The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1906-01-23
GEN. ABNER PERRIN
Much of His Splendid History Here
tOfOre Unknown Brought to
Light.
MONUMENT TO MARK CRAVE

MONUMENT TO MARK GRAVE
Much interest has been felt iu the lie
and career ui Gen. Abncr Perrin, oi
South Carolina, since his remains were
disinterred on the SpOtsylvania tourt-
house battlefield, some two years ago,
aud placed in the fredericksburg Con
iederate Cemetery, and some tIme since
Mr. Ivy. who * intimate with the Per
rim family. undertook the work ana has
succeeded in securing much ui the history
of the brave man that Will hr Ol great iii-
terest to the public The sketch he lur
ni-hes shows that Gen. Lee made no
mistake in designating him as the brave
Perrin
In addition To placing upou record
much of the career oi Gen Perm. here
toioe unknown 10 the puulic. 10 Is th, in-
tention of his comrades aud friends 10
raise funds L. suitably and permanently
mark his grave IN the Confederate tem-
etery. which is still marked Toy the cedar
board that stood sentinel over his re-
mains on the battlefield for nearly forty
years. or 20 raise monument 10 hls
memory in our beautiful cemetery. We
hope the latter may be- decided upon aud
that sufficient funds may be- raised To
accomplish the piOus aud patriotic
work
The following letter viii explain itself:
Captain 5. !. Quinn. Fredericksourg Va,
late captain Co. 4, 18th Mississippi
Barksdals's Brigade
My Dear captain While my previous
visits To fredericksburg have always
brought ia my path much that was oi
interest both 10 Mrs. ivy aud myself
your chance recital ot the finding, TWO
years ago. through the direction OF a
Yankee visitor, of the graves Of Lieut.
Richardson. of Alabama, and OF GcIeral
Perrin. OF South Carolina, awOke the
sleeping memories of my bOyhood. For
thrty-eight years. since May l2th, ,l'bl
these two graves have escaped motto" 10y
individuals or memorial associations.
And there they would doubtless have
been today ID YOU had not with as~is-
tance by others taken them from near
the Bloody Angel on the battlefield oi
Spotsylyanla Courthouse and reiuterred
them in the Confederate Cemetery 100
Fredericksburg.
But how did these incidents excite my
attention. As You know. New llamp-
shire now claims my State loyalty,
though born and reared in Alabama,
but Virginia has always seemed grand
mother 10 me. for it was in the Old Do
minion that my father was born. The
battle Of fredericksburg too, have
especially studied and Inspected the bat
tie line. because my oldest brother was
in the fight, being "A member oi the 1th
Alabama Battalion, which command
took forward part in the charge down
atHamltOn = Crossing that saved the day
there for the Confederate arms. o,when
YOU told me that YOU had been unable To
yet in touch with any OF the relatives oil
Gen. Perrin in South Carolina, IL came 10
me at once that could supply you with
information on that point. Although
only a boy in those stirring days. my
memory i- very clear on what was tax
ing place within the lines. and ] remem-
Der four brothers OF Gen. Perrin. They
were neighbors and contemporaries oi
my father. but lived just over the line IN
Mississippi from us. Furthermore, ol
these brothers one was colonel and
another was a captain in the Confederate
army. Captain Perrin and my uncle
married sisters, and this naturally
brought the families into a closer mt
macy. But one OF the brothers, Mr.. y.
p. Perrin. now OF Horatio, Ark, is liv-
ing From him, his nephew and Mr.
James II. Duke, OF Miss | have letters
that enable me to furnish facts IN the lie
Of Gen. Perrin not before published.
At a very early age that military spirit
that became 30 dominant IN the Civil
War was indicated in General Perrin
lie was appointed cadet to West Point
at seventeen.
On the way TO West Point b. happened
to meet with Jas. j. Pettigrew, warm
friend OF the family, and he prevailed
upon Gen Pettigrew 70 procure Tor hun
authority TO raise company Tor the
Mexican War then going on The com
pany was organized with yOung'Perrln
as first lieutenant and sent To Mexico.
In the very beginning OF the Civil War
the young lieutenant of the Mexican War
enlisted as a private. However, ne was
soon elected lieutenant colonel OF his reg
iment, and later commanded McGowon's
South Carolina Brigade during the alb
sence OF that officer from wounds. For
gallentry and efficiency in the field while
serving under General Pender, Col
Perrin was promoted brigadier gen
eral. 4 few days before he was killed,
May 18th, 1864, his promotion to Major
General had been recommended by Gen
Robert L. Lee, and his commission
signed by the Confederate Secretary Of
War. But this he never knew
Other facts in his career may be found
in the military record OF the time, for he
was active in thecampaigns previously to
the surinQ OF 1864. His srvices arecon-
spicuously referred to in the battles OF
charlottesville, Gettysburg. the Wilder
ness and lastly SpOisylyania Court
House. where and untim''y fa'c awaited
him. As mark OF the confidence that
Gen. Lee repOsed in him, although from
South Carolina, he had Just been ap-
pointed by Gen Lee to the command OF
Wilcox's Alabama Brigade. Accom-
named by Lieut.. W. Ii. Richardson. Of
the ] til Alabama Regiment, Gen Perrin,
ON Nav 18th, 1864, was going to tie
support of the troops holding the Bloody
Angle. They had just reached the breast
works when both were shot down.
General Perrin being fifty yards in front
of his command, waving his sword, and
calling back to his men TO follow him.
Then and there fell the man OF whom
some still speak as the second Stonewall
Jackson of the Army OF Northern Vir-
ginia.
Gen. Perrin's wife had died some years
before She was Miss Emily Butler, ,daugh-
ter of Gen. Peirce NJ. Butler, OF South
Carolina, who himself was killed in the
Mexican War, the battle of Cherubusco.
OF this marriage there were two sons,
both long since died. One OF them, Peir,t
Butler Perrin, was known by the writer
and only few years his senior. Tradi-
tion relates softly OF another, a
daughter OF Virginia, who was to have
been General Perrin's second liie-compan-
ion. True to her sentiments, when peace
had at last come to our distracted coun-
try. she. this daughter OF Virginia, alone
and clad i'm garments fittingly expressive