Description:

"Stonewall" Jackson approves leave for Col. Kenton Harper (the officer who allegedly prompted Bernard Bee bestow upon Jackson his famous nickname) to visit his gravely ill wife. Jackson's order was countermanded the next day, prompting Harper to resign his commission

Fine content War date Autograph Endorsement Signed, "T. J. Jackson Brig Gen P.A.C.S Comg 1 Brigade," accomplished on the docket of Kenton Harper (1801-1867) Autograph Letter Signed. "Kenton Harper Col 5th Inf[an]t[r]y," 1 page, 5" x 8", "Camp Harman" [Manassas, Virginia], August 29, 1861, to Jackson requesting leave to visit his wife who had recently taken ill. Additionally docketed in an unknown hand the following day overruling Jackson's approval. Offered together with an additional Autograph Letter Signed, "Kenton Harper Col. 5th Va. Infy," 1 page, 5" x 8", "Camp Harman," September 3, 1861, tendering his resignation; Thomas G. Rhett (1821-1878) Autograph Document Signed, "Thos. G. Rhett A. A. General," 1 page, 7.75" x 9.75", "Hd Qrs Army of the Potomac," September 5, 1861, granting Harper permission to return home; manuscript Document Signed, "Geo: Deas AAG.," 1 page, 7.75" x 6.75", Richmond, September 5, 1861 noting that Harper's resignation had been accepted and was in force. Documents and letters bear some marginal wear and folds as expected. The Kenton Harper ALS bearing Jackson's endorsement had been damaged by fire, but the resulting hole, which affects a few letters of Harper's letter, two words in Jackson's endorsement, and a few letters in the August 30 endorsement, have been expertly conserved and in-filled with the missing text added. Overall very good to fine condition.

Kenton Harper was the son of a newspaperman in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania who purchased his own newspaper in Staunton, Virginia 1823. An ambitious young man, he parlayed his success in publishing into social power, winning election to the state legislature and as mayor of Staunton, and reaping the rewards with patronage appointments from friends in the capital. He served a brief stint in the Army during the Mexican War and later served as military governor of Parras in the state of Coahuila. In 1851-1852, Harper played a brief, but fascinating part in the development of the Chickasaw Nation, accepting an appointment as agent to the tribe.

At the outbreak of the Civil War, Harper became commander of the 5th Virginia Infantry. Eight days after he received his colonel's commission on April 10, 1861, he led a raid on the U.S. Army arsenal at Harper's Ferry. Although retreating Union troops set the arsenal ablaze, he managed to salvage nearly 4,000 of the 15,000 muskets stored there, as well as valuable gun milling equipment and tools. On April 28, Col. Jackson arrived and assumed command at Harper's Ferry. Harper and the 5th Virginia became part of Jackson's brigade and later fought with him at First Manassas in June 1861. According to unsubstantiated reports, it was Harper who drew General Bernard Bee's attention to the brave conduct of Jackson that day which earned him the nickname, "Stonewall." In August, however, Harper learned that his wife had become gravely ill, and on August 29, 1861 he formally requested a leave of absence: "I have just received intelligence of the serious illness of my wife, of such a nature, indeed, as induces me to apprehend I shall never see her again alive. Under the circumstances I feel constrained by the highest obligations of duty to ask leave of absence for a few days."

Contrary to what some historians have asserted, Jackson almost immediately approved of the leave: "H[ea]d Qu[arte]rs 29 Aug. 1st Brigade Respectfully approved & forwarded T J. Jackson Brig Gen P[rovisional]. A[rmy].C[onfederate].S[tates]. Com[mandin]g 1[st] Brigade". However the next day, Jackson's commander, Gen. Joseph E. Johnston, countermanded that decision and ordered Jackson to rescind the authorization. Beside Jackson's endorsement of the 29th is another endorsement in a secretarial hand, noting that the leave was "disapproved" on August 30.

Left with little choice, Harper resigned his commission. On September 3, 1861 he penned a touching letter to Jackson, of which he retained a copy that reads in full: "I respectfully tender my resignation as Colonel in The Active Volunteer Forces of Virginia. I deem it an act of justice to myself to say that I do so only because of the peculiar condition of my family, which requires my immediate presence. I hope therefore I may be allowed the indulgence to visit them at once upon my unconditional resignation."

But again, Johnston stood in the way. On the verso, Harper added a note that the resignation had been "Approved by Gen. Jackson, but refused by Gen. Johnston until action could be had upon my resignation at Richmond." Fortunately for Harper, Richmond came through, and on September 5, 1861, Assistant Adjutant General George Deas announced the acceptance of Harper's resignation which was to take effect the same day.

Writing from the headquarters of the Army of the Potomac, the Assistant Adjutant General, Thomas G. Rhett (brother of Robert Barnwell Rhett, best known as the "Father of Secession"), authorized Harper's departure from camp the same day, giving him "permission to return home[.]"

Following his return home, Harper again served in the Virginia legislature until 1864 before being appointed again a colonel in the Confederate Army. He led a regiment in the Valley Campaigns of 1864 seeing action at Piedmont (June 5-6) and Waynesboro, Virginia (March 2, 1865).

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