By Jaimie Julia Winters
The town of Kearny was named after one of the most intriguing military men of early America – Major General Philip Kearny. Known as Kearny le Magnifique (Kearny the Magnificent) and the One-Armed Devil – the first given to him when serving with the Chasseurs d’Afrique in Algeria, and the latter a nickname earned from the Confederates during the Civil War after he lost his arm in the Mexican-American War.
His fearlessness and bravery in battles were well known. Entering battlefields astride his horse, sword in one hand, reins clutched in his teeth, earned him the respect of his men and a place in history, finally losing his life in the Battle of Chantilly in 1862.
Leading his men in his final battle, he reportedly yelled, “I am the one-armed Jersey son of a gun, follow me.” His contemporaries called him the “perfect soldier.”
His early years were filled with wealth and privilege in Newark. His grandfather was a successful New York businessman and investor, and his father was a founder of the New York Stock Exchange. After both his parents died when he was young, his upbringing fell to his grandfather, who insisted that Kearny study to become a lawyer.
He did earn a law degree at Columbia College, but after the death of his grandfather, Kearny pursued his true passion – a career in the military. In 1837, Kearny, 22, was commissioned a second lieutenant in the 1st Dragoons and was sent to France to study cavalry tactics and saw his first action with the French in Algiers. Kearny then served as a captain in the Mexican-American War. After recovering from the amputation of his arm just one month later, Kearny joined the U.S. Army and entered Mexico City.
He eventually settled in Kearny, N.J., building his Kearny Castle. Before it was demolished in 1926, it was across from where Washington School stands today. In 1859, he returned to France, distinguished himself at the Battle of Solferino, and was awarded the French Legion d’honneur, the first U.S. citizen to receive such recognition.
When the Civil War broke out, Kearny was placed in charge of the First New Jersey Brigade as brigadier general. He was soon promoted to major general and given command of a division. He developed the concept of corps badges, which eventually were adopted by the entire army and evolved into the shoulder patches of today’s military.
Speaking at his NJ Hall of Fame induction, his great, great, great granddaughter, Anne Kinnard, said that he was so dedicated to his men that he purchased with his own money 120 matching dappled grey horses with Abraham Lincoln signing the deed of sale as his attorney.
Kearny led at the battles of Williamsburg and Fair Oaks and throughout the Peninsula Campaign. He was scouting Confederate positions at Chantilly when he rode too close to enemy lines. He was shot and killed while attempting to escape, according to the American Battlefield Trust.
Kearny’s remains were returned to the Union side under orders from Confederate General Robert E. Lee, who wanted to ensure that the widely revered Kearny received a proper burial. Initially, he was interred at Trinity Churchyard in Manhattan, but his remains were later exhumed.