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During Civil War Rock, N.C South Carolina's Story The making of a state By RonGhepesiuk and Louise Pettus oi the Winthrop College facultjr German Native, Orphan Became Leading Figure minger retired to private life in Flat During Civil War Rock, N.C. He stayed there until 1867 when he received a presidential pardon and retumed to practice law. BY LOUISEWinthrop PETTUS College AND RON CHEPESlUK^ Memminger's work on behalf of the South Carolina public schools was much more successful than his A man who was bom in a foreign country and spent most of his life as an orphan later became a leading figure in the Civil War and a prime mover in ventures on behalf of the Con reforming the educational system in South Carolina. federacy. Christopher Memminger was bom in 1803 in Nayhingem in the Duchy of From 1855 to 1888 Memminger Wirttenberg, Germany. Soon after his birth, Memminger's father, an of served as commissioner of the ficer, was killed and his mother emigrated to Charleston. At the age of 4. public schools of Charleston. As however Memminger's motiier died and he spent the next seven years in the early as the 1830s, Memminger Charleston Orphan House. u i • began work with another South After aU of this initial bad luck, young Christopher finally got a break m Carolinian, W.' J. Bennett, to life. He was taken into the home of prominent Charlestonian Thomas Ben reorganize the public schools of nett, who later became govemor of South Carolina. Abput a year later he South Carolina. was sent to South Carolina CoUege (now the University of South Carolina), By 1850 the Northern states had Where he studied law and graduated in 1819. begun to provide a publicly funded Memminger then retumed to Charleston and wtablished a successful law grade school system for its children. practice.Soon he became involved in the political issues of the day. In south Carolina, as in other Memminger took a tough stand against nullification. He wrote a satin<»l Southerii states, the idea of public book in biblical sfyle titled the Book of NulMcation in which he attacked me education was slow to take hold. leaders of the movement. t Memminger and Bennett went In 18^ hp b^an his long career as a member of the State House ot East to New England and New York mittee that drafted the provisional TOey liked what they saw in New Representatives,' spon after YoriTand, when they returned to constitution of the Confederate becoming the chairman of the South Carolina, changes were made States. committee on finance. "When he was appointed secretary based on that state's schools, too. In As Memminger's political in of the treasury by Jefferson Davis •1860, just 10 years after Memminigier fluence grew, he became in became commissioner,' more than creasingly outspoken in defense of he was given a difficult — and what eventually became a hopeless — 3,000 students were enrolled in the slavery as moraUy right. After John task. Most of his various schemes to public schools of Charleston. Brown's raid on Harper's Ferry in Memminger's other post-Civil finance the war effort failed. But he 1859, he became wholy won over to saw no way to change the situation. Ww activities included the secession. He did manage, however, to organization of a cbih^y for the Memminger was sent by South negotiate a European loan on cotton 'manufacture of sulphuric acid and Carolina as a commissioner to and a number of other revenue super-phosphate and service on the address the Virginia Legislature on producing nieasures before board of South Carolina Collie. the need for joint defensive answers. resigning as secretary in 1864. In He married twice: first to M^ry He became a member of the terestingly, Memminger was suc Wilkinson in 1832 and then, after her secession convention of 1861 and ceeded by another C9iarlestonian, death, to her sister Sara H. later, as a delegate to the Southern cotton exporter George H.Trenhold. WiUcinson. Christopher Gustavaus Convention in Montgomery, he His reputation tarnished, Mem Memminger died on March 7. i Sfts served as chairman of the com.
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