Kent, Levi E.

Kent, Levi E.

Rank : Captain; Major

Regiment : 4th Rhode Island Infantry Regiment. Co. F (1861-1864)

Service : 1861 September-1862 September 26

Although his origins are unknown, it appears that Levi Kent was old enough and commanded enough respect to earn a Captain's commission in the 4th Rhode Island Infantry when it was organized in September, 1861. A disciplinarian, Kent served with the 4th Infantry during several months of comparatively quiet duty in Maryland, guarding the national capitol, before entering the fray in North Carolina.

In February, 1862, the 4th Rhode Island was placed under the command of Ambrose E. Burnside, to assist in his expedition against the Carolina coast. With a massive naval assault, the force took possession of Roanoke Island on February 7th, gaining a precious, precarious foothold in the rear of the Army of Northern Virginia. Kent and his regiment took part in securing this foothold with a successful offensive campaign against New Bern (where they were engaged at Slocum's Creek) and in April, with the siege and capture of Beaufort. The expedition, however, came to a halt when the bloodiest days of the Peninsular Campaign made their presence in Virginia a necessity. In July, the majority of Burnside's forces were ordered to reinforce Fortress Monroe.

Life in the 4th Rhode Island was turbulent by any measure, and the officers in particular appear to have been wracked with dissention, and bickering and in-fighting among them was common. After a leave of absence in June and early July, Kent rejoined his regiment for a brief period in Virginia, but was discharged in September, 1862. His post-war activities are unknown.

From the guide to the Levi E. Kent journal, Kent, Levi E., 1861-1862, (William L. Clements Library, University of Michigan)