The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1902-04-23
SOME WAR HISTORY.
& Federal Officers Tribute to Gen
Micah Jenkins cfrhe
CONFEDERATE STATES ARMY.
4 Graphic Description Of the Battle
ofthe Wilderness Where That
Gallant Soldier Gave
Up His Life.

Mr.. T. X. Lackie, CT Detroit,
Mich, whU was an officer in the
famous Sixteenth Michigan regiment,
writes to the Atlanta Journal a cor
rection Of the statement going the
rounds that Gen. Micah Jenkins was
killed at Gettysburg, and gives in
detail the circumstances connected
with his death in the battle Of the
Wilderness on the 9Th of May, 1864,
to which is added aglowing tribute to
Gen. Jenkins from the pen of this
gallant Federal officer:
The circumstances connected with
the death of that very distinguished
officer were as follows: All day the
5th and until ABOUT 10 a. m. the 6th.
General A. P. Hills corps had been
contending against vastly superior
numbers Of Federal troops. On the
fatal morning of the 5th Hancock
had advanced his corps or Hills posi-
tion, and forced the latter almost
back to his artillery line badly broken
and worn out by incessant lighting.
Disaster to the Confederate army
seemed assured. General Lee was
with the artillery and directing the
reformation of The broken lines. He
had sent for his old war horse uong,
street, and was anxiously waiting his
coming-alwayS reliable and on hand
at the right moment, he is seen com
ing down the Orange plank road, his
magnificent men on the couble-Quick.
resistless as the ocean tide! Gregg's
Texans are deployed into line and
Immediately advance with that never
to be forgotten yell. The immortal
Lee springs to the front to lead them:
they halt. He must go back or there
will be no advance Of Texans. a
bronzed-faced demon of the battle
front gently takes the bride rein and
turns the head Of his charger, Lee
sorrowfully rides over to Longstreet;
on goes the Texans. Loud rour the
cannon with shotte6 breath, and more
awful the yells of battle demons.
The Texans strike Harcock'S eNult-
ant advance: the shock is tremend-
Gus: neither line recoils: but the tangl-
ed forests tremble, and the tangled
haired Texans and the veterans Of
Hancock settle themselves down to
the science of butchering one another.
The slaughter Oh both sides is awful.
Benning's and Laws brieades come to
the aid of Gregg and take hand in
the work that is on: with yell the
whole line charges. The Feneral line
is forced back, but Wadsworth comes
to the aid Of Hancock; the tide OF bat
tie ebbs and flows. WadSworth is
killed; Longstreet strikes the Federal
left flank; rolls it up in a confused
mass toward the plank and back on
the Brock road. Everything now in
dicated a complete victory for the
Confederates. General LOngstreet
rode forward to prepare and take ad-
vantage of the opportunity to infict
decisive blow on Grants army. With
that end in view Jenkins fresh brigade
is moved forward to the plank road.
Supplemented by kerShaw'S brigade,
General Longstreet moved forward
to reconnoiter the situation. accom-
panied by General Jenkins. Mahone's
men seeing movement in their front
and by the indistinct view obtained
owing to the density Of the forest mis-
took them for the enemy and fired,
killing the gallent Jenkins and wound
ing Longstreet, a most lamentable
mistake.
AS Federal soldier 1 know that it
will not be expected Of me within the
scope of an article intended for the
close call department., to write bio
sketch of so distinguishedan
officer as General Micah Jenkins, wot.
fitted for the work, which I am nay.
Yet the temptation is so great to see
more, that l venture a
brief retrospective view of that hero's
war record, and under my own obServa-
tion. AS colonel Of the regiment
designated, the Palmetto Sharp Shoot
erS of South Carolina, we joined him
at the battle Of Manassas, or Bull
Run, as the FederalS have it. in the
hottest part OF that field, near the
Henry house, and down the slope.
where SO many of the Hampton Legi-
on fell, and where valiant deeds and
good generalship crowned the young
Conlederacy with victory and everlast-
ing fame. TO Beauregard, Jackson,
Bee, Barlow and Kirby Smith, the
latter citizen of Connecticut, under
General Magruder, we find the gallant
Colonel Jenkins within the defenSeS OF
Yorktown.
After the evacuation Of that strong
hold Jenkins regiment. with others,
covered the retreat and facing about
at Williamsburg met the oyerWhelm-
ing advance Of the enemy, intlicting
terrible loss in his ranks and checking
his advance until the Confederate
army and subsistence trains are at a
safe distance, and proper line of de-
fence established. At West Point
and other places his regiment had
fought the hard battle Of the rear
guard until the army was safe On the
south side Of the Chickahominy river,
MS regiment having suffered untold
and severe losses in men
and officers, for which he received just
recognition for his gallant and meri-
.orious conduct in face of an over
enemy.
Next we find him at the battle Of
Seven Pines or Fair Oaks, with his
gallant regiment and one other drlv-
ng before him a whole Federal divi-
sion, gaining good position, held the
oattle field and INJECTING loss on the
enemy about equal to the number of
nen in his regiment, only abandoning
lis position when the army was with