Biographical Sketch of James F. Bennett, Washington County, Missouri

>From "History of Franklin, Jefferson, Washington, Crawford and 
Gasconade Counties", Biographical Appendix, Goodspeed Publishing 
Company, 1888.

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James F. Bennett, farmer, is the son of Dr. James H. and Elizabeth
(Dillon) Bennett, who were born in Wayne County, Mo., in 1809 and
Madison County, Mo., in 1808, respectively.  The father received his
education under Dr. Joseph Bennett, of Cape Girardeau, and for about
twenty-eight years practiced his profession in Southeastern Missouri.
He was a member of the Baptist Church, and died in 1858.  His wife 
was a Catholic and died in 1846.  Our subject was born in Wayne Co.,
Mo., in 1837, and was the second of five children born to his parents.
He went to St. Louis in 1852 to learn the miller's trade, and having
worked in mills in different parts of the State until 1857 he started
as a Government teamster under Albert Sidney Johnston.  On reaching
Fort Bridger W. T., it was decided, owing to danger ahead, to form a
battalion of volunteers and go against the Mormons.  He raised Company
B, of the Utah Volunteer Battalion, and was elected captain of the
same, but on account of his youth, he would not accept, but became a
first lieutenant.  Before reaching the above named place the wagon
train was attacked by about 300 Indians, and two of the train boys
killed; after about eleven months' service they returned and were mus-
tered out at Fort Leavenworth, Kas.  James F. returned to St. Louis,
where he remained until 1859, when he went to Summit County, Colo.,
of which county he was elected sheriff, and served until 1862.  A 
year previous to this, through the influence of Sidney Johnston and
Col. Bernard E. Bee, he received a commission as major in the Confed-
erate army, with orders to report to Col. Loring, in Texas.  Instead
of this, in 1862 he volunteered in Company A, Third Colorado Infantry,
United States army, and on being mustered was elected first lieutenant,
which commission he held until the close of the war.  For disease con-
tracted he draws a pension.  January 15, 1864, he married Miss Helen 
C., daughter of Judge M. F. Williams, and the result of this union was
the birth of eight children.  Mr. Bennett is a Republican in politics,
is a member of the Masonic fraternity, a member of the G. A. R., and 
he and wife are members of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church.  Mr.
Bennett settled on the farm where he now lives, in 1884, though he has
been a resident of the county for twenty-two years.  He is a good farm-
er and has 240 acres.

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