STORY OF ENOCH HENRY BENNETT
1. Enoch Henry Bennett was born 27 Feb 1838, the son of Braxton Bennett
and Martha Hopps, the grandson of Revolutionary War veteran Richard Bennett,
who had moved to Georgia from North Carolina in the late 1700's. Enoch married
16-year old Alice Ophelia Street of Gardi on Feb. 20, 1859, and became a
father for the first time when his first son, Albert Edwin, was born in January
of 1860, followed by a daughter, Alice Camilla, in May 1861. On August 7,
1861, at the age of 24, Enoch left his farm near Screven, his wife, and two
children and traveled 24 miles to Waynesville, GA with his friend, R. B.
Hopps, to enlist for a period of 12 months as privates in Captain T. S. Hopkins's
Independent Company of Cavalry originally known as the Wayne Rangers, later
known as Co. C, 3rd Cav. Battalion.
2. The 3rd Cavalry Battalion was formed during the winter of 1861-62 with
six companies. It served on the Georgia coast, scouting and patrolling, until
January, 1863, when it merged into the 4th (Clinch's) Georgia Cavalry Regiment.
Lieutenant Duncan L. Clinch and Major John L. Harris were in command.
3. Company records show Enoch was paid $190.00 for providing his own horse
and $35.00 for providing his own horse equipment upon enlistment. Enoch was
paid again on October 31, 1861, by paymaster S. J. Smith, including $33.62
for horse hire; on December 31, 1861 by H. M. Davenport, receiving only $24.00
for horse hire; then again from Mr. Davenport, he was paid on Feb.28, 1862,
receiving $24.00 for horse hire; then on Sept. 1, 1862 by a Captain N. B
Brown. The last recorded payment Enoch received for his services during this
first tenure in the army was on Nov. 1, 1862.
4. The company muster roll for May 12, 1862, shows the company commander
as Captain Wiggins, a Waynesville attorney and co-founder of the Bank of
Brunswick in 1825. It also shows that E. H. had by this time enlisted for
the duration of the war. In April 1862, the Confederate Congress passed a
conscription law; however, anyone who could afford the fee could hire a
substitute to take their place in the army. Apparently Enoch Henry hired
a Peter Arnett to take his place as of Dec. 14, 1862. Enoch was then effectively
out of the war for one year. During this year, another child, Francis Louella,
was born, 19 Nov 1863.
5. In 1863, Congress repealed the conscription law. Company muster rolls
show that Enoch reentered Confederate service in Co. A, 4th Regiment Georgia
Cavalry. He is shown present from Dec. 31, 1863 to April 30, 1864. He was
officially enlisted March 1, 1864, at Sansaville by Alex Lang for the duration
of the war. He received pay for service from Capt. H. R. Fort on January
1, 1864.
6. The 4th (Clinch's) Cavalry Regiment had been formed in January, 1863,
using the 3rd Georgia Cavalry Battalion as its nucleus. Its commanders were
Colonel Duncan L. Clinch, Lieutenant Colonel John L. Harris, and Major Jesse
C. McDonald. Many of the men were from Wayne, Glynn, and Camden counties.
Most of the service of the regiment was spent defending the area between
Wayne County and the coast of GA.
7. In Feb. 1864, the 4th GA Cavalry participated in the Battle of Olustee
(or Ocean Pond) near Lake City, FL. Sometime during the summer of 1864, it
was assigned to M. W. Hannon's command. Members of the 4th GA also participated
in the Battle of Doctortown in Wayne County during Dec. of 1864. It reportedly
skirmished in Northern Georgia and Alabama, took part in the defense of Savannah,
and was active in the campaign of the Carolinas. A report stated that the
unit contained 200 officers and men in March, 1865, and was included in the
surrender of the Army of Tennessee.
8. The last muster roll on which Enoch appears is dated May-June 1864.
Enoch H. Bennett then appears on a Register of patients in Ocmulgee Hospital,
Macon, GA., having been admitted on July 15, 1864. He is listed as "transferred"
on July 23, 1864. The disease listed on the report reads "Feb. Remit." His
residence is listed as Wayne County.
9. Enoch then appears on an undated Roll of Prisoners of War. Documentation
shows thatEnoch Henry was included in forces "surrendered by Maj. Gen. Sam
Jones, commanding Confederate Forces in Florida, to Brig Gen. E. M. McCook,
U. S. V., in compliance with the terms a Military Convention made on April
26, 1865, at Bennett'sHouse, near Durham's Station, N. C., between General
J. E. Johnston, of the Confederate Armies, and Major General W. T. Sherman,
U. S. A., and approved by Lieut. Gen. U. S. Grant, U. S. A."
10. Another list of those surrendered is dated May 10, 1865. Enoch was
paroled May 23, 1865 at Thomasville, GA. Enoch returned to his family in
Wayne County after the war and took up farming again. A fourth child, Enoch
Braxton Bennett, my great-grandfather and the father of Granny Griffin, was
born 21 Jan 1866. Enoch and Alice Ophelia would eventually have nine children,
the last, Beatrice Elmira, being born 2 May 1883.
11. On 12 Dec 1881, Enoch was ordained into the Gospel ministry at Mt.
Pleasant BaptistChurch, then located at Dale Mill Crossing near Screven,
the church which eventually would move to town and become First Baptist Church
of Screven.
12. On June 8, 1905, at age 67, Enoch applied for an indigent pension
fromthe State of GA. Witness for the application was Enoch's war buddy, R.
B. Hopps. The application was denied because Enoch owned property valued
over $500, even though the doctors who examined Enoch, Dr. G. W. Drawdy and
Dr. J. Tuten, had declared him to have lumbago and general disability.
13. Enoch applied for a pension again under the 1919 revision of the pension
law. This time the petition was granted. Enoch appears on the pension roles
of Wayne County as having received $124.00 in 1924.
14. In 1921, Enoch Bennett received the Southern Cross of Honor (from
the Jesup 551 Chapter), having been endorsed by his old companion-in-arms,
R. B. Hoppsand Joseph Rogers.
15. Enoch Henry died on 12 Mar 1925, 13 days after his 87th birthday.
His youngestdaughter, Beatrice, known to most as Aunt Beat, then 42 years
old, applied to the Pension Board of the state for the balance of pension
due Enoch and enough additional money to cover funeral xpenses. She received
a pension payment of $145.00 to pay formedical bills accrued during her father's
final illness and for the cost of his funeral, handled by Funeral Director
T. L. Stewart. His casket cost $100, the suit in which he was buried cost
$25, and rental on the hearse was $20. Aunt Beat was buried between her father
and mother upon her death in 1978 at the age of 94.
CREDIT: This story was provided to this web page by, Dan Todd, of
Screven,
Georgia |
