History of Camden, (Kershaw County) South Carolina United States of America

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Biographies:

Joseph Brevard Kershaw, soldier, was born in Camden, S.C., Jan. 5, 1822. He was educated at the private schools in South Carolina, studied law, was admitted to the bar in 1843 and practised in Camden. He was a member of the state senate, 1852-57, and was a delegate to the secession convention of 1860. At the outbreak of the civil war he organized the 2d South Carolina regiment and was its commander at the first battle of Bull Run in July, 1861. He was promoted to the rank of brigadier-general, Feb. 13, 1862, and commanded a brigade under Magruder at Yorktown, a brigade in the division of Gen. Lafayette McLaws, throughout the Peninsula campaign at Seven Pines, Savage's Station and Malvern Hill, and at the battle of Sharpsburg Md. His brigade held the sunken road under Marye's Hill at Fredericksburg against the Federal troops, and the right of McLaws's division, Longstreet's corps, at Gettysburg. He was ordered to Tennessee where he participated in the battle of Chickamauga and in the siege of Knoxville. Upon his return to Virginia in 1864 he was promoted major-general and commanded the first division of Longstreet's first corps, Army of Northern Virginia, in the final campaign of General Lee's army, participating in the battles of the Wilderness, Spottsylvania, Cedarville, Winchester, Cedar Creek, Petersburg, Cold Harbor, and Sailor's Creek, where his division formed part of Ewell's corps and surrendered, April 6, 1865. He was imprisoned at Fort Warren, Boston harbor, until July, 1865, and upon his release he resumed the practice of the law at Camden, S.C. He again served in the state senate, 1865-66. He prepared the resolutions adopted by the conservative convention in 1870; was judge of the circuit court of South Carolina, 1877-93, and postmaster of Camden, 1893-94. He is the author of: Kershaw's Brigade at Fredericksburg (Vol. III., p. 95), and Kershaw's Brigade at Gettysbury (Vol. III, p. 331-38), in "Battles and Leaders of the Civil War" (1884-88). He died at Camden, S.C., April 13, 1894.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

David Camden De leon, surgeon, was born at Camden, S.C., in 1813; the eldest son of Dr. M. Hendricks and Rebecca (Lopez) De Leon, and grandson of John Jacob and Hanna (Hendricks) De Leon. He was descended on beth sides from old Spanish families, who removed to the West Indies and thence to South Carolina about the middle of the eighteenth century. The De Leon family furnished officers to the army or navy in the Revolution, the war of 1812, and the Florida, Mexican and civil wars. David Camden was graduated from the South Carolina college, in 1833. Following the example of his father and uncle, who were both distinguished physicians, he was graduated from the medical department of the University of Pennsylvania in 1836, and at once passed examination for assistant surgeon in the army. He was attached to the command of Gen. William S. Harney, U.S.A., then in the field in Florida, and with it served throughout the Seminole war. Thence he was transferred to frontier service until the declaration of the war with Mexico, when he was attached to General Taylor's army at Matamoras, and was in every battle on the Rio Grande line up to the siege of Vera Cruz. There he was transferred to General Scott's army as surgeon of Worth's division and was in every fight up to the city of Mexico. Gallant and impulsive, he gained the army nickname of "the Fighting Doctor," from leading charges at Chapultepec and Molino del Rey, when line officers were shot down. For this he was mentioned in orders and thanked by resolution of congress. Dr. De Leon again served on the southwestern frontier until 1860, when he asked a year's leave to travel in the Orient. On the secession of South Carolina he resigned and was made acting surgeon-general of the Confederacy by President Davis, organizing the medical department and serving in the field in the Peninsula and Richmond campaigns. Then he went to the Trans-Mississippi department, and on the surrender of most of that army, crossed into Mexico with Magruder and others, remaining a year. In 1866 he returned to Albuquerque, N.M., where he practised his profession until his death there, Sept. 3, 1872.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

Zachariah Cantey Deas, soldier, was born in Camden, S.C., Oct. 25, 1819; son of Col. James Sutherland and Morgood (Chesnut) Deas. His father was a state senator of South Carolina. His mother was a sister of James Chesnut, Jr., U.S. senator. In 1836 he removed to Mobile, Ala., and engaged in business. In 1847 he served in the Mexican war, and in 1861 joined the Confederate army as aide-de-camp to Gen. Joseph E. Johnston, and was on his staff during the battle of Manassas, July 21, 1861. He recruited and was elected colonel of the 22d Alabama volunteers. The government having no means of equipping the regiment for service, he purchased 800 Enfield rifles, paying $28,000 in gold therefor. He was reimbursed in 1862, the government paying him the amount in Confederate bonds. He led the regiment at Shiloh and succeeded during the fight to the command of the brigade. He had two horses shot under him and was severely wounded the second day of the fight. With his regiment he participated in the battles of Munfordville and Salt River, Ky. At Murfreesboro, Tenn., his regiment was engaged the second day of the battle of Stone's River. Dec. 31, 1862-Jan. 3, 1863, and he superseded General Gardner as brigade commander, Dec. 31, 1862. His promotion to the rank of brigadier-general was signed Dec. 13, 1862, before this battle was fought. He led the brigade at Chickamauga, routed Sheridan's division and captured seventeen pieces of artillery. In this engagement the Federal general, W. H. Lytle, was killed, and General Deas lost forty per cent of his brigade. He also led the brigade at Missionary Ridge, Resaca, New Hope Church, Kenesaw Mountain, Atlanta and Jonesboro. In the engagements in Tennessee in 1865 he was wounded at Franklin and before Nashville, when he succeeded Gen. Edward Johnston in the command of a division. On the last day of this battle he had in his brigade only 244 men, although he left Dalton 2075 strong and had received 200 recruits. When the retreat was ordered his division numbered only 750 men. With these men he opposed Sherman's march through South Carolina, and when he reached Raleigh, N.C., he fell sick and was obliged to resign. After the war he lived in New York city, where he died, March 6, 1882.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

James Chesnut, senator, was born near Camden, S. C., in 1815; son of James Chesnut. He was graduated from Princeton in 1835. He was a member of the South Carolina legislature, 1842-52, and of the state senate, 1854-58. He was appointed United States senator to succeed Arthur P. Hayne, and was elected for the full term beginning Dec. 5, 1859. On Nov. 10, 1860, he resigned, anticipating the secession of South Carolina; his resignation was not accepted; and upon his appointment as a delegate in the Confederate provisional congress he was expelled from the United States senate, July 11, 1861. He served during the war in the Confederate army, receiving a commission as colonel. He served on the staff of Jefferson Davis, and was promoted to the rank of brigadier-general. He was a delegate to the national Democratic convention in 1868. He died in South Carolina in 1885.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor