Wade Hampton III | |
|---|---|
 Wade Hampton during the Civil War | |
| United States Senator from South Carolina | |
| In office March 4, 1879 – March 3, 1891 | |
| Preceded by | John J. Patterson |
| Succeeded by | John L. M. Irby |
| 77th Governor of South Carolina | |
| In office April 11,[a] 1877 – February 26, 1879 | |
| Lieutenant | William Dunlap Simpson |
| Preceded by | Daniel Henry Chamberlain |
| Succeeded by | William Dunlap Simpson |
| In office December 14, 1876 – April 11, 1877 Disputed with Daniel Chamberlain[b] | |
| Member of the South Carolina Senate from Richland County | |
| In office November 22, 1858 – October 8, 1861 | |
| Preceded by | John Smith Preston |
| Succeeded by | Edward John Arthur |
| Member of the South Carolina House of Representatives from Richland County | |
| In office November 22, 1852 – November 22, 1858 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | March 28, 1818 Charleston, South Carolina, U.S. |
| Died | April 11, 1902 (aged 84) Columbia, South Carolina, U.S. |
| Resting place | Trinity Cathedral Churchyard |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Alma mater | South Carolina College |
| Profession | planter, soldier, politician |
| Committees | United States railroad commissioner 1893–1897 |
| Signature |  |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  Confederate States of America |
| Branch/service |  Confederate States Army |
| Years of service | 1861–1865 |
| Rank |  Lieutenant General |
| Commands | Hampton's Legion Cavalry Corps, Army of Northern Virginia |
| Battles/wars | American Civil War |
Wade Hampton III (March 28, 1818 – April 11, 1902) was the scion of one of the richest families in the ante-bellum South, owning thousands of acres of cotton land in South Carolina and Mississippi, as well as thousands of enslaved workers. He became a senior general in the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia during the American Civil War. He also had a career as a leading Democratic politician in state and national affairs.
By 1877 at the end of the Reconstruction era, Hampton was a leader of the Redeemers, White Southerners who successfully fought to restore white supremacy in the state.[1] His campaign for governor was marked by extensive violence by the Red Shirts, a white supremacist paramilitary group that disrupted elections and suppressed Black voters in the state. Hampton was elected governor, serving from 1876 to 1879. After that, he served two terms as U.S. Senator from 1879 to 1891.
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