The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1876-09-14
GEN. WADE HAMPTON.
A GEOGRAPHICAL SKETCH.
BY J. WOOD DAVIDSON.
From Ms lsrkrale 6aaaireg.

From Ms 1orsrale Eaqaireg.
In the issue of the Enquirer, of date
Of January. 18th, 1870, first appeared che
suSjoined sketch Of Gen. Wade Hampton.
written Tor the columns Of this paper by
q talented son Of Carolina, who has since
removed from tho State. twas prepared
and published amply ~ q biographical
sketch of an Luxurious citizen of the
of virtue aud valor; and was not inten-
ded 20 subserve any political or other
purpose.
The recent nomination Of General
Hampton to tie Chief AEaS;s.Ta1y of tho
State, ngain brings hia name prominently
before the people. and attaches deep
:stasess &c the principal eyonts in MS
nAst career We presume nnr reade.s
| will REQUIRE M analogy from na fc- =.SeiI.
presenting in our columns the principal
events in the life &C enc 60 much e:-
deared 10 the people OF the State, and
around whose name so much present in
terest attaches:
BY birth, residence. education and
character, General Wade Hampton is O
South Carolinian. Perhaps no better
representative man could be found-rsp,
resep.ative in that he combines in him
self O fairer share of those better quail
ties of mind and character, Of which
Southerners are SO uniforEl.y proud, and
upon which the genuine South Carolinian
basea his individuality He is type or
representative man of both section and
State.
His grandfather-Colonel Hampton.
of Revolutionary fame, and afterwards
| General in the war of 18l2-bore the
same name. AS partisan officer of the
forces of Marion and Sumter, he was
noted for the rapidity, boidness and sue
cess of his movements. In the late war
--thst of l8l2-he received the appoint
menr of Brigadier, and served under
Gen. Dearborn in the operations against
| Canada.
Hiy father, Col. Wade Hampton, served
as aide-de-camp with Gen. Andrew Jack
son in the defense of New Orleans.
Thus three generations have served with
| distinction in war.
| LieutenantNGeneEal Wade Hampton,
the subject of the present sketcli, was
born in Charleston in the .Tcar 1878. He
entered the South Carolina College in
| 1885. His graduating speech was upon
1asso. The peculiar character Of the
man appeared while yet youth, in his
conduct at a great fire in Columbia, where
he won the admiration of older heads by
the GOODNESS, forethought and daring
which he exhibited. From his earliest
boyhcod he was noted for HE fondnesa
for hunting; and has enjoyed, from that
tilne, the reputation Of being the best
| shot and the most successful huntsman
in the State.
He served before the war in both
branches of the State Legislature. Tho
mos. memorable public measure .ha. &c
led, was tho opposition to the re-opening
OF the African eiave, trade. He was in
the Senate at that time. Gov. Adams,
in his message, had recommended the
re-opening of that trede; and The COM
mittce to which the subject was reforred.
submitted report favorable to it. Sem
ator Hampton was a member of that
committee, aud was the writer Of a mi
nority report, which took strcng grounds
against the action of the majority. His
treatment of his own slaves was always
humane, of which fact we shall have
fur'nes evidence in events that have oc-
cp.-cd since the war. He 10 said to have
! ben the owner Of g greater number Of
| slaves than any other planter in his State.
He married first Miss Preston, OF Vir-
ginia, and second Miss iMcDufie, q
daughter of Gov, McDuffie, Of South
Carolina. His home, at Columbia, has
been characterized as the "abode of
splendid hospitality, and ,as one of the
most superb residences in the United
States" This was destroyed by Sher-
mons troops at the time they burned
Columbia, in FEBRUARY, 1866. The house
was isolated, and must have been fired
separately-one among the thousands Of
instances of violation Of the laws and
i rights of war, in the destruction CT pri-
vate property. ,..,,.[,
1861, Wade Hampton entered service as
garee Mounted Riflemen, which did ser
vice near Charleston during the reduction
of Fort Sumter, in april Of that year. i
AS soon as the invasion of Virginia
made that State the theatre of the war
early in I861-and it became manifest
that q general war wAs inevitable, ne pet
about forming his command to take part
in it,, This command consisted. OF all
three branches of the military
infantry and artillery-and was known
throughout the war as the Hampton Les-.
gion. This was organized at Columbia
during the early summer, aud went on to
| Virginia in time to join in the battle Of
Manassas Bull Run Of the North
erners. The Legion bore with it BAN;
ner presented by the ladies of his native
State, which .ls destined to wave over
many bloody field. In the First Battle
of Manassas, the Hampton Legion held
tho Warrenton Road against the brigade
of Keyes. Overwhelming numbers bore
them back short distance, but forming
ON the right Of ;Jackson's Sionewall bri-
gade, they did heroic service in turning
the tide of an almost desperate day.
| General Beauregard, in his official report,
spoke of the Legion with the highest
praise, mentioning that it "aided in re-
etofing the fortunes Of the day, as the.
time when the enemy, by q last despefate
onsgt, with heavy odds, had driven the
Confederates from the fiercely contested
ground about the Henry House." Col.
Hampton's horse was shot under him
| early in the action, and later he iTas se-
| veFeIy wounded III the head With q riAe
| ball. ..,siEfi.oa Al ,.tB
The Hampton Legion took part i'll ali
the battles of the Peninsular, moving
with Johnston 8 army up TO the defense.
Of Richmond. In the Battle of Seven
Pines-3lss May, ii1862--Col. Hampton
was again wounded. Then came the
Seven Days Fight before Richmond, b5-i
ginning with Mechanicsville and ending
with Maivern's Hills, In which he and kiB
Legiop-already famous for its brilliant
achievements, and already everywhere
felt to carry with ii the prestige of 6 legion,
of veterans-took . distinguished part.
| It was after the battle of Cold Harbor