Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1911-08-22
TUESDAY, AUGUST az, 1911.
THE RED SHIRT MOVEMENT.
Col. U. r. Brooks Writes About His
tory of Organization In 1876.

tory of Organization In 1876.
The following communication ad-
dressed to the Columbia State, ap'
peared In that paper last Sunday:
In the issue of the State Of the 18th
inst, 1 notice an article taken from
the Yorkville Enquirer, which pur-
ports to give a correct history Of the
Red Shirt movement in this state In
1876, when the "unterrified Democ-
racy," under the lead Of Gems. Gary
Butler and others, nominated Gen
Hampton for governor against Cham
berlain. who was in the fall OF that
year, by means of a well-organtzeo
campaign formulated by Gen. Gary
elected governor by a good majority
and forever restored white suprem-
acy to the state.
The account which the Yorkville
Enquirer gives of this movement
which wrested South Carolina from
negro carpetbag scalawag rule and
restored her to the loving care or her
native white citizenship, is not alto
gether true to the facts. At the hrst
inception of the movement, 1t Is un-
deniably true that there was more or
less lukewarmness, especially In those
counties south of Columbia. Many OF
the Democratic leaders in those coun-
ties seemed disposed to let what they
considered we'll enough alone, and at
one time, before the Red Shirt move
ment took definite shape, there was q
disposition on the part or some TO
make Chamberlain the nominee OF
the Democratic party. Against this
straightout Democrats, like Mart
Gary, bitterly protested. They felt
that the time had come for straight
out Democratic ticket to be put In the
field. It was Gen. Gary who suggested
that Wade Hampton was the most
available man to lead in the fight for
white supremacy. Gen. Butler had
been suggested, the purpose being to
nominate him on the assembling OF
the Democratic nominating conven-
lion. but, on Gen. Gary's representa-
tions, Butler withdrew in favor or
Hampton and himself made the
speech nominating Hampton, August
IA, 1875. From that time on there
was none Of the lukewarmness which
The ENQUIRER says existed. Simulta-
neously with the enthusiasm that i'm
mediately began to prevail In most
sections Of the state, the underlined
Democracy" commenced to array IT,
self In the blood-red uniform that
characterized 1t for several years
thereafter.
In a speech which I made at Spar
tanburg on August II, 1910, and
which appeared in the State OF that
month and year, made the follow
ing statement bearing on the history
of the Red Shirt campaign OF 1875:
IAN interesting contribution to the
history of the state is the Plan OF
Campaign Of 1875, printed below,
throwing light on the Red Shirt
movement Of the day:
"'This plan of campaign was form
ulated by Gen. NJ. W. Gary and was
adopted by the Democratic executive
committee of Edgefield county, COM
posed of Gen. Gary, as county chair
man, Hon. Geo. D. Ttllman, capt
Scott Allen, DR.. H. A. Shaw, Capt. j.
P. Blackwell and others.
"It Is in the handwriting Of Gen.
Gary and n. L. Griffin, his secretary.
That portion having reference to the
red shirt is in the handwriting OF
Gen. Gary.
This was the first official recog-
milton of the red shirt by the organ
lied Democracy as the uniform OF the
campaign and settles the vexed ques-
tion as to whom the credit is due.
1.-The plan of campaign adopted by
the Democratic party in Edgeheld
was the first in the state, and copies
upon request were sent to every DEM
ocratic county chairman in South
Carolina. .....--,
The first opportunity for wearing
the red shirt as the uniform OF the
organized Democracy was at Edgeheld
on the 18th Of August, when Gov.
Chamberlain, Judges Mackey and
Smalls were present to address the
Radicals. The speakers on the DEM
ocratic side were Gen. Gary, Gen.
Butler, and John c. Sheppard, after
wards governor of this state. Cham
berlain and his party next spoke at
Newberry. where they were met by
Col. D. wyatt Aiken, afterwards con-
gressman, Gen. Y. ]. Pope, afterwards
chief justice, and Col. ]. n. Lipscomb'
afterwards secretary Of state.
From Newberry Chamberlain and
his crowd came to Abbeville, where
they were routed by Col. j. S. Goth
ran, county chairman, Gen. Samuel
MCGOWAN and Col. D. Wyatt Aiken.
This is the last place where Chamber
lain and his party spoke in the cam
paign of 1876"
Notwithstanding what the Yorkville
ENQUIRER says, I see not the least rea-
son for receding one iota from the po-
sition I took in that speech. On the
contrary, the more I study the history
of that movement, and the more 1 eX-
anime all the evidence relating to 1t,
the more I am convinced of the cor
rectness of my statement. The incep-
ton of the whole Red Shirt move
ment, that finally led to the redemp-
ton Of the state, had its Origin in the
brain Of one man, and that man was
Gen. Gary. 1t was he who wrote the
26th resolution in the plan of cam
paign, which the Democratic execu-
tive committee Of Edgefield county, OF
unanimously adopted. This resolution
reads as follows: Every club must
be uniformed in a red shirt, and they
must be sure and wear it on all pub
lie meetings, and particularly on the
day of election" This resolution is In
the handwriting Of Gen. Gary, and
the original plan of campaign is in
possession of the Gary family. The
plan of campaign, as set forth in the
above resolution, was adopted before
the meeting at Edgefield, on the 18th
Of August, 1876, as that was the first
opportunity the clubs had OF wearing
the red shirts as the uniform of the
Democratic party, after the adoption
of the plan of campaign, which was
the first in the state during that year.
Such, then, was the first official
recognition of the red shirt by the or
ganiZed Democracy as the uniform
of the campaign, and settles the vexed
question as to whom the credit is due.
AS 1 stated in my Spartanburg speech,
copies of the plan Of a campaign
adopted by the EdgefelG Democrats
were. on request, sent to every Dem
ocratic county chairman in South
Carolina. The red shirt as uniform
was not worn anywhere by the De-
mocracy before the meeting at Edge
field on August IL, 1875, when 1t was
first used. having been before that
meeting officially recognized by the
Democratic party Of Edgefield as its
uniform. The Democratic party In
other counties officially recognized
and adopted it, and soon at every
campaign meeting throughout the
state the red shirted Democracy was
strongly in evidence. Eighteen hun
dred and seventy-six may with pro-
priety be called the year Of the revo-
luton Of the Red Shirts, who rescued
a state from villainy and corruption
and started her in the way Of good
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