Civil War Veterans Buried In Washington State - George Kenney

9^th MINNESOTA VOLUNTEER INFANTRY
Organized: August/September, 18962
Mustered In: By Companies Beginning 10/2/62
Mustered Out: 8/24/65 Ft. Snelling St. Paul, MN

REGIMENTAL HISTORY:
 

The 9^th Minnesota was a three year infantry regiment that fought a "war within a war." Beginning with Company "A" which was mustered into Federal service on 10/2/62 companies of this organization were spread throughout Minnesota and the Dakotas fighting and otherwise dealing with hostile Native American Indian tribes.
 

During the fall of 1862 Company "A" joined with movements of the 6^th MN. It was then sent to Ft. Ridgley for the winter. In the spring of 1863 it was part of an expedition to the Missouri River. It then returned to Ft. Snelling.
 

The regiment came together for the first time on 5/26/64 at St. Louis, MO. From there it moved into Mississippi to fight Johnny Reb. At the battle of Guntown Olmsted Co. MS (6/10/64) it charged and routed a body of the enemy. It then covered the retirement of Federal forces in good order until it became separated from the main column. During this affair the regiment's losses were 286 killed wounded and missing. Of those, 233 were captured. Out of that number 119 men subsequently died in southern prisons. Referring to the affair, the adjutant general of Minnesota noted "That this disastrous undertaking did not result in the loss of the entire Union force was mainly due to the gallantry of the officers and men of the 9^th."
 

During June, 1864 the regiment was again ordered into Mississippi. There it participated in the battles of BRICE'S CROSS ROADS (6/10/64) and Tupelo (7/14 - 15). The battle of Nashville, TN concluded the calendar year (12/15 - 16).
 

1865 saw the 9^th involved in the campaign to capture Mobile, AL. It participated in the siege of Spanish Fort (3/27 - 4/8) and Fort Blakely (4/2 - 9). It was then ordered to other Alabama locations until being returned to Minnesota for final muster.
 

REGIMENTAL LOSSES: 

Officers Killed Or Mortally Wounded: 6; Officers Died Of Disease, Accidents, Etc.:  3; Enlisted Men Killed Or Mortally Wounded: 41; Enlisted Men Died Of Disease, Accidents, Etc.: 224.

SOLDIER:
Residence: Inf. Not Avail.   Age: ca. 22 yrs.
Enlisted/Enrolled: 8/15/62 St. Anthony Hennepin Co., MN   Rank: Pvt.
Mustered In: 8/15/65 St. Anthony Hennepin Co., MN
Mustered Out: 8/24/65 Ft. Snelling St. Paul, MN
Highest Rank: Pvt.
Rank At Discharge: Pvt.

PERSONAL/FAMILY HISTORY:

NOTE: The birth - to - death biographical profile of George A. Kenney was created in October, 2020 during the Covid-19 medical pandemic. It contains less depth of detail than many other biographies within this website because military service, pension and other veteran-related files housed in Washington, D.C.'s National Archives were not available. At a later time those documents will be obtained and the data contained therein added to the narrative which follows.

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 George Augustus Kenney was born in the state of Maine on 9/4/1841.
 

The parents of George were Thomas, Jr. (b. 1801 Hallowell Kennebec County, ME - d. 12/30/81 ME) and Mary J. (nee Dearborn b. 1800 Pittston Kennebec County, ME - d. 1876) Kenney. The two were married 6/15/22 in Hallowell Kennebec County, ME.
 

As best as can be determined Thomas and Mary produced four children. Of the four, George was the youngest. His older siblings were Hannah J. Kenney (b. 7/31/26 Hallowell Kennebec County, ME - d. 1894 ME), Albion T. Kenney (b. 5/11/27 Hallowell Kennebec County, ME) and Ann Fuller Kenney (b. 1834 ME - d. 1881).
 

On 8/14/62 in St. Anthony Hennepin County, MN George enlisted in the U.S. Army. His unit of choice was the 9^th Minnesota Infantry.
 

Without accessing his military service records we really know only two specifics about Private Kenney's period of service. Firstly, during the battle of Brice's Cross Roads, Mississippi (6/10/64) he was taken prisoner and held captive by the Rebels for seven months. Secondly, he survived imprisonment and The War returning to civilian life on 8/14/65.
 

On 9/6/68 in St. Anthony Hennepin County, MN George married. His bride was Jane Carlton "Jennie"/"Jessie" Ross (b. September 1845, '46 or '47 Canada). Again, although the years vary, she likely came to America with her parents in 1848.
 

In 1900 Jennie/Jessie noted to U.S. Census takers that she and George had produced eight children, seven of whom were then living. The seven identified Kenney children were: Jessie M. (b. 1871 MN), Amelia B. (b. 1873 MN), Susan R. (b. 1874 MN), Elias M. (b. 1877 MN), George W. (b. 1878 MN), Hannah Blanche (b. 1879 MN) and Della (b. March, 1882).
 

After their marriage the Kenneys appear to have settled in and spent their child bearing/rearing years in Minnesota. In May of 1875 their residential area was noted only as Hennepin County. By 1880, however, it was more specifically listed as Minneapolis Hennepin County. As of 1900 it was Ward 3 of Hennepin County.  During these years George's occupation is listed as being "cook."
 

Sometime after 1900 the Kenney family quitted Minnesota and removed to Illinois. There, in 1910 their address was noted as Ward 12 in the Cook County city of Chicago.
 

George Kenney died in King County, WA on 4/14/1917. What had drawn them to the Puget Sound region of the Pacific Northwest and when they arrived here are unknowns. Cause of the 76 - 77 year old's passing was chronic Nephrites (kidney disease) and senility. Burial was/is in the Riverton Crest Cemetery located south of Seattle in Tukwila King County, WA.
 

On 12/10/88, while still in Minnesota George applied for and was granted a disability pension based on his days of Civil War soldiering. Without the availability of his pension files the details of the granting and the amount of his monthly allowance are unknowns.
 

On 6/18/17 following George's death Jennie/Jessie petitioned the U.S. Government to continue receiving at least a portion of her late husband's stipend. While that request was granted, again, without access to pension files dollar amounts are not known.
 

Jennie/Jessie would live out her years in the Riverton area of south King County, WA.  In 1920 her place of residence was the home of E.P. Kenney.  Without doubt a relative, the connection between this individual and the widow Kenney is another unknown. Also in the household were daughter Blanche and other younger individuals.
 

Jane Carlton Ross Kenney died on 10/28/23. She was/is buried in Riverton Crest Cemetery beside George.
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* The American Civil War Research Database lists surname as KENNEDY.

Buried at Riverton Crest Cemetery