West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1903-03-05
In Memoriam /.
HE RAMBLER

hhotnet OF the very familiar faces has
passed from among us. William McClain
jenkins, the proprietor of the Kingwood
hotel named after him, and who in a quiet
and unosientalous way has filled the place
of host TO many to whom the jenkins House
rs favori,e Inn, departed this life on Sat
urday morning, February IS. 1903.
The death of Mr. Jenkins came as a
thorough surprise; very few knew that he
was ILL, and they were not aware of the
threatened danger. Too full of thoughts
for others, he perhaps thought too little of
his own needs.
The deceased was born on the tenth of
January, IS4I, at Harmony Grove, in this
county, in which his life has been almost
wholly spent. lie was therefore in his
six,y-third year at the time of his death.
He was soldier and served the full three
years of the Civil War in the famous
Seventh West Virginia Regiment. The
Seventh, 1--WE are told inthe columns of the
Wheeling Register of July 8, 1865: "Par-
ticipated in all the principal engagements in
Virginia. 1t musters at present but $50
men. 1t originally mustered one thousand;
then in 1863 four companies were mustered,
and yet in the Spring of 1865 there we're
but little over one hundred men fit for
duty; then over four hundred men were
drafted and added to il; thus bringing up
the number to the present size" The
Register of the above date also gives a lis, of
about thirty battles in which the Seventh
was engaged. Among them are the most
important in the war, as Harrison's Land.
ing, Fredericksburg, Charlottesville, Get
tysburg, Antietam, Wilderness, Spotisyl-
vania and Petersburg, not to mention others
not so well known. II is surely no wonder
that nine out Of every ten of the original
thousand we're "Hors de Combat at the
end Of the war. II is said that at the dedi-
cation to the monument TO the Seventh at
Gettysburg there were less than thirty men
present Preston county was Company A
in the Regiment and suffered so heavily
that for the few remaining SO crs there
are not enough to act as pallDesrers as
they 90.
MFR. Jenkins was married after the close
of the war, on the 18th Of October, 1866, at
Function, w. Va, to Miss Elizabeth
Gibson, who with seven children, four of
whom are married, survive to mourn
their loss. There is also brother Isaac
A. jenkins of Somerset county, Pa, and a
sister. Mrs. Robinson in Pl,tsburg.
Mr.. Jenkins has been the proprietor Of
the Jenkins House for the past thirteen
years and will be rnissed not only by his
kindred, but by the lownsfoIk and great
number Of the travelling public.
II has grown 10 be a custom to pay a
tribute TO the departing in the form of
poetry. May be permitted to do the same
in the words with which Sir John Moore
has been made immortal by the poet, Rev
Chas Wolfe:
''Not drum was heard nor funeral note.
As his corse TO the rampant we hurried
| Not soldier discharged his farewell shot
Der the grave where our hero we buried
"Bui half our heavy task was done.
/ When the clock struck the hour of retiring,
And we heard the distant and random gun
That the foe was sulleuly firing.
"Slowly and sadly We laid him down,
From the field Of his fame fresh and CORY.
We carved no; line, and we raised not a
stone
Bot We left him alone with his glory"
Nj. Jenkins was member Of the Metho.
dist church in Kingwood with which hi,
family are so closely identified in works and
worship. In the absence Of the Pastor Mr..
Howard, Mr.. Ramsey Of The Presbyterian
church, was requested to coDduc, the ser.
vices. assisted by Rev. Hardway q the
Baptist church. They were held Al the
jenkins House on Tuesday afternoon al
/ three o'clock. March third. r.