The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1902-04-16
and more awful the yells of battle de-

ant advance; the shock is tremendous
neither line recoils; but the tangle
forests tremble, and the tangled-haire
ed Texans and the veterans of Han
cock settle themselves down to the sci
ence of butchering one another. Th
slaughter on both sides is awful. Ben
ning's and Laws brigades come t
the aid of Gregg and take hand il
the work that is on; with yell tn
whole line charges. The Federal lin
ls forced back, but Wadsworth come
to the aid of Hancock; the tide of bat
tie GIBBS and flows. Wadsworth il
killed; Lopgstreet strikes the Fedora
left flank; rolls it up in confused
mass toward the plank and back on
the Brock road. Everything now in.
indicated complete victory for
the Confederat.s. General Long
street rode forward to prepare aud
take advantage of the opportunity to
intlict decisive blow on Grants
army. With that end in view Jen.
kin's fresh brigade is moved forward
to the plank road.
Supplemented by Kershaw's brigade,
General Longstreet moved forward to
reconuoiter the situation, accompanied
by General Jenkins. Mahons's men
seeing movement in their front and by
the lndistlnct view obtained owing to
the density of the forest mistook them
for the enemy and fired, killing the
gallant jenkins and wounding Long
street, most lamentable mistake.
AS Federal soldier L know that it
will not be expected of me within the
scope of an article intended fol the
close call department, TO write a bio
graphical sketch Of 80 distinguished an
officer as General Micah jenkins, were
l fitted for the work, which L am not
Yet the temptation is 80 great to say
something more, that venture brief
retrospective view of that hero's war
record, and under my own observation.
AS colonel Of the regiment designated,
the Palmetto Sharp Shooters Of South
Carolina, we joined him at the battle
of Manassas, or Bull Run, as the Fed
erals have it, In the hottest part of
that field, near the Henry house, and
down the slope, where so many of the
Hampton Legion fell, and where vail
ant deeds and good generalship
crowned the young Confederacy
with victory and everlasting fame. To
Beauregard, Jackson, Bee, Barlow
and Kirby Smith, the latter citizen
OF Conn. cticut, under General Ma.
gruder, we find the gallant Colonel
Jenkins within the defenses of Yolk-
town.
After the evacuation of that strong
hold Jenkins regiment, with others,
covered the retreat and facing about at
Williamsburg met the overwhelming
advance of the enemy, inilicting terri
BILE loss IN his ranks and checking his
advance until the Confederate army
and subsistence trains are at safe
distance, and proper line of defence
established. At West Point and
other places his regiment had fought
the hard battle of the rearguard until
the army was safe OIL the south side
of the Chickahominy river, his regl-
ment having suffered untold hardships
and severe losses in men and officers,
for which he received just recognition
for his gallant and meritonous conduct
in face of an overwhelming enemy.
Next we find him at the battle of
Seven Pines, or FAIR Oaks, with his
gallant regiment and one other driving
before him whole Federal division,
gaining good position, held the bat
tic field and intlicting loss OH the
enemy about equal to the number of
men In his regiment, only abandoning
his position when the army was with
drawn to the former defences of Rich
mond, in the dark hours Of the Con-
federacy which followed the battle of
Seven Pines, when Johnston's vague
plans and operations puzzled and con-
fused the President.
A new star appeared on the Confed-
| erato horizon. 1t illuminated the
whole American continent. Its reful-
gent rays penetrated the renotest
bounds of the Old World. That mag
nificent and glowing orb personllied in
the wonderful Robert e. Lee gave
new life to the Confederacy, vigor and
swiftness of movement. Plans were
speedily consummated; hostile guns
must not cover the capital; the siege
must be raised, the enemy beaten tC
cover. Jackson in the valley receives
a message, his foot cavalry are put in
motion. He beats Banks and Shields
down the valley as with fail. Con
sLernation is in their path. One takes
refuge in Harper's Ferry; the Other
across the Potomac. The great fail
er returns and brushes Fremont out oil
his path. drops back few foot-sore
Spartans as pickets for Fremont tC
cape at until his (Jackson's) return.
Lee crosses the Chickahomlny al
Meadow Ridge and drives the enemy
to It's common center about Grape
vine Bridge and Woodbury. bridge
The Seven Days battle is on. The
second day, June 81, 1862, Longstree
strikes the enemy's left and jackson
the right flank. The battle RACES al
the afternoon. The enemy hold thei
ground. Late in the evening lie
makes the final effort to count tha
days victory his own. The TeXa
brigade under Hood are hurled like
thunderbolt against the left center
Colonel Micah jenkins with his val
ant Palmetto regiment and one othe
, against the extreme left. The lei
center is broken and shattered int
, fragments. jenkins fires one volle
= and charges with cold steel. The en-,
. my ls broken, Ell ,ughtered, and the su
q viyors driven into the swamps of th
;. Chickahomiuy--and only the shelte
4 ing wings of night saved us from con
plete annihilation.
The writer's regiment, one of Il