Biographical Sketches

The Civil War in South Carolina

Perrin, Brig. Gen. Abner M.

Brigadier-General Abner M. Perrin was born in Edgefield district, in 1827..He entered the Confederate States service as captain of a company of the Fourteenth regiment, South Carolina infantry, Col. James Jones, and was present at the engagement at Port Royal Ferry, January 1, 1862. His regiment was ordered to Virginia in the spring of 1862, and attached to the South Carolina brigade of Gen. Maxcy Gregg, the regiment then being commanded by Col. Samuel McGowan. Captain Perrin shared the services of the Fourteenth in the battles before Richmond, at Cedar run, Second Manassas, Harper's Ferry, Sharpsburg and Fredericksburg, and then being promoted colonel, commanded the regiment at Chancellorsville, where, after the wounding of General McGowan and Colonel Edwards, he had command of the remnant of the brigade in the Sunday battle. He continued in charge of this brigade, consisting of the First, Twelfth, Thirteenth, Fourteenth South Carolina regiments and First Rifles, Pender's division, A. P. Hill's corps, during the Gettysburg campaign. On the afternoon of July 1, 1863, said A. P. Hill, Perrin's brigade took position after position of the enemy, driving him through the town of Gettysburg. He maintained an advanced position throughout the next two days, keeping up a continual heavy skirmish and repelling several assaults on the third. On the retreat he repulsed an attack of cavalry near Falling Waters. He was promoted to brigadier-general in September, 1863. Previous to the campaign of May, 1864, in Virginia, General McGowan returned to the command of the South Carolina brigade, and General Perrin was transferred to the Alabama brigade lately commanded by General Wilcox, Anderson's division. He passed through the fiery ordeal in the Wilderness, but at Spottsylvania, in the words of the telegram of General Lee to President Davis, "the brave General Perrin was killed." It was just after Hancock had swept over the "bloody angle," early on May 12th, capturing the larger part of Johnson's division, and A. P. Hill was called on for reinforcements, that Perrin came up leading his brigade through a terribly destructive fire, and fell dead from his horse just as he reached the works.

Pettigrew, Col. Johnston

Col. Pettigrew was commander of the First South Carolina Rifles and served as Aide-de-Camp to SC Governor Pickens.

REF: Confederate Military History Vol. 5, pg. 6

The Civil War in South Carolina

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