The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1897-11-30
MAJOR 8. T.. HAMILTON.
n Distinguished Artillery Omccr
Passes Away-An Able LAWYER and
Graceful: Writer.

% The death of Maj. S. p. Hamilton,
- prominent citizen of Chester, toe
- place on the 22nd inst, after iinge
ing illness OF five months. Only tw
- days before his physician was yer
- much encouraged by what was COZ
sidered change for the better, anc
q therefore, death came very une,
: pectedly. He would have been /
years of ago in January. Major Hami
;. ton was member of one OF the mos
). illustrious and distinguished familie
, OF South Carolina. His father wa
: Governor James Hamilton, and hi
,, great grandfather signed the Declare
= tion of independence.
> Samuel Prioleau Hamilton, the sixt
, son OF James and Elizabeth Hamilton
was born in the city of Washington
ID: e., on the 2lth day Of January, 1926
whilo his father was in Congress, re
presenting that district composed O
the present counties OF Beaufort, Cole
ton, Barnwell and Orangeburg. In hi
early life he attended the schools o
christopher Co,es and Samuel Burns
In the City Of Charleston, AMI also the
academy "a. L'Cndletop, S. c., and the
High SchOCl at New London, Conn
At II years of age, in the City O
Charleston, he had the misfortune tc
lose his right arm by the bursting of 8
powder flask in his hands, the arm
having to be amputated and the opera,
tion being performed by DR.. Wagner,
assisted by DR.. Il. l.. Ogier and eleven
other surgeons. After this he was
placed at the celebrated school of the
Rev. II. Il. Huddart, located first st
B.oomingdale, N. Y, and then at June
street, Abingdon square, in the city of
New York, and in Blocker street,
next to Depau Row. Here he remain
ed near five years and received a most
excellent classical education, and was
| thoroughly instructed in all depart
ments of literature.
In the fall OF 1912 he returned home,
and entered the sophomore class,
AS he often said himself, he was so far
ahead Of classmates in the classics and
other studies that he became a very
careless and inattentive student. He
stayed throughout the course, but
never returned to take his di, Iona
From college his father put him with
the great cotton house of Dick 81 Hill,
in New Orleans. He lived in that CITY
two years, but in the fall OF 1916 re-
turned to Charleston and spent one
season in the counting house Of Louis
Trapmann. Commerce, however, not
being the bent OF his genius, he retired
at the Oswichee Bend, Russell County,
Alabama. Here he remained near two
years engaged in the sports OF the
field, and in the study OF English ltera-
turo in all OF its branches in an ex.
cellent library belonging to his father,
and he was accustomed to say that
they were the most agreeable and
valuable years of his life.
In the fall OF 1919 he commenced the
study OF law in the Office Of Messrs
Cohen s. Gritlln, at Savannah, Ga, and
was admitted to the Bar in tho spring
OF 1851. In the fall of that year he
daughter of Mr.. j. G. Levy, formerly OF
Charleston, S. c., a beautiful and ac-
complished lady. He practiced his
profession inr Savannah, and touk an
active part in politics.
During the summer Of 1856 he edited,
as associate editor with II. B. Hilton.
the Savannah Georgian and Journal,
the leading Democratic organ, in the
very heated campaign OF that year,
and his services were rewarded with
the appointment of naval officer of the
port of Savannah. In January, 1861,
Governor Brown gave his order that
possession Of Fort Pulaski, at the
mouth of the Savannah River. Mr..
Hamilton at once resigned his Office
under the United States Government
and rendered his services to Col. a. r.
LawtOn, in command at Fort Pulaski.
In few days he received the appoint
ment of quartermaster and commits
s0ry OF the lst regiment OF Georgia
Volunteers, and served there until
some time in February, when he was
appointed by Governor Brown one of
the captains in the lst regiment OF
Georgia Regulars upon the recommen-
dation OF Gems. Hardee ard Lawton,
without his knowledge. He recruited
his company at the barracks in Sa-
vannah and returned to Fort Pulaski in
command OF two companies, and had
charge Of the defence Of that fortress
until relieved by TIE colonel of the
regiment, Charles j. Williams. On
the 10th July, 1861 the regiment was
ordered to Virginia, and was on
the railroad going there the day
the first battle Of Manassas was
fought. Arrived at Richmond he was
ordered by President Davis, upon the
recommendation of Col. Williams, (but
without the knowl ledge of Capt. Hamil-
toni to proceed to Manassas and re-
ceivo four guns ptured 1T the battle
His company was mounted then aud
there as field artillery. AS such he
was ordered to report to Gen. Robert
TOombs, and was attached to his
brigade until the fall, when he was
transferred to the reserve artillery,
under the command of Col. w. S. Pom
dleton. When the artillery was or
ganized into battalions he was pro.
noted to a majority, ard was junior
field officer of one of those battalions
in the corps OF Gen. Longstreet, and
there served throughout the war. The
surrender left him at Chester, in this
State, and rs soon as the courts were
open he commenced the practice Of his
profession. He took an active part in
politics, and was appointed by the
democratic convention Of 1868 mem
Der OF it's executive committee.
He was earnestly enlisted in the de-
fence OF the Kuklux prisoners before
packed juries in the circuit court of
the United States, and in April, 1872,
defended Robert higgins, OF York, for
murder before Judge Bond and a
packed jury, and cleared him of the
charge.
In 1874 he was member Of the Tax
payers Convention. ana on his return
homo made a speech in the court house
at Chester, in which he advised that
the white people Of South Carolina as
whole should refrain entirely from
paying taxes to the Republican govern
ment, and advocated such action as q