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==Civil War General==

==Civil War General==

Hampton, like most of the planter class, was a firm defender of the institution of [[slavery]] and of [[states' rights]], though he did not take an especially prominent role in the sectional debates of the 1850s. Early in the decade, he did oppose the movement for South Carolina to secede from the Union, and in 1859 spoke at length in the state Senate against a proposal to re-open the international slave trade, calling it "cruel and inhuman." A supporter of [[John C. Breckinridge]] in the 1860 presidential election, he was on hand for the secession convention that followed [[Abraham Lincoln]]'s election, and this time supported leaving the Union. Following the firing on [[Fort Sumter]] in April 1861, Hampton organized a so-called "legion" of about 1,000 infantry, cavalry, and artillery for service in the new Confederate Army, with himself as commander with the rank of colonel. "Hampton's Legion," as it was called, departed for Virginia that summer, seeing its first action in the [[First Battle of Bull Run]] on July 21, where it suffered heavy casualties but was praised by observers for its courage and skill under fire; Hampton himself was singled out as displaying "soldierly ability." The following June, he was promoted to brigadier general.

Hampton, like most of the planter class, was a firm defender of the institution of [[slavery]] and of [[states' rights]], though he did not take an especially prominent role in the sectional debates of the 1850s. Early in the decade, he did oppose the movement for South Carolina to secede from the Union, and in 1859 spoke at length in the state Senate against a proposal to re-open the international slave trade, calling it "cruel and inhuman." A supporter of [[John C. Breckinridge]] in the 1860 presidential election, he was on hand for the secession convention that followed [[Abraham Lincoln]]'s election, and this time supported leaving the Union. Following the firing on [[Fort Sumter]] in April 1861, Hampton organized a so-called "legion" of about 1,000 infantry, cavalry, and artillery for service in the new Confederate Army, with himself as commander with the rank of colonel. "Hampton's Legion," as it was called, departed for Virginia that summer, seeing its first action in the [[First Battle of Bull Run]] on July 21, where it suffered heavy casualties but was praised by observers for its courage and skill under fire; Hampton himself was singled out as displaying "soldierly ability."  

 

Hampton remained in command of the Legion during the following months. In January 1862, he was placed in charge of an infantry brigade that included the Legion, and in June, after the reorganization of the Army of Northern Virginia following Robert E. Lee's appointment as commander, he was promoted to brigadier general. After briefly serving under [[Stonewall Jackson]] during the Seven Days Campaign, Hampton transferred to the cavalry, leading a brigade under [[Jeb Stuart]]. Though Hampton and Stuart sometimes clashed on a personal level, they respected each other's abilities, and Hampton performed capably in most of the Army of Northern Virginia's subsequent operations, despite being seriously wounded at the [[Battle of Gettysburg]] in 1863. That August, he was promoted to major general, now leading a division within Stuart's cavalry.

 

==References==

==References==