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"BEYONDTHEPOWEROFFORTUNE": THEMIDDLETONFAMILYOFSOUTHCAROLINA,1784to1877 By JUDITHLEEHUNT ADISSERTATIONPRESENTEDTOTHEGRADUATESCHOOL OFTHEUNIVERSITYOFFLORIDAINPARTIALFULFILLMENT OFTHEREQUIREMENTSFORTHEDEGREEOF DOCTOROFPHILOSOPHY UNIVERSITYOFFLORIDA .2005 Copyright2005 by JudithLeeHunt ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Thisstudyhasbenefittedfi-omtheexpertattention,andextraordinarypatience,of mydissertationcommittee. Mythanksgo,firstandforemost,toBertramWyatt-Brown, Avaluablementorandamodelhistorian,hisencouragement,generosity,advice,insight, andcriticismshavebeenofthegreatestbenefittome. FitzhughBrundage,David Geggus,DavidHackett,WilliamLink,andJeffreyNeedellreadthemanuscriptwithcare andofferedusefiilsuggestions,makingthisafarbetterworkthanitotherwisewouldhave been. Severalotherhistorians,includingOrvilleVernonBurton,CatherineClinton, MatthewGallman,andJaneandWilliamPease,havemunificentlyofferedtheir assistancealongtheway. Alargeintellectualandprofessionaldebtisowedtothem. Manyothers-fartoonumeroustonamehere-havehelpedme,knowinglyor unknowingly,inlargeandsmallways. IamgratefialtotheUniversityofFloridanotonly foritsgraduatefellowshipsupportbutforprovidingavibrantintellectualcommunityin whichtolearnthecraftofthehistorian. Ialsooweagreatdealofthankstothenumerous archivistsandlibrarianswhohavegenerouslysharedtheirexpertise,especiallythestaff oftheSouthCarolinaHistoricalSociety,theSouthCaroliniana,theSouthCarolinaState Archives,SouthernHistoricalCollectionattheUniversityofNorthCarolina,thePerkins LibraryatDukeUniversity,thePennsylvaniaHistoricalSociety,andtheLibrary CompanyofPhiladelphia. SpecialthanksareduetoarchivistBarbaraDoyleat iii MiddletonPlacePlantationArchivesandRobertCuthbertofSummerville,South Carolina. DuringthewritingphaseofthisprojectIwasfortunatetohaveateaching positionatLoyolaUniversityNewOrleans. Icouldnothaveaskedforamorecollegial andsupportiveenvironmenttocompletethisproject. Ithankthenumerousmembersof thestaff,faculty,andJesuitcommunitythathaveassistedandencouragedmealongthe way. IhappilyacknowledgemyappreciationtonumerousfriendsincludingEdward Bailey,JayceeRappold,ChipAlexandre,MichaelCrutcher,RosannAdderley,Jacqueline Woodfork,Anna-LisaCox,BlandWhitney,andSusanandMarcoTurbie. Their unwaveringaffectionandkindnesshavesustainedmeforyears. Aspecial acknowledgmentisduetoRandyJ.Sparks,TomSmith,andMichaelRoss. Byreading thismanuscriptinitsentirety,theyhavegonebeyondthedutyoffriendshipandsavedme frommakingnumerousembarrassingmistakes. Despitethefactthatthisstudyhasmadetheemotionalbondsoffamilyanobject ofintellectualinquiry,suchprofoundconnectionsarereally,tothosewhoexperience them,mattersoftheheart. Ihavebeenblessedtoknowthemwellformyentirelife,and whenIthinkofthem,Ithinknotoftheoreticalconstructs,butofthefacesandnamesof thosewhohavenurturedandsupportedmeinwaysthatcouldneverbeadequately described,muchlessrepaid. Mywordsfailtoexpressthedepthofmyloveandgratitude tomyparents,LouisandJaneHunt,andmyniece,EmilyHuntCostello. Thisworkis dedicatedtothemandinlovingmemoryofMildredH.Sparks. iv TABLEOFCONTENTS page ACKNOWLEDGMENTS iii ABSTRACT vi INTRODUCTION 1 CHAPTER: 1. "ASTATEOFINDEPENDENCEANDPROSPERITY": MARRL\GEANDTHEMAKINGOFANEWGENERATION 22 2. "THECIRCLELARGEANDSMALL": AWEBOFCONNECTING HOUSEHOLDS 54 3. "TOTHEHEIGHTOFHOPE,ANDTHEDEPTHSOFDESPAIR": THE BURDENSOFWARANDTHEBONDSOFFAMILY,1861-1864 88 4. "DRINKINGTHEDREGSFROMTHECUPOFBITTERNESS": THE COLLAPSEOFTHEPLANTATIONECONOMY,1862-1865 132 5."RICHESHAVETAKENWINGSANDFLOWNAWAY": THEMIDDLETONSFACEDEFEAT 157 6. "TOTHREATENUSWITHDARKERFATES": RECONSTRUCTION ANDTHEDECLINEOFPLANTERHEGEMONY 191 CONCLUSION 222 BIBLIOGRAPHY 228 BIOGRPAHICALSKETCH 248 V AbstractofDissertationPresentedtotheGraduateSchool oftheUniversityofFloridainPartialFulfillmentofthe RequirementsfortheDegreeofDoctorofPhilosophy BEYONDTHEPOWEROFFORTUNE:THEMIDDLETONFAMILY,1784to1877 By JudithLeeHunt August2005 Chair:BertramWyatt-Brown MajorDepartment:History Thisdissertationoffersanin-depthstudyoftheMiddletonfamilyofSouth Carolina,oneofthemostprominentandpowerfijlmembersoftheLowcountryplanter aristocracy,fi'omtherevolutionaryerathroughtheCivilWarandReconstruction. There isaconsensusamongscholarsofthefamilythatduringthelate18*andearly19* centuries,theinstitutionoffamilywasrevolutionizedandthatinthemodemerathe familybecameincreasinglyconjugalandlesstiedtoextendedfamilymembers. The experiencesoftheMiddletonclanchallengesthispictureonseveralfi"onts. Throughout theantebellumera,theyremaineddeeplyembeddedinacomplexkinshipnetworkthat shapedtheirsocialandeconomiclives. Virtuallyeverymajordecision,everyimportant event,playedoutagainstthisbackdrop. Inpart,thepeculiaritiesoftheLowcountyrice culturemadeitpossible,evennecessary,forfamilymemberstorelyheavilyonone another. Unliketobaccoorcotton,ricedidnotexhaustthesoilandencouragefamily vi memberstodispersetoricherlandstothewest. TheMiddletons'riceplantations continuedtosupporttheirprivilegedlifestyleandkeptthemtiedtothelandoftheirbirth. TheMiddletonmenretreatedfrompoliticallifewiththeriseofpopulardemocracy,but theycontinuedtoholdconsiderableeconomicandsocialcapital. Theycontinuedtomove inelitenationandinternationalcircles-theirmarriagepartnersrangedfromfellow membersoftheLowcountryplanterelitetonorthernelites,toEuropeannobility. Afew familymembersmovedawayfromtheLowcountryorembarkedoncareersotherthan planting,buttheydidnotescapethefamily'scomplexwebofkinshipandfriendship networks. Asnorthernattacksonslaveryintensifiedduringtheantebellumera,most familymemberssupportedsecessionandwar. ThatwardevastatedtheLowcountry,left thefamily'sriceplantationsinshambles,anddestroyedtheirextendedfamilynetworks. ItwasnotuntilthecollapseoftheplantationcomplexthattheMiddletonsretreatedinto thesortofinward-lookingnuclearfamiliesthathistorianshaveidentified. Theirstory highlightstheimportanceofplaceandclassinunderstandingtheevolutionofthefamily asanhistoricalinstitution. vii INTRODUCTION In1768,shortlyaftertheirmarriage,ArthurMiddletonandhiswife,MaryIzard, lefttheCarolinaLowcountryforanextendedstayinEurope. Afterspendingnearlythree yearstouringFrance,Italy,andEngland,thecoupledecidedtoreturnhome. Beforetheir departure,however,theycommissionedafamilyportraitofthemselvesandtheirinfant son,Henry,bominEnglandin1770. Anxioustohaveanimagethatreflectedthe grandeuroftheMiddletonandIzardclans,ArthurandMaryentrustedthetaskto BenjaminWest. OneofEngland'smostrenownedportraitists.Westservedatthecourt ofKingGeorgeIIIandpresidedovertheRoyalAcademyofArts.' NotonlywasWest theartisttoEnglishroyalty,hewasahighlyacclaimedeighteenth-centuryhistorical painter. Hisdramaticneoclassicalstyle,evidentinsuchworksasTheDeathofGeneral Wolfe(1770),conveyedtraditionalandconservativearistocraticvaluesthatappealedto membersofthelandedgentry.^ TheMiddletonandIzardfamiliesenjoyedalong- 'ForadetaileddiscussionofthelifeandcareerofBenjaminWest,seeAllenStaley, BenjaminWest: AmericanPainterattheEnglishCourt(Baltimore: BaltimoreMuseum ofArt,1989);AnnUhryAbrams,TheValiantHero: BenjaminWestandGrand-Style HistoryPainting(Washington: SmithsonianInstitutionPress,1985);MaurieD.Mclnnis, editor.InPursuitofRefinement: CharlestoniansAbroad,1740-1860(Columbia: UniversityofSouthCarolinaPress,1999). ^SimonSchamaoffersadetailedanalysisofWest'sportrait,TheDeathofGeneral Wolfe,seeSchama,DeadCertainties: UnwarrantedSpeculations(NewYork: AlfredA. Knopf,1991),3-20. OtherexamplesofWest'spopularrenditionsofhistoricalevents includeWilliamPenn'sTreatywiththeIndians(1771-1772)andDeathonthePale Horse(1796). 1 2 standingassociationwiththeLondon-basedartist,andWesthappilyobligedMaryand Arthur'srequest. Forthenexttwoyears,heworkeddiligentlytocreateanidealized imageoffamilylifethatwouldprovepleasingtohispatrons.^ DefyingtheEnlightenmentidealsofpoliticalandsocialegalitarianism,West createdadomesticscene,ripewithreligiousundertones,thatconjuredatimelessimage ofanancientaristocracy.[Figure1] Dressedin"Vandyke"costume,astylishattire reservedforthegreatballroomsofEurope,MaryandArthurappearedasmembersof whathistorianJ.G.A.Pocockreferredtoasa"naturalelite,"whosewealth,lineage,and socialpositiondemandedrespectanddeference.* InWest'sportrait,Arthurstrikesa gallantpose,appearingasacommandingbutbenevolentpatriarch. HiswifeMary,a symboloffemininevirtueandgrace,callstomindaRenaissancemaster'sMadonnaas ^ThiswasnotthefirsttimeArthurMiddletonhadappearedinaWestportrait. Whenhe wasastudentatCambridgeUniversity,hisuncle,RalphIzard,commissionedThe Cricketers,aconversationalpiecethatincludedArthur,hiscousins,RalphIzard,Jr.and CharlesManigault(alsomembersoftheplantocracystudyingabroad),andthetwosons ofChiefJusticeWilliamAllen,reputedlyPennsylvania'swealthiestresident. The Middletons'wealthandsocialconnectionsaffordedthefamilyaccesstotheartist. Between1769and1779,Westpaintedatleastfourdifferentportraitsformembersofthis clan. Foradetaileddiscussionof77?^Cricketers,seeHelmutVonErffaandAllenStaley, ThePaintingsofBenjaminWest(NewHaven: YaleUniversityPress,1986). "AileenRibeiro,"FashionandFantasy: TheUseofCostumeinEighteenthCentury BritishPortraiture,"inJohnMartinRobinson,editor.TheBritishFace: AViewof Portraiture,1625-1850(London: ColnaghoPress,1986),21;J.G.A.Pocock,"The ClassicalTheoryofDeference,"AmericanHistoricalReview81(June1976),516-523, esp.518-519. ForabriefdiscussionofWest'sportraitoftheMiddletonfamily,see AngelaD.MackandJ.ThomasSavage,"ReflectionsofRefinement: Portraitsof CharlestoniansatHomeandAbroad,"inMclnnis,InPursuitofRefinement,29-30. 3