Prince R. Rivers (1824–1887) was a former enslaved man from South Carolina who served as a soldier in the Union Army and as a state politician during the Reconstruction era. He escaped and joined Union lines, becoming a sergeant in the 1st South Carolina Volunteers, a Union regiment in the American Civil War.[1]
He had gained literacy as an enslaved man and after the war joined the Republican Party. He served as a delegate to the 1868 South Carolina Constitutional Convention, becoming known as an orator. He was one of three African-American founders of Aiken County in 1871, helped pick the site for the courthouse, and served as the state legislator from the county through 1874. He also served as a trial judge.
Born into slavery in Beaufort, South Carolina, Prince R. Rivers worked on the Henry Middleton Stuart, Sr. (1803–1872) or H.M. Stuart plantation known as Oak Point or Pages Point. He served with the household staff and as carriage driver,[2] among the elite of the estate's slaves, and learned to read and write. He escaped from slavery in 1862 after his master moved with his slaves to Edgefield County. Rivers stole one of Stuart's horses and rode through the Confederate lines to Beaufort, which was occupied by Union troops.[3] He volunteered to enlist in the Union Army. By the summer of 1862, more than 10,000 slaves had fled from Lowcountry and Midlands plantations to join Union lines along the coast.[4]
Serving the Union Army
Rivers was among the slaves (and their families) declared free in 1862 by Union General David Hunter under Congress' Confiscation Act of 1861. Hunter's decision was considered controversial, and the general was prohibited from enlisting former slaves. But they served in "Hunter's Regiment" with unpaid status for a time, and Rivers said he never regretted it.[2]
In 1863, Rivers became a non-commissioned officer in the newly formed 1st South Carolina Volunteers of the United States Colored Troops. His commanding officer, Colonel Thomas Wentworth Higginson, wanted to promote him to a commissioned rank but was prevented by his superiors because of Rivers' race. Higginson said of Rivers in an 1865 article in The Liberator, "No anti-slavery novel has described a man of such marked ability. He makes Toussaint perfectly intelligible; and if there should ever be a black monarchy in South Carolina, he will be its king."[2][5]
The 1st South Carolina Volunteers and other African-American soldiers were promised at enlistment in writing to be paid the same as other soldiers. However, under the Militia Act of 1862, were paid less than half that. They and their supporters lobbied the government but did not gain full pay until June 1864, when an Act of Congress granted them equal pay, including what they were due retroactively. Nearly 180,000 African Americans served in the war and were critical to Union victory.
Reconstruction era
After the war, Rivers returned to the Edgefield District, eventually settling on a farm outside Hamburg, which became a black-majority town in this period, with a thriving community. He entered the Republican Party and became active in state politics. He had reportedly learned to read and write while a slave, and proved to be a skilled orator and essayist.[6] He served as registrar for Edgefield County in 1867. In the South Carolina Constitutional Convention of 1868, he was the delegate from Edgefield.[7]
He was elected as a state legislator and later as a trial judge, and was deeply involved with Reconstruction politics. Rivers was one of three African-American founders of Aiken County, established by the state legislature in 1871 during Reconstruction, and he helped pick the site for the county courthouse. After a redistricting in 1872, Rivers was the state representative from the newly organized Aiken County. He later served as mayor, county coroner and justice of the peace, all local offices newly available to black candidates.[6]
In 1876, Prince Rivers was the judge in a hearing in Hamburg related to events on July 4, when white farmers claimed that an all-black unit of the National Guard blocked the street by their parade on Independence Day. The hearing was attended by more than 100 armed members from nearby Red Shirts chapters, among the thousands of armed white men in rifle clubs; the farmers' lawyer demanded that the black militia be disarmed. Though Rivers tried in a separate meeting to persuade the local Guard militia to give up their weapons, and the white paramilitary to back down, his efforts failed. The freedmen retreated to the armory and held off an attack by the white militia, in which one white man died. They tried to escape after seeing the white militia bring up a cannon. Two blacks were killed on the street, and the white militia captured about 25 freedmen who had left the armory. They murdered four outright later that night while holding them as prisoners at what was called the Dead Ring, and wounded seven other black men.[8][9]
After the trial, Rivers' home was burned and property stolen or destroyed by Red Shirts. Violence continued in the following weeks as the white militia worked to suppress black voting in the Upland counties, with a massacre of an estimated 30-100 blacks over several days in September in Ellenton.[10] The Democrats regained control of the state legislature and governor's office in 1876, in an election marked by fraud. It was settled in a national compromise by which the Republican administration agreed to withdraw federal troops from the South, officially ending Reconstruction.
In South Carolina, white Democrats passed laws to impose segregation and "Jim Crow", and continued violence at elections, but African-American George Henry White was elected to US Congress in the 1890s. In 1895 the Democrats passed a new constitution that included requirements that effectively disfranchised blacks in the state. After the rise of whites and imposition of white supremacy, Rivers worked as a house painter and coachman until his death at age 65.[11]
References
^Higginson, Thomas Wentworth. Army Life in a Black Regiment. 1869.
^ abcMatthew Pinsker, "General Hunter “Confiscates” Prince Rivers", 8 November 2012, Emancipation Digital Classroom
^W. Scott Poole, South Carolina's Civil War: A Narrative History, Mercer University Press, 2005, p. 77
^Poole (2005), South Carolina's Civil War, p. 104.
^Higginson, Thomas Wentworth. Army Life in a Black Regiment, online text at Gutenberg Project.
^ abJim Nesbitt, "County, once booming, now shadows town it used to rival" 2008-11-20 at the Wayback Machine, Augusta Chronicle, 16 February 2004
^Reef, Catherine. African Americans in the Military. Infobase Publishing, 2009.
^Poole, W. Scott. South Carolina's Civil War: A Narrative History, Mercer University Press, 2005, p. 104.
^Mark M. Smith, “'All Is Not Quiet in Our Hellish County’: Facts, Fiction, Politics, and Race - The Ellenton Riot of 1876,” South Carolina Historical Magazine, Vol. 95, No. 2 (April 1994), 142-155 (subscription required)
^Poole, W. Scott. South Carolina's Civil War: A Narrative History. Mercer University Press, 2005.
External links
Higginson, Thomas Wentworth. Army Life in a Black Regiment, online text at Gutenberg Project.
January 07, 2023
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Prince R Rivers 1824 1887 was a former enslaved man from South Carolina who served as a soldier in the Union Army and as a state politician during the Reconstruction era He escaped and joined Union lines becoming a sergeant in the 1st South Carolina Volunteers a Union regiment in the American Civil War 1 Prince RiversSouth Carolina House of RepresentativesIn office 1868 1874Personal detailsBorn1824Died1887Political partyRepublicanMilitary serviceAllegiance United StatesRanksergeantUnit1st South Carolina VolunteersBattles warsCivil WarHe had gained literacy as an enslaved man and after the war joined the Republican Party He served as a delegate to the 1868 South Carolina Constitutional Convention becoming known as an orator He was one of three African American founders of Aiken County in 1871 helped pick the site for the courthouse and served as the state legislator from the county through 1874 He also served as a trial judge Contents 1 Early life and education 2 Serving the Union Army 3 Reconstruction era 4 References 5 External linksEarly life and education EditBorn into slavery in Beaufort South Carolina Prince R Rivers worked on the Henry Middleton Stuart Sr 1803 1872 or H M Stuart plantation known as Oak Point or Pages Point He served with the household staff and as carriage driver 2 among the elite of the estate s slaves and learned to read and write He escaped from slavery in 1862 after his master moved with his slaves to Edgefield County Rivers stole one of Stuart s horses and rode through the Confederate lines to Beaufort which was occupied by Union troops 3 He volunteered to enlist in the Union Army By the summer of 1862 more than 10 000 slaves had fled from Lowcountry and Midlands plantations to join Union lines along the coast 4 Serving the Union Army EditRivers was among the slaves and their families declared free in 1862 by Union General David Hunter under Congress Confiscation Act of 1861 Hunter s decision was considered controversial and the general was prohibited from enlisting former slaves But they served in Hunter s Regiment with unpaid status for a time and Rivers said he never regretted it 2 In 1863 Rivers became a non commissioned officer in the newly formed 1st South Carolina Volunteers of the United States Colored Troops His commanding officer Colonel Thomas Wentworth Higginson wanted to promote him to a commissioned rank but was prevented by his superiors because of Rivers race Higginson said of Rivers in an 1865 article in The Liberator No anti slavery novel has described a man of such marked ability He makes Toussaint perfectly intelligible and if there should ever be a black monarchy in South Carolina he will be its king 2 5 The 1st South Carolina Volunteers and other African American soldiers were promised at enlistment in writing to be paid the same as other soldiers However under the Militia Act of 1862 were paid less than half that They and their supporters lobbied the government but did not gain full pay until June 1864 when an Act of Congress granted them equal pay including what they were due retroactively Nearly 180 000 African Americans served in the war and were critical to Union victory Reconstruction era EditAfter the war Rivers returned to the Edgefield District eventually settling on a farm outside Hamburg which became a black majority town in this period with a thriving community He entered the Republican Party and became active in state politics He had reportedly learned to read and write while a slave and proved to be a skilled orator and essayist 6 He served as registrar for Edgefield County in 1867 In the South Carolina Constitutional Convention of 1868 he was the delegate from Edgefield 7 He was elected as a state legislator and later as a trial judge and was deeply involved with Reconstruction politics Rivers was one of three African American founders of Aiken County established by the state legislature in 1871 during Reconstruction and he helped pick the site for the county courthouse After a redistricting in 1872 Rivers was the state representative from the newly organized Aiken County He later served as mayor county coroner and justice of the peace all local offices newly available to black candidates 6 In 1876 Prince Rivers was the judge in a hearing in Hamburg related to events on July 4 when white farmers claimed that an all black unit of the National Guard blocked the street by their parade on Independence Day The hearing was attended by more than 100 armed members from nearby Red Shirts chapters among the thousands of armed white men in rifle clubs the farmers lawyer demanded that the black militia be disarmed Though Rivers tried in a separate meeting to persuade the local Guard militia to give up their weapons and the white paramilitary to back down his efforts failed The freedmen retreated to the armory and held off an attack by the white militia in which one white man died They tried to escape after seeing the white militia bring up a cannon Two blacks were killed on the street and the white militia captured about 25 freedmen who had left the armory They murdered four outright later that night while holding them as prisoners at what was called the Dead Ring and wounded seven other black men 8 9 After the trial Rivers home was burned and property stolen or destroyed by Red Shirts Violence continued in the following weeks as the white militia worked to suppress black voting in the Upland counties with a massacre of an estimated 30 100 blacks over several days in September in Ellenton 10 The Democrats regained control of the state legislature and governor s office in 1876 in an election marked by fraud It was settled in a national compromise by which the Republican administration agreed to withdraw federal troops from the South officially ending Reconstruction In South Carolina white Democrats passed laws to impose segregation and Jim Crow and continued violence at elections but African American George Henry White was elected to US Congress in the 1890s In 1895 the Democrats passed a new constitution that included requirements that effectively disfranchised blacks in the state After the rise of whites and imposition of white supremacy Rivers worked as a house painter and coachman until his death at age 65 11 References Edit Higginson Thomas Wentworth Army Life in a Black Regiment 1869 a b c Matthew Pinsker General Hunter Confiscates Prince Rivers 8 November 2012 Emancipation Digital Classroom W Scott Poole South Carolina s Civil War A Narrative History Mercer University Press 2005 p 77 Poole 2005 South Carolina s Civil War p 104 Higginson Thomas Wentworth Army Life in a Black Regiment online text at Gutenberg Project a b Jim Nesbitt County once booming now shadows town it used to rival Archived 2008 11 20 at the Wayback Machine Augusta Chronicle 16 February 2004 Reef Catherine African Americans in the Military Infobase Publishing 2009 Budiansky Stephen 2008 The Bloody Shirt Terror After Appomattox Viking Penguin ISBN 978 0 670 01840 6 Section VI pages 221 254 Poole W Scott South Carolina s Civil War A Narrative History Mercer University Press 2005 p 104 Mark M Smith All Is Not Quiet in Our Hellish County Facts Fiction Politics and Race The Ellenton Riot of 1876 South Carolina Historical Magazine Vol 95 No 2 April 1994 142 155 subscription required Poole W Scott South Carolina s Civil War A Narrative History Mercer University Press 2005 External links EditHigginson Thomas Wentworth Army Life in a Black Regiment online text at Gutenberg Project Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Prince Rivers amp oldid 1065133706, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
