Micah Jenkins

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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

Jenkins was born in Edisto Island, South Carolina. He graduated first in his class from the South Carolina Military Academy, now called The Citadel, in 1854.

He recruited a regiment of South Carolina troops and became their colonel. He fought under David R. Jones at the First Battle of Bull Run and distinguished himself in the Battle of Seven Pines in the Peninsula Campaign of 1862. Considered one of the war's "boy generals", he was promoted to the rank of 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.

During the Battle of the Wilderness, Jenkins was riding with Lt. Gen. James Longstreet when both were struck down by friendly fire on May 6, 1864. Jenkins died of his head wound a few hours later. He is buried in Magnolia Cemetery, Charleston, South Carolina.

[edit] References

• Eicher, John H., and Eicher, David J., Civil War High Commands, Stanford University Press, 2001, ISBN 0-8047-3641-3.