CONFEDERATE BIOGRAPHY:   G. R. KENNEDY, Smith County, TX

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Submitted by Mary Love Berryman - marylove@tyler.net
14 April 2002 
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TEXANS WHO WORE THE GRAY by Sid S. Johnson - Page 178

G. R. KENNEDY.

George R. Kennedy, of Tyler, was born August 4th, 1842, in the state 
of Alabama.  He removed to Texas with his parents, William and Julia 
(Bullard) Kennedy, and set­tled near Jamestown in Smith county, where
he was reared on the farm, his father being  a prominent planter. 
When the tocsin of war sounded young Kennedy joined an independent 
company and made his way to Fort Arbuckle to assist in the capture of 
that fort, but arrived just after its surrender.  Returning to Tyler 
he enlisted in Co. K. Third Texas Cava'ry, and went to Missouri and 
was in the battle of Oak Hill under Gens. Price and Mc­Culloch,  On 
account of disability he received an honorable discharge, but soon 
entered the 14th Texas, and made a gallant soldier in Ector's Texas 
Brigade in the army of Tennessee until his transfer back to his old 
company in 1864, when he became one of the famous cavalrymen in Ross' 
Texas brigade.  He was at the battle of Franklin and in the retreat 
of Gen. Hood from Nashville, and in the retreat under Gen. Bedford 
Forrest.  He surrendered when the end came in 1865 and returned to his 
home in Tyler, where he has since resided.  Soon after the close of 
the war, for his gallant defense of a young lady, he was im­prisoned 
for twelve months in the military barracks at Jefferson, Texas, 
having been tried by a drumhead court martial and condemned to be shot, 
but on the election of Gen. Grant to the presidency, he was turned over 
to the civil authorities and by them released. These are the facts: A 
young lady was pushed from the side walk in Tyler by a crowd of 
negroes, when this brave young man used a stick with effect on the 
heads of several, for which Lieut. Barrett, commanding the post, fined 
Kennedy $50.00, which he refused to pay, and a fight opened with the 
Federal guard, resulting in the wounding of three U. S. soldiers, 
Kennedy driving Lieut. Barrett and his guard from the court house to 
the barracks. Some of his friends helped him to do very effective  
work.  For defending the young lady and refusing to pay the fine, the 
fight ensued, for which he was condemned to die, but he never at any 
time apologized to the federal officials.  He stood his ground and 
told them that he had acted right.  This young man acted upon his 
convictions of manhood and refused to bow the knee to the authorities 
who terrorized the South during the days of reconstruction, and just 
such men as Kennedy composed the army that will go down through time 
the admiration of the world. He was released May 17th. 1870, after 
one years confinement in a federal prison.  On July 30th, 1872, he 
was married to Miss Ida Wiggins, a daughter of Col. John Wiggins,  
a prominent planter of Smith County. His children are prominent in 
business and social circles. He resides on North Border street, where 
he has lived most of the time since his marriage, and is today the 
same sterling Southern man that has marked his event­ful life. He is 
a successful business man, and was for sev­eral terms the efficient 
city marshal of Tyler.