Kendall (William D.) Papers, 1824-1944, bulk 1861-1865

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Summary

Title:
William D. Kendall papers
Dates:
1824-1944, bulk 1861-1865
Creators:
Kendall, William Devereux, 1935-1909
Abstract:
Papers belonging to American Civil War Confederate soldiers William Devereux Kendall, John Peter Kendall, and their family.
Extent:
1.71 Linear Feet (1 box, 1 oversize folder)
Language:
Materials are in English.
Preferred citation:

[Identification of item]. William D. Kendall papers, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.

Background

Scope and content:

The correspondence of William Devereaux and John Peter Kendall deals with their education at Bethel College and Philadelphia University, Kendall family history, and their American Civil War experience including military actions, relations with civilians, hospitals, and everyday activities of a fighting regiment. This portion of the collection also contains William Devereux Kendall's speech that is based on his reminiscences of the life of a Confederate soldier and describes trade between Confederate and Union soldiers. The letters also mention Hiram Kendall, an enslaved person who was taken to war by his enslavers, the Kendall family. The documents include indentures and deeds by Peter and Devereux Jarrett Kendall, records documenting William Devereux Kendall's military career, and a voter's registration issued to Devereux Jarrett Kendall in 1869. The collection also contains letters to and from Devereux Jarrett, William Devereaux, John Peter, and Courts Kendall; documents, photographs, newspaper clippings; as well as typewritten copies of late 17th and 18th century land and business records of the Courts family of Maryland, and family photographs.

Biographical / historical:

The Kendall family moved from North Carolina to Tennessee in 1794. In 1822, Peter Kendall (1778-1862) acquired a parcel of land near Paris, Henry County. Peter Kendall was a county delegate for the 1834 Constitutional Convention. His son Devereux Jarrett Kendall (1805-1871) married Sarah Ryle (1797-1870) in 1829. Their children were William Devereux Kendall (1835-1909), John Peter Kendall (1833-1871), and Sarah Elizabeth Kendall. William Devereux and John Peter Kendall attended Bethel College in McLemoresville, Tennessee, from 1851 to 1852. In 1858, William graduated from the University of Pennsylvania's medical school. In May 1861 he enlisted in the 5th Regiment of Tennessee Infantry in the Confederate States Army, and a year later was promoted to First Lieutenant and then regimental Adjutant. He served as Adjutant for the remainder of the Civil War. During the Battle of Murfreesboro, Tennessee, and during the Atlanta Campaign, he also served as assistant surgeon and occasionally performed duties of Assistant Inspector General. He took part in battles in Tennessee and Kentucky. He was honorably discharged in April 1865 and immediately enlisted in a company of scouts that was being organized by Colonel William M. Inge. The formation of the company was cancelled because the war ended. After the war, Kendall returned to Paris, Tennessee, where he practiced medicine and later worked for the State Department of Game, Fish, and Forestry. In 1868 he married Ada Courts Crawford (1840-1876). They had a son, Courts Kendall (1869-) and daughters Margaret and Ada. In 1886 he married Kate Lamb (-1899). He died in Paris in 1909. His brother John Peter (1833-1871) was a non-commissioned officer in Brigadier General Benjamin F. Cheatham's Brigade and fought at Murfreesboro and Chattanooga, Tennessee, and the Atlanta campaigns. The Tennessee branch of the family belonged to the Kendall Family Association established by Norman F. Kendall in 1929.

Acquisition information:
Purchased from Eric Pointer, December 1964.
Processing information:

Processed by Harriet McLoone in the 1960s. In May 2025, Brooke M. Black created a finding aid.

Arrangement:

Arranged alphabetically.

Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

About this collection guide

Collection Guide Author:
Brooke M. Black
Date Encoded:
This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2025-06-02 15:19:40 -0700 .

Access and use

Restrictions:

Open for use by qualified researchers and by appointment. Please contact Reader Services at the Huntington Library for more information.

Terms of access:

The Huntington Library does not require that researchers request permission to quote from or publish images of this material, nor does it charge fees for such activities. The responsibility for identifying the copyright holder, if there is one, and obtaining necessary permissions rests with the researcher.

Preferred citation:

[Identification of item]. William D. Kendall papers, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.

Location of this collection:
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, CA 91108, US
Contact:
(626) 405-2191
reference@huntington.org
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