1835
- 1894
Son of James David and Sara Boatwright Fleming, was born in
Columbia, S. C, August
29th, 1835. Graduated in the South Carolina College in 1855,
with the degrees of A.B.
and A.M. In March, 1858, he graduated from the Medical
Department of the University
of Pennsylvania, and began practice in Spartanburg in 1859,
which he continued until
the outbreak of the civil war. He responded to the first
call for volunteers by the governor
of the State, and in the spring of '61 became second
lieutenant of Co. K (Spartan Rifles),
5th Regiment, S. C. V., which was among the first companies
to leave Spartanburg for
the service. He served with this company for one year, when
he was appointed surgeon
of the 22nd Regiment, S. C. V., which position he held until
the surrender at Appomattox.
At the close of the war he resumed the practice for a few
months in Spartanburg, but
subsequently gave up his profession and went to
Philadelphia, where he took a full course
in the Business College of Bryant & Stratton. Graduating
there, he returned to Spartanburg
and engaged in the business of hardware and in buying and
selling cotton, in 1866, and for
the following twenty eight years was fully identified with
the business enterprises of the
growing city and county. After dealing largely for years in
cotton and fertilizers, he, being
a member of the firm of Walker, Fleming & Montgomery,
decided, with the firm, to build
a cotton mill, and in 1881 purchased the fine water power at
Trough Shoals on Pacolet
river. Armed with suitable letters of introduction, he went
North and secured large sums of
money, which, since that time, has led to the building of
other extensive cotton mills in
Spartanburg City and county. After the dissolution of the
firm, a few years later, Dr.
Fleming was instrumental in building the Whitney Cotton
Mills, and was interested in the
building of Tucapau Mills at the time of his death, having
organized and being president
and treasurer of both. Dr. Fleming was president of the
Pacolet Manufacturing Company,
director of Merchants and Farmers Bank, Spartanburg, trustee
and treasurer of the
Kennedy Library, president of the first board of trustees of
the graded school system of
the City, trustee of the Converse College, and had filled
every office given to laymen in his
church. His death occurred June 23d, 1894. The following is
an extract from the
Spartanburg Herald of date June 24th : "Dr. Fleming was
a man whose life and character
was that of a typical South Carolina gentleman : the soul of
honor high in all his words,
deeds and thoughts, but tender and sympathetic as a woman.
In all the relations of life he
was the exemplar of exalted manhood, beloved by all who knew
him. Broad and liberal
in all matters of a public nature, his advice and counsel
was respected. It seldom happens
that truth will allow so much to be said of a man ; but his
was a life worthy of emulation".
Dr. Fleming was married in 1862 to Lizzie, daughter of Hon.
H. J. Dean of Spartanburg.
He left four daughters and a son : Lawrence, Sara, Mabel,
Edwin and Gladys.
