Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1871-05-26
WADE HAMPTOx's HOME.


Columbia Letter in Cincinnati Commercial
I walked on some three miles from the
city, and was directed by some children to
the hill to the right of the road, where are
the ruins of General Hampton's famous re-
sidence-famous because beautiful and
costly, and the former home of the most
distln guished descendant of a distiuguish-
ed family. Before the war the Hamptons
were the first of the first families, having
descended from q long line Of ancestors
wealthy and warlike. The old original
Hampton was Revolutionary general
and the family have since kept up the re-
putation he gained as fighting stock. I
turned from tle road up among the trees,
as directed, and in q short distance came
to the ruins. The site was magnificent
From the top OF this hill or rise of ground
the country spread out before you. visible
in all directions. To the west Oolu mbia
lay enshrouded in trees, and the east and
north q landscape of rare loveliness pre-
sented itself. But the looks of the place
itself was in sad contrast to what could be
seen from it, Nothing is left of what was
an elegant mansion, but four stout pillars
and great mas of blackened brick thrown
into confused heap. The house was
large, and is sad to have been filed from
cellar to garret with all that was costly aud
historic. Here were gsthert the trophies
and /" heirlooms " OF one of the oldest,
|
lies of South Carolina. But in February,
1854. the house and it's contents were re-
duce to ashes by the cavalry of Sherman's
| army. Hampton has never rebuilt, bav-
ing been reduced to the verge OF bank
ruptcy by the war. tIr.
The surrounding grounds were once
beautiful, and rem ants Of their beauty re-
main to this day. 1t is said that Hampton
expended sixty Thousand dollars in laying
out and beautifJ ing these grounds. All
around the RUNS of the house are walks
and drives. shaded by the numerous trees
and shrubbery that grow go luxoriantly in
this Southern cline. But for seven years
| these grounds have been turn, out TO the
common. CATTLE roam over them at plea
| sure, and no one seems to have cared to
prevent il. The flowers have grown stiff
and rank and out of shape /; the cedars and
Pines and "box trees" all sadly show the
need of attention, but are still beautiful
The flowers are nearly all killed out. only
one now blooming here and there, making
the surrounding dissolution still more i'm
pressive. Imagine that which was once o
miniature Garden of Eden turned ont TO
! the cattle, the ehrubbery eaten down, the
flowers and small plants trampIed over, the
trees untrimmed, the graveled walks grown
up In weeds and brAmbles, the hedges
broken and scattered, and you have some
idea Of Wildwood" now. There was row
of frame houses near, formerly the SER
wants apartments, but all deserted. Des-
olation and silence reigned supreme
Seeing a small house, some distance away,
that looked as though it might be inhab-
tied, walked towards it. A small boy
was playing in the yard. -af~
"Who lives here 2" asked. -...
"Mother, he replied. apparently startled
at the appearance of q stranger in that des-
olate looking place. A lady came to the
door, evid emily of the ''poor white" per-
suasion. .-...F .l.,..r
"That house in ruins was formerly Wade
Ham pton's, was it not ?" epquired.a as1sT
Eyes. there's where the General lived
before the war. But the Yankees they
tore everything up about the place and
burned the house. They seemed to have
more spite against the Hamptons th N any
body else. They destroyed three fine
houses belonging to the family. One was
where the Generals sister lived, and was
mighty nigh as fine placs as his. Then
they burned up Frank HamptOn's house.
The General himself is Low at the West,
but we look for him bac6 some lime this
month" ..-r-
Wandered around through what were
ten years ago beautiful parks and gardens,
althoug now hardly to be recognized as
such, down to the road, and away from the
dssolate place.
How the old families have been broken
up and scattered Tho former home OF
the Hamptons is now a desolate hiA. and
the family is no longer the power In the
land that it once was. The Prestons.
Middletons Pinkneys and Rhett have all
been reduced from their high estates.--
They afe no longer the rulers of South
Carolina. But let us pass everything TO
their cie lit that is due. and say that
through The long years that these families
ruled the State they stole none OF its fevss
nues, nor disgraced its high places by ig-
norant and corrupt men. Faulty as the
old time Southern Democratic politicians
were, they were honest Whatever they
did, they did not steal. u -1i A.