VIII. POLITICAL DISTURBANCES IN SOUTH CAROLINA. THE HAMBURG RIOT, 1876-THE RIFLE CLUBS-DISORDERS AT COLUMBIA. The participation of South Carolina in the operations of the Ku-Klux-Klan and the action of the President in locating Federal troops throughout the disturbed counties have already been recited. Although the immediate effect of these measures was to restore a degree of good order to this section, there were constant irritations and disturbances for the following five or six years. It was not until the summer of 1876, however, that these disorders attracted much attention. A company of colored militia had been organized at Hamburg, in Aiken County, during the administration of Governor Scott, in 1869–70; had been supplied with arms and had drilled frequently, but after the excitement consequent upon the operations of the Ku-Klux had subsided the company had ceased its activity, drilled but seldom, and was scarcely alive. In May, 1876, a new captain had July 8, 1876. been elected, by whose energy recruiting had been The Hamburg riot, stimulated until the membership had increased to about eighty. On the 4th of July, 1876, the company was being drilled on one of the public streets of Hamburg when a carriage containing two of the townsmen (white) came by and tried to drive through the ranks. An altercation ensued, but the company finally opened ranks and permitted the carriage to pass through. The incident seems to have angered the white men, for they at once made complaint against the militia company for obstructing the highway, and the captain was arrested and brought before one Rivers, a trial justice, who was also a major-general of militia. The arrest seems to have caused great offense to the members of the company, and it was charged that they assembled in their armory and threatened to release the captain. It was also asserted that the company had no legal existence, but had been disbanded for years. Before the case could be heard the white men of the town seem to have determined that the militia company should be disarmed, and on the 8th of July some 200 or 300 citizens armed themselves, came into Hamburg, and, calling upon Rivers, demanded a surrender of the arms in the hands of the militia company. Rivers seems to have been willing to surrender the arms, but the captain and his men refused to turn them over. While these negotiations were going on the armed white men were sur rounding the armory, and before they were concluded firing had already commenced. After it had commenced it was returned by the militia, and one of the attacking party was shot through the head and instantly killed. From this time up to midnight every colored man that could be found in Hamburg was pursued, shot at, and otherwise maltreated. Some twenty-five of the members of the militia company were captured. Five of these were taken out and shot to death; the rest were turned loose or broke loose and ran away, were fired upon as they ran, and several severely wounded. In the midst of this pursuit several stores and houses were broken open and robbed and a large number of cabins belonging to the colored people broken into and plundered. The matter was reported to Congress by a message from the President in answer to a Senate resolution," but was lost sight of in the more pressing and exciting events of that year. 1876. There were other outbreaks during the succeeding months, and it was alleged that white rifle clubs had been organized all over the State. There was a riot in Ellenton, not far from Hamburg, in Aiken County, which continued for several days, in which some twelve The "Rifle Clubs," or fifteen men were killed. On the 7th of October Governor Chamberlain issued a proclamation, requir ing all organizations and combinations of men, not organized militia, to disband, with the alternative of a resort to military force. At the same time he applied to the Federal Government for assistance, and in response the President issued a proclamation, dated October 17, 1876, followed by instructions to the General of the Army, as follows: BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. A PROCLAMATION. Whereas, it has been satisfactorily shown to me that insurrection and domestic violence exist in several counties of the State of South Carolina, and that certain combinations of men against the law exist in many counties of said State, known as "rifle clubs," who ride up and down by day and night in arms, murdering some peaceable citizens and intimidating others, which combinations, though forbidden by the laws of the State, can not be controlled or suppressed by the ordinary course of justice; and whereas, it is provided in the Constitution of the United States that the United States shall protect every State in this Union, on application of the legislature, or of the executive when the legislature can not be convened, against domestic violence; and whereas, by laws in pursuance of the above, it is provided in the laws of the United States that in all cases of insurrection in any State, or of obstruction to the laws thereof, it shall be lawful for the President of the United States, on application of the legislature of such State, or of the executive when the legislature can not be convened, to call for the militia of any other State or States, or to employ such part of the land and naval forces as shall be judged necessary for the purpose of suppressing such insurrection or causing the laws to be duly executed; and whereas, the legislature of said State is not now in session and can not be convened a Senate Ex. Doc. No. 85, Forty-fourth Congress, first session. in time to meet the present emergency, and the executive of said State, under section 4 of Article IV of the Constitution and the laws passed in pursuance thereof, has therefore made due application to me in the premises for such part of the military force of the United States as may be necessary and adequate to protect said State and the citizens thereof against domestic violence and to enforce the due execution of the laws; and whereas, it is required that whenever it may be necessary, in the judgment of the President, to use the military force for the purpose aforesaid he shall forthwith, by proclamation, command such insurgents to disperse and retire peaceably to their respective homes within a limited time: Now, therefore, I, Ulysses S. Grant, President of the United States, do hereby make proclamation and command all persons engaged in said unlawful and insurrectionary proceedings to disperse and retire peaceably to their respective abodes within three days from this date, and hereafter abandon said combinations and submit themselves to the laws and constituted authorities of said State, and I invoke the aid and cooperation of all good citizens thereof to uphold the laws and preserve the public peace. In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the United States to be affixed. Done at the city of Washington, this 17th of October, in the year of our Lord eighteen hundred and seventy-six and of the Independence of the United States the one hundred and first. SIR: In view of the existing condition of affairs in South Carolina, there is a possibility that the proclamation of the President of this date may be disregarded. To provide against such a contingency, you will immediately order all the available force in the military division of the Atlantic to report to General Ruger, commanding at Columbia, S. C., and instruct that officer to station his troops in such localities that they may be most speedily and effectually used in case of resistance to the authority of the United States. It is hoped that a collision may thus be avoided, but you will instruct General Ruger to let it be known that it is the fixed purpose of the Government to carry out fully the spirit of the proclamation, and to sustain it by the military force of the General Government, supplemented, if necessary, by the militia of the various States. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, J. D. CAMERON, Against the assertions of this proclamation the people of the State protested, denying any intention of disturbing the peace or of resisting the General Government. They contended that the so-called "rifle clubs" were formed solely for home protection; that few of them had arms or ammunition; that others were equipped with the sanction of the governor, and frequently with his aid, and that their organization was necessitated by the reckless distribution among the colored people of arms and ammunition by the State authorities. Their submission was immediate and unconditional, and no occasion arose for the use of the troops in disbanding these clubs. There was much excitement in the State, as elsewhere through the country, over the delay in ascertaining the result of the Presidential election of 1876. During the disturbances growing out of the suppression of the rifle clubs and the election that followed troops were stationed, in small detachments, at 70 different points in the State, and by their presence contributed in a marked degree to the orderly manner in which the election was conducted. But as the time for the meeting of the legislature approached it was feared that there would besarmed resistance to the installation of the governor, and to anticipate this the latter applied to the President for troops to preserve the peace. In response the following instructions were telegraphed on the 26th of November to the Department commander: " SIR: D. H. Chamberlain is now governor of the State of South Carolina beyond any controversy, and remains so until the new governor shall be duly and legally inaugurated under the Constitution. The Government has been called upon to aid, with the military and naval forces of the United States, to maintain Republican government in the State against resistance too formidable to be overcome by State authorities. You are directed, therefore, to sustain Governor Chamberlain in his authority against domestic violence until otherwise directed. U. S. GRANT. In obeying these instructions you will advise with the governor and dispose your troops in such manner as may be deemed best in order to carry out the spirit of the above order of the President. Acknowledge receipt. J. D. CAMERON, As a result of these instructions all available troops were at once assembled at Columbia. These consisted of eight companies of the Eighteenth Infantry, one battery of the First Artillery, two of the Second, and three of the Third, together with various detachments, to a total exceeding 450 officers and men. The legislature met on the 28th, when, under the instructions of the governor, only those holding certificates of election from the secretary of state were permitted to enter the hall of representatives, thus excluding certain Democrats from Edgefield and Lancaster counties. As a consequence those who were refused admission, together with those Democrats who had been admitted, organized separately, and thus the spectacle was presented for several days of two houses of representatives in session at the a H. R. Ex. Doc. No. 30, Forty-fourth Congress, second session, pp. 16, 17. same time in the same hall. To put an end to this anomalous state of affairs the governor decided to eject the members who had been the subject of contention, and to that end called upon the commanding officer of the troops for aid. In this complication the latter (General Ruger) determined at first to so far comply with the requisition as to exclude those gentlemen from future admission to the hall, pending a judicial settlement of the question, but on reflection decided that the wisest course would be to hold closely to his general instructions-to preserve the peace merely. To this course the governor demurred and telegraphed the Secretary of War, asking that General Ruger be instructed to obey his orders, to which reply was sent him on the 2d of December and similar dispatch to General Ruger. A few days later, fearing that the earlier instructions had been too brief or vague, the President sent a second dispatch to General Ruger. These were as follows: a α Governor D. H. CHAMBERLAIN, Columbia, S. C.: WASHINGTON, December 2, 1876. The President thinks that you should exercise your own resources as governor in behalf of the legislature which you have recognized by assisting it to purge itself of unauthorized persons. If you are resisted in this, General Ruger has been instructed to enforce your authority. Gen. T. H. RUGER, Columbia, S. C.: ALPHONSO TAFT, EXECUTIVE MANSION, Washington City, December 3, 1876. Fearing your instructions may be conflicting and leave you in doubt as to your duties in the present unhappy condition of affairs in South Carolina, I wish to say this: Governor Chamberlain is the legal constituted governor of the State, and remains so until the legislature canvasses the vote and installs his successor; and he is entitled as such to your support and protection. It is a civil duty to organize the legislature devolving on State authorities. All you can do is to prevent unauthorized persons from forcibly interfering with the governor and other authorized officers in the performance of their duties. To be plain, I want to avoid anything like an unlawful use of the military, but it will be entirely right to sustain the governor or any of his agents or officers in the performance of any duty in connection with the legislature if interfered with by outsiders while in the performance of that duty. U. S. GRANT. On the 5th of December there was increased uneasiness at Columbia. Armed men came in from the country, openly asserting their intention to seize the statehouse and seat the contesting governor (Wade Hampton). There were fears of violence, and under much excitement appeals were made to the President. Under his direction the troops a General Ruger to General Sherman, dispatches of November 30, 1876 (H. R. Ex. Doc. No. 30, Forty-fourth Congress, second session, pp. 37–38). |