Kenly (A-L)

[Kenly A-L] [Kenly M-Z]

(Much of this information received courtesty of Rod B. Kenly.)

 (indicates recent update/addition)

Albert Clark Kenly (1858 - _____)

Anna Maria Kenly (_____ - _____)

Anna Lacy Kenly (1949 - _____)

Benjamin Franklyn Kenly (1834 - 1893)

  • Born October 11, 1834 at Havre de Grace, Maryland
  • Parents: Richard Kenly & Mary Gallup
  • Married: Mary Frances Murphy
  • Children: Harry, William, Virginia, Oliver (2), Reuben, Mary, Katherine, Maude, Stella, Benjamin
  • Died ____________ ___, 1893 at Baltimore, Maryland

Benjamin Franklyn Kenly (2) (1877 - _____)

Benjamin Franklyn Kenly (3) (1904 - 1914)

Bertha Walsh Kenly     (1925 - 1975)

Daniel Kenly (1) (1714 - _____)

Daniel Kenly (2)(_____ - _____)

  • Born ____________ ___, ______ at___________, ___
  • Parents: Richard Kenly (1) & Avis Ward
  • Died ____________ ___, ______ at___________, ___

Davies Law Kenly (1849 - _____)

Dorothy Kenly (1894 - _____)

Douglass Claggett Kenly (1853 - _____)

Edward Kenly (1788 - 1861)

Edward Gassaway Kenly (1845 - _____)

Edward Marion Kenly (1868 - _____)

Edward Marion Kenly Jr. ("Ned") (1910 - 1994)

ElizabethKenly (_____ - _____)

George Tyson Kenly (1814 - _____)

George Tyson Kenly Jr. (1851 - _____)

George Tyson Kenly (2) (_____ - _____)

Guy Kenly     (_____ - _____)

Henry Closson Kenly ("Tom") (1886 - _____)

Herbert Reuben Kenly (1910 - 1976)

John Reese Kenly  [updated] (1818 - 1891)

  • Born January 11, 1816 at Baltimore, Maryland
  • Parents: Edward Kenly & Maria Keener Reese
  • Reported to have served with Maryland Volunteers in the Mexican War (1846) [per Doug Rawlinson]
  • Cited in Civil War 1861, Col. of 1st Maryland, garrison duty on upper Potomac, Front Royal (c) at exchanged August 1862 at Brigadier General of Volunteers in command of the Maryland Brigade, guarded B & O railroad, commanded 3rd Divn/I Corps in Bristoe campaign, commanded Dist. of Delaware, served in pursuit of Early's troops following his Washington raid, defeated near Winchester, commanded Dist. of Eastern Shore (Maryland).
  • Highest ranking volunteer from Maryland in Civil War
  • Captured at battle of Front Royal, VA (1862) at Front Royal, VA
    Exchanged, Promoted to Brigadier General
  • Mayor of Baltimore, Maryland
  • Died December 20, 1891 at Baltimore, Maryland
  • Buried at Green Mount Cemetary, Baltimore [per Doug Rawlinson]
  • Read the family history note from David Crownfield
  • Read the bio in Historical Times Illustrated Encyclopedia of the Civil War

John Reese Kenly (2) (1847 - _____)

Julie Closson Kenly     (1957 - )

Katherine Frederick Kenly (1901 - 1986 )

Laura Hook Kenly (1874 - 1960)

Lemuel Kenly (1769 - _____)

  • Born 28 May 1769 at __________________ ___
  • Parents: Daniel Kenly & Frances Wells
  • Died _____________ ___, _____ at __________________ ___

Letitia Kenly (1749 - _____)

  • Born 11 April 1749 at __________________ Maryland
  • Parents: Daniel Kenly & Frances Wells
  • Married John Willson, 5 September 1779
  • Married to Jeremiah Smith, 2 May 1791
  • Died _____________ ___, _____ at __________________ ___

Lillian Ringold Kenly (1906 - 1988)

[Kenly A-L] [Kenly M-Z]

Family Listing Pages

Click below to see other family hierarchies

Families      Crownfield          Hook            Kenly         Mahoney         McManmon        Reese

(Family charts are added when there is sufficient information on a given family.)

Please E-mail corrections and missing details to Peter Crownfield (Crownfield@fast.net)
(Be sure to include middle names - dates - places - Email addresses!)

  updated Sep 19, 2002     Webmaster

Note from David Crownfield:

Grandmother Laura's [Laura Hook Kenly] uncle John Kenly commanded the union defense of Front Royal, VA, against Stonewall Jackson in 1862. Kenly's regiment was the 1st Maryland USA at Hook's was the 1st Maryland CSA. The two units faced each other at Front Royal. Note that Kenly had a regiment, while Jackson had an army. This was the incident where Jackson went around the back of the mountain to get in the rear of the Union army under Banks. Kenly's defense slowed him just enough to let Banks cover his rear. Kenly was seriously wounded and captured. Exchanged, he received an honorary promotion to Brigadier General, though unfit for active duty.

One of the Hooks (an uncle of Laura on her mother's side) was a confederate soldier. (Whether Hook was in action that day at Front Royal I don't know.) He went home to Baltimore to see the family, and was caught out of uniform and sentenced to death as a spy. General Kenly appealed on his behalf to Lincoln, who wrote a note, "Let what Genl. Kenly desires be done. A. Lincoln" (I don't know if Grandmother's parents were already married at that time at but obviously there was already some association of the families.) The Lincoln note, Aunt Dolly told me, [is still in the Kenly family*].

* I am told that this note was donated to a museum (to be identified).
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from Historical Times Illustrated Encyclopedia of the Civil War, Patricia Faust, Editor:

Kenly, John Reese. USA b. Baltimore, Md. 11 Jan. 1816.

Educated in the public schools of Baltimore, Kenly studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1845. During the Mexican War he served as a captain and major of volunteers, subsequently earning the thanks of the Maryland legislature for his gallantry in the Battle of Monterey. After the conflict, he returned to the legal profession.

On 11 June 1861 Kenly was commissioned colonel of the 1st Maryland, USA. During the war's first year the regiment served along the upper Potomac River in garrison duty. On 23 May 1862 Kenly's regiment fought the 1st Maryland, CSA, in the streets of Front Royal, VA. The Union regiment suffered some 800 casualties in the action, including a severly wounded Kenly, who was captured along with hundreds of his men. Exchanged 15 Aug, he was promoted 7 days later to brigadier general.

Kenly assumed command of the Maryland Brigade - 1st, 4th, 6th, 7th & 8th Maryland regiments - and was assigned to western Maryland. Throughout fall 1862 and for most of 1863 the brigade guarded the BALTIMORE & OHIO RAILROAD against Confederate raids. Kenly temporarily commanded a division of the I Corps during the BRISTOL CAMPAIGN in October. In spring 1864 the Maryland brigadier was relieved from command in the Army of the Potomac and assigned command of the District of Delaware, headquartered at Wilmington.

In July 1864 Kenly participated in the Union pursuit of Lt. Gen. JUBAL A. EARLY's Confederates, who had raided toward Washington. Commanding a brigade of militia and home guards, Kenly and his command guarded a wagon train. Near Winchester, VA, Southerners attacked the wagons, destroying numbers of them. After an official inquiry, Kenly transferred to the command of the District of Eastern Shore, Maryland, where he remained until the war's end, mustering out 25 Aug. 1865 with the brevet rank of major general.

Kenly returned to Baltimore, where he resided for the rest of his life. The city presented him with a sword, and the state legislature voted him a second thanks for his war service. The esteemed Marylander died in his home 20 Dec. 1891.
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