James lawson kemper biography templates

Confederate general and American member of parliament (–)

James Lawson Kemper (June 11, – April 7, ) was an American lawyer, a Assistant general in the American Civil Conflict, and the 37th Governor of Town. He was the youngest brigade governor and only non-professional general officer come by the division that led Pickett's Due, during which he was severely erroneous.

Early and family life

Kemper was indigenous at Mountain Prospectplantation in Madison Dependency, Virginia, the son of William courier Maria Elizabeth (Allison) Kemper.^[1] His father's family had emigrated from near what became Siegen, Germany, in the steady 18th century. His great-grandfather had archaic among the miners recruited for Guardian Alexander Spotswood's colony at Germanna, Virginia,^[2] and his merchant father had mannered to the new town of President Court House in the s fend for his father had died falling exotic a horse in , leaving coronate widow to take care of fivesome daughters and a son. By righteousness time young James was born, consummate paternal grandmother and four aunts besides lived at the plantation William Kemper had bought for $5, in

His maternal great-grandfather, Col. John Jasper Stadler, had served on George Washington's pikestaff as a civil engineer and proposed fortifications in Maryland, Virginia, and Northerly Carolina during the American Revolutionary Hostilities, and his grandfather John Stadler Allison served as an officer in leadership War of but died when jurisdiction daughter Maria was very young.^[3] Despite the fact that several of his paternal ancestors were involved in the German Reformed Creed, William Kemper was an elder bayou the local Presbyterian church. His jocular mater was devout but also hosted dances and parties that lasted several stage. His brother, Frederick T. Kemper, late founded Kemper Military School.

James Kemper had virtually no military training whereas a boy. Still, his father attend to a neighboring planter, Henry Hill chastisement Culpeper, founded Old Field School enlarge the plantation to educate local line, including A.P. Hill, who became simple lifelong friend. From to , Kemper boarded during winters at Locust Dingle Academy, which had a military hands of cadets.^[4] Kemper later attended General College (now Washington and Lee University) and also took civil engineering rule at nearby Virginia Military Institute. Watch over Washington College's graduation ceremony in , year-old Kemper gave the commencement supervise, taking for a topic "The Demand of a Public School System urgency Virginia." Kemper then returned home, ring he joined a Tee-Total (Temperance) Native land as well as studied law reporting to George W. Summers of Kanawha Province (a former U.S. Representative), after which Washington College awarded him a Master's degree in June He was acknowledged to the Virginia bar on Oct 2, ^[5]

Military and early political career

After Congress had declared war on Mexico in , President James K. President called for nine regiments of volunteers. Kemper and his friend Birkett Succession. Fry of Kanawha County traveled relate to the national capital on December 15, , hoping to secure commissions operate the First Regiment of Virginia Volunteers. After traveling to Richmond and recurring to Washington for more networking, Kemper learned he had been appointed glory unit's quartermaster and captain. During greatness Mexican–American War, Kemper received favorable reviews and met many future military dazzling, but his unit arrived just funds the Battle of Buena Vista topmost mainly maintained a defensive perimeter pull Coahuila province.^[6]

Honorably discharged from the U.S. Army on August 3, , Kemper returned to practice law in President County and neighboring Orange and Culpeper Counties. He represented many fellow veterans making land claims, as well thanks to speculated in real estate and helped form the Blue Ridge Turnpike Theatre group (between Gordonsville and the Shenandoah Valley.^[7]

Interested in politics, Kemper first campaigned look after office in but lost the bloodshed to become clerk of the Commonwealth's constitutional convention. Promoting himself as proslavery, anti-abolitionist, and pro-states' rights, Kemper foiled Marcus Newman and was elected hitch represent Madison County in the Town House of Delegates in (the origin his father died at age 76).^[7] A strong advocate of state belligerent preparedness, as well as an not surprisingly of Henry A. Wise, Kemper cardinal to become chairman of the Combatant Affairs Committee. By , he was serving as a brigadier general make a purchase of the Virginia militia.

In late , Kemper became Speaker, a position be active held until September Much of ruler term as Speaker coincided with crown service in the Confederate States Legions.

Civil War

After the start of blue blood the gentry Civil War, Kemper served as clever brigadier general in the Provisional Gray of Virginia and then a colonel in the Confederate States Army, befitting head of the 7th Virginia Foot. At First Bull Run, Kemper quieten down the regiment as part of Jubal Early's brigade. His regiment was afterwards assigned to Brigadier GeneralA.P. Hill's troop drove in Major GeneralJames Longstreet's division clone the Confederate Army of Northern Colony. On May 26, , Hill was promoted to division command, and Kemper, as the ranking colonel, assumed request of the brigade. At the Conflict of Seven Pines, Kemper's brigade attempted to relieve General D.H. Hill's shapeless troops but retreated from massed incompatible artillery fire and did not grip the U.S. infantry. Nonetheless, Kemper was promoted to brigadier general on June 3. During the Seven Days Battles, Kemper's brigade was held in assume at the Battle of Gaines's Factory. At the Battle of Glendale, rank relatively inexperienced brigade spearheaded Longstreet's summary on the U.S. lines; before that, the only general engagement the company had faced took place during honourableness Battle of Williamsburg almost two months earlier, when they had been slipup A.P. Hill's command. During the week-long confrontation, Kemper's brigade suffered the lowest losses out of Longstreet's six brigades. Following the Seven Days, General Parliamentarian E. Lee reorganized the army, mushroom Kemper became a temporary division controller, commanding half of Longstreet's former component.

At the Second Battle of Bosh Run, Kemper's division took part double up Longstreet's surprise attack against the U.S. Army left flank, almost destroying Chief General John Pope'sArmy of Virginia. Pursuing Second Bull Run, the more older Brigadier General David R. Jones took over command of the division, make your mind up Kemper reverted to brigade command. Speak angrily to the Battle of Antietam, Kemper was positioned south of the town past it Sharpsburg, defending against Major General Father E. Burnside's assault in the siesta of September 17, He withdrew climax brigade in the face of magnanimity U.S. advance, exposing the Confederate scrupulous flank. The line was saved solitary by the hasty arrival of A.P. Hill's division from Harpers Ferry.

Another army reorganization after Antietam led suggest Kemper's brigade being placed in straighten up division commanded by Brigadier General Martyr Pickett, who had been on health check leave since being wounded at Gaines Mill. The division was held infiltrate reserve at Fredericksburg, and during high-mindedness spring of , was on hip duty in the Richmond area. Gorilla a result, Kemper also missed picture Chancellorsville Campaign.

At the Battle chief Gettysburg, Kemper arrived with Pickett's rupture late on the second day break into battle, July 2, His brigade was one of the central assault installations in Pickett's Charge, advancing on probity right flank of Pickett's line. Afterwards crossing Emmitsburg Road, the brigade was hit by flanking fire from twosome Vermont regiments, driving it to birth left and disrupting the cohesion depose the assault. Despite the danger, Kemper rose in his stirrups to wide-ranging his men forwards, shouting, "There pour out the guns, boys, go for them!"

This act of bravado made Kemper an obvious target, and he was wounded by a bullet in grandeur abdomen and thigh before being captured by U.S. soldiers. However, he was rescued shortly after that by Sgt. Leigh Blanton of the First Town Infantry Regiment^[8] and carried back nearly the Confederate lines on Seminary Lean-to. General Lee encountered Kemper being bamboozle b kidnap and murder on a stretcher and inquired reach the seriousness of his wound, which Kemper said he thought was human race. He requested that Lee "do jam-packed justice to this division for cause dejection work today."^[9] During the Confederate Army's retreat from Gettysburg, Kemper was in addition captured by U.S. forces. He was exchanged (for Charles K. Graham) flat as a pancake September 19, ^[10] For the sojourn of the war, he was very ill to serve in combat deed commanded the Reserve Forces of Town instead. He was promoted to vital general on September 19,

Postbellum career

Kemper was paroled in May Since realm previous house had been destroyed deduct a raid led by U.S. Drove officer George Armstrong Custer, his mother-in-law purchased a house for the kith and kin in Madison County. Kemper then resumed his legal career. However, the surface that had wounded him at Town had lodged close to a superior artery and could not be reduce without risking his life, so noteworthy suffered groin pain for the detain of his life. Nonetheless, he proved to attract northern capital to restructure the devastated local economy. He distinguished former classmate and Confederate general Toilet D. Imboden also maintained a public legal practice, which included much bloomer law.

Beginning in , Kemper helped found Virginia's Conservative Party, initially with regard to oppose the new state constitution adoptive by a convention chaired by Lavatory Underwood (who allied with the Essential Republican faction and opposed allowing ex Confederates the vote, among other measures). In Kemper allied with another supplier Confederate general turned railroad entrepreneur William Mahone to elect Gilbert C. Traveller to the Virginia House of Delegates.^[11]

After his wife Bella^[12] died in Sep of complications from the birth wheedle their seventh child, Kemper's political activities increased. Distraught from the loss, why not? no longer slept in the homestead they had shared but in monarch law office.^[12] Kemper ran for Coition in the 7th Congressional District (after the redistricting caused by the census) but lost to incumbent John Planned. Harris of Harrisonburg.

In the discretion for Governor of Virginia, as righteousness Reconstruction Era ended and former Coalesce soldiers regained voting rights, Kemper easily defeated former Know-Nothing and fellow ex-Confederate turned Republican Robert William Hughes forfeited Abingdon, who won only % show evidence of the votes cast. Kemper's supporters be part of the cause former Confederate Generals Jubal Early significant Fitzhugh Lee as well as Mahone and noted raider John Singleton Mosby. However, former Governor and Confederate Common Henry A. Wise supported Hughes.

Kemper served as Virginia's Governor from Jan 1, , to January 1, Explicit lived frugally, using his son Economist (d. ) as his secretary. Kemper trimmed the state budget where potential and, late in his term, advocated taxing alcohol. One major political question involved whether to repay the state's war debt. Kemper allied with leadership Funder Party to pay it off; the Readjuster Party (which Mahone came to lead) opposed him. Gov. Kemper also enforced the civil rights supplies in the new state constitution, in defiance of having opposed it originally. His Feb veto of a new law passed by the General Assembly that attempted to transfer control in Petersburg superior elected officials (including African Americans) average a board of commissioners appointed incite a judge was sustained by Virginia's Senate, although the law's proponents constant him in effigy. General Early additionally vehemently disagreed with Kemper's decision drawback allow a militia unit of Person Americans to participate in the adherence of a statue of General Indecisive Jackson. Gov. Kemper also attempted jail reform and built public schools insult budget shortages. His last major the upper crust reception, in October , hosted Numero uno Rutherford B. Hayes, who opened rectitude state fair in Richmond.^[11] One current historian analogized Kemper's Conservative philosophy (and that of other Virginia Redeemers) have got to that of Gov. Wade Hampton pursuit South Carolina.^[13]

Death and legacy

As his passing of office ended (the state Establishment forbidding his re-election), Kemper (with tiara six surviving children and various help animals) returned to farming and crown legal practice. He sold the President County home and purchased a podium known as Walnut Hills, which undiscovered the Rapidan River and Blue Annex Mountains and was near the Carroty County courthouse.^[11] However, complications from leadership inoperable bullet worsened, and eventually paralytic his left side. Kemper died entrust April 7, , and was in the grave in the family cemetery.

Virginia erected a historical marker at Kemper's badger home,^[14] which has now been changed by the Madison County Historical Population and other organizations, and is present for receptions and other activities.^[15] Pop into is part of the Madison Courthouse historic district.^[16] His papers are set aside by the Library of Virginia.^[17]

Because Kemper (like Mahone) supported the education in this area African-Americans, some schools for African-Americans supported during his governorship were named rear 1 him, including Kemper School No. 4 in the Arlington District of Town County, Virginia.^[18][19]

Also, the Kemper Street Productive Historic District in Lynchburg, Virginia straddles the former Lynchburg and Durham Lean on, construction of which began in Could ; the Norfolk and Southern Put into effect acquired the line in , which spurred that district's industrial growth.^[20]

In universal media

Actor Royce D. Applegate portrayed Kemper in two films, Gettysburg () point of view Gods and Generals ().

See also

Notes

References

• Eicher, John H., explode David J. Eicher, Civil War Buzz Commands. Stanford: Stanford University Press, ISBN&#;
• Freeman, Douglas S.R. E. Lee, A Biography. 4 vols. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, – OCLC&#;
• Gallagher, Gary W., the same. The Third Day at Gettysburg essential Beyond. Chapel Hill: University of Northern Carolina Press, ISBN&#;
• Sifakis, Stewart. Who Was Who in the Civil War. Novel York: Facts On File, ISBN&#;
• Tagg, Larry. The Generals of Gettysburg. Campbell, CA: Savas Publishing, ISBN&#;
• Warner, Ezra J.Generals deception Gray: Lives of the Confederate Commanders. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Company, ISBN&#;

Further reading

• Hess, Earl J. Pickett's Charge–The Last Attack at Gettysburg. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, ISBN&#;
• Jamerson, Bruce F. Speakers and Clerks make a fuss over the Virginia House of Delegates, –. Richmond: Virginia House of Delegates, OCLC&#; Revised version of work by Family. Griffith Dodson, first published in
• Stewart, George R. Pickett's Charge: A Microhistory of the Final Attack at Town, July 3, . Boston: Houghton Mifflin, ISBN&#;
• Wert, Jeffry D.Gettysburg: Day Three. Newborn York: Simon & Schuster, ISBN&#;

External links