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May 06, 2020

Everidge Cain (B. 1842) was in the House of Representatives in Abbeville County, SC 1870-1874, but was he a 3rd Grade Teacher in 1881?

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It was often quite violent in those days five years after the US Civil War. I am constantly bringing our ancestors forward with ways they were involved besides what they were remembered for doing. Such is the case of Everidge Cain (B. 1842). He was in the House of Representatives in Abbeville County, South Carolina, but what else can we remember him for?

Everidge Cain (B. 1842) was named as one of the Grand Jurors in serve in Abbeville County, South Carolina along with nine other whites and eight colored men in January of 1870:

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The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.), 21 Jan. 1870. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress. https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84026853/1870-01-21/ed-1/seq-2/

House of Representatives

You may recall in Let Us Not Forget Those Who Paid the Price for Us: Mitchell Goggins (b. abt. 1850) there was listed also Everidge Cain. “In July 1870, Mitchell Goggins was nominated the House of Representatives for SC in Abbeville County. This article was published in The Charleston Daily News:”

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The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, July 25, 1870, Image 1. Image provided by University of South Carolina; Columbia, SC Persistent link: https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84026994/1870-07-25/ed-1/seq-1/

By November, he had also won the election. Everidge Cain (B. 1842) was elected to the House of Representatives in Abbeville County in November 1870:

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The Daily Phoenix (Columbia, South Carolina), 6 Nov 1870, Sunday, Page 1, Newspapers.com, https://www.newspapers.com/image/72223569/#

Republican Delegates

Delegates to the Abbeville County Convention were announced in August 1872. Seven delegates were elected. Everidge Cain was one of the delegates elected from Abbeville County:

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The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.), 07 Aug. 1872. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress.

Words Led to Blows

The colored people met in the schoolhouse to nominate someone for the next election and to “investigate matters pertaining to the administration of the present Council.” Words led to blows between Everidge Cain and Ab Titus. Ab Titus discharged a pistol, but Cain was not hit. Let me mention that both Cain and Titus had been elected as delegates to the Abbeville County Convention in August 1872. Warrants were issued by the marshal, Alfred Ellison.

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The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.), 03 Sept. 1873. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress. https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84026853/1873-09-03/ed-1/seq-2/

Testimony of Everidge Cain

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Everidge Cain’s Senate Testimony, https://www.google.com/books/edition/Report_of_the_Joint_Investigating_Commit/O5dJAAAAYAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=%22everidge+cain%22&pg=PA10&printsec=frontcover
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Everidge Cain’s Senate Testimony, https://www.google.com/books/edition/Report_of_the_Joint_Investigating_Commit/O5dJAAAAYAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=%22everidge+cain%22&pg=PA10&printsec=frontcover

Sharpen the Saw

Now, let’s see if you can verify that Everidge Cain was appointed a 3rd grade teacher in 1881. Is this the same Everidge? His name is spelled Everage. Check the census. Was there more than one Everidge? Another clue would be death certificates. He was known to have fled from the KKK according to “One More Days Journey,” Allen B. Ballard. Tell us what you think in our Facebook Group.

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The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.), 26 Jan. 1881. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress. https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84026853/1881-01-26/ed-1/seq-4/
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The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.), 26 Jan. 1881. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress. https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84026853/1881-01-26/ed-1/seq-4/