The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-11-25
SAMUEL PRIoLEAN HAMILTON.
Formerly n WeII-KnOwn and Infu.
entail Citizen of savannah.


Maj. Samuel p. Hamilton. whose death
at Chester, S. c.. on Tuesday was re-
ported in our dispatches yesterday, was
formerly a resident of Savannah. In a
sketch of his life the Charleston News and
Courier says:
In the fan of 1s49 he commenced the
study of law in the office of Messrs. Cohen
& Griffin at Savannah, Ca. and was adj
mitted to the bar in the spring of 1851. In
the fall of that year ne was married to
Miss Emma Levy daughter of Mr. j. c.
Levy, formerly of Charleston, S. c., a
beautiful and accomplished lady. He prac-
ticed his profession in Savannah, and took
an active part in politics.
During the summer of 1856 he edited
as associate editor with r. B. Hilton, the
Savannah Georgian and Journal, The lead
ing 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, GOV. Brown gave his order
that the military of Savannah should take
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 SER
vices to Col A. r. Lawton, in command
At Fort Pulaski. In few days he received
the appointment of quartermaster and
commissary of the First Regiment of
Georgia Volunteers, and served there until
some time in February, when he was ap-
pointed by Gov. Brown one Of the captains
in the First regiment of Georgia Regulars
upon the recommendation of Gems. Hardee
and Lawton, without his knowledge. He
recruited his company a the barracks in
Savannah and returned to Fort Pulaski
in command of two companies, and had
charge of the defense of that fortress I'M
til relieved by the colonel of the regiment,
Charles j. Williams. on July TO- 1861, the
regiment was ordered to Virginia, and was
on the railroad going there the day the
first battle of Manassas was fought. Ar
rived at Richmond he was ordered, by
President Davis, upon the recommendation
of Col. Williams (but without knowledge
of Capt. Hamilton), to proceed ~ Manas-
sas and receive four guns captured at the
battle. His company was mounted then
and 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 COM
mand of Col. w S. Pendleton. When
the artillery was organized into battalionS
he was promoted to majority and was
junior field officer of one of those battal-
ions in the corps of Gen. Longstreet and
there served throughout the war. The sur
render left him al Chester, in this state,
and as 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 conven-
ton of 1868 a member of its executive COM
mttee
He was earnestly enlisted in the defense
of the kuklux prisoners before packed Ju-
ries in the circuit court of the United
States, and in April, 1872, in this city, de-
Tended Robert higgins of York for muir
der before Judge Bond and a packed jury.
and cleared him of the charge. His speech
on that occasion was published at length
in this paper.
In 1874 he was a member of the TaXpay-
erS' convention, and on his return home
made a speech in the court house at Giles
ter, In which he advised that the white
people of South Carolina as whole should
refrain entirely from paying taxes to the
republican government, and advocated
such action as peaceable and Irresistible
remedy against the ills we were subjected
10, which speech was also published in iull
in this paper.
In 1875 he attempted the impeachment
of Judge T. ]. Mackey which failed main
ly because he could not obtain the unan-
imous support OF the democrats in the
House.
In February. 1875, after the futile at