Wade Hampton III, South Carolina’s “redeemer and worshipful son,” was born in Charleston on March 28,1818, the eldest son of Wade II and Ann Hampton. Though he has been dead for more than 100 years, Wade III stands comfortably among the greatest men in South Carolina history and, until recent times, resided in the memories of the people. However, most of today’s generation across the state travels on streets and avenues called Hampton without an inkling of how and why they got that name. But at one time, everyone knew.
To understand who Wade Hampton III was, we shall begin the Hampton genealogy with Anthony Hampton, Wade III’s great-grandfather. Anthony and his wife, Elizabeth, lived on the Dan River in North Carolina from 1754 to about 1773, when they and their four sons (Preston, Wade — to be Wade I, Edward and John) moved to South Carolina and settled in present-day Laurens County. With them came Anthony’s daughter, Elizabeth, and her husband, Richard Harrison. There on the Carolina frontier, the Hamptons settled into a community and enlarged their families. They made a living by trading with settlers and the Cherokees and also did land surveying.
During an Indian uprising in 1776 instigated by the British, Preston Hampton was killed while serving in the militia. About 15 days later, on June 30, the Cherokees raided the Hampton settlement and murdered Anthony, Elizabeth, the infant son of Elizabeth Harrison, and two children of Preston Hampton. Away from home when the raid took place, 24-year old Wade, his brothers Edward and Henry, and his brother-in-law, Richard, escaped slaughter. After the massacre, Richard Harrison and Wade moved to Cross Keys (Union County) and opened a store at the intersection of the Charleston and Augusta roads. The partnership only lasted about a year.
General Wade Hampton (I), son of Anthony Hampton, was past 30 when the Revolutionary War ended. He married a widow, Martha Epps, but within a very short time, she died. In 1786 he married Harriet Flud and laid out a large plantation outside Columbia, the newly established capital of South Carolina. By 1790 he had increased his holding, and in another four years, he was a substantial planter with 86 slaves.
Wade I was one of the first men in the upcountry to make a true fortune from cotton. In 1799 he earned $75,000 (that would be $920,000 today), and by 1810 he was receiving a return of $150,000 ($1,840,000 today) from his cotton acreage. This wilderness-born man created a large library, supported Trinity Episcopal Church, and was an endeavour and trustee of the newly created South Carolina College. He raised fine racehorses that won every first prize in 1800 at the prestigious Charleston Jockey Club. He also served in Congress two years.
In 1801 following the death of his wife, Harriet, he took his third wife, Mary Cantey. He re-entered the army as a peacetime officer, and in 1809 he received a brigadier general’s commission and served in the War of 1812. When he died in 1835, he was one of the wealthiest men in the South.
His son, Wade Hampton II, was born in 1791 and was enrolled at South Carolina College when the War of 1812 began. When he decided to come to the defense of his country, his father secured a staff officer position for him under his father’s old friend, Andrew Jackson.
In spite of the great migration to the west, the Hamptons chose to stay in South Carolina but invested in the rich lands of Louisiana, where one acre produced three times as much as an acre in South Carolina. In the fall of 1799, Hampton’s slaves produced 600 bales of cotton that sold for $90,000 (about $1.1 million today). By 1817 Wade Hampton II had become wealthy in his own right. He married Ann Fitzsimmons, the only daughter of shipping magnate Christopher Fitzsimmons.
Wade II and Ann moved into Millwood, a new mansion built on the Congaree River plantation. The house front exhibited six, tall, fluted columns with a two-story piazza across the width of the house. Inside was a 10,000-volume library that filled two rooms, drawing rooms for men and women, and a large dining room where the aristocracy from across the South was entertained.
Millwood was the center of social life for the state’s elite, and there was a constant flow of visitors at the Hampton’s table and parties and events for every season. The butler who opened the doors of Millwood was adroit in tending to the guests. He would choose one of the house servants to take care of every need of the visitor and even selected a horse from the stables that suited each guest’s temperament.
Millwood was modern for its day. Cool spring water was piped into the manor house and adjoining buildings. Surrounding the mansion were flowerbeds, lush shrubbery and five acres of gardens with a majestic view of the river. The plantation contained two thousand acres of fertile bottomland, orchards and vegetable gardens, all able to support an army. To operate such a plantation hundreds of slaves were housed in two villages of cabins. One village was located near the family home for house servants and skilled workers and the other was for field hands, located near the fields for convenience. This village included a gristmill, cotton gins, sawmills, blacksmith shop, a pig farm and a church for the slaves. Near the “big house” were stables for the prize-winning horses, some purchased from the estate of England’s William IV.
The Hampton’s enjoyed the best life had to offer. In Charleston they enjoyed dinners, balls and horse races. They, like others of the South Carolina aristocracy had their summer retreats. Many escaped the summer heat of the low county and the midlands to homes in the Carolina foothills and mountains. Some of the social elite formed a conclave at Flat Rock, North Carolina, not far from the Hampton’s at Cashiers. The name of the Hampton estate had an odd genesis. Originally the plantation was known by the Hamptons as the “High Hamptons” until an event involving one of the prize bulls from the herd maintained on the plantation. Caesar, the mighty bull had a wide spread of horns which brought him to an untimely death. Caesar’s horns became entangled in a thicket and in an effort to free himself broke his neck. In honor to the bovine the Hampton called that section, Caesar. The local residents corrupted the word and it became Cashiers.
The Hamptons were also part of the social set who summered at White Sulfur and Salt Sulfur springs in Virginia. Millwood however was the center of life for the Hampton and allied families. Wade Hampton III was born 28 March 1818 in Charleston. The home and happiest memories of the to be political redeemer of South Carolina was Millwood.
There is one incident in the early childhood of Wade III that no writer of a biography can resist to tell. The story is just too cute and full of prophesy to be omitted. The story goes this way: on the Millwood plantation lived a large ill-tempered Muscovy drake. This patriarch of a large web-footed family never passed an opportunity to threaten and chase young Wade from his own land. Over and over again the drake intimidated the youngster with his war like posture of a lower neck, out stretched wings, and frightful hissing. Soon, however, the old drake would meet the fate that all tyrants do.
One day while with his father and mother were in Columbia doing some shopping trip, his father told him he may pick out a toy. The boy surveyed all the wonderful toys before him, searching for the one thing that would bring him the most fun and satisfaction. Among the choices on toy caused his blue eyes to sparkle: a toy sword. He picked up the toy weapon and drew the blade from its tin sheath. He studied the blade like a seasoned warrior; it was made of iron, not too sharp, and not too dull, and fitted his hand comfortably. He envisioned the mock battles he might have on the lawn of Millwood, imagining himself to be a skilled soldier like this grandfather. Once more he scrutinized the saber, its sheath and leather belt, as any militia colonel might do. This was the prize!
Back home on the spacious lawn of Millwood young Wade thrust and jabbed in the air, pretending and practicing for war. Perhaps tired of pretending, and feeling well qualified for war, he recalled an old enemy. Off he marched to the pond with a stiffened backbone and confidently into the territory of the Muscovy drake. The great drake, lord of the pond and patriarch of all those who sailed through its water and rested upon its shore, waddled boldly to the young upstart hissing and ruffling his feathers to look larger than he was. Little Wade was not intimidated, but struck a stance and held his own at the approaching enemy. When the drake was in range, the conqueror unsheathed his iron sword and with a mighty blow whacked the feathered tyrant. The blow dazed and confused the Muscovy who quickly began to retreat from the battlefield for the safety of the pond waters. The young soldier, however, outran the flustered drake and cut off his retreat. The two faced each other, now Wade closed in for the kill. With all his might, he slashed and thrust until the tyrant lay dead and bloody at his feet. Now Wade Hampton III had redeemed his homeland and he alone ruled the gardens and pond of Millwood. As a footnote to the story, nether his parents or grandfather scolded the boy, silently they agreed he was following in the footsteps of his predecessors that would ultimately lead to his destiny.
J.L. West – Author
This article and many others found on the pages of Roots and Recall, were written by author J.L. West, for the YC Magazine and have been reprinted on R&R, with full permission – not for distribution or reprint!
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