At the outbreak of the war, Kitching volunteered in the New York cavalry but was soon made a captain in the
2nd New York Artillery. In September 1862 he became lieutenant colonel of the
135th New York Infantry which was re-designated the
6th New York Heavy Artillery (nicknamed the Anthony Wayne Guard) a few weeks later. Kitching spent most of the war up to this point in garrison duty along the upper Potomac River. The regiment's colonel,
William H. Morris, was promoted to brigadier general in November 1862 and on April 26, 1863, Kitching was appointed colonel. His regiment joined the Army of the Potomac during the final stages of the
Gettysburg campaign following the battle of Gettysburg. During the Fall of 1863 and Winter 1864 Kitching briefly commanded the Army of the Potomac's ammunition train and artillery reserve.
Overland Campaign At the
battle of the Wilderness Kitching commanded a heavy artillery brigade in the Army of the Potomac's artillery reserve. Following the battle the artillery reserve was divided among the infantry corps and Kitching's brigade was assigned to the
V Corps and fought with that corps at
Spotsylvania. Kitching's artillery brigade was converted to infantry and assigned to the 3rd Division, V Corps at
Cold Harbor and became the 3rd Brigade, 2nd Division, V Corps at
Petersburg. Kitching and the 6th New York Heavy Artillery were transferred to the Washington defenses where he took part in the
battle of Fort Stevens. Following the battle he commanded a brigade in the Washington defenses.
Shenandoah Valley Campaign During
Philip H. Sheridan's Valley Campaign, Kitching's command was transferred to the
Army of the Shenandoah with the addition of other miscellaneous units and was known as Kitching's Provisional Division. His division was attached to
George Crook's VIII Corps just days before the
battle of Cedar Creek. At Cedar Creek, Confederate General
John B. Gordon surprised the Union army in an early morning attack. Just as
Rutherford B. Hayes, commanding a neighboring Union division, assured Kitching that his men would hold, Hayes' division was hit by Gordon's attack and broke for the rear. Before the Confederates even reached Kitching's line, his troops also began to retreat. Kitching himself was forced to leave the field after receiving a severe wound in his foot. As a result he was forced to leave the army and return home to recover. However on January 11, 1865, Kitching died as a result of his foot wound at his home in
Dobbs Ferry, New York. A posthumous brevet promotion to brigadier general was awarded to Kitching, postdated August 1, 1864, for his service in the Richmond Campaign. ==References==