William Plummer Benton
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| William Plummer Benton | |
|---|---|
| December 25, 1828 – March 14, 1867 | |
 Major General William P. Benton |
|
| Place of birth | New Market, Maryland |
| Place of death | New Orleans, Louisiana |
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Years of service | 1861-1865 |
| Rank | Major General (Civil War) |
| Battles/wars | Mexican-American War American Civil War |
William Plummer Benton (December 25, 1828 – March 14, 1867) was an American lawyer and soldier who served in both the Mexican-American War and the American Civil War, where he would rise to the rank of Major General.
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[edit] Early life and background
Benton was born in New Market, Maryland, although his family soon after moved to Richmond, Indiana. When he was 18 years old, he enlisted as a private in the Mexican war, and fought with gallantry in the mounted infantry at Contreras, Churubusco, Chapultepec and Mexico City.
Returning home to Richmond, he entered college to study law and was admitted to the bar in Indiana in 1851. He was elected district attorney of Wayne County in 1851 and served until the outbreak of the war.
[edit] Civil war
During the American Civil War he entered the Army and raised the first company from Wayne County. He was elected a Captain of the 8th Indiana Volunteer Infantry Regiment and soon after was promoted to Colonel of the regiment. He saw some of the earliest fighting of the war during McClellan's Western Virginia campaign of 1861, including the Battle of Rich Mountain.
Soon after, the unit was ordered to Missouri. Benton is said to have commanded a brigade at the Battle of Pea Ridge, although the Official Records lists another officer as the official commander. A member of the 33rd Illinois Volunteer Infantry as "lacking in the fundamental requisites of leadership".[1] During his service in Missouri he married a war widow after a ten-day courtship.
In April of 1862 he was promoted to Brigadier General of the volunteers and served with distinction at the Battles of Port Gibson, Jackson, where he was wounded, Champion Hill, Big Black River, and at the Siege of Vicksburg.
He then served in various district commands with the XIII Corps in Texas and Louisiana throughout 1864 until commanding a division in the campaign against Mobile, Alabama. He was brevetted to Major General in March of 1865 and mustered out soon after.
[edit] Postbellum career
At the close of the war, he was appointed the Collector of Revenue for the City of New Orleans, but died of yellow fever on March 14, 1867, and is interred at Greenwood Cemetery. He was a Freemason and member of Webb Lodge No. 24 at Richmond Indiana and King Solomon Chapter No 4 in New Orleans.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- Warner, Ezra J. Generals in Blue: Lives of the Union Commanders. Baton Rogue, Louisiana: LSU Press. 1964. ISBN 0807108227.
- Welsh, Jack D. Medical Histories of Union Generals. Columbus, Ohio: Kent State University Press. 1996. ISBN 0873388534.
[edit] Notes
[edit] External links
| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| NAME | Benton, William Plummer |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | General |
| SHORT DESCRIPTION | Lawyer |
| DATE OF BIRTH | December 25, 1828 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | New Market, Maryland |
| DATE OF DEATH | March 14, 1867 |
| PLACE OF DEATH | New Orleans, Louisiana |
