Lyman Walter Vere Kennon (September 2, 1858 – September 9, 1918) was a career United States military officer in active service from 1881 to 1918, attaining the rank of brigadier general. During the
Spanish–American War
, partof = the Philippine Revolution, the decolonization of the Americas, and the Cuban War of Independence
, image = Collage infobox for Spanish-American War.jpg
, image_size = 300px
, caption = (cloc ...
Kennon was in command of Company "E" 6th Infantry Regiment and was cited for bravery at
San Juan Hill
San Juan Hill is a series of hills to the east of Santiago, Cuba, running north to south. The area is known as the San Juan Heights or in Spanish ''Alturas de San Juan'' before Spanish–American War of 1898, and are now part of Lomas de San Ju ...
. He was most recognized for his 1903–1905 work with the
Corps of Engineers to lead the building of
the Benguet Road, a mountain highway in the
Philippines
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...
linking
Rosario, La Union and the lowland areas to
Baguio
Baguio ( ,
), officially the City of Baguio ( ilo, Siudad ti Baguio; fil, Lungsod ng Baguio), is a 1st class highly urbanized city in the Cordillera Administrative Region, Philippines. It is known as the "Summer Capital of the Philippines", ...
. During
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, he commanded the military training facility at
Camp Greene, North Carolina; the 171st Infantry, Brigade,
Camp Grant, Illinois, and then the 86th Division, Camp Grant, Illinois.
Early life and education
Lyman Kennon was born September 2, 1858, in
Providence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. One of the oldest cities in New England, it was founded in 1636 by Roger Williams, a Reformed Baptist theologian and religious exile from the Massachusetts ...
to Charles Henry Kennon and Adelaide (Hall) Kennon. He grew up in New York City when his mother was remarried to George G. Lambertson after his father, a Quartermaster Sergeant in Company D of the
Rhode Island 2nd Cavalry Regiment during the
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...
died May 23, 1863, at
Brashear City, Louisiana
Morgan City is a small city in St. Mary and lower St. Martin parishes in the U.S. State of Louisiana. The population was 12,404 at the 2010 census. Known for being “right in the middle of everywhere”, Morgan City is located 68 miles (109&nb ...
. Lyman Kennon was admitted to the
United States Military Academy
The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known metonymically as West Point or simply as Army, is a United States service academy in West Point, New York. It was originally established as a fort, since it sits on strategic high groun ...
at
West Point, New York
West Point is the oldest continuously occupied military post in the United States. Located on the Hudson River in New York, West Point was identified by General George Washington as the most important strategic position in America during the Ame ...
on June 14, 1876, but graduated with the Class of 1881 after being suspended for one year for hazing. In 1883, he married Anne Beecher Rice (1861–1945) of
Goshen, Connecticut
Goshen is a town in Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 3,150 at the 2020 census.
Geography
Goshen is in central Litchfield County and is bordered to the east by the city of Torrington. According to the United State ...
as he was beginning his military career. Later in his career, he attended the
United States Army War College
The United States Army War College (USAWC) is a U.S. Army educational institution in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, on the 500-acre (2 km2) campus of the historic Carlisle Barracks. It provides graduate-level instruction to senior military offic ...
for graduate studies, graduating in 1910.
Military career
Kennon's first posting upon graduation from West Point in 1881 was with the Cavalry, moving the Uinta
Uncompahgre Ute
The Uncompahgre Ute () or ꞌAkaꞌ-páa-gharʉrʉ Núuchi (also: Ahkawa Pahgaha Nooch) is a band of the Ute, a Native American tribe located in the US states of Colorado and Utah. In the Ute language, means "rocks that make water red." The ban ...
Indians (
fresh from a massacre a year earlier) to
a newly established reservation.
As a junior lieutenant in 1884, he wrote a ''Manual of Duties of Guards and Sentinels'' which was the first such manual adopted by the Army. His 1886 article on "Battle Tactics of Infantry" was widely discussed here and abroad and led to the replacement of ''Upton's Military Tactics'' as Army doctrine. Numerous other publications followed, including a critique of the 1886 wholesale incarceration of the
Chiricahua Apache
Chiricahua ( ) is a band of Apache Native Americans.
Based in the Southern Plains and Southwestern United States, the Chiricahua (Tsokanende ) are related to other Apache groups: Ndendahe (Mogollon, Carrizaleño), Tchihende (Mimbreño), Sehend ...
tribe for the acts of a few warriors. "For the sins of these few," he wrote, "a sentence of banishment was visited upon the whole tribe. They were far from deserving it." After serving as aide to General
George Crook upon his death in 1890, Kennon began service with the
US Army Corps of Engineers
, colors =
, anniversaries = 16 June (Organization Day)
, battles =
, battles_label = Wars
, website =
, commander1 = ...
, being sent to
Central America
Central America ( es, América Central or ) is a subregion of the Americas. Its boundaries are defined as bordering the United States to the north, Colombia to the south, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. ...
in 1891 as engineer to survey a possible route for an
inter-oceanic canal. While there, he surveyed Mexico's border with Guatemala, eventually carrying the survey around Guatemala until it reached the Nicaraguan border.
In the
Spanish–American War
, partof = the Philippine Revolution, the decolonization of the Americas, and the Cuban War of Independence
, image = Collage infobox for Spanish-American War.jpg
, image_size = 300px
, caption = (cloc ...
, as commander of Company "E" the
6th Infantry Regiment
The 6th Infantry Regiment ("Regulars") was formed 11 January 1812. Zachary Taylor, later the twelfth President of the United States, was a commander of the unit. The motto, "Regulars, By God!" derives from the Battle of Chippawa, in which Brit ...
, he was the 2nd American Officer (after
Lt. J.G. Ord) to reach the blockhouse on top of
San Juan Hill
San Juan Hill is a series of hills to the east of Santiago, Cuba, running north to south. The area is known as the San Juan Heights or in Spanish ''Alturas de San Juan'' before Spanish–American War of 1898, and are now part of Lomas de San Ju ...
, for which he was recommended for a
brevet promotion
In many of the world's military establishments, a brevet ( or ) was a warrant giving a commissioned officer a higher rank title as a reward for gallantry or meritorious conduct but may not confer the authority, precedence, or pay of real rank. ...
and the
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valo ...
. After the war he was for a time in charge of civil affairs in
Cuba
Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...
as well as being Cuba's acting Secretary of Commerce and Agriculture.
On October 9, 1899, Kennon arrived the Philippines, where he participated in military actions in the
Philippine–American War.
[p. 329 in: Cullum, G.W. (1910). Register of the officers and graduates of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y. Since its Establishment in 1802, Vol. 5. Seeman and Peters, Saginaw, MI. 904pp.] He served as Military Governor of the province of
Ilocos Norte
Ilocos Norte, officially the Province of Ilocos Norte ( ilo, Probinsia ti Ilocos Norte; tl, Lalawigan ng Ilocos Norte), is a province of the Philippines located in the Ilocos Region. Its capital is Laoag City, located in the northwest corner ...
from November 1900 to March 1901. He read and memorized passages from the
Koran
The Quran (, ; Standard Arabic: , Quranic Arabic: , , 'the recitation'), also romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a revelation from God. It is organized in 114 chapters (pl.: , si ...
in preparation for an assignment to a
Moro area. While in
Mindanao
Mindanao ( ) ( Jawi: مينداناو) is the second-largest island in the Philippines, after Luzon, and seventh-most populous island in the world. Located in the southern region of the archipelago, the island is part of an island group of ...
from 1901 to 1903, he built the
Iligan
Iligan, officially the City of Iligan ( ceb, Dakbayan sa Iligan; fil, Lungsod ng Iligan; Maranao: ''Inged a Iligan''), is a 1st class highly urbanized city in the region of Northern Mindanao, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it ha ...
to
Lake Lanao road and then, at the request of
Governor Taft, he completed in 1905 the strategically important
Benguet Road from Manila to Baguio in 18 months.
He did this where others had failed and the job was expected to take no less than 3 years and probably longer. This accomplishment earned him a personal letter of commendation from
President Theodore Roosevelt, who described him as "the type of man we should keep an eye on."
In the next few years he traveled to Japan to examine railroads, to
Brazil
Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
in 1906 as delegate to the
Pan-American Congress and Military Attache.
He also was sent to Alaska as part of the Commission surveying the boundary with Canada, and he was specially requested by
Costa Rica to survey its southern boundary. In 1915 he commanded the 161st Depot Brigade at the U.S. Mexican border in support of the
U.S.–Mexican Border War. In 1918, after training 17,000 troops at Camp Greene in North Carolina,
and then after assuming command of the 171st brigade and then the 86th division at Camp Grant near
Rockford, Illinois, he was denied the right to take his division overseas to France because of an unfavorable medical diagnosis. He died soon after the division's departure from New York at the Hotel Cumberland (Broadway and 54th) in New York City on September 9, 1918, probably due to the
influenza outbreak.
Military awards
*
Indian Campaign Medal
*
Spanish Campaign Medal
The Spanish Campaign Medal was a military award of the United States Armed Forces which recognized those men of the U.S. military who had served in the Spanish–American War. Although a single decoration, there were two versions of the Spanish C ...
*
Philippine Campaign Medal
The Philippine Campaign Medal is a Awards and decorations of the United States military, medal of the United States Armed Forces which was created to denote service of U.S. military men in the Philippine–American War between the years of 1899 an ...
*
Mexican Service Medal
The Mexican Service Medal is an award of the United States military for service in Mexico from 1911 to 1919.
History
The Mexican Service Medal awarded by the Army was established by General Orders of the United States War Department on December ...
*
Mexican Border Service Medal
The Mexican Border Service Medal was a U.S. service medal established by an Act of Congress on July 9, 1918. It was awarded for service between May 9, 1916 and March 24, 1917, or with the Mexican Border Patrol between January 1, 1916 to April ...
Family life, honors and legacy
Lyman Kennon was married to Anne Beecher Rice Kennon (1861–1945), from
Goshen, Connecticut
Goshen is a town in Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 3,150 at the 2020 census.
Geography
Goshen is in central Litchfield County and is bordered to the east by the city of Torrington. According to the United State ...
and daughter of a military officer Maj. James Quackenbush Rice, Sr. (1822-1864) who died in Virginia during the American Civil War. Anne Kennon in 1929 described her life at her 50th graduation anniversary from high school in
Hartford, Connecticut as follows:
I married a soldier, the late General Kennon, then the adventures began. With great energy, unusual ability and high purpose, one important detail succeeded another. For years I followed this valiant swiftly moving figure, Utah Indian reservations, North, South, East, West, Central America, Europe, Cuba, the Philippines, China, Japan, Korea, South America, Alaska, Hawaii, our Mexican border; circling again and yet again this round globe, the life of changing impressions and ideas.
Lyman and Anne B. Rice Kennon had no children. She died on August 5, 1945, in
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
and she was buried with her husband at
Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery is one of two national cemeteries run by the United States Army. Nearly 400,000 people are buried in its 639 acres (259 ha) in Arlington, Virginia. There are about 30 funerals conducted on weekdays and 7 held on Sa ...
, South Section site 2010.
Kennon was an active member of the
Sons of the Revolution
Sons of the Revolution is a hereditary society which was founded in 1876 and educates the public about the American Revolution. The General Society Sons of the Revolution headquarters is a Pennsylvania non-profit corporation
located at Willia ...
since his admission on September 17, 1894, having descended from Asaph Hall of Goshen, Connecticut. Captain Asaph Hall was in the
Fourth Connecticut Infantry Regiment in 1775, and served as a company commander. He was later a member of Connecticut House of Representatives. Kennon's uncle
Asaph Hall III (1829–1907) was a noted astronomer in the employ of the
U.S. Naval Observatory
United States Naval Observatory (USNO) is a scientific and military facility that produces geopositioning, navigation and timekeeping data for the United States Navy and the United States Department of Defense. Established in 1830 as the Depo ...
. He was also a member of the
Sons of the American Revolution
The National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution (SAR or NSSAR) is an American congressionally chartered organization, founded in 1889 and headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky. A non-profit corporation, it has described its purpose ...
.
In addition to
Kennon Road
Kennon Road, also known as Rosario–Baguio Road, is a two lane roadway in Benguet province in the Philippines connecting the mountain city of Baguio in Benguet to the lowland town of Rosario in La Union province. The project begun in 1903 and o ...
in the Philippines named for him, Kennon Street in
Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County. The population was 874,579 at the 2020 census, making Charlotte the 16th-most populo ...
as also named for him in recognition of his military service at nearby
Camp Greene.
Remembering Camp Greene
/ref>
References
External links
Lyman W. V. Kennon papers at Duke University
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kennon, Lyman W. V.
1858 births
1918 deaths
United States Military Academy alumni
Deaths from the Spanish flu pandemic in New York (state)
American expatriates in the Philippines
People of American colonial Philippines
Burials at Arlington National Cemetery
United States Army War College alumni
People from Goshen, Connecticut
United States Army generals of World War I
United States Army generals
Military personnel from Rhode Island
American military personnel killed in World War I
United States Army Cavalry Branch personnel
United States Army Corps of Engineers personnel