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Civil War Soldiers - Grierson
| Grierson, Benjamin H., U.S. Army.
Maj.-Gen. Benjamin H. Grierson, associate editor for the State of
Illinois, was born at Pittsburg, Pa., July 8, 1826. After receiving
his schooling he became a musician and removed to Youngstown, Ohio.
Subsequently he removed to Jacksonville, Ill., where he was engaged in
business when the Civil war began. After serving for a time as
aide-de-camp to Gen. B. M. Prentiss, he was commissioned major of the
6th Ill. cavalry on Oct. 24, 1861, and was promoted to the colonelcy
of the regiment on April 12, 1862. During the year following his
promotion he was active in the operations in Tennessee and
Mississippi, and in the spring of 1863 led a successful raid through
the enemy's country to Baton Rouge, La., to facilitate Gen. Grant's
movement against Vicksburg. For his skillful management of this raid
he received a vote of thanks from Congress and on June 3, 1863, was
promoted brigadier-general. In 1864 he commanded a cavalry division in
the expedition to Tupelo, the cavalry corps in the campaign against
Oxford, Miss., and led the expedition for the destruction of the
Mobile & Ohio railroad. His last service in the Civil war was as
commander of the cavalry forces of the Military Division of the
Mississippi in the campaign against Mobile in the spring of 1865. For
"gallant and distinguished services" he was made brevet major-general
May 27, 1865, and entered the regular army as colonel of the 10th U.
S. cavalry. On March 2, 1867, he was brevetted brigadier and
major-general in the regular army for his gallantry during the Civil
war, and for more than 20 years was engaged in the campaigns against
the hostile Indians of the southwest, commanding successively the
Military District of the Indian Territory, the U. S. forces in western
Texas, the Military District of New Mexico, and the Department of
Arizona. He was retired with the rank of brigadier- general July 8,
1890, and returned to his residence at Jacksonville, where he still
resides. Gen. Grierson has been twice married. On Sept. 24, 1854, at
Youngstown, Ohio, he married Miss Alice Kirk, whose death occurred
Aug. 16, 1888, and on July 28, 1897, he married Mrs. Lillian King of
Jacksonville. Source: The Union Army: A History of Military Affairs in the Loyal
States 1861-1865, Volume 8 Biographical, 1908
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