Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1873-08-08
Stretch Of Gen. kcmlDCr.

the eighteenth century,. he was born in Nladl-
son county in 1924, and is therefore IN the
6rtieth year of his aye He is man OF splcn,,
did physique, fine personal appearance, anu
looks much younger than he s,notwlt lstandllis
limping gait, which is the result OF wounds
won in the service Of his country.
General Kemper had
AN ACADEMIC EDUCATION,
and is graduate of Washington College-,now
Washington and Lee University. Alter lcav'
ing college he pursued the study of law under
Geo W. Summers, esq.,, in Charleston, kana-
| VIVA county.
IN THE MEXICAN WAR.
During the Mexican war he was commission
| cd captain 10 the volunteer army by President
Polk, and Joined General Taylor army OF oc,
cupation in Mexico just after the battle OF
Buena Vista. We are informed that ne was
adiutant of the regiment of Firglolaus, but had
| little active service IN Mexico.
HIS POLITICAL LIFE.
Gen, Kemper began political life as a mem
Der of the House Of Delegates, and served IN
that body for ten years For two years he was
Speaker of the House. and Tor several years
was chairman OF the Committee on Military
| Affairs: He was also during this time mem
Der of the Board of Visitors to the Virginia
Military Institute.
| began, the eyes of all who knew him were turned
+ to General Kemper as one fit to be
| ALEADER IN TIE ARMIES OF VIRGINIA.
On the I'd of May, 1861, he was commission
ed by the Convention Of Vlrg mia, on the mount
nation of Gov Letcher, colonel OF Virginia
volunteers, and assigned to the command ol the
Seventh regiment of infantry, which command
he assumed at Manassas. lie was first ehgag-
ei with his regiment in the battle OF Bull Run,
july IS, 1861, and thereafter at the first battle
Of Manassas July 81, 1861. where his regiment
was temporarily Incorporated in brigade com
manded by Col. Jubal A. Early, and aided IN
striking the final blow on the extreme left OF
the Federal line which Immediately preceded
the retreat aud final rout of that army. Three
days after the battle Of Manassas his regiment
was assigned to brigade commanded by Gen.
Longstrcet. This brigade was subsequently
given to the command Of Gen. a. 7. Hill, and
under him COL kcmper with his Seventh reg-
ment was in the hottest of the fight at the bat
tie of Williamsburg, May 5, 1867 and engaged
with the enemy tor nine successive hours, cap |
turing several pieces Of artillery and 100 priS.
| OnerS.
AFTER TIE BATTLE OF MANASSAS
General Kcmper was promoted TO the COM
mand of the old brigade which had been sue.
cessively commanded by Longstrect, EwelI, and
commanding it, participated in the first day
fight at Seven Pines, May 81, 1852, and the
seven days fighting around Richmond in the
same year. In the second battle OF Manassas
BrigadierG General kcmper commanded tenn
porarily division composed Of several Of the
| brigales afterwards composing Pickett dlvl-
sion Here according to a late writer, ne was
opposed 10 the extreme left of the army but,
acting upon his own jud sment Of the moment,
| be changed front SO as to strike the enemy
right flank, and soon after it was done received
message from General Lee to make precisely
the same movement he had already effected |
| with such success, nhictng terrible less on the
enemy lie commanded his own brigade in
| the battles of South Mountain and Sharp, burg
Soon after the return Of kcmpcrs brigade
from the first Maryland campaign it was lncor-
porated in Pickett's division
Attic BATTLE OF FREDERICKSBURG,
December, 1862, General Kemper with his
brigade was temporarily detached from the d.
vision and joined the troops on Maryc's
Heights Oh the afternoon of the day, under a
hot fire. He was again detached from the d.
vision early in 1863, and sent with his brigade
| North Carolina, where he commanded the
forces at Kingston opposed TO the Federal force
under General Foster who then held Newborn. |
He e,joned Pick ctt's division in front OF Sui
folk, Va, participated in the operations at
that place, and marched with the division into
Pennsylvania, his troops taking their full share
| in the terrible massacre at Gettysburg. Gen. |
| Kemper was supposed to be MORALLY wounded,
while CALAMITY leading his brigade fle was
| brought off that bloody field and sent to hos
| pita for surgical treatment, aud upon cxanna-
| ton of his wound it was thought that 1T
| would be
IMPOSSIBLE FOR HIN TO LIVE.
| The officers and men OF his brigade waited IN
drenching rain for several hours expecting to
| hear momentarily of his death. In tact, cot
| fin was obtained for him and placed in an am
buiance, so that as soon as breath had He'd they
might take his body and retreat with 1t. lie
was held prisoner in the hospital Tor three
months, but upon the written certificates OF
several United States surgeons that he must
soon die he was finally discharged.
After a long turlough during which his
friends never expected to see him again in uni
form, Cen Kemper returned to duty, ami al
| though unable to serve in the field was assign
| ed to the command of the local forces IN and
around Richmond.
In June, 1864 he was commissioned Major
General His discharge OF the arduons and
delicate duties of commaBdant at the capital
| gave satisfaction at all times, and he continued
| to discharge them until the evacuation OF Rich
moud in 1865.
SINCE TIE WAR
| General Kcmper has been quietly engaged IN
the practice of law at his old home in Madison
county, and has only taken part in political
strife in great campaigns like those Of 1869 and
| 1872 As a canvasser for the Walker ticket he
did ycoman service. In the Conservative Con
vention of last year he made the motion 10 in
struct the delegates to vote for the ratification
of Greeley and Brown, and supported it in one
of the most eloquent efforts Of his life. He
was then appointed Presidential elector at large
on the Liberal ticket, and cauvasscd the State
with great effectiveness. He has always since
the war had no desire for political Office Of any
Kind and il vas only after great ncrSllaSnn |