THE OTHER GENERAL KEARNY
Almost everyone who lives in Kearny has heard of our town's namesake, General Phillip Kearny, the "One Arm Devil" of Civil War fame who died in action at the Battle of Chantilly. But Phillip Kearny was just one of many distinguished members of a family of Irish immigrants known in the old country as "O'Kearny". This is the story of the other General Kearny.
Steven Watts Kearny was born in Newark, New Jersey on August 30, 1794. Kearny attended public schools and spent two years at Columbia College before leaving to join the Army when hostilities broke out with England in the War of 1812. During this war Lieutenant Kearny was wounded, captured and briefly imprisoned, and was promoted to captain due to his bravery. After the war Kearny remained in the Army where he lived an exceedingly adventurous life.
After the war Kearny was sent to the Western Frontier where he engaged in many expeditions, especially exploring the Yellowstone River. He studied the geography of the area, learned the true course of rivers and updated the maps of that period. He was well liked by the Indian tribes he encountered and sat at many council meetings with them. While a fine soldier, Kearny learned early the importance of diplomacy, tact and the art of communication.
While stationed in Missouri, Kearny was often invited to St. Louis as a frequent guest of General William Clark, of Lewis and Clark Fame. It was here that he met his future wife, Mary Radford, the stepdaughter of Clark. They were married in 1830 and had 11 children.
Sent to Fort Leavenworth, Kearny undertook a new field of endeavor, organizing a regiment of dragoons, which are like a cavalry unit. Today, Kearny is looked upon as "The Father of the U.S. Cavalry".
When the Mexican War broke out, Kearny was appointed commander of the Army of the West by President Polk and led an expedition to occupy New Mexico and California. He quickly took control of New Mexico without any bloodshed in August 1846 and was named military governor headquartered in Santa Fe. After about a month in Santa Fe, Kearny set out with a small band of 300 soldiers to California. Faulty intelligence in the form of a dispatch delivered by horseback informed the expedition that California had been secured. Two hundred men returned to Santa Fe and Kearny pressed on with only 100 troops. The small band of men suffered heavy casualties, especially at the battle of San Pascual. The soldiers were able to link up with naval forces from San Diego under the command of Commodore Robert Stockton. After the joint forces fought several skirmishes near Los Angeles in January 1847, the Mexican forces had surrendered. A controversy then arose as to who would be the military governor of California. The post eventually was granted to Kearny. From California, he was sent to Mexico where he briefly served as governor of Vera Cruz and Mexico City. While there, he contracted a tropical disease and upon his return to St. Louis he died on Oct. 31, 1848. General Kearny built more frontier posts then any other man of his time, led some of the longest marches in American military history, and brought order to a vast frontier that spread a growing nation from ocean to ocean, straddling an entire continent.
The Kearny name is now the place name of several locations in the United States, some honoring Phil Kearny and others honoring his uncle Steven. Some use the misspelling of "Kearney", which can be traced to a clerical error in 1849 at the Postal Service while Fort Kearney, Nebraska was still active.
James J. Calautti
Steven Watts Kearny was born in Newark, New Jersey on August 30, 1794. Kearny attended public schools and spent two years at Columbia College before leaving to join the Army when hostilities broke out with England in the War of 1812. During this war Lieutenant Kearny was wounded, captured and briefly imprisoned, and was promoted to captain due to his bravery. After the war Kearny remained in the Army where he lived an exceedingly adventurous life.
After the war Kearny was sent to the Western Frontier where he engaged in many expeditions, especially exploring the Yellowstone River. He studied the geography of the area, learned the true course of rivers and updated the maps of that period. He was well liked by the Indian tribes he encountered and sat at many council meetings with them. While a fine soldier, Kearny learned early the importance of diplomacy, tact and the art of communication.
While stationed in Missouri, Kearny was often invited to St. Louis as a frequent guest of General William Clark, of Lewis and Clark Fame. It was here that he met his future wife, Mary Radford, the stepdaughter of Clark. They were married in 1830 and had 11 children.
Sent to Fort Leavenworth, Kearny undertook a new field of endeavor, organizing a regiment of dragoons, which are like a cavalry unit. Today, Kearny is looked upon as "The Father of the U.S. Cavalry".
When the Mexican War broke out, Kearny was appointed commander of the Army of the West by President Polk and led an expedition to occupy New Mexico and California. He quickly took control of New Mexico without any bloodshed in August 1846 and was named military governor headquartered in Santa Fe. After about a month in Santa Fe, Kearny set out with a small band of 300 soldiers to California. Faulty intelligence in the form of a dispatch delivered by horseback informed the expedition that California had been secured. Two hundred men returned to Santa Fe and Kearny pressed on with only 100 troops. The small band of men suffered heavy casualties, especially at the battle of San Pascual. The soldiers were able to link up with naval forces from San Diego under the command of Commodore Robert Stockton. After the joint forces fought several skirmishes near Los Angeles in January 1847, the Mexican forces had surrendered. A controversy then arose as to who would be the military governor of California. The post eventually was granted to Kearny. From California, he was sent to Mexico where he briefly served as governor of Vera Cruz and Mexico City. While there, he contracted a tropical disease and upon his return to St. Louis he died on Oct. 31, 1848. General Kearny built more frontier posts then any other man of his time, led some of the longest marches in American military history, and brought order to a vast frontier that spread a growing nation from ocean to ocean, straddling an entire continent.
The Kearny name is now the place name of several locations in the United States, some honoring Phil Kearny and others honoring his uncle Steven. Some use the misspelling of "Kearney", which can be traced to a clerical error in 1849 at the Postal Service while Fort Kearney, Nebraska was still active.
James J. Calautti
posted by James at 3:19 PM
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