James Frank Kennedy

James Frank Kennedy was born May 4, 1821 in Wexford, Ireland. He arrived in Lima, New York in 1840 where he attended the Lima Academy. He later moved to Dansville and worked on the Genesee Valley Canal, a branch of the Erie, as a stone mason. He married Mary Jane Durkee in 1849. A fall from a three-story burning building prevented him from further doing heavy work. Kennedy taught school for a while before enlisting in the Union Army at the age of 41 in November 23, 1861. Kennedy died on April 4, 1863. Materials in the collection primarily document his military career particularly his imprisonment by the Confederate army. Materials include biographical information, a photograph, military service records, and a fragment of a memorial card. These materials are arranged in chronological order.