James B Kennedy and George Kennedy entered the United States at the age of 17 and are twins, their parents are from Cork County, Ireland
After the couple was married their first child Loren was born in Iowa, from there they migrated to Nebraska, where their second child, May was born.
Source: Letter from Sid Kennedy, March 26, 1984, "James Barton Kennedy became a scout and wagonmaster. In the years following he led many wagon trains westward into California. Mr. Kennedy wore a hole in one of his shoes, and one night he stole a pair of shoes from a near by camp. He was a very pious and kindly man and this act so bothered him, that he cut a hole in the page of his diary the exact size of the hole in his shoe to remind him of the sin. The diary today is kept by his great grand son Harold Barton Kennedy."
Email from Lynn Carroll, February 17, 2004: "I did speak with the historians in Kansas and his name is registered working for the Govenor at that time, and he was tasked to find Denver. That is in the records there. But he died before the claim went through and the second group got the credit. People mined any time they got into those mountains, because Gold was supposedly everywhere. I do not know why they left Iowa nor why he took his brothers with him. Not a lot of info there. Only thing I know of is that when they reached Plattsmouth, his wife wasn't happy at all. She wanted to turn around and go home! It's in her writings. I'll email a copy when I get the chance. I do know that James carved a clock dial on her porch so she'd know what time it was. After his death, she lived by herself and worked for Samuel Richardson as a house maid, they eventually married. He was Judge in Plattsmouth. After the marriage, she lived a better life. "
ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS
Cherry Creek, K.T., Saturday, July 9, 1859
Exciting News from the Mountains!
Trouble with the Indians - Our Miners Shot and Scalped by the Utah Savages without provocation
Mountain City, Gregory's Diggings, K.T., June 29, 1859
Messrs. Editors
GENTLEMEN: I take upon myself to give you a brief statement of a painful tragedy which occurred last Sabbath afternoon and of which I was one of the actors and, of course, an eye witness.
A few days since, I started from the mines in company with Dr. J.L. Shank, lately from the vicinity of Running Water, N.T., but formerly from Hagerstown, Md; and J.B. Kennedy, Plattsmouth, N.T., on a prospecting tour in the N.E. corner of the South Park. On Sunday afternoon, the 26th past, we were encamped on the south side of the summit of the snowy range of mountains which divide the waters of Vasquers F(missing) the South Platte, and the branches that run from the N.E. corner of the Park into the South Fork of the Platte. Our camp was within five hundred feet of the summit of the highest of the range in the vicinity and entirely above the belt of timber that encircles the boe of the mountains. During the afternoon some four or five Utah Indians were around our camp who appeared to be friendly thus causing no uneasiness in our party. About four o'clock, two hours after we had dined, the Dr. started toward the summit of the ridge to take a look at the country around as well as to keep an eye on camp; while Mr. Kennedy and myself went eastward to prospect in a gorge of the mountain half a mile off. We left the camp a little before the Dr. and when we had gone three hundred yards heard the report of a gun over the hill in the direction the Dr. had taken; but thinking he had shot at some Bison calves seen before in that vicinity, we did not feel uneasy. We had advanced some twenty steps farther and were descending a precipice when we heard another shot in the same direction, we turned to go back, thinking perhaps, the Dr. might be in some difficulty with the Indians, when two shots were fired upon us, one hitting Mr. Kennedy in the centre of the back, near the waist and passing through him, felling him quickly; the other striking the ground near my feet. I turned and went to Mr. K's side and he told me he could not live. Seeing no Indians, I ascended the rocks the way we had come, and looked for the Dr. I could not see him, but saw two Indians coming down the hill toward me. I fired at one of them with my revolver, but without apparent effect as they were some eighty yards off. They fled back over the ridge when they saw me. Having seen nothing of the Dr. I returned to Mr. Kennedy, he was still alive and I got his revolver, which he had dropped when he first fell, and gave it to him, telling him if further attacked in my absence to use it if possible. I then went toward camp to look out for the Dr. and saw four Indians ride over the ridge, come down about half way to camp and stop about where I supposed the Dr. had probably fallen, two of them alighted and commenced, apparently, to strip and scalp him - the rocks around prevented my seeing his person at all. All things at camp seemed undisturbed - the horse grazing and the fire uninterrupted. I went back and found Kennedy not yet dead but sinking fast, it being about half an hour since he was shot. I left him to find a place of defense for myself; expecting every moment an attack. I found a nook in the rock about thirty steps from where Kennedy lay; here I was located until dark. About sundown a shot was fired; close to where I was, as I supposed at Kennedy, and I heard a tramping as of persons passing down the rocks toward where he lay - all was then still. Supposing from these circumstances that he had been killed and scalped as well as robbed, and deeming it unsafe for me to wander among the rocks after dark in search of him, I left my place of retreat and started across the Snowy Range in the night. I reached the summit about ten o'clock p.m. and commenced my descent through a dangerous and difficult gorge, which I completed between twelve and one. I traveled all that night and the next day, intending to reach Jackson's Diggings before dark. At noon I found myself fifteen miles S.E. of Jackson's Diggings and five miles from the road leading thereto. Wearied with fatigue and hunger so or almost entirely to prevent my progress. I traveled by small distances until I came to the road, where, meeting a team, I camped for the night. Late in the afternoon of the next day, the 29th, I arrived at Gregory's where a meeting of the miners was immediately called, a statement of the facts made, and one hundred men enlisted to go in pursuit of the murderers, and revenge the death of our men. Messengers were also sent to all the mines. Auraria and Denver, to acquaint the people of the occurrence. The company enlisted is appointed to start on their expedition on the 30th past at ten o'clock a.m., proceed to the scene of action and bury the bodies if found, and then resume their march.
I have given you a brief, but, I think, a correct statement of the occurrence as witnessed by me on that ever memorable Sabbath evening, and thought the circumstances were surely exciting, I do not think that any matter of importance which passed in view before me were unnoticed.
Wm. M. Slacouter
LINES
Found written in the pocket book of the unfortunate J.B. Kennedy, who fell by the hand of the Utah Indians.
Oh! Stranger hear my last request,
The death damps gather on my brow,
There is a feeling in my breast,
That tells me I am dying now.
I have a wish, the only tie
That binds my trembling heart to earth,
O hear me breathe it ere I die,
And bear it to my mother's hearth.
Go tell her that her son is dead
And sleeps far on the desert wild,
You sat beside the dying bed.
And heard the last words of her child.
A spot near by a desert road,
A boy lay dying in a tent,
In silence near a stranger stood.
His gaze in silence on him bent.
When slow the sufferer turned his head,
A hectic flash defused his cheek,
He knew he pressed his dying bed.
And murmuring strove some words to speak.
