New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-10-26
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
''TlycKERMANs LIFE OF KrNNEny,

most blhuant rcF Iosentativo, the subject OF the
present memoir Ias conspicuous for his admirable
intellectual ace /nmplishmeutS, his habits of nice OBJ
Col ration IN exact description and his picturesque
Tkc'clrS Il American ljfe rs well rs for the genial
tras of his personal character and the gifts of
COY We. sation and sympathy that gave him wei
VJme place in general society, In the graceful in
PRODUCTION to the present memoir, Mr. Tuckerman
mak,s some apt suggestions with regard to the posi-
ton of its subject in public life and In
American letters. He classes Mr.. Kennedy with
those men of cdlture and scholarship VINO are
equally fitted for civic functions and literary pur
suits, but who prefer private station to poli'lCl
conflicts. His aims were dislnterested and nauohai
He was superior to intrigue and partiSanSillp' us
tastes a. a scholar enlarged his sphere OF Official
action and Ouickened his efforts III behGi1 OF Ihe
arts of peace the progress of science ana the goou
of humanity. The Harmonious development ol has
nature gave him sound and attractive pe'eolai in
huencc His youth WAS free from the talnt OF uSS
pati,n and lis manhood was devoted to earnest ana
noble pursuits without the cares and roSteSsness OF
I'll excessive ambition. His love of literature was
made subordinate TO the duties OF his profession, nor
did he rush into the of politics, until ne was
summoned ny the public recognition of his char
acter and ability. The man always master OF
his vocation.
Mr. Kennedy was born in Baltimore in the year
17q5 of ScotchIrish extraction on his fathers side,
while his mother was one of the Virginia Pendie-
tons a lady who is said to have been of rare personal
beauty, combining unusual wOmanly charms with
singular intelligence and force of character. Ills
bOyhOod was passed under the most favorable cir
cumstances. He had access to good books, and was
accustomed to hcathful exercise and pleasant COM
partnership. His memory and powers Of reasoning
were cultivated by reading and discussion with con-
- L., 81. 4l,,,pf nnarh
scope his home afforded quiet shelter from worldly
temptations; and high moral principles rpened into
permanent motives of action.
After graduating at Baltimore College in 1872,
young Kennedy was undecided to his future
career, the Law and the Camp" as he relates in
delightful photographed sketch, both putting
forth their attractions for boy whose imagination
was most susceptible to eachp lie commenced the
study Of law, however, in the office of an uncle,
devoting himself to Ruthcrforth, Blackstone, and
Justiuian, with vigor and perseverance, which If
1t had been seconded "by anything like proper
tionate capacity to understand would have made
him the wonder of the street. At the same time
he found an opportunity to indulge his inclination
for a military life by joining company of volun-
teers in the Maryland militia This was during the
hight of the excitement produced by the with
England in 1912. The whole country was measur-
ing its PAGES to universal ruba-dub, and marking
time to the order of the drilsergeant" Mr. Kennedy
describes it rs the glory Of his existence that he
lived in the day th9t filed with the exultation
OF the first naval victories of the United States.
The British were in possession of Chesapeake Bay.
The city of Baltimore had become a camp. Some
five Thousand volunteers and militia were always
OIL foot. performing garrison duty. in the
government forts. 1t was a time of
high inspiration with the youthful warrior
"Here was, Just ont Of college, in q very dashy uni
form Of blue and red with jacket and leather he'll
met, crested with huge black feather, and sur
mounted by particularly timber and as thought,
graceful red one with my white cross-belts, pure az
pipe-clAy could make them, my cartridge-box and
bayonct and Harpers Ferry musket of fourteen
pounds white dnll pantalOOps blue in Winter, with
black CATERS. There 1 was, eighteen years Of age,
knapsackcd with blanket, canteen and baversack
generally cold fowl biscuit, fried tongue, and
bottle of wine in it, and detailed for weeks duty
atthe fort Talk about luxuries! have had good
share OF what goes by that in my lifetime, but
have never had since anything in that way that
might be compared with the nights in the guard
room, and the routine of the sentinels duty in
weather wet or dry, and in mOonlit and mOOnless
midnights. to which have been detailed at Fort
McTIenry. To sleep between guard-hOurs on q bench
70 eat and drink in the intervals and to tell stories
and laugh healthy and light-hearted boys only
can laugh in such scenes, were to me eDjoyments
that never waned in interest and never lost their
Eest in repetition Our military service was thus
but pastime, recurring sometimes every day for
weeks and then inteTmitted for q week at q
time, when the occasion not pressing"
This left him abundance of time for his legal stud
les With them he combined great amount of
miscellaneous reading which embraced almost every
department of literature. But the law, the
grabbed, unamiable, indigestible law" always de-
t,It 81. t,loo at
fOrded him peculiar facility for this pursuit. H9
once wrote off on a bravado in which his veracity
was called in question, whole page from Conises
Digest" after about five minutes study. His ad-
miratiOn of good speaking enabled him to report
speeches from memory almost as they fell from the
lips of the speaker. On occasion, he made
nearly verbal transcript of speech of Mr.. Pinkneys
which had attracted his attention in court, by its
elegance and felicity of expression.
Mr. Kennedy's first attempts at authorship were
made in the intervals of military duty, when he
wrote several spirited appeals to the patriotic feel
ing of the country, which were published
in one of the Baltimore newspapers No
one knew who wrote them. He kept his
own secret, and was very shy of publicity.
81 of course believed everybody read them with de-
hight and wondered who could write them. As our
regiment was one day returning from drill on Lon
denslagers Hill, wbIre our parade ground was,
ventured to say to . comrsde marching next to me,
that there was an address to The Volunteers of
Baltimore in Che paper Of that morning. Yes,
he had seen it. Who do you suppose writes these
things & didn't know. From his manner, it was
evident 1t did not much interest him to know. was
set all absck. 1t hadn't created the enthusiasm ex-
pected Moo ever said what ina gined would hear
many saying: Who can be writing those stirring
papersP have learned since that fine writing falls
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