Dr. Charles Erasmus Kennon was born in Mecklenurg County, Va., April 6, 1839, the son of Dr. Clement Read Kennon and his wife and cousin, Nancy Nelson Kennon (both were Kennons before their marriage). The family moved to Tangipahoa, La., in St. Helena Parish. Charles Erasmus Kennon enrolled in the medical program at the University of Louisiana (an earlier name of Tulane University) in 1860, but the Civil War interrupted his studies. On April 30, 1861, he enlisted as a private in Company I, 4th Louisiana Infantry, C.S.A. He was promoted to Captain and Commanding Officer. On Dec. 17, 1864, he was captured near Franklin, Tenn., and transferred to Johnson's Island military prison in Ohio. He was released upon an oath of allegiance to the United States on June 16, 1865. After the war, he returned to Louisiana, became a physician and businessman. He and his wife, Susan Kent Kennon, had seven children, four of whom survived to adulthood. Dr. Kennon and two of his sons succumbed to the yellow fever epidemic of 1878.
From the description of Charles Erasmus Kennon papers, 1841-1937 (bulk 1860-1880). (Tulane University). WorldCat record id: 463322105
