William Harmon Kenyon was a man who marched to the beat of his own drum. He really didn't care about rules and is clearly one of the most colorful individuals in my family tree. Therefore, he deserves 2 blog entries! This first one will recount his Civil War journey.
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Union General William T. Sherman
and his staff in the trenches outside of Atlanta
Photo courtesy Library of Congress |
William Harmon was born in January 1844 in New York state to Richard and Hannah Kenyon. He moved to Missouri with his family by age 16. In November 1861, William enlisted in the Missouri 18th Infantry, Company B. In February of 1862, William was hospitalized in St. Louis due to an unspecified illness. By June of that year, he was unaccounted for and listed as a deserter. At some point, he was released from the hospital and returned home. Since William had deserted/been sick he missed the Battle of Shiloh where there were over 23,000 casualties (dead, wounded, or missing) suffered in only 2 days. William returned to his regiment with a surgeon's certificate of disability during the summer of 1862. William and his regiment fought in the Battle of Corinth on October 3 & 4, 1862 in which the Union Army was victorious. Following the Battle of Corinth, the Missouri 18th was on duty in the District of Corinth guarding the railroad toward Bethel until June, 1863. During the march to Pulaski, TN on November 9, 1863 William threw out his knapsack. His pay was withheld in order to recoup the lost knapsack. In January 1864, at the age of 20, William re-enlisted with the Missouri 18th while in Cullioka, TN. May thru September 1864, the Missouri 18th participated in the Atlanta Campaign under General Sherman. During that time William took part in engagements at Snake Creek Gap, Resaca, Kingston, Dallas, Big Shanty, Kennesaw Mountain, Jonesboro and along the Chattahoochee River.
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Atlanta roundhouse
following extensive damage from the Atlanta Campaign
Photo courtesy Library of Congress |
On August 1, 1864, William transferred to Company G. According to his muster roll at this time, he was being charged about $3 "for ordnance stores lost or destroyed". Without further description, this likely means that William lost or damaged some weaponry.
In early 1865, the regiment marched with Sherman across the
Carolinas. It was the 18th Missouri that was present at the capture of Columbia and Fayetteville, SC, fought in the battle of Bentonville, NC, and was present when General Johnston surrendered to Sherman at Goldsboro in March 1865. On April 10, 1865 during the advance on Raleigh, William went AWOL. He was believed to have been captured but was back with his regiment in May and was charged $19.25 for more ordnance lost or destroyed. William and the rest of the Missouri 18th was mustered out on July 18, 1865 in St. Louis, MO.
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| William Harmon Kenyon's Certificate of Enlistment |
Sources: The Union Army, vol. 4, p. 263
