Micah Jenkins

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Micah Jenkins
Edisto Island, South Carolina
DiedMay 6, 1864(1864-05-06) (aged 28)
The Wilderness, Spotsylvania County, Virginia
Place of burial
Magnolia Cemetery, Charleston, South Carolina
Allegiance
 Confederate States of America
Service/branch 
Brigadier General (CSA)
Battles/warsAmerican Civil War

Micah Jenkins (December 1, 1835 – May 6, 1864) was a Confederate general in the American Civil War, mortally wounded by friendly fire at the Battle of the Wilderness.

Early life

Jenkins was born on

The Citadel, in 1854. Jenkins then organized the King's Mountain Military School from 1855 to 1861.[1]

Civil War

Jenkins recruited a company of the 5th South Carolina Infantry Regiment and was elected as colonel on April 13, 1861. He fought under David R. Jones at the First Battle of Bull Run and later was brigaded under General Richard H. Anderson. During the April 1862 reorganization of the army, Jenkins retained his command of the 5th South Carolina. At the Battle of Seven Pines, Anderson was temporarily put in division command while Jenkins got brigade command of his own regiment, the 6th South Carolina, and the Palmetto Sharpshooters.[2] He led it with distinction in that battle, leading his brigade around the Union's flanks to their rear and forcing them to retreat 1.5 miles to the rear. [3] In the battle he wounded in the knee.

Also during that year Jenkins was colonel of the

brigadier general on July 22, 1862, at the age of 26. He was later wounded at the Second Battle of Bull Run in August 1862, this time in the shoulder and chest.[1] Consequently, Jenkins was absent from the Army of Northern Virginia when it fought the Battle of Antietam
.

Jenkins' brigade served in the division of

Lt. Gen. James Longstreet against Suffolk, Virginia, in 1863, but Jenkins' brigade was retained near Richmond, Virginia, missing the Battle of Gettysburg
.

Jenkins and his brigade went with Hood's Division of the

Evander Law had been in the division since it was created and had already commanded it on several occasions, including at Gettysburg and Chickamauga. However Jenkins was the senior officer, being promoted three months earlier, and with support of Longstreet took command. The internal quarrel greatly hindered the unit's efficiency in late 1863. When the corps returned to the Army of Northern Virginia in early 1864 the issue was resolved when Brig. Gen. Charles W. Field
, who was senior to both, was assigned to the division, given command and promoted to Major General.

On January 16, 1864, Jenkins led his brigade to victory in the small Battle of Kimbrough's Crossroads against Federal cavalry. During the Battle of the Wilderness, Jenkins was riding with Lt. Gen. Longstreet when both were struck down by friendly fire on May 6, 1864. Although Longstreet survived, Jenkins died of his head wound a few hours later, and was buried in Magnolia Cemetery, Charleston, South Carolina.[1]

Son: Micah John Jenkins

Jenkins's son, Micah John Jenkins was born July 3, 1857, and graduated from

Montauk Point, Long Island
, New York in September 1898. He died in Charleston, South Carolina on Oct. 17, 1912.

See also

References

Notes

  1. ^ a b c Eicher, p. 318.
  2. ^ "Palmetto Sharpshooter in the Citadel Archives". Archived from the original on 2018-09-30. Retrieved 2013-03-29.
  3. ISBN 978-0-618-12713-9

Bibliography

Further reading

External links

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