J. Rufus Bratton
Leader in the Ku Klux Klan / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
James Rufus Bratton (1821–1897) was a medical doctor, army surgeon, civic leader, and leader in the Ku Klux Klan in South Carolina with whom he was guilty of committing numerous crimes. Bratton trained in medicine in Philadelphia in the 1840s but spent most of his life in Yorkville, South Carolina. He joined the Confederate Army as an assistant surgeon in April 1861, the opening month of the American Civil War. After the war, he became an opponent of Reconstruction and a leader of the Ku Klux Klan. He was one of the leaders linked in the lynching and killing of local black leader Jim Williams. This led to a string of violent attacks which eventually led to a large group of York County blacks emigrating to Liberia. Bratton fled to London, Ontario, to escape prosecution, but later was able to return to South Carolina, where he pursued his career in medicine for the remainder of his life.
James Rufus Bratton | |
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Born | (1821-11-12)November 12, 1821 |
Died | September 2, 1897(1897-09-02) (aged 75) York County, South Carolina, US |
Other names | John Simpson |
Occupation | Medical doctor |
Organization | Ku Klux Klan |
Criminal charge | Murder |
Details | |
Victims | Jim Williams |