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Lt. Benjamin Steffey, 6th Kentucky Infantry
Submitted by his relative Ken Berry, from: A
HISTORY OF THE STATE, by W. H. Perrin - Vol. 3,
(1887), Hart County Benjamin M. Steffey, the third child and the eldest living son of a family of nine children—seven boys and two girls—born to Frank and Lucinda (Lively) Steffey, of Hart County, Ky., was born August 17, 1839. Frank Steffey was born in Wythe County, Va., near Lynchburg, and was the son of Joseph and Lydia (Catron) Steffey. He came to Barren County, Ky., in 1814, in company with his father’s family. He married, in Hart County, Miss Lucinda Lively, daughter of Mark and Rachel (Mansfield) Lively, and died August 17, 1864—his widow one year later, August 18, 1865, in the fiftieth year of her age, leaving four sons and a daughter. In 1859 B. M. Steffey began selling goods in Dixon County, for W. A. Whitman, and at the beginning of the late war was still engaged in that business. In September, 1862, he enlisted in Company C, Sixth Kentucky Infantry. On the second day at Shiloh Mr. Steffey was wounded by a minie-ball (which he still carries, it never having been removed) in the right leg, which wound disabled him four months. He was elected second lieutenant of Company C, and next saw active duty at Baton Rouge, where he had an attack of sunstroke, which disabled him for some time. The next active service was at Murfreesborough, and after the terrific slaughter of Breckinridge’s troops, there was only four men uninjured in Mr. Steffey’s company, and he was one of them. He took an active part in the battles of Jackson, Chickamauga, Rocky Face Gap, Rosina, Dallas, Atlanta, Peach Tree Entrenchment, Utoy Creeks, and two days at Jonesborough, but after being taken to Nashville, a prisoner, he was soon exchanged. March 15, 1863, he was promoted for gallantry to the office of first lieutenant, was asked by Gen. James H. Lewis to accept the rank of captain, but this he generously refused to accept, asking that Capt. Smith might retain the position. In October, 1864, he came home on leave of absence, and while there resigned his commission, recognizing the hopelessness of ever gaining Southern independence. He then began life anew, without a dollar. Soon afterward he married Miss Martha Jackman, the daughter of William and Leah (Steffey) Jackman, the former of whom was a native of Lancaster, and the latter of Barren County, KY., both of whom are still living, as are their eleven children. Mr. Steffey in 1867 bought his father’s farm of 120 acres, in Hart County, and remained there two years, but in 1869 bought his present location, of 100 acres, about three miles from Horse Cave, farming on this place seven years, but about this time the effect of the sunstroke received at the battle of Baton Rouge came back upon him, and he has not been able since to do any active work. In 1879 he began traveling for the tobacco warehouse of McGuire, Helm & Co. of Louisville, Ky., and has held that positon since. His farm on which he has a neat and convertible two story frame residence , is valued at $5,000, and is cultivate by his cousin, Joseph Berry, who is also a cousin of Mrs. Steffey. Mr. Steffey is a Democrat, but has never sought an office nor held one. He is not a member of any secret order, but he and wife are both members of the Cave Spring congregation of the United Baptist Church. They have no children. |
