Notable Columbians 1
State of South Carolina
January 15, 1936
By Helen Kohn Hennig
South Carolina Biography Marshall, John Quitman
Page 363.
South Carolina has had two sons who have taken more
conspicuous
Places in great public affairs, and who have been
better known to fame, but we doubt if South Carolina ever had a better citizen
than this man, John Quitman Marshall who was truly a Columbia, for on April 1,
1849, saw his birth at the home of his grandfather, Jesse DeBruhl at 1401,
Laurel Street His mother Elizabeth DeBruhl
Marshall had come from her husband’s house in
Abbeville to be with her mother Elizabeth and there on April- Fool day a son who
was supposed to be a girl was born. The
baby had an interesting ancestry, English Nova Scotia and Virginian. His DeBruhl ancestors had participated in the
American Revolution, while his
Marshall great-great-grandfather had been seized
during the English impressment prior to the War of 1812 taken from the boat
Leaving his wife and ten children behind, and
transferred for service to an English vessel.
His desperation was such that he gave
The Masonic cry of ultimate despair and was finally
released so
That he could accompany his family to America.
Quitman Marshall’s boyhood was spent in his father’s
home in
Abbeville. Where he was educated, first by governesses
and tutors’
And later in the Abbeville schools. There were six children in the family and
their youth seems to have been that of an average
Well-to-do small town South Carolina family of the
days before
The Confederate War.
J. Foster Marshall the father of Quitman, had served
as captain of
Company E, Palmetto regiment. In the Mexican war, and
when his state again engaged in battle he entered the Confederate service,
being killed at Second Manassas. As soon
as his son attained the age of 16, he too, joined the Confederate forces,
serving for several
Months, until the surrender at Appomattox, in guarding
supplies
At Newberry, SC.
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After his discharge from the army, he entered the
South Carolina
College, leaving in 1873, after having delivered the
valedictory speech as last president of the Clariosophic society. In this speech he reflects the difficulties
of the college when he states that it is always an honor to be president of the
Clariosophie society, but
The greatest honor is in being it’s final
president. That year there were only
eight degrees conferred by the college, four in law, three
in medicine, and one AB. Immediately after leaving college, Mr.
Marshall entered the practice of law.
Establishing his office in a little building on Law Range just behind
the present Central Union
Building. He
always enjoyed telling that he was a self–made man and illustrated his
contention by reminding his friends that when he entered that office he had 50
cents in his pocket. Here he practiced until
August 11, 1908. When he laid aside all
earthly
burdens at age 59 years.
His service to the state and to the city of his birth
was varied and important. For several
years he served as state senator from this county, vigorously guarding the
welfare of his constituents. He served
as secretary of state under Governor John Peter Richardson and was a colonel of
the state militia. His most outstanding
service to the city of Columbia was as president of the Columbia Electric
Street Railway company: becoming it’s first president after the old horse drawn
cars were withdrawn in favor of electricity.
At that time such men, as W.H. Lyles and W.A. Clark were his colleagues
in providing adequate transportation facilities for Columbia. When the system first went into effect,
Columbia boasted of a 500 horsepower plant.
Today the same plant yields 13,000 horsepower. Many old citizens of Columbia can remember
the car barns located on Gervais street.
Between Lincoln and Gates just below the Seaboard Air Line railroad station.
June 12, 1890 Mr. Marshall married Jane Adams Brooks,
the daughter of Capt. John Hampden Brooks and Mary Goodwin Adams.
She was thus the granddaughter of Governor James
Hopkins Adams. The marriage took place
at Roseland, Edgefield County,
The ceremony was performed by Bishop Ellison Capers. Of this union four children were born, Janie,
(Mrs. James H. Hammond), Elizabeth, (Mrs., Gordon Calhoun Wright) J. Foster,
who married
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Miss Walton Richardson, and John Quitman whose wife was
Miss Helen Bruton. There are today four Quitman Marshalls who bear the name of
their illustrious grandfather.
The name Quitman, which is distinctly Georgian, has an
interesting connection here. Jehu Foster
Marshall gave to his son the name of John Quitman of Georgia on whose staff Mr.
Marshall Sr. had served and whose portrait presented to his fellow officers by
the general, is a treasured possession of the family. As magistrate, Mr.
Marshall had perhaps the most dramatic experience of his life for it fell to
his lot to swear in Governor Wade Hampton and Lieutenant Governor W.D.
Simpson. The Democratic Supreme Court
then sat in the office occupied by Col. Marshall at the time of his death and
the legislature met in Carolina Hall, an old brick building in the middle of
the block, back of the courthouse. It
was on the portico of this building, which then had a clear opening to Main
Street that
Colonel Marshall swore in Wade Hampton and W.D.
Simpson as governor and lieutenant governor.
It was indeed fitting that Colonel Marshall should
have headed the commission for the erection of a suitable statue as a memorial
to Governor Hampton and unfortunate that he should die before he could see the
completion of his dream. As Secretary of
State Colonel Marshall was in charge of seeing the completion of the State
Capitol building. He fought long and
hard to see that the builders and contractors stuck to the original
design. This magnificent architectural
treasure was completed and preserved]
Thanks to Colonel Marshall.
When Colonel and Mrs. Marshall came to Columbia
immediately after their wedding, they boarded for a short time and then set up
housekeeping at 1501 Lady street, where they remained until 1905, when Mr.
Marshall purchased from the estate of his step-grandmother the ancestral
DeBruhl mansion at 1401 Laurel
Street, where Mrs. Marshall remained until her death
in 1917.
Since that time the mansion has been known as the
DeBruhl Marshall house and is listed on the National Register of Historic
Sites to be preserved.
South Carolinian Robert Mills famed for his design of the Washington
Monument designed it.
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That Mr. Marshall took an active part in the social
life of Columbia is attested by an invitation which reads as follows: “Columbia Cotillion club first season 1873,
requests the pleasure of your company, at the Miss Percival’s at 8 1-2 0’clock.
Pm Dec. 18th”
Signed J. Quitman Marshall Sec.” With the invitation, was mailed a dance card
setting forth that the president of the club was Gen. M.C.
Butler; the vice presidents were; Dr. B.W. Taylor,
Capt. W.K. Bachman, J.T. Sloan, Jr. and Wilie Jones, while the treasurer was
J.S. Muller.
The dances, 12 in number were: Gallop, quadrille, waltz, gallop,
lancers, and waltz, the second half calling for two quadrilles, two gallops,
one waltz and the grand finale of a reel.
The committee arrangements reception named, was Maj.
J.B.Ezell,
W.H.Fisher, and Dr. T.T. Moore, Mr. Marshall was also a member of the Columbia
club. That interesting institution, which has threaded it’s way through so much
of Columbia’s social life. The Masonic
order also received much of the interest and attention of Mr. Marshall.
For several years before his death Mr. Marshall was
ill and forced to conserve the energy, which remained in spite of his personal
infirmities. When the paving of
Columbia’s streets became an issue
Of considerable importance and a monumental project
both in size and scope a man was needed to straighten out the complicated
project and insure for Columbia the best and most beautiful wide
Avenues and streets possible. Mr. Marshall undertook to head the commission
though both his friends and doctors and family had urged him not to undertake
such a task they had warned him his health would suffer. His reply was, that he would rather die doing
something for Columbia, and that is practically what he did. For the unusual
strain of long hours and extreme summer heat in Columbia all conspired to
further weaken his heart. In a vain
effort to repair his health, he went to Buffalo Lithia Springs in Virginia and
there died.
The articles about him in the newspapers at the time
of his death spoke of his great love for children, and commented upon the usual
sight of seeing him drive along with his buggy full of children, his own and
the neighbors’ one of his family remembered with amusement those afternoon
drives behind the horse “Drag”.
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So named because he literally dragged in harness. One of the idiosyncrasies of this horse was
that every time the load of youngsters approached a bridge, Mr. Marshall had to
get out unhitch the horse, lead him across the bridge, then come back and pull
the carriage across by hand then rehitch , and drive on. Naturally such peculiarities
on the part of Drag made the usual afternoon drive a thrilling adventure.
At the time of his death Mayor Reamer ordered that all
city offices be draped in mourning and the city bell be tolled during the
funeral.
Mr. Reamer expressed for himself and for Columbia his
feelings in these words; “He was a true man and we need him, we need many like
him, he was endowed with the generous spirit of the Cavalier
And yet there was a puritanical honesty and directness
about him which caused him to be feared and heartily disliked by those who had
evil purposes to conceal, But none has ever questioned his honesty, his
fidelity to public trust or faithfulness to the interests of friends, And in
making friends he was not quick to take up with strangers, but he sought rather
those whose hearts beat true. His
ambition was not to create great wealth, but to be a good citizen.”
One who was near and dear to Mr. Marshall, when asked
what his great contribution to the city and to the state had been answered, “He
was a good citizen”. Surely nothing could more entitle a man to be in the
gallery of notable Columbians!
Transcribed by Norman DeBruhl Thursday October 10,
2013
