Samuel M. Kennard

Kennard, Samuel M*, distinguished as a merchant and known also as a leader among the public-spirited citizens of St. Louis, was born in 1842 in Lexington, Kentucky. His father was the elder John Kennard, the eminent merchant, kindly Christian gentleman, and warm-hearted philanthropist, whose career has been reviewed in a sketch in this work. The early years of Mr. Kennard's life were passed at Lexington, Kentucky, where his father was then engaged in trade. Lexington was then known as "the Athens of the West," and the culture, intelligence and high character of its population made it entirely deserving of that cognomen. Until he was fifteen years old Mr. Kennard lived in that atmosphere, and there received the education which fitted him for an eminently successful career as a man of affairs. His father came to St. Louis and established there his famous carpet house, in 1857, the son was taken into this house when he was fifteen years old. He was thus employed until the beginning of the Civil War, when his inherited tendencies, firm convictions and chivalrous instincts carried him into the Confederate Army. He was mustered into Landis' battery, and during the early years of the war served with marked distinction in the artillery attached to Cockrell's brigade and discharged every duty with faithfulness, efficiency and valor. An incident illustrative of his characteristic tenacity of purpose and high spirit is related by the surgeon of the brigade to which he belonged. Just before the battle of Baker's Creek, Mississippi, i6th of May, 1863, the brigade surgeon found him so ill that he ordered him to the rear. This order the young soldier felt at liberty to disobey, and when the fight came on he was found in the thick of it, forgetful of his physical condition and of everything except the fact that it is a soldier's duty to fight. The day following, the Confederate forces were compelled to fall back toward Vicksburg. They made a brave stand at "Big Black Bridge" — losing Wade's, Guibor's and Landis' batteries — and then retreated to Vicksburg. Mr. Kennard and his comrades, having lost their guns, were assigned to duty with other comrades and took part in that determined resistance to the Federal forces under General Grant which has hardly a parallel in history. After the surrender, July 4th following, the Confederate forces were allowed to Aiarch out, and the paroled Missouri troops took up the line of march for Demopolis, Alabama, and there remained until the following spring. In the reorganization of the artillery, Landis' and Guibors batteries were consolidated, and Samuel Kennard was made a lieutenant of the new battery. At the battle of Franklin, Tennessee, November 30, 1864, he commanded a section assigned to General J. E. B. Stuart's division, and was conspicuous for his gallantry. During the last six months of the war he served

KENNEL CLUB: as aid-de-camp on the staff of General N. B. Forrest. When the great struggle ended he was as prompt in recognizing the logic of the new situation as he had been in taking up arms in defense of cherished principles, and during more than thirty years which have since elapsed, he has been a leader among the chivalrous spirits of St. Louis, who have brought about the perfect fraternization of those who bore arms against each other in the conflict between the States. At the same time he has cherished the warmest feeling of comradeship for those who fought under the "Stars and Bars," and on the I2th of June, 1897, he was elected brigadier general of the Eastern Brigade of the Missouri Division of United Confederate Veterans. He was re-elected to his position in 1898, and has rendered to his old comrades in arms valuable services in this connection. His business career began in 1865, when he returned from the war and was admitted to partnership in the carpet house which his father had established in St. Louis, the firm then becoming J.Kennard & Sons, and before long he had almost exclusive control of the buying department of the house. After the death of his father the business was incorporated as the J. Kennard & Sons Carpet Company, of which Samuel Kennard became president, and under his sagacious and able management its trade has been expanded to its present large proportions and the house has gained the prominence and prestige which it now enjoys. Great by reason of the volume of its business and the vast extent of territory covered by its trade, it is great also in the perfection of its management, the integrity of its transactions, and the rectitude of its dealings, a commercial institution of which St. Louis is justly proud. The building up of this house is only one of numerous public and semi-public services which Mr. Kennard has rendered to St. Louis. In him public spirit is as fully developed as commercial spirit, and he has labored no less industriously for the public welfare than to promote his own fortunes. He helped to organize the Mercantile Qub, and was among the earliest advocates of street illumination, fall festivities and other methods of attracting visitors and entertaining them; and in every instance he did much to make these entertainments successful. He suggested the idea of erecting an exposition building and holding an annual exposition in St. Louis, made liberal cash contributions in aid of the project, and had the pleasure of opening the first exposition held. During eight years he was president of the exposition association,, and has since been a member of its board of directors. He presided over the first meeting of the Autumnal Festivities Association in 1891, and was the guiding spirit in inaugurating the spectacular parades which annually bring thousands of visitors to the city, and the new Planters' Hotel was erected by a corporation which he helped to form and with which he has ever since been identified. He has been officially connected with the American Exchange Bank, the Mississippi Valley Trust Company, the St. Louis & Suburban Railroad Conjpany, and the Missouri Savings & Loan Company, and is numbered among the most influential members of the Mercantile, Noonday, Commercial and other clubs of St. Louis. In politics Mr. Kennard has been active in behalf of good, safe, conservative government, nominally a Democrat, but courageously independent when his convictions counseled independent action. He is a Methodist churchman, affiliating with St. John's Methodist Episcopal Church, South, of St. Louis. In 1867 Mr. Kennard married Miss Annire R. Maude, of St. Louis, and has a family of six children.

Kennel Club.— The St. Louis Kennel Club was organized and incorporated in 1895, the founders and first board of directors being J. B. C. Lucas, John A. Long, Wm. Hutchison, Phil. C. Scanlon, Harry C. January, Ben Van Blarcom, A. C. Carpenter and Mark Ewing. The object is the giving of an annual show for the exhibition and improvement of the breeds of all kinds of dogs. The first exhibition was given in March, 1896, and brought out 500 dogs; the second in March, 1897, brought out 700 dogs; both being successful and satisfactory in the number and variety of the animals exhibited, the general interest they excited, and the number and character o( spectators attracted. A third was given in March, 1899, which surpassed che-preceding ones, and was declared to be the largest and finest dog show ever seen in the country. The officers of the club in 1899 wre J. A. Long, president; Phil. C. Scanlon, vice president; J. W. Scudder, treasurer; and Mark Ewing, secretary.

As printed in Encyclopedia of the history of Missouri (1901). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.