Notable South Carolinians- John Rutledge
John Rutledge 1739-1800
Through the centuries South Carolina has produced many names that roll off the tongue with ease. Names like Marion, Calhoun, Jackson, Sumter and Thurmond are known by virtually every South Carolinian. Then there are names like Rutledge, which some people recognize as a signer of the Declaration of Independence. That would of course be Edward Rutledge, the youngest to sign our nation’s sacred document. We will talk about Edward at some point here at Indigo Blue, but this story is about his eldest brother John.
John Rutledge was born on September 17, 1739 in Charles Towne, SC to John and Sarah Rutledge. He was the eldest of seven children and was educated by his father as a young child. Mr. Rutledge died when John was 11 years old, and the rest of his education was provided by a local priest. John was an extremely bright young man who dreamed of practicing law. He would conduct mock cases with his brothers and sisters as a teenager. Rutledge studied law under James Parsons for two years. When John was 19 years old he decided to move to London to study at Middle Temple. There John showed his astute brilliance and knowledge of the law. He won cases in English courts and was poised to come home to Charles Towne at the conclusion of his studies. When he returned home he began an immediately successful law practice, unlike most of his contemporaries. At the age of 23 John married Elizabeth Grimke. He loved and admired his wife throughout their marriage. John and Elizabeth had 10 children together, eight that lived to adulthood.
In 1765 John Rutledge was appointed to the Stamp Act Congress. Rutledge petitioned the English House of Lords to reject this measure because the Colonists thought it to be unfair. The delegates were unsuccessful and South Carolina was in an uproar. War with England was now a distinct possibility. After the Stamp Act John returned to his successful law practice and made a good living for his family. By 1774 the dark clouds of war loomed over South Carolina. Rutledge took part in the First and Second Continental Congress. By 1776 John Rutledge was the most influential man in South Carolina. Under the new government Rutledge was elected President of South Carolina. The title governor reminded the colonists of British authority so he was given the title of president instead. He was determined to lead our colony to the best of his ability while preparing for assaults by the British.
In June of 1776, Rutledge learned that a rather large British naval force was heading for Charles Towne. He ordered the building of what is now Fort Moultrie. The construction of the fort was not complete when the British neared Charles Towne Harbor. General Charles Lee asked Rutledge to evacuate the fort, fearing that every last man would be killed. John refused to write the order, believing we could win the battle. When the British arrived, they pounded the fort time after time with their large cannons. The cannonballs simply sank into the walls of the fort because they were made from the soft, spongy trunk of Palmetto trees. This caused the British to turn back and allowed the Palmetto to become a symbol of hope and courage for all South Carolinians.
John Rutledge served as President for two years when the state legislature proposed a modified constitution. He believed this was a measure that came dangerously close to anarchy. Rutledge was saddened by this measure and resigned his post. Over the next year the British Army continued to take a stronghold on South Carolina. Rutledge was elected in 1779 under a revised constitution, this time as governor. By 1780 Charles Towne had fallen to the British. Rutledge fled the city but remained governor of unconquered South Carolina. As the war waged on, the Patriot cause was running out of steam. Losses at Fishing Creek and Camden were crushing blows to the Patriots. In October at the Battle of Kings Mountain, the tide turned. Patriot forces crushed the Loyalists in a bloody battle. Three months later Daniel Morgan routed British forces led by the hated Banastre Tarleton at the Cowpens near present day Chesnee, SC. In December of 1781, Nathanael Greene took back the Holy City and pushed the British out of South Carolina.
John Rutledge’s term as governor ended in early 1782 as the American Colonies were on the cusp of freedom. He had done everything in his power to be a great leader even through the toughest of times. Rutledge was appointed to the Court of Chancery in 1784 and served in that capacity for seven years. He also represented South Carolina in the Constitutional Convention. In the summer of 1792 Elizabeth Rutledge, loving wife of John, passed away. This moment deeply saddened John Rutledge for the rest of his life. In 1795 John Jay resigned as Chief Justice of the United States. President George Washington appointed the always reliable John Rutledge to take his place. Two weeks after Rutledge took the position he delivered a speech that criticized John Jay’s Treaty with England.
In December of 1795 the U.S. Senate rejected his appointment and forced him out of office. It was a sad day for Rutledge and many of his old friends including John Adams. His wife’s death and being ousted by the Senate drove John into reclusion. Mental illness had forced this great South Carolinian out of the spotlight. By the turn of the century his mind and health were failing him. In January of 1800 his brother Edward died. Edward was mourned by many and had a funeral attended by Charleston’s elite. Six months later the governor who led us through the great fight for independence passed on. I was watching Mary Long’s Yesteryear on ETV last week when Mrs. Long pointed out that very few people attended the service of one of the greatest South Carolinians, John Rutledge.
She inspired me to write about Rutledge as our first feature on great Sandlappers from the past. People seem to concentrate on what someone has done for them lately. John Rutledge suffered from mental issues late in life, mostly due to the heartbreak incurred when he lost his soul mate. I think we should remember this Charlestonian for what he did in the remarkable life in which he led. John Rutledge was a humble Patriot who served South Carolina for decades, never asking for anything in return. His selfless service to this state ranks him, in my opinion, as one of the great leaders like Marion, Sumter and Pickens. These three legends were all led by a man named John Rutledge.
