Kennedy, Brig. Gen. John D.
Brigadier-General John D. Kennedy was born at Camden, January 5, 1840, son of a
native of Scotland, who settled in Kershaw county about 1830, and married a granddaughter of
Abraham Belton, a pioneer of Camden and a soldier of the revolution. He was a student at the
South Carolina college, read law, and was admitted to practice in January, 1861, but at once
gave himself to the military service of his State. In April, 1861, he became captain of Company
E, Second South Carolina infantry, under Col. J. B. Kershaw. With this command he was in the
first battle of Manassas, and was struck by a Federal ball. Upon the promotion of Kershaw to
brigadier-general he became colonel of the Second regiment, and in that rank participated in the
skirmish on the Nine-mile road near Richmond, in June, 1862, and the battle of Savage Station,
after which he was disabled for some time by fever. During the investment of Harper's Ferry he
was with Kershaw's brigade in the capture of Maryland heights, and at Sharpsburg his regiment
was the first of the brigade to come to the relief of Jackson. He drove the enemy from his front,
but fell painfully wounded in the first charge. At Fredericksburg he was sent with his own and the
Eighth regiment to the support of General Cobb at Marye's hill, the focus of the hottest fighting of
that memorable battle, and aided materially in the defeat of the Federal attacks; and at
Chancellorsville he was identified with the gallant action of his brigade. During 1864 when not
disabled he was either in command of his regiment or of Kershaw's old brigade, in
the Richmond and Shenandoah Valley campaigns, and in December he was promoted to the
temporary rank of brigadier-general. With his brigade in McLaws' division of Hardee's corps he
took part in the final campaign in North Carolina against Sherman, including the battle of
Bentonville, and surrendered with the army at Greensboro. He was six times wounded during his
service, and was hit fifteen times by spent balls. After the close of hostilities he was mainly
engaged in planting until 1877, when he resumed the profession of law. He was elected to
Congress in 1865, but declined to take the "ironclad" oath demanded and did not take his seat. In
1878-79 he represented his county in the legislature, was elected in 1880 and served as
lieutenant-governor of the State to 1882, and in the latter year was a prominent candidate for the
nomination of governor. In 1884 he was presidential elector-at-large on the Democratic ticket,
and in 1886 was appointed consul-general at Shanghai, China, by President Cleveland.
Returning from that post in 1889, he continued the practice of law at Camden until his death in
April, 1896.