but, before the scar was fairly healed, in three months, he reported for duty at Washington. He joined his regiment at Chancellorsville while the battle was in progress. At Gettysburg his superiors were all killed or wounded, leaving him in command, and he handled the regiment dui'ing that battle with great credit to himself. Shortly after Gettysburg his health began to fail, as a result of his wound; but in spite of this he refused to give up active service, and for some time commanded the 4th infantry, as Gen. Grant's head- quarters guard during the Petersburg campaign. After the war he remained on the active list in spite of his disability from his wound, and in the depth of winter, shortly before his death, was on duty at Plattsburg, N. Y., one of the coldest of the eastern army posts. He secured a change of station in the hope of benefit from a warmer climate, but died from the effects of the wound received live years before.
BENEDICT, David, clergyman, b. in Nor-
walk, Conn., 10 Oct., 1779; d. in Pawtucket, R. I.,
5 Dec, 1874. Early in life he learned the shoemaker's trade; but, after becoming interested in religion, he prepared for college, and was graduated at Brown in 1806. While a student, he had preached at Pawtucket; and, on the completion of his course, he was ordained pastor of the first Baptist church at that place, where he remained for
twenty-five years. Although he was not attached
to any regular pastorate, he afterward preached
until near the close of his life, and a sermon delivered on his ninety-second birthday is said to have
been remarkable for its ability and clearness, and
for the vigor with which it was delivered. Much
of his time was devoted to historical research, and
he is the author of several valuable works, among
which are "History of the Baptists" (1813); abridgment of Robinson's "History of Baptism" (1827); abridgment of his "History of the Baptists " (1820); "History of all Religions" (1824); "History of the
Baptist Denominations in America and all Parts
of the World" (1848); "Fifty Years among the
Baptists " (1860); and "A Compendium of Ecclesiastical History" and "History of the Donatists," which were ready for the press at the time of his
death. He was likewise the author of several poems, including "The Watery War," and compiled a "Conference Hymn-Book," which has had
a large circulation.
BENEDICT, Erastus Cornelius, lawyer, b. in
Branford, Conn., 19 March, 1800 ; d. in New York city, 22 Oct., 1880. He was a son of the Rev. Joel T. Benedict, who, a few years after the birth of
Erastus, settled in New York, having charge successively of churches in New Windsor, Franklin, and Chatham. Early in life, young Benedict became a teacher in a district school, and at the age of eighteen he entered the sophomore class at Williams, where he was graduated in 1821. He
was principal of an academy in Jamestown, N. Y., and later in Newburg, N. Y. ; after which he was tutor at Williams. Meanwhile he had studied
law, and in 1824 was admitted to the bar. During the same year he became a deputy clerk under the U. S. district judge of southern New York. Here his attention was directed to admiralty law, and for half a century he was considered a leader in admiralty cases. In 1840 he was elected assistant alderman from the 15th ward in New York city. Ten years later he became a member of the board of education, and was its president continuously until his resignation in 1863. He was a member of the assembly in 1848 and in 1864, and
a state senator in 1873. He was chosen a trustee
of Williams in 1855, and in the same year became
a regent of the University of the State of New
York, succeeding to the chancellorship of that
body in 1878. He was actively interested in various charitable organizations of New York, and a
governor of the New York State Woman's Hospital from its incorporation, and was also for many
years a prominent member of the New York Historical Society. Of his writings, besides numerous addresses before historical and scientific societies, the most important are "American Admiralty" (New York, 1850); "A Run through Europe" (1860); and "The Hymn of Hildebert and other
Medieval Hymns" (1861).
BENEDICT, George Grenville, soldier, b. in
Burlington, Vt., 10 Dec, 1826. He was graduated at the university of Vermont in 1847, and in 1853 became editor of the Burlington "Free Press," for many years the leading republican journal of the
state. He was postmaster at Burlington in 1860,
but enlisted in the 12th Vermont regiment at the
beginning of the civil war, and was commissioned
lieutenant. In 1863 he was appointed aide on a
brigade staff in the 1st corps. On the third day
of the battle of Gettysburg he participated in the
repulse of the desperate charge delivered by the
confederates under Longstreet. Gen. Hancock
was severely wounded in the moment of victory,
and Lieut. Benedict, with another officer, caught
him as he fell from his horse. After the civil war
he served on the governor's staff, was in the state
senate from 1869 till 1871, postmaster of Burlington from 1871 till 1874, secretary of the state university from 1865, and president of the Vermont
press association in 1886, being senior editor of the state at that time. He has published "Vermont at Gettysburg" (Albany, 1866; new ed., 1870); "Vermont" in the Civil War" (2 vols., 1886-'8); and "Array Life in Virginia" (1895).
BENEDICT, George Wyllys, educator, b. in
North Stamford, Conn., 11 Jan., 1796; d. in Burlington, Vt., 23 Sept., 1871. He was graduated at Williams in 1818. and became principal of an
academy in Westfield, Mass. From 1819 till 1822
he was tutor at Williams, and then became principal of the academy in Newburg, N. Y. He was
professor at the University of Vermont from 1825
till 1847; but failing health forced his resignation, and he became associated with Ezra Cornell
in the construction of the Troy and Canada junction telegraph line, becoming the first superintendent of that company. He subsequently engaged independently in telegraph-building, and contracted for the erection of several lines. He purchased the Burlington "Free Press " in 1853, and remained its editor and publisher until 1866. During 1854 and 1855 he was a member of the Vermont senate, serving as chairman of the committee on education. He was a member of the State Historical Society, and also of the Editors' and Publishers' Association.
BENEDICT, Lewis, soldier, b. in Albany, N. Y., 2 Sept., 1817; d. at Pleasant Hill, La., 9 April, 1864. After graduation at Williams, in 1837, he studied law in Albany and was admitted to the bar in 1841. In 1845-'6 he was city attorney at Albany; in 1847 judge advocate; from 1848 until 1852 surrogate of Albany. In 1860 he was elected a member of the state assembly, but entered the military service for the civil war in June, 1861, as lieutenant-colonel of the 73d New York volunteers. He served in the peninsular campaign, and was taken prisoner at Williamsburg, Va. After several months' confinement in Libby and Salisbury prisons, he was exchanged, and, as colo-
