Re: Tower S. Benham - 1880s, NY, MI, ND
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In reply to:
Tower S. Benham - 1880s, NY, MI, ND
Fuerza Rayos 4/03/06
Ed:Just noticed your posting.FYI I have the following for Tower S Benham.
Tower Stetson Benham, b 17 Aug 1844, Naples, Ontario, NY, d 17 Nov 1922, Portland, OR mar 19 Dec 1863, Harriet Leggett, b 5 Nov 1846, Acadia, NY.
NOTE:NOTE: p241 "Tower B (or S).
"p248 d. Portland, OR (death cert.)
"He was the youngest of seven children of his parents.In 1860 he went to Constantine, Mich, where he was said to have had a brother. (Queer, but I have found only one in this 1860 county census and none in 1870.)He may have gone there in 1857, but not located in 1860.
"He served in the Civil War, enlisting at Monroe, Mich from Leonidas, Mich in 1861 and serving to 1865.He rose from provate to major.Back to Michigan after the war.In 1882 and 1884 he was in DEvil's Lake, Dakaota Territory; in 1891 ae 46, of Fremont, Sandusky Co., Ohio; in 1898 ae 53, of Minneapolis, Minn; in 1900 of Montrose, Susquehanna Co., PA; in 1912 of Boston, Mass ae 67; and in 1920, ae 76, of StPaul, Minn.He had a Hotel in Devil's Lake to 1890 when he went to Philadelphia and entered the employ of Evarts, then of Beers, and later of Lewis Publishing Co.All of these publishing houses specialized in County Histories.Tower was responsible for the genealogical work for this last compay in their Hudson - Mohawk -0 and Western New York, published in Buffalo in 1911.If this is an example of the accuracy of his work, I fear for much of it, for his own line simply cannot be as given by him in that book! (Wounded at Antietam)
" His death certificate, which is included with his pension papers in Washington called him the son of George Alfred Benham, b. Boston and Martha (Henney) Benham, b. Mass.In another place his father's name given as Alvin, in these same pension papers.He was a Mason and a member of the G or DAR and of the Loyal Legion.
"References: Lewis Pub. Co. Hudson - Mohwsk - Western NY, 1911 1:67 with picture.Pension Papers in Washington National Archives."
NOTE: 1880 Census, Line 19, #145--Tower S Benham, other, 35, est 1845, b NY, Fa:NY, Mo:NY, County History agt; Harriet, other, 34, est 1846, b NY, Fa:NY, Mo:NY; Netie E, lother, single, 18, est 1862, b MI, Fa:NY, Mo:NY, At School; Minnie S, other, single, 5, est 1875, b MI, Fa:NY, Mo:NY, At School. (In household lW. W.. Marantelle, Hotel Keeper).
NOTE: 1900 Census, Line94, #37--Tower S Benham, boarder, Aug 1844, 55, mar, 36 yr, b NY, Fa:MA, Mo:NY, Salesman, Publishing Co; Harriet S, boardr, Nov 1840, 53, mar, 36 yr, Ch 2, Living 2, b NY, Fa:NY, Mo:NY (In household Jennie Woodward)
NOTE: 1910 Census, Line 69, #60--Tower S Benham, Lodger, 65, est 1845, mar 1, 47 yr, Ch 2, Living 1, b NY, Fa:NY< Mo:NY, Publisher, Local History; Hattie S, lodger, 63, mar 1, 47 yr, Ch 2, Living 1, b NY, Fa:NY, Mo:NY. (In household Adelaide E Vosburgh).
NOTE: HeritageQuest Online:"Major Tower Stetson, youngest son of Alvin Benham, was born at Naples, Nww York, August 17, 1844.He was six years of age when his father died, and he early was obliged to become a bread winner.When twelve years of age he worked eight months for a farmer, receiving five dollars per month.The following winter he continued his studies at the district school, and then worked for a Mr. Lyon who was a good friend to the lad and offered him a permanent home and an education. In the meantime his mother had removed west, and he was eager to join her, which he did in 1857.From then until 1860 he worked at such employment and such wages as a new country affords.In the latter year he joined his brother, in Constantine, Michigan, who taught him the mason's trade.August 9, 1861, he enlisted in Company K, Seventh Regiment, Michigan Infantry, and at once went to the front, and, in the four years following, saw hard service with one of the hardest fighting regiments in the service, rising from private to major, through sheer merit and soldierly efficiency.He won his captain's commission for bravery on the field of battle, under the eye of his commanding general.While second lieutenant he was in command of his company through one campaign.Only seventeen years old, at enlistment, he was one of the youngest captains in the service.He fought with the Seventh at Antietam, and was wounded, necessitating a long period in the hospital, at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.The history of the Army of the Potomac is the history of the Seventh Michigan, and the history of the Seventh is the military history of Major Benham.From the mustering in the reegiment, Septembr 22, 1861, at Monroe, Michigan, and the first winter on picket duty, on the upper Potomac, until that last great day, when the tattred battle flags were proudly borne, on Pennsylvania avenue, Washington, by the "Boys in Blue," in the grand ;arade, there was not an hour when he was not engged in the performance of soldierly duty.At Fair Oaks, on the first day, the Seventh lost one hundre and eighty men, killed and wounded; at Antietam, where he was wounded, his company entered the fight with twenty-four men and two officers, of whom only four escaped unhurt.In this fight his tent mate, William Burns, was killed by his side.He was made corporal in 1862, and second lieutenant in the fall of 1863.In Graant's campaign against lee the Seventh was under fire continuously for sixty days.At Ream's Station Lieutenant Benham only escaped capture by being acting adjutant, and, when the Union line broke, was on another part of the field.During this entire campaign he was in command of his company, though only ranking as second lileutenant.When General Hancock's corps crossed the James river, and met the enemy in two hard days fighting Lieutenant Benham, in command of Company K, won his captain's commission.A desperate charge had failed, and the retreat was ordered, but he, with thirty men, seized the regimental colors and pressed forward to the protecting shelter of a high bluff.Here he lay until dark, the enemy not being able to depress their artillery sufficiently to injure them, and the Union guns saving the little band from a charge down the ravine.On reporting to headquarters that night, with his company and the regimental falg, General Hancock personally congratulated him and promised him a captaincy, which promise was soon fulfilled.At Mine Run he was in command of a battalion, of the Firt Minnesota, and, through the failure of the colonel in command of the brigade (who was afterward court-marialed and dismissed from the service) to notify him to withdraw, was left alone on the line of battle untill midnight, when he retreated, on his own responsibility, saving his entire command.He then served on General Egan's staff until January 1, 1865, when he received his major's commission, and returned to ohis regiment and took active part in the closing campaign of the war.The Seventh was mustered out at Jackson, Michigan, July, 1865.During his four years service Major Benham lived up to all his responsibilities.By simply doing a soldir's duty he rose from a raw, untrained boy to the rank of major, and this without influential friends to urge his claims to promotion.He was a good soldier and won his spurs fairly.
"After the ar he returned to Michigan, and for several year, followed his trade, and also engage in farming.He built a home at Mendon, where he resided untill 1882, when he settled on the present site of Devil's Lake, North Dakota, locating on unsurveyed land.In September, of that year, he was joined by his wife and two daughters, Mrs. Benham being among the first white women in that section.He built the first frame house north of Devil's Lake, and in it was preached the first sermon ever preached in that section.When the railroad reached Devil's Lake, in 1883, Major Benham erected a hotel, "The Benham House," which he conducted until September, 1890.He then came to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he entered the employ of Major Evarts, a publisher of historical and biographical works.In 1891, Major Benham, in association with D. W. Ensign, began the publication of a series of county maps, in Illinois, covering the counties of Kane, DeKalb and Carroll, also a farm map of Cass county and the Red River Valley of North Dakota.In 1894, he was in the employ of J. H. Beers & Company, remaining until 1903, when he resigned and began the publication of a history of Montgomery county, Pennsylvania, on his own account.Later he formed an association with the Lewis Publishing Company, of New York, completed the Montgomery work, and then, until 1909, was in charge of field work on genealogical editions in Massachusetts, with the Lewis Historical Publishing Company.In 1909 and 1910 he was located at Albany, New York, in charge of the Hudson=Mohawk genealogical work, and, early in 1911, came to Buffalo, in chargeof a similar work for Western new York, where he is at present (1911).
"While in North Dakota the major was a leader in the Republican party, and sat as a delegate in nearly every county, territorial and state convention during that period of his life.He never sought office for himslef, but fought valiantly for his friends.He is a member of the Masonic order, the Grand Army of the Republic, and the Military Order of the Loyal Legion.Orphaned when a lad of six years, thrown upon his sown resources at twelve, and enlisted soldier at seventeen, a captain at twenty-one, and a major at twenty-two years of age, active in business all his life, and now, at sixty-eight, erect, soldierly and active, stamps the major as a man of wonderful energy and force of character.He is warm hearted and generous, wth a true sympathy for the unfortunate and a ready willingness too succor those in trouble.
"He married, Decembr 19, 1863, at Colon, Michigan, Harriet S. Leggett (see Leggett)........"
Hope this helps.