Civil War

This Week in the Civil War

00000174-b11b-ddc3-a1fc-bfdbb1a20000The Schreiner University Department of History is honoring the sesquicentennial of the American Civil War with a series of short vignettes focusing on events from 1861 through 1865. The Civil War was the most destructive conflict in American history, but it was also one of our most defining moments as a people and as a nation. Let us know what you think about "This Week in the Civil War." E-mail your comments to Dr. John Huddleston at jhuddles@schreiner.edu.Airs: Weekdays at 5:19 a.m., 8:19 a.m., 4:19 p.m. on KTXI and 4:49 a.m., 9:29 p.m. on KSTX.

This Week in the Civil War - 521

Texas Public Radio | By Texas Public Radio

Published March 7, 2013 at 3:10 PM CST

On Monday, March 9, 1863 in Charlestown, South Carolina James Louis Petigru* died. An accomplished lawyer and long serving member of the state legislature, Petigru had opposed Calhoun and his nullificationists in the 1830s, preferring to believe in the supremacy of the national government over the states.

He also opposed the secession of South Carolina in 1860, remarking that "South Carolina is too small for a republic and too large for an insane asylum." He remained an avowed opponent of the Confederacy.

Full of pithy and sarcastic statements, he nevertheless maintained the respect and friendship of many of Charlestown’s leading citizens despite his political views. Entrusted in 1859 with the codification of the laws of South Carolina, he completed the task in December 1862 months before his death at age seventy-four.