation.  He  then  removed  to  Charleston,  S.  C, 
where  a  more  extended  practice  awaited  him,  and  where  he  rapidly 
rose  in  the  estimation  of  the  public,  not  only  for  professional  skill, 
but  for  his  scholarly  and  statesmanlike  qualities.  He'  early  took  a 
decided  stand  in  favor  of  our  National  independence,  and  soon  after 
the  great  charter  of  our  liberties,  the  declaration,  was  promulgated, 
he  was  elected  a  member  of  the  state  legislature,  his  great  learning 
and  abilities  pointing  him  out  as  one  fit  to  legislate  during  the  trying 
ordeal  of  our  Revolutionary  period.  All  his  speeches,  orations  and 
writings  breathed  the  spirit  of  independence  in  lofty  and  elegant 
terms.  He  was  a  member  of  the  council  of  safety  while  the  state 
was  under  the  dominance  of  Lord  Cornwallis,  and  v;as  banished  to 
Florida  by  a  decree  of  that  British  general,  along  with  a  large  num- 
ber of  other  distinguished  patriots.  There  he  was  imprisoned  for 
about  a  year,  when  he  was  exchanged,  and  immediately  on  his  return 
to  South  Carolina  he  resumed  his  seat  in  the  legislature,  then  sitting 
at  Jacksonboro.  Such  had  been  the  overbearing,  and  in  many  cases, 
inhuman  treatment  of  the  South  Carolina  tories  toward  the  patriots, 
that  retaliatory  measures  naturally  suggested  themselves  to  the 
legislature,  and  it  was  proposed  at  once  to  pass  acts  of  confiscation  of 
property  owned  by  the  tories.  Dr.  Ramsay  opposed  so  extreme  a 
measure  and  urged  a  forgiving  and  conciliatory  treatment,  but  such 
was  the  feeling  of  resentment  that  he  was  overborne,  and  large  es- 


646  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

tates  were  confiscated  and  many  of  their  owners  banished  from  their 
homes. 

In  17S2  Dr.  Ramsay  was  chosen  a  member  of  the  Continental  con- 
gress, and  was  one  of  the  most  prominent  and  useful  members  of  that 
body.  On  a  re-election  in  1785,  he  was  chosen  president  of  the  con- 
gress. His  congressional  career  ended,  he  returned  to  his  medical 
practice  In  Charleston,  where  the  largest  success  crowned  his  efforts. 
Dr.  Ramsay  was  the  possessor  of  too  great  learning  and  versatility 
to  rest  his  fame  upon  political  or  professional  achievements,  and 
many  published  works  on  historical  subjects  attest  his  ability,  acute- 
ness  and  discrimination  as  an  author.  He  wrote  the  history  of  the 
Revolution  in  his  own  state,  and  his  success  was  so  pronounced,  that 
he  afterward  wrote  the  history  of  the  Revolution  in  full.  While  de- 
voting himself  to  this  study,  he  was  at  the  same  time  preparing  mate- 
rial for  a  universal  history,  a  work  he  did  not  live  to  publish,  but 
which  was  issued  in  eight  volumes,  after  his  death.  These  several 
works,  and  a  life  of  General  Washington,  have  given  Dr.  Ramsay  a 
world-wide  reputation  as  an  author  and  an  historian. 

It  would  seem  that  a  life  of  so  much  usefulness  and  beneficence 
should  have  come  to  a  calm  and  peaceful  close,  but  his  death  was  the 
scene  of  a  tragedy.  He  was  stricken  down  by  a  maniacal  assassin  in 
open  day,  and  near  his  own  home  in  Charleston.  His  murderer  had 
become  infuriated,  because  while  resting  under  an  indictment  for  an 
assault.  Dr.  Ramsay  had  been  one  of  a  committee  of  physicians  to 
enquire  into  his  mental  condition,  and  had  pronounced  him  insane. 
The  assassin  was  imprisoned  for  a  short  term  and  then  liberated.  Dr. 
Ramsay  survived  for  two  days  after  he  was  shot,  and  amidst  his  suf- 
fering his  magnanimity  of  soul  did  not  desert  him.  He  left  a  dying  re- 
quest that  Linnen,  his  murderer,  should  not  be  prosecuted  as  he  was 
unquestionably  insane  and  not  accountable  for  his  acts.  This  tragic 
event  occurred  in  181 5.  Dr.  Ramsay  was  thrice  married,  first  to  Miss 
W'itherspoon,  whose  father's  name  is  conspicuous  as  a  signer  of  the 
Declaration  of  Independence.  His  third  wife  was  a  daughter  of 
Henry  Laurens  —  a  name  clear  and  e.xalted  in  the  heart  of  every  true 
South  Carolinian.  His  first  two  wives  died  without  issue,  but  the 
third  was  the  mother  of  four  sons  and  four  daughters.  His  eldest 
son,  David,  was  a  type  of  the  nobility  of  his  father  and  grandfather. 
His  conservative  views  prompted  him  to  oppose  the  scheme  of  seces- 
sion, but  when  his  state  went  out,  he  followed  and  patriotically  bore 
arms  in  its  defense,  falling  at  an  early  period  in  the  contest  —  a  costly 
sacrifice  to  the  arbitrament  of  arms. 

WILLIAM  SMITH 

was  among  that  able  class  of  South  Carolinians,  who,  early  in  the  or- 
ganization of  the  general  government,  took  an  active  part  in  the 
proceedings  of  congress.  He  was  a  member  of  the  national  house  of 
representatives  from  1789  to  near  the  close  of  the  eighteenth  century. 
In  1797,  President  John  Adams  appointed  him  minister  plenipotentiary 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  647 

to  Portugal.  I  lis  ancestors  were  early  settlers  in  Carolina,  Thomas 
Smith,  one  of  his  progenitors,  having  been  appointed  governor  of  the 
province  in  1694,  under  the  proprietary  government.  William  .Smith, 
the  descendant  of  Gov.  Smith,  was  born  in  Charleston,  in  175S, 
and  at  the  early  age  of  twelve  years,  was  sent  to  the  mother  country 
for  his  education.  In  his  seventeenth  year  he  was  sent  to  Genoa,  to 
further  pursue  his  studies,  tarrying  there  until  1778.  He  afterward 
went  to  Paris,  where  he  fell  in  with  Dr.  Franklin  and  other  conspic- 
uous Americans.  He  was  then  on  his  way  homeward,  but  owing  to 
the  financial  stringency  of  the  times,  he  was  for  a  long  time  unable 
to  procure  the  funds  necessary  for  transportation  expenses.  He  went 
to  London  in  1779,  and  while  awaiting  the  receipt  of  the  required 
funds,  devoted  his  time  to  the  study  of  law,  but  could  lot  be  admit- 
ted to  practice  without  abjuring  his  allegiance  to  his  own  government 
and  becoming  a  British  subject,  an  alternative  he  would  not  for  a  mo- 
ment entertain.  After  undergoing  the  disaster  of  a  shipwreck  on  the 
English  coast,  he  finally  made  the  home  voyage  and  reached  Charles- 
ston,  just  after  its  evacuation  by  the  British  forces.  He  was  received 
by  his  fellow  citizens  with  joyful  demonstrations.  He  was  not  long 
there  before  he  was  chosen  to  the  state  legislature  and  was  made 
one  of  the  governor's  council,  to  both  of  which  positions  he  was  re- 
elected. 

In  17S8  Mr.  Smith  was  elected  a  member  of  the  first  congress, 
which  assembled  under  the  provisions  of  the  Federal  constitution, 
but  his  seat  was  contested  on  the  ground  that  he  had  not  been  in  the 
country  seven  years  previous  to  his  election,  as  required  b}'  the  con- 
stitution. The  committee  to  whom  his  case  was  referred  reported  to 
the  house  that  he  had  been  a  citizen  of  the  United  States  seven 
years  before  his  election,  and  recommended  that  he  be  allowed  to 
take  his  seat.  The  report  was  confirmed  by  the  house  with  only  one 
dissenting  voice,  Jonathan  Grout  alone  voting  no.  The  question  was 
the  subject  of  a  long  and  interesting  debate,  in  which  Mr.  Smith 
made  an  able  speech  in  his  own  behalf,  and  Mr.  Madison,  of  Virginia; 
Gov.  Jackson,  of  Georgia;  Mr.  Tucker,  of  South  Carolina,  and  Mr. 
Lee,  of  Virginia,  also  took  part.  Mr.  Smith  took  an  active  and 
effective  part  in  the  discussion  of  most  of  the  great  and  vital  ques- 
tions which  naturally  came  up  on  the  organization  of  the  Federal 
government. 

At  the  second  session  of  the  first  congress,  Mr.  Smith  was  made 
chairman  of  the  committee  to  which  the  president's  message  was 
submitted,  and  he  was  the  author  of  the  report  submitted  to  the  house 
on  that  subject.  In  it  he  said:  "We  concur  with  you  [President 
Washington]  in  the  sentiment  that  agriculture,  commerce  and  manu- 
factures are  entitled  to  legislative  protection,  and  that  the  promotion 
of  science  and  literature  will  contribute  to  the  security  of  a  free  gov- 
ernment." He  was  strongly  opposed  to  the  too  early  naturalization 
of  foreign  immigrants,  believing  they  should  reside  in  this  country 
long  enough  to  understand  the  principles  upon  which  the  government 
was  founded,  before  taking  part  in  the  elections.     In  the  discussion 


648  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

of  this  subject  Mr.  Smith  is  reported  as  saying:  "He  thought  some 
restraints  proper,  and  that  they  would  tend  to  raise  the  government 
in  the  opinion  of  good  men  who  are  desirous  of  immigrating;  as  for 
the  privilege  of  electing  or  being  elected,  he  conceived  a  man  ought 
to  be  some  time  in  the  country  before  he  could  pretend  to  exercise  it. 
What  could  he  know  of  the  government  the  moment  he  landed? 
Little  or  nothing.  How  then  could  he  ascertain  who  was  a  proper 
person  to  legislate  or  judge  of  the  laws?  Certainly  gentlemen  would 
not  pretend  to  bestow  a  privilege  upon  a  man  which  he  is  incapable 
of  using."  Upon  the  memorial  presented  by  the  Quakers  of  Penn- 
sylvania, asking  for  the  suppression  of  the  African  slave  trade,  Mr. 
Smith  opposed  the  consideration  of  the  memorial  on  the  ground  that 
the  question  had  been  settled  by  constitutional  limitation. 

Upon  the  question  of  the  succession  to  the  executive  chair,  on  the 
death,  resignation  or  disability  of  the  president  and  vice-president, 
which  was  the  subject  of  a  long  discussion,  Mr.  Smith  favored  the 
secretary  of  state  as  the  proper  officer  to  assume  the  functions  of 
president.  Mr.  Smith  was  the  only  member  from  South  Carolina 
who,  in  1791,  favored  the  chartering  of  the  United  States  bank,  and 
he  argued  the  question  with  great  abihty,  against  the  opinions  of  most 
of  his  southern  colleagues,  Mr.  Madison  opposing  it  on  constitutional 
grounds.  President  Washington  hesitated  for  some  time  before  ap- 
proving the  bill.  Mr.  Smith  was  twice  married;  first,  to  Miss  Izard, 
Avho  died,  leaving  him  a  son  and  a  daughter.  His  second  wife  was  a 
Miss  Wragg,  by  whom  he  also  had  a  son  and  a  daughter.  His  daugh- 
ter by  his  first  wife  became  Mrs.  Peterson,  wife  of  the  Danish  consul, 
then  residing  in  Philadelphia.  His  daughter  by  his  second  wife  be- 
came Mrs.  Thomas  O.  Lownds,  and  was  a  lady  of  fine  culture  and 
literary  tastes.  His  first  son  died  in  early  life,  but  his  second  son, 
William  Wragg  Smith,  lived  to  make  himself  conspicuous  in  the 
world  of  letters.  Mr.  Smith's  career  was  long,  eventful  and  conspic- 
uous, and  during  it  he  rendered  effective  and  useful  service  to  his 
state. 

PIERCE  BUTLER 

is  one  of  those  eminent  South  Carolinians  of  whose  personal  biog- 
raphy, very  few  data  are  to  be  found  in  any  of  the  published  works 
extant.  He  was  a  descendant  of  the  Irish  nobility  (the  duke  of  Or- 
mund),  and,  before  he  emigrated  to  America,  held  the  commission  of 
colonel  in  the  British  army,  which  he  sold  before  setting  out  for  the 
New  World.  Some  years  before  the  opening  of  our  Revolutionary 
war,  he  crossed  the  ocean  and  settled  in  South  Carolina.  He  was 
early  chosen  to  the  legislature,  and  took  part,  as  a  delegate,  in  fram- 
ing the  constitution  of  our  Federal  government.  After  the  adoption 
of  the  constitution  he  was  chosen  a  United  States  senator  for  three 
successive  terms.  He  had  taken  an  active  part  in  our  Revolutionary 
struggle,  and  was  made  of  the  right  material  to  be  a  safe  and  an 
efficient  co-worker  in  organizing  the  government  and  putting  it  in 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  649 

ninnin_i^  order.  His  aptitude  for  participating  in  legislation  is  well 
illustrated  by  the  fact  that  he  was,  from  the  beginning,  chosen  to 
take  part  in  the  early  legislatures,  conventions  and  congresses,  which 
met  in  his  time. 

In  the  convention  to  frame  the  United  States  constitution  Mr. 
Butler  opposed  the  reduction  of  the  powers  of  the  state,  and  pro- 
posed to  have  members  of  congress,  as  well  as  presidential  electors, 
chosen  by  the  state  legislature.  He  favored  at  least  seven  years  as 
the  length  of  the  presidential  term  of  office  and  a  single  executive 
without  the  veto  power.  Senators  should  receive  no  compensation, 
and  the  several  states  were  to  be  represented  in  the  senate  in  propor- 
tion to  their  wealth.  In  relation  to  the  pay  of  members  of  the  house 
of  representatives,  he  insisted  that  they  should  be  paid  by  their  own 
several  states,  and  he  favored  the  extension  of  the  right  of  suffrage, 
declaring  in  the  convention  that  "  there  is  no  right  of  which  the 
peojble  are  more  jealous  than  tliat  of  suffrage."  Both  in  the  constitu- 
tional convention  and  in  the  United  States  senate,  Mr.  Butler  appears 
to  have  taken  a  leading  and  conspicuous  part,  and  while  some  of  his 
propositions  appeared  to  be  untenable  as  bases  for  a  republican 
government,  many  of  them  were  in  advance,  on  the  score  of  prac- 
ticability and  the  spirit  of  a  government  by  the  people,  of  those 
which  finally  prevailed.  Mr.  Butler  was  a  member  of  the  South 
Carolina  legislature,  in  17S8,  when  the  question  of  the  adoption  of 
the  United  States  constitution  was  under  consideration  in  that  body. 
On  the  i6th  of  January  of  the  above-named  year,  the  legislature 
considered  the  question  of  calling  a  state  convention  to  ratify  or  re- 
ject the  federal  constitution,  and  Mr.  Butler  took  an  active  part  in 
advocacy  of  the  calling  of  the  convention.  The  discussion  upon  this 
question  was  long  and  earnest,  and  the  measure  was  carried  finally  by 
only  one  majority,  the  vote  standing  seventy-six  ayes  to  seventy-tive 
noes,  so  the  convention  was  called.  While  most  of  the  distinguished 
South  Carolinians  were  members  of  the  convention,  it  does  not  ap- 
pear that  Mr.  Butler  was  there,  but  his  legislative  district  was  unan- 
imously in  favor  of  the  adoption  of  the  constitution.  The  conven- 
tion was  in  session  about  eleven  days,  and  the  discussion  of  the 
merits  and  demerits  of  the  proposed  constitution  was  one  of  great 
earnestness  and  peculiar  brilliancy.  The  archives  of  the  state 
unfortunately  contain  but  a  meager  report  of  the  speeches,  only  one, 
that  of  Gov.  Pinckney,  being  found  in  the  records  in  full. 

Pierce  Butler  married  Miss  Middleton,  a  member  of  one  of  the 
wealthiest  and  most  respectable  families  in  the  state. ^  He  had  a 
large  estate  of  his  owmi,  and  was  the  father  of  two  or  three  daughters 
but  no  son.  Mr.  Butler  being  of  royal  descent  —  of  the  noble  house 
of  Ormund  —  it  was  cause  of  great  sorrow  to  him  that  he  had  no 
sons  to  perpetuate  his  name.  In  view  of  this,  he  provided  in  his  will 
that  the  sons  of  one  of  his  daughters  should  take  his  family  name, 
and  this  provision  was  complied  with,  the  daughter  marrying  a  Phila- 
delphia gentleman  and  his  children  taking  the  name  of  "Butler.  One 
of  her  sons  became  the  husband  of  the  celebrated  actress  and  authoress, 


650  '  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

Fanny  Kemble.  This  alliance  was  not  of  long  duration;  they  had 
two  bright  and  gifted  daughters,  but  soon  after  separated,  on  the 
ground  of  uncongenialit}^  In  the  latter  years  of  Pierce  Butler's  life 
he  removed  to  Philadelphia,  in  which  city  he  died  in  1822. 

ANDREW  PICKENS 

was  of  French  descent,  his  ancestors  having  been  driven  out  of  their 
native  land  in  consequence  of  the  revocation  of  the  edict  of  Nantes. 
He  was  born  in  Paxton  township,  Penn.,  September  ig,  1739.  His 
father  emigrated  to  Pennsylvania,  and  from  there  removed  to  Vir- 
ginia, while  Andrew  was  in  his  early  youth,  settling  near  where  Stan- 
ton now  stands.  In  1752  the  family  again  removed,  this  time  to 
Waxhaws,  S.  C.  They  were  among  the  first  settlers  in  that  part  of 
South  Carolina.  Schools  were  not  easily  attainable,  and  young  Pick- 
ens had  few  educational  advantages.  His  youth  was  largely  spent  in 
hunting  and  in  agricultural  pursuits.  He  was  gifted  with  natural  en- 
dowments of  a  high  order,  and  was  much  respected  by  his  circle  of 
acquaintances.  His  distinguishing  characteristic  was  great  strength 
and  decision  of  mind,  and  he  was  the  possessor  of  an  uncomnion 
share  of  sagacity.  In  person  he  was  above  the  average  height,  was 
very  active,  hardy  and  muscular.  His  military  career  dates  back  to 
the  French  war,  which  came  to  a  close  in  1763,  and  in  this  war  he  laid 
the  foundation  for  that  military  character  by  which  he  afterward  be- 
came so  eminent.  In  1762  he  served  as  a  volunteer  in  the  sanguinary 
expedition  against  the  Cherokee  Indians,  under  Lieut.-Col.  Grant,  a 
British  officer. 

In  the  early  part  of  1764,  Mr.  Pickens,  the  subject  of  this  sketch, 
removed  to  Long  Cane  settlement,  very  near  the  present  site  of 
Abbeville.  Some  years  previous  to  this,  in  the  midst  of  the  Indian 
disturbances,  he  had  become  acquainted  with  Miss  Rebecca  Calhoun, 
daughter  of  Ezekiel  Calhoun,  and  sister  of  John  C.  Calhoun,  who 
died  while  serving  as  a  United  senator  from  South  Carolina.  Miss 
Calhoun  afterward  became  the  wife  of  Mr.  Pickens,  and  was  the 
mother  of  a  large  family  of  children.  He  early  took  an  active  stand 
against  the  claim  of  Great  Britain  to  tax  the  colonies  without  their 
consent,  but  he  found  opponents  in  plenty,  as  a  large  number  of  the 
neighboring  inhabitants  were  tories,  and  when  the  Revolutionary  war 
broke  out,  it  came  accompanied  with  the  horrors  of  civil  contention. 
The  bloody  midnight  contests  arising  between  neighboring  families, 
even  over  their  hearthstones,  were  far  more  terrible  than  the  en- 
croachments of  a  foreign  foe,  and  it  required  the  sternest  patriotism 
and  the  most  indomitable  courage  on  the  part  of  the  whigs  to  with- 
stand the  assaults  both  of  internal  and  external  enemies.  At  the 
very  opening  of  the  Revolution,  Andrew  Pickens  raised  a  company 
of  volunteers,  and  was  made  their  captain.  The  part  he  took  in  the 
succeeding  struggle  makes  his  name  one  of  the  brightest  and  most 
distinguished  upon  the  pages  of  the  history  which  records  the  events 
of  that  stirring  era  of  our  nation's  life.     His  skill  and  bravery  were 


SOUTH   CAROLINA  65I 

soon  recognized,  and  from  captain  he  was  rapidly  promoted  to  the 
ran!-:  of  major,  colonel  and  brigadier-general.  He  was  a  contempor- 
ary and  most  able  coadjutor  of  Marion  and  Sumter,  and  these  three 
generals  were  the  most  distinguished  of  southern  commanders.  This 
will  the  more  readily  appear  when  we  remember  that  for  three  years 
just  preceding  the  battle  of  Cowpens,  the  American  arms  had  sus- 
tained reverse  after  reverse  in  all  parts  of  the  country,  but  these  three 
generals  fought  with  few  or  no  resources,  save  with  their  own  untir- 
ing bravery  and  undying  spirit. 

In  1782  Gen.  Pickens  was  commander-in-chief  of  an  expedition 
against  the  Cherokee  Indians,  and  such  was  the  spirit  with  which  he 
prosecuted  the  warfare,  that  with  only  a  force  of  five  hundred  men, 
he  subdued  this  powerful  tribe,  and  conquered  a  complete  and  last- 
ing.peace  with  them  which  has  never  since  been  disturbed.  He  was 
with  Gen.  Lincoln  at  the  battle  of  Stono,  and  had  his  horse  killed 
under  him  while  he  was  covering  the  retreat  of  the  American  forces; 
at  the  famous  battle  of  Cowpens,  he  commanded  the  militia.  All 
things  considered  this  was  one  of  the  most  daring  and  gallant  bat- 
tles of  the  Revolution.  It  was  through  the  unwonted  bravery  of  the 
militia  in  rallying  after  they  had  twice  been  driven  back  by  a  superior 
force  that  the  victory  of  the  continental  forces  became  complete  and 
overwhelmning,  and  this  great  triumph  was  largely  due  to  the 
adroitness  and  tactical  skill  with  which  Col.  Pickens  handled  the 
militia.  For  his  gallantry  and  braver}'  on  this  occasion,  congress 
voted  him  a  sword  and  immediately  promoted  him  to  the  rank  of 
of  brigadier-general.  In  1794,  under  the  new  organization  of  the 
militia  pursuant  to  an  act  of  congress,  he  was  appointed  one  of  the 
two  major-generals  of  the  state  of  South  Carolina.  He  was  also  ap- 
pointed one  of  the  commissioners  to  settle  the  line  between  South 
Carolina  and  Georgia.  He  was  appointed  a  commissioner  of  the 
United  States  in  all  treaties  held  with  all  the  southern  tribes  of 
Indians,  which  commission  he  held  till  he  withdrew  from  public   life. 

After  peace  was  fairly  established,  both  with  foreign  and  domestic 
foes.  Gen.  Pickens  retired  to  his  farm  at  Tomassee,  where  he  devoted 
himself  to  the  quiet  of  domestic  pursuits.  But  he  was  often  visited 
by  numerous  relatives  and  friends  whom  he  entertained  with  an  easy 
and  generous  hospitality.  He  was  an  interested  observer  of  the  con- 
flict which  broke  out  between  this  country  and  Great  Britain  in  181 2, 
and  such  was  the  confidence  of  his  fellow  citizens  in  his  patriotism 
and  sagacity  as  a  statesman,  that  without  his  knowledge,  by  the  spon- 
taneous voice  of  his  countrymen,  he  was  called  to  a  seat  in  the  state 
legislature.  He  was  pressed  to  accept  the  office  of  chief  executiveof 
the  state,  but  he  declined,  preferring  to  leave  the  more  active  duties 
of  the  government  to  younger  hands.  The  strong  points  in  his  char- 
acter were  profound  judgment  and  great  decision  guided  by  rare 
prudence.  He  died  suddenly  in  1817,  apparently  in  robust  health. 
He  was  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  church,  and  left  the  scenes  in 
which  he  had  taken  so  conspicuous  and  beneficent  a  part  in  the  full 
belief  of  the  truths  of  Christianity  and  of  a  triumphant  resurrection. 


SOUTH    CAROLINA. 


THOMAS  PINCKNEY, 


Major-General  Thomas  Pinckney  was  born  in  Charleston,  S.  C, 
October  23,  1750.  When  he  was  only  three  years  of  age  he  was 
taken  to  England  by  his  father,  where  he  remained  for  nearl}'  twenty 
years.  He  was  educated  at  Westminster,  and  while  engaged  in  his 
law  studies,  the  premonitory  symptoms  of  the  Revolution  made  their 
appearance.  Young  Pinckney  immediately  began  to  devote  his  at- 
tention to  the  acquisition  of  military  knowledge,  for  which  he  was 
afterwards  so  highly  distinguished,  in  the  conspicuous  part  he  took 
in  the  Revolutionary  war.  He  returned  to  his  native  country,  filled 
with  ardor  to  engage  in  its  defense.  He  had  not  long  to  remain  before 
his  military  knowledge  was  brought  into  requisition.  On  the  forma- 
tion of  two  provincial  regiments,  in  1775,  he  was  appointed  captain  of 
a  company,  and  was  soon  promoted  to  the  rank  of  major  of  the  regi- 
ment. He  early  exhibited  proof  that  he  was  a  rigid  disciplinarian 
and  an  able  tactician.  A  mutiny  having  broken  out  in  his  regiment, 
and  his  under  officers  having  failed  by  persuasion  or  threats,  to  sub- 
due the  mutineers,  Maj.  Pinckney  went  directly  to  the  ringleader  and 
cut  him  down  with  his  saber.  This  daring  and  courageous  act  im- 
mediately restored  order  and  subordination,  and  the  mutineers  re- 
turned to  their  post  of  duty. 

When  Gen.  Lincoln  assumed  command  of  the  southern  army, 
Maj.  Pinckney  was  appointed  one  of  his  aides,  and  acted  in  that 
capacity  at  the  siege  of  Savannah,  in  conjunction  with  Count  D'Est- 
ang.  In  June,  1779,  in  the  attack  upon  the  enemy's  works  at  Stono, 
he  acted  with  great  gallantry,  leading  a  charge  upon  a  portion  of  the 
Seventy-first  British  regiment,  and  in  a  hand  to  hand  fight,  com- 
pletely routing  them.  At  the  battle  of  Camden,  ^August  16,  17S0, 
Major  Pinckney,  while  acting  as  aide  to  Gen.  Gates,  was  severely 
wounded  in  the  leg  by  a  musket  ball,  was  taken  prisoner,  and,  when 
able  to  be  removed,  was  taken  to  Philadelphia  by  the  enemy.  In 
1787,  he  was  chosen  governor  of  South  Carolina,  to  succeed  Gov. 
Moultrie,  and  he  had  the  difficult  task  of  restoring  order  to  a  state 
which  had,  for  so  many  years,  been  the  theater  of  a  stupendous  con- 
flict of  arms,  and  where  foreign  foes  had  so  long  quartered  them- 
selves. Gen.  Pinckney's  rigid  disciplinary  notions  here  came  into  full 
play,  and  he  was  eminently  successful  in  re-establishing  the  suprem- 
acy of  the  laws. 

In  1792  he  received  the  appointment,  from  President  Washington, 
of  minister  plenipotentiary  to  England,  an  office,  at  that  juncture, 
very  difficult  to  administer,  requiring  the  exercise  of  superior  diplo- 
matic skill  and  rare  prudence.  Many  of  the  stipulations  of  the  treaty 
of  peace  were  yet  unfulfilled,  and  there  were  other  and  difficult  inter- 
national questions  to  be  settled. 

In  1794  the  complications  between  England,  France  and  the  United 
States  had  become  so  formidable  that  John  jay  was  nominated  by  the 
president  as  envoy  extraordinary  to  his  Britannic  majesty,  and  in  the 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  653 

same  year  Gen.  Pinckney,  after  a  fruitless  attempt  to  mitigate  the 
condition  of  Gen.  La  Fayette,  who  was  then  held  as  a  prisoner  in 
Germany,  was  appointed  envoy  extraordinary  to  his  Catholic  maj- 
esty, and  the  next  summer  took  up  his  residence  at  Madrid.  Here 
he  was  entrusted  with  the  task  of  settling  the  boundary  between  the 
United  States  and  the  Spanish  possessions,  and  he  secured  to  his 
country  the  free  navigation  of  the  Mississippi.  After  holding  this 
important  mission  for  a  year,  the  condition  of  his  private  affairs  at 
home  required  his  presence,  and  at  his  own  solicitation  he  was  recalled 
and  returned  to  South  Carolina,  much  to  the  gratification  of  his  fel- 
low citizens,  who  received  him  with  open  arms.  He  was  again  elected 
to  represent  them  in  congress  for  several  subsequent  sessions,  after 
which  he  retired  to  private  life.  But  when  the  country  again  became 
involved  in  a  war  with  Great  Britain,  President  Madison  appointed 
him  to  the  command  of  the  southern  army,  and  under  his  command 
the  Indian  war  which  had  so  long  harassed  the  state,  was  brought  to 
a  successful  termination.  On  the  return  of  peace  he  resigned  his 
commission,  and  ever  after  declined  to  enter  into  the  service  of  the 
public.  He  turned  his  attention  to  agriculture,  particularly  to  the  ap- 
plication of  scientific  processes  for  its  improvement.  Discharged 
from  the  responsibilities  of  public  positions,  he  indulged  more  freely 
in  social  intercourse,  and  his  home  became  the  attractive  center  of  an 
extensive  circle  of  relatives  and  personal  friends.  The  life  of  this 
eminent  statesman  and  soldier,  after  a  lingering  and  painful  illness, 
came  to  a  close  November  21,  1828. 

GENERAL  FRANCIS  MARION. 

To  every  school  boy  who  has  read  the  story  of  the  gallant 
Marion  and  his  men,  to  say  nothing  of  the  amusing  pages  of  Weems, 
the  anecdotes  of  Maj.  Garden  and  the  pardoning  qualities  of  Judge 
Johnson,  the  name  of  this  meteoric  warrior  is  familiar.  The  ancestors 
of  Marion  were  born  in  France,  who  sought  in  South  Carolina  an 
asylum  from  the  sanguinary  persecutions  which  desolated  the  homes 
of  the  Huguenots  of  the  revocation  of  the  edict  of  Nantes.  The 
grandfather  of  our  soldier  settled  on  Cooper  river.  His  son,  Gabriel, 
was  the  father  of  one  daughter  and  five  sons,  of  whom  Francis  was 
the  youngest.  He  was  born  at  Winyaw,  near  Georgetown,  in  1732, 
the  same  year  which  gave  birth  to  Washington.  His  father  was 
without  means  to  give  him  an  education  further  than  that  of  his  own 
accomplishments,  as  in  those  primitive  colonial  days  the  country  ped- 
agogue was  scarce  and  costly.  At  an  early  age  young  Marion 
evinced  that  love  of  adventure  and  daring  spirit  which  in  late  years 
made  him  one  of  the  most  gallant  defenders  of  his  country,  and 
which  has  preserved  his  memory  from  decay  forever.  His  earliest 
military  exploit  was  at  the  head  of  a  volunteer  troop  of  provincial 
cavalry  against  marauding  Cherokee  Indians.  In  his  seventeenth 
year  he  was  a  lieutenant  in  Capt.  William  Moultrie's  cavalry  in  the 
war   with  the  Indians,   in   which  his  remarkable  courage  found  fre- 


6.54  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

quent   expression.     In   1775  in  recognition  of  his  gallant  service  he 
was  elected  to  the  provincial  congress  from  St.  John's. 

Upon  the  news  of  the  battle  of  Lexington  two  regiments  of  cav- 
alry were  raised,  and  Marion  was  elected  captain  in  one  of  them, 
under  command  of  Col.  Moultrie.  For  gallant  conduct  in  repelling 
the  attack  on  Sullivan's  Island,  Moultrie  was  made  a  brigadier-gen- 
eral and  Marion  a  lieutenant-colonel.  Following  in  quick  succession 
came  the  attack  by  united  French  and  English  forces  on  Savannah, 
the  siege  of  Charleston,  in  all  of  which  he  bore  brave  and  conspicuous 
parts.  After  striking  terror  to  the  hearts  of  the  British  by  his  fierce  and 
unlocked  for  attacks  upon  them,  he  was  promoted  by  Gov.  Rutledge 
to  a  brigadier-generalship,  which  he  held  with  honor  to  his  countr}^ 
and  everlasting  imperishability  to  his  name,  in  all  those  unequaled 
conflicts  in  which  his  triumphs  have  made  his  name  a  household  word 
wherever  the  English  language  is  spoken.  What  could  not  be  carried 
by  strength  yielded  to  his  Napoleonic  faculty  of  strategy,  so  that 
next  to  \Vashington  his  campaigns  were  incomparable  in  point  of 
military  genius,  intrepid  courage,  and  all  those  qualities  which  from 
the  earliest  periods  characterized  and  immortalized  the  southern  sol- 
dier. Among  some  of  his  most  brilliant  achievements  may  be  men- 
tioned the  battles  of  Camden,  Wateree,  Nelson's  Ferry,  Guildford, 
Fort  Watson,  Fort  Motte,  and  many  others,  too  familiar  to  mention. 
In  1782  he  was  elected  to  the  senate  of  his  state,  during  which  his  old 
regiment  suffered  on  account  of  dissensions  among  its  officers,  and 
was  twice  defeated.  The  next  year  he  was  made  commandant  of 
Fort  Johnson,  where,  under  most  romantic  circumstances,  he  met  and 
married  his  wife,  Miss  Mary  Videau,  a  remote  relative  and  most 
charming  lady,  by  whom  he  received  a  large  fortune.  Gen.  Marion, 
full  of  years  and  honors,  served  in  the  convention  which  framed  the 
constitution  of  the  state  in  1790,  after  which  he  declined  all  public 
service.     He  died  on  the  27th  of  February,  1795,  without  issue. 

CHRISTOPHER  GADSDEN. 

A  search  through  the  biographical  sketches  of  South  Carolina 
fails  to  throw  any  light  on  the  life  and  character  of  this  distinguished 
patriot,  hero  and  statesman,  except  a  short  sketch  prepared  by  Gov. 
Perry,  in  his  South  Carolina  sketches.  Christopher  Gadsden  may  be 
said  to  have  been  the  father  of  independence  from  British  rule  in  South 
Carolina.  He  was  to  that  state  what  Otis  was  to  Massachusetts,  or 
Patrick  Henry  to  Virginia.  He  was  a  contemporary  of  the  Rutledges, 
Pinckneys,  Laurenses  and  other  men  equally  regarded  for  their  loy- 
alty and  distinguished  conduct;  with  them  his  battles  were  fought, 
and  among  them  he  deserves  to  be  commemorated.  Mr.  Gadsden 
was  born  in  Charleston  in  1724,  his  father  being  a  British  naval  offi- 
cer and  a  man  of  large  fortune;  at  an  early  age  he  was  sent  to  Eng- 
land to  be  educated.  He  became  a  thorough  Greek  and  French 
scholar.  His  marked  talent  for  the  study  of  the  languages  is  found 
in  the  fact  that  during  his  long  confinement  by  the  British  in  Florida 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  655 

he  made  himself  a  thorough  Hebrew  and  oriental  scholar.  Durinjf  a 
voyage  to  England,  shortly  after  his  graduation,  he  was  appointed 
purser  of  the  vessel  in  place  of  that  officer  who  died  on  the  voyage. 

In  Gov.  Lyttleton's  expedition  against  the  Cherokee  Indians  he 
raised  a  company  of  artillery  which  under  his  command  rendered 
most  conspicuous  service  during  the  war  with  the   Indians. 

In  1774  a  congress  of  the  colonies  was  called,  to  which  he  was 
elected  a  delegate..  At  this  convention  he  urged  that  Gen.  Gage 
should  be  routed  from  Boston  before  re-enforcements  could  arrive, 
but  this  aggressive  policy  was  not  thought  best,  though  time  demon- 
strated the  contrary.  He  was  elected  to  congress  in  1776,  but  had  to 
return  home  in  a  few  months  to  take  command  of  his  company  in  the 
defense  of  Charleston.  He  presented  the  standard  to  be  used  in  the 
American  navy.  It  consisted  of  a  rattlesnake  on  a  yellow  ground, 
with  thirteen  full-grown  rattles,  coiled  to  strike,  with  the  motto 
"  Don't  tread  on  me." 

At  the  time  of  the  surrender  of  Charleston  to  the  British  Gads- 
den was  lieutenant-governor  of  the  state  and  was  paroled  by  the  in- 
vading army,  but  shortly  afterward,  with  forty  of  his  fellow  citizens, 
he  was  arrested  and  sent  to  St.  Augustine,  without  any  assignment  of 
cause,  for  so  flagrant  a  violation  of  the  terms  of  surrender.  Upon 
their  arrival  at  St.  Augustine  the  prisoners  were  again  required  to. 
give  their  parole,  but  a  fresh  memory  of  the  former  violation  inspired 
Mr.  Gadsden  to  refuse,  for  which  refusal  he  was  consigned  to  the 
dungeon  in  Fort  San  Marco.  Those  who  have  visited  this  torture 
chamber  may  readily  appreciate  the  miseries  of  his  existence  for  the 
eight  months  in  which  he  was  confined  in  its  loathsome  depths.  After 
his  exchange  he  returned  to  his  native  state  and  was  elected  gover- 
nor, which  office  he  resigned  on  account  of  his  fast  declining  health. 
He  served  in  the  state  convention  which  ratified  the  federal  constitu- 
tion and  also  in  the  convention  which  framed  the  state  constitution  in 
1790.  "  He  survived  his  eighty-first  year  and  died,"  says  Dr.  Ramsay, 
"  more  from  the  consequences  of  an  accidental  fall  than  the  weight 
of  disease  or  decay  of  nature."  Mr.  Gadsden  throughout  his  life 
was  a  quiet,  most  unobtrusive  man,  without  the  slightest  weakness 
for  ostentation.  He  was  affectionate  in  his  nature,  but  possessed  of  a 
Spartan  courage  and  indomitable  will.  His  heroism  was  without  fear, 
and  in  his  patriotism  there  was  neither  of  the  base  alloys  of  selfish- 
ness or  folly. 

JAMES  CHESTNUT,  JR. 

A  thorough  search  through  much  of  the  biographical  history  of 
South  Carolina  fails  to  develop  any  very  detailed  data  of  the  early 
life  and  surroundings  of  James  Chestnut.  This  apparent  neglect  is 
certainly  not  attributable  to  any  lack  of  merit  on  the  part  of  Mr. 
Chestnut  himself.  The  name  of  Chestnut,  although  somewhat 
rare  in  the  south,  represents  a  most  aristocratic  family,  and  is  as- 
sociated from  the  earliest  colonial  days  with  patriotic  and  exemplary 


656  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

words  and  action  redounding  to  tlie  common  good.  James  Chestnut, 
Jr.,  was  born  in  Camden,  S.  C,  in  1815,  and  from  this  period  until  he 
entered  college,  we  know  nothing  of  him.  Certain  it  is,  however, 
that  his  family  enjoyed  both  the  dignity  of  ancestral  rank  and  the 
convenience  of  private  fortune.  He  was  sent  to  Princeton  in  1830, 
from  which  institution  he  graduated  in  1834.  After  leaving  Prince- 
ton, we  find  no  record  of  his  life  until  1842,  in  which  year  he  was 
elected  to  the  legislature  of  the  state  at  a  period  when  the  state  was 
just  beginingto  waver  from  its  allegiance  to  the  Union,  and  an  intense 
partisan  pro-slavery  spirit  was  beginning  to  assert  itself.  Entering 
the  legislature  at  this  momentous  period,  he  soon  made  himself  an 
enviable  reputation,  both  for  integrity  and  political  wisdom  and 
sagacity.  He  served  ten  years  in  the  legislature  of  the  state,  and  in 
1854  he  was  elected  to  the  state  senate,  which  office  he  held  until  1858. 
In  that  year  a  vacancy  occurring  in  the  delegation  of  the  state  in  the 
United  State  senate,  he  was  elected  to  that  body,  and  the  political 
history  of  that  time,  both  state  and  national,  are  full  of  the  conspicu- 
ous service  and  bright  career  of  Mr.  Chestnut. 

In  1859,  consistently  with  his  intense  pro-slavery  views,  he  tend- 
ered his  resignation  to  the  presiding  officer  of  the  senate,  but  con- 
gress, not  desiring,  at  that  time,  to  take  such  aggressive  grounds  with 
reference  to  the  south,  as  the  acceptance  of  his  resignation  would 
have  indicated,  refused  to  act  upon  the  letter  of  resignation.  But 
in  July,  1861,  when  congress  had  been  driven  to  take  and  maintain  a 
decided  ground  on  the  question  of  slavery,  Mr.  Chestnut,  in  common 
with  other  southern  members,  were  expelled  by  that  body.  In  the 
meantime  Mr.  Chestnut  had  been  elected  a  memberof  the  Confederate 
provisional  congress.  He  was  shortly  afterward  promoted  to  the 
rank  of  colonel  and  aide-de-camp  on  the  staff  of  President  Davis. 
In  1864  he  was  made  a  brigadier-general  for  gallant  and  meritorious 
conduct.  After  the  war  he  was  a  memberof  the  national  democratic 
convention  which  nominated  Seymour  for  president. 


HENRY  LAURENS. 

The  ancestors  of  Henry  Laurens,  like  many  of  the  pioneer  families 
of  South  Carolina,  had  sought  her  hospitable  shores,  after  the  revo- 
cation of  the  edict  of  Nantes,  being  French  Protestants.  Henry  was 
born  at  Charleston  in  the  year  1724.  After  having  finished  his  aca- 
demical course  in  the  best  schools  which  the  state  then  furnished,  he 
was  put  under  the  personal  care  of  Thomas  Smith,  a  merchant  of 
Charleston,  and  at  a  later  period  under  Mr.  Crockatt,  of  London, 
during  which  time  he  acquired  valuable  habits  of  order  and  business. 
At  an  early  age  our  subject  was  a  most  industrious  and  indefatigable 
worker.  He  was  a  thorough  scholar  of  human  nature  and  therefore 
a  most  competent  business  man.  Having  amassed  a  fortune  unusual 
in  those  days,  Mr.  Laurens  removed  to  England  to  superintend  the 
education  of  his  sons.     During  his  stay  in  London,  Mr.  Laurens  saw 


SOUTH   CAROLINA.  657 

the  approach  of  that  inevitable  conflict  which  separated  the  new 
world  from  the  old.  He  united  with  forty  other  Americans  in  a  pe- 
tition against  the  bill  to  shut  up  the  port  of  Boston.  This  did  not 
serve  to  make  him  popular  in  the  dominion  of  the  king,  and  he  at 
once  returned  to  South  Carolina,  where  the  people,  by  his  advice, 
began  to  prepare  for  the  war.  Mr.  Laurens  was  a  member  of  the 
first  provincial  congress,  and  was  elected  president  of  the  council  of 
safety,  a  body  invested  with  plenary  powers  to  stamp  money,  raise 
troops,  negotiate  loans.  Issue  bonds  and  confer  military  commissions. 
In  1776  Mr.  Laurens  was  elected  a  member  of  congress,  of  which 
body  he  was  appointed  president  on  the  ist  day  of  November, 
1777.  This  eminent  station  naturally  and  necessarily  brought  him 
into  ofiicial  contact  with  Washington,  a  contact  which  soon  ripened 
into  mutual  warm  personal  relations.  Mr.  Laurens's  career  in  con- 
gress was  productive  of  great  good  to  the  country  and  his  state. 
His  course  was  wise,  prudent,  conservative,  but  patriotic.  Early  in 
the  year  177S  Mr.  Laurens  resigned  his  seat  in  congress  and  was  ap- 
pointed minister  to  Holland,  with  special  reference  to  his  fitness  to 
form  a  commercial  treaty  with  and  obtain  loans  from  that  country. 
On  his  passage  to  that  country  he  was  captured  by  a  British  frigate. 
He  threw  his  papers  overboard,  but  they  were  recovered  by  the  ac- 
tivity of  a  British  sailor,  which  disclosed  the  situation  between  the 
two  countries  and  led  England  to  declare  war  against  Holland.  Mr. 
Laurens  was  carried  to  London  and  confined  in  the  tower  on  a 
charge  of  treason.  Here  he  remained  over  a  year,  bearing  all  the 
tortures  of  a  typical  English  .prison.  After  his  release  he  went  to 
Paris  in  company  with  Dr.  Franklin,  John  Adams  and  John  Jay. 
The  next  year  Mr.  Laurens  returned  to  South  Carolina,  but  his 
constitution  had  been  broken  by  the  rigors  of  his  confinement  in  the 
tower,  and  after  that  his  health  was  never  good.  After  his  return 
from  Europe  he  refused  all  overtures  to  run  for  office.  His  health  rap- 
idly declined,  and  he  died  on  the  Sth  of  December,  1792,  in  the  si.xty- 
ninth  year  of  his  age.  A  peculiar  request  of  his  will  w^as  that  his 
body  should  be  burned,  a  strange  request  for  those  days,  but  one 
which  was  literall}^  complied  with. 

FRANCIS  TURQUAND  MILES, 

the  fourth  of  a  family  of  five  brothers,  each  one  of  whom  has  in  his 
particular  sphere  achieved  distinction,  was  born  February  11,  1827, 
and  was  educated  at  the  school  of  Mr.  George  Buist,  in  Charleston, 
S.  C,  and  at  the  college  of  Charleston.  Choosing  the  profession  of 
medicine,  he  entered  the  medical  college  of  thestateof  South  Carolina, 
devoting  himself  especially  to  the  branches  of  anatomy  and  phj-siologj', 
and  on  taking  his  degree  was  at  once  appointed  prosector  of  anatomy, 
and  a  year  later  assistant  demonstrator;  began  a  course  of  private 
lectures  to  the  students,  and  during  a  temporary  illness  of  the  profes- 
sor of  anatoni}',  lectured  in  his  place.  The  success  of  these  lectures 
was  such  as,  in  the  opinion  of  so  high  an  authority  as  the  late  Dr. 
.■V— 42 


658  SOUTH   CAROLINA, 

Samuel  Henry  Dickson,  to  secure  him  the  succession  to  the  chair 
when  it  sliould  become  vacant.  Dr.  Miles  then  went  to  Cambridge, 
Mass.,  and  studied  for  a  time  comparative  anatomy  under  Professor 
Agassiz,  and  after  serving  as  demonstrator  of  anatomy  in  the  medi- 
cal college  at  Charleston,  went  to  Paris,  where  he  devoted  himself  to 
the  study  of  the  microscope,  and  generally  to  the  scientific  side  of 
the  profession.  On  his  return  home  he  was  made  assistant  professor 
of  anatomy.  Soon  afterward  came  the  war  of  secession,  and  Dr. 
Miles,  an  ardent  lover  of  his  state,  cast  aside  for  the  time  the  profes- 
sion of  his  life  and  entered  immediately  into  active  service.  He  was 
present  at  the  occupation  of  Castle  Pinckney,  in  Charleston  harbor, 
the  first  active  demonstration  on  the  part  of  the  South  Carolina 
troops,  served  as  volunteer  surgeon  on  James  Island  at  the  taking  of 
Fort  Sumter  in  April,  1861,  enlisted  as  a  private  in  the  Phoeni.x  Rifles, 
one  of  the  companies  raised  in  Charleston  at  the  opening  of  the  war, 
was  offered  the  position  of  surgeon  of  Col.  Simonton's  (afterward 
the  Twenty-seventh  regiment) ,  but  declined  it  to  accept  the  captaincy 
of  the  Calhoun  guards,  a  volunteer  company  afterwards  assigned  to 
what  was  known  as  the  Charleston  battalion.  He  was  severely 
wounded  through  the  thigh  at  the  battle  of  Secessionville,  June  16, 
1863,  but  continued  in  active  service,  did  several  tours  of  duty  in  Fort 
Sumter,  and  at  a  critical  period  of  the  siege,  in  1864,  was  in  command 
of  the  fort  for  several  days.  Soon  after  this,  his  companj^  through 
long  service  being  nearly  dissolved,  he  took  a  commission  as  surgeon 
in  the  Confederate  states'  army,  not  being  required  to  go  through 
the  position  of  assistant  surgeon,  and  remained  in  the  field  until  the 
close  of  hostilities. 

Shortly  after  the  war  Dr.  Miles  married  Miss  Wardlaw,  a  daugh- 
ter of  Judge  David  L.  Wardlaw,  of  South  Carolina.  He  resumed  his 
work  at  the  medical  college  in  Charleston,  in  the  chair  of  physio- 
logical anatomy,  but  being  invited  to  take  the  professorship  of  micro- 
scopic anatomy  in  Washington  college,  Baltimore,  removed  to  that 
city.  Resigning  this  position  after  the  first  term,  he  was  immediately 
elected  to  the  chair  of  anatomy  in  the  medical  department  of  the 
University  of  Maryland,  and  was  shortly  after  given  the  clinical 
chair  of  diseases  of  the  nervous  system.  Before  his  resignation  of 
the^professorship  of  anatomy  he  was  elected  to  that  of  physiology, 
which  he  still  holds.  He  served  two  terms  as  president  of  the  Amer- 
ican Neurological  association.  Dr.  Miles  has  acquired  a  considerable 
practice  in  Baltimore,  and  holds  a  high  place  among  the  physicians 
of  that  city;  but,  as  will  have  appeared  from  this  brief  summary  of 
his  career,  the  peculiar  bent  of  his  mind  has  been  toward  the  scien- 
tific study  of  his  profession  and  the  work  of  an  instructor  in  it.  For 
this  he  has  the  highest  qualifications.  With  habits  of  deep,  earnest 
and  close  study,  he  combines  a  special  faculty  of  imparting  knowl- 
edge, a  graceful  and  attractive  presence  and  manner,  and  a  vivid, 
almost  dramatic,  descriptive  power.  A  former  student  of  the  med- 
ical college  in  Charleston,  now  himself  a  professor,  says  of  Dr.  Miles, 
as  a  lecturer  on  anatomy:     "  He  was  one  of  the  most  entertaining 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  659 

lecturers  I  ever  knew,  takinjT  into  consideration  the  fact  that  the 
subject,  though  in  itself  interesting,  is  nevertheless  difficult  and 
often  tedious  because  of  its  intricacy  and  the  tax  on  memory;  it 
is  not  always  an  easy  matter  to  fix  the  attention  of  the  listeners,  but 
he  was  most  aptly  fitted  for  his  work.  He  had  a  peculiar  impressive- 
ness  of  manner,  a  most  ready  flow  of  speech  and  a  musical  voice  — 
indeed,  he  would  have  made  a  splendid  orator  —  adhering  closely  to  his 
subject  matter,  yet  the  very  instant  he  found  that  a  recital  of  dry  details 
was  becoming  tedious,  he  most  adroitly  managed  to  introduce  some 
apt  illustration  or  anecdote  or  some  reference  to  comparative  an- 
atomy, which  at  once  revived  the  interest."  This  refers  to  Dr.  Miles 
in  the  very  early  years  of  his  work  as  a  lecturer  —  larger  experience 
and  more  thorough  culture  have  served  to  develop  the  qualities  indi- 
cated, and  to  place  him  in  the  first  rank  of  American  professors  of 
the  science  of  medicine. 

WILLIAM  PORCHER  MILES, 

the  second  son  of  James  S.  Miles  and  his  wife  Sarah  Bond  Warley, 
daughter  of  Maj.  Felix  Warley  of  the  Revolutionary  army,  was  born 
on  the  4th  of  July,  1822.  He  was  educated  at  the  schools  of  Mr. 
Southworth  and  at  Dr.  Waddell's,  the  Willington  academy  in  Abbe- 
ville district,  at  which  both  his  father  and  his  elder  brother,  the  Rev. 
James  Warley  Miles,  had  also  been  taught,  and  graduated  at  he 
Charleston  college,  taking  the  first  honors  in  the  class.  Mr. 
Miles  studied  law  with  Edward  McGrady,  Esq.,  but  before  being  ad- 
mitted to  the  bar,  became  tutor  of  mathematics  in  the  college  of 
Charleston,  and  then  assistant  professor.  In  1855  a  dreadful  epi- 
demic of  yellow  fever  visited  Norfolk,  Va.,  and  as  there  were  but 
very  few  of  the  inhabitants  of  that  city  who  were  not  subject  to  the 
disease,  in  a  short  time  there  was  a  great  need,  not  only  for  phy- 
sicians, but  for  nurses  who  were  acclimated  to  the  disease,  and  so 
were  not  liable  to  an  attack  of  it.  This  need  soon  became  a  dire 
and  pressing  necessity,  and  appeals  were  made  to  the  more  southern 
cities  for  nurses — manj'  actually  dying  for  the  want  of  attention. 
Mr.  Miles  was  then  just  about  to  take  his  summer  vacation  in  the 
mountains  of  Virginia;  but,  touched  with  the  appeal,  and  believing 
himself  not  subject  to  the  disease,  he  at  once  abandoned  his  sojourn 
in  the  mountains,  and  went  to  Norfolk  and  offered  himself  as  a 
nurse.  There  he  remained  until  the  epidemic  had  spent  itself,  all 
the  while  giving  himself  w'ith  the  utmost  devotion  to  the  relief  of  the 
sick  and  the  care  of  the  dying,  not  sparing  himself  in  the  perform- 
ance of  the  most  menial  services.  This  heroic  and  self-sacrificing 
conduct  excited  a  thrill  of  admiration  throughout  his  own  com- 
munity, as  it  brought  to  him  the  gratitude  of  those  he  had  thus  so 
nobly  served. 

It  happened  that  just  at  this  time  the  regular  democratic  party  in 
the  state  was  threatened  with  a  division  from  the  native  American  or 
know-nothing  movement  which  had  just  arisen.     In  casting  about  for 


66o  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

a  candidate  for  the  mayoralty  of  Charleston,  who  would  be  free  from 
past  encumbrances  of  recorci  and  yet  strong  enough  to  meet  the  pop- 
ular candidate  who  had  been  put  up  by  the  know-nothings,  Mr. 
Richardson,  the  name  of'  Mr.  Miles  was  suggested  as  one  around 
which  there  was  just  at  that  time  an  interest  and  sympathy  which  was 
likely  to  touch  the  popular  heart  and  to  give  him  great  strength.  He 
was  written  to,  and  asked  if  he  would  allow  his  name  to  be  used  as 
the  candidate  of  the  democracy.  He  replied,  authorizing  his  friends 
to  accept  the  nomination  for  him,  provided  it  did  not  require  him  to 
leave  the  self-imposed  duty  which  he  had  assumed  in  Norfolk.  So 
while  the  canvass  waged  at  home  he  continued  to  serve  the  poor  and 
nurse  the  sick  in  Norfolk.  His  absence  under  the  circumstances 
made  him  all  the  more  formidable  as  a  candidate.  He  returned,  after 
the  cessation  of  the  fever  in  Norfolk,  in  time  to  make  but  one  or  two 
addresses,  and  was  elected  by  a  handsome  majority.  Mr.  Miles  was 
thus  almost  accidentally  thrust  into  public  life  without  his  having 
sought  it,  and  elected  mayor  of  the  city  without  the  least  experience 
in  public  affairs.  But  for  this  he  was  all  the  stronger.  Throwing  him- 
self at  once  into  the  duties  of  his  otfice  with  the  same  zeal  and  energy 
which  had  carried  him  to  Norfolk,  he  initiated  and  carried  on  a  most 
vigorous  administration,  which  is  yet  remembered  as  one  of  the  ablest 
with  which  Charleston  has  ever  been  blessed.  Among  his  measures 
was  the  reorganization  of  the  city  police,  and  the  inauguration  of  a 
system  of  tidal  drainage. 

Again  accidental  circumstances  conspired  to  make  the  way  for 
him  to  still  higher  position  without  his  seeking  it.  Just  before  the  close 
of  his  administration  as  ma^'or,  in  the  midst  of  a  bitter  canvass  for 
member  of  congress  from  the  Charleston  tiistrict,  circumstances  in- 
duced the  candidate  of  the  conservative  party,  as  against  that  of  the 
extreme  party  of  the  day,  to  withdraw  from  the  canvass,  and  Mr. 
Miles  was  again  turned  to  and  taken  up  and  elected  without  the 
slightest  anticipation  on  his  part.  Hethus  found  himself  within  two 
years  taken  from  the  quiet  class-room  in  the  college,  made  maj'or  of 
the  city  and  then  its  representative  in  congress. 

Mr.  Miles  was  re-elected  in  1S5S,  and  again  in  1S60,  and  was  a 
member  of  the  house  of  representatives  in  Washington  when  the  war 
broke  out.  He  was  elected  also  a  member  of  the  convention  which 
met  in  December,  i860,  and  passed  the  ordinance  of  secession.  In 
the  convention  he  was  chairman  of  the  committee  on  foreign  rela- 
tions, and  was  by  it  elected  a  deputy  from  the  state  of  South  Carolina 
to  the  convention  which  framed  the  constitution  of  the  Confederate 
states,  and  upon  the  organization  of  the  government  of  the  Confed- 
erate states  he  was  elected  as  a  member  of  its  congress  from  the 
Charleston  district,  and  in  that  body  was  chairman  of  the  military 
committee,  a  most  important  position  during  the  war,  which  he  tilled 
with  great  ability. 

During  the  bombardment  of  Fort  Sumter,  Mr.  Miles  acted  as  a 
volunteer  aid  to  Gen.  Beauregard,  and  as  such,  together  with  Louis  T. 
Wigfall,  elected  S.  D.  Lee  and  Roger  A.  Pryor,  afterward  general  of- 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  66l 

ficers  in  the  Confederate  army,  he  arranged  the  terms  of  the  surrender 
of  Major  Anderson  and  his  garrison  on  April  13,  1861.  Mr.  Miles 
went  to  Virginia  with  Gen.  Beauregard  and  served  upon  his  staff  with 
the  rank  of  colonel  in  the  first  battle  of  Manassas,  after  which  he 
returned  to  Richmond,  to  attend  to  his  duties  as  a  member  of  con- 
gress. Mr.  Miles  having  married  a  daughter  of  Oliver  Berne,  Esq., 
of  Virginia,  after  the  war  he  settled  in  Nelson  county,  in  that  state, 
where  he  resided  until  called  to  assume  the  presidency  of  the  Univer- 
sity of  South  Carolina,  at  Columbia,  in  1S83.  This  position  he  held 
until  he  resigned  it  to  take  charge  of  the  large  sugar  in- 
terests of  his  father-in-law,  Mr.  Berne,  in  Louisiana.  Mr.  Miles 
possesses  all  the  characteristics  which  have  distinguished  his  four 
brothers,  the  same  love  of  books  and  of  learning,  the  same  refined 
tastes,  and  the  same  oratorical  gifts  of  voice  and  manner.  Called 
from  the  retirement  of  a  college  professor,  where  in  the  quiet  class 
room  he  was  teaching  the  boys  the  principles  of  mathematics,  with- 
out difficulty  he  assumed  the  leadership  of  a  great  political  party  and 
with  ease  entered  upon  the  practical  administration  of  the  affairs  of 
a  large  city,  achieving  for  his  administration  a  reputation  which  con- 
tinues to  mark  it  as  one  of  the  most  efficient  which  the  city  has  ever 
had.  From  the  mayoralty  to  congress,  from  congress  to  the  field, 
and  from  the  field  again  to  the  councils  of.'the  country,  he  has  filled 
every  position  to  which  he  was  called  with  equal  grace,  ability  and 
fidelity. 

CHARLES  RICHARDSON  MILES, 

the  fifth  of  the  distinguished  sons  of  James  S.  Miles  and  his  wife,  who 
was  Sarah  Bond  Warley,  daughter  of  Maj.  Felix  Warley,  of  the  Re- 
volutionary army,  was  born  in  St.  Matthew's  parish,  Orangeburg  dis- 
trict (now  county),  August  3,  1829,  and  received  his  early  education 
in  the  city  of  Charleston  at  the  school  of  Mr.  George  Buist.  He  was 
graduated  at  the  Charleston  college  in  184Q,  dividing  the  first  honor 
with  his  friend  Samuel  Lord,  who  in  the  years  after  at  the  same  bar 
has  been  no  less  distinguished.  After  graduating,  he  entered  the  of- 
fice of  the  Hon.  Isaac  W.  Hayne,  the  attorney-general  of  the  state, 
and  was  admitted  to  practice  in  the  spring  of  the  year  1851.  Upon 
his  admission  to  the  bar,  Mr.  Hayne  appointed  him  his  deputy  to  rep- 
resent him  in  the  state  and  city  courts,  and  in  1854  took  him  into 
partnership.  Mr.  Miles'  connection  with  Mr.  Hayne,  the  attorney- 
general,  gave  him  a  large  experience  in  criminal  practice.  In  the 
position  of  assistant  attorney-general,  an  opportunity  was  afforded 
Mr.  Miles  of  early  distinguishing  himself.  A  criminal  case  occurred 
which  excited  great  interest.  A  woman  was  indicted  for  robbery 
from  the  person,  and  in  the  absence  of  the  attorney-general  it  fell  to 
Mr.  iNIiles,  as  his  deputy,  to  prosecute  this  case.  The  woman  was  de- 
fended by  a  lawyer  of  great  eloquence  and  of  large  experience  in 
criminal  practice.  This  lawyer,  in  an  extraordinary  burst  of 
eloquence,  carried  away  the  audience  to  such  an  extent  as  to  pro- 


662  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

duce  a  long,  loud  roar  of  applause  as  he  took  his  seat.  The  presid- 
ing judge,  in  rebuking  this  outburst,  ordered  the  sheriff  to  arrest 
anyone  whom  he  had  observed  as  joining  in  it.  This  was  very  em- 
barrassing, as  there  were  few  in  the  audience  who  had  not  been  so 
carried  away  as  to  refrain  from  joining  in  the  cheer.  Mr.  Miles,  for- 
tunately with  great  self-possession,  rose  and  requested  his  honor  to 
revoke  the  order  and  allow  those  who  had  attempted  to  interfere 
with  the  administration  of  justice  to  remain  to  see  that  the  prosecut- 
ing officer  of  the  state  was  not  to  be  intimidated  in  the  performance 
of  his  dut}';  and  having  thus  turned  to  his  own  advantage  the  incident, 
he  proceeded  in  a  most  admirable  argument,  and  with  scarcely  less 
eloquence  than  that  of  the  counsel  for  the  defense,  to  press  the  prose- 
cution. The  woman  was  acquitted,  but  Mr.  Miles  left  the  court  room 
with  an  established  reputation. 

In  1862  Mr.  Miles  acted  as  district-attorney  of  the  Confederate 
states,  in  the  place  of  Gen.  James  Connor,  and  as  such  conducted 
with  great  ability  the  sequestration  cases,  in  which  he  was  opposed 
by  the  most  distinguished  members  of  the  Charleston  bar — James  L. 
Petigru,  Edward  McGrady  and  Nelson  Mitchell.  After  the  war  Mr. 
Miles  resumed  the  practice  of  his  profession,  and  in  1869  he  formed 
a  co-partnership  with  the  Hon.  Henry  D.  Lesesne,  a  chancellor  of 
the  state,  who  had  just  been  deposed  by  the  reconstruction  measures. 
From  that  time  Mr.  Mifes  was  identified  with  all  the  movements  to 
secure  good  government  for  his  city  and  state.  He  was  prominent 
in  unmasking  the  rascality  of  the  commissioners  of  election  under 
the  reconstruction  act,  in  the  contested  mayoralty  election,  between 
Lesesne,  the  democratic,  and  Pillsbury,  the  radical  candidate,  and 
again,  in  1873,  in  exposing  the  more  flagrant  rascalitj'  of  the  board  of 
commissioners  of  election,  under  the  same  rule,  in  defrauding  Gen. 
Wagoner,  the  conservative  candidate,  out  of  his  election  as  mayor. 
Mr.  Miles  also  took  a  prominent  part  in  the  tax  unions  and  tax-payers' 
conventions  of  1871  and  1874.  Mr.  Miles  took  an  active  part  in  the 
struggle  of  1876,  which  resulted  in  the  election  of  Gen.  Hampton  as 
governor,  and  was  a  member  of  the  convention  which  nominated 
him.  In  1887  he  was  associated  with  Attorney-Gen.  James  Connor, 
and  gave  valuable  assistance  in  the  criminal  prosecutions  instituted 
against  Cardoza,  Smalls,  Pattison  and  others,  for  their  frauds  against 
the  state.  In  1878  he  was  elected  a  member  of  the  house  of  repre- 
sentatives, and  introduced  the  bill  which  repealed  the  act  allowing 
divorces  in  South  Carolina,  which  had  been  passed  by  the  radical 
legislature,  thus  restoring  the  time-honored  policy  of  the  state, , which 
under  its  own  rule  has  never  permitted  a  divorce  for  any  cause.  In 
188:?  he  was  elected  attorney-general,  and  was  again  elected  in  1884. 

As  attorney-general,  he,  among  other  important  services,  success- 
fully resisted  the  case  brought  to  reconsider  the  decision  of  the  state 
supreme  court  in  the  "  bond  debt "  cases,  which  had  declared  invalid 
a  large  portion  of  the  bond  debts  created  by  the  radical  legislature. 
The  supreme  court  re-affirmed  the  decision  in  these  cases,  and 
affirmed  Mr.  Miles'  position,  which  rested  upon  the  ground  that  the 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  663 

question  depended  upon  the  construction  of  a  state  statute.  The 
case  was  art^ued  in  the  supreme  court  of  the  United  States  by  Mr. 
Miles'  successor,  as  attorney-general,  the  Hon.  Joseph  II.  Earle,  and 
the  construction  by  the  state  supreme  court  of  the  state  statute  was 
affirmed.  Mr.  Miles,  as  attorney-general,  argued  before  the  supreme 
court  of  the  United  States  the  appeals  of  the  state  from  Judge  Bond's 
decisions,  holding  the  state  liable  for  the  entire  issue  of  the  "revenue 
bond  scrip,"  by  the  Blue  Ridge  railroad,  amounting  to  $1,800,000, 
and  enjoining  the  state  from  collecting  taxes  on  the  property  of  the 
holders  of  such  scrip.  The  supreme  court  held  that  the  state  was  a 
necessary  party  to  these  suits,  and  that  therefore  the  courts  of  the 
United  States  were  without  jurisdiction. 

In  the  early  years  of  his  practice  Mr.  Miles  had  a  large  experience 
as  a  prosecuting  officer,  an  experience  which  peculiarly  fitted  him 
for  the  leading  part  he  took  in  the  political  trials  that  ensued  during 
the  infamous  rule  of  negroes  and  strangers  in  the  state,  and  in  the 
overthrow  of  that  government.  He  was  thus  enabled  to  be  of  the 
greatest  service  in  the  prosecution  of  the  wrongs  committed  and  in 
the  defense  of  those  who  were  arrainged  for  their  political 
faith  in  those  troublesome  times.  But  Mr.  Miles  is  much  more  than 
a  criminal  lawyer.  Thoroughly  grounded  in  all  the  branches  of  his 
profession,  he  is  equally  proficient  as  a  common  law  and  equity  law- 
yer. He  possesses  in  a  marked  degree  the  peculiar  eloquence  which 
has  distinguished  his  family,  and  so  has  always  been  an  able  advocate 
before  juries,  whether  in  criminal  or  civil  actions;  but  in  his  present 
position  as  a  master  in  chancery  Mr.  Miles  exhibits  his  thorough  learn- 
ing in  his  profession,  and  great  abilities  as  an  equity  lawyer. 

Mr.  Miles  is  an  Episcopalian,  and  has  taken  great  interest  in  the 
affairs  of  the  church.  He  has  represented  St.  Philip,  the  mother 
church  of  the  diocese,  in  the  diocesan  convention,  and  has  been  the 
solicitor  for  its  vestry  and  wa'rdens  for  more  than  thirty  years.  Mr. 
Miles  is  a  scholar,  and  from  his  youth  has  been  devoted  to  literature, 
not  only  in  the  gratification  of  his  own  tastes,  but  in  its  extension  for 
the  benefit  of  others.  He  is  the  president  of  the  board  of  trustees  of 
the  Charleston  college,  a  trustee  of  the  high  school  of  Charleston,  and 
a  trustee  of  the  medical  college.  He  is  also  president  of  the  St. 
Celia  society,  a  society  which  for  more  than  a  century  and  a  quarter 
has  been  the  foremost  social  organization  of  the  state.  Mr.  Miles 
married,  in  1S5S,  Mary,  daughter  of  William  Mazyck,  and  has  three 
children:  a  son,  William  Mazyck  Miles,  and  two  daughters,  Anne, 
the  wife  of  Francis  Hanchel,  and  Sarah  Belle  Miles. 

EDWARD  REID  MILES, 

third  son  of  James  S.  Miles  and  Sarah  (Bond)  Warley,  daughter  of 
Maj.  Felix  Warley,  of  the  Revolutionary  war,  was  born  November  23, 
1S24.  He  was  educated  in  Charleston  at  the  school  of  Mr.  George 
Buist,  and  at  the  college  of  Charleston.  The  first  keen  disappoint- 
ment of  his  life  was  an   illness  during  his  last  year  at  college,  which 


664  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

kept  him  from  graduating  with  his  class.  At  the  early  age  of  nine- 
teen he  began  to  teach,  and  continued  as  a  teacher  of  boys  for  over 
twenty  years;  his  belief  that  during  that  period  he  had  done  the  best 
work  of  his  life  was  justified  by  the  expression  of  his  many  pupils, 
who  always  gratefully  acknowledge  what  they  owe  to  his  training  and 
example.  He  taught  in  the  schools  of  Christopher  Coats,  Searle  & 
Miles,  and  Searle,  INIiles  &  Satchleben,  and  also  in  Abbeville  and 
Anderson.  Becoming,  in  early  life,  deeply  religious,  his  young  man- 
hood was  pure  and  high.  He  entered  the  ministry  of  the  Episcopal 
church  in  i86q,  being  ordained  deacon  on  the  2gth  of  December,  of 
that  year;  and  priest  on  May  17,  1871.  There  was  no  question  in  the 
minds  of  those  who  knew  Mr.  Miles  as  to  his  intellectual  fitness  for 
his  high  office,  but  how  was  he  to  meet  the  requirements  of  a  parish 
priest.  To  their  surprise  he  proved  a  devoted  pastor.  The  writing 
of  sermons  and  close  study  of  theological  dogmas  were  lesser  duties 
in  his  estimation,  and  at  any  time,  night  or  day,  the  study  gown  was 
thrown  aside  and  he  went  forth  gladly  to  whisper  J:he  name  of  Israel 
in  the  ear  of  the  dying,  to  soothe  the  ill  child  and  to  comfort  the 
afflicted.  After  mission  labors  in  the  upper  part  of  the  state,  he 
served  as  rector  of  the  parishes  of  Newberry  and  Anderson,  of  Ab- 
beville, and  of  Grace  church,  Camden.  He  then  accepted  the  charge 
of  St.  Stephen's  church,  Charleston,  and  two  years  later  became  rector 
of  St.  Luke's.  This  parish,  founded  by  his  own  devoted  friend,  Rev. 
C.  P.  Gadsden,  extended  a  peculiar  welcome  to  Mr.  Miles,  and  his 
ministry  there  was  very  acceptable.  The  congregation  of  St.  Luke's 
erected  in  the  church  a  memorial  tablet  of  ecclesiastical  brass,  with 
a  marble  background,  with  the  record,  "This  memorial  is  the  affec- 
tionate tribute  of  the  congregation  for  whom  were  expended  the  last 
energies  of  a  life  devoted  to  the  Master's  service." 

One  peculiarly  fitted  to  do  so  writes  thus  of  Mr.  Miles,  from  the 
period  in  his  life  where  he  gave  up  teaching  and  entered  the  ministry: 
"I  was  associated  with  Mr.  Miles  in  an  unusually  intimate  way  for 
four  years,  during  which  time  the  momentous  question  of  the  Chris- 
tian ministry  was  pressing  for  a  final  decision  on  his  mind.  I'his 
crisis  in  his  life  passed  before  my  eyes,  gave  me  a  rare  opportunity  to 
study  the  springs  and  motives  of  his  character,  and  what  I  observed 
I  will  endeavor  to  record.  His  physical  organization,  naturally  deli- 
cate and  sensitive,  had  been  refined  by  pain.  He  had  the  sensibili- 
ties and  temperament  of  a  poet,  with  a  passionate  and  enthusiastic 
love  of  natui-e,  such  as  I  have  never  seen  equaled.  Occasionally  a 
poetic  fever  would  seize  him,  for  which  there  was  no  remedy  but 
verse,  but  he  rarely  indulged  powers  which  he  might  successfully  have 
cultivated.  He  would  have  been  irrital)le,  but  that  his  moral  nature 
was  even  more  delicately  and  highly  organized  than  his  physical. 
There  never  lived  a  man  of  a  nicer  and  truer  sense  of  honor.  He 
controlled  his  often  overwrought  sensibilities  and  absolved  himself 
from  no  claim  of  courtesy  or  thoughtful  consideration  for  others.  He 
was  in  the  finest  and  most  attractive  sense  'old-fashioned;'  not  only 
so  in  his  highly  cultivated  literary  tastes,  but   more  so  still   in   his 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  665 

quaint,  humor,  in  the  mixtures  ot  formality  with  simplicity  in  his 
manners,  in  his  strict  notions  of  propriety,  honesty  and  honor,  and  in 
his  'old  world'  elevation  of  sentiment  and  character.  He  was  a  man 
with  whom  no  one  would  feel  tempted  to  take  a  liberty;  who  would 
seem  to  strangers  reserved  and  ceremonious.  Yet  within  the  crust 
of  this  outward  seeming,  he  was  as  simple,  unaffected  and  often  as 
playful  as  a  child.  Indeed  he  loved  children  and  was  beloved  by 
them.  They  delighted  in  his  droll  stories  and  quaint  fun.  But  the 
substratum  and  all  pervading  inspiration  of  his  character  was  his 
profoundly  sincere  and  natural  religiousness.  The  deep  feeling  and 
reverence  for  holy  things  which  at  last  brought  him  into  the  ministry 
were  also  what  so  long  kept  him  out  of  it.  One  who  thought  and  felt 
less  deeply  would  have  acted  more  easily  and  quickly.  When  he  did 
enter  into  it  he  entered  it  wholly.  It  was  his  meat  and  drink  to  do 
his  Master's  work.  Under  what  difficulties,  physical  infirmity  and  of 
consequent  mental  toil  he  often  and  long  exercised  his  ministry,  no 
one  could  fully  know.  He  had  that  fortitude  which  suffers  silently 
and  secretly.  As  was  touchingly  said  of  him  when  he  died:  'Never 
did  soldier  mortally  wounded,  and  with  ebbing  life,  still  keep  his 
place  in  the  ranks,  and  face  the  enemy  until  he  fell,  with  a  more 
dauntless  courage  than  his.  A  standard  bearer,  not  a  falter  in  his 
flag  showed  that  he  who  carried  it  so  gallantly  was  death  struck.' 
After  years  of  separation  it  was  my  privilege  and  happiness  to  be 
with  him  again  during  the  last  weeks  of  his  life.  Such  suffering, 
such-self  control,  such  thoughtful  consideration  for  those  who  lovingly 
ministered  to  him,  such  triumph  of  faith,  hope  and  love!  —  how  can  I 
describe?  But  the  sanctities  of  that  final  strife  and  victory  are  only 
for  God  and  for  those  to  whom  the  memory  of  them  are  an  everlast- 
ing benediction." 

Mr.  Miles'  mind  was  not  analytical  and  religious  speculation  had 
no  charm  for  him.  The  revelation  of  God  in  Christ  satisfied  every 
need  of  heart  and  mind.  He  had  the  keenest  appreciation  of  man's 
free  agencj^  and  consequently  of  the  divine  in  the  human.  The 
absorbing  work  of  his  life  was  to  help  men  to  be  God-like.  His 
church  was  entirely  satisfactory  to  him  and  it  was  his  delight  to  call 
attention  to  the  inexhaustible  riches  of  his  liturgy.  He  was  of  no 
party.  It  was  only  on  rare  occasions  his  voice  was  heard  in  the 
councils  of  the  church.  The  subject  under  discussion  had  to  be  one 
of  far-reaching  significance  to  rouse  him  to  give  expression  to  his 
views.  When  he  did  speak  his  fervid  eloquence  made  a  marked  im- 
pression. He  alwaj's  boldly  advocated  the  claims  of  the  laity  and 
held  with  Canon  Siddon  that  "  men  will  not  tolerate  the  love  of 
spiritual  power  as  power  for  its  ow-n  sake.  It  would  then  be  seen 
that  in  the  Christian  church  the  difference  between  clergy  and  laity 
is  only  the  difference  in  the  degree  in  which  certain  spiritual  powers 
are  conferred  —  that  it  is  not  a  difference  of  kind."  His  versatility 
made  him  acceptable  to  the  most  opposite  characters.  The  fastidious 
woman  of  the  world  was  surprised  at  the  quick  repartee  she  excited 
and  at  feeling  herself  thoroughly  understood  by  him.   The  old  night- 


666  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

watchman  who  had  not  crossed  the  threshold  of  a  church  for  forty 
years  found  himself  tottering  up  the  aisle  to  please  the  man  who 
cared  enough  for  him  to  ask  him  to  come,  and  the  plumber  who 
mended  the  gas  pipes  in  his  home  was  there  with  wife  and  child  and 
always  said  the  kind  interest  in  him  had  come  at  a  critical  time  in 
his  life  and  saved  him.  The  weary  old  sinner  in  a  corner  far  back 
was  surprised  to  find  a  tear  in  his  eye  and  to  hear  that  he  was  not  alto- 
gether wicked.  And  so  it  was  that  in  the  congregation  to  whom  he 
ministered  you  found  representatives  from  every  class  in  life.  His 
love  of  life  was  a  remarkable  characteristic.  No  discouragements, 
no  losses,  no  stress  of  physical  suffering  ever  lessened  his  desire  of 
life. 

whatever  crazy  sorrow  saith, 

No  life  that  breathes  with  liuman  breath 

Has  ever  truly  longed  for  death. 

'Tis  life  whereof  our  nerves  are  scant 
Oh  life  not  deatli,  for  which  we  pant. 
More  life  and  fuller,  that  I  want. 

With  the  great  bishop  of   St.  David's,  he  found  life  "perfectly 
beautiful." 


JAMES  WARLEY  MILES, 

the  eldest  child  of  James  S.  Miles  and  his  wife,  who  was  Sarah  Bond 
Warley,  daughter  of  Major  Felix  Warley,  of  the  Revolutionary  army, 
was  born  in  South  Carolina,  on  November  24,  1818.  He  was  educated 
in  Charleston,  and  at  the  school  of  Mr.  James  Waddell,  successor  of 
Moses  Waddell,  at  Willington,  and  at  the  South  Carolina  college. 
He  studied  law  with  Hon.  Henry  Bailey,  attorney-general  of  South 
Carolina,  but  abandoned  that  profession  for  the  ministry  of  the  Epis- 
copal church.  He  was  among  the  founders  of  the  mission  to  Nashotah, 
\vhich  has  since  yielded  results  of  so  much  magnitude,  but,  in  submis- 
sion to  the  wish  of  his  bishop,  he  gave  up  his  desire  to  embark  in 
that  work  and  remained  in  South  Carolina,  where  his  first  charge  was 
the  church  of  St.  David,  Cheraw,  in  which  church  a  memorial  window 
has  recently  been  erected  to  him.  He  subsequently  went  as  missionary 
to  the  east,  and  spent  several  years  in  Constantinople.  Returning  to 
South  Carolina  he  became  at  different  periods  rector  of  the  Episco- 
pal church  on  John's  Island,  assistant  minister  of  St.  Michael's  church, 
Charleston,  rector  of  Grace  church,  Camden,  professor  of  Greek 
language  and  literature  in  the  college  of  Charleston,  and  librarian 
of  the  college.  After  the  state  of  his  health  necessitated  his  with- 
drawal from  the  active  work  of  the  ministry,  he  preached  occa- 
sionally in  various  Episcopal  churches  in  Charleston,  and  at  the  time 
of  his  death  was  filling  the  pulpit  of  Grace  church,  CharU^ston,  in  the 
absence  of  the  rector. 

Mr.  Miles  was  a  man  of  great  and  varied  learning,  and  a  preacher 
of  remarkable  force  and  power.  The  following  extract  from  a  ser- 
mon preached  in  his  memory  l)y  the  Rev.  C.C.  Pinckney,  rector  of 


SOUTH  CAROLINA.  667 

Grace  church,  Charleston,  will  afford  some  idea  of  the  estimation  in 
which  he  was  held  by  his  contemporaries:  "  In  the  death  of  Rev. 
James  W.  Miles  our  church  in  this  diocese  has  suffered  a  loss  not 
easily  repaired.  Nay,  you  may  search  the  Episcopal  church  in 
America  without  finding  a  more  accomplished  or  better  furnished  in- 
tellect. His  scholarship  was  marked  by  an  accuracy  not  often  at- 
tained in  our  compressed  system  of  education.  Mis  learning  was 
varied  and  profound.  He  had  made  extensive  researches  in  ethnol- 
ogy and  philology.  His  love  of  languages  was  insatiable.  He  read 
between  thirty  and  forty.  At  my  last  interview  with  him,  on  an  in- 
tensely hot  evening  in  July,  I  found  him  in  bed  reading  a  Sanskrit 
poem.  His  eloquence  was  of  a  very  high  order.  His  conceptions 
were  so  -elevated,  his  language  so  exact  and  so  majestic,  that  he  en- 
lightened and  ennobled  whatever  he  touched.  The  beauty  of  his 
elocution  was  one  of  his  peculiarities.  Every  intonation  coincided 
with  the  emotion  of  his  mind  and  deepened  the  impression  which  he 
sought  to  make.  *  *  *  *  pjjg  tenderness  of  heart  fired  his 
lofty  imagination  and  enabled  him  to  draw  those  vivid  pictures 
which  have  so  often  touched  and  delighted  his  hearers.  His  views 
were  broad,  his  sympathies  Catholic,  seeking  and  finding  affinities  in 
every  land  and  every  church.  His  range  of  thought  was  very  wide. 
He  kept  abreast  of  the  intellectual  current  of  the  age,  and  watched 
keenly  the  philosophic  systems  which  control  the  church  and  the 
world.  I  doubt  if  anj^  other  man  in  the  south  is  as  familiar  with  the 
literature,  philosophy  and  theology  of  the  day." 

To  this  eloquent  and  truthful  tribute  it  is  hardly  necessary  to  add 
many  words.  Something  may  perhaps  be  said  here,  however,  with 
regard  to  the  peculiar  characteristics  of  Mr.  Miles  as  a  preacher.  It 
is  much  to  be  regretted  that  no  volume  of  his  sermons  has  as  yet 
been  published.  But  no  one  who  had  never  heard  the  preacher  could 
fully  understand  the  wonderful  charm  with  which  those  sermons 
came  to  the  hearer's  heart.  The  printed  page  must  go  forth  to  the 
world  at  a  comparative  disadvantage,  for  in  Mr.  Miles's  preaching 
matter  and  manner  was  so  perfectly  accorded,  and  that  manner 
was  so  unique,  so  characteristic,  and  withal  so  singularly 
winning  and  attractive,  that  even  the  most  eloquent  words 
seem  shorn  of  a  peculiar  beauty  and  power  when  presented  in  anj' 
other  way  than  through  the  medium  of  the  speaker's  voice.  That 
voice  was  a  very  remarkable  one.  It  was  not  strong,  but  it  was  in  it- 
self of  singular  sweetness  and  flexibilitj' >and  it  was  modulated 
with  the  most  perfect  art.  Absolutely  without  affectation  or  artifice, 
simple  to  excess  almost  in  his  air  and  manner,  never  using  a  gesture 
except  a  rare  and  apparently  involuntary  motion  of  one  hand,  he 
nevertheless  produced  by  his  voice  alone  all  the  effects  of  the  most 
impassioned  oratory.  Utterly  untheatrical,  he  was  thoroughly  and 
in  the  highest  sense  dramatic.  There  are  certain  sentences  and 
passages  in  some  of  his  sermons  which  must  always  live  in  the 
memory  of  those  who  once  listened  to  them.     And  the  power  of  the 


668  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

voice  was  even  greater  in  reading  tlian  in  preaching.  The  purity, 
simplicity  and  intense  reverence  with  which  he  rendered  the  prayers 
and  offices  of  the  church  were  only  equaled  by  the  perfect  literary, 
and  elocutionary  skill  which  gave  to  every  syllable  its  exact  weight, 
and  to  every  thought  its  complete  and  accurate  expression.  His 
reading  of  the  burial  service  was  itself  a  majestic  piece  of  eloquence. 
It  is  a  noteworthy  circumstance  that  this  office  was  the  last  he  ever 
performed.  He  rose  from  a  sick  bed  to  conduct  the  funeral  services 
of  a  member  of  the  congregation  of  Grace  church.  In  less  than  a 
week  thereafter  he  was  dead. 


JOHN  BELTON  O'NEALL 

(deceased)  was  the  son  of  Hugh  O'Neall  and  Anne  Kelly,  his  wife, 
both  of  whom  were  members  of  the  Society  of  Friends,  on  Bush 
river,  Newberry  district,  S.  C,  and  consequently  he  was,  by  his  birth- 
right, a  member.  His  ancestry  on  both  sides  were  Irish,  his  paternal 
great-grandfather  belonging  to  the  ancient  house  of  O'Neall  of 
Shane's  Castle,  Antrim,  Ireland.  His  maternal  grandfather,  Samuel 
Kelly,  was  of  King's  county,  and  his  grandmother,  Hannah  Belton, 
was  of  Queen's  county,  Ireland;  so  that  he  may  rank  as  a  full-blooded 
Irish-American.  He  was  born  April  lo,  1793,  about  half  a  mile  below 
Bobo's  Mills,  on  Bush  river.  At  his  earliest  recollection  his  father 
removed  to  the  mills,  and  there  his  boyhood  was  spent.  He  began 
to  go  to  school  when  he  was  five  j^ears  old.  A  young  man,  the  son  of 
a  friend  of  his  father's,  boarded  at  his  house  and  went  to  "  Master 
Howe"  (as  the  teacher,  James  Howe,  was  familiarly  called),  about 
one  mile  and  a  half  distant.  He  took  the  child-like  pupil  with  him 
day  by  da}',  carrying  him  across  the  branches  on  his  back.  The 
other  children  of  his  father  were  girls.  They  were  all  remarkable 
for  talents.  His  eldest  sister,  Abigail,  went  to  school  with  him,  and 
learned  more  rapidly  than  he  did.  She  is  still  alive,  and  is  the  widow 
of  John  Caldwell,  Esq.  His  two  next  sisters,  Rebecca  and  Hannah, 
have  long  been  tenants  of  the  "silent  house."  In  1S04,  a  library  so- 
ciety was  organized  at  Newberry,  of  which  his  father  was  a  member. 
The  books  were  selected  and  bought  in  the  city  of  Boston,  by  Elijah 
Hammond,  the  father  of  Senator  Hammond.  This  afforded  to 
young  O'Neall  the  opportunity  of  reading,  a  taste  for  which  he  had 
acquired  by  Mr.  Howe  having  permitted  him  to  read,  under  his 
direction,  his  books,  of  which  he  had  a  pretty  good  selection.  He 
continued  to  go  to  English  schools,  with  slight  interruptions,  until 
1808.  Occasionally  he  was  employed  as  a  clerk  in  his  father's  store. 
At  the  schools  to  which  he  went  for  the  first  thirteen  years  of  his 
school  life,  he  learned  to  spell  and  read  well,  and  to  write  an  indifferr 
ent  hand,  and  came  to  understand  arithmetic  perfectly.  He  acquired 
great  facility  in  memorizing  promptly  whatever  was  put  in  his  hands. 
He  committed  to  memory,  in  an  hour,  the  gth  Chap,  of  2d  Kings. 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  669 

In  May,  1808,  he  became  a  pupil  of  the  Newberry  academy,  then  un- 
der the  care  of  the  Rev.  John  Foster.  He  pushed  his  young  pupil  for- 
ward much  too  rapidly.  By  January  he  had  him  reading  Virgil  with- 
out at  all  understanding  it,  as  he  should  have  done.  Young  O'Xeall 
became  a  thorough  Latin  scholar,  and  was  sufficiently  instructed  in 
Greek  and  all  the  branches  of  English  to  prepare  him  for  the  junior 
class  of  the  South  Carolina  college.  During  this  time  he  also  ac- 
quired the  habit  of  extemporaneous  speaking,  by  practicing  to  speak 
every  night.  In  I^ebruar}',  iSii,  young  O'Xeall  was  allowed  to  enter 
the  junior  class  of  the  South  Carolina  college.  In  December,  1812, 
he  graduated  with  the  second  honor  of  that  institution  —  the  ex- 
penses of  his  collegiate  education  having  been  paid  in  part  by  him- 
self, and  the  balance  out  of  his  father's  dilapidated  estate.  In  1813, 
for  about  six  months,  O'Neall  taught  in  the  Newberry  academy.  At  the 
end  of  that  time  he  devoted  himself  to  the  study  of  law,  in  the  office 
of  John  Caldwell,  Esq.  At  that  time  Anderson  Crenshaw,  Esq.,  af- 
terward Judge  Crenshaw,  of  Alabama,  lived  in  the  village;  he  gave 
O'Neall  free  access  to  his  library,  and  imparted  to  him  much  valuable 
instruction.  A  debating  society  then  existed  at  Newberry,  to  which 
the  young  men,  and  many  of  the  middle-aged,  belonged.  A  meeting 
was  held  every  Saturday,  and  subjects  debated  with  much  energy. 
O'Neall  there  improved  his  habit  of  extemporaneous  speaking  very 
much. 

In  May,  1S14,  he  was  admitted  to  the  practice  of  law  and  equity. 
He  immediately  entered  into  partnership  with  John  Caldwell,  Esq., 
(who  was  the  cashier  of  the  Branch  bank  of  the  state,  at  Columbia, 
and  had  removed  to  Columbia).  He  opened  his  office  at  Newberry, 
and  from  the  commencement  was  honored  with  a  large  and  lucrative 
practice.  His  first  equity  speech  was  made  at  Laurens,  before  Chan- 
cellor DeSaussure,  at  the  June  term  of  1814,  for  Washington  equity 
district.  The  chancellor's  approving  smile  was  of  great  benefit  to 
him  then,  and  so  was  his  friendship  ever  after.  At  the  October  elec- 
tion of  1816,  he  was  returned  third,  out  of  four  members  of  the  house 
of  representatives,  from  Newberry  district.  This  gave  him  the  op- 
portunity of  being  more  generally  known,  and  probably  furthered  his 
views  of  advancement.  On  the  2d  of  December,  1816,  the  deghee  of 
master  of  arts  was  conferred  on  him  by  the  South  Carolina  college. 
On  the  7th  of  August,  1817,  he  was  elected  from  the  rank  of  captain 
to  that  of  colonel  of  the  Eighth  and  Thirty-ninth  regiments  of  mili- 
tia. He  was  enthusiastically  fond  of  the  military,  and  soon  raised 
his  regiment  to  a  proud  position  as  militia.  The  whole  regiment  were 
devotedly  attached  to  their  colonel.  In  the  December  session  of  the 
general  assembly  of  that  year,  he  voted  for  the  increase  of  the  judges' 
salaries;  the  consequence  was,  that  at  the  elections  of  1818  and  1820 
he  was  left  at  home.  This  period  of  rest  from  political  pursuits,  he 
thought,  w^as  of  immense  advantage  to  him;  it  made  him  a  much 
better  lawyer,  and  increased  his  reputation  and  business.  In  1S16  he 
was  appointed  by  Gov.   Pickens,  one  of  his  aids,  with  the  rank  of 


670  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

lieutenant-colonel;  this  appointment  he  resigned  in  consequence  of 
his  election  as  colonel.  In  December,  1817,  he  was  elected  a  trustee 
of  his  alma  matci',  the  South  Carolina  college,  and  he  filled  that  office 
forty  years.  On  the  25th  of  June,  iSiS,  he  was  married  to  Helen, 
eldest  daughter  of  Cap..  Sampson  Pope  and  Sarah  Strother,  his  wife, 
of  Edgefield.  In  1S22  he  was  returned  second  to  the  house  of  repre- 
sentatives in  the  general  assembly  of  South  Carolina,  and,  by  succes- 
sive biennial  elections,  he  was  returned  in  1824  and  1826.  In  1824  and 
1826,  he  was  elected  speaker  of  the  house  of  representatives,  without 
opposition.  During  the  four  years  in  which  he  held  that  great  office 
there  was  only  a  single  appeal  from  his  decisions,  and  in  that  his  de- 
cision was  sustained.  No  reading  clerk  existed  at  his  first  term;  the 
consequence  was,  that  he  read  all  bills,  reports  and  resolutions. 

In  February,  1823,  he  was  elected  brigadier-general  of  the  Tenth 
brigade.  Fifth  division,  of  the  South  Carolina  militia;  and  on  the  20th 
of  August,  1825,  he  was  elected  and  commissioned  major-general  of 
the  Fifth  division.  In  that  and  the  previous  election  for  brigadier- 
general,  the  officers  of  the  Thirty-ninth  regiment  gave  him  a  unan- 
imous vote.  On  the  20th  of  December,  1S28,  John  Belton  O'Neall 
was  elected  and  commissioned  as  an  associate  judge.  On  the  first 
day  of  December,  1830,  Judge  O'Neall  was  elected  a  judge  of  the 
court  of  appeals,  and  entered  immediately  upon  his  duties.  With 
Johnson  and  Harper,  he  encountered  and  performed  the  labors  of  the 
court  of  appeals  —  Herculean  as  they  were  —  until  December,  1835. 
In  1846,  the  degree  of  LL.  D.  was  conferred  on  him  at  Columbia  col- 
lege. District  of  Columbia,  and  was  repeated  a  few  years  later  at  Wake 
Forest,  N.  C.  On  the  31st  of  December,  1832,  to  save  a  friend,  he 
abandoned  the  use  of  spirituous  liquors,  and  in  June  following  gave 
up  the  use  of  tobacco.  To  these  two  causes,  he  ascribed  his  health 
and  ability  to  perform  more  labor  than  most  men,  at  his  time  of  life. 
He  joined,  soon  after,  the  Head's  Spring  temperance  society,  New- 
berry district,  of  which  he  was  president.  He  became  a  teetotaler, 
and,  in  December,  1841,  he  was  appointed  president  of  the  state  tem- 
perance society.  In  1849,  he  joined  the  sons  of  temperance,  Butler 
division.  No.  16,  at  Newberry.  He  was  elected  G.  W.  P.  of  the  grand 
division  of  South  Carolina,  October,  1850;  and  in  June,  1852,  at  the 
city  of  Richmond,  Va.,  he  was  elected  and  installed  M.  W.  P.  of  the 
sons  of  temperance,  of  North  America.  He  attended,  in  1853  and  1854, 
the  annual  meetings  at  Chicago,  111.,  and  St.  John's,  New  Brunswick. 
Then,  he  surrendered  his  office  to  his  successor,  Samuel  L.  Telby,  of 
St.  John's.  In  the  spring  of  1834,  the  judge  and  his  wife  lost,  by  the 
scarlet  fever,  two  of  their  lovely  little  girls.  In  1837,  he  was  elected 
president  of  the  Newberry  Baptist  Bible  society.  To  this  office  he 
was  annually  elected,  and  much  good  was  accomplished  by  this 
society  under  his  direction.  He  was  elected  president  of  the  Bible 
board  of  the  Baptist  state  convention  in  July,  1858,  and  again  in  1859. 
He  was  elected  president  of  the  Newberry  district  agricultural  society 
in  1839,  and  annually  elected  thereafter.     The  good  accomplished  by 


/ 


%-^ 


% 


r 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  67  I 

that  society  is  known  by  the  fact,  that  Newberry  reclaimed  her  wasted 
fields  and  made  more  and  better  improvements  in  a^friculture  than 
any  other  district  in  the  state.  On  the  5th  of  Auj^ust,  1857,  the  crown- 
ing sorrow  of  their  lives  occurred  to  the  judge  and  his  wife.  Then, 
their  excellent  daughter,  Sarah  Strother  Harrington,  the  wife  of  Dr. 
Harrington,  their  only  surviving  child,  was  taken  from  them  by  death. 
They  were  consoled  by  the  fact  that  she  was  a  Christian,  and  that 
she  has  left  seven  representatives  (four  daughters  and  three  sons). 
Judge  O'Neall  wrote  and  labored  much  for  his  fellow-men.  He 
always  believed  where  he  could  contribute  even  a  mite  to  knowledge, 
education,  temperance,  religion  and  agriculture,  it  was  his  duty  to 
make  the  effort. 

HON.  H.  A.  MEETZE, 

present  member  of  the  South  Carolina  state  senate,  was  born  in  Lex- 
ington county,  S.  C,  in  1820.  His  father's  christian  name  was  John, 
and  the  maiden  name  of  his  mother  was  Anna  Caughman,  and  both 
were  natives  of  South  Carolina.  John  was  the  son  of  John  Y.  Meetze, 
a  Hessian  by  birth,  who  served  the  king  of  England  in  his  prosecu- 
tion of  the  war  with  the  American  colonies,  but  deserted  from  the 
English  army  at  Charleston,  and  joined  the  army  of  Gen.  Greene  at 
Bacon's  Bridge.  After  the  close  of  the  war,  he  settled  in  Lexing- 
ton county,  S.  C,  and,  being  a  man  of  more  than  ordinary  education 
and  ability,  began  preaching  in  the  Lutheran  church  —  which  profes- 
sion he  followed  until  the  close  of  his  life  —  and  preached  in  different 
portions  of  the  state  but  mostly  in  Lexington  county.  After  the  close 
of  the  war  he  was  married  to  Miss  Eva  M.  Gross,  of  his  adopted 
county.  There  was  born  to  this  union  four  sons  and  four  daughters. 
John  Meetze,  Jr.,  was  educated  in  the  German  language  at  first,  but 
afterward  supplemented  this  by  an  English  education.  He  began 
planting  early  in  life  and  followed  that  and  merchandising  until  his 
death.  He  was  the  father  of  four  sons  and  two  daughters  who 
reached  maturit3^  He  took  no  active  part  in  public  affairs,  but  was 
an  effective  member  of  the  church  throughout  his  life.  Hon.  H.  A. 
Meetze  was  educated  in  the  schools  of  his  county,  and  after  com- 
pleting his  education  he  entered  the  office  of  B.  F.  Saxon,  who  was 
the  commissioner  of  equity,  as  his  assistant,  and  while  there  he  began 
reading  law.  Mr.  Saxon's  death  occurring  the  following  year,  Mr. 
Meetze  was  appointed  to  succeed  him  as  principal.  He  was  elected 
by  the  legislature  the  ensuing  term,  and  held  the  office  until  it  was 
abolished  in  1868.  Previous  to  this,  however,  he  had  completed  the 
law  course  he  was  pursuing  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1843.  He 
was  not  permitted  to  practice  in  the  equity  courts  or  hold  any  politi- 
cal office  while  holding  the  office  of  commissioner  of  equity,  and  did 
not  commence  active  practice,  as  a  matter  of  course,  until  after  his 
office  was  abolished.  At  the  breaking  out  of  the  war,  in  1S61,  Mr. 
Meetze  enlisted  in  Gregg's  regiment,  and  served  si.x  months  during 
the  service  of  that  regiment   on  the  coast,  when  it  disbanded  and  he 


6/2  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

returned  home  and  organized  several  companies.  He  next  entered 
Company  K,  of  the  Thirteenth  South  Carolina  regiment,  as  a  pri- 
vate, but  was  soon  chosen  quartermaster,  serving  in  that  capacity  un- 
til 1S63,  when  he  was  obliged  to  resign  his  commission  on  account  of 
failing  health.  He  then  entered  the  tax  department  of  the  govern- 
ment, and  there  remained  until  the  close  of  the  war.  At  the  surren- 
der he  resumed  the  duties  of  commissioner  of  equity,  and,  as  before 
mentioned,  held  that  office  until  it  was  abolished  in  1868,  following 
which  he  practiced  law  until  his  election  to  the  legislature  in  1872. 

A  sketch  of  Mr.  Meetze's  official  career  will  be  found  in  the  fol- 
lowing portion  of  a  petition  to  the  legislature  by  the  people  of  Lex- 
ington county,  asking  his  appointment  as  chief-justice  of  the  supreme 
court:  "In  1S68,  immediately  after  the  reconstruction  acts  were 
passed,  and  when  the  tread  of  the  soldier  was  heard  in  almost  every 
town  in  the  state,  and  when  hope  seemed  to  have  departed  from  the 
bravest  men,  he  summoned  them  to  come  to  the  rescue  of  their 
county,  and  by  his  untiring  efforts  the  first  election  under  the  consti- 
tution was  carried  by  the  democrats  for  all  the  county  offices.  Also, 
largely  through  him  the  next  election  gave  the  county  offices  and  the 
legislature  to  the  democrats,  and  from  that  time  until  the  present, 
Lexington  has  always  stood  foremost  in  -the  democratic  ranks.  In 
1872,  as  soon  as  his  political  disabilities  were  removed  by  President 
Johnson,  he  was  sent  by  the  people  to  the  house  of  representatives, 
where  he  served  four  years.  In  these,  the  darkest  hours  of  our  state's 
history,  he  stood,  with  a  few  others,  manfully  by  his  post,  doing  what 
hec  ould  for  the  people  and  the  state.  The  first  two  years  he  was  chair- 
man of  the  judiciary  committee,  and  practically  filled  the  same 
position  the  two  last,  being  second  on  the  committee,  and,  the  chair- 
man being  feeble,  the  main  duty  devolved  on  him.  During  these 
four  years  many  eventful  scenes  transpired,  in  all  the  most  important 
of  which  he  was  an  active  participant.  Among  these  may  be  men- 
tioned the  attempt  to  impeach  Judge  Mackey,  and  the  actual  im- 
peachment of  Judge  Moses,  in  which  he  was  appointed  by  the  house 
as  one  of  the  managers,  and  the  impeachment  of  Cardozo.  In  the 
latter,  he  managed  the  impeachment,  and  had  to  meet  in  opposition 
the  best  legal  talent  of  the  state.  While  the  impeachment  failed,  his 
work  was  so  well  and  faithfully  done  that  it  gave  the  key  to  the 
fraudulent  issue  of  a  large  portion  of  the  state  debt,  and  it  afterward 
elucidated  that  matter,  by  which  the  state  was  relieved  of  about  one 
and  a  quarter  millions  of  this  infamous  debt.  In  addition  to  the 
above,  Senator  Meetze  for. twenty-eight  years  was  master  in  equity 
for  this  county  and  discharged  the  high  duties  of  that  office  to  the 
satisfaction  of  the  people,  the  bar  and  the  bench.  For  forty-five 
years  he  has  been  engaged  in  the  practice  of  his  profession  in  his 
county,  in  most  of  the  important  causes  therein  tried,  and  his  legal 
ability  is  admitted  by  all.  Of  mature  years,  ripe  judgment,  clear  and 
discriminating  mind,  broad  views,  and  an  innate  love  for  justice,  he 
fulfilled  in  an  eminent  degree  all  the  requirements  of  his  high  po- 
sitions."    Mr.  Meetze  was  married  in  1845,  and  again  in  1862.     He 


BRANT*  FULLER.  PUB5 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  673 

had  one  child  by  his  first  wife  and  four  by  his  second,  all  of  whom 
are  living.  Me  follows  farming  to  some  extent  in  Lexington  county, 
and  his  social  standing  is  of  the  highest  in  the  state.  lie  became  a 
member  of  th^  Lutheran  church  in  his  youthful  days  and  also  a  mem- 
ber of  the  mission  board  of  United  Synod  of  the  south. 

GEORGE  S.  BRYAN, 

of  Charleston,  S.  C,  was  born  May  21,  1809,  son  of  Jonathan 
Bryan,  a  Charleston  merchant,  and  grandson  of  George  Bryan, 
judge  of  the  supreme  court  of  Pennsylvania  and  delegate  from 
Pennsylvania  to  the  first  colonial  congress  (1765).  On  his  mother's 
side  he  came  of  the  Scotch  family  of  Lathams.  He  married  Re- 
becca L.  Dwight,  of  South  Carolina,  a  descendant  of  Johnson  and 
Broughton,  colonial  governors  of  South  Carolina,  and  alsd  a  descend- 
ant of  the  Huguenot  Marion.  He  was  educated  in  Charleston  and 
studied  law  in  the  office  of  the  scholar  and  jurist  Thomas  S.  Grimke, 
and  always  practiced  his  profession  in  that  city.  He  was  in  public 
life  an  ardent  Union  man  as  early  as  the  nullification  crisis  in 
South  Carolina.  For  many  years  he  was  one  of  the  leaders  of  the 
whig  party  in  South  Carolina,  with  Legare,  and  Petigru  and  others; 
and  under  the  then  famous  signature  of  "Crawford,"  and  in  the 
councils  of  the  whig  party,  he  exerted  a  strong  influence  upon  the 
political  history  of  the  period.  He  was  the  personal  friend  of  Henry 
Clay  and  for  years  his  constant  correspondent,  and  enjoyed  a  familiar 
intercourse  in  Washington  and  throughout  the  south  with  the  states- 
men of  the  country. 

At  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  war  he  and  Petigru  and  Perry  were 
the  chief  anti-secession  leaders  in  South  Carolina.  After  the  close 
of  the  war  he  was,  by  the  people  of  the  state,  and  by  resolution,  in 
1866,  of  the  first  white  legislature  assembled  in  South  Carolina  after 
the  war,  recommended  for  the  office  of  United  States  judge.  And 
under  the  then  existing  policy  at  Washington  of  restoring  the  Fed- 
eral civil  government  in  the  southern  states  through  the  aid  of  the 
conservative  forces  on  the  soil,  he  was,  in  April,  1866,  nominated  by 
the  president  and  confirmed  by  the  senate  of  the  United  States  as 
judge  of  the  United  States  for  the  district  of  South  Carolina,  a  posi- 
tion which  he  filled  for  more  than  twenty  years,  and  from  which  he 
resigned  in  September,  1886.  At  the  outset  of  his  judicial  career  he 
found  the  army  of  the  United  States  in  military  occupation  of  the 
State.  And  he  was  the  first  Federal  judge  in  the  south  to  protect  the 
right  of  trial  by  jury  against  the  arbitrary  power  of  martial  law,  and 
to  assert  the  civil  rule  and  the  law  of  the  open  courts  under  the  con- 
stitution of  the  United  States  by  the  writ  of  habeas  corpus,  directed  to 
the  general  of  the  army  of  the  United  States  then  in  command  at 
Charleston.  And  to  enforce  it  he  issued  an  attachment  for  contempt 
upon  the  disobedience  by  the  military  authority  of  the  process  of  the 
court.  This  precipitated  the  contest  in  which  his  opinion  and  its 
salutary  principle  was  finally  affirmed  by  the  supreme  court  of  the 
A— 43 


674  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

United  States  in  ex  parte  Milligan,  4th  Wallace,  and  by  which  the 
beneficent  sway  of  the  civil  power  was  restored  to  the  southern  states, 
which  until  then  had  been,  since  the  war,  held  as  military  districts 
under  martial  law. 

In  the  grave  question  of  the  test  oath  for  the  bar  of  Charleston  he 
first  decided  the  principle,  re-affirmed  in  ex  parte  Garland,  4  Wal- 
lace, by  the  United  States  supreme  court,  that  brought  back  into 
the  legal  profession  and  before  the  courts  of  the  United  States  the 
whole  bar  of  the  south,  who  by  the  application  of  the  test  oath  were 
then  sought  to  be  excluded  from  the  courts.  And  for  a  generation 
his  judicial  labors  were  given,  with  rare  success  and  acceptability, 
both  to  the  government  of  the  United  States  and  the  people  of  his 
own  state,  to  the  restoration  of  public  peace  and  tranquility.  And 
his  mind  was  constantly  working  upon  the  judicial,  permanent  and 
peaceful,  solution  of  all  the  many  and  complicated  leading  questions 
that  grew  out  of  the  upheavals  of  war  and  the  new  condition  of  the 
races  in  their  economic  and  legal  relations.  On  these  questions  his 
decisions  were  always  fearless  and  faithful,  and  their  results  are  writ- 
ten in  history.  In  these  labors  he  enjoyed  the  warm  friendship  and 
personal  confidence  of  Chief-Justice  Chase  and  Chief-Justice  Waite, 
both  of  whom,  as  presiding  judges,  sat  with  him  in  the  circuit  court 
of  the  United  States  for  South  Carolina,  during  his  official  life. 

HON.  LAWRENCE  MASSILLON  KEITT 

was  born  in  Orangeburg  district  (now  county) ,  S.  C,  October  4,  1824, 
and  died  in  Richmond,  Va.,  June  4,  1864.  He  was  graduated  at  the 
college  of  South  Carolina  in  1843,  ^'^^  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in 
1845.  He  served  in  the  state  legislature  in  1S48,  and  was  chosen  to 
congress  in  1852  as  a  state's  rights  democrat,  and  served  until  his  with- 
drawal in  December,  i860,  to  become  a  delegate  to  the  secession  con- 
vention of  South  Carolina.  He  was  a  member  of  the  provisional 
Confederate  congress  at  Montgomery,  Ala.,  in  1861,  and  was  con- 
spicuous in  forming  the  provisional  and  permanent  constitutions  of  the 
Confederacy.  In  1862  he  joined  the  Confederate  army  as  colonel  of 
the  Twentieth  South  Carolina  volunteers,  and  was  mortally  wounded, 
while  at  the  head  of  his  regiment,  at  the  battle  of  Cold  Harbor,  and 
died  in  Richmond  the  next  day. 

JOHN  J.  HEMPHILL 

is  the  present  member  of  congress  from  the  Fifth  district  of  South 
Carolina,  composed  of  the  counties  of  Chester,  Chesterfield,  Ker- 
shaw, Lancaster,  York,  the  townships  of  White  Plains  and  Lime- 
stone Springs,  in  the  county  of  Spartanburg,  and  the  townships  of 
Gowdeysville  and  Draytonville  in  the  county  of  Union.  He  was  born 
at  Chester,  August  25,  1849,  and  has  always  resided  in  his  native  town, 
where  he  attended  school  until  1866,  when  he  entered  the  South  Caro- 
lina university,  from  which  he  was  graduated  in  i86g;  he  then  began 


a^ 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  675 

the;  Study  of  the  law,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  the  fall  of  1870, 
and  began  practice  the  first  of  January  following.  He  was  nominated 
by  the  democrats  for  the  state  legislature  in  1S74,  but  failed  of  elec- 
tion, and  in  1876,  he  was  re-nominated  by  the  same  party,  was  elected, 
and  re-elected  in  1878,  and  in  1880.  He  was  elected  also  to  the  forty- 
eight,  forty-ninth,  fiftieth,  fifty-first  and  fifty-second  congresses,  re- 
ceiving at  the  last  election  9,432  votes  against  1,321  votes  for  G.  G. 
Alexander,  republican,  and  75  votes  scattering. 

WADE  HAMPTON, 

the  third  in  his  family  i)caring  that  name,  was  born  in  Columbia, 
S.  C.,  in  1818,  graduated  from  the  University  of  South  Carolina,  and 
afterward  studied  law,  but  with  no  intention  of  practicing.  He 
served  in  the  South  Carolina  legislature  in  early  life,  but  the  greater 
portion  of  his  time  was  devoted  to  his  plantation  interests  in  South 
Carolina  and  Mississippi,  and  to  the  pursuits  of  a  gentleman.  When 
the  Civil  war  opened  he  entered  the  military  service  of  his  state  as  a 
private,  but  soon  raised  a  command  of  infantry,  artillery  and  cavalry, 
which  was  known  as  Hampton's  legion  and  which  achieved  great  dis- 
tinction. At  Bull  Run  600  of  his  infantry  held  for  some  time  the 
Warrenton  road  against  Keyes's  corps  and  were  sustaining  Bee  when 
Jackson  came  to  their  aid.  In  the  peninsula  campaign  they  were 
again  distinguished  and  at  Seven  Pines  lost  half  their  number  and 
Hampton  himself  received  a  painful  wound  in  the  foot.  .Soon  after, 
he  was  made  brigadier-general  of  cavalry  and  assigned  to  Gen.  J.  E.  B. 
Stuart's  command.  He  was  frequently  selected  for  detached  service, 
in  which  he  was  uncommonly  successful.  In  the  Maryland  and  Penn- 
sylvania campaigns  of  1862-63,  he  took  a  very  active  part  and  at 
Gettysburg  was  thrice  wounded.  It  is  stated  that  twenty-one  out  of 
twenty-three  field  officers,  and  more  than  half  the  men  of  Hampton's 
command  were  killed  or  wounded  in  this  battle.  August  3,  1863, 
Hampton  was  made  a  major-general.  In .  1864,  after  several 
days'  fighting,  he  gave  Sheridan  a  check  at  Trevillians'  station, 
which  broke  up  a  plan  of  campaign  which  included  a  junction  with 
Hunter,  and  the  capture  of  Lynchburg.  In  twenty-three  days  he  cap- 
tured over  3,000  prisoners  and  large  quantities  of  war  material,  with  a 
loss  of  71Q  men.  He  was  made  commander  of  Lee's  cavalry  in  August, 
with  the  rank  of  lieutenant-general,  and  in  September  struck  the  rear  of 
the  Federal  army,  at  City  Point,  bringing  away  400  prisoners  and 
2,486  beeves.  Soon  afterward,  in  another  action,  he  captured  500  pris- 
oners. In  one  of  these  attacks  he  lost  his  son.  Hampton  was  then 
placed  in  command  of  Gen.  Joseph  E.  Johnston's  cavalry  and  did 
good  service  in  retarding  the  advance  of  Sherman.  After  the  close 
of  the  war  he  engaged  in  cotton  planting,  but  was  not  successful.  He 
accepted  all  the  legitimate  consequences  of  defeat,  and  during  the  re- 
construction period  his  conciliatory  policy  found  but  little  favor  for 
some  time,  yet,  in  1876,  he  was  nominated  for  governor  against  Dan- 
iel H.  Chamberlain,  and  was  elected.     In  1878  he  lost  a  leg  by  an  ac- 


676  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

cident,  and  while  his  life  was  despaired  of  he  was  elected  to  the 
United  States  senate  as  a  democrat.  Gen.  Hampton  first  married,  in 
early  life,  Margaret  Preston,  daughter  of  Gen.  Francis  Preston, 
and  on  her  death  took  for  his  second  wife  a  daughter  of  Senator 
George  McDuffie. 

REV.  JAMES  FULLERTON. 

The  reverend  gentleman,  whose  name  stands  at  the  head  of  this  brief 
sketch,  was  born  in  county  Derry,  Ireland,  May  31,  1846,  and  is  a  son 
of  Robert  and  Mary  (McGlade)  Fullerton,  highly  respected  citizens 
of  the  county  named.  The  marriage  of  this  couple  took  place  in 
1825,  and  to  the  union  were  born  five  robust  and  intelligent  children 
in  the  following  order:  Neil,  Ellen,  Patrick,  Jarnes  and  Robert,  the 
last  named  being  the  pastor  of  the  cathedral  at  Mobile,  Ala.  The 
father  of  these  children,  Robert  F'ullerton,  was  born  in  county  Derry 
in  1804,  and  there  died  in  1870.  His  widow  found  rest  in  1876,  and 
was  deeply  mourned  by  her  family  and  neighbors.  James  Fullerton 
received  his  early  education  in  Belfast,  Ireland,  and  in  1866  came  to 
America  and  entered  St.  Vincent's  college  at  Latrobe,  Penn.,  where 
he  finished  his  theological  education.  He  was  ordained  a  priest  in 
Charleston,  S.  C.,  April  16,  1871,  by  Bishop  Lynch,  and  acted  as  as- 
sistant to  the  bishop  in  Charleston  cathedral  until  February  22,  1872, 
when  he  was  sent  to  Columbia,  S.  C,  where  he  has  since  served  as 
pastor  of  St.  Peter's  church.  He  has  served  his  church  and  his  flock 
most  faithfully,  and  his  parish  is  in  a  most  flourishing  condition,  the 
people  acting  in  cordial  sympathy  with  their  pastor. 

WILLIAM  HENRY  TRESCOTT. 

This  famous  diplomat  was  born  in  Charleston,  .S.  C,  November 
10,  1822.  He  graduated  from  the  College  of  Charleston  in  1840, 
studied  law,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1843.  Beside  practicing 
law,  he  was  also  engaged  in  planting  on  one  of  the  sea  islands  near 
Beaufort.  He  early  entered  into  politics,  and  in  December,  1852, 
became  United  States  secretary  of  legation  at  London,  and  assistant 
secretary  of  state  in  i860,  but  resigned  the  latter  office  on  the  seces- 
sion of  South  Carolina  from  the  Union.  He  was  elected  to  the  legis- 
lature in  1862,  1864  and  1866,  and  during  that  period  was  on  the  staff 
of  Gen.  Roswell  S.  Ripley,  and  was  afterward  a  member  of  the  ex- 
ecutive council.  He  also  assisted  James  I.  Pettigru  in  preparing  the 
code  of  laws  for  the  state.  At  the  close  of  the  Civil  war  he  was  sent 
to  Washington  to  represent  his  state  on  certain  questions  under  the 
reconstruction  acts.  In  June,  1877,  ''^s  was  appointed  counsel  for  the 
United  States,  on  the  fishery  commission,  at  Halifax,  N.  S.,  and  later 
was  one  of  the  plenipotentiaries  to  China,  to  revise  the  treaties,  in 
April,  1880;  and  in  February,  1881,  he  was  appointed  by  Secretary 
Evarts  to  continue  and  conclude  the  negotiations  with  the  Columliian 
minister  and  the  protocol,  in  reference  to  the  rights  of  the  United 


SOUTH    CAROLINA.  677 

States  on  the  Isthnuis  of  Panama.  He  was  appointed  special  envoy 
to  the  belli<rerents  in  South  America  (Peru,  Chili  and  Bolivia),  in 
November,  1881,  and  plenipotentiary  with  Gen.  Grant  to  negotiate  a 
commercial  treaty  with  Mexico,  in  August,  1S82.  lie  is  now  the 
agent  of  South  Carolina  at  Washington,  D.  C,  for  the  settlement  of 
direct  ta.x  questions,  and  is  also  practicing  law.  He  is  the  author  of 
"Thoughts  on  the  foreign  policy  of  the  United  States;"  "Diplomacy 
of  the  Revolution;"  "Letter  to  Andrew  P.  Butler,  on  the  diplomatic 
system  of  the  United  -States;"  "An  American  view  of  the  eastern 
question;"  "  Diplomatic  history  of  the  administrations  of  Washington 
and  Adams,"  and  various  addresses  of  much  merit. 

WILLIAM  BARRON  FEWELL,  M.  D., 

a  descendant  of  one  of  the  oldest  and  most  highly  respected  families 
of  South  Carolina,  and  who  for  more  than  forty  years  was  actively 
and  successfully  engaged  in  the  practice  of  medicine  in  York  county, 
was  born  near  the  town  of  Ebcnezer,  York  county,  S.  C,  on  the  1st 
of  August,  1 828.  His  ancestors  were  among  the  early  settlers  of 
York  county,  and  were  prominently  identified  with  its  development. 
His  father,  the  late  Alexander  I-^ewell,  was  a  leading  planter,  and  a 
man  of  much  ability,  and  of  unswerving  integrity.  His  wife  was 
Margaret  (Barron)  Fewell,  a  lady  of  honorable  connections,  and  of 
rare  refinement  and  culture.  William  Barron  Fewell  was  given  a 
liberal  classical  education  under  the  direction  of  the  late  Rev.  R.  E. 
Bishop,  a  scholar  of  eminence  in  that  day.  He  was  graduated  from 
the  South  Carolina  medical  college,  at  Charleston,  in  1849,  and  soon 
after  began  active  practice  at  Ebenezer.  In  1853  he  was  most  happily 
married  to  Miss  Agnes  Alexander,  a  daughter  of  Robert  D.  Alex- 
ander, Esq.,  of  Mecklenburg  county,  N.  C.  The  latter  gentleman 
came  of  an  old  American  family,  and  his  immediate  kinsmen  were  ac- 
tive and  valiant  in  the  patriot  army  of  1776.  His  grandfather  was 
one  of  the  signers  of  the  Mecklenburg  resolutions.  The  children  of 
this  marriage  are:  Abigail,  Alexander,  S.  C.  Fewell,  M.  D.;  W.  Bre- 
vard, Sadie  and  Lottie  B.  The  family  are  valued  communicants  of 
the  Presbyterian  church,  and  occupy  a  high  social  position  in  the 
community.  As  a  physician  Dr.  Fewell  won  for  himself  widespread 
renown  as  a  practitioner  of  great  skill.  A  short  time  since  he  retired 
from  the  active  practice  of  his  profession  and  withdrew  to  his  planta- 
tion, which  he  has  carried  on  in  connection  with  his  professional  du- 
ties for  many  years.  He  is  a  prominent  member  of  the  Knights  of 
Honor,  and  also  of  the  farmers'  alliance. 

SAMUEL  DIBBLE,  M.  C, 

of  Orangeburg,  was  born  at  Charleston,  S.  C,  September  16,  1837, 
and  received  his  early  education  in  his  native  city,  and  at  Bethel, 
Conn.,  and  his  academic  education  at  the  high  school  of  Charleston; 
he  entered  the  college  of  Charleston  in  1853,  and  afterward  Wofford 


678  SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

college,  Spartanburg,  S.  C,  where  he  graduated  in  1856;  he  then  en- 
gaged in  teaching;  studied  law;  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1S59,  and 
commenced  practice  at  Orangeburg.  At  the  beginning  of  the  late 
Civil  war  he  volunteered  as  a  private  in  the  Confederate  army,  and 
served  till  its  close  in  the  First  and  Twenty-fifth  regiments  of  South 
Carolina  volunteers,  attaining  the  rank  of  first  lieutenant.  Return- 
ing to  Orangeburg  he  resumed  the  practice  of  his  profession,  and  in 
1877  was  elected  to  the  lower  house  of  the  state  legislature;  in  1878 
he  was  elected  a  trustee  of  the  University  of  South  Carolina,  and  was 
chairman  of  the  executive  committee  of  the  South  Carolina  agricul- 
tural college  and  mechanics'  institute  for  colored  students  (a  branch 
of  the  state  university.)  He  was  a  delegate  to  the  national  dem- 
ocratic convention  at  Cincinnati  in  1880,  and  was  a  presidential 
elector  on  the  democratic  ticket  of  the  same  year.  He  was  elected 
to  and  took  his  seat  in  the  forty-seventh  congress  as  a  democrat  (fill- 
ing the  vacancy  occasioned  by  the  death  of  M.  P.  O'Connor),  but  Mr. 
O'Connor's  claim  to  an  election  having  been  successfully  contested, 
Mr.  Dibble  lost  his  seat  in  consequence.  He  was,  however,  re-elected 
to  the  forty-eighth,  forty-ninth,  fifty  and  fifty-first  congresses,  at  the 
last  election  receiving  8,540  votes  against  1,296  votes  for  Samuel  W. 
McKinlay,  republican,  and  nineteen  scattering. 


^•5  0 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA,  LOS  ANGELES 

THE  UNIVERSITY  LIBRARY 

This  book  is  DUE  on  the  last  date  stamped  below 

DEC  2  8  1956 


OEQ  e    mil 

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JUL  27 

Returned 
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