The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-04-30
THE FAMOUS RED SHIRTS OF
 SOUTH CAROLINA IN 1S76-8O
By MRS. ALICE BETHEA SMITH

amusing incident occurred. The repub-
 licans, Chamberlain, E. w. M. Mackey
 and two or three black office holders,
 occupied one side of the platform, while
 the democrats, Gen. M. c. Gary, Gen.
 Wade Hampton, the talented and chival-
 rous M. C. Butler, and others, occupied
 the other side. In the midst of the speech
 making the platform fell, the democrats
 going up while the republicans went
 down. The significance of the thing
 striking Butler, he clapped his hands and with laughter shouted, Sitting Bull; a
 good omen, gentlemen GAS is known, a
 few months previous Sitting Bull, the
 rebel Indian chief, who had been giving
 the United States a lot of trouble in the
 west, was overthrown and capturedD The
 negroes seem to think the falling of the
 platform had been prearranged, and that
 it was but a signal of disaster to fol-
 low, and with one accord fled, pellmell,
 in every direction. The white men
 promptly assembled in the public square
 As the huge crowd moved forward the
 van composed of mounted red shirts, led
 by young Sheppard, it was a sight never
 to be forgotten. One distinguished Caro- linian from the back of horse made
 perhaps the greatest speech of his life. He said he saw the fires of civilization had at last begun to beat against the crust of barbarism that had settled down upon the beloved state, and that he saw manifestations of an irresistible purpose on the part of the white people to redeem the state from the misrule of carpet baggism.
 It is impossible to describe the feeling of enthusiasm that swept through the state at this utterly routing of Chamber lain at his. own appointed speaking place. Then it was on August 15, three days after Chamberlain's discontinue, the .k~4, @f 4I,@ ffn nOrfxy met and resolved to put out a straight democratic ticket, with Gen. Wade Hamp- ton heading it as governor. Never be- fore had such enthusiasm existed in South Carolina Every red shirt club had had meeings and passed resolutions to carry the state for Hampton When Gen. Wade Hampton started out on his campaign, which was mostly made on horseback from county to county, he was accompanied by an immense body of mounted "red shirts" The night before he was to speak In a town, the white citizens of that county, almost to man, would assemble on the outskirts of that town and camp for the night, so as to be ready early next morning to meet him far out. Mounted horseback and dressed in thin red shirts they would joke him, as accompanied by a huge cavalry in their significant uniform (most of them from the last town), would ride back like a triumphal army through the town, while the shouts and plaudits of the people would greet them on all sides. Whenever they passed the office. of a
 native white man who had sold himself to the corruptionists, a halt would be called and three groans given, the sound fairly shaking the earth.
 Thus Hampton made his campaign
 through the state. In his addresses he was forceful. aggressive and prudent at the same time, winning votes where no
 other man could It was afterwards con- ceded that the red shirts" held the great honor of winning the day for Hampton for, as is known, he was elected and borne through the streets of Colum- bia on the shoulders of those staunch sons of Carolina.