Samuel Nicoll Benjamin

After graduating from West Point he was appointed 2nd Lieutenant, 2nd US Artillery on 6 May 1861, and he was promoted to First Lieutenant about a week later. He was with Battery G of the First US Artillery in action at First Bull Run, VA in July and was assigned to Battery E of the 2nd Artillery by the end of the year.

He commanded the battery in Maryland.

He was promoted to Captain on 13 June 1864 and was later honored by brevet to Major for gallantry at Spotsylvania Court House, VA on 12 May 1864, where he was severely wounded. He returned to duty in September and was assigned as Assistant Professor of mathematics at the USMA to August 1865. He was given a second brevet, to Lieutenant Colonel, for his war service. In 1877 he was awarded the Medal of Honor for "particularly distinguished service as an artillery officer" through the war.

He continued in Regular Army service in California, at West Point again (1866-68), and at the Artillery School at Fort Monroe, VA (1869-75). He was appointed Major and Assistant Adjutant General (AAG) on 3 Mar 1875 and was in staff posts in Washington, DC and Arizona. He died relatively young, age 47, while on duty at Governor's Island, NY.

His service from Heitman1 and Cullum.2 His Cullum Number is 1899. Personal details from family genealogists. His gravesite is on Findagrave.

He married Julia Kean Fish (1841-1908) in December 1868 and they had a daughter and 3 sons by 1877.

See much more about Benjamin's artillery service from an excellent post by Jim Rosebrock on South by the North Woods, source also of his picture, from a c. 1861 photograph of him in USMA Cadet uniform.

01/03/1839; Manhattan, NY

05/15/1886; Governor's Island, NY; burial in Saint Philip's Church Cemetery, Garrison, NY