BIO: Luther Stedman BENT, Dauphin County, PA

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Commemorative Biographical Encyclopedia of Dauphin County, 
Containing Sketches of Representative Citizens, and Many of the 
Early Scotch-Irish and German Settlers.  Chambersburg, Pa.: 
J. M. Runk & Company, 1896, page 253.
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  BENT, LUTHER STEDMAN, son of Ebenezer and Nancy (Stedman) Bent, was 
born December 6, 1829, at Quincy, Norfolk county, Mass.  His ancestors 
were early settlers at Milton, that State.  Luther S. attended the 
public schools until the age of twelve years, afterwards working on the 
farm until his fifteenth year, when he went to Boston, where he served 
five years with the New England Glass Company, situate in East 
Cambridge, then one of the largest establishments of the country.  From 
that period until the commencement of the Rebellion he was engaged in 
the glassware and crockery business in Boston.  In May, 1861, he 
enlisted as a private in Company H, Fourth regiment, Massachusetts 
volunteers, and participated in the battle of Big Bethel.  Being 
mustered out at the end of his term of service at Boston, he re-
enlisted as a private in company K of the Eighteenth regiment, 
Massachusetts volunteers, for three years, and served in all the grades 
of non-commissioned and commissioned officers to that of captain.  He 
served through the various campaigns in which his regiment was engaged 
in the Army of the Potomac, and was wounded in the right hand in the 
second battle of Bull Run.  He remained with his command until their 
muster out, when he was detailed to take charge of a battalion of 
veterans and recruits.  For meritorious services at Peebles' Farm he 
was promoted brevet major, was afterwards, on the recommendation of 
General Griffin, commissioned by President Lincoln as major in the 
United States army, at the same time by the State of Massachusetts a 
lieutenant colonel, on which commission he was never mustered.  His 
battalion having become decimated in numbers it was consolidated with 
the Twenty-second Massachusetts, when at his request he was mustered 
out as a super-numerary officer.  He returned home, and shortly after 
made engagements with the officers of the Union Pacific railroad, and 
remained in their employ from the commencement to the completion of 
that great enterprise, filling various positions.  During the last two 
years he was one of the largest contractors for grading that road, 
comprising two hundred miles through Salt Lake Valley and the 
Promontory.  He subsequently became engaged in cattle raising on the 
plains and was one of the pioneers in the business, being among the 
first to establish cattle ranches along the line of the railroad in 
Nebraska.  Here he remained three years.  Returning to the East he 
married a daughter of S. M. Felton, Esq., of Philadelphia, which 
relations brought him into connection with the Pennsylvania Steel 
Company.  In 1874 he took the superintendency of that immense 
establishment.