# John Reese Kenly

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Union Army general

John Reese Kenly Born (1818-01-11)January 11, 1818 Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. Died December 20, 1891(1891-12-20) (aged 73) Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. Place of burial Green Mount Cemetery Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. Allegiance United States of America Union Branch United States Army Union Army Service years 1846–1848, 1861–1865 Rank Brigadier General Brevet Major General Commands 1st Maryland Infantry Regiment 3rd Division, I Corps 3rd Brigade, Middle Department Conflicts Mexican–American War American Civil War Battle of Front Royal Battle of Harpers Ferry Other work Lawyer Signature

**John Reese Kenly** (January 11, 1818 – December 20, 1891) was an American lawyer, and a [Union Army](/source/Union_Army) general in the [American Civil War](/source/American_Civil_War).

## Biography

Brig. Gen. John Reese Kenly during the American Civil War.

Kenly was born in [Baltimore, Maryland](/source/Baltimore%2C_Maryland). He studied law and was admitted to the [bar](/source/Bar_association) in 1845, but went to the [Mexican–American War](/source/Mexican%E2%80%93American_War) as a lieutenant with a company of [volunteers](/source/List_of_U._S._Army%2C_Navy_and_Volunteer_units_in_the_Mexican_American_War) he had raised and was later promoted to the rank of major.

As a [captain](/source/Captain_(armed_forces)) he led a company in the Baltimore-Washington Battalion and wrote a book about his experiences, *Memoirs of a Maryland Volunteer*.[1] The battalion was part of the division of [David E. Twiggs](/source/David_E._Twiggs)'s 1st Division.[2] During the [Battle of Monterrey](/source/Battle_of_Monterrey) on September 21–24, 1846, Kenly's battalion was involved in heavy fighting and Colonel [William H. Watson](/source/William_H._Watson) was killed.[3]

He entered the [American Civil War](/source/American_Civil_War) as colonel of the [1st Maryland Infantry Regiment](/source/1st_Maryland_Infantry_Regiment_(Union)) organized at [Baltimore](/source/Baltimore), [Maryland](/source/Maryland), which was mustered into Union service on May 16, 1861. Together with some Pennsylvania companies, it was captured by [Stonewall Jackson](/source/Stonewall_Jackson), after hard fighting, at [Front Royal](/source/Front_Royal%2C_Virginia) on the [Shenandoah](/source/Shenandoah_River), May 23, 1862. Kenly himself was severely wounded when he was taken prisoner, but his stand had saved [General Banks](/source/Nathaniel_P._Banks)'s division at Winchester, and he was raised to the command of a brigade in 1862, which he led at [Hagerstown](/source/Hagerstown%2C_Maryland), [Harpers Ferry](/source/Battle_of_Harpers_Ferry), and elsewhere.

Kenly joined the [Army of the Potomac](/source/Army_of_the_Potomac) after the [Battle of Gettysburg](/source/Battle_of_Gettysburg) and was assigned to [I Corps](/source/I_Corps_(ACW)) during the [Bristoe Campaign](/source/Bristoe_Campaign) and the [Battle of Mine Run](/source/Battle_of_Mine_Run), commanding the third division of the corps. Afterward, he was assigned to the [Middle Department](/source/Middle_Department), commanding the Third Separate Brigade in 1864.

Kenly died of pneumonia on December 20, 1891, at his West Baltimore street in [Baltimore, Maryland](/source/Baltimore%2C_Maryland). He was buried in Baltimore's [Green Mount Cemetery](/source/Green_Mount_Cemetery).[4]

## See also

- [American Civil War portal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:American_Civil_War)

- [List of American Civil War generals (Union)](/source/List_of_American_Civil_War_generals_(Union))

## Notes

1. **[^](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEEisenhower1989117–118_1-0)** [Eisenhower 1989](#CITEREFEisenhower1989), pp. 117–118.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEEisenhower1989123_2-0)** [Eisenhower 1989](#CITEREFEisenhower1989), p. 123.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEEisenhower1989133–142_3-0)** [Eisenhower 1989](#CITEREFEisenhower1989), pp. 133–142.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** ["Death of Gen. Kenly"](https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-baltimore-sun-death-of-gen-kenly-2/191943273/). *[The Baltimore Sun](/source/The_Baltimore_Sun)*. 1891-12-21. p. 8. Retrieved 2026-02-22 – via [Newspapers.com](/source/Newspapers.com).

## References

- Eicher, John H., and [Eicher, David J.](/source/David_J._Eicher), *Civil War High Commands*, Stanford University Press, 2001, [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-8047-3641-3](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-8047-3641-3).

- [Eisenhower, John](/source/John_Eisenhower) (1989). [*So Far From God: The U.S. War with Mexico 1846–1848*](https://archive.org/details/sofarfromgodus00eise). New York, N.Y.: Random House. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-394-56051-5](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-394-56051-5).

- This article incorporates text from a publication now in the [public domain](/source/Public_domain): [Gilman, D. C.](/source/Daniel_Coit_Gilman); Peck, H. T.; Colby, F. M., eds. (1905). *[New International Encyclopedia](/source/New_International_Encyclopedia)* (1st ed.). New York: Dodd, Mead. {{[cite encyclopedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Cite_encyclopedia)}}: Missing or empty |title= ([help](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:CS1_errors#citation_missing_title))

## External links

- Media related to [John Reese Kenly](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:John_Reese_Kenly) at Wikimedia Commons

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