Solomon Dill facts for kids
Solomon George Washington Dill (born around 1818 – died June 4, 1868) was an important leader who worked to end slavery. He served in South Carolina's government during a time called the Reconstruction Era. This was after the American Civil War, when the country was rebuilding. Solomon Dill was murdered because he strongly supported equal rights for African Americans. He was married to Rebecca Dill. We don't know his exact birthday, but he was likely between 45 and 50 years old when he died.
After the Civil War, the United States government sent soldiers to the Southern states. This was to make sure these states followed new rules and protected everyone's rights. Because of this, a military officer named Lieutenant George Price led the investigation into Solomon Dill's murder. Lieutenant Price found that Dill was from South Carolina, had a good education, and owned some property. Dill helped create the 1868 South Carolina Constitution. He was also elected to several government jobs. Even though he was white, many recently freed African Americans supported him. This was because he believed in equality for all people. A local newspaper, The Greenville Enterprise, reported that many Black people attended his funeral. The paper also noted that some white men were arrested, but it questioned if there was enough proof against them.
Fighting for Rights
Solomon Dill was a brave and sometimes controversial person in Southern politics. He was against slavery and believed everyone should have the right to vote. He spoke out against ideas like making people pass a reading test or own land to vote. He said that such rules were unfair.
After he announced he was a Republican, people often bothered him. He even thought he might be killed, but he refused to change his beliefs. Dill had a friend guard his house every night because he received many threats. However, after an election, they thought the threats would stop. Despite the criticism, he had many supporters, especially freed people. They helped him get elected to the State Legislature on April 14. He also ran for State Commissioner on June 2–3 and won that job after he had passed away.
Dill often gave speeches to freed people and anyone else who wanted to listen. He advised them to be patient and calm. People who didn't like Dill spread rumors that he talked about hate and violence. But Lieutenant Price's investigation found no proof that these claims were true. They seemed to be just rumors from his opponents. After Dill's murder, many white people in the area expected African Americans to protest violently. However, some African Americans who were interviewed said they didn't riot because Dill would not have wanted that. He often taught them to remain peaceful. They felt strongly that the people who were guilty should be punished, but not innocent people.
Helping Write the State Constitution
Solomon Dill represented South Carolina and helped write the state's new Constitution in 1868. South Carolina had written a constitution in 1865, but it needed to be updated. This was because of the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. After the 14th Amendment was passed, South Carolina had to approve it. The state also had to create a new constitution that allowed African Americans to vote.
For the first time, African Americans in South Carolina could vote for delegates. These delegates would help write the new constitution. Solomon Dill was chosen as one of these delegates because of his strong anti-slavery views. The South Carolina Constitutional Convention of 1868 was the first time African Americans helped write the state's constitution. Dill and 123 other delegates met in Charleston, South Carolina. They started on January 14, 1868, and worked until March 17, for a total of 53 days.
Dill was part of a group called the "Radical Republicans" within the convention. This group included 63 delegates. Dill was one of only 13 white people in this group. Out of all 124 delegates, 48 were white men, and 76 were African American men.
His Tragic Death
The Ku Klux Klan was a group that started in Tennessee in 1866. By 1868, it had spread to South Carolina. There was an election in South Carolina in the fall of 1868. The KKK tried to scare people and remove those who disagreed with their ideas. South Carolina saw a rise in violence because of the upcoming election. However, not all of this violence was organized by the KKK.
Solomon Dill was one of three Republican politicians murdered in South Carolina that year while running for office. Between 1868 and 1871, at least 100 people were murdered or attacked because of their race or political beliefs. We don't know if Dill's killers were direct members of the KKK. However, the group's fast growth and spread across the South showed a growing trend of violence. This violence was aimed at African Americans and white people who supported them during this time.
On Thursday, June 4, 1868, Dill was at his home in Kershaw County. His wife, Rebecca Dill, and a friend, Nestor Ellison, who was an African American freedman, were also there. Just after sunset, around eight o'clock, a group came to his home. They killed Dill and Ellison. His wife was also hurt but lived. She told investigators that they were sitting inside when unknown people fired shots into their house.
Nine guests gave sworn statements about that night. However, no killer was clearly identified from their testimonies.
After the local community did not try to find Dill's killers, Lieutenant Price and some soldiers were sent to the town. They investigated the murder further. A reward of $10,000 was offered for information leading to the arrest of any killers. Lieutenant Price concluded that 10 shots were fired into the East door of Dill's home that night. By July 10, 11 white men were arrested for Solomon Dill's murder. Their names were Joseph Huckabee, William Nelson, George Mattox, John Picket, John Mickle, Abram Rabon, M. P. Kelly, William Kelly, Emmanuel and William Parker, and Dr. John A Glenn. A 12th suspect, Samuel Mattox, was believed to be involved. He was George Mattox's father. However, Samuel was considered too old for jail, so he was allowed to go home to be cared for.
July 10 was also the date of Lieutenant Price's last official report. After that, the murder suspects and all investigation information were given to the South Carolina Attorney General. Because of the constitutional convention that Solomon Dill helped with, a new constitution was approved by Congress. This meant South Carolina had met the requirements the federal government had set for Southern states to regain their independence. The military then began to leave the state.