The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1873-08-07


in the service of his, ,counsry. g,,srsFst4 4.
General Kemper had ), ,,ss !, 49, i,
An ACADEMIC EDucArIos,.. ..fs,.,a,,
and is graduate Of Washington College.
now. Washington and Lee University. After
leaving college he pursued Che study Of Iaw
under George W.iSummefs, Esq, In Charles
ton, Kanawba county Il g.ai iy,g ais..ti rs
th,xIay IYTHs MEXICAN wAB.iit7ag.i ssp
During the Mexican war g.hez lwas commits
stoned captain in the volunteer army by
President Polk, and Joined General Tay!orf
army of occupation In Mexico just after The
battle 1of Buenai Vista: We are Informed
| that he, was adjutant0f a aregirnentnof VIII.
ginians, but had little, active service In
Mexico. -. ,. .4,,I .,;..,,;
/ HIS POLITICAL LIFE.
General Kemper began politicai life as
member Of the House OF Delegates, ind
served In that body for ten years. For two
years he was:Speaker OF, the Hanse, and fdr
tee OH Military Affairs. he was also during
this time member of the Beard OF Visitors
| to the Virginia Military Institute.
When the Confederate war for independ.
ence began, the eyes Of all who knew aim
were turned to General Kemper! - soae d
to be -,
A LEADER m rHE ARNnEs OF VIRGINIA.
On the "a OF. May, 1851, he was cemmis.
stoned by the Convention of. Virginia, on
the nomination of Governor Letcher, colonel
Of Virginia volunteers, and assigned 10 the
command Of the Seventh regiment OF In
fantry, which command he assumed ct Ma
nassas. He was first engaged with his regs.
ment in the battle Of Bull Run, July 1s, 1851,
and thereafter at the first battle Of Manas-
sas, July 81, 1861, where his regiment was
temporarily incorporated in q brigade COM
manded: by Colonel Jnbal A.. Early, and
aided in striking the final blow on the ex-
treme left Of the Federal line which imme-
diatefy preceded the retreat and final rout
| Of that army Three days after the battle Of
Manassas his regiment was. assigned to a
brigade commanded by General Longstreet.
This brigade was subsequently given to the
command of General AZ P. Hill, and under
him Colonel Kemper with his Seventh regt-
| ment was in the hottest Of the fight at the
battle of Williamsburg, May 5, 1852, aud
engaged with the enemy for nine successive
hours, capturing several pieces Of artillery
and 400 prisoners. Ntl p"
| AFTER THE BATTLE OF MANASSAS
General kemper was promoted to the com.
lnaud Of the old brigade which had been
successfully commanded by Longstreet,
Ewell, and A. p. Hill, and, commanding it,
participated IN the first days fight at Seven
Pines, May 81, 1862, and the seven days
| fighting around Richmond in the same year.
In the second battle Of Manassas Brigadier.
General Kemper commanded temporarily o
division composed of several Of the brigadef
afterwards composing Pickett's division.
Here, according to a late writer, he was op.
posed to the extreme left of the enemy; but
acting upon his own judgment Of the mo
ment, he changed front 50 as to strike the
enemY's right flank, and soon after It was
done received message from General Lex
to make precisely the same movement he
had already effected with such success, 10.
fiicting terrible loss on the enemy. He
commanded his own brigade in the battles ol
| after the return of Kempers brigade from
| the first Maryland campaign it was inoorpo-
| rated in Pickett's division. ' ES>t''
AT THE BATTLE OF FREDEaIcKsRURa, d.
December, 1862, General Kemper with hi
brigade was temporarily detached from the
division, and joined the troops on Marye'i
| heights on the afternoon Of that day, undel
lot fire. He was again detached from TIT
| division early in 1863, and sent with hil
| brigade to North Carolina, where he com
| manded the forces at Kingston opposed Il
| the Federal force under General Foster, Wht
then held Newbern. He rej0ined Pickett!
division in front of Suffolk, Va, participates
| in the operations at that place, and marches
| with the division into Pennsylvania, hi
troops taking their full share in the tsrribl
| massacre at Gettysburg. General Kempe
was supposed to be nortally WOUNDED
while gailantly leading his brigade. he wa
brought off that bloody field and sent to
hospital for surgical treatment, and Epol
examination of his wound 1t was though
that it would be
IMPOSSIBLE FOB HIN TO LIVE. .3
The officers and men Of his brigade waite,
| in a drenching rain for several hours, ex
pecting to hear momentariIy Of his death
In tact, q coffin was obtained for him ant
placed in IN ambulance, SO that as sool
as breath had fed they might take BIZ
body aud retreat with ii; He was held !
prisoner in the hospital for three months
but upon the written certificates Of seyera
United States surgeons that he must soor
die he was tnally exchanged.
After long furlough, during which hiI
friends never expected TO see him again II
| uniform, General Kemper returned to duty.
and although unable to serve in the field was
assigned to the command Of the local forces
| in aud around Richmond.
In June, 1884, he was commissioned Ma
or.General. His discharge OF the arououi
and delicate duties Of conmandant at TN
c,uital gave satisfaction at ali times, and d
continued to discharge them until the eyac
uation OF Richmond in 1865.
! SINCE TIE wAR
General Kemper has been quietly engaged
| in the practice of law &C his old home II
Madison county, and bus only taken part II
political strife in great campaigns IKE tnos
OF 1869 and 1872. AS canvasser for 70
Walker ticket be did yeoman service. II
the Conservative Convention OF last year u
made the motion to instruct the delegates .
/ vote for the ratification Of Greeley AM
Brown, and supported it In one OF the mos
! eloquent efforts of bis life. be was then aE
pointed Presidential elector ut large on ID
Liberal ticket, and canYassed the state VII
grelt effectiveness. He has always since u
| war had no desire for political Office OF an
| kind, aud It was only after great persuasio
from friends in all parts OF che State shat
allowed his name to 20 before the Conyef
ton.
| D1AAosps.-The Ssscle gives the fouowin
strange intelligence "Among the diamold
brought by the Shah are said to be some Of
kind totally unknown in Europe. The
have all the properties Of other sorts, tn
same transparency, brilliancy. and narduesa
but they are reported to possess the pr.
perty OF emitting = perfume in an atino
sphere at an elevated temperature, In q
apartment where many persons are assen
bled; or, better still, in that OF Gall.rooL
in the midst Of the animation oi the osucs
/ These gems are found in q remote part Q