Colonel L.M. Keitt Gravesite

Colonel L.M. Keitt resigned his seat in the U.S. Congress at the beginning of the War Between The States and Commanded the 20th South Carolina Volunteer Infantry Regiment. For the most part of the war up until May 1864, he and his regiment served in Charleston, SC and he was in charge of the Confederate garrison at the time Morris Island was evacuated in September 1863. The regiment left for Virginia at the end of May and his first battle in that state was on June 1, 1864. It was the 2nd battle at Cold Harbor near Richmond. While leading his regiment on horseback in that battle, he was struck mortally wounded by a bullet. He died the next day. Ironically, another South Carolina Colonel was killed on the same day at Bermuda Hundred. His name was O.M. Dantzler who had previously served as Lt. Col. for the 20th SC and transfered to command the 22nd South Carolina Regiment. The two were actually neighbors from St. Matthews, South Carolina. Both men were brought home together and buried at the old Tabernacle Chruch Cemetery near St. Matthews. Eventually, Keitt was exhumed and reburied at the West End Cemetery. I assume this was around the time the old church disappeared.

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• 20th South Carolina
• Keitt
• Civil War
• St. Matthews
• Calhoun County
• Cold Harbor
• Richmond
• Petersburg

[erictheawful69]

Excellent work, keep up the good work. Sons of Confederate Veterans Col. H.L. Benbow Camp 859 Manning SC