Hamburg, South Carolina Massacre
By
John C Abercrombie
Today is day 20 in a series of 28 we look a massacre in Hamburg, South Carolina where 100 were killed trying to vote, but decided not to honor them but the three men who murdered them. Oh, well … to see that post click this link.
We discuss topics like this every Sunday use the following information below to connect with us.
We discuss this and other aspects of race in America every Sunday at 4:00 pm Eastern, 1:00 pm Pacific. Ways to connect with us. Remember you can check out past podcasts on our archives.
Ways to Listen and Interact with Us:
- By phone Login to your BlogTalkRadio Schedule program Guest Call In(646) 668-8217
Computer Radio Station Link –blogtalkradio.com/crowntalkingdrums
To see all posts in this series, use this link
Today, Hamburg, South Carolina is a ghost town. It was founded on the Savannah River across from Savannah, Georgia and a thriving upriver market dealing in cotton. The town was founded by Henry Shultz and named for his hometown in Germany. It was one of South Carolina’s primary interior markets, shipping cotton to Charleston by river.
The market began to decline when the traffic siphoned off by the completion of the Augusta Canal. The decline was finalized in the 1850s when the South Carolina Canal and Railroad extended its line to Augusta.
After the Civil War, it was repopulated by freedmen. The town became notorious in 1876 and is known as the site of the massacre of Blacks by Whites over the right to vote. White Democrats were opposed to Blacks voting in the election that year. The Democrats had regained control of the state government and federal troops which were deployed to see that the rights of Blacks were protected were withdrawn by Rutherford B Hayes, 19th president of the United States. He was a staunch abolitionist and defended refugee slaves in court proceedings. His presidency represents a turning point in Unites States History as consider the formal end of Reconstruction to have taken place on his watch. Although he was an abolitionist, he did not win outright the presidency and in a deal to placate Southern Democrats and Whiggish Republican businessmen in an effort to secure the presidency in the electoral college, he ended the federal government’s involvement to bring racial equality to the South.
The federal troops prevented the trampling and violence to Blacks as they sought equality in all things including voting.
The Hamburg Massacre was a bloody racial incident that marked a turning point in the gubernatorial (governors) race and showed the depth of conservative White hostility. These events also are known as the Red Shirt Massacre.
At the time, Hamburg was largely Black and was ignited when two White men, Henry Getsen and Thomas Butler were stopped by Blacks who delayed their passage through town due to maneuvers they were carrying out.
The antagonism between Whites and Black militia units was deeply entrenched. The militia, formed by the state’s Republican administration to protect the Black community, was unacceptable to many Whites. To them, an armed, nearly all-Black force in the service of (in their eyes) an illegitimate state government brought animosity rather than security. In July 1876, with elections for the state government only months away, tensions were especially high. The militia commander in Hamburg, a former slave and Union army veteran named Doc Adams, eventually allowed the travelers to pass, but the damage had been done. Angry and offended, Getsen and Butler headed to Edgefield, where they secured the legal services of Matthew C. Butler, a local attorney and Confederate war hero.
A suit was filed by the Whites. The suit charged the militia, and Adams in particular, with blocking a public highway. Butler demanded that the militia be disbanded and that the arms be surrendered to him. Adams countersued, claiming the travelers had interfered with an official militia drill. A hearing was set for the morning of July 8, but Justice Rivers began to panic when Butler arrived, escorted by scores of armed Whites from local gun clubs. Attempting to broker a deal, Rivers offered to ship the militia weapons back to the state armory, but Butler rejected the offer. Fearing a collision, Rivers warned the militia to lay low, and somewhere between eighty and one hundred members subsequently barricaded themselves in a nearby brick warehouse.
This action by the militia, followed closely by the disappearance of the trial justice, may have convinced Whites that the Blacks were considering some sort of offensive action. Or, seeing the militia concentrated, rougher types might have seized the opportunity to push for punitive action. Whatever the motivation, by midafternoon the Whites, whose numbers had grown to more than two hundred, surrounded the warehouse. Dispute remains over who fired the first shot, but by late afternoon the battle was in full fury, with Whites firing at the building while Blacks inside returned fire. Men on both sides were wounded, but the first man killed was White, a young man who was shooting alongside his father.
As dusk set in, an old cannon arrived from Augusta, which quickly rendered the cover of the building useless. After a few rounds from the cannon, militiamen started darting out holes and windows and running toward the neighboring woods. At least one Black was killed as he exited the warehouse, and some thirty or forty were captured by Whites. From this group six were selected, marched a fair distance away, and executed. The remainder, already disarmed, were released; several accounts indicate that Whites fired on them also, as they fled into the safety of the woods.
The actions galvanized the South Carolina Democratic Party but drove a wedge between Republicans at the state and federal levels. Some White Democrats wanted to form an alliance with Republican Governor Daniel Chamberlain. The Hamburg Massacre started a “straight-out” strategy which supported Confederate General Wade Hampton for governor.
Chamberlain condemned Whites as aggressors and supported a roundup of nearly one hundred Whites.
The federal government turned a deaf ear and President Ulysses S Grand, 18th President of the United States, displayed annoyance at the governor’s inability to maintain order. Over the summer and fall numerous confrontations took place, with gun clubs, saber clubs, military parades, and spontaneous (and not-so-spontaneous) riots becoming a central feature of the Democratic campaign. The hard-driving Democratic campaign based on intimidation and force would bring Hampton into the statehouse.
The massacre put into perspective numerous features of post–Civil War South Carolina, including the tensions between—and the growing militancy of— local Whites and Black Americans.
A court hearing had attracted armed White “rifle clubs”. They desired to regain control of state government and eradicate the civil rights of Blacks. Over 100 White men attacked about 30 Blacks of the National Guard, killing two as they tried to leave, they murdered four of the militia while holding them as prisoners and wounded several others. The total dead was one White man and six Black men with many more Blacks being injured. Although 94 White men were indicted for murder by a coroner’s jury, none were prosecuted.
The Hamburg Massacre was a catalyst in the 1976 election campaign. There were other episodes of violence in the months before the election, including an estimated 100 Blacks killed in Ellenton, South Carolina. Southern Democrats succeeded in taking control of the state government and elected Wade Hampton III governor. During the remainder of the century Democrats established single-party White rule, imposing legal segregation and “Jim Crow”, the disenfranchisement of Blacks with a new state constitution adopted in 1895. The exclusions of Blacks from the political system were maintained into the late 1960s.
Hamburg Massacre
Our mission is to provide those historical facts that have been omitted from history. Believing that America is strong because of contributions by all groups and individuals.
In addition to the lack of information, there seems to be a campaign to promote the disenfranchisement of groups by eliminating the contributions, mistreatment and inclusion. Instead promoting negative depictions which in the absence of other information paints a highly unfavorable picture.
We provide information that exists but is not included in mainstream history. Many wonder about the validity of these stories, so we include videos to enhance the experience and books to allow you to take advantage of additional materials that have existed over time.
To those ends, the books can be purchased from our partner Amazon. It is possible to not only read about the book, but to sample them as well, read a section or listen before deciding if it is one that you like. Click on the link. Note: many of these books are available in several forms, such as hard cover or soft cover, Kindle – eBooks that can be read on your smartphone or other device free with a free download, or Audible where the books are read to you. Again, they can be delivered instantly and enjoyed on phones or other devices with a free download.
We support our work by partnering with partners who pay us a small royalty for purchases made through our links. Many of these are to products that you may find interesting, however it is not necessary to purchase that product. How do you use the links then? Many links take you to several products so feel free to look. If it is a product that you do not want, simply click on the cart and click to remove any unwanted items, then shop to your heart’s content. We both benefit from this action, since the partner pays us without cost to you and are able to provide you outstanding information. A win-win situation for both of us. We depend on your using our links and appreciate it. Make use of our links a habit anytime you shop a partner.
**
Try Audible Plus – Free Trial
While we show you books primarily based on the subjects of our posts, all genres are available from comedy to drama and all points in between. Put joy back into your learning with this trial.
a brand new all-you-can-listen membership that offers access to thousands of titles, including a vast array of audiobooks, podcasts and originals that span genres, lengths, and formats.
**
Audible Gift Memberships
Memberships are available in 1, 3, 6 and 12-month membership options. The greatest gift you can give someone is the joy of learning and here it is.
**
Try Audible Premium Plus and Get Up to Two Free Audiobooks
Audible Premium Plus. Audible, an Amazon company, offers the world’s largest selection of digital audiobooks and spoken word content. With Audible, customers can listen anytime and anywhere to professionally narrated audiobooks across a wide range of genres.
Try Audible Premium Plus and Get Up to Two Free Audiobooks
**
1876 – Hamburg, South Carolina
There are those who will tell you that “We have never been more divided.” As I have long said, they know nothing of American History.
In the summer of 1876, a mere six years since the 15th Amendment had been ratified, a political movement known as the Bourbon Democrats set its sights on repeating their success the previous year in Mississippi. This time their target was South Carolina. In keeping with their ideology, there were absolutely no limits on the lengths to which they would go to restore their power in the State.
**
Book
Democracy Rising: South Carolina and the Fight for Black Equality since 1865 (Civil Rights and the Struggle for Black Equality in the Twentieth Century)
Considered by many historians to be the birthplace of the Confederacy, South Carolina experienced one of the longest and most turbulent Reconstruction periods of all the southern states. After the Civil War, white supremacist leadership in the state fiercely resisted the efforts of freed slaves to secure full citizenship rights and to remake society based upon an expansive vision of freedom forged in slavery and the crucible of war. Despite numerous obstacles, African Americans achieved remarkable social and political advances in the ten years following the war, including the establishment of the state’s first publicly-funded school system and health care for the poor. Through their efforts, the state’s political process and social fabric became more democratic.
**
Diabetic Testing Supplies
Diabetes is no joke. It is essential that it be addressed. Use the link below. Take this condition seriously
ABH – Diabetic Testing Supplies
**
The Lost Freedmen’s Town of Hamburg, South Carolina
Hamburg is perhaps South Carolina’s most famous ghost town. Founded in 1821, it grew to four thousand residents before transportation advances led to decline. During Reconstruction, recently freed slaves reshaped Hamburg into a freedmen’s village, where residents held local, county and state offices. These gains were wiped away after the Hamburg Massacre in 1876, a watershed event that left seven African Americans dead, most of them executed in cold blood. Yet more than a century after Hamburg, the one white supremacist killed in the melee is canonized by the racially divisive Meriwether Monument in downtown North Augusta. Author Michael Smith details the amazing events that created this unique community with a lasting legacy.
**
Diabetic Testing Kit
Diabetes is no joke and it is essential that we take care of our health and this is addition with your health care professionals is essential.
The Untold Story of Hamburg, SC
**
The Orangeburg Massacre
On the night of February 8th, 1968, officers of the law opened fire on protesting students on the campus of South Carolina State College at Orangeburg. When the shooting stopped, three young men were dead and twenty-seven other students were seriously wounded. What had begun as an attempt by peaceful young people to use the facilities of a local bowling alley had become a violent confrontation between aroused students and the coercive power of the state. This tragedy was the first of its kind on any American college campus and became known as the Orangeburg Massacre.
**
Heart Rate Monitor
Please consult your health care professionals and follow their advice.
**
Race War in Augusta: 1876 Hamburg Massacre
A short description and tour of what used to be Hamburg, a black settlement on the opposite side of Augusta. Included is a vocally racist monument to a murderer, and evidence that the site is still visited by neo-Nazis who use it to construct a fake history (Combat 18).
**
South Carolina: A History
The authoritative source for the Palmetto State’s dramatic history
In this comprehensive history of South Carolina, Walter Edgar presents a sweeping chronicle of a state with an illustrious, sometimes infamous, past. He describes in very human terms 475 years of recorded history in the Palmetto State, including the experiences of all South Carolinians―those with roots in Africa and in Europe as well as Native Americans; male and female; rich and poor. In an eminently readable presentation, Edgar uses letters, diaries, and other writings to let voices from the past take part in telling the state’s fascinating story.
**
Lift Chair
You won’t believe how much assistance and comfort comes from these devices.
**
Hamburg
A Deeper South travels to the former site of Hamburg, South Carolina. A story of racism, voter intimidation and suppression, white violence against Black Americans, powerful white militias, and an election decided by something other than votes.
**
Lemon Swamp and Other Places: A Carolina Memoir
Mamie Garvin Fields was born in Charleston, South Carolina in 1888. Though black, her family was gifted and she grew up not among house servants or sharecroppers but among artisans and professionals.
In LEMON SWAMP, she looks back on this all-but-forgotten community of friends and family, and on the wider social landscape of the segregationist South of her youth.
**
Patient Lift
**
The Hamburg Secret
The Hamburg massacre (or Hamburg riot) was a key event in South Carolina during July 1876, leading up to the last election season of the Reconstruction era. It was the first of a series of civil disturbances, many of which Democrats planned in the majority-black/Republican Edgefield District, to disrupt Republican meetings and suppress black voting through actual and threatened violence.
**
Ancestry Test Kits
Discover the deep rich heritage that is you using these options
ABH – Ancestry Test Kits
*
The following book is a great addition to the above and can be used to answer and further your search for ancestors that can bring pride to you. We come from strong roots, discover and take pride!
Black Roots: A Beginners Guide To Tracing The African American Family Tree
Trace, document, record, and write your family’s history with this easy-to-read, step-by-step authoritative guide.
Finally, here is the fun, easy-to-use guide that African Americans have been waiting for since Alex Haley published Roots more than twenty-five years ago. Written by the leading African American professional genealogist in the United States who teaches and lectures widely, Black Roots highlights some of the special problems, solutions, and sources unique to African Americans. Based on solid genealogical principles and designed for those who have little or no experience researching their family’s past, but valuable to any genealogist, this book explains everything you need to get started, including: where to search close to home, where to write for records, how to make the best use of libraries and the Internet, and how to organize research, analyze historical documents, and write the family history.
This guide also includes:
-real case histories that illustrate the unique challenges posed to African Americans and how they were solved
-more than 100 illustrations and photographs of actual documents and records you’re likely to encounter when tracing your family tree
-samples of all the worksheets and forms you’ll need to keep your research in order
-a list of the traps even experienced researchers often fall into that hamper their research
**
Our mission is to make you aware of significant factors in the missing history that is kept from us. Be sure to check out the offerings we will have during Black History Mnoth 2023 when we will post daily with the theme of Oppression.
In March, we will continue to post daily in featuring 31 amazing Black women we shouold all know.
Make us a part of your search for Black History. Share the site with friends, co-workers and relatives.
To see the full listing of post (over 250 and counting), click on our Blog list
Current Mini-series on voting
Voting Tutorial – Click this important link
Voting – Voter Suppression – Click this important link
Voting – Gerrymandering Explained, This post
For Black History Month 2020, we posted daily. These posts focus on the reality of Black life in America after the Civil War culminating in the landmark Brown v Board of Education that changed so many of the earlier practices. To see the posts, click here
For Black History Month 2021, we focused on Black Medical Achievements, Inventors and Scientists. To see those posts, click here.
For Black History Month 2022 we focused on “Health and Wellness”. To see the entire series, click this link.
For Women’s History Month 2022 we introduced you to 31 amazing Black women we should all know. To see the entire series, click this link.
We also posted a 5 part mini-series on the 100th anniversary of one of the most horrific massacres in the history of America. Hundreds of Blacks were slaughtered and 10,000 left homeless in this largely unknown event. To see the posts, click here.
We also did a mini-series on the Schomburg Center for Research a most amazing collection of Black history and culture. To see this mini-series, click here
The Schomburg Center
A world class collection of Black History inspired by a 5th grade teacher who told Arturo Schomburg that there was NO African history. Nothing of value. Schomburg dedicated his life to proving that teacher wrong and Schomburg did an amazing job with his collection.
Schomburg – The man who built a library
To comment or make suggestions on future posts, use Contact Us
**
We profess to hold dear the mantra of liberty and justice for all, but it is hollow as in this case we see 100 brave men killed for attempting to exercise rights granted to them by the country that they love. They were fired upon by cannons and the courthouse set afire. As they surrendered, they were either gunned down or lynched, making them in my opinion heroes. A memorial has been erected to honor the event, not honoring these brave Americans but the three men who killed them. However when we look who America honors we have only to look around almost any time and see similar people honored in our own towns when they honor men from the country that took up arms AGAINST America in the form of honoring men from the Confederate States of America. Statures that went up frequently after courts establishing rights for Blacks or quashing those aimed at denying them of their rights. It can be and now is the time for change. Secure peace and a bright future for us ALL.