John Doby Kennedy was born on January 5, 1840 in Camden, South Carolina, United States. He was the son of Anthony M. and Sarah (Doby) Kennedy. His mother was the granddaughter of Abraham Belton, a pioneer settler of Camden and soldier during the Revolution. His father was born in Scotland and emigrated to the United States in 1834.
Kennedy received his preparatory education in the schools of Camden and entered South Carolina College in 1855. Here he remained until the fall of 1857 when he entered the law office of W. Z. Leitner. He was admitted to the bar in January 1861.
At the outbreak of the Civil War Kennedy enlisted as captain of Company E, 2nd South Carolina Regiment, under the command of Colonel J. B. Kershaw. When Kershaw was made brigadier-general in 1862, Kennedy succeeded him as colonel of the 2nd Regiment, and two years later, when the former succeeded McLaws as commander of the 1st Division of Longstreet's corps, Kennedy became brigadier-general. He remained in active service until the surrender of Johnston in April 1865. After the fall of Atlanta, Governor Magrath of South Carolina requested that Kennedy's brigade be detached to oppose the invasion. Kennedy now joined Johnston's army and his command vainly disputed Sherman's progress at Averysboro and Bentonville.
The war over, Kennedy returned to Camden and reentered the legal profession. In December 1865 he was elected to Congress but did not take his seat because of his refusal to take the "iron clad oath. " He took a prominent part in the redemption of his state from carpetbag domination. After white supremacy had been reestablished, he was prominent in the counsels of the Democratic party.
As a member of the National Democratic Convention which met at St. Louis in 1876, he cast his vote for Tilden and Hendricks. He was a member of the state executive committee of the Democratic party in that year, and the chairman of the committee two years later. He served two terms in the lower house of the state legislature (1878, 1879). In 1880 he was elected lieutenant-governor of South Carolina and was prominently mentioned for governor in 1882, but he was defeated in convention by Colonel Hugh Thompson. In 1884 he was presidential elector-at-large on the Democratic ticket. From 1885 to 1889 he was consul-general at Shanghai, China, by appointment of President Cleveland.
Kennedy was recognized for his military service in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. He was present at the bombardment of Fort Sumter at the beginning of the war and participated in the battles of Bull Run, Savage Station, Sharpsburg, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, Chickamauga, Knoxville, the Wilderness, Spotsylvania, Petersburg and Cedar Creek. In the postwar period, he was prominent in the campaign to return his state to white majority rule.
Kennedy was a member of the Democratic Party.
Kennedy was active in fraternal organizations and was popular with Confederate veterans' organizations, taking an active interest in the establishment of Camp Kirkland.
Kennedy was twice married. His first wife, whom he married in 1857, was Elizabeth Cunningham. She died in 1876 and in 1882 he was married to Harriet A. Boykin.
