The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1915-06-16
UNIVERSITY HERO
WAS v. l.. WHITE
First Honor Man, 'Fifty.seven, Fell
Leading Regiment at Second Ma
na.sas.-Sister Presents Portrait
to His Alma Mater.
The State.

TO his Alma water.
The State.
Mrs. Mamie w. Wardlaw of Able
vile, has presented to the University
of South Carolina a faithful and
spirited life size portrait of her bro
Their, William Henry White, first hon.
or man of the class of 1857, who was
captain of Company X. Second South
Carolina Rifles, and was killed in the
second battle of Manassas while in
command of his regiment, all the
regimental field officers and the cap
tains senior to him having been killed
or disabled.
Killed at Twenty-Five.
Capt. Whites brief but glorious
career-he was but rs years of age
when he fell in battle-is sketched
in a letter of November II, 1901,
from his brother, L. w. White, of
Abbeville, to the late Prof. R. Means
Davis of Columbia:
civilian Henry White, the first
honor man in the class of 1857 in
the South Carolina college, was born
in Abbeville, S. c., November %,
1886. Immediately after graduating
he taught school in his native town
three years. In January, 1861, he
went to Sullivan's Island as a private
in Capt. James W. PERKINS, company,
which became a part of Gregg's regi-
ment; but was elected lieutenant to
fill the first vacancy that occurred
among the officers. After the fall of
Fort Sumter this regiment was dis
banded and the subject of this sketch
returned to his home in Abbeville.
During the summer of 1861 he
again went into the Confederate SER
vice as lieutenant in a company COM
manded by Thomas Thomson, which
was sent to Sullivan's Island. When
Col. Thomas V. Moore of Anderson
determined to organize the Second
regiment of South Carolina Rifles,
Lieut.. White obtained leave of alb
sence in order to recruit and organ
ize another company. In this he was
successful, was elected captain and
commanded Company K of the Sc
cond South Carolina Rifles to the
time of his death. His regiment be-
longed to Jenkins brigade of Long,
streets corps and in the second bat
tie of Manassas was hotly engaged
and suffered heavy loss. Capt. White
was killed in this battle, and at the
time the fatal missile pierced his
forehead was in command of the
regiment, because all the regimental
field officers and his senior captains
had been killed or wounded.
Had Brilliant Imagination.
mo young man in the Safe of
South Carolina that ever blclleI on
sword and went forth to Go duty at
the call of his country had premise
of a brighter futuc,. He YVES a dis
tinguished scholar, an ardent patriot,
cultured gentleman. lie Possessed in
an eminent degree the elements that
constitute personal magnetism
stainless moral character, cheerful
disposition, a kind heart, an unseifsh
spirit, "a hand open as day for melt
ing charity a high, delicate and
chivalric n of honor and above all
that peculiar respect for and defer
ence to the feelings of others that al
ways betokens the presence of real
excellence.
"Could his noble young life have
been spared to this day, the many
friends of his youth now living in
different parts of the State sincerely
share in the belief that he would
have adorned the highest place in law
or literature and contributed largely
toward moulding the characters of
the young men of the State for at
least two generations"
The portrait will be given a place
of honor in the library of the univer-
sity.
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