]> <emph>Census of the City of Charleston, South Carolina, For the Year 1861. Illustrated by Statistical Tables. Prepared under the Authority of the City Council by Frederick A. Ford:</emph> Electronic Edition. Charleston (S.C.). City Council. Funding from the Institute of Museum and Library Services supported the electronic publication of this title. Text scanned (OCR) by Apex Data Services, Inc. Images scanned by Bryan Sinche Text encoded by Lee Ann Morawski and Jill Kuhn Sexton First edition, 2000 ca. 1.3MB Academic Affairs Library, UNC-CH University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 2000.

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 Census of the City of Charleston, South Carolina, For the Year 1861. Illustrated by Statistical Tables. Prepared under the Authority of the City Council by Frederick A. Ford Frederick A. Ford 271 p. Charleston Steam-Power Presses of Evans & Cogswell 1861 Call number 2135 Conf. (Rare Book Collection, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill)

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 Library of Congress Subject Headings, 21st edition, 1998 English Charleston (S.C.) -- Census, 1861. Charleston (S.C.) -- Population -- Statistics. Charleston (S.C.) -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865. Households -- South Carolina -- Charleston -- Statistics. Charleston (S.C.) -- Climate. 2001-03-15, Celine Noel and Wanda Gunther revised TEIHeader and created catalog record for the electronic edition. 2000-12-14, Jill Kuhn Sexton finished TEI-conformant encoding and final proofing. 2000-12-12, Lee Ann Morawski finished TEI/SGML encoding 2000-10-20, Apex Data Services, Inc. finished transcription and TEI/SGML encoding

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 CENSUS OF THE CITY OF CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA, For the Year 1861. ILLUSTRATED BY STATISTICAL TABLES. PREPARED UNDER THE AUTHORITY OF THE CITY COUNCIL BY FREDERICK A. FORD. CHARLESTON: STEAM-POWER PRESSES OF EVANS & COGSWELL, No. 5 Broad and 109 East Bay Street. 1861. PROCEEDINGS OF COUNCIL. Extracts from the Minutes, October 23d, 1860.

Petition of numerous merchants and others, praying Council to have a correct census of the City taken at as early a day as possible

Alderman Riggs offered the following resolution, which was adopted:

Resolved, That the Memorial be referred to a committee of three, who shall recommend to Council proper persons to take a complete Census of the City, together with such statistical information as may be necessary to exhibit the condition and prospects of the City, to superintend the management and publication of the same, and to apportion to the several Wards their representation in Council, in conformity to the Act of the General Assembly, passed June 1st, 1838.

The Mayor appointed the following committee, viz: Aldermen Riggs, Edgerton, and Ryan.

 Extract from the Minutes, March 26th, 1861.

Alderman Riggs, from the Special Committee, to whom was referred the petition in relation to the City Census, ask leave to report:

That unavoidable circumstances have prevented their earlier attention to this matter, but in sufficient time to ensure its completion for all practical purposes.

Your committee contemplated adopting the plan of dividing the City in sections or squares, and availing themselves of the services of such of our citizens (many of whom kindly offered) who would be willing to take the census of the square or block in which they reside; and in this way it was thought an accurate result would be obtained, and at much saving of expense to the City. But we find, on reflection, that whilst this plan has its advantages, it is not certain that it may not cause delay, and in the result disappoint our expectations, as we would have necessarily to engage the services of some competent person in the end, to compile and arrange the publication of the several returns made under this plan. We have, therefore, deemed it best that this system should not be adopted, but that the work be placed under the supervision of a competent person, to prepare and compile an accurate Census of the City, with such statistical information as, we trust, will meet the wants of the community, and to apportion to the several Wards their proper representation in Council, in conformity to the Act of the General Assembly, passed June 1st, 1838. And in order to ensure this result, your committee recommend that authority be given them to engage the services of Mr. FREDERICK A. FORD, at the sum stated in his communication to the Committee, feeling assured he is fully competent to accomplish the work satisfactorily, which your committee are sanguine will result in exhibiting an increase in population, enterprise and growth, in all the essentials that make up a flourishing community.

All of which is respectfully submitted.

(Signed) J. S. RIGGS. E. W. EDGERTON. THOS. RYAN. PROCEEDINGS. MAY 15, 1861.

The Committee on the City Census are of opinion that the numbering of the houses in the City is rather for the convenience of reference to the residences and places of business of the citizens, than for the purpose of ascertaining the number of houses in the City, which is otherwise more accurately attained; and, consequently, where one house, for instance, has been divided on the ground-floor, in front, into two or more business offices, and the upper part is occupied, perhaps, as a boarding-house or private residence—the parties doing business in the offices below, as well as the person residing or keeping a boarding-house above, are entitled each to a separate reference to these places of business or residence by their own numbers respectively. And Mr. FORD, in preparing the City Census, is requested to conform as far as practicable to this principle of numbering.

J. S. RIGGS. E. W. EDGERTON. THOS. RYAN.

Alderman Riggs, from the Special Committee, made the following Report, which was concurred in:

The Special Census Committee, empowered by resolution of Council, to have the census taken, and the proper representation in Council apportioned according to the Act of the General Assembly, passed June 1st, 1838, beg leave, respectfully, to report: That in obedience to the resolution referred to, your Committee engaged Frederick A. Ford, Esq., for the purpose, who immediately commenced the work, under the plan agreed upon, and having now finished his labors, has delivered the same in manuscript, ready for publication.

It would scarcely be required in this report to refer in detail to the accuracy, as far as we can judge, attained, as the work will be published as soon as possible, and will, therefore, speak for itself. We have only aimed in the discharge of our duty, to present to the community a correct and reliable census, containing such statistical information as will be of interest, and more especially, to comply with the Act of the General Assembly, requiring a decennial census to be taken for the purpose of giving to the several Wards their proper representation in Council. It will be seen that our City has increased in population, if not in a rapid, certainly in a permanent and prosperous ratio—a result more gratifying than if it were increased by mere numbers, without our orderly, quiet and law-loving people, which we venture to say cannot be surpassed, if equalled, by any city of its size. A fact so encouraging needs no further comment.

Under the present apportionment Council will hereafter be entitled to an increase of two additional Aldermen in the Upper Wards, making in all eighteen; whilst Ward No. 2 will lose one, and Ward No. 4 will gain one, the same number will be preserved in the Lower Wards as heretofore. It is to be hoped that this additional increase in representation will enure to the interest and prosperity of all the Wards, as the City will hereafter not be designated in making tax returns, as before, in Upper and Lower Wards separately, but as a whole, and all sectional differences, if any exists, will thus be obliterated, and the general good, without particular regard to locality, become the paramount motive, whilst a judicious oversight will be observed by the representatives of their several Wards.

Your Committee, in conclusion, find it an agreeable duty to refer to the able and faithful manner in which Mr. Ford has discharged the arduous duties incident to his engagement, and we feel confident that when the work is published and submitted to critical examination, it will not fall short of public expectation; for it will not be forgotten that during the present disturbed state of affairs, difficulties, in many instances, must have arisen, and a generous public will not fail to make the proper allowances.

Mr. Ford's communication, addressed to the Committee, is annexed to this report, and it but remains for us obtain authority to have the work published immediately.

Respectfully submitted, J. S. RIGGS, Chairman Com. Census. E. W. EDGERTON. THOS. RYAN. REPORT ON THE COMPLETION OF THE CENSUS OF 1861. Charleston, September 20, 1861. To Messrs. JOHN S. RIGGS, E. W. EDGERTON and THOMAS RYAN, Committee on the Census:

GENTS—Having completed the taking and arrangement of the Decennial Census of the City, I beg leave to report, briefly, that I find the population to be 48,409—a considerable increase over any number heretofore returned. With a view to accuracy, before I commenced my arrangements your opinions as to the principle upon which an enumeration of the houses of the city should be had were requested. The principle prescribed by you for my guidance has been strictly pursued, and the number of every house within the corporate limits correctly ascertained and preserved. Taking every family under the number of the house in which they resided, it was nearly impossible to omit any one, as the omission would at once be apparent on the face of my schedule, in the line devoted to the number of the house. This plan differs from any heretofore adopted, and I have reason to believe has been effectual in my attaining accurately the population of Charleston. The Census having been ordered for the purpose of ascertaining the representation of Aldermen in Council for the ensuing ten years, I procured the written opinion of Judge Pringle as to the law regulating the representation, and the principle upon which the calculation was to be based. I find that by the increase of population and taxation of Ward No. 4, since the Census taken in 1848, that Ward has become entitled to one additional Alderman, and Ward No. 2 loses one—the other Lower Wards retain their present representation; and Wards No. 5 and 6, by increase of population and taxation, have each become entitled to one additional Alderman. The number, therefore, of Aldermen for the ensuing ten years will be eighteen instead of sixteen, the present number.

I have made out a set of Tables, shewing the construction of the city, the population, with ages and nativity of the whites, and number and ages of the slaves and free persons of color—the population of each street in the city separately, and the present owners and occupants of every house. These tables, with my calculation of the representation in Council, to which the different Wards are entitled, are herewith submitted.

Respectfully, etc., FREDERICK A. FORD. CENSUS OF CHARLESTON.

A TABLE, SHOWING THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE CITY. WARDS. NUMBER OF BRICK HOUSES. NUMBER OF WOODEN HOUSES. TOTAL. HOUSES ERECTED SINCE 1850. No. 1 498 146 644 8 No. 2 251 377 628 58 No. 3 606 515 1,121 61 No. 4 620 751 1,371 118 No. 5 99 652 751 136 No. 6 79 907 986 197 No. 7 16 424 440 157 No. 8 10 741 751 470 Total. 2,179 4,513 6,692 1,205

In the report made to the City Council of the Census taken in 1848, the population of the city, as it appears by the United States Census, is brought down to the year 1840. The population as returned for the years 1850 and 1860 (the subsequent decades) appears by the following Tables obtained from the office of the Marshal of the Confederate States for the District of South Carolina, the Census of 1850 having been taken previous to the annexation of the neck to the city, and the Census of 1860 after the annexation.

UNITED STATES CENSUS, 1850. WARDS. WHITES. SLAVES. FREE PERSONS OF COLOR. TOTAL. Ward 1 2,807 2,446 165 5,418 Ward 2 2,750 3,209 319 6,278 Ward 3 4,386 3,241 518 8,145 Ward 4 5,499 5,796 997 12,292   15,442 14,692 1,999 32,133 Neck 4,570 4,840 1,442 10,852   20,012 19,532 3,441 42,986

UNITED STATES CENSUS, 1860. WARDS. FREE WHITES AND COLORED. SLAVES. TOTAL. Ward No. 1 2,476 1,120 3,596 Ward No. 2 2,148 2,727 4,875 Ward No. 3 4,092 1,648 5,740 Ward No. 4 5,413 3,253 8,666 Ward No. 5 3,226 1,445 4,671 Ward No. 6 4,193 2,000 6,193 Ward No. 7 2,040 534 2,579 Ward No. 8 2,996 879 3,875   26,584 13,606 40,195

TABLE SHOWING THE INHABITANTS OF THE CITY. WARDS. WHITE. SLAVE. FREE COLORED. TOTAL. No. 1 2,681 1,578 121 4,380 2 3,102 3,137 161 6,400 3 4,522 2,221 370 7,113 4 5,926 4,365 815 11,106 5 2,739 2,111 853 5,703 6 3,476 2,381 760 6,617 7 1,924 609 201 2,734 8 2,599 1,253 504 4,356 Total 26,969 17,655 3,785 48,409

TABLE OF THE WHITE INHABITANTS. WARDS. WHITE MALES. WHITE FEMALES. TOTAL. NUMBER OF FAMILIES. No. 1 1,370 1,311 2,681 436 2 1,431 1,671 3,102 689 3 2,269 2,253 4,522 921 4 2,754 3,172 5,926 1,019 5 1,389 1,350 2,739 524 6 1,695 1,781 3,476 574 7 968 956 1,924 319 8 1,263 1,336 2,599 610   13,139 13,830 26,969 5,092

TABLE OF THE AGES OF THE WHITE MALES. WARDS. Under 1 1 to 5 5 to 10 10 to 20 20 to 30 30 to 40 40 to 50 50 to 60 60 to 70 70 to 80 80 to 90 90 to 95 95 to 100 Over 100 Effective Males bet. 18 and 45 Males between 16 and 60. No. 1. 42 137 131 195 363 243 136 69 40 10 4 .. .. .. 771 908 2. 52 151 155 256 264 262 151 88 37 10 4 .. .. .. 729 893 3. 69 261 237 387 436 403 286 110 59 15 6 .. .. .. 1174 1427 4. 78 276 241 521 588 466 289 183 77 31 3 1 .. .. 1460 1786 5. 44 175 130 320 273 209 138 63 32 4 1 .. .. .. 711 843 6. 43 225 236 392 339 203 152 63 30 10 2 .. .. .. 802 936 7. 26 126 117 153 199 158 96 57 31 4 1 .. .. .. 481 586 8. 44 167 151 229 227 193 136 81 27 6 2 .. .. .. 602 751   398 1518 1398 2453 2689 2137 1384 714 333 90 23 1 .. .. 6730 8130

TABLE OF THE AGES OF THE WHITE FEMALES. WARDS. Under 1 1 to 5 5 to 10 10 to 20 20 to 30 30 to 40 40 to 50 50 to 60 60 to 70 70 to 80 80 to 90 90 to 95 95 to 100 Over 100 No. 1 39 145 125 252 319 199 103 66 40 19 3 .... 1 .... 2 38 112 210 322 360 232 180 122 61 26 7 1 .... .... 3 67 255 265 374 440 399 200 131 86 24 11 1 .... .... 4 87 270 306 714 499 294 167 88 56 12 .... 1 3 .... 5 45 160 141 261 293 197 116 71 47 14 5 .... .... 1 6 48 191 215 442 363 237 135 74 51 21 4 .... .... .... 7 38 123 114 170 203 148 75 47 30 6 2 .... .... .... 8 37 159 164 286 247 201 122 66 39 13 2 .... .... ....   399 1416 1540 2821 2724 1907 1098 665 410 135 34 3 4 1

A TABLE, SHOWING THE NATIVITY OF THE WHITE MALES. WARDS. Born in Charleston. In South Carolina, but not in Charleston. In Confederate States, but not in South Carolina. Present United States. England. Ireland. Scotland. Wales. France. Spain. Portugal. Germany. Switzerland. Italy. Russia. Norway. Denmark. Sweden. Other countries. No. 1 595 88 50 98 46 253 28 2 12 3 ...... 160 2 ...... 2 ...... 3 6 22 2 874 111 41 66 33 139 19 ...... 9 4 2 115 2 4 1 ...... 1 ...... 1 3 1090 54 57 136 53 504 26 1 18 25 8 241 5 26 8 ...... 5 3 9 4 1513 226 89 185 64 257 40 ...... 23 7 5 305 5 8 7 ...... 3 5 12 5 706 190 31 63 14 230 9 ...... 5 2 ...... 127 1 4 1 ...... 1 ...... 5 6 1072 104 61 98 28 124 11 ...... 14 1 ...... 161 1 2 ...... ...... 1 3 4 7 482 110 20 42 23 124 14 ...... 6 2 2 134 1 ...... 2 ...... ...... ...... 6 8 624 175 40 42 18 140 11 3 10 4 ...... 186 1 1 ...... ...... 1 ...... 7   6964 1058 389 732 279 1771 158 6 97 48 17 1429 18 45 21 ...... 15 17 66

A TABLE, SHOWING THE NATIVITY OF THE WHITE FEMALES. WARDS. Born in Charleston. In South Carolina, but not in Charleston. In Confederate States, but not in South Carolina. Present United States. England. Ireland. Scotland. Wales. France. Spain. Portugal. Germany. Switzerland. Italy. Russia. Norway. Denmark. Sweden. Other countries. No. 1 680 106 41 83 45 209 13 1 15 ...... ...... 101 ...... ...... 2 ...... 2 3 10 2 1097 106 54 69 30 203 15 ...... 9 2 ...... 78 3 1 ...... ...... ...... ...... 1 3 1228 105 56 99 49 502 14 2 15 5 1 154 1 9 3 ...... 4 1 5 4 1853 288 96 184 83 345 30 5 34 1 ...... 224 3 2 7 ...... 1 2 14 5 771 156 41 61 9 226 6 1 3 ...... 1 67 ...... 1 ...... ...... ...... ...... 7 6 1111 165 66 73 33 161 9 ...... 9 1 ...... 132 ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... 2 4 7 530 111 26 36 19 111 9 ...... 2 ...... 1 101 ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... 1 9 8 693 234 34 46 26 134 5 ...... 5 2 ...... 151 1 1 ...... ...... ...... 1 3   7978 1271 414 651 294 1891 101 9 92 11 3 1008 8 14 12 ...... 7 10 53

SLAVES.—Number and Ages. WARD. MALES. FEMALES. TOTAL. AGES OF THE MALE SLAVES. AGES OF THE FEMALE SLAVES.         Under 1. 1 to 5. 5 to 10. 10 to 20. 20 to 30. 30 to 40. 40 to 50. 50 to 60. 60 to 70. 70 to 80. 80 to 90. 90 to 95. 95 to 100. Over 100. Under 1. 1 to 5. 5 to 10. 10 to 20. 20 to 30. 30 to 40. 40 to 50. 50 to 60. 60 to 70. 70 to 80. 80 to 90. 90 to 95. 95 to 100. Over 100. No. 1. 690 888 1,578 8 64 74 153 123 95 78 56 26 12   1     18 59 77 185 141 144 119 89 41 13 2       2. 1,404 1,733 3,137 32 124 169 264 274 236 167 78 41 13 4 1 1   39 131 195 297 349 262 219 127 73 29 10 1   1 3. 978 1,243 2,221 16 78 107 196 169 181 116 54 44 14 3       27 110 124 233 198 197 145 109 77 16 4   3   4. 1,869 2,496 4,365 55 190 181 408 343 301 209 112 43 18 5 3   1 56 199 251 515 443 392 312 202 87 32 5 1 1   5. 940 1,171 2,111 28 113 99 195 152 120 105 75 37 9 4 2 1   29 122 119 224 206 150 139 98 51 17 13     3 6. 1,012 1,369 2,381 29 103 110 213 181 139 102 72 44 12 5 1     23 129 142 303 228 181 160 108 90   5       7. 277 332 609 9 45 35 47 42 32 32 18 11 4 1 1     6 15 50 80 56 42 30 27 15 4 4 1 2   8. 551 702 1,253 22 58 79 112 82 56 60 42 22 15 3       18 80 61 132 109 81 83 82 41 12 3       Total 7,721 9,934 17,655 199 775 854 1588 1366 1160 879 507 268 97 25 9 2 1 216 845 1019 1969 1730 1449 1207 842 475 123 46 3 6 4

FREE PERSONS OF COLOR.—Number and Ages.         AGES OF FREE MALES.                           AGES OF FREE FEMALES.                           WARD. MALES. FEMALES. TOTAL. UNDER 1. 1 to 5. 5 to 10. 10 to 20. 20 to 30. 30 to 40. 40 to 50. 50 to 60. 60 to 70. 70 to 80. 80 to 90. 90 to 95. 95 to 100. Over 100. Under 1. 1 to 5. 5 to 10. 10 to 20. 20 to 30. 30 to 40. 40 to 50. 50 to 60. 60 to 70. 70 to 80. 80 to 90. 90 to 95. 95 to 100. Over 100. No. 1. 51 70 121 1 2 5 7 12 10 5 3 4 2         2 4 4 17 7 16 7 8 3 1       1 2. 53 108 161 1 5 14 6 9 5 4 7 2           4 13 17 21 19 12 9 4 4 2   2 1   3. 136 234 370 4 14 26 26 21 14 12 14 2 3         8 19 28 37 41 34 26 19 15 3 4       4. 292 523 815 16 50 43 61 32 26 29 22 9 2 1 1     14 51 66 117 75 81 53 32 14 16 3 1     5. 369 484 853 9 48 54 96 58 44 25 20 11 3 1       18 53 49 125 73 55 44 37 17 11 1 1     6. 308 452 760 13 45 64 66 37 31 27 15 8     1 1   13 43 51 97 81 52 48 36 17 12 2       7. 84 117 201 8 10 11 23 11 5 4 9 2 1         3 13 13 29 19 13 12 11 1 2   1 1   8. 213 291 504 9 35 31 51 37 23 14 8 4 1         8 37 46 66 46 40 18 17 8 4         Total 1,506 2,279 3,785 61 209 248 336 217 158 120 98 42 12 2 2 1   70 233 274 509 361 303 217 164 79 51 10 5 2 1

TABLE, SHOWING THE POPULATION OF EACH STREET IN THE CITY. STREETS. WHITE PERSONS. SLAVES. FREE COLORED. TOTAL. Aiken 19 14 5 38 Alexander 153 174