The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1909-09-15
The DARK DAYS
Tlilman Tells the Story OF the
Struggles of 1875
IN SOUTH CAROLINA

An Address Delivered by Senator
T;,,man at the Red Shirt Reunion
Mt Anderson, S. c.. on August %
;, tho Presence Of Several Thou
sand Enthusiastic People.
The Hamburg Riot.
Judge Aldrich told you last nisnt
,,.+ ha could tel, more about the
Hamburg no. than ! could because
he would no, have 10 c7imina'e h'N-
se,s AS for tha. have nothing 20
conceal abou, the Hamburg riot /
told the Republicans in the senate
.h., We had TO shoot negroes 10 get
relief from the CALLING tyranny "
.h;cn We had been subjected and,
while my us;erances were useo IL
,ha Republican campaign book ics
1000 / think my very boldness aad
mo srankress with which explain
et conditions did more TO enlishten
and disarn. the fanatics than any
thing else | could have said. Even
Sc,,,o- Hoar was so impressed that
he became ny warm personal t3ieao.
Because OF the potent influence N
arorsins the white men OF the see'e
10 their duty. shall give you eHe
story OF the Hamburg rio, IL 'u!!'
NOT dealing ~ this time with the
two Ned Tennant riots and the
Elien.an riot
The third o, these disturbances or
riots occurred in Hamburg II Ju!!.
1876. and this tragic episode IL tae
struggle for white supremacy caused
more widespread comment through
ont the north and was more taT
reaching in its influence upon the
fortunes OF the white people OF South
Carolina than anything Of the KING
which ever occurred in the state.
Congress appointed an Investigation
committee 10 take testimony and me
bloody shirt was waved by the
northern press and politicians from
one end OF the country TO the other
The two preceding disturbances. OF
which I have spoken. while causing
srea: excitement and uaeastness'
had resulted in no blood shed other
than the wounding Of two negroes
near DR.. McKie's, but the Hamburg
riot caused the death OF seven ne
sroes aaG one white man. while twc
negroes and another white man were
seriously wounded,
The cause Of the trouble. as IN the
two Ned Teonant riots was the ae'
gro militia. The town OF Hamburg
opposite the city OF Augusta. and
thirteen miles below where I va:
bern and reared and was then ;:S'
ing. had been prosperous mart o'
trade between lS4o and 1850. A.
one time It had a population OF be
tween 5000 and 1000 and did AZ
immense business with the South
Carolina planters Owing to !;s
liability to overflow by the Savannah
river ]. had begun to decline and a.
the time OF which write 1t va:
occupied almost entirely by negroes
The white population consisted OF
few families. The number OF store:
was small. Tie negro population
in 1875 probably numbered l.s0t
and it had become an harooT o.
refuge for all Of the COW thieves
cotton thieves. house burners. anc
other types Of criminals among the
negroes Owing TO the fact thai
the municipal government was CON
posed OF neSroee. the town marsha
was negro. Cen Prince R Rivers
an e1-Union soldier. commander o.
the negro militia. State Senator from
Aiken county and Trial Justice. lived
there and the negroes were exceed
ingly ;csoleas and II was dangerous
for white men to go through the
town unless they were well armed
A negro militia company os sbou;
one hundred men had been organic
ed in this lawless den and one Dock
Adams was captain. On the after
noon OF the ith OF July. 1876. this
company was drilling and pavadins
On Main stree: and as was usual
a very large proportion cf the nss.l
population were admirin% specta-
tors. A yoGng man. Thomas But
.er, whose father live; on the sisl'
hill two miles away. .e:Grclrs home
from Augusta whittier he had been
on business found the street blocked
hy the negro militia company. Tn.
militia were marching company
front and the line extended ;ron,
sidewalk TO sidewalk. AS young
Butler approached. instead OF throw
ing his 'aes into column Of fours''
or column OF platooas" OF wheel
ing them oU: OF the way. Dock
Adams gave the order to charge
bayonets" with the view no doub:
OF showing oG before the assem- bled
negroes and &c compe! the young
white man to turn his horse around
and fee. But he was not Of that
kind. and knowing he had g right
20 the highway. as the approaching s
line o: ;eveled hayonets came for
ward he stopped his buggy and
reached sor his pistol. cooked it and
shouted. I'll shoot the first man
who sticks q bayonet in my horse. -
Ee was alone and there were more
than 100 negroes with Springfield
rifles and cleaning b2yonets and sew
eral hundred others looking on. He
knew and the negroes knew that
they could bu;che, him with great
ease. but they felt certain ne would