Sgt. Slaughter Iraqi sympathizer (1990-1991) Why is he known as the Iraqi sympathizer? A decision was made to have Slaughter support the Iraqi cause, not for the actual political reasons, but more for the fact that Slaughter liked "brutality Did he wrestle with force? I don't know. Did he ever serve in Iraq? I don't know. Is there anything else interesting? As 1990 ended, Slaughter began challenging for the WWF World Heavyweight Championship that had been held by The Ultimate Warrior since WrestleMania VI. Did he ever win that Championship? Slaughter thus became the thirteenth WWF World Heavyweight Champion and was immediately challenged by Royal Rumble winner Hulk Hogan, Why did Hulk Hogan challenge him after he won? who was furious that Slaughter had (kayfabe) desecrated the American flag (off-screen) as part of his victory
Did Slaughter accept his challenge?
Did Slaughter accept Hulk Hogan's challenge?
After WrestleMania VI, Slaughter sent a letter to Vince McMahon saying he loved the program and was interested in returning. McMahon told Slaughter he wanted a heel, and his new gimmick would be that Slaughter turned on the United States due to its acceptance of the Russian Nikolai Volkoff. According to Slaughter, he found it difficult to do the anti-American promos associated with this gimmick. The August 1990 invasion of Kuwait by Ba'athist Iraq triggered a political crisis that would lead to the 1991 Gulf War, in which Kuwait was freed by a U.S.-led military coalition. A decision was made to have Slaughter support the Iraqi cause, not for the actual political reasons, but more for the fact that Slaughter liked "brutality" and the Iraqi government was "brutal" while the US regime was said by Slaughter to have become "soft" and "weak". Slaughter aligned himself with a kayfabe Iraqi military general, General Adnan (his old rival who left the AWA shortly after Slaughter did), and entered a feud with Volkoff (which saw Slaughter win the majority of their encounters at house shows), leading to a match at that year's Survivor Series which saw The Alliance (Volkoff, Tito Santana, and The Bushwhackers) defeat The Mercenaries (Slaughter, Boris Zhukov, and The Orient Express). As part of his character change, Slaughter began wearing Arab headdresses to the ring, adopted the Camel Clutch as one of his finishers, and was (kayfabe) photographed meeting with Saddam Hussein. Slaughter also infamously adopted a move where he would grind the tip of one of his knuckles into his opponent's temple (the childhood noogie). It was reported that while Slaughter was portraying a turncoat, he had received numerous death threats and could not go anywhere in public without wearing a bullet-proof vest and had to be surrounded with security personnel at all times. According to Slaughter, Vince asked him to burn the American flag, but Slaughter refused to, so Slaughter suggested he burn Hulk Hogan's shirt. As 1990 ended, Slaughter began challenging for the WWF World Heavyweight Championship that had been held by The Ultimate Warrior since WrestleMania VI. Slaughter got his chance at the Royal Rumble in January 1991, days after the Gulf War air campaign had begun. He defeated the Warrior when "Macho King" Randy Savage, who had also been feuding with the Warrior at the time, struck the champion in the head with his royal scepter. Slaughter thus became the thirteenth WWF World Heavyweight Champion and was immediately challenged by Royal Rumble winner Hulk Hogan, who was furious that Slaughter had (kayfabe) desecrated the American flag (off-screen) as part of his victory celebration. Hogan demanded a match against Slaughter at WrestleMania VII in Los Angeles, California, and Slaughter accepted. Slaughter was defeated by Hogan, thus losing his championship. After WrestleMania Slaughter introduced his newest ally, Colonel Mustafa (The Iron Sheik, Slaughter's old nemesis). Slaughter and company went on to feud with Hogan for months, including having a three-on-two handicap match at SummerSlam 1991, which saw the team of Hulk Hogan and the Ultimate Warrior prevail over Slaughter, Adnan, and Mustafa. CANNOTANSWER
Hogan demanded a match against Slaughter at WrestleMania VII in Los Angeles, California, and Slaughter accepted.
Robert Rudolph Remus (born August 27, 1948), best known by his ring name Sgt. Slaughter, is a retired American professional wrestler who is currently signed to WWE in the ambassador program.

From the late 1970s to the early 1980s, Slaughter had success in the National Wrestling Alliance, American Wrestling Association, and the World Wrestling Federation. He won the WWF Championship and headlined WrestleMania VII in 1991. Slaughter also captured the NWA United States Heavyweight Championship twice. He is a WWE Hall of Famer, inducted as part of the class of 2004. As Sgt. Slaughter, Remus became known for his dark sunglasses, his campaign hat, and his Vietnam War-era military fatigues. In the 1980s, an alternate version of the Sgt. Slaughter character was incorporated into the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toy line as well as its animated series and comic books.

The gimmick of Sgt. Slaughter is that of a former U.S. Marine who fought in the Vietnam War. Remus himself never served in the military. This has caused controversy because, at times, Remus has talked about military service while seeming to be speaking as himself, and not in character.

Early life
Remus was born in Detroit, Michigan, and grew up in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He attended Eden Prairie High School in nearby Eden Prairie, where he wrestled and played football.

Professional wrestling career

NWA and AWA (1972–1980)
Sgt. Slaughter held numerous regional titles early in his career and experienced his second major success in the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) capturing the NWA World Tag Team Championship with Don Kernodle in 1982. During the late 1970s, Remus worked the American Wrestling Association (AWA) territory under a mask as Super Destroyer Mark II with manager Lord Alfred Hayes, whom he dismissed and replaced with Bobby Heenan, leading to a feud between the two managers with Hayes as the babyface.

World Wrestling Federation (1980–1981)
He then signed with the WWF and was pushed as a villainous character. Between 1980 and 1981, Slaughter wrestled in the WWF under the guidance of the Grand Wizard. He very quickly rose to the status of number one contender on the strength of his "cobra clutch" challenges where he would seat wrestlers in a chair in the ring, and apply the hold, offering $5,000 to anyone who could break it. He would eventually face Bob Backlund for the World Wrestling Federation Heavyweight Championship across the WWF territory in 1980, earning two-or-three main event matches in most markets. Slaughter was the only WWF-based challenger not to do the honors for Backlund at MSG (Backlund defeated him at the Meadowlands, but never in the Garden). Slaughter then engaged in a feud with Pat Patterson, which stemmed from Slaughter calling Patterson "yellow" and offering him $10,000 (double the usual amount) to try to break the cobra clutch. Patterson accepted on television and was escaping from the hold when Slaughter released it and put a beat-down on Patterson, starting a hot feud which culminated in an "Alley Fight" in New York, New York's Madison Square Garden between the two that is widely regarded as the best "hardcore" match of the Kayfabe era.

National Wrestling Alliance (1981–1983)
In September 1981, Slaughter joined the National Wrestling Alliance, mainly wrestling for its flagship territory Jim Crockett Promotions. In October 1981, he took part in a tournament to determine a new NWA United States Heavyweight Champion; he defeated Johnny Weaver, Jay Youngblood, and Rick Steamboat in the tournament to win the vacant title. He would hold onto the title for over seven months, before losing the title to Wahoo McDaniel in May 1982.

In September 1982, Slaughter and partner Don Kernodle were awarded the NWA World Tag Team Championship, claiming a title victory over Antonio Inoki and Giant Baba in Tokyo. They would be in a heated rivalry with the team of Rick Steamboat and Jay Youngblood, which culminated on March 12, 1983, losing the titles to Steamboat and Youngblood in a steel cage match in Greensboro, North Carolina. After the rivalry ended, Slaughter left JCP.

During this period, Slaughter also toured Germany and Austria for the Catch Wrestling Association, twice (in 1982 and 1983) unsuccessfully challenging CWA World Heavyweight Champion Otto Wanz.

First return to the WWF (1983–1984)
Slaughter returned to the WWF in March 1983, and again took on the Grand Wizard as his manager. He immediately targeted Backlund, who was still the reigning WWF World Heavyweight Champion. Slaughter turned up the feud another notch when he attacked Backlund at a television taping; Backlund was in the process of completing the Harvard step test before Slaughter beat him repeatedly with his riding crop, leaving bruises on his back. Although he won several matches by disqualification, Slaughter was never able to win the title from Backlund.

In early 1984, Slaughter's career took off after he turned face and defended America's honor against the hated Iron Sheik. Slaughter and the Iron Sheik engaged in many matches throughout the year, culminating in a boot camp match that took place before a sold-out Madison Square Garden that summer. However, with the emergence of Hulk Hogan as the WWF World Heavyweight Champion and lead face within the company, Slaughter left for the AWA. On Vince McMahon's McMahon DVD, Slaughter said he was fired by McMahon in Toronto after no-showing an event in protest of McMahon's refusal to give him six weeks of paid vacation. Other interviews with Slaughter and McMahon have revealed that Slaughter left the company more over a dispute that emerged due to the WWF not allowing Slaughter's role in the G.I. Joe toy line. At the time of his departure Slaughter was easily the second biggest "face" in the company, surpassing Jimmy Snuka, and even André the Giant, with his popularity rivaling that of Hulk Hogan's. Sports editor and columnist Lew Freedman wrote of Slaughter's popularity in the wake of his face turn in August 1985: "Talk about your overnight sensations. Slaughter had been wrestling for 10 years and suddenly he was hotter than Dwight Gooden".

American Wrestling Association (1985–1990)
He received a considerable push in the American Wrestling Association (AWA) throughout 1985 and 1986, becoming the AWA America's Heavyweight Champion, defeating Larry Zbyszko shortly after his arrival. He defended the title against wrestlers like Zbyszko, Kamala, Boris Zukhov, and Nick Bockwinkel (before the belt was retired) and feuded with Sheik Adnan Al-Kaissey and his stable of wrestlers, The Road Warriors, and Colonel DeBeers. He even challenged Stan Hansen for the AWA title. He was also involved in the short-lived Pro Wrestling USA Promotion. This was a brief attempt at pulling together the remaining wrestling talent to go up against the rising WWF. Slaughter in this company won a large 25-man battle royal by eliminating Kamala, winning the right to challenge Ric Flair for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship.

In 1988, Slaughter returned to wrestling in the AWA, resuming some of his past feuds with the likes of Sheik Adnan Al-Kaissey, the Iron Sheik, and Col. DeBeers. He also became a top contender to the AWA World title during Larry Zbyszko's reign in 1989 and was a team captain for the AWA's ill-fated Team Challenge Series during the first half of 1990. The AWA even teased fans with Slaughter appearing to win the World title from Zbyszko live on ESPN, only to have the decision reversed on a technicality (a booking practice the AWA had been employing for years).

Second return to the WWF

Iraqi sympathizer (1990–1991)

After WrestleMania VI, Slaughter sent a letter to Vince McMahon saying he loved the program and was interested in returning. McMahon told Slaughter he wanted a heel, and his new gimmick would be that Slaughter turned on the United States due to its acceptance of the Russian Nikolai Volkoff. According to Slaughter, he found it difficult to do the anti-American promos associated with this gimmick.

The August 1990 invasion of Kuwait by Ba'athist Iraq triggered a political crisis that would lead to the 1991 Gulf War, in which Kuwait was freed by a U.S.-led military coalition. A decision was made to have Slaughter support the Iraqi cause, not for the actual political reasons, but more for the fact that Slaughter liked "brutality" and the Iraqi government was "brutal" while the US regime was said by Slaughter to have become "soft" and "weak". Slaughter aligned himself with an Iraqi enthusiast David Hayward, and kayfabe Iraqi military general, General Adnan (his old rival who left the AWA shortly after Slaughter did), and entered a feud with Volkoff (which saw Slaughter win the majority of their encounters at house shows), leading to a match at that year's Survivor Series which saw The Alliance (Volkoff, Tito Santana, and The Bushwhackers) defeat The Mercenaries (Slaughter, Boris Zhukov, and The Orient Express). As part of his character change, Slaughter began wearing Arab headdresses to the ring, adopted the Camel Clutch as one of his finishers, and was (kayfabe) photographed meeting with Saddam Hussein. Slaughter also infamously adopted a move where he would grind the tip of one of his knuckles into his opponent's temple. It was reported that while Slaughter was portraying a turncoat, he had received numerous death threats and could not go anywhere in public without wearing a bullet-proof vest and had to be surrounded with security personnel at all times. According to Slaughter, Vince asked him to burn the American flag, but Slaughter refused to do that, so Slaughter suggested he burn Hulk Hogan's shirt.

As 1990 ended, Slaughter began challenging for the WWF Championship that had been held by The Ultimate Warrior since WrestleMania VI. Slaughter got his chance at the Royal Rumble in January 1991, days after the Gulf War air campaign had begun. He defeated the Warrior when "Macho King" Randy Savage, who had also been feuding with the Warrior at the time, struck the champion in the head with his royal scepter. Slaughter thus became the thirteenth WWF Champion and was immediately challenged by Royal Rumble winner Hulk Hogan, who was furious that Slaughter had (kayfabe) desecrated the American flag (off-screen) as part of his victory celebration. Hogan demanded a match against Slaughter at WrestleMania VII in Los Angeles, California, and Slaughter accepted. Slaughter lost the WWF Championship to Hogan at WrestleMania. After WrestleMania, Slaughter introduced his newest ally, Colonel Mustafa (The Iron Sheik, Slaughter's old nemesis). Slaughter and company went on to feud with Hogan for months, including having a three-on-two handicap match at SummerSlam, which saw the team of Hulk Hogan and the Ultimate Warrior prevail over Slaughter, Adnan, and Mustafa.

Various feuds (1991–1994)
After finishing the Hogan feud, Slaughter became a face again, appearing in vignettes next to American landmarks, saying, "I want my country back". During an episode of Superstars, Jim Duggan was under attack from The Nasty Boys, and Slaughter made the save. Duggan and Slaughter teamed up to defeat the Nasty Boys and continued to team over the next several months. Slaughter's last regular WWF match, which was against Nailz, was in October 1992 and ended in no contest when Nailz viciously attacked Slaughter before the match could begin.

Slaughter started appearing as an on-air official from October 1992 to June 1994. He made his first wrestling appearance in over a year when he appeared on a house show version of a Royal Rumble that was held on January 17, 1994, at Madison Square Garden. After helping to eliminate Adam Bomb he, in turn, was tossed out by Crush. Later that year he would wrestle on four house shows in July in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, facing and defeating Quebecer Pierre. He left the company in September.

Third return to the WWF

WWF Commissioner and sporadic appearances (1997–2009)
After a hiatus, he returned to WWF television on the August 4, 1997, episode of Raw Is War to assume the role of on-air commissioner by (kayfabe) President Gorilla Monsoon who in reality retired from being on camera due to health issues. Initially popular, he eventually became the target of D-Generation X, who called him "Sgt. Slobber". On an episode of Raw Is War, he put Shawn Michaels and Triple H in a match for Michaels' European Championship. Michaels dropped the belt to Helmsley, by lying down in the ring. Slaughter challenged Triple H to a Boot Camp match at the December pay-per-view, which he lost. His feud with Triple H continued into WrestleMania XIV where he handcuffed himself to Chyna to prevent her from interfering with Helmsley's match against Owen Hart. But Slaughter's efforts ultimately proved futile, as Chyna threw powder into his eyes, interfered with the match anyway, and hurled Slaughter into the front row.

In 1998, Slaughter turned heel, joined Vince McMahon along with Gerald Brisco and Pat Patterson, and became the on-screen lackeys of McMahon; running errands for him and dishing out punishment to McMahon's rivals, namely Steve Austin. In late 1998, Slaughter relinquished the role of commissioner to Shawn Michaels and largely disappeared from television.

Slaughter still appeared from time to time in the ring, mostly at house shows. He appeared on Raw to put over younger wrestlers, such as Kurt Angle and Funaki. Slaughter also made an appearance at WrestleMania X-Seven, in the gimmick Battle Royal, which was won by The Iron Sheik. Slaughter got his revenge after the match by locking the Sheik in the cobra clutch. He also appeared on both Raw and SmackDown on occasion during the Invasion storyline in non-wrestling roles, usually in conjunction with Vince McMahon.

On November 24, 2003, he lost to Randy Orton on Raw as Orton became the Legend Killer.

He made a special appearance on June 13, 2005, episode of Raw to challenge Chris Masters in his "Master Lock Challenge", which Slaughter lost. Then, he returned again on December 5 episode of Raw, where he and Michael Hayes confronted Edge. He also appeared on the July 4, 2006 episode of Raw for a "Diva Boot Camp" segment, as a part of the 2006 Diva Search Competition.

He re-appeared on October 2 episode of Raw, defeating Nicky from the Spirit Squad with a roll-up when D-Generation X distracted him from up on the TitanTron. Slaughter appeared on the October 23 Raw in the corner of Ric Flair as he faced Kenny of the Spirit Squad. After Kenny cheated to gain the victory, Slaughter, Dusty Rhodes, and Roddy Piper cleared the tag champions from the ring. Slaughter was one of three options between himself, Roddy Piper, and Dusty Rhodes that fans could vote for as a tag partner for Ric Flair at Cyber Sunday, but did not win the vote. At Survivor Series, Slaughter teamed with Flair, Ron Simmons, and Dusty Rhodes to take on four members of the Spirit Squad in a Survivor Series match. Slaughter was eliminated in the match, but his team won, with Flair as the sole survivor.

On December 18, 2006, Slaughter participated in a 30-man battle royal for a chance to face John Cena in the main event for the WWE Championship, but he was eliminated from the match and did not get the title shot. At the Vengeance: Night of Champions pay-per-view in June 2007, he faced Deuce 'n Domino for the WWE Tag Team Championship, alongside Jimmy Snuka. They were unsuccessful in their attempt for the titles. He challenged Randy Orton on July 30 episode of Raw, only to become another victim of the "Legend Killer", and was wheeled out on a stretcher. On Raw XV, the 15th-anniversary Raw special on December 10, 2007, Slaughter participated in the 15th Anniversary Battle Royal. On March 31, 2008, on an episode of Raw, Slaughter paid tribute to longtime friend Ric Flair at the end of the show. He appeared on Raws 800th episode in Kung Fu Naki's dance-off and also made an appearance in the Slammy Awards.

Slaughter, who had been working as a producer for WWE for the past several years, was released from his backstage producer duties with the company on January 13, 2009.

Independent circuit (1998–2014)
His first appearance on the independent circuit following his 1997 signing with WWF, was for the World Wrestling Alliance (WWA) in a tag team match with George "The Animal" Steele. After that, he would only wrestle for WWF/WWE until making two appearances for the WWA in 2003. He started slowing down starting in 2006, wrestling only a few matches a year. To finish off his career he had one match in 2013 and two matches in 2014, all tag team encounters. His last two matches were for Northeast Wrestling (NEW), who he had competed for in the past.

Fourth return to WWE (2009–present)

He was the special guest host on Raw on August 10, 2009, where he made fun of Canadians and saying how the USA is the greatest country in the world. He made an appearance on the Decade of SmackDown on October 2, 2009, where he had an altercation with the Iron Sheik about which country was the greatest, USA or Iran. He later appeared on December 31, 2012, edition of Raw, where he was challenged by then-United States Champion Antonio Cesaro in a match for the WWE United States Championship. He lost the match and failed to capture the title. This would be his final match for WWE. He then made an appearance on Old School RAW, serving as the special guest referee for The Great Khali vs Damien Sandow match after he got the most votes.

Slaughter made an appearance on November 24, 2014, edition of Raw, where he confronted United States Champion Rusev and his valet, Lana, and attempted to force Lana and Rusev to recite the Pledge of Allegiance (with the alternative, per an edict from Daniel Bryan, who was running the show that night, being that he would be forced to defend his title against the entire Raw roster). Rusev refused and had a staredown with Slaughter, who wouldn't back down; however, Jack Swagger and his manager, Zeb Colter, ran down to the ring and fended Rusev off. Swagger, Colter, and Slaughter then finished reciting the Pledge of Allegiance.
Slaughter returned at the Tribute to the Troops show on December 17, 2014, and helped Dean Ambrose beat Bray Wyatt by giving Dean his steel-toe boot to use on Wyatt.

Slaughter made a one-night appearance to WWE for the special Raw Reunion on July 22, 2019, and on January 4, 2021, on the Legends Night special episode of Raw.

Slaughter was in attendance at the February 5, 2020 episode of NXT.

Other media
Slaughter voices an adult version of himself in the animated WWE Network Exclusive show Camp WWE.

Fictionalized versions of Sgt. Slaughter were part of the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toyline, animated series and comic books, as a member of the G.I. Joe team and first appeared in the five-part TV episode entitled "Arise, Serpentor, Arise!" Along with the traditional merchandising of WWE superstars, Sgt. Slaughter is one of only a few real people to be produced as a G.I. Joe figure, (NFL football player William "The Refrigerator" Perry, pro-wrestler Roddy Piper, and astronaut Buzz Aldrin are some of the others), and even appeared in G.I. Joe: The Movie.

Slaughter also appeared twice as a special guest on The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!, which starred fellow wrestler Captain Lou Albano. He appeared in the episodes "All Steamed Up" (in "Butch Mario and the Luigi Kid") and "Caught in a Draft" (in "Bad Rap").

During the mid-1980s, Sgt. Slaughter released a full-length LP, Sgt. Slaughter and Camouflage Rocks America. It featured a number of original songs, including "The Cobra Clutch," as well as a cover of Neil Diamond's "America".

A brief cross promotional stint in the late 1980s had Sgt. Slaughter and his "battling battalion" pitted against the  Bigfoot Monster Truck in a tug-of-war challenge. It is featured on Blood, Sweat, & Gears USHRA home video. This stunt was recently attempted again with Sgt. Slaughter using fans from the crowd at a Monster Truck show to tug-o-war with Bigfoot.

He was featured in the 1989 video game Sgt. Slaughter's Mat Wars by Mindscape.

In the animated series Code Monkeys, Slaughter appeared as Sgt. Murder. He and Bulk Brogan (Hulk Hogan), "Manly Man" Ricky Ravage (Randy "Macho Man" Savage), and Sergei the Giant (André the Giant) were hired by a video game company to take on their rivals. His brother, Tommy Murder, was killed by "The Black Shadow", who was actually Black Steve, the company's accountant.

He appeared on episode #3.6 of Comedy Central's Tosh.0, when he clotheslined Daniel Tosh and put David Wills (a.k.a. YouTube's "Crying Wrestling Fan") in a Cobra Clutch during Wills' "Web Redemption" segment.

In 2014, Sgt. Slaughter made a cameo appearance in the RadioShack Super Bowl XLVIII commercial "The '80s Called".

He later voiced Dr. Military in the 2013 animated series Teen Titans Go! in a two-part episode called "Teen Titans Vroom!"

Championships and accomplishments
 American Wrestling Association AWA America's Championship (1 time)
 AWA British Empire Heavyweight Championship (1 time)1
 Cauliflower Alley Club Iron Mike Mazurki Award (2011)
 Central States Wrestling NWA Central States Heavyweight Championship (3 times)Georgia Championship WrestlingNWA Georgia Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Pak SongGeorge Tragos/Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of FameClass of 2019 (Frank Gotch Award)
 Maple Leaf Wrestling NWA Canadian Heavyweight Championship (Toronto version) (1 time)
 Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling NWA United States Heavyweight Championship (2 times)
 NWA World Tag Team Championship (Mid-Atlantic version) (1 time) – with Don Kernodle
 National Wrestling Federation NWF Americas Championship (1 time)
 Northeast Championship Wrestling (Tom Janette) NCW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
 NWA Tri-State NWA United States Tag Team Championship (Tri-State version) (1 time) – with Buck Robley
 Pro Wrestling Illustrated Most Hated Wrestler of the Year (1991)
 Most Inspirational Wrestler of the Year (1984)
 Ranked No. 36 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 1991
 Ranked No. 34 of the top 500 singles wrestlers of the "PWI Years" in 2003
 Ranked No. 29 of the 100 best tag teams of the "PWI Years" with Don Kernodle in 2003
 Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame Class of 2016
 World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment WWF Championship (1 time)
 WWE Hall of Fame (Class of 2004)
 Wrestling Observer Newsletter'''''
 Match of the Year (1981) vs. Pat Patterson in an Alley Fight
 Most Unimproved (1985)
 Most Washed Up Wrestler (1985)
 Worst Feud of the Year (1985) vs. Boris Zhukov
 Most Disgusting Promotional Tactic (1991) Iraqi sympathizer angle
 Worst Feud of the Year (1991) vs. Hulk Hogan

Notes

External links

 WWE Hall of Fame profile of Sgt. Slaughter
 
 Bio & Interview from SLAM! Wrestling
 Sgt. Slaughter Debut on YouTube

1948 births
American male professional wrestlers
Fictional commanders
Fictional soldiers
Fictional United States Marine Corps personnel
Living people
Masked wrestlers
NWA/WCW/WWE United States Heavyweight Champions
Professional wrestling authority figures
Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum
Sportspeople from Beaufort, South Carolina
Sportspeople from Detroit
Sportspeople from Minneapolis
The Heenan Family members
WWE Champions
WWE Hall of Fame inductees
Gabriel Slaughter (December 12, 1767September 19, 1830) was the seventh Governor of Kentucky and was the first person to ascend to that office upon the death of the sitting governor. His family moved to Kentucky from Virginia when he was very young. He became a member of the Kentucky militia, serving throughout his political career. He received a citation from the state legislature in recognition of his service at the Battle of New Orleans.

After spending a decade in the state legislature, Slaughter was elected the fourth Lieutenant Governor, serving under Charles Scott. With the War of 1812 looming at the end of his tenure, Slaughter ran for governor against Isaac Shelby, the state's first governor and a noted military leader. Shelby beat Slaughter soundly. Four years later, Slaughter was again elected as lieutenant governor, serving under George Madison.

Madison died a short time into his term, whereupon Slaughter became acting governor. He sought to be sworn in as governor, but public sentiment turned against him when he replaced Shelby's son-in-law with John Pope as Secretary of State. Pope was an unpopular figure in Kentucky and, after his appointment, some in the General Assembly began to call for a special election to replace Slaughter. The measure did not pass, but Slaughter was never able to shed the title of "acting governor." Following his term as governor, Slaughter became a Baptist lay minister and served on the first board of trustees of Georgetown College. He died September 19, 1830 and was buried in his family's cemetery.

Early life
Gabriel Slaughter was born in Culpeper County in the Colony of Virginia on December 12, 1767, the son of Robert and Susannah (Harrison) Slaughter. He was educated in the county's public schools and worked as a farmer. In 1786, Slaughter married a cousin, Sarah Slaughter, and the couple had two daughtersMary Buckner Slaughter and Susan Harrison Slaughter.

Slaughter's father visited Kentucky as early as 1776, and moved to Mercer County permanently in 1789. In September 1791, Gabriel Slaughter sold his land in Virginia, and he and his family followed his father to Kentucky. He became known for his generosity, and his large mansion on the turnpike to Lexington was nicknamed "Wayfarer's Rest" because of the vast number of travelers that he allowed to stay there. Among his guests was future lieutenant governor Robert B. McAfee. Soon after his arrival in Kentucky, however, his wife Sarah died, leaving Slaughter to care for his two daughters alone.

In 1795, Slaughter was appointed justice of the peace in Mercer County by Governor Isaac Shelby. The same year, he was also named a tax commissioner for a district of Mercer County. On a return trip to Virginia in 1797, Slaughter married his second wife, Sara Hord. The couple returned to Slaughter's home in Mercer County, where they had three children: John Hord Slaughter, Frances Ann Hord Slaughter, and Felix Grundy Slaughter.

Service in the Kentucky General Assembly
Slaughter's political career began in earnest with his 1797 election to the Kentucky House of Representatives representing Mercer County. He was named to the Committee on Enrollments, and probably served as chair, since he delivered the committee's reports to the Assembly. It is unclear whether he did not seek re-election in 1798, or whether he was defeated in that year's canvass. Whatever the case, he filled the space of his legislative hiatus by serving as trustee of the newly incorporated Harrodsburg Academy. He was re-elected to the state House in 1799. In addition to the Committee on Enrollments, he served on the Committee on Privileges and Elections and a joint committee that reported on the state of the Auditor's, Treasurer's, and Registrar's offices. Records show that he also served as chairman when the House sat as a committee of the whole on November 25, 1799.

Slaughter was re-elected to the state House in 1800, and from 1801 to 1808 he served in the Kentucky Senate. In 1801, he was chosen as one of three commissioners from Mercer County charged with selling stock shares in the Kentucky River Company, which was chartered to clear obstructions in the Kentucky River from its mouth to the mouth of its south fork. In 1804, he was a candidate for President Pro Tempore of the Kentucky Senate following the death of the Senate's presiding officer, Lieutenant Governor John Caldwell. Ultimately, however, Thomas Posey proved the more popular choice. From 1807 to 1808, he served as chair of the Senate Committee of Propositions and Grievances.

Slaughter was elected lieutenant governor in 1808. In a four-man race, he received more than three times the number of votes as his nearest opponent. His four-year term under Governor Charles Scott was largely undistinguished. Although the exact date is unknown, it is likely that the death of Slaughter's second wife preceded his election as lieutenant governor. On October 3, 1811, he married his third wife, Elizabeth (Thompson) Rodes, a widow from Scott County.

Prohibited by the Kentucky Constitution from succeeding himself as lieutenant governor, Slaughter ran for governor of Kentucky in 1812. The impending war with England, however, drew military hero and former governor Isaac Shelby into the race. Despite Shelby's immense popularity, Slaughter refused to withdraw from the race and was soundly beaten by more than a two-to-one margin. Following his defeat, Slaughter took a two-year hiatus from public life, and engaged in farming at his estate in Mercer County.

Service in the state militia
Slaughter had been commissioned as a lieutenant colonel in the Fifth Regiment of the Kentucky militia on December 24, 1803. He was promoted to the rank of major in 1802 and colonel in 1803. In 1814, he answered Governor Shelby's call for volunteers to serve in the army of the Southwest under General Andrew Jackson.

When the Quartermaster general did not deliver promised supplies to Slaughter's regiment, private funds had to be used to purchase boats for their travel down the Mississippi River. They also ran short of weapons. Upon their arrival at New Orleans on January 4, 1815, General Jackson noted in his official report that "Not one man in ten was well armed, and only one man in three had any arms at all." The citizens of New Orleans provided enough firearms to equip the rest of Slaughter's men and another Kentucky battalion. Despite being vastly outnumbered, Jackson's forces were victorious. Units from Kentucky and Tennessee, including Slaughter's regiment, bore the brunt of the British attack. Slaughter was later recognized by the state legislature for his service.

Following their service together, Jackson asked Slaughter to preside over a court martial. When the verdict was not satisfactory to Jackson, he ordered Slaughter to reconsider and reverse the decision. Slaughter declined, replying "I know my duty, and have performed it." This decision was respected by Jackson, and apparently did no harm to the mutual respect between him and Slaughter.

Ascension to the governorship
In 1816, Slaughter was again elected to the post of lieutenant governor over Richard Hickman and James Garrard. George Madison was elected governor without opposition. Madison died October 14, 1816, and Slaughter ascended to the governorship. This was the first time a sitting governor had died in office in Kentucky, and some questioned the legality of Slaughter's status in the position.

Following Governor Madison's death, Secretary of State Charles Stewart Todd offered to step down if Slaughter preferred to appoint someone else to the post. The letter was not an explicit resignation, as Todd emphatically declared his intention to work with Slaughter should the governor choose to retain him. Slaughter did replace Todd with former Senator John Pope, however, apparently as a political favor. This move proved disastrous for Slaughter's political career. Todd was very popular by virtue of being the son-in-law of twice-governor Shelby. By contrast, Pope was extremely unpopular for his vote in the U.S. Senate against declaring war in the War of 1812.

The move was panned in the state's newspapers, and by prominent citizens such as future governor James Turner Morehead. Yet Slaughter followed up with another unpopular decision, appointing Martin D. Hardin, a member of the hated Federalist Party, to fill the Senate seat of William T. Barry. Despite this, the General Assembly made the appointment permanent when it convened in December 1816. However, the administration candidate for a full senatorial term, John Adair was defeated in the General Assembly, which opted for John J. Crittenden.

On January 27, 1817, a faction in the Kentucky House of Representatives led by Joseph Cabell Breckinridge proposed a bill calling for the election of "a governor to fill the vacancy occasioned by the death of" Governor Madison. The measure failed, but the legislative elections of 1817 showed a popular mandate for a special gubernatorial election. The Kentucky House passed a bill calling for such elections by a vote of 56–30, but the measure died in the state senate. Nevertheless, Slaughter was never officially given the title of governor and was referred to as "lieutenant governor" or "acting governor" throughout his administration. The General Assembly censured both Slaughter and Pope for failing to require the proper security and oath of office for the state treasurer.

Slaughter's unpopularity led to the demise of many of his proposals, regardless of their merits. He suggested a comprehensive system of public schools and, though the idea had been proposed by previous governors, Slaughter devised a means of funding it. The hostile legislature refused the plan and overrode Slaughter's vetoes of bills that allowed individual schools to be supported by lotteries. Slaughter further proposed a reform of the penal system and recommended internal improvements, including the creation of a state library. These measures were also rejected.

Slaughter's governorship was further complicated by the financial panic of 1819, and he spent the majority of his term working to stabilize that state's economy. Politicians of the day generally divided into those who favored measures favorable to debtors – called the "relief" position or party – and those who insisted that creditors be paid in a timely manner – called the "anti-relief" position or party. On December 16, 1819, the General Assembly passed a law requiring a six-month moratorium on the collection of debts. Slaughter, an anti-relief partisan, vetoed the bill, but relief party legislators held a large majority in the General Assembly thanks to the previous fall's elections, and overrode the veto. The following February, the General Assembly passed an even more liberal stay law, preventing the collection of debts for one year if the creditor would accept payments in the devalued notes of the Bank of Kentucky and two years if they demanded payment in specie or specie-backed notes. These actions were a precursor to the Old Court-New Court controversy. While Slaughter clashed with the General Assembly over potential solutions to the crisis at the state level, he adopted a strong states' rights policy at the national level. He challenged the constitutionality of the Bank of the United States and the Supreme Court's ruling that individual states could not tax branches of the Bank.

Religious leadership and later life
Following his term as governor, Slaughter failed in a bid to return to the state senate in 1821, but was re-elected to the state House of Representatives in 1823, serving a single term. During this term, he continued to support measures to improve education. He voted to ask Congress for aid for the Deaf and Dumb School in the state, and opposed redirecting fines and forfeitures earmarked for the state's "Seminaries of Learning" into the state treasury. He was also named to a joint committee to investigate the use of state appropriations to Transylvania University.

Concurrent with his political career, Slaughter took a leading role in the affairs of his church. He was born into the tradition of the Church of England, but soon became associated with the Baptist congregation at Shawnee Run. He served as a messenger from this congregation to the various associations with which it was connected for over thirty years. One such association was the South District Association; Slaughter served as clerk at that body's annual meeting in 1808 and 1809, and later served as its moderator for nine years. In 1813, he helped found the Kentucky Bible Society.

Following his term in the state House, Slaughter retired from politics and became an active lay minister of the Baptist faith. In 1829, he was appointed to the first board of trustees of Georgetown College, a Baptist college in Georgetown, Kentucky. He died on September 19, 1830, and was interred in his family's cemetery in Mercer County.

References

Bibliography

Further reading

External links

Gabriel Slaughter at The Political Graveyard
Kentucky Governors Historical Marker

1767 births
1830 deaths
American colonels
Baptist ministers from the United States
Governors of Kentucky
Lieutenant Governors of Kentucky
Burials in Kentucky
People from Kentucky in the War of 1812
Kentucky state senators
Members of the Kentucky House of Representatives
Kentucky Democratic-Republicans
Kentucky militia
Democratic-Republican Party state governors of the United States
Baptists from Kentucky
Farmers from Virginia
19th-century Baptist ministers
19th-century American clergy
19th-century American politicians Daniel French Slaughter (October 15, 1799 October 13, 1882) was Virginia planter and politician from two distinguished families of politicians and soldiers.

Early and family life

The son of Capt. Philip Pendleton Slaughter (1758-1849) and his wife, Margaret French Strother (daughter of French Strother), Slaughter was born into the First Families of Virginia, his grandfathers (uncles and cousins) having helped settle Culpeper County and fought in the American Revolutionary War. He was educated at a school at Cloverdale (in what had once been Capt. Philip Slaughter's Springfield farm), probably by classical scholar John Robertson, because by the time 1818, former Presbyterian church pastor Samuel Davies Hoge succeeded him in 1818, Daniel French Slaughter was attending the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia.

Dr. Daniel Slaughter lived on Slaughter Mountain (also called "Cedar Mountain" particularly after the American Civil War) and married twice. He first married Letitia Madison, a niece of President James Madison, in 1828, and they had sons Phillip Madison Slaughter (who was a lawyer by 1850) and James Edwin Slaughter (1827-1901). In 1855 the widower married Mary Wallace Winston (1819-1897), granddaughter of revolutionary Capt. Thomas Wallace. They had three daughters Mary Wallace Slaughter (1856-1938), Elizabeth French Slaughter Wallace (1858-1952) and Caroline Winston Slaughter (1861-1948) as well as two sons: John Mercer Slaughter (1859-1914) and Daniel Alexander Slaughter (1863-1920), who would also serve in the Virginia House of Delegates, as would his son, also D[aniel] French Slaughter (1900-1963) and whose son (this Daniel French Slaughter's great-grandson); also D. French Slaughter Jr. (1925-1998) would represent Culpeper County in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Career
Like his father, Capt. Philip Slaughter, Daniel Slaughter farmed using enslaved labor. In 1830 he owned 9 slaves and his father owned 17 slaves. In 1840, Daniel F. Slaughter owned 16 slaves, half of them employed in agriculture, When slave schedules were separated in 1850 (and occupations were listed on the main census form), farmer Daniel Slaughter owned 18 slaves, and a decade later he owned 24 slaves, 13 of them under 10 years old.
During General Lafayette's farewell visit to the United States, Capt. Philip Slaughter introduced his daughter Anne Mercer Slaughter and son Daniel F. Slaughter to the Marquis in Philadelphia and again at the festivities in Culpeper and Orange. This may have been the son's political coming-out. Daniel Slaughter won election as a Whig to the Virginia Senate in 1828, initially representing Fauquier and Culpeper Counties and succeeding John Thom, who had represented them in the senate since 1820. In the redistricting following the Virginia Constitutional Convention of 1829-1830, Fauquier County was paired with Prince William County and would be represented by long-term senator Charles Hunton, and Slaughter's native Culpeper County was paired with Madison and Orange Counties, long represented by General Lawrence T. Dade a lawyer in Orange, Virginia. When Dade moved to Owensboro, Kentucky, Daniel Slaughter won that senate seat in 1832, and with the creation of Rappahannock County from them, it was added in 1834. However, Extra Billy Smith, future Virginia governor and Confederate general, replaced him in 1836. In 1841, Slaughter ran for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, but lost. From November 30, 1855 until 1867, Slaughter was also the postmaster for Criglersville, Madison County, Virginia, as his grandson of the same name would be from 1891-1930.

During the American Civil War, his VMI-educated eldest son, James E. Slaughter, relinquished his U.S. Army commission and volunteered to fight in the Confederate States Army. However, the younger Slaughter fought not in the Northern Virginia Campaign but further south, and rose to the rank of Brigadier General, but at the war's end fled to Mexico and never returned to reside in Virginia, nor did he ever marry as did his siblings and half-siblings.
The Battle of Cedar Mountain was partially fought on Slaughter's lands (resulting in a Confederate victory on August 9, 1862), as would be skirmishes during the following fortnight. Part of the Battle of Brandy Station (the largest cavalry engagement of the war, but inconclusive, on June 9, 1863) was also fought on Slaughter lands, as would be skirmishes before the Battle of Culpeper Court House returned the area to Union control in September 1863, although much fighting would continue into 1864. This led to considerable devastation. One nearby pasture at once was called "Raccoon's Ford" on the Rapidan River below Slaughter's Mountain (owned by merchant Philip Pendleton Nalle and later by U.S. Representative Jeremiah Morton was so disrupted by cannon fire that locals called it "cannon ball field".
After the Civil War, Daniel F. Slaughter became one of the directors of the Orange and Alexandria Railroad alongside his longtime ally John Barbour as well as the Culpeper Savings Bank and Insurance Company, licensed in 1867, alongside Barbour, Jacob S. Eggborn, Walter O'Bannon, Charles Crittenden, Charles Wiate and Lewis P. Nelson. However, the Bank failed to survive the Panic of 1873, which also caused the railroad's reorganization.

Death and legacy
Slaughter died in 1882, survived by his widow, as well as several children and grandchildren. Many members of the family—including his son Daniel Alexander Slaughter, who served in the Virginia House of Delegates (1904-1906)--are buried at the Mitchells Presbyterian Church cemetery in Mitchells in Culpeper County.

References

1799 births
1882 deaths
People from Culpeper County, Virginia
Virginia state senators
Strother family
19th-century American politicians
People of Virginia in the American Civil War