The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1909-09-29
The Hamburg Riot.

Judge Aldrich told you last night that he could tell
more about the Hamburg riot than could because ne "ouu
not have to criminate himself. AS for that l have nothing 10
conceal about the Hamburg riot. told the republicans III 'he
senate that we had to shoot negroes to get relel no" 'Me
calling tyranny to which we had been subjected ana WHIT
nv utterances were used in the republican campaign OooA
for 1000. l think my very boldness and the trankness WITH
which 7 explained conditions did more to %enlghten and
d;sarm the fanatics than anything else | could have salo'
Even Senator Hoar was so impressed that ne became my
warm personal friend. .
Recause of its potent influence in arouslng the white
men of the state to their duty l shall give you the story OF
the Hamburg riot in full, not dealing at this time WITH Tic
two Ned Tenant riots and the Elenton riot.
The third of these disturbances or riots occurred at
Hamburg in July, 1876, and this tragic episode IN the strug-
pie for white supremacy caused more widespread comment
throughout the north and was more tar reaching Ill its
Influences upon the fortunes of the white people OF oouth
Carolina than anything of the kind which ever occurred |"
the state. Congress appointed an investigating conlnl'tee
to take testimony and the bloody shirt was waved by the
northern press and politician from one end OF the country
TO the other. The two preceding disturbances OF winch
have spoken, while causing great excitement ana uh-
easiness. had resulted in no bloodshed other tldh liz
wounding of two negores near DR.. MckleS, out the r1a"l-
burg riot caused the death of seven negroes and one "hlte
man, while two negroes and another white man were seri-
ously wounded.
The cause of the trouble as in the two Ned Tenant
riots was the negro militia. The town OF Hamburg oP'
posite the city of Augusta and thirteen miles below where
was born and reared and was then living, mad oeen d
PROSPEROUS mart of trade between 1910 and 1900. Al
one time it had a population of between 5000 and 1900
and did an immense business with the South Carolha
planters. Owing to its liability to overflow by the oa-
vannah river It had begun to decline and at the time OF
which 1 write it was occupied almost entirely by negroes
The white population consisted OF a lew families. Inc
number of stores was small. The negro population IN
1876 probably numbered 1, 200 and 1t had become an mar
bor Of refuge for all of the COW thieves, cotton thieves,
house burners, and other types OF CRIMINALS among the
negroes. Owing to the fact that the municipal govern
ment was composed Of negroes, the town nlarshal was d
negro, CGen. Prince R. Rivers, an ex-Union soldier, COM
mander Of the negro militia, State Senator from Aiken
county and Trial Justice, lived there and the negroes
were exceedingly insolent and it was dangerous tor white
men to 90 through the town unless they were well armed.
A negro militia company Of about one hundred men had
been ORGANIZED in this lawless den and one Dock Adams
was captain. On the afternoon of the 4th OF July, 1870,
this company was drilling and paradlng on Main Street
and as was usual a very large proportion OF the negro pop
ulation were admiring spectators. "A young man. lhonlaS
Butler, whose father lived on the high hill two miles away,
returning home from Augusta whittier he had been on
business found the street blocked by the negro militia com
pany. The militia were marching company front and
the line extended from sidewalk to sidewalk. AS young
Butler approached, instead of throwing his men into
column of fours or column Of platoons' or wheeling
them out of the way Dock Adams gave the order to
"charge bayonets' with the view no doubt OF showing OFT
before the assembled negroes and to compel the young
white man to turn his horse around and flee. But ne was
not of that kind, and knowing he had a right to the high
way, as the approaching line of leveled bayonets came
forward he stopped his buggy and reaching for his pistol
cooked it and shouted, 'Tll shoot the first man who
sticks a bsyonet in my horse" He was alone and there
were more than 100 negroes with Springfield rifles and
cleaning bayonets and several hundred others looking on.
He knew and the negroes knew that they could butcher
him with great ease, but they felt certain he would Kill
one or more of them before it could be done. The cap
tain shouted "halt' and opened the ranks so that Butler
could pass and in a little while dismissed his company
and went to Gen. Prince Rivers and swore out a warrant
charging young Butler with interfering with his company at
drill. Butler went on home and told his father what had
happened, and Mr.. Robert Butler, whose plantation lay
above Hamburg and who had a great deal of trouble with
negro thieves and was in every way a very pugnacloasi