South Carolina Fire-Eater is the first book-length biography of Laurence Massillon Keitt; one of South Carolina’s most notorious advocates of secession and apologists for African American slavery. A politician who wanted to be a statesman; a Hotspur who wanted to be a distinguished military leader; Keitt was a U. S. congressman in the 1850s; signed the Ordinance of Secession; and represented his rebellious state in the Confederate Congress in 1861. Through this thoroughly researched volume; Holt Merchant offers a comprehensive history of an important South Carolina figure.As a congressman; Keitt was responsible for no legislation of any significance; but he was in the midst of every southern crusade to assert its “rightsâ€: to make Kansas a slave state; to annex Cuba; and to enact a territorial slave code. In a generation of politicians famous for fiery rhetoric; Keitt was among the most provocative southerners. His speeches in Congress and on the stump vituperated “Black Republicans†and were filled with references to medieval knight errantry; “lance couched; helmet on; visor down;†and threats to “split the Federal temple from turret to foundation stone.†His conception of personal honor and his hot temper frequently landed him in trouble in and out of public view. He acted as “fender off†in May 1855 when his fellow representative Preston Brooks caned Charles Sumner on the Senate floor. In 1858 he instigated a brawl on the floor of the House of Representatives that involved some three dozen congressmen. Amid the chaos of his personal brand of politics; Keitt found time to woo and wed a beautiful; intelligent; and politically astute plantation belle who after his death restored the family fortune and worked to embellish her late husband’s place in history.After Abraham Lincoln was elected president; Keitt and the rest of the South Carolina delegation resigned their seats in Congress. He then negotiated unsuccessfully the surrender of Fort Sumter with lame-duck president James Buchanan; played a major role in the December 1860 Secession Convention that led his state out of the Union; and a lesser role in the convention that formed the Confederacy. Bored with his position as a member of the Confederate Congress; Keitt resigned his seat and raised the 20th South Carolina Infantry. Keitt spent most of the war defending Charleston Harbor; sometime commanding Battery Wagner; the site of the July 18; 1863; assault by the 54th Massachusetts Regiment of African American troops; made famous by the movie Glory. Keitt took command the day after that battle and was the last man out of the battery when his troops abandoned it in September 1863. In May 1864; his regiment joined the Army of Northern Virginia and Keitt took command of Kershaw’s Brigade. Inexperienced in leading troops on the battlefield he launched a head-long attack on entrenched Federal cavalry in the June 1; 1864; Battle of Cold Harbor. Keitt was mortally wounded advancing in the vanguard of his brigade. With that last act of bravado; Keitt distinguished himself. He was among the few fire-eater politicians to serve in the military and was likely the only one to perish in combat defending the Confederacy.
#855489 in Books Jack Dempsey 2011-02-02 2011-02-02Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.00 x .31 x 6.00l; .70 #File Name: 1609491734192 pagesMichigan and the Civil War A Great and Bloody Sacrifice
Review
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful. Very DisappointingBy Robert O. DeVriesThis book of only 188 pages is little more than a serious of human interest stories about Michigan's role in the Civil War. One would think that a State's contribution to the war effort; especially considering that Michigan sent over 90;000 troops to war and 14;000 never came home; would receive a much more comprehensive treatment. I had to check back on .com to see if I had inadvertently ordered a book intended for another age group.The number of factual errors in the book is quite startling. Regarding the person likely to be Michigan's greatest war hero of all time; General George A Custer; the author seems more interested in details of Custer's marriage than in the subject of the book. He greatly understates the critical contribution Custer's Wolverines made at the Battle of Gettysburg. And he completely misses what happened at the Battle of Five Forks; "The Waterloo of the Confederacy"; on April 1; 1865. Again Custer's Wolverines played a key role.Michigan's status as a Union State is certainly not open to question. But our author goes overboard in detailing anti-slavery sentiment which unfortunately was a minority opinion. Recent research about the Battle of Shiloh shows that an early park superintendent did some creative historical revisionism in order to attract more visitors. And the role of the Michigan troops in this battle was much more limited than the old history books report. Our author misses this research completely.Still credit where credit is due. Those interested in the role of women in the Civil War will find an interesting chapter on this subject. And the complete discussion of Michigan's political leadership during the Civil War Era is actually rather well done; and other authors often omit this subject.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. MichiganderBy WolfLadyLove this book. I originially got this for a class but ended up not taking the class and still loved the book. Everyone should learn the history of their Great State!1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Michigan ForeverBy AugustReally informative on the personal contributions Michiganders and the fighting history of the Michigan regiments in the War of Southern Treason.
