Friendly Fire Part Two

Confederate General Micah Jenkins died from a wound May 6^th 1864, received during the Battle of the Wilderness.

Micah Jenkins was born December 1^st 1835 on Edisto Island, South Carolina, the son of John and Elizabeth Jenkins.  He graduated in 1854 from the South Carolina Military Academy [the Citadel], first in his class.  Jenkins was a member of the Yorkville Episcopal Church.  He worked to organize, and founded along with Asbury Coward in 1855, the King’s Mountain Military Academy.

As the Civil War got started Jenkins recruited and became the Colonel of the 5^th South Carolina.  They were present for the First Battle of Manassas.  During the Battle of Seven Pines, Jenkins took command of Richard Anderson brigade after Anderson was wounded, leading it with distinction until he wounded in the knee.  He was promoted to Brigadier General July 22^nd 1862.  Jenkins was wound again at the Second Battle of Manassas in the abdomen and chest, which kept him out of the Battle of Antietam.  He was back with the army in time for the Battle of Fredericksburg, serving in Confederate Major General George Pickett’s division, but wasn't engaged.  Jenkins brigade went with Confederate Lieutenant General James Longstreet to Tennessee, taking part in the second day of the Battle of Chickamauga on September 20^th 1863.  On January 16^th 1864, he led his men in a victory against Union cavalry at the Battle of Kimbrough’s Crossroads.

At the Battle of the Wilderness on May 6^th 1864, Jenkins was riding with Longstreet and some other staff officers at about 1pm when they were hit with friendly fire coming from the 12^th Virginia.  It occurred very near the place where Confederate General Thomas J Jackson was struck down a year before.  Jenkins was hit in forehead, with the ball entering his brain.  He remained semiconscious, but unknowing, dying of his wounds six hours later.  He was buried first in Summerville, South Carolina, but in 1881 was moved to the Magnolia Cemetery in Charleston, South Carolina.

Held The Line Until After Dark

BG Micah Jenkins

A minor fight the Battle of Dandridge was fought January 17^th 1864 in Jefferson County, Tennessee.

Union forces commanded by Major General John G Parke looking for forage south of the French Broad River and to push the Confederates out of their winter headquarters, advanced on Dandridge, Tennessee.  This movement forced Confederate Lieutenant General James Longstreet who was operating in the Dandridge area to fall back to Kimbrough’s Crossroads and bring up reinforcements.

Union Brigadier General Samuel D Sturgis who commanded the Cavalry Corps in the Army of the Ohio, road along the Morristown Road from Dandridge on January 16^th 1864.  As the Cavalry neared Kimbrough’s Crossroad they engaged a brigade with artillery from Alabama commanded by Confederate Brigadier General Micah Jenkins.  At the same time another unit of Union cavalry under Colonel Frank Wolford engaged another Confederate force on a bend of Chunky Road, east of Dandridge.  Unable to move the Confederates, the Union troops retired to Dandridge.  Sturgis prepared his men into a line of battle.  At about 4 pm the Confederates moved towards Dandridge, where the battle quickly grew into general fighting.  The Battle continued until after dark, with Union forces holding onto their line.

Having not crossed the river and not knowing how much of Longstreet’s force was in their front, Parke ordered a retreat to New Market during the night.  The Confederates followed, but without supplies they broke off and fell back to holding Dandridge.

A Race To The Cross Road

The Battle of Campbell’s Station was fought November 16^th 1863 in the Farragut, Knox, Tennessee area.

Confederate Lieutenant General James Longstreet took a detachment of two divisions and 5,000 cavalry from the Army of Tennessee, with orders to attack Union Major General Ambrose E Burnside who was traveling to Knoxville, Tennessee.  Both armies traveled similar routes trying to beat the other to Campbell’s Station.  Campbell’s Station was the point where the Kingston Road and Concord Road meet, and Burnside had to get there first if he was going to get to Knoxville.  If Longstreet could get to Campbell’s Station before the Union troops, they would be forced to fight outside of the works around Knoxville.

Burnside’s troops marched hard through the rain on November 16^th 1863, arriving at the intersection at Campbell’s Station just 15 minutes ahead of the Confederates.  Longstreet planed an attack against both flanks of Union force, with Confederate Major General Lafayette McLaws hitting the right flank and Brigadier General Micah Jenkins the left.  The Union right was hit hard and had to redeploy, but the Union left held its ground.  Burnside’s withdrew his men three quarters of mile in an orderly movement.  Longstreet halted his attack and Burnside was able to move his troops to Knoxville.

Union casualties in the battle were about 400.   The Confederate’s lost about 570 men.

Fighting In The Dark

The Battle of Wauhatchie; a rare night battle was fought October 29^th 1863 along the Georgia Tennessee boarder.

On October 28^th 1863 Union General Joseph Hooker moved his soldiers through Lookout Valley.  He detached a division under Brigadier General John W Geary to Wauhatchie Station to protect his communications as well as the road to Kelley’s Ford.  Geary had about 1,500 men and was posted in an isolated area.  Confederate General James Longstreet determined to attack this Union force.  Longstreet ordered a night attack be made by Brigadier General Micah Jenkins.  At the same time Longstreet moved against Hooker to keep him from reinforcing Geary.

The battle was supposed to open by 10 pm on October 28^th 1863, but was delayed until after midnight.  Geary was expecting an attack and had sent out pickets, but he was still surprised.  As the Union troops were hit from the north they formed a V-shaped battle line facing east and north.  When Hooker heard the sounds of the battle he ordered Union Major General Carl Schurz to march to Wauhatchie Station and reinforce Geary.  In the confusion however Union Brigadier General Adolph von Steinwehr got moving first.  Steinwehr’s men were fired on from a hill while passing Brown’s Ferry, and Hooker deployed more troops toward the area against Confederate Brigadier General Evander M Law.  With all this going on, no got out to Wauhatchie Station to help Geary.

Law held his hill top though he was heavily outnumbered.  After standing up to several assaults Law began a drawback, but just as his men were leaving their entrenchments the Union soldiers spilled in and captured some of the Confederates who hadn’t gotten the order to retreat.

Geary’s men were running low on ammunition, but were still holding tight.  Just as the Confederates were looking at victory they received information that Union reinforcement were arriving.  Jenkins broke off and retreated with the rest of the Confederates to Lookout Mountain.  In the fight at Wauhatchie Station the Confederates had losses that numbered 356.  Union casualties numbered 216; including Geary’s own son, an artillery lieutenant who died in his father’s arms.