Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1911-08-04
The Red Shirts.

Having noted from time to time diff
ferent versions as to the origin Of the
famous Red Shirt movement In South
Carolina, we have been to some little
trouble to turn back to the files Of The
ENQUIRER for such information as might
appear.
AS is generally understood at this
day, the campaign Of 1876 was kind
of a whirlwind affair. The Democratic
party had been practically dormant
since in 1868, and when the Hampton
ticket was first nominated in the sum
mer of 1876, it gave rise to but little
enthusiasm. The people were gener-
ally hopeless, and a majority of them
seemed inclined to accept conditions
as they were. But shortly after the
opening of the state campaign In the
latter part Of August, things began to
warm up and soon the entire state was
afiame.
Governor Chamberlain, who had been
in Office for two years was an import
ed Republican carpet bagger from
Massachusetts; but was very consid-
cradle improvement over Scott and
Moses, the unspeakable rascals, who
had preceded him. AS throwing light
on this point, we note in the report OF
the proceedings of the celebration OF
the one hundredth anniversary Of the
battle Of Fort Moultrie in Charleston
during the summer of 1876, the late
General John B. Kershaw was the ora
tor of the day. During the course OF
his speech, he addressed himself to the
horrible situation in the state, de-
nouncing the rascality and corruption
that had existed, and then as If fear
ing that what he had said might be
misunderstood he turned to Governor
Chamberlain, who was present and
made it clear that no personal reflec-
tions were intended in his remarks.
The nomination Of Hampton and a
full state ticket was brought about In
the summer of 1876, without a great
deal of enthusiasm, and 1t Is fact that
the campaign of that year was well on
before the people Of the state began
to show a great deal of interest. The
first county meeting which was held
at Anderson was fairly well attended
but upon the whole was rather quiet
Greenville had a fairly good meeting
and Abbeville had a rouser; but 1t was
not until the campaign party reached
Aiken that the Red Shirts made their
appearance, or at least began to attract
sufficient attention to receive general
mention.
The Aiken meeting was held on Sep
tember 3, 1876, and in connection with
the account of the same, we find this
statement: AN amusing feature OF
the occasion was a company of mount
ed men, commanded by Col. A. P. But
Ter and arrayed in bloody shirts" The
amusement referred to probably comes
in connection with a suggested bur-
lesque of incendiary Yankee speakers
who were at the time still engaged In
trying to re-inflame the passions OF
the civil war.
The campaign in York county was
we'll on before General Hampton's
campaign party arrived on Friday, Oc-
tober 13, 1876. From the account In
The Enquirer Of the following Thurs
day, it appears that the first speech
the general made in York county was al
Rock Hill on Thursday evening of Oct
~, 1876, to a crowd estimated at near
ly 5000. From Rock Hill he came to
Yorkville and spoke in what was then
Harts Grove, where the Baptist church
now is, Friday morning and Friday
night
The only Red Shirts mentioned in
The Enquirers page report Of the oc-
casion of the visit of Gen. Hampton
are those worn by the Hampton
Boys" a company of kids, organized
uniformed and drilled for the occa-
sion by G. w. S. Hart, Esq, of York
VILE The uniforms of the Hampton
Boys are described as red blouses with
white pantaloons, while the "Evlns
Boys" wore blue blouses, trimmed with
red, and black pants.
The crowd of the day is estimated as
numbering more than 5000 people in
Guiding 600 horsemen, belonging to the
various Democratic clubs representing
different parts of the county.
| During the years following the cleo
tion of 1876, there are frequent refer
| ha
it was the exception rather than the
rule for Democrats to mobilize without
the accustomed uniform.
Preliminary to the county nominal
ing convention of September %, 1878
it was given out that there would be
a monster ratification meeting inn
mediately after the adjournment of the
convention, and there was an offer OF
a handsome banner to the Democratic
club turning out the largest number
of mounted Red Shirt Democrats.
The gathering place was Bill Carr's
old field in the northern outskirts OF
Yorkville and because some of the par
ties interested would not take the
figures of the captains of the clubs, il
was necessary to make a careful indi-
vidual count Of all present. From the
report in The Enquirer. it appears some
of the club members had strayed
from their respective clubs before the
clubs were formed in review, and there
was a claim that none but those ac-
tually present should be counted. The