Capt. Benjamin F. Teets Biography This biography appears on pages 1059-1061 in "History of Dakota Territory" by George W. Kingsbury, Vol. V (1915) and was scanned, OCRed and edited by Maurice Krueger, mkrueger@iw.net. This file may be freely copied by individuals and non-profit organizations for their private use. Any other use, including publication, storage in a retrieval system, or transmission by electronic, mechanical, or other means requires the written approval of the file's author. This file is part of the SDGENWEB Archives. If you arrived here inside a frame or from a link from somewhere else, our front door is at http://usgwarchives.org/sd/sdfiles.htm CAPTAIN BENJAMIN F. TEETS. Captain Benjamin F. Teets is now living largely retired in Huron but for many years was an active factor in commercial and agricultural pursuits. He is today recognized as one of the political leaders of the state and his name is enrolled among those who have served South Dakota as a legislator. His birth occurred in Binghamton, New York, September 27, 1842, his parents being Benjamin and Sarah Ann (Van Patten) Teets. His father, Benjamin Teets, conducted a hardware and tinware store in New York city and was intimately acquainted with James Gordon Bennett, editor and publisher of the Herald, A. T. Stewart, a millionaire merchant of that city, Commodore Vanderbilt and others. Benjamin Teets continued a resident of the eastern metropolis until about 1852, when he removed with his family to Chicago and there opened a hardware store. Later, however, he purchased a farm forty-five miles north of Chicago, upon which he lived for three years. At the end of that time he went to southeast Missouri, where he purchased a large tract of land, upon which he made his home. Benjamin Teets made the first telegraph instrument used by Professor Morse and also did work for Captain John Ericsson, who invented the Monitor. Captain Benjamin F. Teets was a lad of ten years at the time of the removal of the family from New York to the middle west and during the remainder of his minority he assisted his father in the various occupations in which the latter engaged. About the time of the outbreak of the Civil war Benjamin F. Teets removed to Centralia, Illinois, and there responded to President Lincoln's call for men. Hardly had the smoke from Fort Sumter's guns cleared away when, on the 15th of April, 1861, he offered his services to the government, enlisting as a member of the Eleventh Illinois Regiment under W. H. L. Wallace. The command went into camp on the 25th of April and was in service for three months at Cairo, Illinois, and at Birds Point. The troops there began to think the war would be fought in Virginia and they would see no actual fighting. Accordingly Captain Teets came to the north, intending to enlist in some company which was going to Virginia. While on his way north, however, he fell in with Mr. Kennecut and assisted him in raising a company which joined the regiment under Colonel Julius White. Captain Teets did not remain with that company but continued on his northward way, where he fell in with the First Wisconsin Infantry just back from service in Virginia. By members of that command he was induced to join the First Wisconsin. He went from Kenosha, Wisconsin, as a private and later was appointed corporal. When drill tactics were changed he was made drill master, for he was the only member of the regiment acquainted with the light infantry tactics. On the 8th of October, 1861, the regiment went to Jeffersonville, Indiana, crossed the river and proceeded to Louisville, Kentucky, and under command of General Nagley marched through Kentucky, Tennessee and Alabama, from which state the regiment followed Bragg northward and fought at the battle of Perryville, Kentucky. At that place Captain Teets took command of the color company of the regiment. He was highly complimented by General Roseau and General McCook on the service rendered by his men and the company was presented with a flag by the Fourth Indiana Battery which bore the inscription: "Presented to the First Wisconsin Infantry for gallant conduct at the battle of Perryville, Kentucky, October 8, 1862." The flag that the company carried during that battle had been cut to pieces. It was sent home to Madison, Wisconsin, where it was received with speech making and ceremonies, and afterward sent to Chicago, where it was placed on exhibition at the great sanitary fair held for the benefit of the sick and wounded soldiers of the northwest. This flag is now in the state capitol at Madison, Wisconsin. The First Wisconsin Infantry is numbered with the three hundred fighting regiments of the Civil war. Captain Teets was given a fine sword in recognition of the bravery which he had displayed and a sash was sent to him from Washington. At the battle of Chickamauga Captain Teets was wounded. He lay where he fell on the field for some time, the troops tramping all around him, but later he was carried to the rear. Three days, however, passed before his wounds were dressed. Finally, after having been transferred several times, he was taken to the hospital at Nashville and later was sent home On crutches he returned for duty and was present at the siege at Chattanooga, the famous battles of Lookout Mountain, and Missionary Ridge and at all the battles of the Atlanta campaign. Following the battle of Jonesboro, his three years, term having almost expired, while his health had become greatly impaired owing to the ravages and hardships of war, he went to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where he was honorably discharged on the 13th of October, 1864. Captain Teets then returned to Centralia, Illinois, where he established and conducted a hardware business, continuing his residence and his business there until his removal to South Dakota. He was married at Centralia, in 1865, to Miss Martha E. Cunningham, a second cousin of Mrs. John A. Logan. They became the parents of five children: Harry C., who was a member of the legislature of South Dakota during its last session; Mary, the wife of Don G. Medbury, mayor of Huron; Maud, the wife of J. C. Milne; Grace, the wife of Leroy Flower; and Arthur F., who wedded Miss Frances Dougherty and is now living in Sioux City, Iowa. While living in Centralia Captain Teets organized W. H. L. Wallace Post, No. 55, G. A. R., and was commander for three terms. He has also been commander of Kilpatrick Post of Huron, South Dakota, for one term. He also organized a militia company and was its captain until it was mustered out of service. He continued his residence in Centralia until 1882, when he came to South Dakota. He arrived in Sioux City, Iowa, on the 4th of July of that year and from that point made his way to Mitchell, South Dakota. Looking about him, he decided to go to Huron and soon afterward located about eighteen miles northeast of that city. He was pleased with the district and going to Mitchell filed his claim. He returned to Centralia for the winter but in the spring of 1883, with his family, again came to this state and took up his abode upon his claim. He at once began to break the sod and improve the fields and for eighteen years he lived upon that place. The conditions of life were very hard at first. He bore all of the trials and privations of pioneer life, performed all the difficult tasks of developing a new farm amidst undesirable surroundings, but in the course of years his industry triumphed over all obstacles and difficulties and success rewarded his labors. In time he felt that his prosperity would enable him to live retired and he removed to Huron, where he now makes his home. Indolence and idleness, however, are utterly foreign to his nature and he has there established an insurance agency, doing business along that line. Captain Teets is a member of the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks and is recognized as a broad-minded man who has been and is a useful and valuable citizen He has long been recognized as one of the political leaders of the state. He served in the second session of the state legislature and was known all over South Dakota for the firm stand he took in support of measures in which he believed, many speeches which he made during that time having became a part of the legislative history of the state. He supported the resubmission bill and was speaker pro tem of the house at that time, and other important measures are due to his statesmanship and to his efforts. He was tendered the nomination for governor by the leaders of the party but refused, and thus throughout his entire life he has made personal ambition subservient to the public good, ever placing the general welfare before self-aggrandizement. He remained an ardent republican until 1895, when he took up the study of the silver question and he is today probably the best posted man upon the monetary problem in the state. He has ever been a wide reader, a deep thinker and logical reasoner. He has attended as delegate almost every political convention of his party and has done much to mold public thought and action. No one questions his loyalty to the general good and even though men may differ from him in opinion, they respect him for the honesty of his convictions.