He was well-educated and even attended Columbia University in New York City before becoming an ensign with the New York militia in 1812. Stephen Kearny enjoyed a privileged childhood. His maternal grandfather had also become quite wealthy as a merchant. The family was prosperous, as Philip Kearny - who dropped the O’ from his real surname to hide his Irish roots - was a successful wine merchant and landowner in New Jersey. When he arrived on August 30, 1794, Stephen Watts Kearny was the last of fifteen children born to Philip and Susanna Watts Kearny. Let’s examine the remarkable life of Stephen Kearny. He even married the stepdaughter of William Clark of Lewis and Clark fame. He also drew up the Kearny Code, an early set of laws by which the territory of New Mexico was governed.

Kearny built a rapport with the Native Americans and advocated for non-violent negotiations when conflicts arose. This group eventually became the United States Cavalry, giving Kearny the unofficial title of “father” of the U.S. Louis, Missouri, Kearny headed up a new regiment, the 1 st Dragoon Regiment. Kearny documented his travels through the western wilderness in a series of detailed journals, recording his interactions with the Native American tribes, trails through the mountains, and the flora and fauna he saw. It was his life off the battlefield, however, that made him a key figure of the Old West. A lifelong military man, General Stephen Kearny fought in the War of 1812 and the Mexican-American War.

Kearny's March by Winston Groom