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 GENERAL MICAH JENKINS. 
 
CAREER AND CHARACTER 
 
 OF 
 
 GENERAL MICAH JENKINS, 
 
 C. S, A. 
 
 "Vigiliis 
 
 et Virtute 
 
 By JOHN 
 
 p. tHOMAS. 
 
 COLUMBIA, S. C, 
 THE S-TA-TE COMPANY, 
 
 -looa. 
 
 t^ 
 

 3o t;i c^ t 
 
CO 
 
 
 True and Eloquent Account of the Life and Achievements 
 of One of South Carolina's Greatest Soldiers. 
 
 David's lamentation for Jonathan, 
 "fallen in the midst of the battle"; 
 Milton's Lycidas, Young Lycidas, 
 "dead ere his prime"; Tennyson's "In 
 Memoriam," called by Frederick Wil- 
 liam Robertson "one of the most vic- 
 torious songs that poet ever chanted" — 
 these are the classic pictures of the 
 early dead that come before the mind 
 in their beauty when we think of Gen, 
 Micah Jenkins, as elegantly arrayed in 
 his uniform of Confederate gray he 
 lay, in the symmetry of his martial 
 form, stricken to death upon the soil of 
 Virginia in the battle of the Wilder- 
 ness. 
 
 "A king once said of a prince struck 
 
 down. 
 Taller he seems in death." 
 
 More than 39 years ago, Micah Jen- 
 kins's brilliant career came to its end, 
 in the providence of God, in the 29th 
 year of his age. As we take now the 
 measure of the man and contemplate 
 him in the light of his full stature, as 
 revealed to us in his own letters, as 
 well as in the letters of his friends 
 and comrades, how aptly may it be 
 said of Jenkins, as of the "prince 
 struck down," 
 
 "Taller he seems in death." 
 
 Of the brigade known successively as 
 Anderson's, Jenkins's and Bratton's 
 and composed of the famous regiments, 
 immortalized in Confederate history — 
 First South Carolina volunteers 
 (Hagood), Fifth South Carolina volun- 
 teers. Sixth South Carolina volunteers, 
 Second South Carolina Rifles, and Jen- 
 kins's Palmetto Sharpshooters — it is not 
 my purpose to treat. That duty — the 
 
 history of a grand brigade tliat won 
 the confidence of Lee and his war- 
 horse (Longstreet) — I shall leave to a 
 gallant colonel of the famous brigade, 
 such as Asbury Coward, or to Col. Jas. 
 A. Hoyt, or to some Confederate sur- 
 vivor who followed the fortunes of 
 Jenkins from First Manassas to his 
 martial coronation in the wilds of the 
 Wilderness, May 6, 1864. 
 
 Acceding to the appreciated wishes 
 of the family and the friends of Micah 
 Jenkins, my own close friend from 1851 
 to 1864, and furnished with all the let- 
 ters and memoranda throwing light 
 upon the subject, I propose to por- 
 tray, as best I can, the career and 
 character of a noble South Carolinian 
 who was the ornament of his State 
 and a thunderbolt of war in the army 
 of our Confederate Ilium — our fallen 
 Troy. 
 
 In seeking to rise to the height of 
 my theme, I shall not base my argu- 
 ments upon unsupported statements, 
 but shall present the letters and the 
 documents to prove propositions and 
 to confirm deductions. In executing 
 my plan of treatment of my subject, 
 I shall present the chief tributes here- 
 tofore paid to Jenkins; next Jenkins's 
 own accounts of the principal battles 
 in which he bore a part, supported by 
 the accounts of Longstreet and others; 
 next I shall attempt to give a true in- 
 sight into his lofty character — to por- 
 tray his inner life as a knightly. Chris- 
 tian man, as a soldier after the type 
 of a Stuart, a Jackson and a Lee; and 
 lastly, I shall close with such addi- 
 tional points and paragraphs as may 
 seem to me the proper ending of my 
 memorial work. 
 
 I. THE TRIBUTES TO JENKINS. 
 
 BRIG.-GEN. M. JENKINS. 
 
 (From the Charleston Mercury, May 12, 
 
 1864— an editorial written six days 
 
 after the fall of Jenkins.) 
 
 Micah Jenkins was a third son of 
 
 Capt. John Jenkins, of Edisto Island, 
 
 S. C. He entered the South Carolina 
 
 Military Academy in the year 1851, at 
 
 the age of 15, and graduated in 1854, 
 
 with the first honor of his class. The 
 
 following January he established with 
 
 his classmate, Asbury Coward, now 
 colonel of the Fifth regiment of Jen- 
 kins's brigade, the Military School at 
 Yorkville, S. C, and, young as he was, 
 at once exhibited the singular apti- 
 tude for command which his after ca- 
 reer so signally illustrated. By a 
 happy blending of firmness in disci- 
 pline and frank and cordial sympathy 
 with all who sought his counsel or 
 aid, he obtained an early and lasting 
 hold upon the respect and affection 
 
of his pupils, and his success as an 
 instructor was complete. 
 
 Before the war he had raised a volun- 
 teer company at Yorkville, under the 
 name of the Jasper Guards. This 
 company formed the nucleus of the 
 Fifth reg-iment, S. C. V., which elected 
 him colonel, without opposition, and 
 was among the first to enter the Con- 
 federate service. When General Beau- 
 regard took command of the Army of 
 the Potomac it was ordered to Vir- 
 g-inia — having previously served on Sul- 
 livans Island — and bore a creditable 
 part in the first battle of Manassas, 
 and, following General Johnston in 
 his withdrawal to the Peninsula, it 
 participated in all the privation of the 
 spring campaign of 1862. 
 
 Upon the reorganization of the 
 twelve months' volunteers, General 
 Jenkins formed a new re^ment from 
 the elite of the Fifth, which was styled 
 "Jenkins's Palmetto Sharpshooters," 
 and with this command achieved his 
 success at Williamsburg, and carried, 
 with one additional regiment of R. H. 
 Anderson's brigade, his part of the 
 field at Seven Pines. This was, in 
 many respects, one of the most daring- 
 and brilliant incidents of this event- 
 ful war, for he drove the enemy 
 through three of his camps, a mile and 
 a quarter beyond the farthest point 
 attained by our troops, and rested that 
 night, on the ground he had won, in 
 the tents of a Massachusetts regiment. 
 
 In command of General Anderson's 
 brigade, he shared the perils and glory 
 of the battles around Richmond, in 
 June, 1862, and after the engagement 
 of Cold Harbor and Frayser's Farm 
 brought out his Sharpshooters, orig- 
 inally numbering upward of 1,000 rank 
 and file, with but 125 men; his personal 
 aid having been shot down by his side, 
 and his own clothes being riddled with 
 bullets. His promotion at once fol- 
 lowed, and he proved how well it was 
 deserved by the skill and g-allantry 
 which he soon after displayed at the 
 second battle of Manassas, where he 
 lost two of his colonels, and his adju- 
 tant-general, and was himself severely 
 wounded. 
 
 At the battle of Fredericksburg- he 
 served under Longstreet, who more 
 than once ordered him where the bat- 
 tle was fiercest, but owing to the rapid 
 fluctations of that field his brigade 
 was only partially engaged. 
 
 During the following spring cam- 
 paign his command was employed as 
 a corps of observation on the Black- 
 water, in the vicinity of Petersburg 
 and Richmond, from whence he was 
 again ordered to Longstreet, and went 
 with him to Tennessee. Arriving there 
 just after the battle of Chickamauga, 
 he was assigned to the command of 
 Hood's division; but from the inade- 
 
 quacy of his force was unable to pre- 
 vent the enemy from effecting a lodg- 
 ment on this side of the Tennessee 
 river, and was very nearly cut off by 
 overwhelming numbers. 'The extrica- 
 tion of his division was, in fact, solely 
 due to his own judgment, and to the 
 thorough discipline and steadiness of 
 his troops. 
 
 From Chattanooga he accompanied 
 Longstreet to East Tennessee, and 
 served with him in the compaign of 
 the last winter before Knoxville. 
 Thence he was withdrawn to meet the 
 threatened invasion in Virginia, where 
 he fought his last battle and fell at the 
 early age of 28 years, near the same 
 spot by the same fatal accident and 
 the selfsame hands which, just one 
 year ago, inflicted on us the irrepara- 
 ble loss of Stonewall Jackson. 
 
 Before he was of age General Jen- 
 kins married the eldest daughter of 
 General D. F. Jamison, and leaves a 
 tenderly devoted wife and four young 
 children to mourn the untimely death 
 which our State deplores with a com- 
 mon and profound sympathy. 
 
 Thus closes the brief but brilliant 
 record of a patriotic soldier; of one 
 who to the charms of a manly person 
 and a commanding presence added the 
 attractions of gentle manners, a most 
 placid temper, and a dignified and 
 courteous address. His intercourse 
 with his friends was ever marked by 
 a delightful candor, frankness and 
 simplicity, and to all men he always 
 exhibited that fairness and generosity 
 of conduct which was so perfectly con- 
 genial to his own nature. A Christian 
 gentleman — in the largest sense of that 
 exalted title — he kept his life pure and 
 his walk and conversation blameless; 
 recognizing as paramount the call of 
 duty, and following her voice with 
 fearless steps and unwavering single- 
 ness of purpose. He was ambitious 
 of distinction and strove to win it; but 
 he raised himself over his rivals by 
 no meanness or indirection, and prac- 
 ticed no arts of advancement save the 
 honest arts of resolute will and earnest 
 endeavor. 
 
 He had no fondness for the bloody 
 arena of war as a pastime or a pro- 
 fession; but realizing deeply the neces- 
 sity of a knowledge of arms to a peo- 
 ple w^ho would keep their freedom, he 
 devoted his life to this vocation. When 
 his country's rights were invaded his 
 soldier's instinct impelled him among 
 the very first to draw his sword, and 
 he never would have sheathed it until 
 his honorable independence was se- 
 cured. Scrupulously respectful of pri- 
 vate rights, he never permitted any 
 wanton destruction of property, any 
 violence, intrusion or pillage, on the 
 part of his command, while he was 
 equally mindful of his men, and spared 
 no personal pains or labor that would 
 
conduce to their welfare. By general 
 consent his troops were the best dis- 
 ciplined, best clothed and best armed 
 of the entire division to which they 
 belonged. Brave, ardent, enthusiastic, 
 possessed of the full confidence of his 
 men and of his commander, he was 
 often thrust into the forefront of bat- 
 tle. He bore himself always with the 
 loftiest gallantry. Asking his troops 
 to encounter no danger which he did 
 not share, he led his impetuous battal- 
 ions in a score of stormy fights, and 
 fell at last, as a soldier might well 
 wish to fall, with sword in hand, at 
 the close of a well stricken field, the 
 light of the setting sun crimsoning 
 his victorious bayonets, and the shouts 
 of triumph ringing in his ears. 
 
 DE FONTAINE'S STORY OP HIS 
 DEATH. 
 
 (From F. G. De Fontaine, War Cor- 
 respondent.) 
 
 BRIG.-GEN. MICAH JENKINS. 
 
 Columbia, Wednesday Morning, 
 May 18, 1864. 
 
 Another stern white face is turned to 
 the blue sky, and another life holds up 
 its silent eloquence to heaven. He 
 who wrought in faith has won at last 
 his glory and been crowned with the 
 garland of eternity. 
 
 It is not loo much to say that from 
 the beginning of the contest Gen. Jen- 
 kins has been one of the most active, 
 efl^cient and accomplished officers in 
 the Confederate service. His whole 
 career, from early childhood, had been 
 a chain of soldierly associations, and 
 carrying these into the field, united 
 with a brave heart, an indomitable 
 will, an air of command, the example 
 of a leader, a face and form from 
 which there fiashed the inspiration of 
 his cause, and, above all, the ambition 
 to do his duty, he achieved a success 
 which forms the proudest epitaph that 
 can be written on a soldier's tomb. 
 
 Born on Edisto Island, in this State, 
 he entered the Citadel in 1851, at the 
 age of 15, and in 1854 graduated with 
 the highest honors of his class. A few 
 months afterwards, as we learn from 
 the Charleston Mercury, he established 
 with Asbury Coward, now colonel of 
 the Fifth regiment of Jenkins's bri- 
 gade, a military school at Yorkville, 
 S. C, and "young as he was, at once 
 exhibited that singular aptitude for 
 command which his after career so 
 signally illustrated. By a happy blend- 
 ing of firmness in discipline and a 
 frank, cordial sympathy with all who 
 sought his counsel or aid, he obtained 
 an early and lasting hold upon the re- 
 spect and affection of his pupils, and 
 his success as a teacher was complete." 
 If we remember right, Brigadier-Gen- 
 
 eral Law was also an instructor in that 
 institution. 
 
 War being inaugurated, General Jen- 
 kins was elected colonel of the Fifth 
 South Carolina volunteers, moved his 
 command to Sullivans Island, was 
 among the first to enter the Confed- 
 erate service, repaired to Virginia and 
 performed a conspicuous part in the 
 battle of Manassas, his position being 
 on the right of the main body of the 
 army engaged. After participating in 
 all the events of that campaign in the 
 year 1862, the regiment was reorgan- 
 ized under the now famous name of 
 Jenkins's "Palmetto Sharpshooters," 
 which speedily became, like its prede- 
 cessors, celebrated for the perfection 
 of its discipline not less than its splen- 
 did bravery on the field of battle. 
 
 Attached to the command of General 
 Johnston, he participated in the sharp 
 engagement at Williamsburg, and at 
 Seven Pines, and achieved success with 
 his command which would have made 
 the reputation of a lifetime. With 
 a handful of men he broke line after 
 line of the enemy, drove them through 
 three camps and finally rested a 
 mile and a quarter in advance of the 
 remainder of our army, in one of the 
 Federal camps. In command of General 
 Anderson's brigade, he shared the 
 perils and glories of the battles around 
 Richmond in 1862, and after the en- 
 gagement of Cold Harbor, Frazer's 
 Farm, brought out his Sharpshooters, 
 originally upwards of 1,000 rank 
 and file, with but 125 men, his per- 
 sonal aid having been shot by his 
 side, and his own clothing being rid- 
 dled by bullets. His promotion at once 
 followed, and he proved how well it 
 was deserved by the skill and gallantry 
 which he soon after displayed at the 
 second battle of Manassas, where he 
 lost two of his colonels and his adju- 
 tant-general and was himself severely 
 wounded. 
 
 After participating in the battle of 
 Fredericksburg, he was detached to 
 a corps of observation on the Black- 
 water, in front of Suffolk, where sev- 
 eral skirmishes were had with the 
 enemy. From thence his brigade was 
 transferred to Chickamauga and ar- 
 rived just after the battle. Taking 
 command of Hood's division after the 
 fall of General Hood, his career from 
 that time until he died was replete with 
 honor, and proved that he was indeed 
 born to command. The campaign first 
 around Chattanooga and thereafter in 
 Bast Tennessee against Knoxville 
 brought out all the rare qualities of 
 his naturally strong mind, and devel- 
 oped fully that remarkable energy 
 which made him valuable as the right- 
 hand man of Longstreet. It was the 
 fortune of the writer during this period 
 to share the tent of General Jenkins and 
 enjoy opportunities for observing him 
 
in every relation of a soldier's life; to 
 observe him calmly directing the 
 movements of a line of battle, bearing 
 as it were a charmed life among the 
 flying balls; to witness him morning 
 and night kneeling on his blanket, re- 
 turning thanks to the Almighty, and 
 invoking blessings on his command; 
 and to be familiar with the kind com- 
 munion which existed between the 
 humblest private and himself. Few 
 men have had fewer enemies. No one 
 in his position had so little occasion 
 to punish offenders against his disci- 
 pline, and when the necessity has been 
 apparent, a tender heart has always 
 gone out to the culprit and drawn 
 tears from his guilty nature. Child- 
 like, unsophisticated in the ruder 
 knowledge which characterizes ordi- 
 nary men of the world, careful and 
 polite in his conversation, pure as a 
 woman in his thoughts, accomplished 
 in his manners, frank, confiding and 
 generous to a fault, he was in truth 
 a Chevalier Bayard "sans peur et sans 
 reproche." As an officer he was brave, 
 dashing, impetuous and yet prudent; 
 had a quick military eye, knowing 
 the strong points of a position at a 
 glance; never ordering his men where 
 he was not willing to lead; and rarely 
 if ever blundered. He enjoyed the con- 
 fidence of General Longstreet to a 
 marked degree; by him was recom- 
 mended for promotion to the rank of 
 major-general. It is understood that he 
 was on the eve of receiving the appoint- 
 ment. 
 
 South Carolina has never had a 
 nobler representative of her chivalry 
 in the field, and no dearer memories 
 can be embalmed in the mausoleum of 
 the people's hearts than those which 
 have hallowed with glory the name of 
 Gen. Micah Jenkins. 
 
 COLONEL THOMAS'S HISTORY OF 
 THE SOLDIER'S LIFE. 
 
 (From History of South Carolina Mili- 
 tary Academy, 1894, by John Peyre 
 Thomas.) 
 
 On May 6, 1864, Gen. Micah Jenk'ns, 
 a graduate of the South Carolina Mil- 
 itary Academy, of the class of 1854, 
 fell in battle, killed in the command 
 of his brigade, in the conflict of the 
 Wilderness. Of the graduates of the 
 Academy Micah Jenkins was among 
 the brightest and bravest and most 
 enterprising. He entered the Citadel 
 Academy from Edisto Island when 
 quite young. Ambitious, he began his 
 cadet life with avowed aspirations to 
 excel in his studies. His ideas were 
 true and high. Second to none either in 
 deportment or scholarship, he gradu- 
 ated at the head of a superior class. 
 After graduating, in pursuance of a 
 
 previously well-conceived plan, in as- 
 sociation with his classmate. Col. As- 
 bury Coward, he founded and conduct- 
 ed the Kings Mountain Military School, 
 which continued in successful opera- 
 tion until the War Between the States 
 began. Following the dictates of his 
 ardent temperament and his patriotic 
 nature, with motives as pure and 
 courage as true as ever carried Chris- 
 tian knight to the battle of former 
 days, he entered the service of the 
 Southern Confederacy. Here his well- 
 known career was brilliant. He re- 
 flected luster on his name and left to 
 his wife and children a priceless leg- 
 acy. In an army where the material 
 whereof generals are fashioned was 
 abundant, he rose to be brigadier-gen- 
 eral, and what seems to flnite judg- 
 ment an untimely fate alone cut him 
 off from higher honors. 
 
 He was clearly in the line of pro- 
 motion. Dasljing as a Murat, Micah 
 Jenkins was further a Bayard, "sans 
 peur et sans reproche." He was more. 
 A scholar, a soldier, a Christian man, 
 he was a Sidney, who on another Zut- 
 phen would cheerfully have passed the 
 cup of water to some dying comrade, 
 whose necessity he may have deemed 
 greater than his own. Nor was Gen- 
 eral Jenkins the man of sanguinary 
 instincts and military ambition that 
 some persons may have held him to be. 
 It was the fortune of the writer to 
 meet him on his last visit to South 
 Carolina, not long before he died for 
 his country on the soil of Virginia. 
 He spoke in the confidence of friend- 
 ship and with characteristic candor, 
 and referred to the idea which he 
 knew somewhat prevailed respecting 
 him, that he was fond of war's cruel 
 sport. He earnestly disavowed the 
 sentiment. While recognizing his duty 
 in the pending struggle, and thinking 
 not for one moment of turning his 
 back upon the burning plowshare be- 
 fore him, he yet expressed a yearning 
 for peace with honor and longed to re- 
 turn under such conditions to his 
 home. 
 
 But this happy dream of the war- 
 rior was not to be realized. The lau- 
 rels of industrious soldiership were 
 soon to be entwined with the cypress 
 wreath. His career in life, though em- 
 bracing scarcely a decade since he left 
 the walls of his alma mater, was beau- 
 tiful, was symmetrical, and had a no- 
 ble ending. 
 
 The news of his death was received 
 with deep sorrow in South Carolina and 
 the public sympathy was illustrated 
 in the passage of the following resolu- 
 tions by the General Assembly of his 
 native State: 
 
 Resolved unanimously. That in the 
 death of General Jenkins South Caro- 
 lina mourns the loss of one of her 
 noblest, most patriotic and accom- 
 
plished citizens, and the army of our 
 country a brave, energetic and skilful 
 officer. 
 
 Resolved unanimously. That we hold 
 up his many virtues to his comrades 
 yet spared, and bid them emulate his 
 example. 
 
 Resolved unanimously, That these 
 resolutions, together with the corres- 
 pondence between Lieutenant-General 
 Longstreet and Governor Bonham, in 
 relation to the death of General Jen- 
 kins, be spread upon the journal of the 
 house, and copies of the same be sent 
 to the family of the deceased. 
 
 The following is the correspondence: 
 
 His brigade was worthy of such a 
 commander, and the mutual trust and 
 confidence betwen them was beautiful 
 to behold. With such troops and such 
 a leader the Confederate cause is safe. 
 
 Few of your countrymen can possess 
 the exalted qualities of^this Christian 
 hero, but all may imitate his virtues, 
 exercise the same faith in a precious 
 Savior, and die, if needs be, the same 
 glorious death. 
 
 He has left to the youth of your 
 State a noble legacy in his dauntless 
 heroism and spotless life; I trust that 
 his memory will be cherished and his 
 noble example will be felt for genera- 
 tions yet to come. Yours truly, 
 J. Longstreet, 
 Lieutenant-General. 
 
 Note. — The General's name is signed 
 by me, as he has not sufficiently recov- 
 ered the use of his arm to sign himself. 
 M. L. Longstreet. 
 
 State of South Carolina, 
 Executive Department, 
 Columbia, S. C, September 1, 1864. 
 Lieut. -Gen. J. Longstreet — Dear Sir: 
 Tour estemed favor of the 16th of 
 July has been received. It is extremely 
 gratifying to me to see this evidence of 
 your high appreciation of the lamented 
 General Jenkins. From the beginning 
 of the war his brilliant qualities had 
 elicited the warmest admiration of the 
 people of his State, and they watched 
 his career with unusual interest. His 
 death was a public calamity, but to 
 the people of his native State, where 
 he was so well-known and so univer- 
 sally beloved, it was especially affect- 
 ing. His desire to serve his country 
 was the one ruling ambition of his life, 
 and if he cherished another feeling it 
 was to obtain that which your letter 
 shows he so well deserved, the ap- 
 proval of his commanding officer. I 
 have read your kind letter with many 
 sad reflections, but not without a feel- 
 ing of mournful satisfaction, that the 
 State over which I have been called 
 for a short time to preside has fur- 
 nished such an instance of heroic de- 
 
 votion to our cause. I shall transmit 
 your letter to the Legislature at its 
 next session as another proof of his 
 eminent services and high qualities. 
 
 I have the honor to be, very re- 
 spectfully, your obedient servant, 
 M. L. Bonham. 
 
 The lamented fall of Micah Jenkins 
 is thus described by that gallant young 
 soldier, Col. J. R. Hagood: 
 
 I cannot forget the appearance of 
 General Jenkins this morning. Ele- 
 gantly dressed, as he always was, su- 
 perbly mounted, and his face lit up 
 with martial fire, he realized to the 
 full my ideal as a soldier. 
 
 At this moment General Longstreet, 
 accompanied by General Jenkins and 
 a number of staff officers, galloped 
 ahead of the line until they had 
 reached the plank road. There an 
 orderly dismounted to take up a stand 
 of Federal colors lying upon the field 
 and displayed them. Mahone's Vir- 
 ginia brigade, advancing through the 
 thick woods, mistook the party for a 
 body of the enemy's cavalry, and a 
 volley from them emptied the saddles 
 of Longstreet, Jenkins, a staff officer, 
 and two or three orderlies. General 
 Jenkins was instantly killed and Gen- 
 eral Longstreet badly wounded. 
 
 This is how Jenkins died, on the sec- 
 ond day of the Battle of the Wilder- 
 ness! 
 
 Were the historian to take up Jen- 
 kins's carer in the Confederate war, 
 and follow him from battlefield to bat- 
 tlefield, and tell of his acts of personal 
 heroism, of his military skill and dar- 
 ing generalship; were he to relate how 
 he won the confidence and admiration 
 of his military superiors, were he to 
 relate further the wealth of love that 
 he bore for his family, for friends and 
 country, and the innate nobility of 
 his nature, the splendid record would 
 occupy a volume in itself. 
 
 Gallant spirit, noble friend; we greet 
 your memory as we place your name 
 high upon the historic page and renew 
 our lament for your death in the 
 bloom of manhood. 
 
 BATTLE OF THE WILDERNESS. 
 
 (From "Manassas to Appomatox"— 
 
 Longstreet.) 
 
 "General Lee sent Gen. M. L. Smith to 
 report to me. * * * General Smith then 
 came and reported a way across the 
 Brock road that would turn Hancock's 
 extreme left. He was asked to con- 
 duct the fianking brigades and handle 
 them as the ranking officer. He was a 
 splendid tactician, as well as a skil- 
 ful engineer, and gallant withal. He 
 started, and not to lose time or dis- 
 tance, moved by inversion, WofCord's 
 left leading, Wofford's favorite maneu- 
 ver. As Wofford's left stepped out, 
 
the other troops moved down the 
 plank road, Jenkins's brigade by the 
 road, Kershaw's division alongside. I 
 rode at the head of the column, Jen- 
 kins, Kershaw and the staff with me. 
 After discussing the disposition of 
 their troops for reopening the battle, 
 Jenkins rode closer to offer congratula- 
 tions, saying 'I am happy; I have felt 
 despair of the cause for some months, 
 but I am relieved, and feel assured 
 that we will put the enemy back across 
 the Rapidan before night.' Little did 
 he or I think these sanguine words 
 were the last he would utter." 
 
 After describing the circumstances 
 under which he and his party were 
 placed under fire of one of our own 
 regiments, and how he was himself 
 wounded, Longstreet says: 
 
 "But Micah Jenkins, who fell by the 
 same fire, was no more. He was one 
 of the most estimable characters of the 
 army. His taste and talent were for 
 military service. He was intelligent, 
 quick, untiring, attentive, zealous in 
 the discharge of duty, and truly faith- 
 ful to official obligations, abreast with 
 the foremost in battle, and withal a 
 humble, noble Christian. In a moment 
 of highest earthly hope he was trans- 
 ported to serenest heavenly joy; to 
 thut life beyond that knows no bugle 
 call, beat of drum or clash of steel. 
 May his beautiful spirit, through the 
 mercy of God, rest in peace! Amen." 
 
 Gen. Lee's letter on Jenkins' absence 
 from the battle of Gettysburg: 
 Headquarters, 
 Army of Northern Virginia, 
 
 August, 186.S. 
 
 Dear General: I regret exceedingly 
 the absence of yourself and your 
 brigade from the battle of Gettysburg. 
 There is no telling what a gallant 
 brigade, led by an efficient commander, 
 might have accomplished when victory 
 trembled in the balance. I verily be- 
 lieve the result would have been dif- 
 ferent if you had been present. 
 Sincerely yours, 
 
 R. E. Lee, 
 General. 
 To Gen. M. Jenkins. 
 
 Letter of Colonel Gage to Gen. D. F. 
 Jamison on the death of General Jen- 
 kins- 
 Union District, S. C, 
 Meadow Woods, May 19, 1864. 
 
 My Dear General: My sympathies 
 have been irresistibly drawn to you 
 since the news reached us of the un- 
 timely fall of your gallant son. General 
 Jenkins — a chief of whom we all felt 
 proud, and in whose success we had a 
 right to feel a deep interest, because 
 from the beginning of this contest he 
 had led into battle our best and brav- 
 
 est friends — old and young. I could 
 but feel that it would be gratifying to 
 you for me to offer my sympathy, and 
 more particularly so when I could tell 
 you how the mothers of our gallant 
 soldiers wore the memory of this 
 young hero nearest their hearts. The 
 simplest language is often the most 
 touching, and when it falls from the 
 lips of those who are not gifted with 
 the set phrases of speech, but speak 
 at imo pectore, it always means a hon- 
 eyed sweetness. Yesterday an old wo- 
 man who had three sons and three 
 sons-in-law in the army walked eight 
 miles to my house to get a little wool 
 and flour, and see if I had any news 
 from Lee's army later than she had 
 heard. This old woman (upwards of 
 50) has been once to Virginia and once 
 to Tennessee to see her sons and take 
 them clothing and provisions. "Oh," 
 she said, "I couldn't help but cry when 
 I heard General Jenkins was killed, he 
 was so good %o my boys; always a 
 kind word, a pleasant look, an encour- 
 aging one to them. They loved him 
 so much, and, although they knew he 
 would always carry them into the 
 thickest of the fight, they knew they 
 would always find him alongside of 
 them." That sort of tribute does one's 
 heart good, and it has gone from many 
 a poor mother's heart in my neighbor- 
 hood. It is something for his children 
 to treasure up and speak in tones most 
 unmistakable of the large heart of the 
 gallant young chieftain so untimely 
 slain. 
 
 May God in his mercy support his 
 wife in this sore affliction and comfort 
 you, my dear friend, is my prayer. 
 Ever truly yours, 
 
 (Col.) R. J. Gage. 
 
 To Gen. D. F. Jamison. 
 
 Memorandum from Maj. J. J. Lucas, 
 Confederate veteran: 
 
 Gen. Micah Jenkins entered the 
 State Military Academy in 1851 and 
 was graduated by that institution with 
 the first honor of his class in 1854. 
 
 It was my privilege to instruct him 
 in the drill of the squad, with seven 
 others, which occupied three months. 
 
 He showed his fondness for the mili- 
 tary profession from the very begin- 
 ning of his career, and as a Confed- 
 erate officer became the most enthu- 
 siastic soldier I ever knew. The last 
 time we met in the Mills House, in 
 Charleston, he secured four muskets 
 to show me an improved method of 
 stacking arms which he had devised. 
 
 From the Rev. James McDowell, 
 Chaplain, C. S. A.: 
 
 Sumter, S. C, September 16, 1903. 
 Col. John P. Thomas, Columbia, S. C. 
 
 Dear Sir: In response to your re- 
 quest to "the officers and men of Jen- 
 
kins's brigade to send you such per- 
 sonal and military characteristics of 
 Jenkins as may be recalled by them," 
 I write the following: 
 
 I was invited by General Jenkins in 
 1862, while he was colonel of the Pal- 
 metto Sharpshooters, to become its 
 chaplain. I accepted his invitation and 
 reached the regiment just after the 
 seven days' fighting around Richmond, 
 and continued its chaplain until we 
 were surrendered at Appomattox on 
 the 9th of April, 1865. Colonel Jenkins 
 was in command of the brigade when I 
 reached it, and was soon after pro- 
 moted brigadier-general for his gal- 
 lantry on the battlefield, and Capt. 
 Joseph "Walker succeeded him as col- 
 onel of his regiment. The general took 
 an interest in the spiritual as well as 
 the temporal welfare of his men, and 
 we have had him, with his staff, to 
 worship with us at religious services. 
 
 His men loved and admired him; had 
 a great confidence in l#m, and bravely 
 followed him on the bloody battlefield. 
 
 The last Sabbath he spent upon earth 
 • — when we were returning from East 
 Tennessee to Virginia — I went to see 
 him in his tent, where he was lying 
 down sick. After a pleasant visit, and 
 when about to leave he asked me to 
 pray with him, which I gladly did; 
 he reverently engaging in the service. 
 A few days after, on the 6th of May, 
 he was shot down by our men, by mis- 
 take, in the battle of the Wilderness. 
 I got up in the ambulance which bore 
 him from the field of battle and spoke 
 to him, but he was speechless and un- 
 conscious, the ball having pierced his 
 forehead. His brain was protruding 
 from the wound. One side of him was 
 completely paralyzed; his hand on his 
 other side he repeatedly lifted to the 
 wound and then laid it down again. 
 He was taken back to his tent, where 
 we laid him out and he lived several 
 hours. 
 
 General Jenkins was a noble man, 
 very brave, and most enthusiastic. I 
 loved and admired him, and can imag- 
 ine that I still see the sweet smile on 
 his intelligent and kind face. I believe 
 that he was a true Christian, not only 
 a good soldier of his country, but also 
 a true soldier of Jesus Christ, the 
 blessed Savior whom he professed and 
 in whom he trusted. Soon after his 
 death I wrote an account of it to his 
 bereaved widow. Yours very respect- 
 fully, James McDowell. 
 
 This account appears elsewhere in 
 this paper. 
 
 old soldiers of Jenkins's brigade — that 
 band of heroes, fast lessening with the 
 passing years. Nothing could appeal 
 to me more deeply, in meeting these 
 battle-scarred heroes, mayhap, with an 
 empty sleeve or a wooden leg, and 
 looking into their brave old eyes, now 
 growing dim, to hear them say: "Son, 
 1 loved that father of yours; he always 
 treated the humblest private with the 
 same kindness and courtesy as he did 
 the highest officer. He treated us all 
 like gentlemen" — thus verifying that 
 grand old adage, "the bravest are the 
 tenderest." They have told me that 
 his face was always lit with smiles; 
 and his laugh most infectious, and that 
 he had the wonderful faculty of never 
 forgetting a face or a name. I have 
 been told time and time again that he 
 recognized the face, and could call by 
 name, every member of his brigade. 
 In fact, one wooden-legged hero, Sam 
 Clinton of York county, said to me: 
 "We boys had to behave ourselves, for 
 the general knew every one of us by 
 name, and would spot us instantly if 
 we did anything amiss." They have 
 told me that he never said to his men, 
 "Go," but "My men, follow me!" I 
 have but the faintest remembrance of 
 a father's love, being but four years 
 old when he was killed; but the noble 
 deeds and humble piety of his short 
 life have ever been to me an inspira- 
 tion and an incentive to a clean and 
 pure life. 
 I am, sir, yours most truly, 
 
 Robert F. Jenkins. 
 
 A SON'S TRIBUTE. 
 
 Columbia, S. C, Sept. 8, 1903. 
 
 Col. John P. Thomas, Columbia, S. C. 
 
 My Dear Colonel: It has been my 
 
 happy privilege in traveling through 
 
 South Carolina to meet many of the 
 
 THE DEATH OF GEN. MICAH 
 JENKINS. 
 
 A private letter from a surgeon 
 formerly in Jenkins's Brigade gives 
 the following interesting particulars of 
 the last hours of the life of that gal- 
 lant officer. He says: 
 
 "I had met him the day before the 
 battle for the first time since his re- 
 turn. He was looking very badly, had 
 been sick, and was riding in an ambu- 
 lance. The following morning I met 
 the general at the head of his brigade, 
 his face not beaming with smiles, as it 
 usually did on such occasions, but it 
 wore a sad and determined expression. 
 He was evidently in pain. I saluted 
 him and stopped. He asked me the 
 news from the front. I told him I be- 
 lieved all was going well; that the Tex- 
 ans were driving them. He replied: 
 "They are brave men who are doing 
 it." I then said to him I feared he was 
 suffering from being in the saddle. He 
 said: "Oh, that is a small matter, and 
 shall not prevent my doing my duty." 
 Poor fellow, when I next saw him he 
 was lying in his tent unconscious, with 
 a ball buried in his brain. His face 
 still wore the firm, determined look 
 that characterized it in health. His 
 death had been generally lamented. 
 
His old brigade thinks their loss irre- 
 parable, and it is indeed so. In him 
 the country has lost a firm and gal- 
 lant officer, a noble soldier, "whose 
 courage and dash in action won the 
 admiration of all. Our State has lost a 
 polished and elegant gentleman and a 
 high-toned Christian. He lived some 
 five hours after he was wounded, and 
 died at sunset. He never spoke. 
 Those who were by him say that as 
 he died a glad smile lighted up his 
 face, and that he died as quietly as an 
 infant falls to sleep. May God in his 
 mercy sustain his widow and father- 
 less boys, to whom he was most de- 
 votedly attached. I hope his sons may 
 prove worthy of their sire." 
 
 The burial of Brig.-Gen. M. Jenkins, 
 at Summerville, Whit Sunday, May 15, 
 1864: 
 
 (By C. G. P. — Catherine Gendron 
 Poyas.) 
 
 Bring blossoms from the rosy beds of 
 
 May, 
 Bay from the woodland, myrtle from 
 
 the bowers, 
 And arborvitae, whose enduring leaf 
 Symbols the life eternal, and let fair 
 
 hands 
 Weave them in garlands to adorn the 
 
 mound 
 Where sleeps the brave and true. 
 
 Sweet his repose, 
 Near the maternal bosom from whose 
 
 fount 
 He drew the virtues that made up his 
 
 life. 
 A few short weeks ago that silent 
 
 breast 
 Throbbed with a holy joy, when to her 
 
 heart 
 The mother pressed her young heroic 
 
 son, 
 And bade him, with her blessing, go 
 
 again, 
 And battle for his country. Far then 
 
 seemed 
 Their day of meeting — but God brought 
 
 it near. 
 
 Here is no martial note or organ's 
 
 swell 
 To honor, with its wild or solemn 
 
 strain, 
 Our hero's burial; only one lone bird 
 Pours on the fragrant air a shower of 
 
 song. 
 Sing on, sweet warbler, for what holier 
 
 note 
 Can charm him to his rest than thine, 
 
 Heaven taught. 
 And flowing like the angels from a 
 
 breast 
 Wholly at peace with God! Heart 
 
 soothing strain! 
 How different from the noisy din of 
 
 strife, 
 The war-trump and the cannon's aw- 
 ful roar. 
 
 Glide softly to the mourners' sorrow- 
 ing hearts 
 
 And fit them from the promises of this 
 day — 
 
 The comforter sent forth to all who 
 weep. 
 
 And bearing dews of healing on his 
 wing. 
 
 Our blessed Sabbath, when the Lenten 
 fast 
 
 Was drawing to its close, and streaks 
 of light. 
 
 As heralding the glorious Easter morn, 
 
 Began to pierce the gloom, we saw 
 thee bow 
 
 Within this temple, and on bended 
 knees 
 
 Receive in reverent hand the bread di- 
 vine. 
 
 And carry to thy lips the wine of life. 
 
 Which to the heart of faith is heav- 
 enly food. 
 
 We little deemed it thy viaticum, 
 
 And that by Whitsuntide thy mortal 
 
 frame 
 Would have been given to the silent 
 
 dust. 
 With tears of kindred and a nation's 
 
 grief. 
 We thought to see thee in the coming 
 
 time, 
 When meek-eyed peace has once more 
 
 blessed our land, 
 Wearing the laurel wreath thy valor 
 
 won, 
 And clothed in garments of prosperity. 
 Living to good old age, while "troops 
 
 of friends," 
 And children's children gather round 
 
 thy hearth — 
 Thy warm, bright southern hearth — to 
 
 hear thee tell 
 Of deeds of prowess by our heroes 
 
 wrought. 
 In the great struggle — but, with modest 
 
 grace, 
 Setting aside thine own. We fondly 
 
 dreamed. 
 But God has willed it otherwise. Pare- 
 well, 
 True soldier of thy country and of 
 
 Christ, 
 With what assured hope we leave thee 
 
 here 
 To wait the archangel trump. Thy 
 
 spirit fled 
 Upon the shout of triumph — and the 
 
 sound 
 Took a seraphic sweetness as thy soul, 
 Nearing the gate of paradise, was met 
 By throngs of white-robed spirits, 
 
 bearing palms 
 And singing hymns of victory and 
 
 peace. 
 
 The remains of General Jenkins hav- 
 ing previously been removed by his fam- 
 ily from Summerville, S. C, to Magnolia 
 cemetery, in Charleston, in 1881, the 
 Association of Graduates of the South 
 Carolina Military Academy, mindful of 
 
 10 
 
its duty to the heroic dead, and in 
 illustration of its rare devotion to its 
 alma mater, instituted a movement in 
 Souh Carolina to erect a monument to 
 the memory of Jenkins in Magnolia 
 cemetery. The writer was at that time 
 conducting the Carolina Military In- 
 stitute, at Charlotte, N. C. He prompt- 
 ly seconded the action of his South 
 Carolina comrades in a letter to the 
 Charleston News and Courier, and sub- 
 sequently it was his privilege to send 
 a contribution to the monument fund, 
 not unworthy of the object, on the part 
 of the officers and cadets of the Char- 
 lotte Military Institute and of the 
 South Carolinians living in Charlotte, 
 
 N. <:. 
 
 I recall how on that occasion one 
 gallant Virginian, residing in Char- 
 lotte, came to me and claimed the 
 privilege of showing his appreciation 
 of the nobility of Gen. Jenkins by 
 sharing in the proposed honor to his 
 memory. The monument was prompt- 
 ly erected in Magnolia cemetery, 
 Charleston, S. C, and the graves of 
 General Jenkins and of his wife are im- 
 mediately in front of the monument. 
 The monument is of granite, about 12 
 feet high, and is situated near the 
 center of the cemetery, in a space of 
 ground just west of the great oak — fit 
 emblem of the strength of Jenkins's 
 character. The front of the monument 
 has only the word "JENKINS," in 
 raised letters, on the base, and two 
 crossed guns at the top of the shaft. 
 On the front of the shaft is a well- 
 executed design in relief of a saber 
 and belt. The monument bears the fol- 
 lowing inscription: 
 
 MICAH JENKINS, 
 
 BRIG.-GEN. C. S. A. 
 
 BORN DEC. 1, 1835, 
 
 EDISTO ISLAND, S. C. 
 
 A GRADUATE OF 
 
 THE CITADEL 
 
 ACADEMY 
 
 WITH FIRST HONORS. 
 
 KILLED AT THE HEAD 
 
 OF HIS BRIGADE, IN 
 
 THE BATTLE OF 
 
 THE WILDERNESS, 
 
 MAY 6, 1864. 
 "INTEGER VITAE." 
 
 ERECTED TO HIS 
 
 MEMORY BY THE 
 
 ASSOCIATION OF 
 
 CITADEL GRADUATES 
 
 AND OTHER COMRADES 
 
 AND FRIENDS. 
 
 thought would result in his defeat and 
 great loss. The movement was Gen- 
 eral Jenkins's. Mahone's brigade was 
 ordered into position, and in order to 
 reach its position, Jenkins's brigade 
 had to pass between it and the enemy. 
 General Longstreet and staff, General 
 Jenkins and some of his staff, I and 
 some others were riding in a bunch 
 about fifty or sixty yards ahead of 
 Jenkins's brigade. As we passed in 
 front of Mahone his men poured a 
 deadly volley into us. Longstreet was 
 wounded, two of his aids were also 
 wounded; General Jenkins was shot in 
 the head, and one of the staff officers 
 instantly killed. My first impulse was 
 to get out of the line of fire, as I real- 
 ized at once what the trouble was, so 
 I spurred my horse and jumped into 
 the bushes. Looking back, I saw Jen- 
 kins's brigade preparing to return the 
 fire. I immediately spurred my horse 
 into the space between the two brig- 
 ades, drew my sword, ordered Jenkins's 
 brigade to lie down, and called out to 
 Mahone's brigade that we were friends. 
 My order to Jenkins's brigade was 
 promptly obeyed, and like all its move- 
 ments, even in the severest battles, 
 was executed with as much smoothness 
 and accuracy as if on dress parade. 
 
 "General Jenkins was passionately 
 fond of his men, and during his cam- 
 paigns insisted on the strictest disci- 
 pline as the surest means of protection, 
 and of saving them in times of great- 
 est danger. He was the most magnetic 
 man I ever met, and I believe the fin- 
 est soldier." 
 
 Major-General, afterwards Judge, J. 
 B. Kershaw's account of the death of 
 Gen. Micah Jenkins, as given by him 
 to Hawkins Ic. Jenkins, Esq.: 
 
 "We were preparing to make an at- 
 tack upon the enemy, which we 
 
 Charleston, S. C, Sept. 24, 1903. 
 Col. Jno. P. Thomas, Columbia, S. C. 
 
 Dear Colonel: In asking me to add 
 to your proposed tribute to Micah Jen- 
 kins you have imposed upon me the 
 heart-trying task of lifting the pall 
 from a long lost and buried love. 
 Drawn together at the age of 15 by 
 affinities which neither of us tried, or 
 cared to analyze, our thoughts, our as- 
 pirations, our lives flowed on for 13 
 years like the sap to twin buds upon a 
 single stem. And yet we were not alike: 
 we seemed, rather, to be complements 
 of each other. Now, as I view him in a 
 perspective of nearly 40 passed years, 
 he towers above all my intimate con- 
 temporary acquaintances as the em- 
 bodiment of all moral excellences, of 
 all the potentialities of manly great- 
 ness. As a youth he was vivacious, 
 impulsive and impetuous; but his vi- 
 vacity was elicited only by what was 
 clean and pure; his impulsiveness and 
 impetuosity were ever under the watch- 
 ful guard of honor. I have never 
 known a man more prompt to make 
 frank and spontaneous amends for any 
 hasty work or act that would unjustly 
 wound another. To be generous, just, 
 
 11 
 
and brave, seemed to be the law of his 
 nature. He scorned a meanness as he 
 did a lie. 
 
 He took great delight in the society 
 of ladies, and his attitude towards 
 them was of the chivalrous character 
 that poets give to the palmiest days 
 of knighthood. He was no recipient or 
 retailer of scandalous gossips, and he 
 scrupulously shunned all ribald, loose 
 talk that some men indulge in when 
 far from the restraints of home lire. 
 During the first two years of his cadet 
 life he had fallen into the senseless 
 habit of freely using profane expres- 
 sions in his convertation. A compan- 
 ion, not free himself from the same 
 habit, undertook to lecture him on the 
 subject, and ihe result was a banter 
 from Jenkins that both should drop 
 the ha>-.it Irom that moment, with the 
 understanding that the first to lapse 
 should turn his back and let the other 
 strike him with utmost force between 
 the shoulders. In less than five min- 
 utes Jenkins incurred the penalty. The 
 blow was given with vigor and re- 
 ceived in good faith, and for both of 
 them the habit was broken for life. 
 From that day no one heard a profane 
 expression fall from his lips; from that 
 day, with him, began in earnest the 
 discipline of self-control. For over five 
 years after his graduation the respon- 
 sibilities of an instructor of youths car- 
 ried on this discipline and prepared 
 him for the tragedy of patriotism in 
 which he was about to take a part. 
 
 In his 20th year he was confirmed in 
 the Episcopal church of Yorkville, and 
 continued a regular communicant and 
 "Christ's faithful servant" until his 
 life's end. His was a simple, unques- 
 tioning faith in God's promises; his 
 piety was absolutely free from any- 
 thing like ostentation, and at home, or 
 in camp, or on the field of battle, his 
 Bible or his prayer book was always 
 in reach of his hand. On many oc- 
 casions in the field we read the Word 
 together. One of these most deeply 
 punctuated in my memory happened 
 about midday on the field of Second 
 Manassas or Groveton. It was known 
 that the decisive struggle would take 
 place that afternoon, and I was sent 
 as a staff officer to place certain bri- 
 gades in position. Passing a short dis- 
 tance in rear of Jenkins's brigade, I 
 came upon Jenkins reclining on the 
 slope of a hill. The young and hand- 
 some Col. Thomas Glover was lying 
 on his back, pillowing his head on his 
 two hands, the staunch and lovable 
 Cato Seabrook, adjutant-general of 
 Jenkins's brigade, was partly reclining 
 near by. After dismounting and greet- 
 ing them and giving such information 
 as I had of the status of things, I noted 
 that Jenkins held a small book in his 
 hand, with one finger inserted between 
 the leaves to mark the place where the 
 reading had been interrupted by my 
 
 advent. Anticipating my inquiry, he 
 said: "We have been reading some of 
 the gospels and epistles in the prayer 
 book, and commenting on Paul's sol- 
 dier spirit. Listen." He read that part 
 of the Epistle to the Ephesians be- 
 ginning, "Put on the whole armor of 
 God," etc. At the conclusion he said, 
 "God grant that at the end, to both 
 God and the country, each one of us 
 may be able to say with Paul, 'I have 
 fought a good fight; I have kept the 
 faith.' " Alas! Alas! When night fell 
 upon that fateful field. Glover and five 
 other South Carolina colonels were 
 dead; poor, pious Seabrook was slowly 
 dying at the field hospital from a buliet 
 through his body; and Jenkins was 
 having his severe wound dressed by 
 the surgeons. 
 
 Of the thousands of gallant young 
 men whom our State sent to the front 
 to vindicate her course and to uphold 
 her honor, none was better equipped 
 than Jenkins for the struggle. His 
 training in the military school of the 
 State, his experience in the military 
 training of youths and the self-disci- 
 pline necessarily involved, backed by 
 his strong, clear intellect and forceful 
 will, all conspired to make him an ideal 
 officer. His handling of his troops in 
 the battle of Seven Pines brilliantly 
 illustrates his superb skill and au- 
 dacity. Receiving the simple order to 
 drive the enemy from his front, he 
 moved his well-drilled troops forward 
 with the steadiness of a parade move- 
 ment, over abatis and breastworks, 
 through camp after camp, and broke 
 line after line of opposing forces in his 
 relentless advance of at least a mile 
 and a half. Finally, at dark, with no 
 enemy in sight, and far in advance of 
 the general alignment of the Confed- 
 erate forces, he formed his line across 
 the Williamsburg road and literally 
 
 "Sheathed his sword. 
 For lack of argument." 
 
 This single splendid deed was enough 
 to win undying fame. 
 
 Was he ambitious? Yes; he was 
 full of an ambition free from all sor- 
 did or selfish taint— an ambition for 
 high achievement in the cause of hu- 
 manity and country, the noble ambition 
 of exalted souls. He was a magnetic 
 man among men. The rare blending in 
 him of tenderness of heart with great 
 force of character could not fail to at- 
 tract and dominate all who came with- 
 in his sphere of infiuence. 
 
 The last scene in his too short but 
 glorious career still haunts my wak- 
 ing dreams. We had reached the Wil- 
 derness just in time to check the ene- 
 my's pursuit of A. P. Hill's broken 
 brigades. Shortly afterwards the ene- 
 my's left flank was turned by Ker- 
 shaw and Mahone and his troops were 
 
 12 
 
driven in rapid flight back to the 
 Brock road. As the order was given 
 for his brigade to advance, Jenkins 
 made my regiment the "battalion of 
 direction" and indicated the point of 
 attack, then grasping my hand with 
 more than usual fervor said, "God bless 
 you, old man. Tell your men that 
 South Carolina looks to each individual 
 son to win this fight today." He left 
 me to join Longstreet and Kea-shaw 
 with their staff officers and couriers. 
 Suddenly a volley of firing was begun 
 by some of our troops in front and 
 as suddenly it stopped. In a few min- 
 utes Col. Robert Sims rode up to tell 
 me that Jenkins and a courier or staff 
 officer were killed and General Long- 
 street was probably mortally wounded 
 by that firing. In a moment I was at 
 my friend's side, but to my passionate 
 appeal for recognition no answer came 
 
 — the bullet was too deeply imbedded 
 in the base of the brain. 
 
 After the lines were arranged for the 
 night I jrode back to the field hospital 
 to have my own wound attended to and 
 to take a last look upon the face of 
 my hero friend. I could scarcely be- 
 lieve that he was dead, for as the fit- 
 ful flashes of the torchlight fell upon 
 his face I saw the same sweet, proud 
 smile of victory that lighted up his 
 face at our late parting. For him, a 
 glorious death! For those that were 
 left, only woe. 
 
 Here, dear colonel, I must stop. 
 Please place this little crumpled leaf 
 somewhere in the beautiful chaplet 
 you are weaving around the memory 
 of my dear heroic friend. 
 
 Very truly yours, 
 
 Asbury Coward. 
 
 13 
 
 f 
 
II. A SOLDIER'S STORY OF HIS BATTLES. 
 
 Jenkins's account of battles in which 
 he was engaged as colonel or as brig- 
 adier-general, or as acting major- 
 general, as given in letters to wife or 
 brother, with supplementary accounts 
 by Longstreet and others: 
 
 BATTLE OF BULL RUN. 
 
 Camp Pettus, July 25. 1861. 
 Headquarters 5th Reg., S. C. V. 
 My Dear Brother: You will have 
 heard ere this of the glorious victory 
 won by us on Sunday last. I write 
 to relieve any anxiety on our account. 
 All you know are unhurt. My regi- 
 ment behaved with great gallantry, 
 and made a charge that well might 
 be remembered. "We turned the right 
 of the enemy and through the mercy 
 of God and the folly of the enemy 
 caused upwards of 5,000 to leave 
 the field. Our brigade was ordered, in 
 connection with two others, to assume 
 the offensive and attack a very for- 
 midable battery of Sherman's guns. 
 Before we made the attack the orders 
 were countermanded and the two other 
 brigades did not move. We did not 
 receive the countermand, and made 
 the attack, my regiment leading. The 
 fire was so intense — 74 guns being fired 
 upon us in the space of 10 minutes — 
 that the two Mississippi regiments 
 broke and fled in perfect panic, first 
 pouring into us, their friends, a terri- 
 fic musketry fire which cut us up 
 badly, the first fire sweeping down nine 
 of Seabrook's company. Never fal- 
 tering, I charged up to the hill upon 
 which the enemy was found, when I 
 halted and reformed my lines amid a 
 hail storm of grape and shell. Look- 
 ing around for my support in storming 
 the hill, I found myself with 600 men, 
 isolated in the presence of four in- 
 fantry regiments — a squadron of cav- 
 alry and eight pieces of artillery. 
 Closing my ranks, I stood with my 
 gallant fellows for three-quartei'S of 
 an hour amid the bursting of shells, 
 and then, not hearing anything of the 
 brigade, I unwillingly decided to with- 
 draw. First, however, I drove the 
 enemy from their guns and into the 
 woods by my rifle fire, and then slowly 
 and deliberately withdrew from the 
 field and found my brigade rallied 
 about three-fourths of a mile from me. 
 The enemy, after retreating into the 
 woods upon my fire, retreated and 
 joined in the rout which took place 
 about the same time. I saved my 
 brigade from ruin by the determina- 
 tion with which I held my place, and 
 the enemy, magnifying by their fears 
 our force, thought we were 15,000 
 men and Jeff Davis turning their 
 flank, which accounts for their re- 
 tiring before so small a force. The 
 
 shots fell around me like hail. I was 
 in the center of this fire, being the only 
 ofl^cer on horseback. One man was 
 shot by my side and a bullet knocked 
 the stirrup from my foot, but God's 
 hand shielded me from harm. Our 
 brigade lost in killed and wounded 70 
 odd men in the space of 10 minutes. 
 I lost more by our friends than enemies. 
 I had 26 killed and wounded. None 
 of Seabrook's men were killed, but 
 nine wounded. Ben (body servant), 
 when he heard that we were cut to 
 pieces and I killed, which was the 
 news carried by some of. the Missis- 
 sippians who ran five miles to the 
 junction, was requested by Mr. 
 Wheeler to save himself and go on the 
 cars to Warrenton, refused to leave 
 me. I will tell you more when I see 
 you. We are now resting from our 
 fighting. May God bless you all. His 
 hand was with us in our fight. Love 
 to all. 
 
 Tour affectionate brother, 
 Micah Jenkins. 
 To Maj. John Jenkins. 
 
 BATTLE OF SEVEN PINES. 
 Headquarters Palmetto Sharpshooters, 
 June 2, 1862. 
 My Ever Precious Wife: Thanks be 
 to our Almighty Father, I am still 
 alive to write you again, I passed day 
 before yesterday through a very severe 
 fight and have won for myself and men 
 a name in history. I accomplished a 
 more brilliant feat than the charge 
 at Balaklava. With two regiments 
 (Palmetto Shapshooters and the Sixth 
 regiment, Cof. John Bratton, about 
 1,800 men.— R. F. J.) I whipped and 
 routed General Couch's division, driv- 
 ing them two miles, fighting fine lines 
 of fresh troops and routing every line, 
 and getting so far ahead of our line 
 that our own guns opened on us. I was 
 struck upon the knee, drawing blood 
 and unfortunately ruining my pants. 
 The brigade under my command cov- 
 ered itself with glory; saving the fate 
 of the day, which was against us 
 when we went in, and setting South 
 Carolina on as high a position as ever. 
 I have been highly complimented. Gen. 
 D. H. Hill, our commander, called my 
 command his "salvation," refused to 
 let me retire yesterday to recruit and 
 get ammunition, saying that he would 
 feel as if he had weakened himself by 
 six brigades. He held me to act as 
 rear guard, selecting me, cut up as 
 we were, out of three divisions as being 
 most reliable, and said to others he 
 would rather have me with one regi- 
 ment than any brigadier with five. I 
 never fought in the same grounds 
 twice, nor the same place five minutes. 
 
 14 
 
breaking five lines of fresh troops by 
 charging with bayonets, never getting 
 within 75 yards of them, took three of 
 their camps, three pieces of artillery 
 and three stands of colors. My regi- 
 ment have acted as heroes to sing in 
 history, never faltering, but ever at 
 my word pressing on until night, after 
 six hours steady fighting, ended our 
 labors for the day. I have never heard 
 of such fighting. Out of the 11 color 
 guards, I only brought back one, and 
 in the two color companies I carried 
 in 80 men and lost 40 killed and wound- 
 ed. I was in my lines or in advance the 
 whole time, cheering and leading my 
 men. The brigade has lost severely. In 
 my regiment I had 20 killed and 202 
 wounded. Cato Seabrook is safe. 
 I was only hit once, but suffer nothing 
 but soreness and the loss of a pair 
 of pants. Carolinians need feel asham- 
 ed no longer. I will send you with 
 this letter an album. You will see 
 General Couch's remarks that his divi- 
 sion that I routed was some 7,00Q men. 
 May God keep me for you, dearest. Till 
 death yours, Micah Jenkins. 
 
 To Mrs. M. Jenkins. 
 
 From Longstreet's Work, "Manassas 
 to Appomattox," on battle of Seven 
 Pines: 
 
 Finding that he could not cut his 
 way back to his command. Couch stood 
 back from the railroad and presently 
 opened his battery fire across our ad- 
 vancing lines. As he was standing di- 
 rectly in front of Smith's division we 
 thought that he would soon be attack- 
 ed and driven off. Nevertheless it was 
 not prudent to leave that point on our 
 flank unguarded until we found Smith's 
 division in action. The force was shut 
 off from our view by the thick pine 
 wood, so that we could know nothing 
 of its strength, and only knew of its 
 position from its artillery fire. We 
 could not attack it lest we should fall 
 under the fire of the division in position 
 for that attack. Anderson's other regi- 
 ments, under the gallant Col. M. Jen- 
 kins, were ordered into Hill's forward 
 battle, as his troops were worn. Jen- 
 kins soon found himself in the van, and 
 so swiftly led on that the discomfited 
 troops found no opportunity to rally. 
 Reinforcements from the Third corps 
 came, but in the swampy woods Jenkins 
 was prompt enough to strike their heads 
 as their retreating comrades passed. 
 Right and left and front he applied hi's 
 beautiful tactics and pushed his battle. 
 
 General Kearny, finding that he could 
 not arrest the march, put Berry's bri- 
 gade off to the swamp to flank and 
 strike it, and took part of Jamison's 
 brigade to follow. They got into the 
 swamp and followed it up to the open- 
 ing near the Couch intrenchment. Gen- 
 eral Berry thought that he got up as 
 far as the Casey camp, but mistook 
 
 Couch's opening for that of Casey, but 
 Jenkins knew that there was some one 
 there to meet him and pushed his on- 
 ward battle. General Hill ordered 
 Rain's brigade to turn this new force, 
 while Rodes attacked, but the latter's 
 men were worn, and some of them were 
 with the advance. Kemper's brigade 
 was sent to support the forward battle, 
 but General Hill directed it to his right 
 against Berry in front of Rain, and it 
 seemed that the heavy, swampy ground 
 so obstructed operations on both sides 
 as to limit their work to infantry fusil- 
 ades until 6 o'clock. 
 
 The following is from the pen of 
 Capt. W. B. Smith, Co. G, Jenkins's 
 Palmetto Sharpshooters: 
 
 "I will give you a description of that 
 grand evolution that the Palmetto 
 Sharpshooters made at Seven Pines, 
 which you will see described by Long- 
 street. After we had driven back four 
 fresh lines of battle General Jenkins 
 drew his lines back a short way and 
 formed a new line. Some one said to 
 him: 'Colonel, just look at them com- 
 ing at the double-quick.' Jenkins re- 
 plied: 'We will meet them at the dou- 
 ble-quick.' He straightened himself 
 up in his stirrups and gave the com- 
 mand to charge front on twelfth com- 
 pany at the double-quick, and I never 
 saw on ordinary parade a prettier 
 maneuver. General Jenkins was ma- 
 gic. He could come nearer making his 
 men work like machinery than any 
 other man I ever saw. That was the 
 last charge at Seven Pines, at which 
 ended the battle. We fought Ave fresh 
 lines that evening and whipped every 
 one. Jenkins was on his horse all 
 through the battle. I am glad that 
 some one is writing up General Jen- 
 kins's battles, for a braver Christian 
 soldier never drew a sword than he." 
 
 SEVEN PINES. 
 
 Gen. G. W. Smith, who succeeded to 
 the command of the Army of Northern 
 Virginia on the wounding of Gen. J. 
 E. Johnston, has this to say in his 
 report of the battle of Seven Pines: 
 
 "The battlefield fighting done by the 
 two regiments under the command of 
 Col. Micah Jenkins has never been sur- 
 passed in the annals of history, and I 
 doubt if it has ever been equaled." 
 
 LETTER FROM ROBT. T. JENKINS— 
 A SON. 
 Columbia, S. C, Sept. 13, 1903. 
 Col. J. P. Thomas, Columbia, S. C. 
 
 My Dear Sir: The battles of Seven 
 Pines, Gaines' Mill, Frayser's Farm, 
 presents Col. Micah Jenkins and that 
 glorious regiment, "Jenkins's Palmetto 
 
 15 
 
Sharpshooters," which had no superi- 
 or, if an equal in either army, in each 
 a different light. At Seven Pines we 
 see them proudly sweeping before them 
 In the full flush of victory, five lines of 
 fresh troops, and captui-ing three en- 
 trenched camps, etc. At Gaines' Mill 
 occurred what has been styled "a duel 
 between two regiments." Just after 
 sunset the Sixteenth Michigan and the 
 Palmetto Sharpshooters came out of 
 the woods almost side by side. Facing 
 towards them and placing his regiment 
 at the "ready," Colonel Jenkins advanc- 
 ed towards the approaching troops, now 
 less than 100 yards off and said: "What 
 regiment is that?" Receiving no reply, 
 and as they still advanced with their 
 colors furled, he again said: "If you 
 don't show your colors I will fire on 
 you." "Halt" was the reply. Some- 
 thing in the tone of voice convinced 
 him instantly that thev were the en- 
 emy. Dropping where he stood he gave 
 the command, "fire," the enemy cov- 
 ering the word with "ready." 
 
 Now only 50 or 60 yards apart, the 
 fire of the Sharpshooters seemed lit- 
 erally to sweep them from the face of 
 the earth — the entire regiment except a 
 mere handful were killed or wounded. 
 But gallant indeed was that little rem- 
 nant rallying round theij- commander 
 and their colors; they still presented 
 a bold front, but seeing the folly of 
 further fight, on being summoned to 
 surrender. Colonel Stockton said: "Col- 
 onel, you have slain all my gallant men 
 but this little band; you might as well 
 take them." Such was the severity of 
 the return fire that over 100 of the 
 Palmetto Shaj-pshooters were killed or 
 wounded. It was only that "quickness" 
 of their commander, so noted, and their 
 own readiness that saved them from 
 the fate of their gallant foe. The col- 
 ors of the Sixteenth Michigan were 
 presented to Governor Pickens by Col. 
 Micah Jenkins, and are now probably 
 In the capitol at Columbia. 
 
 And now we come to that charge 
 which has cast a luster on the very 
 name of Carolina — the battle of Fray- 
 ser's Farm. 
 
 General Longstreet, in his "From Ma- 
 nassas to Appomatox," says: 
 
 "While awaiting the approach of 
 Jackson, President Davis, Gens. R. E. 
 Lee and A. P. Hill and his staff joined 
 me in a little clearing of about three 
 acres curtained by dense pine forest. 
 "Very soon we were disturbed by a few 
 shells tearing and screaming through 
 the woods over our heads, one or two 
 bursting in our midst and wounding a 
 courier. The opening was speedily 
 cleared of the distinguished group. 
 Near the battery from which the shots 
 came was Col. Micah Jenkins, who had 
 a battalion of practiced sharpshoot- 
 ers. I sent orders for Jenkins to si- 
 lence the battery, under the impres- 
 
 sion that our wait was understood, 
 and that the sharpshooters would be 
 pushed forward, till they could pick off 
 the gunners, thus ridding us of the an- 
 noyance. But the gallant Jenkins, only 
 too anxious for a dash at a battery, 
 chaj:'ged and captured it, and thus pre- 
 cipitated the battle" — thus sending one 
 regiment unsupported against General 
 McCall's division. Advancing to the 
 edge of the woods with his little band 
 of 375 men, a remnant of the 1,400 heroes 
 who began the "seven days' cam- 
 paign," there opened out before them 
 across the field of Frayser's Farm not 
 a battery only but a long line of en- 
 trenched troops. Making his men lie 
 down, Colonel Jenkins sent his aid, 
 Lieut. John W. Jamison, to General 
 Longstreet to report 'that instead of a 
 battery it was at least a brigade en- 
 trenched, and he thought it a division, 
 and that he awaited orders.' Unable to 
 find General Longstreet, Lieutenant 
 Jamison reported to Colonel Fairfax, 
 his chief of staff. Colonel Fairfax re- 
 plied: 'Longstreet ordered that battery 
 silenced.' I have what follows mainly 
 from the lips of the gallant Jamison, 
 who in that very fight was to get the 
 terrible wound that made him a heroic 
 martyr to his death: 'Reporting to 
 Colonel Jenkins the order of Colonel 
 Fairfax, I heard him say, as if in 
 prayer, "My God, my poor men." 
 Riding out in front of the regiment, 
 my father told my sainted mother, "I 
 was never so nearly unmanned. Every 
 eye was upon me and I knew that at 
 my word so many, ah, so many, of my 
 brave boys ere the setting of the sun 
 would be sleeping their last long sleep." 
 Riding up and down in front of his men 
 he led them across that field. Within 
 50 yards his first horse was killed. 
 Staggering like a ship at sea beating 
 against the wind, they worked their ar- 
 duous way. Incessant was the roar, 
 unceasing was the storm of shot and 
 shell, terrible was the cry of the file- 
 closers, "Close up, close up," as by ones 
 and twos and fives and tens the gaps 
 were made. Enfiladed at 300 yards by 
 12 pieces of artillery, firing grape and 
 shell, still undaunted they pressed on. 
 Death and red carnage held full sway. 
 Thirteen times were the color bearers 
 shot down, and still there was a hero 
 ever ready to grasp those colors and to 
 bear it on to death or victory. Ever 
 ownward they forced their way through 
 blood and death; they reached the 
 breastworks, and over it their colonel 
 leaps, his wounded horse there to fall, 
 followed by his devoted band. The bat- 
 tery is theirs. Seizing on'^ of the pieces, 
 Capt. R. M. Sims, Lieutenant Moore, R. 
 P. Smith and Ed. Cardwell load and fire 
 on the retreating foe. They silenced 
 the battery, but, oh! at w^-^t a cost! 
 Lieutenant Jamison shot through the 
 lungs — a martyr for life — and of the 375, 
 
 1( 
 
125 reported for duty next day, and 
 think of it, not a single prisoner.' 
 
 I give here Colonel Jenkins's letter to 
 his wife: 
 
 July 3, 1862. 
 
 My Own Dearest: I write with the 
 most saddened feelings. God has been 
 most merciful, but, oh my God, what 
 terrible trials have we been through. 
 Nearly all my best friends, men and 
 officers, killed and wounded. In my 
 regiment in the fight on Monday I 
 carried 375 men and had 250 killed and 
 wounded. Never was such gallantry 
 shown. I had the brigade and was or- 
 dered forward by Generals Anderson 
 and Longstreet. The enemy behind 
 breastworks poured their fire into us 
 until within 30 feet before they gave 
 back, and 12 pieces of artillery, for a 
 quarter of a mile, enfiladed my line at 
 300 yards with grape and shell. We 
 drove everything before us, but when 
 we got there scarce anybody left. Even 
 the Yankee officers, the colonel com- 
 manding the brigade, said never was 
 such a charge made before. I have not 
 time to write you more now. Poor John, 
 shot through the lungs. I pray God he 
 may recover. I am the most singular 
 instance of the providence of God. My 
 sword shot off with a grape, broken 
 again by a ball, the sword knot cut by 
 a ball, my bridle rein cut with a ball, 
 my saddle cloth cut with a ball, my 
 horse shot under me twice, my over- 
 coat, tied behind my saddle, cut in a 
 dozen places with shell, I hit upon the 
 shoulder with a grape and upon the 
 breast with a shell, am here to praise 
 and bless Him. And if I live, my wife, 
 my life is His hereafter. I dedicate it 
 to His service. May God bless and 
 keep you. I have not time to write 
 more. Yours till death, 
 
 Micah Jenkins. 
 
 The battle of Balaklava echoed round 
 the world. It was a cavalry charge. 
 In they rushed, and glad indeed they 
 were to rush out again. They accom- 
 plished nothing. Their loss was ter- 
 rible — 35 per cent. This unequaled band 
 of Carolinians on foot worked their 
 way across that gory field of over a 
 quarter of a mile, captured the battery 
 and held it. Their loss was over 66 
 per cent. It was the grandest charge 
 ever made by any body of men. Gen- 
 eral McCall, the Federal commander, 
 says: "It was my fortune to witness 
 one of the fiercest bayonet charges that 
 ever occurred on this continent. I saw 
 skulls smashed with musket butts and 
 bayonets, wounds given and taken, thus 
 proving that Greek met Greek." Their 
 comrades right and left, enthused to 
 the highest pitch, rushed in with the 
 same spirit, and thus was the battle 
 joined. Never was a more heroic and 
 devoted band than those color bear- 
 ers. P. .W. Poe of Greenville, after five 
 or six were slain, bore the colors so 
 
 proudly as to command the admira- 
 tion of his colonel, "Look at my brave 
 boy." Alas, he bore it on to death. 
 C. L. Reid of Walhalla, shot full of bul- 
 lets, proudly bore it on to victory. 
 Such was the emulation caused by the 
 very name of Jenkins's brigade that 
 they ever afterward began Longstreet's 
 battles — an inspiration to their friends, 
 a terror to their foe. To tell their 
 deeds, my humble pen falters— it needs 
 a Tennyson to sing their praise, and 
 if their proud mother, Carolina, but did 
 them simple justice she would inscribe 
 the name of each and every one of them 
 on her topmost 'roll of fame, in let- 
 ters that would never fade; and ever 
 point, in pride, her sons to their 
 achievements. Yours most truly, 
 
 Robert F. Jenkins. 
 
 BATTLE OP LOOKOUT CREEK. 
 Headquarters Hood's Division, 
 Oct. 29, 1863. 
 My Beloved Wife: Last night I had 
 a terrible fight with immense odds of 
 the Yankees. Yesterday evening a col- 
 umn of the enemy, consisting of the 
 11th army corps, passed our left and 
 joined a body of some 6,000, then about 
 three miles below us. A number of 
 wagons and apparently about 1,000 
 men stopped and camped three miles 
 in the rear of the party above men- 
 tioned. I was ordered by General Long- 
 street to take four brigades of the di- 
 vision I commanded to make an at- 
 tempt to destroy and capture the 
 smaller party. To do this I had to 
 cross a creek passable by two broken 
 bridges (planks had been torn up, only 
 the sleepers left.— R. P. J.) and get be- 
 tween the main body of some 12,000 
 and the party I was ordered to attack. 
 I proceeded to do this as ordered, the 
 forces under my command being near 
 4,000. Placing two brigades under Gen- 
 eral Law to prevent the larger force 
 from cutting off my attacking party, I 
 sent my brigade under Col. John 
 Bratton, to make the attack. This 
 they did splendidly, meeting not 
 as was expected a party of 1,000, but the 
 12th corps of some 5,000, which had 
 come up after night. Tothing daunted 
 by the odds, my brnve boys drove on 
 and captured the wagon train, camps, 
 etc., and in a few minutes would have 
 had the whole Yankee force routed and 
 their guns captured, but at this time 
 the 12,000 men on the other side pressed 
 against the brigades under General 
 Law, who failing to prevent their pass- 
 ing his left, they reached the third sup- 
 porting brigade,^ very small one, and 
 threatened to get between my brigade 
 and us, thus compelling me to recall 
 my brigade in the midst of success. 
 Under the trying circumstances it 
 withdrew in perfect order, and al- 
 though pressed now by 15,000 Federals, 
 I succeeded in retiring my whole force 
 
 17 
 
across two broken bridges without the 
 loss of an additional man. The fight 
 was made at 10 o'clock at night, and 
 lasted until 3 a. m. My brigade lost 
 361, amongst whom was my noble Col- 
 onel Kilpatrick killed, and a number of 
 my gallant officers wounded. Lieuten- 
 ants MuUinax and Crossby of Captain 
 Meacham's company both wounded 
 — the captain not in the fight. The ene- 
 my lost some 1,200 to 1,500 killed and 
 wounded. Colonel Coward distinguish- 
 ed himself, as did his regiment particu- 
 larly — it lost heavily. 
 
 I feel more grateful to God and more 
 proud of this occasion than of any of 
 my battles. Tour loving husband, 
 Micah Jenkins. 
 
 To Mrs. M. Jenkins. 
 
 LONGSTREET'S "MANASSAS TO 
 APPOMATTOX," LOOKOUT 
 CREEK. 
 My estimate of the Federal forces 
 was 5,000. Gen. Bragg thought it not 
 so strong, and appearance from the 
 elevation seemed to justify this esti- 
 mate. Presently the rear-guard came 
 in sight and made its bivouac immedi- 
 ately in front of the position on which 
 we stood. The latter force was esti- 
 mated at 1,500, and halted about three 
 miles in rear of the main body. A 
 plan was laid to capture the rear- 
 guard by night attack. He proposed to 
 send me, McLaw's and Jenkins's divi- 
 sions for the work, and ordered that it 
 should be done in time for the divi- 
 sions to withdraw to the point of the 
 mountain before daylight, left me to 
 arrange details for the attack, and rode 
 to give orders for the divisions, but 
 changed his mind without giving me 
 notice, and only ordered Jenkins's di- 
 vision. After marching his command 
 General Jenkins rode to the top of the 
 mountain and reported. As General 
 Law's detached service had given hiin 
 opportunity to learn something of the 
 country, his brigade was chosen as the 
 brigade of position, between the parts 
 of the enemy's forces. General Law 
 was to move first, get into position by 
 crossing the bridge over Lookout creek, 
 to be followed by Jenkins's other brig- 
 ades, when McLaw's division was to 
 advance into position in support of 
 Law's brigade. I waited on the moun- 
 tain until midnight and then rode to 
 the point of assembly, found the offi- 
 cers in wait discussing the movement, 
 and upon inquiry found that McLaw's 
 division had not been ordered. Under 
 the impression that the other division 
 commander understood that the move- 
 ment had failed, I rode back to head- 
 quarters without giving countermand- 
 ing orders. The gallant Jenkins, how- 
 ever, decided that the plan should not 
 be abandoned, and went to work in its 
 execution with his single (^''^'^^on. To 
 quiet the apprehensions of General 
 
 Law, he gave him Robertson's brigade 
 to be posted with his own and Ben- 
 ning's brigade as their support, and or- 
 dered his own brigade, under Colonel 
 Bratton, to move cautiously against the 
 rearguard and make the attack if op- 
 portunity was encouraging. As soon as 
 Colonel Bratton engaged, the alarm 
 spread, the enemy hastened to the re- 
 lief of his rear, encountered the troops 
 posted to receive them and made swift, 
 severe battle. General Law claimed 
 that he drove off their fight, and under 
 the impression that Colonel Bratton 
 had finished his work, recrossed the 
 bridge, withdrew his command, leaving 
 Colonel Bratton at the tide of his en- 
 gagement. General Jenkins and Col- 
 onel Bratton were left to their own 
 cool and gallant skill to extricate the 
 brigade from the swoop of numbers 
 accumulating against them, and with 
 the- assistance of the brave Bennings 
 Rock brigade brought the command 
 safely over, Benning's brigade crossing 
 ^s Bratton reached the bridge. The 
 conduct of Bratton's forces was one 
 of the cleverest pieces of work of the 
 war, and the skill of its handling soft- 
 ened the blow that took so many of 
 our gallant officers and soldiers. Col- 
 onel Bratton made clever disposi- 
 tion of his men and handled them 
 well. He met gallant resistance, and at 
 one time had part of his command 
 forced back, but renewed the attack, 
 making his line stronger, forced the 
 enemy into crowded ranks, and had 
 him under converging circular fire, 
 with fair prospects, when recalled un- 
 der orders to hasten to the bridge. 
 
 General Law lost (aggregate) 43. 
 
 General Robertson lost (aggregate) 9. 
 
 Colonel Bratton lost (aggregate) 356. 
 
 It was an oversight of mine not to 
 give definite orders for the troops to 
 return to their camps before leaving 
 them. James Longstreet, 
 
 Lieut.-Gen. 
 
 LONGSTREET ON JENKINS'S BRI- 
 GADE. 
 
 "And this is the epitome of the Con- 
 federate battle (Gettysburg). The army 
 when it set out on the campaign was 
 all that could be desired (except that 
 the arms were not all of the most ap- 
 proved pattern), but it was despoiled 
 of two of its finest brigades, Jenkins's 
 and Corse's, of Pickett's division, and 
 was fought out by detail." 
 
 LONGSTREET AT THE SURREN- 
 DER. 
 
 "Seasoned by four years of battle, 
 triumphant the veterans in that body 
 stood at Appomattox when the sun 
 rose on the 9th day of April, 1865, as 
 invincible of valor as on the morning 
 of 31st of August, 1862, after breaking 
 up the Union lines of the second field 
 of Manassas." '2 
 
III. THE INNER LIFE OF MICAH JENKINS. 
 
 With the exception of Asbury Cow- 
 ard, the Citadel classmate of Jenkins, 
 his associate in the Kings Mountain 
 Military School and his close comrade 
 in arms, as well as a participant in a 
 common glory of military achieve- 
 ments, there was, perhaps, no man out- 
 side of Jenkins's family nearer to him 
 in friendship's golden bands than the 
 writer of this paper. Especially were 
 we brought close together in the com- 
 munion of a common sorrow when my 
 younger brother, Robert Kirk Thomas, 
 the Lycidas of my family, died, April 
 10, 1860, in the service of the Kings 
 Mountain Military School, called 
 thither upon his graduation at the Cit- 
 adel, by Messrs. Coward and Jenkins, 
 the principals of that famous school. 
 
 It was Major Jenkins's letter to me, 
 April 19, 1860, that first revealed to 
 me the full nobility of Jenkins, the 
 wealth of his feelings and the depth 
 of his Christian convictions. This 
 treasured letter is the finest of the 
 kind that I have ever read. The pa- 
 thos of it moves me to this day, 
 though written 43 years ago, when 
 the laurel and the cypress were the 
 fresh, symbols of a brother's short ca- 
 reer. 
 
 I hope to be excused for quoting here 
 one passage of Jenkins's letter, to illus- 
 trate not my brother, but his noble 
 friend: "Tour brother seemied anxious 
 that I should nurse him, and although 
 at that time I thought he would be 
 better, yet he seemed so low spirited 
 that I told him that I would be his 
 nurse until he grew better. I tried to 
 cheer him as much as possible. Seeing 
 how restless he was, and thinking it 
 might be good for him to have his 
 mind engaged with something besides 
 his bad feelings, I took the Bible and 
 read two of the beautiful and appro- 
 priate Psalms of David, which seemed 
 to give hiin great pleasure and quieted 
 him for some time. After awhile he 
 turned to me and said, 'Major, cheer 
 me up.' I replied that I would do all 
 I could and that I had prayed and 
 would pray to God for him, but that 
 he should pray too. He assented by 
 nodding his head, talking seemed to 
 weary him, and then I said to him: 
 'You know whom to pray to, Thomas.' 
 He again bent his head with an ex- 
 pressive and kind look. This I said to 
 lead his thoughts where I felt his 
 hopes were to be placed, for I now 
 was much alarmed about him, as 
 all the stimulants seemed to have no 
 effect. From this short conversation 
 and what followed, I have no doubt 
 that he was fully aware of his situa- 
 tion, much better indeed than we were. 
 About 1 o'clock the doctor returned 
 and remained until the death, doing 
 everything that man could do, but God 
 
 had higher and nobler aiins for our 
 friend, and our labors were in vain. 
 About 4 o'clock, seeing no change, I 
 proposed to the doctor that he should 
 speak to him of his situation and give 
 him, while there was yet time, the 
 opportunity to say what was to be of 
 such comfort to us all. At this time, 
 hope had forsaken us, and the hand 
 of God was on your brother's brow. 
 The doctor asked him if he were aware 
 of his situation. He bent his head. 
 The doctor told him we had done all 
 we could for him, and that he must 
 now look to God. He said, 'I put my 
 trust in Christ.' The doctor said there 
 could be no higher or surer place for 
 faith. He replied: 'I have great faith 
 in Christ.' 
 
 "I then said to him, 'And you know, 
 Thomas, Christ has said those who 
 acknowledge Him here He will ac- 
 knowledge in Heaven.' The thought of 
 not having made any declaration of 
 his faith seemed to have been on his 
 mind, for, as I said this, his face 
 brightened and he said with great 
 eagerness, 'I have acknowledged Him,' 
 and called us to witness. I now 
 brought in his brother (a cadet in the 
 school), and speaking to him, he said: 
 'Howdy, Charlie, always do your duty. 
 Tell my mother I am going home to 
 Heaven.' He then thanked us all for 
 our kindness and said, in a broken 
 voice with great exertion: 'Give my 
 love to my mother, to my sisters, to 
 by brothers, to my friends.' * * « 
 About 30 minutes before he died he 
 repeated the Lord's prayer, and, oh! 
 what beauty and feeling was displayed 
 in his broken and touching voice, but 
 seeming to gather strength from the 
 theme his voice grew stronger and to 
 the last was full and loud. He re- 
 peated three times and with increasing 
 solemnity: 'And Thine is the glory 
 forever,' and then made an attempt to 
 sing, seeming to see high above him 
 the glories of the future — and with a 
 smile upon his face extended upwards 
 his arms until his strength failed and 
 he fell back. He rested now for 10 
 minutes seemingly in prayer, and then 
 in a tone that still rings in my heart, 
 said 'Farewell.' This was the last word 
 he ever spoke, and soon after, turning 
 upon his side and holding the doctor's 
 hand, the angels of God claimed his 
 spirit from us, leaving us to mourn our 
 loss, and triumph in his gain. 
 
 To Coward and myself the loss is 
 irreparable, for with a noble assistant 
 we lost a truthful, earnest friend. I 
 never expect to have another fill his 
 place in my respect and heart that he 
 held; but I, too, trust that God has 
 sanctified his death to us all." 
 
 19 
 
This was the mind and the heart of 
 Micah Jenkins four years before he 
 passed away in the glory of battle for 
 his country. 
 
 How applicable to each, my brother 
 and our friend, the words of the poet: 
 
 "Thou wert the morning- star among 
 the living. 
 Ere thy fair light had fled; 
 Now, having died, thou art as Hes- 
 perus, giving 
 New splendor to the dead." 
 
 But the inner life and the soul of 
 Micah Jenkins we find further grandly 
 unfolded in the letters received by his 
 wife, herself the noblest type of wo- 
 manhood, and soon after the tragic end- 
 ing of her husband's brilliant career on 
 his last field of battle. 
 
 Headquarters Palmetto Sharpshooters, 
 near Richmond, Va., May 28, 1862. 
 My Beloved Wife: I got a letter five 
 days old today, nad was happy to hear 
 from you again. I am now in the 
 hands of my God, wife, and I entrust 
 you and my dear children to His fath- 
 erly keeping. The great battle is very, 
 very near, I think. I trust our prayers 
 may be favorably considered by our 
 God and that His hand will cover and 
 protect me, so that when this unhappy 
 war is over I may live to be a husband 
 to you and a father to my children. 
 If it please God to take me away, thus 
 early in life, bid my children, when 
 they are old enough to understand, 
 to be good and true men, doing their 
 duty to you, to their country and 
 their God. Guard and guide them as 
 if I were with you, and be to me a 
 true wife, till God unites us in Heaven. 
 I trust and believe the coming fight 
 will triumphantly vindicate the right- 
 eousness of our cause, and though I 
 may fall, yet I hope a blessed peace will 
 soon give back tc^our country the com- 
 fort and prospertty so much to be de- 
 sired. At my country's feet I lay my 
 young life. Into God's keeping I leave 
 you. Yours till death, 
 
 M. Jenkins. 
 
 THE REV. JAMES McDOWELL'S 
 LETTER. 
 
 The Rev. James McDowell, the chap- 
 lain of one of General Jenkins's regi- 
 ments, in a letter dated Petersburg, 
 Va., July 11, 1864, thus writes to Mrs. 
 Jenkins of his last interviews with her 
 husband: 
 
 "I saw your dear husband twice after 
 his last return from home, and had 
 each time a pleasant interview with 
 him. The first of these occasions was 
 the very day he got back to camp. 
 The Rev. Mr. Craig went with me and 
 we called on him in h^'s tent. Al- 
 though he was not well he met us in 
 
 his usual warm-hearted and cordial 
 manner. From his inquiries and con- 
 versation he appeared to feel a deeper 
 interest in the spiritual welfare of his 
 brigade than I ever witnessed before, 
 and more anxious than ever, by his 
 example and influence, to promote the 
 cause of that Savior whom he pro- 
 fessed and on whom he relied. Little 
 did I think then that he would so soon 
 be taken from us, but I believe that 
 God was then, and had been for some 
 time before, preparing him for the 
 great and important change he was 
 soon to experience. I believe that the 
 death of his and your dear little child 
 last fall, then the death of his dear 
 mother, whom he seemed to love so 
 tenderly, and then your illness, that 
 he spoke to me about and that had 
 caused him so much anxiety; as well 
 as other dealings of God with him, 
 were blessed to his soul and were used 
 as means by a gracious and merciful 
 God in lifting him above the things of 
 this world and ripening him for that 
 bright and happy home to which I 
 trust and believe he has gone. The 
 next time I saw the general, which 
 was the last time we ever conversed 
 together in the world, was the day 
 before he fought his last battle. He 
 was not well enough to ride on horse- 
 back without pain, and consequently 
 traveled in an ambulance, for we were 
 on our march to the battlefield. I 
 rode along by his ambulance for some 
 distance and remained with him some 
 little time during one of the rests. "We 
 conversed pleasantly together on vari- 
 ous subjects, and amongst other 
 things we spoke of the delightful time 
 we all spent together on the Black- 
 water, when you and Mrs. McDowell 
 came and visited us. He seemed to 
 look back to it with great pleasure. 
 The next day he was brought back to 
 our hospital about midday — from the 
 battlefield where he had received his 
 mortal wound — in an ambulance. As 
 soon as the ambulance stopped I hur- 
 ried into it, stooped down by the gen- 
 eral and called him, hoping I would 
 be able to converse with him, but he 
 was insensible, could not speak. It 
 was truly an affecting sight and one I 
 shall long remember. He was taken 
 into a tent, where he died about 5 
 o'clock Friday evening. I saw him a 
 number of times after he was laid 
 out, dressed in his uniform and cov- 
 ered with his battleflag. There was a 
 pleasant smile on his face, and he 
 looked as if in a sweet sleep. Saturday 
 the band of the Sixth regiment played 
 "Old Hundred" in a very solemn and 
 impressive manner as his remains were 
 being removed from the tent to the 
 ambulance, and afterwards a solemn 
 funeral dirge as they were carried off. 
 The death of General Jenkins was not 
 only deeply felt by his brigade, but by 
 
 20 
 
many others, and by even those who 
 were not personally acquainted with 
 him. I feel that I have lost one of my 
 best friends in the army, and can 
 scarcely realize that I will never again 
 in this world look upon his noble, man- 
 ly face and receive his warm and kind- 
 ly greetings. It was at his invitation 
 that I came on as chaplain of the regi- 
 ment to which I am attached, and I 
 shall always cherish his memory with 
 feelings of love and respect. I feel 
 that we have lost a brave and noble 
 and a gallant leader, and also a true 
 friend, but I believe he wfis a Chris- 
 tian and that our loss was his eternal 
 gain. Captain Sims told me that not 
 long ago the general proposed one day, 
 after he came back from home, to send 
 for me to have prayers with him, and 
 that they would have done so, but an 
 order came for marching, which pre- 
 vented their doing so. Tour true 
 friend, 
 
 (Rev.) James McDowell. 
 
 LETTER OF DR. F. L. PARKER, 
 SURGEON, C. S. A. 
 Near Ayletts Station, Va., 
 May 29, 1864. 
 
 Nearly two years ago my brother fell 
 on the field of battle — his wife prized 
 so highly all letters which the affec- 
 tion and interest of friends dictated — 
 she would keep them, she said, for her 
 children. * 
 
 Believing, my dear Mrs. Jenkins, 
 that you, too, will appreciate similar 
 offerings of friendship and regard on 
 the part of your late lamented hus- 
 band's friends, I have intended almost 
 daily to write with a view of express- 
 ing to you my profound sympathy — 
 to communicate my sincere sorrow, 
 to tell you that there were those in the 
 army who felt very deeply for and with 
 you. I also wished to detail some of 
 the circumstances attending the last 
 moments when, among others attached 
 to him, we watched the gradual de- 
 cline of one with whom we had shared 
 the happy hours of camp life, whose 
 confidence we had enjoyed, whose 
 noble manly qualities we esteemed, 
 whose gallantry, promptitude, and dash 
 was admitted, and above all, whose 
 piety and genuine worth we fully ap- 
 preciated. 
 
 The general was wounded about 1 
 p. m. on the 6th, in the battle of the 
 "Wilderness. He left his ambulance to 
 mount his horse when many men 
 would have retired to the rear. He 
 had not been well since his return to 
 his command. The circumstances at- 
 tending his wound are too melancholy 
 to allude to. Like Jackson, he fell by 
 the unfortunate fire of his friends, the 
 country knows it — all unite in lament- 
 ing an accident so unfortunate, so fatal. 
 
 God, who had shielded him on so 
 many fields of blood and carnage, 
 who had protected him in the glorious 
 advance of his brigade on this oc- 
 casion, whose banner he upheld and 
 whose cross he carried with the piety 
 of a patriot and the zeal of a Con- 
 federate soldier — God permitted the 
 bolt which removed him from us, 
 cutting short a brilliant career, a hope- 
 ful, promising future. 
 
 But, Mrs. Jenkins, his old staff claim 
 to share the privilege of mf^urnrig with 
 you, of sorrowing over the death of 
 one whose affection we valued, whose 
 regard we esteemed, in whose bright 
 promise and gradual advance we par- 
 ticipated, and whose death we shall 
 deplore with that deep humility min- 
 gled with profound regret belonging 
 only to pure friendship. 
 
 Soon after he was wounded he was 
 brojight to the infirmary. Every com- 
 fort afforded in the field he had. Pro- 
 fessional aid was useless. I could do 
 nothing but join with other friends in 
 lamenting a fatality we could not help, 
 a blow we tried to be resigned to. Un- 
 usual feeling was manifested through- 
 out the whole division. Nothing could 
 have gratified us more, and amidst all 
 the sadness of that occasion we no- 
 ticed men, rough, weatherbeaten and 
 worn, men who had served in all the 
 trying battles of the war, who had 
 marched in Virginia, from Chattanooga 
 to Bristol, who had endured the hard- 
 ships of that terrible campaign in East 
 Tennessee — we observed them, I repeat, 
 with genuine tears of sorrow, saying: 
 "He was a gallant man, a good gen- 
 eral." 
 
 The general lived six hours, breath- 
 ing his last a little after 6 p. m. He 
 was semi-conscious. Without recogniz- 
 ing our voices, I think he knew we 
 were with him. 
 
 He died confident of victory, and at 
 the last moment, when his gallant 
 spirit took its upward flight, a bright, 
 happy, trusting smile lit up his face. 
 Those around watched it; we thought, 
 we felt, he was with hit God. 
 
 Personally, Mrs. Jenkins, I feel that 
 I have lost a very, very warm friend; 
 we all feel so; all words of mine would 
 be inadequate to express how totally 
 devoted he was to you and to his little 
 boys. 
 
 In the last conversation which we 
 had together, except a salutation on 
 the battlefield, he spoke much about 
 yourself and the ties which bound him 
 to his home. If this letter affords any 
 consolation I shall be gratified. God 
 knows how much I felt for my sister 
 similarly circumstanced, and He only 
 knows how much I feel for you. 
 
 I am, madam, with respectful sym- 
 pathy. Tour friend, 
 
 (Signed) Francis L. Parker. 
 To Mrs. M. Jenkins, Orangeburg. 
 
 21 
 
Extract from the letter to Mrs. Jen- 
 kins from the Rev. J. N. Craig, chap- 
 lain of the Fifth South Carolina regi- 
 ment, July 9, 1864: 
 
 "I first became acquainted with Gen- 
 eral Jenkins in 1861, when he was col- 
 onel of the Fifth regiment, when I was 
 chaplain of the Ninth, and he used 
 frequently to attend my preaching. 
 For a year before his death I was in 
 his brigade and, with the other chap- 
 lains, always received his courteous, 
 respectful treatment and attention. 
 When he last came from home he 
 reached our camp on Sabbath, May 1. 
 That evening Brother McDowell and I 
 were both at his tent. He told us that 
 it was his desire, much more than ever 
 before, to further the cause of religion 
 in our brigade, and that we chaplains 
 must let him know always what he 
 could do for us to facilitate our efforts 
 in that behalf. This he ui-ged very 
 openly and earnestly upon us. After- 
 wards he sought an interview with 
 Brother Boggs, of the Sixth, and said 
 the same to him. On the 5th of May, 
 1864, as we wei-e approaching the fatal 
 field on which he and other gallant 
 spirits gave up their lives, I being at 
 the time on foot, he was kind enough 
 to invite me to ride in his ambulance. 
 He was reading his Bible and remarked 
 to me: 'I do not see how any man 
 can go into, battle who has not a hope 
 that if he falls it will be well with him.' 
 * * * This one thing I do believe in, 
 namely, that God not only can but 
 often does ripen His children just be- 
 fore taking them, and I can say can- 
 didly that ever since the general's 
 death I have hoped that such was the 
 case with him. The foregoing circum- 
 stances give me that hope. He cer- 
 tainly seemed to feel a deeper interest 
 in the religious welfare of the others 
 and a greater desire to woik for the 
 church after his last retui'n to camp 
 than before. * * * Do not understand 
 me to say that I think General Jenkins 
 became a Christian just before his 
 death. I hope he was long, long before 
 a child of God and that his latter days 
 gave evidence that God, 
 
 " 'Who moves in a mysterious way 
 His wonders to perform,' " 
 
 was thus causing him to grow in grace 
 more rapidly than at any previous 
 period — ripening him for the great har- 
 vest of glory He was so soon intended 
 to place before him. I trust that your 
 husband is now reaping that harvest 
 of peace and glory. 
 
 "J. N. Craig, 
 "Chaplain Fifth S. C. Regiment." 
 
 Letter from the eminent divine, Dr. 
 B. M. Palmer: 
 
 Columbia, S. C, May 25, 1864. 
 
 My Dear Mrs. Jenkins: I have great- 
 ly desired to write you after I heard 
 
 of the overwhelming sorrow which has 
 fallen upon you, but grief like yours 
 seems to me so awful that I feared to 
 enter its sanctuary. Will you permit me 
 to sit just outside at the door and min- 
 gle my lamentations with the deep sob 
 which breaks from your heart. In the 
 first access of great bereavement, the 
 soul turns away in bitterness from 
 proffered sympathy, it falls so far be- 
 low the proportions of our own grief 
 as to seem but a mockery. The heart 
 craves to be alone with its sorrows, 
 and finds a melancholy pressing down 
 to the bosom the sharp point by which 
 it has been pierced. I will not deny 
 you the luxury of secret grief, and feel 
 that it is almost profane to disturb by 
 this letter the communion which you 
 hold with your own sad and bitter 
 thoughts. I will not be so indiscreet as 
 to utter words of consolation. The 
 time has not yet come for that. He 
 will comfort you most who can most 
 fully share anguish and meet tears 
 which are nearly as bitter as your own. 
 If an apology is needed for obtruding 
 these lines upon you I would plead 
 what had seemed to me a singular co- 
 incidence. On the 25th of April, I trav- 
 eled on my way to the General Assem- 
 bly a whole day with your lamented 
 husband. It happened to be an accom- 
 modation train, on which were few 
 passengers, and we sat side by side 
 from Columbia to Chester, where he 
 broke off to YorkvUle. During this in- 
 terview of so many hours, he related to 
 me his whole military history, and I 
 could not but admire the high intelli- 
 gence which marked his conversation, 
 and more than all the sincere and un- 
 ostentatious piety which pervaded it 
 throughout. I parted from him with 
 an audible prayer that God would bless 
 him, keep him and restore him in 
 safety to those whom he loved. Little 
 did I dream that within two weeks the 
 dead body of my friend would be with 
 me on the same train on which I was 
 returning to my home. Yet so it was. 
 We traveled together both ways, once 
 as he was alive and buoyant, going to 
 the fatal field where his last battle 
 was to be fought, and again when his 
 sword lay an idle ornament above his 
 bier. In the early dawn, the sole living 
 friend, I walked beside his hearse 
 through the silent streets of Columbia, 
 as a small military escort, with solemn 
 martial music, conveyed his mortal re- 
 mains to the Arsenal Hill. Shall I tell 
 you also of the peculiar circumstances 
 under which I heard the announcement 
 of his death? A day had been set 
 apart by the General Assembly to dis- 
 cuss the whole subject of missions to 
 the army. The Rev. B. T. Lay, one of 
 our commissioners to the troops in 
 Virginia, was making an eloquent and 
 pathetic address which melted the au- 
 dience into tears. He was twice in- 
 terrupted by dispatches brought into 
 
 22 
 
the church and read from the platform, 
 announcing the triumph of our arms 
 across the Mississippi and on the blood- 
 stained fields of Virginia, and at the 
 close of this last the heavy tidings fell 
 upon my ears that General Jenkins was 
 killed. With what crushing weight 
 those words fell upon my heart! I 
 strove for two days to be incredulous, 
 hoping against hope that there was 
 some mistake in the name. It seemed 
 impossible that the brave and gallant 
 and Christian friend with whom I had 
 conversed through a whole day's trav- 
 el, just a little before, was now no 
 more, but this stubborn skepticism had 
 to give way to a feeling of sadness 
 which I have not since thrown off. It 
 is true my acquaintance with your hus- 
 band was far from intimate, but he be- 
 longed to his country, an4 his patriot- 
 ism, his bravery, his distinguished ser- 
 vice to the cause which lies so near my 
 heart — all these had made him my 
 brother. Then I, too, had married him. 
 Memory went back to the morning 
 when with the rising sun I was permit- 
 ted to witness and to seal that holy 
 covenant, the joy of which is now turn- 
 ed to bitter sorrow for you, my poor 
 afflicted sister. If I knew him but 
 slightly, I had at least been associated 
 with him in one of the most sol- 
 emn and sacred actions of his 
 life. There were associations with 
 him through you, as your hus- 
 band he could not be a stranger to 
 me. The warm affection I have for 
 your father, and the tender recollec- 
 tions spent with you at your father's 
 home, would have led me to follow him 
 with my eyes had life long stretched 
 out to fourscore years. When that dis- 
 mal telegram was read in the open 
 assembly of my church, I bowed my 
 head and wept for the sorow that had 
 come upon you, tasting, perhaps, at 
 that very same moment the first bitter- 
 ness of widowhood. Would to God that 
 I could put sweetness into that 
 draught. But no, it is only given you 
 to say with your great Master, "if this 
 cup cannot pass from me except I 
 drink it. Thy will be done." It has not 
 passed from you; you must drink it, 
 daughter of sorrow, even to its dregs, 
 and we who witness the torture of your 
 spirit must feel the almost equal an- 
 guish of witnessing the grief — the grief 
 which we cannot alleviate. It would be 
 a relief if we could so place our souls 
 in your soul's stead as to bear a part 
 of this heavy load. But sorrow does 
 not admit of distribution. The sorrow 
 which we feel is our sorrow, and it 
 does not lighten yours. God has placed 
 you under the rod; and it smarts not 
 the less for you that others feel it, 
 too. What can we do but pray the 
 God of ?'l consolation to fill you with 
 all joy aiid peace in believing that you 
 may abound in hope by the power of 
 the Holy Ghost. 
 
 There are sources of comfort even 
 in this affliction, to which you will 
 gratefully turn, so soon as grief ceases 
 to be a luxury. Tou will rejoice that 
 he has left a stainless name to his 
 children. You will be happy when a 
 grateful nation owns the debt of love 
 and honor which is his due. You will 
 feel the dignity of his death — laying 
 down his life upon the altar of his 
 country. A generous and noble pride 
 will sustain you when you shall read 
 his name among the martyrs whom a 
 whole people will unite to reverence 
 and praise, and a thousandfold greater 
 comfort will fill your heart when you 
 can take time to realize that he has 
 gone up to be with the redeemed. You 
 will think gratefully of that splendid 
 flight which has borne him upwards to 
 be with immortals. Even in your deep 
 grief, thank God that he was a Chris- 
 tian, that you are not driven to shut 
 in your thoughts so that they shall not 
 venture to cross the grave. Bless God 
 with fervor of soul that you can follow 
 him in thought to the far beyond and 
 lift the veil which hides the eternal 
 world from human eyes. All these re- 
 flections will come up in their due time, 
 and will be full of sweetness. At pres- 
 ent your greatest happiness is to weep. 
 Weep then. Jesus wept. Why not we? 
 Weep freely those tears which nature 
 exacts as her tribute, and when the 
 hour shall come to dry those tears, may 
 the Comforter, which is the Holy 
 Ghost, bring to your remembrance the 
 promises of God, so freely given to 
 the fatherless and widow. 
 
 Most truly yours, 
 
 B. M. Palmer. 
 
 It is, as I have always maintained, 
 too much the fashion to ignore more 
 or less the wives of mothers or the 
 fathers of great men in arms or State, 
 letters or church, when the biographer 
 executes his work. How often is it 
 that the mother lays the groundwork 
 of the son's eminence, and how often is 
 the wife the inspiration of the hus- 
 band's achievements, and how some- 
 times the father molds the son's char- 
 acter. One incident in Micah Jenkins's 
 life as a boy of about 12 years reveals 
 the strong influence that his mother 
 exerted over him. About to undergo 
 a most severe and painful operation in 
 the extraction of a large size fish hook 
 that had buried itself in his wrist, the 
 surgeon proceeded to administer some 
 whiskey to sustain him in the ordeal 
 of suffering that he was to undergo, 
 but the boy firmly refused to take the 
 stimulant, saying that he had pro- 
 mised his mother never to take a drink 
 of intoxicating liquor. So he bravely 
 submitted to the surgeon's knife with- 
 out chloroform or stimulating drug, 
 although his strong will could not 
 
 23 
 
prevent him from fainting under the 
 excruciating pain that he endured. 
 
 The wife of General Jenkins was the 
 beautiful, beloved and accomplished 
 daughter of Gen. D. F. Jamison, sol- 
 dier, scholar and statesman, one of the 
 founders of the South Carolina Mili- 
 tary Academy, the author of the ex- 
 quisite volume entitled "Life and 
 Times of Bertrand du Guesclin," and 
 the president of the secession conven- 
 tion. I knew Miss Carrie Jamison in the 
 days of her youth and her beauty as 
 the favorite daughter of an honored 
 friend. She was worthy of Micah Jen- 
 kins, as Micah Jenkins was worthy of 
 her. I knew her afterwards when she 
 was the ornament of her husband's 
 home in Yorkville, S. C, and the moth- 
 er of his children. In my sketch, in 
 Thomas' History of South Carolina 
 Mil tary Academy of General Jamison, 
 one of the best men I ever knew, and 
 one who was to me, "guide, philoso- 
 pher and friend," the following ap- 
 pears: 
 
 "So much for Gen. D. F. Jamison in 
 his public role. But splendid as that 
 was, his private life shed no less luster 
 on his honored name. Its exceeding 
 beauty is revealed to the light of day 
 in the tribute paid to his memory by 
 his favorite child, the widow of the 
 noble-hearted, high-souled Gen. Micah 
 Jenkins, herself the type of gracious 
 womanhood, worthy alike of such a 
 father and such a husband. Says Mrs. 
 Jenkins in her letter to the writer: 
 
 " 'You ask how my father appeared to 
 me from a daughter's standpoint. You 
 may not know, but my father educated 
 me from my 10th year. I was his con- 
 stant companion until my marriage in 
 my 19th year. My girlhood was spent 
 almost entirely in his library. I cared 
 but little for the outside world, so con- 
 tent was I with my dear father's so- 
 ciety. As I look back to those years 
 so blessed, my father appears to my 
 mature judgment, as he did then, as 
 the embodiment of all that is lovely in 
 men, a devoted husband, a wise and 
 tender parent, a kind master always 
 courteous to others, regardful f>ver of 
 the feelings of inferiors. I have rarely 
 met any one resembling him. I have 
 loved to recall his perfect devotion to 
 and trust in me. This has helped to 
 sustain me under the heavy burdens I 
 have borne these many years. While 
 of the strictest integrity, he was pitiful 
 to the failings of those less favored 
 than himself. It has saddened me to 
 see how little already is known of him 
 in the State to which his life was so en- 
 tirely devoted. I do rejoice that his 
 memory is so dear to you.' " 
 
 Of the father of Micah Jenkins, the 
 epitome of the man's life and character 
 might be summed up in the Tennyson- 
 ian description of one "who bore with- 
 out abuse the grand old name of gen- 
 tleman." Capt. John Jenkins was the 
 
 soul of honor. He was one of the 
 knightly men who adorned Edisto 
 Island in the brave days of old when 
 English barons seemed to be living on 
 the coast of South Carolina. Brave as 
 a lion, he was yet a prince of peace. 
 The peer of the highest on the island, 
 he was nevertheless the friend of the 
 humblest, and a man who believed in 
 the aristocracy of virtue and mefit. 
 For several years he represented Edisto 
 Island, Charleston, as senator in the 
 General Assembly of the State — no ora- 
 tor but a most efficient and working 
 member. He was, however, a busy 
 reader and a charming conversation- 
 alist. In physique he was a fine type 
 of manhood, six feet one inch and a 
 half high, and stoutly built. People 
 acquainted with the conditions in South 
 Carolina befSre the great War Between 
 the Sections know how a system pre- 
 vailed in the Southern States not un- 
 like the feudal system in Northern 
 Europe. The planters were the south- 
 ern barons. Captain Jenkins was one 
 of the barons on Edisto Island. But 
 planter and baron though he was, he 
 was a man in thorough sympathy with 
 all the white people on the island. He 
 was a man of the people, a genuine 
 American Democrat. To illustrate the 
 characteristic, it may be stated how 
 it was his habit from time to time to 
 bring together all the overseers of the 
 island and to entertain them in his 
 house, to wine and dine his fellow citi- 
 zens of that well-known class in the 
 South. Captain Jenkins was a noble 
 subscriber to the manly words of 
 Burns in his ode: "For a' that arfd a' 
 that," one stanza of which thus reads: 
 
 "What though on hamely fare we dine, 
 Wear hoddin gray, and a' that? 
 Gie fools their silks and knaves their 
 
 wine, 
 A man's a man for a' that; 
 For a' that and a' that. 
 Their tinsel show and a' that; 
 The honest man, though e'er sae poor. 
 Is king of men, for a' that." 
 
 Under the molding process of such 
 parentage, and with such family pres- 
 tige and with such family traditions 
 as environed young Micah Jenkins, no 
 wonder that he and his noble brother, 
 Maj. John Jenkins, now living with his 
 indomitable spirit unsubdued by age 
 and disease, and his loyalty to Confed- 
 erate memories unconquered and un- 
 conquerable by the mutations of time 
 and "the blows of circumstances" — no 
 wonder, I repeat, that the Jenkins 
 brothers should have become heroes in 
 the War of Secession, the one in Vir- 
 ginia and in Tennessee and the other 
 on the coast of South Carolina, the lat- 
 ter a major only, and yet a major only 
 because, for reasons chivalric, he de- 
 clined the tender of a brigadier-gen- 
 eralship. 
 
The Jenkins family tree was deeply 
 rooted in English soil. The family can 
 be traced far back in the history of 
 England. The family crest was a 
 griffin's head and neck, with an arrow 
 held in the beak, with a baton under- 
 neath. This was also the crest of Sir 
 Leoline Jenkins, who was knighted on 
 the field of battle by Henry VII, thus 
 linking the J%nkinses of England with 
 the Jenkinses of Edisto. 
 
 In American history the name of 
 Capt. Joseph Jenkins appears on one 
 of the original Revolutionary muster 
 rolls. On the "List of officers of the 
 South Carolina line, upon the conti- 
 nental establishment during the war of 
 the Revolution, 1775-1783," gotten up by 
 the late Gen. Wilmot G. DeSaussure, 
 there appears the name of, Joseph Jen- 
 kins, first lieutenant. Second regiment. 
 On the "List of officers of the militia 
 of South Carolina who took part in the 
 war of the Revolution, 1775-1783," pre- 
 pared by the same writer, are enrolled 
 the names of Capt. John Jenkins, St. 
 Helenas Island Volunteers; Capt. Thos. 
 Jenkins, Colonel Rothmaler's regi- 
 ment; Capt. Joseph Jenkins, Edisto 
 Island Volunteers; Ensign Benjamin 
 Jenkins, Edisto Island Volunteer com- 
 pany, Colleton county regiment; Lieut. 
 Joseph Jenkins, Colleton county regi- 
 ment; Lieut. Reuben Jenkins, Colonel 
 Kolb's regiment, Marion's brigade; 
 Lieut. James Jenkins, Colonel Benton's 
 regiment, Marion's iDrigade. 
 
 It thus appears that the name of 
 Jenkins is enrolled nine times on the 
 Revolutionary list. 
 
 The sons of Micah Jenkins and Car- 
 rie Jamison Jenkins now living are 
 Maj. Micah J. Jenkins, to whom was 
 recently presented a handsome sword 
 by his friends in South Carolina, in 
 consideration of his gallantry in the 
 late war with Spain, the presentation 
 being made in terms of highest praise 
 by President Roosevelt, who, a colonel 
 in the regiment of Rough Riders, was 
 himself the witness of Capt. Jenkins's 
 superb bearing under a heavy fire of 
 shot and shell upon the slope of the 
 hill of San Juan. The other well- 
 known sons of Gen. Jenkins are Robert 
 Flavel, William Edward and John Mur- 
 ray Jenkins, Captain U. S. A., and late 
 efficient commander of cadets, S. C. 
 M. A., all honoring their father's 
 name and cherishing his memory 
 with filial loyalty born of a spirit 
 kindred to their parents, in whom true 
 manhood and true womanhood were so 
 happily illustrated. 
 
 The surviving brothers of Micah Jen- 
 kins are Maj. John Jenkins of Charles- 
 ton, S. C, and that accomplished phy- 
 sician, residing in Florida, Dr. Edward 
 E. Jenkins. The characteristic of gen- 
 erosity has ever attached to the Jen- 
 kins family. Ramsay says in the ap- 
 pendix to his "History of South Caro- 
 
 lina" in the statistical account of Edisto 
 Island: "The Episcopalians of Edisto 
 were originally connected in worship 
 and discipline with the parish church 
 of Johns Island, and had divine service 
 performed for them at occasional in- 
 tervals. Being liable to various disap- 
 pointments in their expectation of di- 
 vine service, they were led to separate 
 from that church. In effecting that 
 separation they built in 1774, by sub- 
 scription, a neat and commodious 
 chapel, and some time after created a 
 permanent fund for the support of 
 their ministers. The zeal and liberality 
 displayed by theig on these occasions, 
 considering the paucity of their mem- 
 bers, refiects great credit on the parties 
 concerned." Dr. Ramsay then gives a 
 list of these liberal subscribers. Among 
 them the following names occur: Chris- 
 topher Jenkins, £200; Daniel Jenkins, 
 £150; Joe Jenkins, £150; Isaac Jenkins, 
 £125; Daniel Jenkins Jr., £50— six 
 good churchmen, and true to "the 
 grave ritual brought from England's 
 shore." 
 
 PERSONAL IMPRESSIONS OF MI- 
 CAH JENKINS. 
 
 I have reserved for the last my per- 
 sonal impressions of Micah Jenkins. 
 He entered the Citadel the year I was 
 graduated therefrom. Being one of the 
 assistant instructors drawn from the 
 first class to help in the instruction of 
 the fourth class, I bore for the year 
 the relation of cadet preceptor to the 
 class of Jenkins in the department of 
 English. It was, as I remember, the 
 day that he matriculated that he stated 
 to me, as we stood together near the 
 sally port of the Citadel, that he in- 
 tended to be first in his class. This he 
 stated not arrogantly but resolutely, 
 and although his fellow graduates of 
 the class of 1854 were such good men 
 and true as Hart, and Hoke, and Rad- 
 cliffe, and Haskell, and Adams, and 
 Steadman, and Coward, and Fleming, 
 and Mazyck, and Culpeper, and Jami- 
 son, yet the record shows that no one of 
 his classmates excelled him either in 
 scholarship or soldiership. He was the 
 type of a brave, enthusiastic, manly, 
 hightoned youth, with fine ideals, who 
 cherished noble longings for the strife 
 of life. His was a personality at once 
 strong and graceful, and to the teacher 
 and his associates in the corps of 
 cadets so striking that I may say: "I 
 marked him as a far Alp, and loved to 
 watch the sunrise" in his beaming eyes. 
 How well he fulfilled the promise of his 
 cadetship, as co-founder and co -man- 
 ager with his classmate, Asbury Cow- 
 ard, at the Kings Mountain Military 
 School, and as a soldier of the Southern 
 Confederacy from 1861 to 1864, this 
 paper attests, as it shows him shower- 
 ing honors upon his alma mater, his 
 
 25 
 
family, his State, and his country — his 
 brave heart to the very last responding 
 to the grand sentiment of men who 
 would be free: 
 
 "Thy spirit, Independence, let me 
 
 share, 
 Lord of the lion heart and eagle eye." 
 
 Micah Jenkins died in the bloom of 
 youth, after a career brief but brilliant, 
 and yet long enough to give him time 
 and opportunity to create the muni- 
 ments of enduring character and last- 
 ing fame. It is a fact that every di- 
 vision commander under whom Jenkins 
 served recommended him highly for 
 promotion. In order to fix for all time 
 his military status in the history of 
 the Confederacy, "that rose so fair and 
 fell so pure of crime," enough to say 
 that after the battle of Second Manas • 
 sas, in which Jenkins's brigade bore 
 such a conspicuous part in turning the 
 repulse of Pope's army into a rout, and 
 in which General Jenkins was severely 
 wounded, Gen. Robt. E. Lee rode up to 
 General Jenkins and, congratulating 
 him on his splendid fight, said: "I 
 hope yet to see you one of my lieuten- 
 ant-generals." 
 
 LIEUTENANT-GENERAL D. H. 
 HILL'S TRIBUTE. 
 
 General Hill, slow to praise, said of 
 Gen. Micah Jenkins: 
 
 "Adjutant- and Inspector-General 
 Cooper: In leaving the district of 
 North Carolina I feel it due to Briga- 
 dier-General Jenkins that attention 
 should be called to his extraordinary 
 merit. At Seven Pines his brigade was 
 under my immediate notice, and by his 
 skilful handling rendered more service 
 than any two engaged. His disposi- 
 tions on the Blackwater and around 
 Richmond always excited my admira- 
 tion. 
 
 "I know no brigadier in the service 
 more worthy of promotion. He has 
 all the qualities necessary to make him 
 a most efficient division commander. 
 
 "With great respect, D. H. Hill, 
 "Lieutenant-General." 
 
 Gen. Wade Hampton said: "Micah 
 Jenkins was the finest soldier I ever 
 saw." 
 
 Micah Jenkins showed that the age 
 of chivalry survived in our southland. 
 In his breast the flower of a knight- 
 hood such as grew in the medieval 
 age of Europe bloomed, adorning the 
 home, beautifying the battle and lend- 
 ing its fragrance to the air of the 
 South. 
 
 On the perilous edge of battle, or at 
 the head of his charging lines, with 
 his fine features lighted up with such 
 gaudia certaminis as Christian soldiers 
 feel, Jenkins was wont to appear as 
 the incarnation of the genius of war, as 
 the personification of valor. Further- 
 more, he handled his command with 
 the precision of the cool and skilful 
 tactician. ♦ 
 
 As was said of Arthur Henry Hallam, 
 to whose memory Tennyson's "In Me- 
 mofiam" is a tribute more enduring 
 than marble, so may it be said of 
 Micah Jenkins, superb soldier and 
 Christian gentleman: 
 
 "And thou hadst won in the first strife 
 of youth 
 Trophies that gladdened hope and 
 
 pointed on 
 To days when we should stand and 
 
 minister 
 To the full triumphs of thy gathered 
 strength." 
 
 In response to the suggestion of Mrs. 
 S. Reed Stoney of Columbia, some of 
 the patriotic and appreciative women 
 of the capital of South Carolina, the 
 State to which Micah Jenkins was as 
 loyal and devoted as ever cavalier was 
 to king in English story, have proposed 
 to secure a portrait in oil of the match- 
 less brigadier, to whom a major-gener- 
 alship was in view when divine pro- 
 motion came upon the field of the Wil- 
 derness, and to place in our capitol the 
 picture, alongside of Gordon, and 
 Hampton, and Kershaw, and Butler, 
 and Gary. May this happy thought of 
 South Carolina's womanhood be 
 promptly seconded and consummated 
 by her responsive manhood, and may 
 the best art of the country be engaged 
 to place on the glowing canvas the 
 lineaments of the soldier "without fear 
 and without reproach," the Bayard of 
 the Palmetto State — as brave as Ney, 
 as tender as Sidney, as daring as 
 Murat. It has been said by Trescot in 
 his fine English: 
 
 "The fame of the soldier is a high 
 and holy fame. Founded on self-sacri- 
 fice and achieved through suffering, it 
 shines from mountain to seashore with 
 protecting effulgence and lights up 
 every hearthstone in the land with the 
 solemn radiance of national feeling." 
 
 Such is the fame of Gen. Micah Jen- 
 kins. 
 
 After the lapse of nearly 40 memorial 
 years, the guardian angel of Confeder- 
 ate memories, arrayed now in the white 
 robes of Peace, with honor seems to 
 say, as she points to the youthful war- 
 rior's name on the historic page: 
 "The knight's bones are dust. 
 
 And his good sword rust; 
 
 His soul is with the saints, I trust." 
 
 Columbia, Sept. 22, 1903. 
 
 26 
 
APPENDIX. 
 
 THE GENEALOGY OF THE JENKINS FAMILY FROM THE ORIGINAL RECORDS ; 
 COPY FURNISHED BY HA-WKINS K. JENKINS, ESQ. 
 
 The Jenkins family of the coast of 
 South Carolina came originally from 
 Glamorganshire, Wales, and by family 
 tradition, claim descent from Llewel- 
 lyn, one of the last of the petty Welsh 
 kings. 
 
 The name was originally Ap Shankins. 
 Spreading over to England the name 
 became Anglicized and changed to 
 Jenkins. The most distinguished of the 
 name in England was Juade David 
 Jenkins, who, being a staunch Royal- 
 ist, refused to acknowledge the Rump 
 government; spent sixteen years in the 
 Tower rather than allow it to be stated 
 in public that he recognized the au- 
 thority of the Rump parliament, al- 
 though his liberty was offered him on 
 that condition more than once; was led 
 out for execution, but being permitted 
 to speak to the populace, with his 
 Book of Common Prayer in one hand 
 and the laws of England in the other, 
 made so deep an impression on the 
 public that the authorities returned 
 him to the Tower, saying that his 
 "execution would make him a martyr 
 instead of a criminal." Upon the res- 
 toration he was set at liberty and had 
 many honors heaped upon him from 
 the Crown. (See Dictionnaire Biog- 
 raphie.) Sir Leoline Jenkins was am- 
 bassador to Prance, negotiated several 
 treaties of importance, and held the 
 privy seal for a number of years. He 
 never married. 
 
 About the year 1700 the family^ first 
 appear in this country, when three 
 brothers, John, Joseph and Richard, 
 came over. John and Joseph settled on 
 St. Helena Island, Beaufort County, 
 and Richard settled finally in Pennsyl- 
 vania, where the family is now large 
 and influential, with branches in Vir- 
 ginia, Maryland and New York. From 
 him were descended the late Gen. Al- 
 bert Gallatin Jenkins, C. S. A., of Vir- 
 ginia, and Rear Admiral Thornton Jen- 
 kins, U. S. N. The South Carolina 
 branch gradually spread along the 
 coast, always keeping within reach of 
 tidewater. Gov. Charles J. Jenkins of 
 Georgia was of this family. 
 
 Gen. Micah Jenkins was descended 
 from Joseph Jenkins. His grandfather, 
 
 Joseph Jenkins, at the age of 17 years 
 was a lieutenant in the St. Helena Vol- 
 unteers, and later in the Continental 
 army. He stood 6 feet 4 inches in his 
 stocking feet at 21 years of age, and 
 was a man of great mental activity 
 and physical strength. He married 
 Elizabeth Evans (this family of 
 Evans is now extinct), moved to 
 Edisto Island, and in 1791 bought 
 "Brick House" plantation, which has 
 never since been out of the family, and 
 is now owned and occupied by his 
 grandson, John Micah Jenkins. He 
 was for years a member of the General 
 Assembly, was an eloquent and force- 
 ful speaker, and it is said that on more 
 than one occasion the lower House ad- 
 journed in order to hear his speech on 
 measures of importance. He had quite 
 a large family, of whom Col. Joseph E. 
 Jenkins and Capt. John Jenkins were 
 the most noted. Col. Joseph E. Jen- 
 kins was commissioned captain in the 
 War of 1812, but very greatly to his 
 regret was prevented from getting into 
 active service. He represented his par- 
 ish in the State Senate as long as he 
 would consent to do so, and was a 
 member of the Secession Convention. 
 Like his father, he was a man of large 
 physique, being 6 feet 2 inches in 
 height, and well proportioned. He had 
 six sons, all of whom were over 6 feet 
 tall. 
 
 Capt. John Jenkins was also a large 
 man, being 6 feet 1% inches in 
 height. He, too, represented his parish 
 in the General Assembly for a number 
 of years. He left three sons, viz.: Maj. 
 John Jenkins, one of the knightliest 
 men this State has ever produced; Dr. 
 Edward E. Jenkins, a distinguished 
 physician of high character, and Gen. 
 Micah Jenkins. These two brothers. 
 Col. Joseph E. Jenkins and Capt. John 
 Jenkins, were most distinguished for 
 their unbending integrity, invincible 
 courage, exceeding courtesy and 
 boundless hospitality. They gave to 
 the Southern Confederacy between 
 them seven sons, to wit: Col. Joseph 
 E. gave, in the order of their age, Jos- 
 eph E. Jr., Paul P., lieutenant and sur- 
 geon, John M., lieutenant, and George 
 
 27 
 
M. His other two sons died before the 
 war. Capt. John gave the three above 
 named. But two of Col. Joseph E. Jen- 
 kins' sons have sons now living, to 
 wit: Dr. Paul F. Jenkins left three 
 sons, James J., Paul F. and Hawkins 
 K. Jenkins, who has represented his 
 country in General Assembly in both 
 branches for eight years. John M. Jen- 
 kins has one son, Edward J. Jenkins. 
 Of Capt. John Jenkins's sons, Maj. 
 John Jenkins had two sons, George W. 
 S. Jenkins (now deceased), captain of 
 the tugboat "Juno," to whom were pre- 
 sented medals by the United States 
 and Norwegian governments for con- 
 spicuous skill and bravery displayed 
 by him in rescuing the crew of the 
 Norwegian bark "Riga" off the en- 
 trance to Port Royal harbor in the 
 storm of 1893, and Micah, who was an 
 ensign (U. S. Volunteers), in the late 
 war with Spain. 
 
 Dr. Edward E. Jenkins has two sons 
 living in other States. Gen. Micah Jen- 
 kins left four sons. Maj. Micah J., who 
 so greatly distinguished himself in the 
 Cuban campaign as to cause his pro- 
 
 motion to the majority over his senior 
 captains, and as stated by President, 
 then Colonel, Roosevelt, "by their unan- 
 imous request"; Robert F., William E., 
 and John M., U. S. A., under whose 
 skilled training the South Carolina 
 Military Academy was brought to such 
 a high state of military excellence that 
 it was ranked by the United States 
 War Department ahead of all military 
 schools of the country, and next to 
 West Point. 
 
 The family has clung tenaciously to 
 its ancient traditions and characteris- 
 tics as we gather these from its his- 
 tory, and which are succinctly ex- 
 pressed in the motto born upon its 
 arms: "Vigiliis et Virtute." 
 
 Arms — Argent, three cocks. Gules, a 
 mullet for difference. 
 
 Crest — A Griffin's head with an ar- 
 row in its beak, with a baton under- 
 neath. "This," says Sir Blandy Jen- 
 kins of Wales, writing in 1897, "could 
 only be used by descendants of the 
 Welsh kings." 
 
 Motto — Vigiliis et Virtute. 
 
 28 
 
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