Name/Title
Invitation and EnvelopeEntry/Object ID
2013.7.8 A-BDescription
Paper invitation and envelope for the First Annual Oration of the Richland Rifle Club. The invitation is written on club stationery with "R. R. C." in script at the top and a listing of the club officers at the bottom. Information regarding the time and date of the oration (Thursday, June 10th, 8:30 p.m.), and its location (the City Opera House) is presented in script. The plain white envelope is addressed to "John A. Faber, Esq., Att[orne]y at Law., City." It has a Columbia, SC. postmark and a blue one cent stamp.Context
South Carolina's state militia was disbanded in the early postwar period, but it returned in March 1869 when legislation created the National Guard of South Carolina, involvement in which was more social than militaristic. The National Guard was open to both white and Black men, although many of the former refused to serve alongside the latter. Instead, white men formed rifle clubs after the Civil War, which were initially intended to fulfill societal traditions previously created by local militias. While rifle clubs in other southern states would operate in secret, those in South Carolina were registered with the government.
The Richland Rifle Club was formed in 1874 and was affiliated with the Governor's Guards Club. The head of the club was Hugh Smith Thompson (1836–1904), principal of the Columbia Male Academy. Thompson would later serve as 81st governor of South Carolina from 1882 until 1886. At the time he received this invitation, German immigrant John A. Faber (born 1852) was practicing law in Columbia. Faber previously graduated from South Carolina College in 1871 and was continuing his graduate education there until the school integrated in 1873. He lived with his older brother, attorney William H. Faber (1849–1925) for their entire lives. The pair moved to Charleston sometime in the 1880s, where they later edited the German newspaper, "The Deutsche Zeitung."Made/Created
Date made
1875Notes
1875 is the inferred year due to the prevalence of Rifle Clubs in SC in the 1870s. June 10th fell on a Thursday in 1875.Inscription/Signature/Marks
Type
InscriptionLocation
front of envelopeTranscription
John A. Faber [?] Esq. / Att[orne]y at Law. / City.Material/Technique
InkDimensions
Dimension Description
EnvelopeHeight
3-1/2 inWidth
6-1/2 inDimension Description
InvitationHeight
10 inWidth
6-1/2 inDimension Notes
Dimensions refer to completely unfolded paper. Invitation measure 6.5 x 5 when being read.
