John Taylor Rhett was born on October 23, 1836, in Beaufort, South Carolina, to Albert and Sarah Rhett. His maternal grandfather was South Carolina governor John Taylor, and his uncle was Fire Eater Robert Barnwell Rhett. He enrolled at South Carolina College around 1853 before transferring to Harvard University. He travelled to Europe around 1856 to study in Gottingen, Heidelberg, Berlin, and Paris. He returned to South Carolina around 1859, and he was admitted to the bar in December 1860.

 

He enlisted in the Confederate army on July 5, 1861, and he mustered in as a sergeant in Hampton’s Legion on August 5. He remained in the army until at least February 1862.

 

He settled in Columbia, South Carolina, after the war, and he earned a living as a lawyer. He married Hannah McCord on March 2, 1869, and they had two children: Hannah, born on February 28, 1871; and Sarah, born on October 14, 1872. By 1870, the family owned $5,000 of personal property. His wife died on November 26, 1872, and he married Emily Barnwell on November 7, 1877. They had two children: Eliza, born on August 27, 1878; and Albert, born on October 3, 1879. He also helped care for his elderly mother until at least 1880.

 

He supported the Democratic Party, and he was elected mayor of Columbia in 1882. He served until 1890. He was “stricken with paralysis” In January 1892, and he died in Columbia on February 28, 1892.

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