Georgia and Georgians - the Digital Library of Georgia

GEORGIA AND GEORGIANS 2807spent during the dark days of the Civil war, and a boy at the time he workedas a cotton mill hand and contributed his wages to the support of the family.He also worked his way through college after the war. All his success can becredited to his indomitable energy and great ambition to make something ofhimself in the world. For years he has enjoyed a very enviable position inhis profession. *Born in Aiken, South Carolina, February 14, 1854, James A. Stothartis a son of William and Lucinda (Lashley) Stothart, the former a native ofScotland and the latter of North Carolina. William Stothart when a youngman came to America and took up-contracting in North Carolina. He builtthe State Capitol Building at Raleigh in that state and after fifteen yearsof business there removed to South Carolina and died in 1876 at the age ofseventy-six. The mother passed away at Augusta, Georgia, at the age ofseverity-five. There were ten sons in their family, among whom Dr. Jameswas second, and the other five still living are: John H. Stothart of Augusta;Edward W. Stothart of Savannah; P. N. Stothart of Milwaukee, Wisconsin;B. II. Stothart of South Carolina; and A. N. Stothart of Augusta, Georgia.Dr.. James A. Siothart's early environment and circumstances have alreadybeen briefly suggested. He enjoyed a very limited attendance at local schools.Afterwards he attended an academy in South Carolina, and finally earned themoney necessary to put him through college preparatory to his work in themedical profession.Throughout his career Doctor Stothart has never had any aspirations forpolitical office, but during his early manhood in South Carolina, in reconstruction days, he almost necessarily took an interest in the many serious problemsinvolved in the politics of the time and rendered some conspicuous serviceswhich call for special mention. The great aim of all the better class of whitecitizens at that time was to restore the control of the government to thosepeople where it properly belonged. From 1868 to 1876 the state governmentwas under the control of the carpet baggers and negroes, and to rid the stateof that element required more than peaceable measures. The elections werecompletely managed and controlled by the colored race backed by men likeR. K. Scott, Frank J. Moses and D. H. Chamberlain as governors. Even thestate military was composed largely of negroes with carpet bag white officers.The white voters had no show at the ballot box and were often driven from thepolls by armed negroes. Arms were furnished these negroes by the carpetbag governors above mentioned.In 1874 Doctor Stothart who was then a young man of twenty»years, helpedorganize a military company in Aiken County where he resided, and duringthe first two years served as its first lieutenant. This company was known asthe Graniteville Rifle Company. It rendered valuable service both to thecounty and state during the radical administration under negro domination.Prior to 1876 many negro military associations existed in South Carolina, andthese all drew their supplies of arms from the carpet bag state government.Under such auspices depredations and crimes of all kinds were committedand there was no recourse because the state officials were composed of corruptrepublican carpet baggers from the North. It was to counteract this wave ofviolence over the state that military companies were formed in every county,their members being recruited from the better class of whites.During Doctor Stothart's connection with the Graniteville Rifles thatorganization was called out to patrol the towns for days and nights togetherto prevent destruction of property by the lawless negro race. In 1876 DoctorStothart was with Gen. M. C. Butler when the. latter surrendered to theFederal authorities at Aiken, South Carolina, after the famous Hamburg riot.That was the climax of the Reconstruction era in South Carolina and therewere a number of memorable days in state history during that period. InMarch, 1877, five negroes were sentenced to be hanged for the killing of the