Rev David Kennedy Duff

REV. DAVID KENNEDY DUFF

David Kennedy Duff was born in Beaver county, Pennsylvania, May 8, 1825. He left home when seventeen years of age to attend school at the academy in Darlington, Pennsylvania, and remained there two years; thence he went to college in Athens, Ohio, where he finished his literary collegiate course in 1849. After teaching school for about a year at Mount Jackson, Pennsylvania, he entered, in 1850, the theological seminary at Canonsburg, where, during the next three years, he completed a careful theological course. He was immediately licensed ( in November, 1853 ) to preach as a home missionary, and traveled in that capacity for two years, performing useful services in Ohio. Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Eastern New York, and also in the cities of Philadelphia and Baltimore.

In May, 1856, he entered upon the duties of his fist settled charge, being installed as pastor over the United Presbyterian church at Dayton, Wayne township, and Mount Zion church at Pine Creek. He remained in active duty as pastor of these congregations until September 14, 1862, at which time, having previously enlisted, he was mustered into service as captain of Co. K, 14^th regt. Pa. Cav., in which capacity he served until his discharge in 1865. He was in the following engagements: Droop Mountain, August 27, 1863; in Newmarket (on the Averill Salem raid); Jefferson, May 8, 1864; Wytheville, May 10,1964; Union, May 13, 1864; Piedmont, June 5, 1864; Buchanan, June 13, 1864; Lynchburg, June 17 and 18, 1864; Liberty, June 19, 1864; Salem, June 21, 1864; Bunker Hill, June 26,1864; and then with Sheridan, at Darkesville, July 2, 1864; Opequau, September 19, 1864; Stone Bridge, September 18, 1864; Fisher Hill, September 21 and 22, 1864; Forrestville, September 24, 1864; Mount Crawford, September 25, 1864; Wyer�s Cave, September 26 and 27,1864; Middletown, October 19, 1864; Milford, October 24, 1864; Mount Jackson, November 22, 1864; Ashby Gap, February 19, 1865. Captain Duff, in the cavalry engagement at Ashby Gap, Virginia, was wounded three times�in the head, right shoulder and left hand. He was honorably discharged because of these wounds May 15, 1865. In June he resumed charge of his congregations at Dayton and Pine Creek, and upon June 21, 1866, took pastoral charge of the Concord (now Atwood ) church. His time was equally divided among the three until 1870, when he was released from the charge of the Mount Zion church at Pine Creek. He is now pastor of the congregation at Dayton and Atwood. Mr. Duff was principal of the Dayton Academy from the spring of 1857 to the fall of 1862, and from the winter of 1866 to the spring of 1867. He was united in marriage October 27, 1868, with Miss Nannie Henry, who was born in East Franklin township, Armstrong county, September 30, 1840. Her parents, James and Sarah (Richmond) Henry, were natives of Ireland. To Mr. and Mrs. Duff six children have been born, as follows: James Gordon, August 21, 1869; Samuel Calvin, April 20, 1872; Willie Richmond, December 5, 1874 ( died April 14, 1876); Johnie, March 11, 1877 (died March 23, 1877); Robert Marshall, January 21, 1879; and Alice Gertrude, May 17, 1861. Mr. Duff lived at Dayton until 1878, when he removed to Atwood, where he owns 92 acres of well-improved land.

Source: Page(s) 286-287, History of Armstrong County, Pennsylvania by Robert Walker Smith, Esq. Chicago: Waterman, Watkins & Co., 1883.
Transcribed December 1998 by Pamela Clark for the Armstrong County Smith Project.
Contributed by Pamela Clark for use by the Armstrong County Genealogy Project (http://www.pa-roots.com/armstrong/)

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