James Lawrence Orr Minister to Russia

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ORR, James Lawrence

Collection of the U.S. House of Representatives
About this object

1822–1873

Office

Representative

State/Territory

South Carolina

Party

Democrat

Congress(es)

31st (1849–1851), 32nd (1851–1853), 33rd (1853–1855), 34th (1855–1857), 35th (1857–1859)

Leadership Positions

Speaker of the House - 35th

Jump To

• Biography
• External Research Collections
• Bibliography/Further Reading

Biography

ORR, James Lawrence, a Representative from South Carolina; born in Craytonville, Anderson County, S.C., May 12, 1822; attended the public schools, and was graduated from the University of Virginia at Charlottesville in 1842; studied law; was admitted to the bar and commenced practice in Anderson, S.C., in 1843; engaged in newspaper work; member of the State house of representatives 1844-1847; elected as a Democrat to the Thirty-first and to the four succeeding Congresses (March 4, 1849-March 3, 1859); chairman, Committee on Indian Affairs (Thirty-third Congress); Speaker of the House of Representatives (Thirty-fifth Congress); was not a candidate for renomination in 1858; resumed the practice of law at Craytonville; member of the southern rights convention held in Charleston, S.C., in 1851; delegate to the Democratic National Convention at Charleston in 1860; member of the secession convention in 1860; one of three commissioners sent to Washington, D.C., to treat with the Federal Government for the surrender of the forts in Charleston Harbor; Member of the Confederate Senate in 1861; served in the Confederate Army during the Civil War; special commissioner sent to President Johnson to negotiate the establishment of provisional government for the State of South Carolina in 1865; member of the State constitutional convention in 1865; elected Governor of South Carolina as a Republican in 1866; president of the State convention at Columbia in July 1866; delegate to the Union National Convention at Philadelphia in August 1866; judge of the eighth judicial circuit 1868-1870; member of the Republican State convention in August 1872; delegate to the Republican National Convention in 1872; appointed by President Grant as Minister to Russia in December 1872; died in St. Petersburg, Russia, May 5, 1873; interment in the Presbyterian Cemetery, Anderson, S.C.                             

Ownership history of DeBruhl Marshall House

     

             DeBruhl Marshall House

                          Columbia, South Carolina 

Built 1820 by Jesse DeBruhl Low Country planter and broker.

After a design, by Robert Mills designer of the Washington Monument. 

I just received this from Robert Olguin of Historic Columbia.  He the chief historian/archaeologist/restorer at the De Bruhl Marshall House. 

 

Timeline of Owners

1820―1860                Jesse DeBruhl

1861―1905                Mary C. Wiley (DeBruhl’s widow) and John S. Wiley

1905                            Sold to Palmetto Bank; immediately sold to William Jesse DeBruhl (Mary and Jesse’s son) and then sold to Janie B. Marshall

1905―1919                Janie B. Marshall (the widow of J.Q. Marshall Sr., son of John Foster Marshall and Jesse DeBruhl’s daughter, Elizabeth A. Marshall, by his first wife, Eliza Donovan)

1919―1947                James Hagood Sams and Caroline E. Sams

1947―1972                May Bond S. Rhodes

1972―1989                DeBruhl-Marshall Company (Phillip Kenneth Huggins, Robert Nicholson Milling, Roger K. Rutledge, A. Sale Estefano, Bob C. Schnackenberg, Frank A. Cheano, and Cynthia S. Hamilton)

1989―2014                South Carolina Tees Incorporated (William Maxwell Gregg, to whose name the deed was transferred in 1997)

2014―present            Wanda Gale Breedlove

Ambassador James Lawrence Orr

James L. Orr (1872-1873)

1872-73

James L Orr

James Lawrence Orr was a U.S. Representative from South Carolina from 1849 to 1859 from South Carolina, and was Speaker of the House during his last term. A member of South Carolina's secession convention, he was a Confederate Senator, and served in the Confederate Army during the Civil War. After the war he was elected Governor of South Carolina. President Ulysses S. Grant appointed him Minister to Russia. He died of pneumonia in St. Petersburg less than two months after he arrived at Post. He was the brother in law of Jehu Foster Marshall who was married to Elizabeth DeBruhl,
Jesse DeBruhl's daughter.

5th Battalion, South Carolina Rifles

5th Battalion, South Carolina Rifles   

Benjamin F DeBruhl started his Confederate service in 2nd SC State service. He served six months when it was discovered he was sixteen years of age.  He was discharged and reenlisted at age 18 in the 7th SC Cavalry CSA and served the duration of the war.   

Brief History
The 5th Battalion, South Carolina Rifles was also known as Moore's Battalion of Rifles.  It was also called the 1st Regiment, South Carolina Rifles under the leadership of James L. Orr.  By May 1861, James L. Orr and his brother-in-law, Jehu Foster Marshall, were both trying to raise a regiment.  Neither man could get enough soldiers to form a regiment so they combined their men and created the 5th Battalion, South Carolina Rifles. The battalion was mustered into State service in July 1861.  In April 1862 this military unit was reorganized into the 2nd Regiment, South Carolina Rifles (also called Moore's Rifles).^[1]
Joseph H. Crute, Jr.'s book, "Units of the Confederate States Army", contains no history for this unit.^[2]

Counties of Origin

Men often enlisted in  a company recruited in the counties where they lived though not always. After many battles, companies might be combined because so many men were killed or wounded.  However if you are unsure which company your ancestor  was in, try the company recruited in his county first.

Company A - many men from Abbeville District (County), a few men from Laurens District (County) and Newberry District (County)

Company B - many men from Pickens District (County). Part of Pickens District became Oconee County

Company C - many men from  Pickens District (County). Part of Pickens District became Oconee County

Company D - many men from Anderson District (County) and Pickens District (County)

Company E - many men from Pickens District (County)

Company F - many men from Anderson District (County) and Abbeville District (County), a few from Laurens District (County)

Company G

Information on companies and counties of origin is taken from Seigler's book.^[1]

James Lawrence Orr Brother in Law of Jehu Foster Marshall

In 1736, Irish immigrant, Robert Orr, came to the American Colonies. He first lived in Pennsylvania and later moved to Wake County, NC. His youngest son, Jehu, a Revolutionary War soldier, moved during the late 1700s to the Pendleton District of SC. Jehu’s son Christopher married Martha McCann also of Irish descent. Christopher and Martha had three sons and two daughters. One of these sons was James Lawrence Orr, born May 12, 1822 in the Craytonville Community of Pendleton District. James Lawrence Orr was known as a great statesman on both state and national levels.
In 1830 the Orr family moved to Anderson, where Christopher became the manager of a hotel and General Merchandise store. James Lawrence decided to enter the University of Virginia, considered one of the best institutions of higher learning in that era, to study law. He matriculated in 1839 at the age of seventeen and spent two years in the university. He excelled in various subjects during his freshman year. The second year he concentrated on the study of law. When Professor J. A. G. Davis, whom Orr depended upon in his study of law, was killed by a student, and an inexperienced lawyer became his instructor, Orr decided to return to South Carolina. He came back to Anderson and continued to study law and history.
In January 1842, Orr, not quite 20, entered Joseph Whitner’s law office. Whitner, solicitor of South Carolina’s western circuit, was often absent from the office, and Orr met many people whom he advised about legal matters. He began his political career at the age of 21 by serving as a delegate to the Democratic State Convention, which met in Columbia. John C. Calhoun was the choice of this body for presidential nominee in 1844. Orr was well suited to politics.
In 1843 he became editor of the Anderson Gazette, and at the same time began practicing law in Anderson, Greenville, Pickens, Abbeville and Laurens. He married Mary Jane Marshall in the same year. They had seven children, Eliza, born 1845, Martha, born 1847, James Lawrence, born 1852, Samuel, born 1855, Mary, born 1858, Amelia, born 1860, and Christopher, born 1862. Their oldest daughter, Eliza died in January 1851. Mary Jane Orr had a stroke following the birth of Christopher but did recover her speech.
The Orr family attended the Episcopal church in Pendleton. In 1849, the rector of St. Paul’s Church in Pendleton began holding meetings in the Anderson Court House. In 1851 Grace Episcopal Church was built in Anderson. Orr was instrumental in establishing this church.
He ran for a position in the lower house of the state legislature in 1844 and in 1846 he was re-elected to the same office. He was becoming well known in the state capital and was making friends over the entire state. He began to make plans to run for a seat in the US Congress. Orr was elected and entered the US House of Representatives in 1849 over Benjamin F. Perry. He did not run for re-election.
The 1850 census shows that Orr was a slave owner living on a 710 acre farm, growing cotton, corn, oats, wheat and vegetables, and raising livestock. In July, 1860, Orr announced that he favored secession, but he opposed strongly the idea of South Carolina leaving the Union alone. The Secession Convention, which met in the First Baptist Church in Columbia on December 17, 1860, moved to Charleston because of a small-pox epidemic in the city. On December 20, the convention adopted the Ordinance of Secession in St. Andrew’s Hall and signed it in Institute Hall. Former Congressman Orr served on the committee drafting the ordinance.
In the meantime Major Robert J. Anderson had moved his troops from Fort Moultrie to Fort Sumter during the night of December 26th. On April 12, 1861, troops under General P. G. T. Beauregard fired on Fort Sumter at 4:30am. Anderson surrendered after a battle of thirty three hours, beginning the war between the North and South. Eleven states belonged to the Confederate States of America. They included South Carolina, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama , Georgia, Louisiana, Texas, North Carolina, Arkansas, Tennessee and Virginia. After the secession of South Carolina from the Union and the firing on Fort Sumter, Orr petitioned Governor Francis Pickens to allow him to raise a Regiment of soldiers. Permission was granted and different men in the districts began conscripting the recruits. This regiment was later called the South Carolina First Regiment of Rifles or Orr’s Rifles. They gathered at a campground near Sandy Springs M. E. Church in Anderson County on July 19, 1861. On the following day they were mustered into service. Officers were selected by popular vote, and the following were elected:

• Colonel James Lawrence Orr, Anderson
• Lt. Colonel J. Foster Marshall, Abbeville
• Major Daniel A. Ledbetter.

Companies were organized and captains chosen. They were:

• Company A Keowee Rifleman, Captain J. W. Livingston
• Company B McDuffies Guards, Captain James Perrin
• Company C Mountain Boys, Captain J. J. Norton
• Company D Orr’s Rifles, Captain Frank E. Harrison
• Company E Oconee Riflemen, Captain Miles M. Norton
• Company F Blue Ridge Riflemen, Captain Robert A. Hawthorne
• Company G Marshal Riflemen, Captain C. McDuffie Miller
• Company H Pee Dee Guards, Captain George M. Fairlee
• Company K Marshall Guards, Captain George W. Cox
• Company L Calhoun Guards, Captain John B. Moore.

According to a diary kept by a confederate soldier, W. A. Lowery of Pickens District, the recruits remained at the Sandy Springs campground location for six weeks and six days, then started the long march to the coast, first to Summerville and later to Ft. Moultrie on Sullivan’s Island. This Regiment consisted of three companies from Abbeville District, two from Anderson District, four from Pickens District and one company comprised men from Marion District. The Pickens recruits lived largely west of Keowee River. It is safe to assume that most of them lived in the area which was called Oconee when Pickens District was divided in 1868.

Coming soon, a list volunteers for Orr's Rifles from the Anderson, Oconee, and Pickens areas.

Visitors since 3/28/09

©2000 - 2009 South Carolina Genealogical Society

03/28/2009

History or ownership of DeBruhl Marshall Mansion

John Quitman Marshall was one busy man.  He was alternately Secretary of State, Judge, Lawyer, Swore in Wade Hampton as Governor, Streetcar developer, Electric Power developer, Completed State House, Restored DeBruhl Marshall House, in charge of paving Columbia streets, active in Columbia's social scene, fought constantly for money and talent
to complete the State House, prosecuted demon contractors, just to name a few of his accomplishments.  He died relatively
young at 59. It was said of him he worked himself to death for the good of Columbia and her citizens. In the restoration of
the DeBruhl Marshall house at the turn of the century, he removed the old leaders and replaced the roof with slate or wood shingles  and brought the old staircase from the old courthouse and installed it in the back hall of the DeBruhl Marshall mansion.  The leaders (downspouts) had the Mills mark and date according to some Mills historians, but the leaders are long ago vanished without a written record as yet discovered.  One of these days, possibly some document will surface
telling was was engraved on the gutters and downspouts.  We can only hope. 

I just received this from Robert Olguin of Historic Columbia.  He is the chief historian/archaeologist/restorer at the DeBruhl Marshall House. 

 

Timeline of Owners

 

1820―1860                 Jesse DeBruhl

 

1861―1905                Mary C. Wiley (DeBruhl’s widow) and John S. Wiley

 

1905                            Sold to Palmetto Bank; immediately sold to William Jesse DeBruhl (Mary and Jesse’s son) and then sold to Janie B. Marshall

 

1905―1919                 Janie B. Marshall ( the widow of J.Q. Marshall Sr., son of John Foster Marshall and Jesse DeBruhl’s daughter, Elizabeth A. Marshall, by his first wife, Eliza Donovan)

 

1919―1947                 James Hagood Sams and Caroline E. Sams

 

1947―1972                 May Bond S. Rhodes

 

1972―1989                 DeBruhl-Marshall Company (Phillip Kenneth Huggins, Robert Nicholson Milling, Roger K. Rutledge, A. Sale Estefano, Bob C. Schnackenberg, Frank A. Cheano, and Cynthia S. Hamilton)

 

1989―2014                 South Carolina Tees Incorporated (William Maxwell Gregg, to whose name the deed was transferred in 1997)

 

2014―present             Wanda Gale Breedlove