Samuel Nuckles
American 19th century politician
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Samuel Nuckles was an American legislator in South Carolina during the Reconstruction era. He represented Union County. Nuckles was a state representative for Union County from 1868 until 1872. He is buried at Mulberry Chapel Methodist Church.[1][2][3][4] His photograph was included in a montage of Radical Republican South Carolina legislators.[5]
Samuel Nuckles | |
|---|---|
| |
| South Carolina House of Representatives | |
| In office 1868–1872 | |
| Personal details | |
| Resting place | Mulberry Chapel Methodist Church |
| Party | Republican |
Testimony on KKK Intimidation
A Republican, he gave testimony about a campaign of intimidation used by Democrats and the Ku Klux Klan in the 1870 election.[6] In July 1871, Nuckles testified before the Joint Senate Committee to Inquire into the Condition of Affairs in the Late Insurrectionary States. At that time, he was an elected official and a refugee in Columbia, along with one hundred and fifty others from Union County. Knuckles reported to the committee that the first instance of intimidation occurred during the 1870 election:
Mr Byars was standing talking to me, and he said, “Nuckles, I’ll bet you $500 that in two years from to-day there’ll not be a colored man voting in the town.” I said, “How do you know?” He says, “You’ll know by waiting. By God, there will not be a colored man voting in the town.” I said, “Why, will they run away?” He says, “You’ll know by waiting.” Several were around, and some said, “Nuckles, I wouldn’t talk with Byars.[7]