This well-worn infantry tactics manual shows every sign of being carried in the field. Prominently signed on the flyleaf in ink is, “A.J. Kenny” and below that, “Capt. 8^th Inda.” in pencil. The volume is solid and complete, showing just wear expected from being carried by an officer with extensive field service. These are the infantry tactics authorized for U.S. troops as of May 1861. The publication date on the title page is 1862, but it may actually date to 1861 since publishers frequently put down the date of the coming year so as to seem very current to potential purchasers. In any case, this manual was carried by an officer in a very active regiment that lost at least 7 officers and 80 men killed or mortally wounded in several different theatres of the war.

Alexander John Kenny was born in London in 1833, however the family later immigrated to Canada where Kenny spent most of his childhood. After the death of his father in 1853, his widowed mother and siblings moved to Glenn Falls, New York. The year 1860 found Kenny teaching music in Muncie, Indiana but later he moved 43 miles southeast to Richmond where he was located when the Civil War began. On August 8, 1861 he was commissioned Captain of Company C, 8th Indiana Infantry and was mustered in the following September 5.

The 8^th Indiana started out as a three-month regiment and fought under McClellan in his West Virginia campaign, seeing action at Rich Mountain. It mustered out in August and immediately reorganized for three-years service, mustering in Sept. 10, 1861. It took part in the Battle of Pea Ridge and several skirmishes in Arkansas before joining Grant at Milliken’s Bend, La., becoming part of the 13^th Army Corps. It then fought at Port Gibson, Jackson, Champion Hill and lost 117 men killed and wounded in the assault on Vicksburg on June 22, 1863.  Captain Kenny was promoted to Major on October 5, 1863 officially being mustered in at that rank the following November 11. Later in 1863 the regiment joined Banks in Louisiana and at the end of July 1864 was ordered to the Shenandoah, serving in the 19^th Army Corps under Sheridan and fighting at Opequan, Fisher’s Hill and Cedar Creek, where.  Promotion to Lieutenant Colonel quickly followed on March 2, 1864, but Kenny’s fate caught up with him on October 19, 1864 when he was wounded in action. After receiving medical attention near the battlefield he was moved to National Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland where he died from the effects of his wounds on November 26, 1864. Alexander Kenny is buried in an unmarked grave in Western Cemetery, Baltimore.

A telling memento of an officer who became a sacrifice for his country.  [sr/ad]

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