One of the South's most illustrious military leaders, Wade Hampton
III was for a time the commander of all Lee's cavalry and at the
end of the war was the highest-ranking Confederate cavalry officer.
Yet for all Hampton's military victories, he also suffered
devastating losses in his family and personal life. Rod Andrew's
critical biography sheds light on his central role during
Reconstruction as a conservative white leader, governor, U.S.
senator, and Redeemer; his heroic image in the minds of white
southerners; and his positions and apparent contradictions on race
and the role of African Americans in the New South. Andrew also
shows that Hampton's tragic past explains how he emerged in his own
day as a larger-than-life symbol--of national reconciliation as
well as southern defiance.