t Congress. He was seated in that
Congress on December 12, 1870, to succeed Mr. Whittemore, who was
unseated on account of a serious charge brought against him. Mr.
Rainey was the first Negro Congressman. Mr. Long was seated in
the same Congress, but later--January 16, 1871. This would give
Mr. Rainey a record of five Congresses. On the same page (130)
foot note relative to General Smalls, you have him as a member of
five Congresses. My record does not show him a member of the
_47th_ Congress. Mr. Rainey holds the record for length of
service. In connection with Mr. Rainey's record I will state that
he was the only one of the Negro congressmen who presided over
the House of Representatives, that courtesy was extended to him
by Speaker Blaine. Altho the House was democratic he was honored
by the Republican caucus at one time for Clerkship of the House,
showing the esteem in which he was held by his colleagues, after
he retired from the House. Page 134--High Hollow Academy should
be High Holborn Academy. On the same page, foot note, it is
stated that Gen. Elliott resigned from Congress to accept the
office of sheriff. While Gen. Elliott had his official residence
in Aiken county, he and Mrs. Elliott had their home in Columbia,
one of the show places of the city. I cannot conceive of him
resigning the position of congressman to accept the insignificant
office of sheriff of the small county of Aiken. He resigned in
order to go to the House of Representatives at Columbia for the
purpose of being elected Speaker of that body, and he succeeded.
The other time he resigned was for the purpose of being a
candidate for the U. S. Senatorship, but the Pennsylvania R. R.
interests put John J. Patterson, who was a Cameron protege, over.
Had he been elected sheriff of Aiken county it would have
necessitated his living there.

On page 139--"From the year 1871--the period of service of the
first Negro in Congress" should be _1870_--Rainey, Dec. 12, 1870.

The greatest compliment I think that was ever paid to a Negro by
a prominent white man was that by Benjamin F. Butler, the
distinguished Union General, afterwards Governor of
Massachusetts, and who had charge of Sumner's civil rights bill
in the House of Representatives. In the prefatory remarks to his