Brigadier General James L. Kemper
Born June 11, 1823, Virginia lawyer James Kemper was the youngest brigade commander and only non-professional officer in General George Pickett's Division. Severely wounded in the abdomen and thigh during Pickett's Charge at Gettysburg on July 3, 1863, he was captured, exchanged, and returned on September 19, 1863. Too ill for combat, he commanded Virginia's Reserve Forces. He lived 30 years post-war, eventually paralyzed on his left side by inoperable Gettysburg wounds, and died on April 7, 1895. Kemper lies in eternal rest in the Kemper Family Cemetery in Orange, Virginia.
Deo Vindice
August 9, 2026 66
