Perth Amboy evening news., 1923-12-08
PERTH AMBOY in HISTORY
THE KEARNYS
By II. e. PICKERSGHL

wounded. Mr.. Kearny died, leaving
his wife with seven sons, one of
whom was Lawrence, later to be-
come a gallant officer in the Ameri-
can navy and the father of the late
James Lawrence Kearny, the last of
his famous name to reside in Perth
Amboy.
Mrs. Kearny had marked literary
talent and her home was the center
of much social and literary activity.
It was easily one of the best known
homes in the community and men
and women famed in other cities for
their talents and their accomplish
ments came and went as her guests.
Her son Lawrence was destined to
achieve fame In an entirely different
channel. He early became a mid
shipman in the American navy. AS
a lad in years he became a man of
experience in the ways of war at the
time when the Mediterranean Sea
was the naval battle-ground of the
commercial world. He chased
pirates and handled prizes in such
a way that he was rapidly promoted
to and through the various grades of
naval rank and became a commo-
dore, at time when the title of
admiral was not used in the Ameri-
can navy. He was assigned to duty
In the Pacific and there he did a
great deal to lay the foundation for
the position the United States was
later to occupy in that part of the
globe. He was figure in the early
California problems and he especial
ly had to do with the islands of the
Pacific, particularly with the Hawai-
ian group, and the reports he made
of his work furnish the groundwork
of the history of the friendly rela-
tions between the islanders and this
government. He was honored by the
rulers of the interesting people of
the islands and he was honored by
his countrymen at home. A hand
some sword was given to him at one
time and a beautiful dinner set at
another. He was easily, for years,
most prominent figure in the public
life Of the country. Upon his retire
ment he came back to the old
Kearny cottage and there ended his
days in the pleasures of a retired
naval officer, honored and respected
alike for the lustre he had added to
name already great when 1t was
bestowed upon him. Lawrence
Kearny had brother Francis, OF
whom little has ever been heard by
this generation in Perth Amboy- He
became an engraver. In that day,
long before photo engraving was any
more than dreamed of, to be an en-
graver was to rank with the wielders
of the brush and Francis Kearny at
tanned prominence in the profession
for which his talents fitted him to
occupy a place in the front rank. His
name is not infrequently met with
in old books at times signed "F.
Kearny" and at other times with the
names of partners associated with
him in the work.
Francis Kearny may have shown
some of his mothers genius in his
work. James Lawrence Kearny, the
son of Commodore Kearny, certainly
had more than a spark of 1t In his
for it was soon recognized
that only the absence of any neces-
sity for him to tie himself down to
real effort alone prevented Mr..
Kearny from reaching a high place
in the literary world of his day. He
had an enhancing style, quality of
English seldom equaled, even among
the language, and his satire and wit
could probably have kept pace with
those traits of his distinguish
the Madame Scribble-
rius of the post Revolutionary pc
riod. He wrote, at times, for the |
Evening Post and for the better |
grade of magazines of the latter part |
Of the last century, but at such tan
i.;,, q h.
only gave an intimation of what he |
might have accomplished in the !
world, had he set out to really exert |
himself.
In the Kearny cottage there will |
be few reminders of Mr.. Kearny, |
personally. He had an aversion to |
any display and even belittled att
times the Importance which other |
people were wont to attach to re-
OF his illustrious ancestors. |
One of the most priced possessions |
Of the historical society thus far is
Kearny's commission, |
Issued upon his retirement as a COM
March 10, 1857, and signed |
by President Andrew johnson and |
Gideon Welles, secretary of the |
navy. South Sea Island shells. and |
other relics of the old commodore's |
expedition have been stolen, with |
other possessions of the society, and |
have not been recovered. The COM |
modore's commission and examples
Of the work of his brother Francis |
the engraver, will adorn the walls
Of the old cottage when 1t is thrown |
open, not as the home of those who
have made history, but as shrine |
for those who find pleasure and |
profit in thinking of the generations |
who built that we might enjoy and |
who take time In the hurlyburly of |
present day American life to honor
the great and the good of other
days.