After that, Kearney went back to France in 1859, serving with the Chasseurs d'Afrique and was with Napoleon III's Imperial Guard at Solferino. He was awarded the Legion d' Honneur for his part in the big cavalry charge there. I think he was living in Paris when the Civil War broke out. Kearney then returned home to New Jersey, was appointed a USV Brigadier, and commanded the 1st New Jersey Brigade.
This is confusing two separate events, a summary is:
Kearny is a spoilt rich kid who in 1837 buys himself a Commission in his uncle's regiment without any training. Basically useless, being unable to command troops due to the lack of any military training, he's employed as an aide de camp to his uncle and then another general. They then select him as one of three subalterns to go to Saumur in France to do an abridged and condensed one-year course base on that of French cavalry subalterns. Within six weeks of the year-long course he is dropped from training. He carouses around Paris for a bit and then wangles his way in as an honorary ADC to the Duc de Orleans in Algeria for about two months to observe ongoing operations there. He's strictly an observer.
Returning in 1840 he's an aide to General Macomb and then Scott until late 1844, when he's sent back to his regiment. After not quite two years regimental service (mainly as his uncles aid) he tries to resign his Commission as a Lt in the 1st Dragoons to secure a captaincy in the new Mounted Rifles. With the Mexican War starting he withdraws his resignation but his company (Coy F) is then reduced to zero strength and Kearny sent away to command the recruiting depot. The regiment literally has no use for a Lt who doesn't even know the words of command. At Springfield, Illinois Kearny uses his money basically to buy a new company and takes it to Mexico. They are kept out of harm's way by assignment to be Scott's camp guard.
In Mexico Kearny decides, against orders, to charge the gates of Churubusco. Ignoring the recall call, Kearny along with Dick Ewell and a handful of troopers get to within about 400 yards of the gate where he is felled by a canister shot destroying his arm. Ewell carried him back to the American lines.
Kearny is then assigned to recruiting duty in New York until 1851. In July '51 leave his post (recruiting in NY) and boards ship to San Francisco, arriving in August '51 and having missed the punitive expedition of June '51 (which later biographers claimed he commanded, the confusion is that Coy F participated without Kearny). In October '51 his demands to be made a Lieutentant-Colonel were rebuffed and he resigns his Commission again. He buys his way onto a round the round voyage and leaves the US.
For the next decade Kearny moved between his estate in New Jersey and a rented small palace in Paris. In summer 1859 as war with Austria breaks out he approaches GdD Morris (commanding the Guard Cavalry Division) and is taken on as a volunteer ADC. At Solferino he leaves his post (with permission) and plays private soldier all day. Like almost all officers of the army he is awarded the Legion d'Honneur, in this case the 5th class (which is an admonishment). He returns to America on the rumour of a war.
Initially he decides he's going to be a general of NY troops. However the state of NY didn't offer him one of their assigned generalships. Kearny is offended when they finally offer him the mere colonelcy of the 1st NY cavalry regiment, and refuses the offer (which goes to McReynolds). He cast around and in August '61 was finally successful when New Jersey had a BG slot they couldn't fill. He gained a lot of seniority on the Army Register as when the first register was published with the new volunteers they ordered the new generals by seniority in the regular army despite being one of the last appointed.
Bringing the