Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1873-08-19
GEM. KEN PER +.

]
GEM. KEN PER.
General James Lawson Kemper is a
native OF Madison county, Va, and
defendant of British cOlOnists who
emigrated to Virginia in the eigh-
teenth century. He was born in Mad
ison county in 1924, and is therefore in
the fiftieth year of his age. He is a
man of splendid physique, fine perso-
nal appearance, and looks much youn-
ger than he is, notwithstanding lin
ping gait, which is the result of wounds
won in the service of his country.
General Kemper had
AN ACADEMIC EDUCATION, .
and is a graduate of Washington Col
lege-now Washington and Lee Uni
versity. After leaving college he pur-
sued the study of law under Geo.
w. Summers Esq, i'll Charleston,
Kanawha county.
IN THE MEXICAN WAR.
During the Mexican war he was
commissioned captain in the volunteer
army by President Polk, and joined
General TayiOr's army of occupation
in Mexico, just after the battle of Buena
Vista. We are Informed that he was
adjutant of a regiment of Virginians.
but had little active service in Mexico
HIS POLITICAL LIFE.
General Kemper began political
life as a member of the House of Del
egates, and served in that body for ten
years. For two years he was Speaker
of the House, and for several years
was chairman of the Committee on
Military Affairs. He was also during
this time member of the Board of
Visitors to the Virginia Military In
stitute.
When the Confederate war for indie
pendence began, the eyes of all who
knew him were turned to General
Kemper as one fit TO be
A LEADER IN THE ARMIES OF VIRGIN
IA.
On the ID of May, 1861, he was coHst
missiOned by the Convention Of Vir-
ginia, on the nomination of Governor
LeIcher, colonel of Virginia VOlun-
teers, and assigned to the command of
the Seventh regiment of infantry,
which command he assumed at Ma
nassas. He was first engaged with his
regiment i'll the battle of Bull Run,
July Is. 1861, and thereafter at the first
battle of Manassas, July q, 1861, where
his regiment was temporarily incOr-
porated III a brigade commanded by
Col. Jubal A Early, and aided in stri-
king the final blow on the extreme
left of the Federal line which imme-
.,,gnninl I,n anH final
route of that army. Three days after
the battle Of Manassas his regiment
was assigned to brigade commanded
by General Longstreet. This brigade
was subsequently given to the COM
mand of General y. P. Hill, ana under
Colo.iel Kemper, with his Seventh
regiment, was in the hottest of the
fight at the battle Of Williamsburg,
May 5, 1862, and engaged with the
emt my for nine successive hours, cap
turing several pieces of artillery and
100 prisoners.
AFTER THE BATTLE OF MANASSAS
General Kemper was promoted to the
command of the old brigade which had
been successfully commanded by
Longstreet, Ewell, and A. 2. Hill,
and, commanding it, participated In
the first days fight AZ Seven Pines.
May 81, 1862, and the seven days
fighting around Richmond in the same
year. In the second battle of ManaS
sas Brigadier-General Kemper COM
anded temporarily a division conf
posed of several of the brigades after
wards composing Pickett's division.
Here, according to late writer, he
was opposed TO the extreme left of the
enemy; but acting upon his own
judgement of the moment, he changed
front so as to strike the enemy's right
hand, and soon after it was done re- !
ceived message from General Lee to
make precisely the same movement he
had already affected with such success,
infiicting terrible loss Oh the enemy. |
He commanded his own brigade in the !
battles OF South Mountain and Sharps- !
burg. Soon after TIE return of KEN |
peE's brigade from the first Maryland |
campaign it was incorporated in Pick
ett's division.
i THE Battle OF FREDERICKSBURG, |
December, 1852, General Kemper with |
his brigade was temporarily detached /
from the division, and Joined the troops |
on Marye's Heights OH the afternoon !
of that day, under hot fire. He was
again detached from the division early |
in 1858. and sent with his brigade to !
North Carolina, where he commanded |
the forces at Kingston opposed TO the |
Federal force under General Foster,
who then held Newbern. He rciOined
Pickett's division in front of Suffolk,
Va. participated in tile operations at
that place, and marched with the di-
vision into PENNSYLVANIA, his troops
taking their full share in the terrible
at Gettysburg. Gen. Kemper
was supposed TO be mOrtally wounded
while CALAMITY leading his brigade. He
was brought off that bloody field and
sent to a hospital for surgical treatment
and upon examination of bis wound 1t
was thought that it would be
IMPOSSIBLE FOR HIM TO LIVE.
The officers and men of his brigade
waited in drenching rain for several
hours expecting to hear momentariiy
nf his death. In fact, a coffin was OBJ
tanned for him and placed in ambu
lance so that as soon as breath had
He'd thew might take his body and re-
treat with it. He was held prisoner
in the hospital for three months, but
lpon the written certificates OF several |
United States surgeons that he must
soon die he was finally exchanged.
After a long furlough, during which
his friends never expected to see him
again in uniform, General Kemper re-
turned to duty, and although unable
to serve in the field was assigned to
the command of the local forces in and
around Richmond.
In June. 1864, he was commissioned
Major General. His discharge of the
arduous and delicate duties of conf
mandant at the capital gave satisfac-
ton at all times, and he continued to
discharge tlTem until the evacuation
of Richmond in 1865.
SINCE THE WAR
General Kemper has been quietly en-
gagged in the practice of law at his old
home in Madison county, and has on
Iv taken mart in pOiitlcal strife in great |