Benjamin Hinman

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Colonel Benjamin Hinman (January 22, 1719 – March 22, 1810) was a US soldier and member of the Connecticut legistature. He was born to Benjamin Hinman (b. 1692) and Sarah Sherman in Woodbury, Litchfield County, Connecticut and died in Southbury, New Haven County, Connecticut. He served as quartermaster of a troop in the French and Indian War in 1751 under General Roger Wolcott. He received his commission as captain in 1755 in the regiment of Colonel Elizur Goodrich. There he was charged with defending Crown Point and the surrounding area. He was again promoted in 1767 to lieutenant-colonel, and in 1771 to colonel in the 13th regiment.

With the outbreak of the Revolutionary War, he was commissioned in May 1775 as a captain of the 4th continental regiment where he served at Fort Ticonderoga and crossed paths with Benedict Arnold. He retired from service as a Colonel in 1777 due to poor health. He represented his home town of Woodbury for 20 sessions of the Connecticut legistature, followed by Southbury (due to its incorporation) for eight more sessions. He also participated in the Connecticut convention to ratify the United States constitution.

[edit] Family

He was married to Mary Stiles. His nephew was Yale graduate Royal Ralph Hinman who served as Connecticut Secretary of State. His grandson was Joel Hinman who served with distinction on the Connecticut Supreme Court for many years.