Benges in the American Civil War

compiled by
Pam (Benge) Ingle (and Don Chesnut)
from three online databases

Benge/Bange (& Variant Spellings) in the Civil War
Sources: Civil War Muster Roll Database, Ancestry.com; Civil War Research Database, Ancestry.com; Union Civil War Units in Kentucky, Rootsweb. Individuals may be repeated several times due to their being included in several databases.

Surname Given Name Co. Unit Rank Induction Rank Discharge Notes Box # Extraction # Record #

or

Name State Served Enlist Date Enlist Rank Enlist Age Enlist Place Army

or

Name

Rank State Unit Co. Side

Corrections to the Richard P. Benge and William Lister Benge Civil War Records

Richard's record began with joining the W.P. Lane rangers (2nd Tx. Cav. 1st co. F 2nd Reg't Texas Mounted Rifles) on April 19, 1861 at Marshall Texas. They were commanded by Capt. Sam Richardson and Col. Rip Ford and for their 1years enlistment were sent to patrol the frontier around San Antonio and Ozona Tx. and protect from indians. Sam Richardson gave a big party at the Menger Hotel at the end of the years enlistment and they all joined up for the "duration of the war". They got a leave and then were sent to Ark. and Jan 11, 1863 were captured at the battle of Ark. Post. Richard was sent to Camp Butler prison and in April of 63 exchanged in Va. From there his unit was sent to the Army of Tn. and he was in the 10th TX. Infantry, Deschler's Brigade and Capt. Nutt's Co. L . He fought at Chickamauga in the night attack and was wounded. (Deschler was killed) It became Granbury's TX. Brigade at the Missionary Ridge fight and Ringold Gap. (See Hartsell's Journal published right after the Civil war and in the Marshall TX. Library one of the originals......It is republished book form: Fourteen Hundred and 91 Days in the Confederate Army, A Journal kept by W. W. Heartsill or Camp Life; Day-By-Day of the W. P. Lane Rangers. edited by Bell Irvin Wiley. This book mentions RPB 28 times ...see index to find.) This will explain why RPB is listed with his unit back in Tx for the whole war. He never was like you listed him, under Morgan but the official record does show that. I'll tell you why this is wrong. He was among the W.P. Lane Rangers who petitioned to be returned to their own officers and command that they had enlisted in after exchange. The officers were sent back to TX. When that wasn't done the men felt they could not be kept against their will and Heartsill and most of the unit "slipped away" after the battle of Chickamagua to rejoin the officers and unit in TX. RPB was the last to say goodbye to them and take them some bread for the trip. He stayed with the 10th TX. Inf. as did others and they are mentioned later as lost with Capt. Nutt after the battle around Atlanta. They turned up again (in book as going to the end of the war in N.C.) and I have a letter written by US Congressman Hatton W. Sumners 5th District of TX. in response to Aunt Gilbretta Ewing Benge's (RPB's daughter in law) of April 18, 1927 stating: "With further reference to your letter of the 11th inst. asking for the war record of your Grandfather, Uncle, and Father-in Law which we have just received from the War Department, and which are self-explanatory...." "Richard Provine Benge" Joined the Confederate Army April 19, 1861, at Marshall TX. Company F, 2nd TX. Cavalry. Served under Captain Sam J. Richardson. John R. Ford, Colonel.

Joined the Regiment to go to border. Was mustered into Confederate service one month later. Was captured at Arkansas Post January 11th, 1863. Stayed in prison at Camp Butler, Springfield Illinois. Was exchanged Apil 15th at Petersburg, Virginia. Placed in Company L, 10th Texas Infantry. Attached to Joseph E. Johnson's Army of Tennessee. Wounded at the battle of Chickamauga Took part in battle of:

Chickamauga, Battle of Franklin, Battle of Lookout Mountain, Battle of Missionary Ridge, Battle of Ringold Gap.

When we sent for the records these were not included but it showed he was back in TX which he was not. The explanation is in Heartsill's book . They carried all their men on the rolls so if they wanted to come home they would not be shot as deserters. The book tells he was still with the Army of Tn during the battle for Atlanta. The letter says he was at the Battle of Franklin.(after the battle of Atlanta) This is when Granbury and Clebourne were killed. He ended up in N. C. with the Army of Tn. (in book) and by a still living relatives knowleged of his grandfather telling him. Cress was 12 when RPB died in Wolfe City Tx. I tell you all this with proof because 10th Tx. Inf Company L of Granbury's TX Brigade, Clebourne's Division. should be added to his war record. I would appreciate having his record right in our Benge list. If you want a copy of the Congressman's letter, I will be happy to furnish you. The book is fairly easy to find and at all the Battle Ground Parks. I guess when they pulled the records for the report in 1927, they were not put back or misfiled. A lot of the papers Cress got in the late 30's are no longer sent when you write for the file on his grandfather. . It gets smaller and smaller with the passing years. That is why it is so important to me to document this correctly for you. He walked home from N.C. and arrived at his sister Betties in Shelby Co. Tx. with no shoes and no money and she made him bathe in a tub in the yard before he could come inside. He and his brother William Lister Benge moved together to Wolf's Mill (now Wolfe City, Tx.) right after the war and that is where they married, raised children and died and are buried. The family lived in the area for over 50 years.

His brother William Lister Benge: 9th TX Cav, Co. F. Ross's Brigade Col. Wm. B. Simms. Enlisted at Sherman, TX.

I would appreciate the addition of Will's record and the correction of G Grandpa Benge's.

Thanks. Ann Swank Norman, Ok.