Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1903-10-06
MORAL AND MANLY GREATNESS
Touching Tribute to the Late General
Micah Jenkins.

|
Micah Jenkins.
The following just and touching tri-
butte to his old companion in arts and
arms is from the gifted pen Of Col. AS
bury Coward, who is more competent
than any one else to describe the
worth and services Of the noble, chiv-
alrous Jenkins The letter is address,
ed to Col. John P. Thomas, Of Colum-
bia, and is printed with his admirable
sketch in Sundays State:
Dear Colonel: In asking me to add
to your proposed tribute to Micah
Jenkins you have imposed upon me
the eart-trying task Of lifting the pail
from a long lost and buried love.
Drawn together at the age of fifteen
| by affinities which neither of us tried
or cared to analyze, our thoughts, our
aspirations, our lives flowed on for
thirteen years like the sap to twin
buds up a single stem. And yet we
were not alike-we seemed rather to
be compliments of each other. Now,
as view him In a perspective OF near
| ly forty passed years, he towers above
all my intimate contemporary acquain-
tances as the embodiment Of all moral
excellencies, of all the potentialities OF
manly greatness. AS a youth he was
vivacious, impulsive and impetuous,
but his vivacity was ELECTED only by
what was clean and pure; his impul-
siveness and impetuosity were ever un-
der the watchful guard Of honor.
have never known a man more prompt
to make frank and spontaneous amends
for any hasty word or act that would
unjustly wound another.
To Easenerous, just and brave
seemed eS be the law Of his nature.
He scorned a meanness as he did lie.
He took great delight in the society
of ladies and his attitude towards
them was of the chivalrous character
that poets give to the palmiest days Of
knighthood. He was no recipient or
retailer of scandalous gossip. and he
scrupulously Stunned all ribald, loose
talk that some men indulge in when
far from the restraints of home life.
During the first two years Of his cadet
Life he had fallen into the senseless
fh44 spS, freely using profane express
3sflaN tA his conversation. A COM
fu3fS1Hj, not free himself from the same
tha6S Undertook to lecture him on the
subject, and the result was a banter
from Jenkins that both should drop
the habit from that moment, with the
understanding that the first to lapse
should turn his back and let the other
strike him with utmost force between
the shoulders. In less than five min
utes, Jenkins incurred the penalty. The
blow was given with vigor and received
in good faith, and for both Of them the
habit was broken for life. From that
day no one heard a. profane expression
fall from his lips; from that day, with
him began in earnest the discipline Of
elf-control. For over five years after
his graduation the responsibilities OF
an instructor of youths carried on this
discipline and prepared him for the
tragedy of patriotism in which he was
about to take a part.
In his goth year he was confirmed In
the Episcopal church Of Yorkville and
continued a regular communicate and
"Christ's faithful servant" until his
| life's end. His was a simple, unques-
tioning faith in Gods promise. His
piety was absolutely free from any
thing like ostentation, and at home or
in camp, or on the field of battle his
Bible or his prayer book was always
in reach of his hand. On many occa-
sions in the field we read the Word to-
gether. One Of these most deeply
punctuated in my memory happened
about midday on the field of Second
Manassas or Groveton. 1t was known
that the decisive struggle would take
place that afternoon and I was sent
as staff officer to place certain bri-
gades in position. Passing short dis
tance in rear of Jenkins brigade I
came upon Jenkins reclining on the
slope of a hill The young and hand
some Col. Thomas ]. Glover was lying
on his back, pillowing his head on his
two hands; the staunch and lovable
Cato Seabrook, adjutant general of
Jenkins's brigade, was partly reclining
near by.
After dismounting and greeting
them and giving such information as
I had of the status of things, I noted
that Jenkins held small book in his
hand, with one finger inserted between
the leaves to mark the place where the
reading had been interrupted by my
advent. Anticipating my inquiry, he
said: I'VE have been reading some
OF the Gospels and Epistles in the
Prayer Book and commenting on
Paups soldier spirit; listen" He read
that part of the Epistle to the Ephesi-
ans beginning, Put on the whole ar
NOR of Cod" At the conclusion he
said: God grant that at the end, to
both God and the country, each one
Of us may be able to say with Paul, Il
have fought a good fight; have kept
the faith" Alas! Alas! When night
fell upon that fateful field Glover and
five other South Carolina colonels
were dead; poor, plus Seabrook was
slowly dying at the field hospital from
bullet through his body, and Jenkins
was having his severe wound dressed
by the surgeons.
Of the thousands of young men
whom our state sent to the front to
vindicate her course and to uphold her