Comments on: What’s Up With That Cane?

By: Will Hickox

Will Hickox — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 07:19:44 +0000

It doesn’t take a fire-breathing abolitionist to acknowledge that slaveholders raped their female slaves.

Brooks’s immediate reason for the caning was that Sumner had made a speech in which he ungallantly referred to the embarrassing spitting habit of Brooks’s relative, Sen. Andrew Butler. Brooks claimed he was merely punishing Sumner for offending his kinsman’s honor.

By: Dick Stanley

Dick Stanley — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 18:38:16 +0000

Presume it will present what Sumner had said on the floor of the House that led to his beating: IIRC “fighting words” about Southern slave owners routinely raping their female slaves. Sumner was a fire-breathing abolitionist.

By: Andy Hall

Andy Hall — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 15:42:50 +0000

Wigfall was a crazy-ass wild man — seriously. He opposed the original version of the Homestead act because, he said publicly, 160 acres was too small an allotment to establish a proper plantation. Privately he is rumored to have complained that it “gave homes to the homeless, land to the landless, but no n____s to the n_____less.”

He was the original commander of the 1st Texas Infantry, and then the famous Texas Brigade, but he was a little too fond of the bottle and resigned his commission to enter Confederate politics instead.

By: Harry Smeltzer

Harry Smeltzer — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 13:57:08 +0000

By the way, I’ve been notified by Westholme Publishing that their Fall 2012 catalog will feature a book on The Caning by Stephen Puleo.

By: Harry Smeltzer

Harry Smeltzer — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 13:54:47 +0000

Hi Andy,

Wigfall is prominent in Adam Goodhart’s “1861″. I either did not know, or had completely forgotten, Wigfall’s role in Anderson’s capitulation of Ft. Sumter. Wigfall rowed out to the fort during the bombardment to demand its surrender.

By: Andy Hall

Andy Hall — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 13:03:49 +0000

Wigfall, who William C. Davis describes accurately as a “blowhard,” lies a moulderin’ in the grave a few blocks from my house. Pretty cool stuff, although his grave is mostly unknown except the serious buffs. Wherever he is now, Wigfall cannot be happy about that.

By: Harry Smeltzer

Harry Smeltzer — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 20:28:33 +0000

OK, Ken – thanks for the clarification. I have seen references to Barksdale’s presence at the caning, but they are always couched in terms like “rumored” and “said to have been”.

By: Ken Noe

Ken Noe — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 19:58:58 +0000

No, I was thinking of the caning, Harry. Edmundson went into the Senate with Brooks while Keitt jumped in and held off anyone who wanted to help Sumner. Keitt was censured, Edmundson was charged but not convicted, and Barksdale seems to have escaped notice.

By: Harry Smeltzer

Harry Smeltzer — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 18:23:57 +0000

I think Ken is referring to Brooks’s seconds in the 1840 duel, while Dick is thinking of the caning. Yes, I have heard that Barksdale “stood by” Brooks during the later incident.

By: Dick Stanley

Dick Stanley — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 18:05:30 +0000

Wikipedia’s entry on Barksdale says he “allegedly” stood by Brooks. I forget where I saw it, but it was in a Mississippi history of the war. Maybe more Southern reps than actually participated wanted in on the notoriety for their political “good.”