Red Shirts (South Carolina)
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The Red Shirts of South Carolina were the supporters of Wade Hampton in the South Carolina gubernatorial election of 1876 and the gubernatorial election of 1878. They came to symbolize a revived Southern Nationalism and the redemption of the state from Radical Republican rule during Reconstruction.
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[edit] Origins and symbolism
The first use of a red shirt was in Charleston, South Carolina on August 25, 1876 during a torchlight parade by Democrats through the city. They were mocking the waving of the bloody shirt by Senator Oliver Morton in the Senate in order to bolster support for Reconstruction policies of the South. The idea spread to those accused of perpetrating the Hamburg Massacre as they marched to their arraignment in Aiken on September 5 wearing homespun red painted shirts. Martin Gary, the organizer of the Democratic campaign in 1876 and Hampton's right-hand man, thus mandated that all supporters were to wear red shirts at all rallies and functions.
A possible connection of the origin exists with Garibaldi and his redshirts during the unification of Italy. Francis W. Pickens defended South Carolina's right to secede in 1860 by comparing Garibaldi's fight against tyranny. Many South Carolinians wore a red shirt as their uniform in the Confederate Army to honor Bradfute Warren, an officer who had served in the Italian army for Garibaldi and died in Virginia during the American Civil War.
Donning a red shirt was a source of pride for the white community of South Carolina. The women worked zealously to weave red flannel shirts and other garments of red; it even became fashionable for women to wear red ribbons in their hair or about their waists. For young men, to wear a red shirt was to come of age and compensate for their inability to contribute to the Southern cause of the Civil War.
[edit] Election campaigns
The state Democrats organized parades and rallies in every county of South Carolina with many of the participants on horseback and all wearing red. The use of mounted men gave the impression of greater numbers and the black red shirts were always placed in a prominent position for the procession. At the gatherings, Wade Hampton along with other Democrats would give a speech and the red shirts would respond energetically yelling the slogan of the campaign, Hurrah for Hampton. Such an atmosphere of chants, speeches, men on horseback and everyone in red created a massive spectacle that united and motivated all those in attendance. Furthermore, it influenced bystanders, both white and black, to join and vote for the Democratic redemption of the state.
An important purpose of the red shirts was to act as a paramilitary force ready to defend Democrats and interrupt the assembling of Republicans. A part of Martin Gary's strategy to redeem the state was to intimidate Republicans and disrupt their ability to organize. The red shirts would often attend Republican meetings and demand equal time, while having no intention of utilizing the time to make speeches. In some cases, the red shirts would hold a barbecue a mile away in order to lure Republicans away from the gatherings and convert them to vote the Democratic ticket.
After the election on November 7, a protracted dispute between Chamberlain and Hampton ensued as both claimed victory. Edmund Mackey, a member of the South Carolina House of Representatives, called upon the "Hunkidori Club" from Charleston to eject the Democratic members from Edgefield and Laurens counties from the House. Word spread through the state and by December 3 approximately 5,000 red shirts had assembled at the State House to defend the Democrats. Hampton appealed for them to remain calm and subsequently the red shirts dispersed. President Hayes ordered the removal of Federal troops from the state on April 3, 1877, thus ensuring a peaceful takeover of the state by the Democrats.
For the gubernatorial election of 1878, the red shirts only made a nominal appearance as Wade Hampton was reelected without opposition. Future South Carolina politicians, such as Ben Tillman and Ellison Smith, would proudly claim their association with the red shirts.
[edit] Modern day
The Red Shirts continue to exist to some extent as a fringe political group that continues to support secession. They believe that southerners are forced to live in a nation that does not agree with their history, heritage, and culture. Their primary efforts are protesting organizations they call hate groups, primarily the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and the Southern Poverty Law Center.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- Drago, Edmund L. (1998). Hurrah for Hampton!: Black Red Shirts in South Carolina during Reconstruction. University of Arkansas Press. ISBN 1-55728-541-1.
- Edgar, Walter (1998). South Carolina A History. University of South Carolina Press. ISBN 1-57003-255-6.
- Reynolds, John S. (1969). Reconstruction in South Carolina. Negro University Press. ISBN 0-8371-1638-4.
- Williams, Alfred B. (1935). Hampton and his Red shirts; South Carolina's deliverance in 1876. Walker, Evans & Cogswell Company.
