The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1903-02-04

horscmanship. The Governors re
view was to be held on Market street.
Charleston. Col. IIampton's horse
was brought To the Charleston Hotel
II: was Il magnificent chestnut, II
hands high. with t%o white hind feet,
IT took three negroes to hold him
while Col. Hampton ~4s mounting
ana then he had to take Of his sword
10 mpnnt. After seating himself firm
~, Col. Hampton called for his sword,
an: with some difficulty il was handed
to Inn. In taking it he dropped his
glovr. lie rode off, made Il dash by
the hotel, and while at full run rcacl.
e! Iown anl picked up The glove from
The GROUND. The feat wa the talk of
the state for Il long time. His father,
Col. Wade Hampton, was standing by.
The Hon. Alfred lIugcr asked him:
"-ArH you not afraid that horse may
throw Wadc?' no" said the Col
onel. cmplatically, Can he make
Wade shuck his skim
Subsequently he became captain of
the Richland Light Dragons, Que Of
the crack companies Of the State.
In 1892 Wade Hampton was elected
third-on the list Of Representatives,
from lsichland. In 1874 he was re-
elected. and again in 1886 he returned
at the head Of the list. In 1858 he
was elected State Senator, succeeding
John S. Preston, whose canvass
against James IL. Adams had been 4
celebrated political event. 1t is said
that Hampton forctold the vote in
that contest and came within two or
three votes of the correct returns.
AT the opening of the Legislative
session of 1861 the following letter
was read in the Senate:
lion. W. D. Porter, President of
the Scnatc-Sir: AS my duties as an
officer Of the army render it impossi-
BILE for me to discharge those Of State
Senator, | beg to tender my rcsigno-
ton as Senator from Richland.
Wade Hampton
Extract from Senate Journal, 1861.
p. S:
Gen. Hampton was opposed to Sc
ccssion. lie was in Mississippi when
the Governor called the Legislature
together to consider calling a c. c
ton. He was not in the Senate when
the vote was taken.
This is a brief outline Of Gen.
Hampton's political services prior to
the breaking out of the war for the
establishment and independence of
the Southern Confederacy. Call it
"insurrec.ion," rebellion" "civil
war" war between the States,' or
what not--e matter Of small concern
to met was real war, ga battle of
the giants" and no soldier who took
the field and did his duty for the
establishment of that independence
need feel ashamed Of his conduct. In
the early ifties the aggressive propa-
ganda Of the New England abolition
lists created intense excitement in the
Southern slave-holding States, notably
in this State. The State was divided
into two active parties; one, under the
leadership Of r. B. Rhett, James II.
Adams, Milledge L. Bonham, John
H. Means, F. w. Pickens and other
distinguished, patriotic citizens, urged
the immediate withdrawal of South
Carolina from the Union, separate and
alone, by resuming that part Of her
sovereignty she had delegated for the
forming of the Federal Union, and
setting up for herself, independent of
the action of her sister slave holding
States Of the South.
The other party, under the leader
ship Of a. p. Butler, Cat that time a
United States Senator,) Robert w.
Barnwell, Preston S. Brooks and other
gentlemen equally patriotic and dis
tinguished as the others, counselled
moderation and n~on-action until the
cooperation of the other slave-holding
States could be secured. The latter
counsels prevailed, and while l have
no positive information as to Gen.
f1ampton's affiliations in that contro-
vcrsy, which assumed an animated,
rather bitter, character during it's pro-
gress, I am quite sure, from his con-
sentative, sedate Temperance t, he ap-
proved, if he did not actively advo-
cate, the latter course. It is quite
certain, rs stated above, he was OPP
posed to secession in 1860-61. It is
equally certain that when his fellow
citizens had acted he threw his whole
soul, body and fortune in the scale
with them, as the sequel proved.