Overview

One of the South's most illustrious military leaders, Wade Hampton III was for a time the commander of all Lee's cavalry and at the end of the war was the highest-ranking Confederate cavalry officer. Yet for all Hampton's military victories, he also suffered devastating losses in his family and personal life. Rod Andrew's critical biography sheds light on his central role during Reconstruction as a conservative white leader, governor, U.S. senator, and Redeemer; his heroic image in the minds of white southerners; and his positions and apparent contradictions on race and the role of African Americans in the New South. Andrew also shows that Hampton's tragic past explains how he emerged in his own day as a larger-than-life symbol--of national reconciliation as well as southern defiance.

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9781469606804

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Reviews

Hampton is one of those larger-than-life figures whose actions repay close attention and whose careers match pivotal moments in America's history. . . . Andrew . . . describes Hampton's wartime experience with special vividness. -- Wall Street Journal

Hampton's life and significance in southern history merit close re-examination, and Rod Andrew is just the right person for the task. In this first-rate biography, Andrew provides an enlightened portrait of a man driven by personal circumstances as well as southern codes of paternalism and chivalry. It is the best, most careful and rigorous study of Hampton, offering a new understanding of South Carolina politics at a critical time in the state's history. --Vernon Burton, University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana

The most thorough biography of Hampton that has been published and should prove of major interest to students of the Civil War and the nineteenth-century South.--North Carolina Historical Review [A] splendid biography. . . . Adds significantly to the recent burst of scholarship on this long-overlooked leader. . . . Both sensitive and, when it is called for, unsparing.--Journal of American History Fills a large gap in both Civil War and Reconstruction history. . . . An authoritative biography of an interesting man that will well serve serious students of Southern history, the Civil War, the Reconstruction era, and Wade Hampton.--Military Review The author accomplished his twofold mission of learning more about Hampton the man, and through his story, providing a better understanding of Southern paternalism, honor and chivalry, the motivation of Confederate soldiers, Reconstruction, racism and white supremacy, and the myth of the Lost Cause. . . . The pace of this book is brisk, and it is well organized. The transition between chapters and parts is smooth, and the writing is clear and concise. . . . Andrew has succeeded in producing a Hampton biography that is not only definitive, but also entertaining.--The Washington Times Anyone with an interest in South Carolina history, Civil War history, or the history of postwar turmoil in the South would do well to add [Wade Hampton] to their library.--Georgia Historical Quarterly Carefully researched.--Journal of America's Military Past Hampton is one of those larger-than-life figures whose actions repay close attention and whose careers match pivotal moments in America's history. . . . Andrew . . . describes Hampton's wartime experience with special vividness.--Wall Street Journal Elucidates Hampton's critical role during Reconstruction as a conservative leader, governor, U.S. senator, and southern Redeemer.--Courier A compelling full biography notable for its scope, balance, and insight. . . . Andrew's insights and detailed attention to both Hampton's military career and his political odyssey makes this work stand out as the fullest and best.--Journal of Military History Takes on the substantial task of imposing order on the different stages of [Hampton's] career . . . impressive.--The Journal of Southern History A meticulously researched and superbly written biography. . . . Highly recommended.--Choice Andrew's stellar biography . . . offers new insights and a convincing interpretation. . . . This study will likely take its place as the best of several Hampton biographies. It ranks as a significant scholarly achievement that deserves wide reading among historians of the South, the Civil War, and Reconstruction.--Military History of the West

Carefully researched.--<i>Journal of America's Military Past</i>

Author Information

Rod Andrew Jr. is professor of history at Clemson University, USA and a colonel in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve. He is author of Long Gray Lines: The Southern Military School Tradition, 1839-1915.

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