Robert Kingston Scott

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Robert Kingston Scott (July 8, 1826 - August 12, 1900) was an American Republican politician.

He was born in Armstrong County, Pennsylvania. His grandfather fought in the American Revolution, and his father in the War of 1812. Scott studied medicine, and began practice in Henry County, Ohio.

In October 1861, Scott became Lieutenant Colonel of the 68th Ohio regiment, of which he was made Colonel in 1862. He served in Tennessee, where he commanded the advance of General John A. Logan's division on the march into Mississippi, and was engaged at Port Gibson, Raymond, and Champion Hill. He was afterward at the head of a brigade in the 17th corps, and was made a prisoner near Atlanta. It is said that on 24 September 1864, he was part of a prisoner exchange and was put into Sherman's operations before that city and in the march to the sea, but it is also recorded that he escaped by jumping from a prisoner train. He was commissioned brigadier-general of volunteers on 12 January 1865, and also received the brevets of brigadier and major-general in the volunteer army, to date from 26 January and 2 December, 1865, respectively.

Between 1865-1868, General Scott was assistant commissioner of the Freedmen's bureau in South Carolina. In July 1868 he resigned from the US Army. Later that year, he became the first governor of the reconstructed South Carolina, as a Republican. In 1870 the South Carolina Constitution of 1868 lifted the prohibition on the reelection of a governor until four years after leaving office, allowing Scott to become the first governor of South Carolina to be elected to two consecutive terms. He was re-elected by a majority of 33,534 votes in a total vote of 136,608. The most notable act of his state legislature was voting itself a full time saloon and restaurant at taxpayer expense. [Henry County Ohio, volume 2, 1976, Tayor Publishing Company, Dallas TX] The state debt tripled during Governor Scott's years in office, resulting in an unsuccessful attempt by the General Assembly to impeach him in 1871.

Judge Richard B. Carpenter testified in an 1872 congressional hearing that Scott’s re-election was based on voter fraud, but nothing ever became of it. Ironically, Carpenter not only owed him money at the time, but also continued to ask for more with the promise of political favors in return. [MSS 176, “The Scott Papers”]

Franklin J. Moses, the first governor after him, claimed Scott “fraudulently signed state bonds in the St James Hotel in New York under the joint influence of alcohol and burlesque queen Pauline Markham,” known as one of the “The British Blondes.” He also regularly borrowed money from Scott. [MSS 176]

Wade Hampton III, the third governor after Scott indicted him for “fraudulently issuing three warrants for $48,645 to non-existent payees in 1871.” At the same time, he sent letters to Scott promising not to extradite him nor force him to stand trial. [MSS 176]

Daniel Henry Chamberlain was Scott’s attorney general and governor between Moses and Hampton. He also faced charges of corruption and election rigging. He was removed from office by the president and fellow Buckeye Rutherford B. Hayes because his “re-election” completely disregarded the votes of two counties. On the brighter side, ex-governor Moses was convicted on multiple counts of fraud and theft, disowned by his family and died alone in a boarding house of “asphyxiation.”

In 1877 Scott returned to Napoleon Ohio when Democrats returned to power in the South Carolina executive, possibly out of fear of being prosecuted for misuse of funds during his administration.

He settled down with his family, including his only son, R.K. Scott, Jr., who was known as "Arkie" because of his initials. On Christmas day, 1880, 15 year-old Arkie went missing. He was “inclined to frequent taverns.” [Henry County, Volume 2]. Scott suspected he was hiding in the apartment of his friend Warren G. Drury, aged 23. When Drury refused to let him in he was somehow mysteriously shot by a bullet from Scott’s pistol and died the next day.

Scott’s trial, held in a pool hall over Wendt’s Shoe Store in downtown Napoleon, consumed national attention. The former governor, a two-star general who trained men and led soldiers through four years of war, participating in one of the boldest military campaigns in history, claimed his weapon accidentally discharged. He was also a lawyer, passing the South Carolina bar examination after his term as governor. On 5 November 1881 General Scott was acquitted of murder. After his acquittal a lynch mob from Toledo wanted to see “rough and ready punishment done.” Scott formed a militia from his own employees and volunteers. “The Roughs” boarded the Wabash Railroad bound for Napoleon with an anonymous gift of two barrels of whiskey and all thoughts of justice were washed away.

Scott died August 12, 1900 in Napoleon. He is buried in Henry County, Ohio.