Laurence Keitt | |
|---|---|
 Keitt, c. 1860 | |
| Member of the Confederate Provisional Congress from South Carolina | |
| In office February 8, 1861 – February 17, 1862 | |
| Preceded by | Seat established |
| Succeeded by | Seat abolished |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from South Carolina's 3rd district | |
| In office August 6, 1856 – December 1860 | |
| Preceded by | Himself |
| Succeeded by | Manuel Corley (1868) |
| In office March 4, 1853 – July 15, 1856 | |
| Preceded by | Joseph Woodward |
| Succeeded by | Himself |
| Member of the South Carolina House of Representatives from the Orange Parish district | |
| In office November 27, 1848 – March 3, 1853 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Laurence Massillon Keitt October 4, 1824 Orangeburg County, South Carolina, U.S. (now Calhoun County) |
| Died | June 2, 1864 (aged 39) Richmond, Virginia, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Education | University of South Carolina (BA) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | Confederate States |
| Branch/service | Confederate States Army |
| Years of service | 1862–1864 |
| Rank | Colonel |
| Battles/wars | |
Laurence Massillon Keitt (October 4, 1824 – June 2, 1864) was an American planter, lawyer, politician, and soldier from South Carolina. During his tenure in the United States House of Representatives, he was included in several lists of Fire-Eaters—men who adamantly urged the secession of southern states from the United States, and who resisted measures of compromise and reconciliation, leading to the American Civil War.
Keitt is notable for his involvement in two separate acts of legislative violence in the Congressional chambers. In the first, Keitt assisted fellow South Carolina Representative Preston Brooks in his 1856 attack on Republican Senator Charles Sumner. During the attack, Keitt brandished a pistol and cane to prevent other senators from coming to Sumner's aid. The second was in 1858, when he attacked and attempted to choke Republican Representative Galusha Grow during an argument on the floor of the U.S. House.
When the Civil War began, he served as a deputy of the Provisional Confederate States Congress and later as a colonel in the Confederate States Army, until he was mortally wounded at the Battle of Cold Harbor in June 1864.