Delegate to the State Constitutional Convention.
On account of his great legal ability he was elected by the legislature as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the State. (There were two Associate Justices.) He had the respect of the entire Bar of the State.
He was pre-eminently fitted for the position.
He is the only colored man who has ever occupied such an exalted judicial position in this country.
Thomas E. Miller
Born at Ferrybeeville, Beaufort Co., June 17, 1849.
Attended the free public school for Negro youths up to the breaking out of the war.
Graduated from Lincoln University, Pennsylvania, in 1872.
Read law under Judge P. L. Wiggin and Chief Justice Moses of South Carolina and was admitted to the Supreme Court of S. C. in 1875.
Elected to the House of Representatives of S. C., 1874-1876-1878.
Elected Senator from Beaufort Co., 1880.
Elected to the 51st Congress.
Elected to the House of Representatives of S. C., in 1866, and while serving was instrumental in having the "State College for Colored Youth" established at Orangeburg, S. C., and on that account was elected its first President.
Dr. B. A. Bosemon
Born at Troy, N. Y.
Delegate to the State Constitutional Convention. Member of the House of Representatives of S. C. Appointed Postmaster at Charleston, S. C., by President Grant and served four years with entire satisfaction to the people of that city with honor and credit to himself and the race.
Suave and polished he had a pleasing personality.
He had quite a large and lucrative practice in his profession.
Charles McDuffie Wilder
Born in South Carolina. Delegate to the State Constitutional Convention.
Member of the House of Representatives of S. C. Member of the City Council of Columbia, S. C.
Postmaster at Columbia, S. C. for sixteen years. Appointed by President Grant two terms and one term each by Presidents Garfield and Hayes.
There were two white applicants for the position after President Garfield was inaugurated and Postmaster General James, who was supposed to be friendly with one of them, sent a Post Office Inspector to Columbia to find out the sentiment of the business men. They were almost unanimously for Mr. Wilder. They stated that he had served them efficiently for eight years and did not approve of a change.
Generals Hampton and Butler represented the State in the U. S. Senate at the time, Columbia being Senator Hampton's home and had he objected Senatorial courtesy would have sustained him.
It shows in what estimation Mr. Wilder was held by his home people.
Mr. Wilder's appointment of four successive terms to a first-class post office is a record.
Mr. Wilder was a delegate to all of the National Republican Conventions up to and including that of 1888.
Mr. Wilder was a man of good sound judgment, of great political force and one of the few who had anything to show after the political upheaval of 1876.
Samuel J. Leeof Aiken, S. C.
Born in South Carolina.
Member of the House of Representatives of S. C.
Speaker of the House of Representatives for one term.
A lawyer of recognized ability.
An expert in parliamentary procedure.
A man of engaging address, of a genial disposition, a pleasing speaker, he was the most popular presiding officer of that period.
D. Augustus Straker
A prominent member of the House of Representatives during the latter part of the Reconstruction Period.
A man of brilliant parts and one of the leading lawyers of the State.
Moved to Detroit, Mich., after the collapse in 1876, and played quite an active and conspicuous part in politics there.
William J. Whipper
Born in South Carolina.
Delegate to the State Constitutional Convention.
Member of the House of Representatives of S. C.
A man of splendid legal talent.
Elected by the legislature a Circuit Court Judge but Gov. Chamberlain refused to commission him, (Ex. Gov. Moses, white, was elected a Circuit Court Judge at the same time and he was also refused a commission by Gov. Chamberlin.)
Judge of Probate of Beaufort Co., for more than ten years.
Prince Rivers
Born in South Carolina.
Delegate to the State Constitutional Convention.
Member of the House of Representatives of S. C.
Brigadier General in the South Carolina Militia.
Called the "black Prince" and he looked it with his fine physique and military bearing as he rode at the head of the colored troops as they passed in review before the Governor at their annual inspection.
John Lee
Born at Columbia, S. C.
State Senator from Chester Co.
Postmaster at Chester.
Self educated.
Very prominent in his county.
W. J. McKinlay
Born at Charleston, S. C.
Delegate to the State Constitutional Convention.
One of the most prominent colored men in Charleston Co., and one of the most influential in the Party Councils.
Member of the House of Representatives 1868 and part of 1869. Resigned to accept position of Register of Mesne Conveyances, a very important office which he held for several years.
W. H. Thomas
Born in Ohio.
A man of brilliant intellect.
One of the most prominent members of the House of Representatives at the close of the Reconstruction Period.
I remember well the conspicuous part he took in the proceedings in the House of Representatives in 1876. Those were times that tried men's souls but Mr. Thomas held his own with the best men in the Democratic party.
Samuel Lee of Sumter, S. C.
Born in South Carolina.
Delegate to the State Constitutional Convention.
A very strong character and one of the bright young men of the state.
He was elected to Congress but the Democrats counted him out.
He contested the seat and though the House was Republican and his case a good one, the Chairman of the Committee on Elections, a Republican from Indiana, who was personally antagonistic to him failed to report on the case and Congress adjourned without taking any action.
Jas. A. Bowley
Member of the House of Representatives.
For one term he was chairman of the Committee on Ways and Means.
He wielded considerable power in legislation.
Was considered the "Beau Brummel" of the House.
F. H. Frost
Born in South Carolina.
Member of the House of Representatives.
Active in all legislation.
Polished and highly cultured.
Henry J. Maxwell
Born in South Carolina, at Charleston.
Senator from Marlboro County.
Active in all legislation.
Considered the best dressed member in the Senate.
Known to his associates at the "Duke of Marlboro."
W. H. Jones
State Senator from Georgetown Co.
Quite a fluent speaker and well versed on all public questions.
On account of his bellicose nature he was given the sobriquet of "Red Hot Jones."
A. C. Jones
Born in Washington, D. C.
Clerk of the House of Representatives during the whole Reconstruction Period.
A very capable officer and very popular.
Walter R. Jones
Born in South Carolina at Charleston.
Graduate of Oberlin College.
Secretary of the State Financial Board, consisting of the Governor, Attorney General, State Treasurer and Comptroller, all white at that time.
Elected Clerk of the City Council of Columbia, S. C., by the unanimous vote of the members.
Resigned that position to accept the position of Private Secretary to Governor Chamberlain.
The best equipped and most brilliant young colored man I ever met.
J. E. Green
J. E. Green
Sergeant at Arms of the Senate during the whole Reconstruction Period.
A very efficient officer and a man of fine parts.
John Williams
Sergeant at Arms of the House of Representatives during the whole period.
A very capable man and popular with the members.
There were many colored men who occupied positions of importance in the different countriespositions such as Sheriff, Treasurer, Auditor, Clerk of Court, Commissioner, Coroner and School Commissioner.
I never heard of any of them being removed for incompetency, dereliction of duty or malfeasance.
I regret very much that I cannot give you any information as to whether the men mentioned were free or slaves, as the persons from whom I could have gotten that information have all passed away. Had I received such inquiry eight or ten years ago I could have furnished it as there were several persons then living who, I know, were well posted on that subject.
Of the names noted in this paper the following were from the North.
Some of them may have been from the South originally and returned after the war: R. B. Elliott, D. A. Straker, Maj. M. R. Delaney, W. H. Jones, Dr. B. A. Bosemon, W. H. Thomas, H. W. Purvis, R. H. Gleaves, A. C. Jones, S. A. Swails, J. A. Bowley, J. E. Green.
The colored men of South Carolina played a more conspicuous part and held more offices of a high grade during the Reconstruction Period than the colored men of any other State.
South Carolina has the distinction of electing the first colored Congressman, (Joseph H. Rainey) and the last (George W. Murray.)173
South Carolina was represented in Congress by eight colored menRainey, Elliott, Ransier, Cain, Delarge, Smalls, Miller and Murray.
Mr. Miller and Mr. Murray served after the Reconstruction Period and most of Gen. Smalls' service was after that period.
When I compare the present political leaders in South Carolina with those of the Reconstruction Period I must confess that we have retrograted politically. They may be due to conditions. Not only in South Carolina, but where would you find in any State at the present time, political leaders who can measure up to the caliber of Elliott, Rainey, Straker, Cardozo, Swails, DeLarge, Bosemon, Wright, Ransier, Lee, McKinlay, Cain, Whipper and Wilder?
When the Negro race can again produce political leaders of the type named then we may look forward with some degree of hope for a solution of the Negro problem.
Your idea in collecting data relative to the Reconstruction Period is a laudable one, and the wonder is, and the pity of it is, that it had not been thought of long ere this. There are very few now left to tell the tale, and that in a very unsatisfactory way.
Some of the data relative to the Congressmen I got from Congressional Directories. To recall all names, dates and incidents pertaining to the Reconstruction Period after a period of fifty years would require the prodigious memory of a Macauley, even had I been an active participant in political affairs at that time. There may be a few errors but they are of a minor character. I am glad that I am able to be of some assistance to you in this matter, however, little, and I can only say in the words of Macbeth,
"The service and the loyalty I owe,
In doing it, pays itself."
All names referred to in this paper are of colored men unless otherwise stated.
Corrections of Data submitted by Mr. H. A. Wallace, of New York City103 West 131 St., New York, N. Y., February 18, 1918.Mr. Monroe N. Work,
EditorNegro Year Book,
Tuskegee Institute, Ala,
Dear Sir:
In reply to your letter of the 11th inst., I beg leave to state that Hunter and Dickson were white. As to Brokenton I probably was thinking of a Brockenboro in Washington and got the names mixed.
Before leaving Washington in 1913 I let Whitfield McKinlay have my book, "Reconstruction in South Carolina" by John S. Reynolds, to read. When I received your letters asking for assistance in getting the data relative to reconstruction in South Carolina I wrote to Mr. McKinley for the book. I wrote for it several times but not until about a month ago did he send it. I did not care to delay sending you the data, consequently I mailed it before the book came to hand. Had I received the book in time I could have made my paper a little more readable and avoided the errors referred to.
As you have, no doubt, taken data from the book by Reynolds I would like to correct a few errors I found therein.
Reconstruction ConventionColletonW. M. Vinery, should be Viney
DarlingtonRichard Humbird, should be Humbert
EdgefieldJohn Wooley, colored, should be white
GreenvilleWilson Cook, should be Cooke
KershawJohn A. Chestnut, should be Chesnut
Chapter IIIScott's First TermSenate
ChesterLewis Wimbush, should be Lucius Wimbush
UnionH. W. Duncan, colored, should be white
This would make ten colored Senators
House of Representatives
AbbevilleJames Martin, white, should be colored
CharlestonB. A. Bosemon, should be Dr. B. A. Bosemon, Jr.
William R. Jervay, should be Jarvey
ChesterfieldH. L. Shrewsberry, should be Shrewsbury
ColletonW. R. Hoyt is in the Senate column Wm. Driffle,
should be Wm. A. Driffle H. James and T. Richardson, as
members in addition to Thomas and Driffle.
EdgefieldJohn Wooley, colored should be white
GeorgetownW. H. Jones, should be W. H. Jones Jr.
GreenvilleWilson Cook, should be Cooke
KershawJohn A. Chestnut, should be Chesnut
WilliamsburgJeff. Pendergrass, should be Jeffery Prendergrass.
Jas. Martin, Lee Nance and Wade Perrin, representatives and B. F. Randolph, senator, were assassinated by the Ku-Klux Klan.
Page 111"Among Mr Robertson's earliest official acts was the recommendation of an incompetent colored man to be postmaster at Columbia."
If you will look at the sketch I gave of Mr Wilder, the postmaster referred to, you will note that in 1880 when the Democrats had absolute control of South Carolina and Gens. Hampton and Butler represented the State in the U. S. Senate, Mr Wilder was confirmed for the fourth time, and as Columbia was the home post office of Senator Hampton it is not likely that he or Butler would have voted to confirm an imcompetent colored man when senatorial courtesy would have sustained them had they objected.
Page 229W. R. Jervay, should be Jarvey.
Page 233Relative to Henry E. Hayne going to the communion table I have to say that is all rot in so far as there were any objections. The communicants with the exception of Mr Babbitt and family were nearly all colored. I know that the wardens and vestrymen were colored.
Page 234I do not know about all of the colored men mentioned as having matriculated in the School of Law, but I am certain that Mr Wilder did not.
Page 236William R. Jervay, should be Jervey.
Page 333With reference to Dr. Bosemon being under the influence of liquor I desire to state that he did not touch, taste nor handle the stuff. Dr Bosemon was a cultured gentleman, polished in his manners and was a surgeon in one of the colored regiments during the war.