Champaign County IL Archives Biographies.....Kennard, Major George W 
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Celia Snyder cgsnyder@uiuc.edu September 1999

Biography of Major George W KENNARD, Champaign County, Illinois

From:  "History of Champaign County, Illinois with Illustrations," 1878


Major GEORGE W. KENNARD - Was born in Sidney, Shelby county, Ohio, July
24th, 1835.  The Major's father, Col. A. D. KENNARD, is one of the old
pioneers of that State, having moved to it, with his father, from the State
of Kentucky, as early as the year 1812, and settled in the above county.
In 1830, Mr. Kennard married Miss Rebecca BLAKE, by whom he had seven
children, four of whom are still living.  Mrs. Kennard was a native of
England.  Her parents emigrated to this country when she was about eleven
years of age, and settled in Miami county, Ohio, but subsequently settled
in Shelby county.  The mother departed this life in the year 1848.  The
father still survives.  The son, Geo. W., worked on the farm and attended
school until he had reached his eighteenth year, when he joined the great
living stream of humanity moving West to seek their fortunes, and drew up
at Fort Wayne, Indiana, where he was for two years engaged in the
mercantile business.  From Fort Wayne he continued his course west until he
reached Lafayette, and from thence came to Champaign in March, 1859, and
opened up in the dry goods trade, in which he remained until the year that
witnessed the great Rebellion.  Scarcely had the report of the rebel gun
that fired the first shot at our country's flag died away until a nation of
freemen had started to their feet to resent the insult, and among that
number was Major Kennard.  On the day following the one that witnessed the
firing upon Fort Sumter, the Major and two others imbued with the spirit of
'76, organized a company in Champaign, which, with their services, they
tendered to the Governor of the State, and were by him accepted.  In May,
1861, the company was ordered to Joliet, where it remained until the 13th
of June, when they were sworn into the service as Company A, 20th Regt.
Illinois Infantry, Col. C. Marsh commanding.  The regiment was ordered to
Cape Girardeau, Mo., and shortly after brigated with Col. U. S. Grant, of
the 21st Illinois Volunteers, as commander of brigade.  The regiment won
its first laurels in the fight at Frederickstown, Mo., where the rebel
General Jeff. Thompson's army was defeated with a loss of four hundred men
and three field pieces.  The regiment went into winter quarters at Bird's
Point, Mo., but during the winter took steamers for Paducah, where they
entered the Tennessee River, and assisted in the capture of fort Henry,
Tenn., and from thence to Fort Donaldson.  The brigade to which the 20th
was attached was in the division commanded by Gen. McClernand, and
subsequently was attached to the 17th army corps, Army of the Tennessee,
commanded by McPherson Logan, and Howard.  After the battle of Shiloh, and
while the regiment was moving towards Vicksburg, Col. Marsh resigned, and
Lieut. Col. Irwin having been killed at the battle of Fort Donaldson, Major
Richards, who was then promoted to Lieut. Colonel, took command, and was
killed May 12th, 183, in the battle of Raymond, Miss.  The 20th is one of
the historic regiments of the war, having participated in all the principal
battles fought by the Army of the Tennessee under Grant and Sherman, and
held the post of honor on entering Vicksburg, July 4th, 1863.  At the end
of the three years, for which time it had enlisted, the regiment
veteranized, and was sworn into the service for three years, or during the
war.  Major Kennard entered the service as 2nd lieutenant, and was
regularly promoted through the different grades up to major of the
regiment.  At the battle of Fort Donaldson he was wounded, and sent to
Paducah hospital, but inside of three weeks was again with his regiment,
and in time to take part in the battle of Shiloh.  The Regiment accompanied
Gen. Sherman on his famous march to the sea.  The siege of Vicksburg and
running of the blockade will now engage our attention for a few moments.
The river between Vicksburg and Port Hudson was effectually blockaded.  Its
banks bristled with cannon that seemed to frown defiance upon the foe.  One
hundred and fifty pieces of artillery massed in batteries at short
intervals covered the river, ready to dispute its passage.  One hundred and
fifty begrimed, lynx-eyed gunners stood, match in hand, by their pieces.
It had been determined to run this blockade at all hazards.  When General
Grant started in his campaign for the capture of Vicksburg, he planned to
run the batteries of that doomed city with a fleet of wooden transports,
laden with supplies for the army at New Carthage, on the west bank of the
Mississippi River.  The night of the 22d of April, 1863, was fixed upon for
this perilous feat.  As owners of boats and men employed on the river as
captains, pilots, engineers, &c., could not be had nor trusted with the
enterprise, volunteers from the army were called for.  Who among the brave
men will volunteer for this service, this forlorn hope, in which ten
chances to one their boats will prove their coffins, and the waters of the
Mississippi their winding-sheet?  Volunteers step to the front, and among
the first is G. W. KENNARD.  He, with seventy-five men, is placed in
command of one of the boats, the "Horizon."  At dark on the evening above
mentioned, the blockade runners left Millikin's Bend for their rendezvous
at Young's Point.  There were six boats.  The programme was arranged to
start at half-past eleven o'clock at night.  Orders were issued for the
Tigress, flag-ship of the expedition, in command of Col. Lagow, of Gen.
Grant's staff, to go in advance, the others to follow one another at
intervals of fifteen minutes.  These instructions were promptly obeyed.  At
the appointed time the Tigress left Young's Point, under full head of
steam.  The batteries opened a terrific fire on her as soon as she got in
range, and kept it up.  She received a number of shots in hull and stern;
was literally shot away.  She was run to the Louisiana shore, where she
sank in sight of the rebel batteries at Warrenton.  The rebel pickets
occupied the point opposite Vicksburg, on the Louisiana shore, and as soon
as they noticed the flag-ship, they set fire to a large frame building
which they had previously filled with combustible material, for the purpose
of illuminating the river.  The effect was, a bright glare was thrown
across the river by which the rebels must have been able even to read the
names of our boats and sink them.  The firing lasted about two hours and a
half.  They fired few shells, relying on their solid shot to strike our
boats and sink them.  They used no guns of smaller calibre than sixty-four
pounders, a majority of which were rifled pieces.  They would frequently
shout when they imagined they had struck one of our boats.  Well, the
firing ordeal is passed, the gauntlet of shot and shell run, and four out
of the six boats have accomplished the feat, and among that number the
Horizon.  General Grant used those blockade runners for transporting his
army across the river, and on the morning of May 1st, moved north fighting
his way to the rear of Vicksburg, which place he had fully invested by the
19th instant.  On the 27th day of October, 1865, Major Kennard, who had
been nearly four years in the service, was mustered out.  On the 22d day of
October, 1868, he was married to Miss Laura, daughter of Dr. GAUR, of Boon,
Iowa.  They have four children.  Mr. Kennard cast his first vote for J. C.
Fremont, in 1856, and has ever since voted that ticket.  He was elected, in
1865, County Treasurer of Champaign county, and re-elected to the same
office in 1867.  At present the Major is engaged in milling and manufacture
of flour.  The foregoing is a brief biographical sketch of one of
Champaign's leading business men, who is well-known throughout the county,
having been called by his fellow-citizens to fill important offices of
public trust.  His record as a patriot and soldier is too well known to
need any further notice at our hands.  History will accord him his proper
place among the heroes who went from Champaign county and served so well
the country during the late war.


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