In this, the third part of the Revolutionary Kennons, we will look at John Kennon. He was the son of Colonel Richard Kennon and his wife, Anne Hunt, daughter of William Hunt of Charles City County. After exhaustive research into John Kennon, not much has turned up. He married a woman named Hannah and had a son named William, born June 5, 1742. I am not sure if the birth year of this William is correct, as there is only thirty years between his birth and that of his grandfather, Richard.
John Kennon came into possession of Old Brick House and Conjurer’s Neck upon the death of his father in 1761. He likely was a farmer as he did not hold any political offices as many of his other Kennon relations did.
One thing that can be gleaned of John is that he was an ardent patriot. When the Revolution broke out in 1775, the individual colonies began authorizing the raising of regiments to take on the might of the British Empire invading their homes, towns and cities. On July 17, 1775, the Virginia Convention authorized the formation of the 2nd Virginia Regiment. There is no record for when he enlisted, but John was a second lieutenant in the 2nd regiment. His regiment saw action in many of the pivotal battles of the War for Independence including Brandywine, Germantown, and Monmouth. The regiment was encamped at the famed Valley Forge in the winter of 1777/78. Pay and muster rolls for the regiment have John Kennon present for the listed battles and the encampment at Valley Forge.
Hearing the names of the battles of Brandywine and Monmouth, makes me wonder what John experienced in the Revolution. Brandywine was a big defeat for the Continental Army. Monmouth was a battle of redemption. The army that fought against the British at this battle was a totally different army from that at Brandywine. When the American army came out of Valley Forge to fight at Monmouth on June 28, 1778, they were a new, better trained fighting force that stood toe to toe with the British.
Death in battle was a big fear in the Revolution. But the even bigger killer in the war was disease. Death from disease far outpaced deaths from wounds in battle. Diseases that ran rampant in camps and prisons included diarrhea, dysentery, malaria and typhoid fever. In Revolutionary War records in October and December of 1778, John was listed as not in the line and in January 1779 he is listed as “on furlough in Virginia”. No other notations are made in these records. It could be that John was sent home to recuperate from wounds suffered in battle or from contracting an illness in camp. This could be a good explanation as he is dead by early 1780. No war documents list his death. Interestingly, the only document that can be found on his death is a eulogy advertised in the Virginia Gazette for February 26, 1780:
To the Memory of Mr. John Kennon
By a Lady
What mean those sighs that rend my throbbing breast
By silent grief why is my soul oppress’d?
Lothario is no more!—my ___ mind
And sighing heart, no more sweet peace shall find!
Oh let me then this tender ___ impart,
And breathe the feelings of a ___ heart—
May every sentence tell my depth of woe,
And may my song in mournful numbers flow!
And let me too his virtues mild ___
And praise his valour in my humble verses;
My beating heart with friendship fond will glow,
His praises will in heart-felt numbers flow!
But where shall I, or thought or language find,
To paint the matchless beauties of his mind?
Good nature with good sense in concord join’d,
And gentle modesty his ___ refin’d;
A manly sweetness gave his actions grace,
And manly beauty triumph’d in his face;
A soft compassion for all human woe,
Shone in his eyes and made his bosom glow!
But ah! he’s gone—in whose all-virtuous mind,
Dwelt manly sense with worth and valour join’d,
–Be still—poor heart! lament and grieve more more,
He’s gone to grace the bright celestial choir!
From troubles free his wearied head shall rest,
Happy in Heav’n with his Saviour blest!
May this reflection soon my anguish cease,
And o’er my soul infuse the balm of peace.
Who was this “Lady”? His wife? A lover? This lady calls him a “Lothario”, a term used for a womanizer and “ladies man”. Whoever the author of this eulogy was, she was well spoken in verse and rhyme and seemed to know John well.
Another interesting document that gives insight into John Kennon is a letter written to his brother in law, Allen Cocke—Cocke had married John’s sister, Anne—on September 10, 1778, while John was away fighting in the Revolution. The letter is as follows:
September 10, 1778
Dear Sir:
It was with pleasure I read your letter, received of Lt. Boyce, ‘till I came to a clause wherein you mentioned that you had always manifested the greatest readiness in serving me, and were in hopes I was convinced of it. Your doubting my being convinced of it, arose from my writing to you from W. Randolphs I suppose, it cou’d not from my behavior whilst at your house, or you wou’d have mentioned it to me. If any thing I mentioned in that letter, cou’d lead you to doubt my resting the most perfect confidence in you, both as a Friend and a Brother, I beg you wou’d think it proceeded from these reasons, That my being upon the point of leaving my Native Land, my not being able to accomplish a settlement, and my being apprehensive my little Estate might suffer by it, you being out of the way, drove such gloomy reflections in upon me as you might discover from my letter, that supported with all the fortitude I cou’d summon to my assistance, I was not in a proper state for expressing myself on any head at all. You mention your surprise at not hearing from me oftener, you attribute it to a very unjust reason, I never have had na opportunity ‘till this, for when Maj. Falkner and a number of other officers by whom I cou’d have written, left Camp, I was detach’d from the main Body in Col. D. Morgan’s Corps, and never joined ‘till 8th, In” Col. Parker as well as you in your letter informs you are well. I am sorry Capt. J. H. Cocke has lost his Election especially by such a one as—-Co. Parker can inform you of our success since the Enemy left Phil’a. as particularly as I can. We have had an Action with them at Monmouth Court House the particulars of it Col. Parker can inform you. It was a great Victory to us. It is the general opinion that the Enemy lost different ways 3000 Men from the Evacuation of Philadelphia ‘till they embarked at Macus Hook, the most of them by desertion. We lost Maj. Dickerson and Captain Henry Fauntleroy the Day of Action. Tell my sister I am much oblige to her for the Cloths she sent out, but she need not send any thing more, as I shall try to come in if circumstances will admit of it about the Fall. But if it shou’d so happen that I wou’d be struck out of the Book of Life, I desire what little Fortune I have may be diveded in the following manner: That you have my Sword, Phill, David and my Horses, and that Mr. Wm. Randolph have my Watch, and every thing else be divided between you in any way you two may agree on. But if either of my sisters shou’d die, then the Proportion go to their Children. But God forbid any thing of the kind shou’d happen. Remember me to all Friends and acquaintances together with my love to my sisters and Children and tell Capt. Cocke I wou’d write to him if had Time, but we expect to March to-morrow Morning at two o’clock. Whilst I remain
Your Sincere Friend
And Hble Servant
John Kennon Lt.
2d Virg’a Reg’t.
P.S. Wm. Worsham informs me that if I was to bring suit against the Old Farmer and summon him as Witness I cou’d recover Damages of him, if you think so upon seeing Worsham, I beg you wou’d bring suit against the old Rascal.
This letter is quite revealing. In it he speaks of troop movements, the British evacuation of Philadelphia in the summer of 1778 and the action at Monmouth. He was obviously aware of the dangers he faced and his own mortality as he speaks of what he wants done with his personal effects and his “little Fortune” in the event of his death. This letter was used in place of a will which John did not have. Below the letter is the following:
At a Court held for Surry County April 25, 1780, the foregoing Writing Purporting the last Will of the within named John Kennon deceased was presented in Court by Allen Cocke Gent. and the same having no witnesses subscribed thereto Richard Kennon and William Burton personally appeared in Court and being first sworn declared that they were well acquainted with the hand writing of the said John Kennon dec’d and that they verily believe the said Writing was wrote by the said Kennon and thereupon the same is received by the Court as and for his last Will and ordered to be recorded. And on the Motion of the said Allen Cocke Administration is granted him on the said Estate with the Will annexed, he having entered into and acknowledged his Bond with approved security as the Law directs.
Teste,
Wm. Nelson Cl. Cur.
A Copy—Teste: A.S. Edwards, Clk.
With this being accepted as John Kennon’s will, his estate was likely divided up between his sisters as he wished and his personal effects as well to those he wished. It is said that John’s sisters received Old Brick House from John’s will. Old Brick House would then be deeded next to Richard Kennon from his father, Robert Kennon, on April 13, 1781. This Robert Kennon married Sarah Skipwith. Richard, the son of Robert and Sarah, is the same Richard from Part 1 of the Revolutionary Kennons. On February 20, 1783, Old Brick House was deeded from Richard and Elizabeth Kennon to Robert Donald, and thus ended the Kennon ownership of Old Brick House and Conjurer’s Neck.
References
Dixon, John and Thomas Nicolson. Virginia Gazette, February 26, 1780, pg. 3, column 1.
“Kennon Family.” The William and Mary College Quarterly Historical Magazine 14, no. 2 (1905): 132–35. https://doi.org/10.2307/1916356.
Kennon, John. “Letter of John Kennon.” The William and Mary College Quarterly Historical Magazine 19, no. 3 (1911): 165–67. https://doi.org/10.2307/1915595.
Revolutionary War Record from Fold3.com.
2 replies on “Revolutionary Kennons, Part 3: Lieutenant John Kennon of Old Brick House”
Great article!
Thank you Cecelia!!! Glad you enjoyed it.