Cephas Kent Jr. was born on April 2, 1754 in Suffield, CT (Colony) to Cephas and Hannah (Spencer) Kent. In 1773, Kent moved with his family to what later became Dorset, Vt., where his father, a deacon as well as a tavern owner, took an active role in the American and Vermont independence movements. Kent enlisted in the Continental Army during the summer of 1775 and served as an aide-de-camp on General Montgomery’s staff. His primary responsibilities included cooking and caring for the officers’ baggage, but he also participated in several skirmishes, taking up arms at decisive moments during the Siege of Fort St. Jean. On January 30, 1779, Kent married Lydia Sheldon and the couple had several children. Kent died in Dorset on January 9, 1813.
The first part of Kent’s diary details his religious experiences between the ages of 12 and 21, while the remainder describes his participation in the Continental Army’s campaign into Canada in 1775, especially the Siege of Fort St. Jean (“St. Johns”).
Show less