From the Portrait and Biographical Album of Rock Island County, Illinois Chicago Biographical Publishing Co. 1885 - Page 663:
Samson [sic] Kennedy, one of the leading newspaper men of Western, Illinois, residing at Moline, was born of Scotch-Irish Presbyterian parents, on the banks of the Tombigbee River, in Green County, Ala., Feb. 22, 1839. Though located in the heart of the South, his parents were strongly opposed to slavery, and soon after determined to remove to the North, where they might raise their children away from the corrupting influences of the "peculiar institution." In 1847, therefore, the family moved to Chicago, then a city of 12,000 to 14,000 people. In 1853 Mr. Kennedy entered the office of the Democratic Press, published by John L. Scripps and William Bross, as an apprentice. In 1857 he went to Red Wing, Minn., with young L.F. Hubbard (now Gov. Hubbard), and assisted him in getting his newspaper started. In the following year he went South, and spent two years in Memphis, where he cast his first vote in 1860, for Stephen A. Douglas. A week after the election he went to West Point and Searcy, Ark., where the outbreak of the Rebellion found him. For six weeks he remained in that hot-bed, utterly unable to devise any way of getting home without, perhaps, getting into worse trouble. Finally a vigilance committee solved the difficulty, and sent him to Memphis, where another vigilance committee advised him to leave for home, which he was glad to do. He says, though, that from first to last he was treated courteously and kindly. On reaching Cairo he was surprised to learn that he had been hung by a mob ten days before, and a day or so later had the rare privilege of reading his own obituary in the Times and Tribune of Chicago. Six weeks later he enlisted in Bat. A, 1st Ill. Art., and served three years, participating in 11 engagements, including Fort Donelson, Shiloh, Arkansas Post, Champion Hills, siege of Vicksburg, siege of Jackson, and Mission Ridge (Chattanooga).
For three years after his discharge he traveled for a Chicago grocery house, and then got married and drifted back into the printing business. His marriage occurred in Monmouth, Ill., Nov. 6, 1866, to Miss Addie Whitney [sic]. In September, 1871, he located in Moline, since which time he has been connected successively with the Review (weekly), the Dispatch (daily), the Review-Dispatch (weekly), and the Republican (daily and weekly), besides managing an extensive job printing business until the fall of 1882. In May 1883, the firm Kennedy & Co. was incorporated, and began the publication of the Republican, of which Mr. Kennedy is the active manager. He is both an able business and newspaper man, and the publications in which he has been interested bear the impress of the stirring, enterprising and efficient Samson [sic] Kennedy.
Samson [sic] Kennedy, one of the leading newspaper men of Western, Illinois, residing at Moline, was born of Scotch-Irish Presbyterian parents, on the banks of the Tombigbee River, in Green County, Ala., Feb. 22, 1839. Though located in the heart of the South, his parents were strongly opposed to slavery, and soon after determined to remove to the North, where they might raise their children away from the corrupting influences of the "peculiar institution." In 1847, therefore, the family moved to Chicago, then a city of 12,000 to 14,000 people. In 1853 Mr. Kennedy entered the office of the Democratic Press, published by John L. Scripps and William Bross, as an apprentice. In 1857 he went to Red Wing, Minn., with young L.F. Hubbard (now Gov. Hubbard), and assisted him in getting his newspaper started. In the following year he went South, and spent two years in Memphis, where he cast his first vote in 1860, for Stephen A. Douglas. A week after the election he went to West Point and Searcy, Ark., where the outbreak of the Rebellion found him. For six weeks he remained in that hot-bed, utterly unable to devise any way of getting home without, perhaps, getting into worse trouble. Finally a vigilance committee solved the difficulty, and sent him to Memphis, where another vigilance committee advised him to leave for home, which he was glad to do. He says, though, that from first to last he was treated courteously and kindly. On reaching Cairo he was surprised to learn that he had been hung by a mob ten days before, and a day or so later had the rare privilege of reading his own obituary in the Times and Tribune of Chicago. Six weeks later he enlisted in Bat. A, 1st Ill. Art., and served three years, participating in 11 engagements, including Fort Donelson, Shiloh, Arkansas Post, Champion Hills, siege of Vicksburg, siege of Jackson, and Mission Ridge (Chattanooga).
For three years after his discharge he traveled for a Chicago grocery house, and then got married and drifted back into the printing business. His marriage occurred in Monmouth, Ill., Nov. 6, 1866, to Miss Addie Whitney [sic]. In September, 1871, he located in Moline, since which time he has been connected successively with the Review (weekly), the Dispatch (daily), the Review-Dispatch (weekly), and the Republican (daily and weekly), besides managing an extensive job printing business until the fall of 1882. In May 1883, the firm Kennedy & Co. was incorporated, and began the publication of the Republican, of which Mr. Kennedy is the active manager. He is both an able business and newspaper man, and the publications in which he has been interested bear the impress of the stirring, enterprising and efficient Samson [sic] Kennedy.
From the Portrait and Biographical Album of Rock Island County, Illinois Chicago Biographical Publishing Co. 1885 - Page 663:
Samson [sic] Kennedy, one of the leading newspaper men of Western, Illinois, residing at Moline, was born of Scotch-Irish Presbyterian parents, on the banks of the Tombigbee River, in Green County, Ala., Feb. 22, 1839. Though located in the heart of the South, his parents were strongly opposed to slavery, and soon after determined to remove to the North, where they might raise their children away from the corrupting influences of the "peculiar institution." In 1847, therefore, the family moved to Chicago, then a city of 12,000 to 14,000 people. In 1853 Mr. Kennedy entered the office of the Democratic Press, published by John L. Scripps and William Bross, as an apprentice. In 1857 he went to Red Wing, Minn., with young L.F. Hubbard (now Gov. Hubbard), and assisted him in getting his newspaper started. In the following year he went South, and spent two years in Memphis, where he cast his first vote in 1860, for Stephen A. Douglas. A week after the election he went to West Point and Searcy, Ark., where the outbreak of the Rebellion found him. For six weeks he remained in that hot-bed, utterly unable to devise any way of getting home without, perhaps, getting into worse trouble. Finally a vigilance committee solved the difficulty, and sent him to Memphis, where another vigilance committee advised him to leave for home, which he was glad to do. He says, though, that from first to last he was treated courteously and kindly. On reaching Cairo he was surprised to learn that he had been hung by a mob ten days before, and a day or so later had the rare privilege of reading his own obituary in the Times and Tribune of Chicago. Six weeks later he enlisted in Bat. A, 1st Ill. Art., and served three years, participating in 11 engagements, including Fort Donelson, Shiloh, Arkansas Post, Champion Hills, siege of Vicksburg, siege of Jackson, and Mission Ridge (Chattanooga).
For three years after his discharge he traveled for a Chicago grocery house, and then got married and drifted back into the printing business. His marriage occurred in Monmouth, Ill., Nov. 6, 1866, to Miss Addie Whitney [sic]. In September, 1871, he located in Moline, since which time he has been connected successively with the Review (weekly), the Dispatch (daily), the Review-Dispatch (weekly), and the Republican (daily and weekly), besides managing an extensive job printing business until the fall of 1882. In May 1883, the firm Kennedy & Co. was incorporated, and began the publication of the Republican, of which Mr. Kennedy is the active manager. He is both an able business and newspaper man, and the publications in which he has been interested bear the impress of the stirring, enterprising and efficient Samson [sic] Kennedy.
Samson [sic] Kennedy, one of the leading newspaper men of Western, Illinois, residing at Moline, was born of Scotch-Irish Presbyterian parents, on the banks of the Tombigbee River, in Green County, Ala., Feb. 22, 1839. Though located in the heart of the South, his parents were strongly opposed to slavery, and soon after determined to remove to the North, where they might raise their children away from the corrupting influences of the "peculiar institution." In 1847, therefore, the family moved to Chicago, then a city of 12,000 to 14,000 people. In 1853 Mr. Kennedy entered the office of the Democratic Press, published by John L. Scripps and William Bross, as an apprentice. In 1857 he went to Red Wing, Minn., with young L.F. Hubbard (now Gov. Hubbard), and assisted him in getting his newspaper started. In the following year he went South, and spent two years in Memphis, where he cast his first vote in 1860, for Stephen A. Douglas. A week after the election he went to West Point and Searcy, Ark., where the outbreak of the Rebellion found him. For six weeks he remained in that hot-bed, utterly unable to devise any way of getting home without, perhaps, getting into worse trouble. Finally a vigilance committee solved the difficulty, and sent him to Memphis, where another vigilance committee advised him to leave for home, which he was glad to do. He says, though, that from first to last he was treated courteously and kindly. On reaching Cairo he was surprised to learn that he had been hung by a mob ten days before, and a day or so later had the rare privilege of reading his own obituary in the Times and Tribune of Chicago. Six weeks later he enlisted in Bat. A, 1st Ill. Art., and served three years, participating in 11 engagements, including Fort Donelson, Shiloh, Arkansas Post, Champion Hills, siege of Vicksburg, siege of Jackson, and Mission Ridge (Chattanooga).
For three years after his discharge he traveled for a Chicago grocery house, and then got married and drifted back into the printing business. His marriage occurred in Monmouth, Ill., Nov. 6, 1866, to Miss Addie Whitney [sic]. In September, 1871, he located in Moline, since which time he has been connected successively with the Review (weekly), the Dispatch (daily), the Review-Dispatch (weekly), and the Republican (daily and weekly), besides managing an extensive job printing business until the fall of 1882. In May 1883, the firm Kennedy & Co. was incorporated, and began the publication of the Republican, of which Mr. Kennedy is the active manager. He is both an able business and newspaper man, and the publications in which he has been interested bear the impress of the stirring, enterprising and efficient Samson [sic] Kennedy.
