Wade Hampton III facts for kids
Wade Hampton III (born March 28, 1818 – died April 11, 1902) was an American military leader who fought for the Confederate States of America during the American Civil War. After the war, he became an important politician in South Carolina. Hampton came from a very rich family who owned large plantations. Before the war, he was one of the biggest slaveholders in the Southeastern United States and also served in the state government. During the Civil War, he joined the Confederate cavalry and became a lieutenant general.
After the Reconstruction era ended and U.S. soldiers left South Carolina, Hampton became a leader of a group called the "Redeemers." These were white Southerners who wanted to bring back white control in the state. His campaign to become governor involved groups that tried to stop Black voters from participating in elections. Hampton was elected governor and served from 1876 to 1879. Later, he was a U.S. Senator for two terms, from 1879 to 1891.
Quick facts for kids
Wade Hampton III
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Wade Hampton during the Civil War
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| United States Senator from South Carolina |
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| In office March 4, 1879 – March 3, 1891 |
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| Preceded by | John J. Patterson |
| Succeeded by | John L. M. Irby |
| 77th Governor of South Carolina | |
| In office April 11, 1877 – February 26, 1879 |
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| Lieutenant | William Dunlap Simpson |
| Preceded by | Daniel Henry Chamberlain |
| Succeeded by | William Dunlap Simpson |
| In office December 14, 1876 – April 11, 1877 Disputed with Daniel Chamberlain |
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| Member of the South Carolina Senate from Richland County |
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| In office November 22, 1858 – October 8, 1861 |
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| Preceded by | John Smith Preston |
| Succeeded by | Edward John Arthur |
| Member of the South Carolina House of Representatives from Richland County |
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| In office November 22, 1852 – November 22, 1858 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born | March 28, 1818 Charleston, South Carolina, U.S. |
| Died | April 11, 1902 (aged 84) Columbia, South Carolina, U.S. |
| Resting place | Trinity Cathedral Churchyard |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Alma mater | South Carolina College |
| Profession | planter, soldier, politician |
| Committees | United States railroad commissioner 1893–1897 |
| Signature |  |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  Confederate States of America |
| Branch/service |  Confederate States Army |
| Years of service | 1861–1865 |
| Rank |  Lieutenant General |
| Commands | Hampton's Legion Cavalry Corps, Army of Northern Virginia |
| Battles/wars | American Civil War |
Contents
Early Life and Political Start
Wade Hampton III was born in 1818 in Charleston, South Carolina. He was the oldest son of Wade Hampton II and Ann Hampton. His mother's family was also very wealthy. His father made a lot of money after the War of 1812 by buying and selling land.
His father was an officer in the War of 1812 and helped General Andrew Jackson. His grandfather, Wade Hampton I, was a military officer in the American War of Independence. He was also a member of the U.S. House of Representatives. Wade III's uncle, James Henry Hammond, also became a U.S. Senator and Governor of South Carolina.
Wade Hampton III grew up in a rich family that owned plantations. He was taught at home. He loved being outdoors, riding horses, and hunting. He was known for hunting American black bears by himself with only a knife.
In 1836, Hampton graduated from South Carolina College, which is now the University of South Carolina. He studied law but never worked as a lawyer. His father gave him plantations in South Carolina and Mississippi to manage. He also became involved in politics as a Democrat.
He was elected to the South Carolina government in 1852. He served as a state Senator from 1858 to 1861. When his father died in 1858, Wade Hampton III inherited a huge fortune, many plantations, and enslaved people.
Civil War Service
During the Civil War, Hampton joined the Confederate army. He left his job as a South Carolina Senator to become a private soldier. However, the governor of South Carolina insisted that Hampton become a colonel.
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Even though he had no military experience, his experience managing plantations and working in government showed he was a leader. Rich people often became officers and were expected to help pay for military units. Hampton created and partly paid for a group called "Hampton's Legion." This group included infantry, cavalry, and artillery. He bought all the weapons for his unit.
Hampton was a natural cavalryman. He was brave and a great horse rider. He was one of only three officers without past military experience to reach the rank of lieutenant general.
Hampton's first battle was the First Battle of Manassas. He moved his unit at a key moment, helping the Confederate line that was falling back. This gave time for Stonewall Jackson's brigade to arrive. A bullet grazed Hampton's forehead when he led a charge. This was the first of five times he would be wounded during the war.
In 1862, Hampton was promoted to brigadier general. At the Battle of Seven Pines in May 1862, he was badly wounded in the foot. But he stayed on his horse while his foot was treated, even though he was still under fire. He returned to duty quickly.
After the Peninsula Campaign, General Robert E. Lee put his cavalry forces into a division led by J.E.B. Stuart. Stuart chose Hampton to lead one of the cavalry brigades. Hampton's brigade was not at the Second Battle of Manassas, but they were at the Sharpsburg. In October 1862, his brigade took part in Stuart's raid on Chambersburg, Pennsylvania. Hampton was even briefly made "military governor" of the town. He also led successful cavalry raids behind enemy lines, capturing prisoners and supplies.
Hampton was not at the Battle of Fredericksburg or the Battle of Chancellorsville because he was on other missions.
At the Battle of Brandy Station, the biggest cavalry battle of the war, Hampton was slightly wounded. His younger brother, Frank, was killed there. Hampton's brigade then joined Stuart's raid into Pennsylvania. They reached Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, late on July 2, 1863. On July 3, Hampton led a cavalry attack east of Gettysburg. He was wounded again by shrapnel in his hip. On August 3, 1863, Hampton was promoted to major general and given command of a cavalry division. His wounds took a long time to heal, and he did not return to duty until November.
During the 1864 Overland Campaign, Hampton's cavalry fought in several battles. When J.E.B. Stuart was killed, Hampton took command of the Cavalry Corps on August 11, 1864. For the rest of the war, Hampton did not lose any cavalry battles. In September, Hampton led a famous mission called the "Beefsteak Raid." His soldiers captured over 2,400 cattle and more than 300 prisoners from behind enemy lines.
In October 1864, near Petersburg, Virginia, Hampton's son, T. Preston Hampton, was fatally wounded while delivering a message. Soon after, Hampton and his other son, Wade IV, rode in the same direction. Young Wade was also shot but survived.
In January 1865, Hampton returned to South Carolina to find more soldiers. He was promoted to lieutenant general on February 14, 1865. He eventually surrendered to the United States with General Joseph E. Johnston's army in Durham, North Carolina.
After the War
After the Civil War, Hampton became a supporter of the "Lost Cause" idea. This idea tried to explain why the Confederacy lost and expressed sadness about losing their old way of life. He believed that slavery in the South was not harsh and that Black people were not equal to White people. Hampton strongly disliked the U.S. government using Black soldiers as part of the occupying forces in South Carolina.
Hampton was offered the chance to run for governor in 1865. But he refused, thinking that Northerners would not trust a former Confederate general so soon after the war. In 1868, he became the head of the South Carolina Democratic Party.
Hampton did not do much in politics until 1876. He helped raise money for legal defense for people accused of violence against freedmen and white Republicans. He was not known to be actively involved in violent groups himself.
In the mid-1870s, groups of white men called "rifle clubs" formed. In South Carolina, about 20,000 men were part of these groups by 1876. Another group, the "Red Shirts," also grew. These groups acted as the "military arm of the Democratic Party." They marched in parades, openly interrupted Republican meetings, and tried to stop Black people from voting through intimidation.
Hampton did not agree with the Reconstruction era policies that allowed African Americans to vote and be involved in politics. He re-entered South Carolina politics in 1876, running against these policies. Hampton, a Democrat, ran against the Republican governor Daniel Henry Chamberlain. The 1876 South Carolina governor election was very intense. The Red Shirts used intimidation to stop Black voters. While Hampton's supporters included Red Shirts, there is no clear proof that Hampton himself encouraged the violence.
Both parties claimed they won the election. For more than six months, two different groups claimed to be the real government in the state. Finally, the South Carolina Supreme Court decided that Hampton had won. He was the first Democratic governor in South Carolina since the Civil War ended. The national election of Rutherford B. Hayes as President of the United States was decided by a deal. This deal meant the national Democratic party agreed to officially end the Reconstruction era. In 1877, President Hayes ordered U.S. troops to leave the Southern United States. This allowed white people to regain control over the freedmen.
After the election, Hampton was called the "Savior of South Carolina." He was one of the Democrats known as "Redeemers." He was re-elected in 1878. The Red Shirts still helped, but less intimidation was needed. Soon after, Hampton broke his right leg in a hunting accident. Several weeks later, his leg had to be removed because of problems from the injury.
Even though he did not announce he was running for the Senate, Hampton was elected to the United States Senate by the South Carolina General Assembly on the same day his leg was removed. He left his job as governor to serve two terms in the U.S. Senate until 1891.
Later Years and Legacy
From 1893 to 1897, Hampton worked as a United States Railroad Commissioner. President Grover Cleveland appointed him to this job.
Wade Hampton died in Columbia in 1902. He was buried in Trinity Cathedral Churchyard.
Statues of Wade Hampton were put up at the South Carolina State House and in the United States Capitol. An equestrian (on horseback) statue was placed at the S.C. state capitol in Columbia in 1906.
To honor Hampton for his leadership and for helping the state after Reconstruction, Hampton County was created in 1878. The town of Hampton was named after him and became the county seat.
Many towns and cities in South Carolina renamed streets after him. At least eight cities have a street called "Wade Hampton," and about 47 towns have streets named "Hampton." Two high schools in South Carolina are named Wade Hampton High School. A building at his college, the University of South Carolina, was also named for him. In 2021, a group at the university suggested removing his name from the building.
In 1913, a judge named the Wade Hampton Census Area in Alaska after him. This area was renamed Kusilvak Census Area in 2015.
An artillery battery at Fort Crockett in Texas was named after Wade Hampton. During World War II, a ship called the SS Wade Hampton was sunk by a German submarine.
In Greenville County, South Carolina, a part of U.S. Route 29 is called Wade Hampton Boulevard. There is also a fire department named in his honor.
In Fiction
- In the novel Gone with the Wind, the character Charles Hamilton serves in Hampton's regiment. Scarlett O'Hara's son is named Wade Hampton Hamilton.
- In the North and South books by John Jakes, the character Charles Main serves with Hampton's cavalry during the Civil War.
- Hampton appears in a small role in How Few Remain, a book where the South wins the American Civil War. Later in the series, a fictional grandson, Wade Hampton V, becomes President of the Confederate States.
See also
