I, Philip Kearny, an old soldier, enter my solemn protest against this order for retreat.

In a violent storm with lightning and pouring rain Kearny decided to investigate a gap in the Union line. Shortly afterward Kearny was designated aide-de-camp to General Alexander Macomb and served in this position until Macomb's death in June 1841. It later had to be amputated.

(/ˈkɑrniː/; June 2 1815 – September 1 1862) was a United States Army officer notable for his leadership in the Mexican-American War and American Civil War. He was killed in action in the 1862 Battle of Chantilly.