On November 23, 1749, the youngest son of Dr. John Rutledge was born, Edward Rutledge. Dr. Rutledge was a recent immigrant to the American colonies. He left his home in Callan, Ireland around 1735. His mother, Sarah Hert, came from a respectable family. She inherited a large fortune from her father, which included two homes in Charleston and land at Stono, near Charleston and on St. Helen’s in Granville County.  

Edward Rutledge was not an exceptional student. He received an education under the watchful eye of David Smith. Then, he read law under the supervision of his brother John, who was a distinguished lawyer in Charleston. At 20 years of age, young Rutledge enrolled at the Temple in London to study law. The Temple was a prestigious law school during the 18th century. His uncle, brothers, and other well-known South Carolinians also studied law at the institution. During his time in the city, he also observed great orators in court and in Parliament, which contributed to the development of his oral skills. 

Upon his return to South Carolina, Edward Rutledge established a law practice and married Henrietta Middleton, the sister of Arthur Middleton, a fellow signer of the Declaration of Independence. Tragically, Mrs. Middleton passed away early at 41 years of age. Mr. Rutledge did remarry. His second wife, Mary Shubrick Eveleigh, also had connections to other founding fathers. Her two sisters married signers of the Declaration of the Independence: Thomas Heyward, Jr. and Thomas Lynch, Jr. 

At the age of 25, Edward Rutledge was elected to the state legislature and the First Continental Congress in the same year, 1774. The fact he was of such a young age speaks to the faith his peers and elders placed in the abilities and intellect they saw in him. Despite his youth, Mr. Rutledge engaged in debate often enough for his congressional colleagues to formulate an opinion of his oratorial talents. John Adams was not impressed. He referred to him as “a peacock who wasted time debating upon points of little consequence.” Benjamin Rush, however, viewed him in a different light considering him discerning and an asset to the Congress.

When Congress entered the summer portion of the session in 1776, the topic of priority was formal separation from Great Britain. In general, Mr. Rutledge was in favor of independence, but he felt the colonies lacked political stability. He passionately spoke against declaring independence because the colonies were not federated and they lacked alliances with foreign states. A trial vote occurred on July 1st, and nine colonies affirmed Richard Henry Lee’s resolution for independence. Mr. Rutledge recognized passage was inevitable and, in the evening, persuaded his fellow delegates to support the resolution. The next day, South Carolina and 11 other colonies voted affirmatively for the motion with New York abstaining.  

Edward Rutledge continued to serve in Congress until 1779. In that year, he had to return to Charleston due to illness. In time, he recovered and was appointed a lieutenant colonel in the Charleston Battalion of Artillery. He served in several significant military engagements. He served under the leadership of Brig. Gen. William Moultrie and they were successful in driving the British from Port Royal Island. A year later, Mr. Rutledge and his Carolinian colleagues, Thomas Heyward and Arthur Middleton, were captured by the British during the siege of Charleston on May 12th. Mr. Rutledge was imprisoned off the coast of St. Augustine for 11 months. He was released in a prisoner exchange. 

After a time of recovery, Edward Rutledge returned to serving his home state in the legislature. He worked in this governing body from 1782 to 1798. He also participated in the South Carolina Constitutional Convention and voted to ratify the Constitution of the United States. He also focused on the law practice he and his brother-in-law, Charles C. Pinckney, operated. Plus, he invested in plantations. President George Washington did ask him to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court, but he declined. In 1789, his fellow South Carolinians elected him to be governor of the Palmetto State. 

The eloquent orator and defender of liberty grew weary after he was elected governor. Severe and repeated attacks of gout weakened him greatly. Also, a severe illness came upon after traveling from Columbia to Charleston. On January 23, 1800, Edward Rutledge died. His life was honored state-wide. He lived to be 50 years of age.