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SUMPTUARY LAWS 160 SUMTER, FORT appear in the old statute books of most modern nations. They were more fre- quently enacted in ancient Rome than in Greece. After the Twelve Tables, the first Roman sumptuary law was the Lex Oppia (215 B. c), directed exclusively against female extravagance in dress, jewelry, etc. The other Roman laws of this kind were nearly all designed to suppress extravagance in entertainment. The Lex Julia (Julian Law), the last sumptuary law, was passed in the reign of Augustus. Sumptuary laws were re- vived by Charlemagne, and in France va- rious laws and decrees of a similar na- ture were passed down to the reign of Louis XV. In England these laws were passed from the reign of Edward III. down to the time of the Reformation. Most of them were repealed by an act of James I., but they were not all expunged from the statute book till 1856. Sumptu- ary laws were also passed by the ancient Scotch legislature, but they were all re- pealed, evaded, or neglected. As late as 1883 in Montenegro strong laws were passed against gloves, umbrellas, and non national costumes. Neither in England, Scotland, nor France do sumptuary laws appear to have been practically observed to any great extent. During the World War nearly all the countries engaged en- acted sumptuary laws of some descrip- tion. The most drastic of these were aimed at the liquor traffic. Russia put absolute prohibition into effect, and other countries greatly restricted the manu- facture aud consumption of liquors. The most remarkable sumptuary legislation put into effect was the 18th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, forbidding the manufacture and sale of intoxicating liquors. See Prohibition. SUMTER, a city of South Carolina, the county seat of Sumter co. It is on the Atlantic Coast Line, the Carolina, Atlantic and Western, and the Southern railroads. Its industries include a cot- ton compress, cotton and cottonseed-oil mills, magneto works, wagon factories, etc. The public buildings include St. Joseph's Academy for Girls and a Y. M. C. A. building. Pop. (1910) 8,109; (1920) 9,508. SUMTER, THOMAS, an American military officer; born in Virginia in 1734. He was distinguished for his skill and success as a partisan leader and was knovvTi among his followers as the "Caro- lina gamecock." In the early part of the Revolutionary War he was lieutenant- colonel of a regiment of South Carolina riflemen, but after the capture of Charleston in 1780, he was made a briga- dier-general of light cavalry. He gained several victories over the British troops, but in September, 1780, was defeated by General Tarleton. Ten days later he de- feated the British general in turn, being himself dangerously wounded. In the spring of 1781 he again began active ser- vice and took a distinguished part in the GENERAL THOMAS SUMTER battle of Eutaw Springs. The thanks of Congress were tendered him in 1791, and he was afterward sent to that body as a representative of South Carolina. In 1809 he was appointed United States minister to Brazil and two years later was elected United States Senator from his native State. At the close of his term he retired to private life and died near Camden, S. C, June 1, 1832. SUMTER, FORT, (named after Gen. Thomas Sumter, 1734-1832), an Amer- ican fort associated with both the be- ginning and the end of the Civil War; built of brick, in the form of a truncated pentagon 38 feet high, on a shoal, partly artificial, in Charleston Harbor, 3% miles from the city. On the withdrawal of South Carolina from the Union in De- cember, 1860, Major Anderson, in com- mand of the defenses of the harbor, abandoned the other forts, and occupied Fort Sumter, mounting 62 guns, with a garrison of some 80 men. The attack on the fort was opened by General Beau- regard April 12, 1861, and it surrendered on the 14th; this event marked the be- ginning of the war. The Confederates strengthened it, and added 10 guns and 4 mortars. In April, 1863, an attack by a fleet of monitors failed. In July bat- teries were erected on Morris Island, about 4,000 yards off, from which in a week 5,000 projectiles, weighing from 100 to 300 pounds, were hurled against