★ ★ Prentiss, Benjamin M.

Benjamin Mayberry Prentiss Sr.
​

Born: November 23, 1819

Birthplace: Belleville, Virginia (West Virginia)

Father: Henry Leonidas Prentiss 1788 – 1849

Mother: Rebecca Mayberry 1797 – 1850

1st​ Wife: Margaret Ann Sowdosky 1823 – 1860

(Buried: Woodland Cemetery, Quincy, Illinois)​

2nd​ Wife: Mary Worthington Whitney 1836 – 1894

(Buried: Miriam Cemetery, Bethany, Missouri)​

Children:

Private Guy C. A. Prentiss – 1889​

(Buried: Woodland Cemetery, Quincy, Illinois)​

​

Harrison Tyler "Tip" Prentiss 1840 – 1897​

(Buried: Miriam Cemetery, Bethany, Missouri)​

​

Jacob Henry Prentiss 1849 – 1907​

(Buried: Miriam Cemetery, Bethany, Missouri)​

​

Ella Prentiss Blackburn 1852 – 1927​

(Buried: Miriam Cemetery, Bethany, Missouri)​

​

Benjamin Mayberry Prentiss Jr. 1855 – 1920​

(Buried: Miriam Cemetery, Bethany, Missouri)​

​

Clay Prentiss 1860 – 1927​

(Buried: Miriam Cemetery, Bethany, Missouri)​

​

Joseph Whitney Prentiss 1863 – 1940​

(Buried: Saint Joseph Memorial Park, Saint Joseph, Missouri)​

​

Edgar Worthing Prentiss 1870 – 1939​

(Buried: Miriam Cemetery, Bethany, Missouri)​

​

Mary Frances Prentiss Cover 1873 – 1964​

(Buried: Miriam Cemetery, Bethany, Missouri)​

Occupation before War:

Worked in Operation of a ropewalk​

​

Served as a Subaltern in Illinois Militia during Mormon Troubles​

​

1846 – 1848: Served in Mexican-American War with 1st​ Illinois​

​

Attorney in Quincy, Illinois​

​

1860: Unsuccessful Candidate for United States Congressman​

Civil War Career:

1861: Colonel of 10th​ Illinois Infantry Regiment​

​

1861 – 1863: Brigadier General of Union Army, Volunteers​

​

Defended the Railroad and Telegraph Lines in Missouri​

​

1862: Division Commander at the Battle of Shiloh, Tennessee​

​

1862: Defended the Hornet's Nest at the Battle of Shiloh, Tennessee​

​

1862: Surrendered at Shiloh to Lt. Colonel Francis Marion Walker​

​

1862: Prisoner of War until exchanged in October​

​

1862: Member of the Court Martial of Fitz John Porter​

​

1863: Major General of Union Army, Volunteers​

​

1863: Union Army Commander, District of Eastern Arkansas​

​

1863: Successful Union Army Commander at Battle of Helena, Arkansas​

1863: Resigned as Major General from Union Army on October 28th​​

Occupation after War:

Attorney in Quincy, Illinois​

​

United States Pension Agent​

​

Attorney in Kirksville, Missouri​

​

1881 – 1901: United States Postmaster to Bethany, Missouri​

Died: February 8, 1901

Place of Death: Bethany, Missouri

Cause of Death: Suffering from the effects of losing his mind

Age at time of Death: 81 years old

Burial Place: Miriam Cemetery, Bethany, Missouri

 

[Seduzal]

Wow! He must have been a very busy man with all them children in his early years..also in his military career. Sadly he lost his mind..and died at an grand age of 81.

 

[Pollaco]

A scapegoat was needed for the setbacks at Shiloh and Prentiss was one of them , in actuality he bought Grant some valuable time. There was a mutual dislike between Grant and Prentiss. The army seemingly overlooked his desperate stand as a division commander at the Hornet's Nest and only seemed to remember the unauthorized patrol by Col. Peabody and his surrender. His division was the first one attacked at Shiloh.

 

[Pollaco]

When he sat on the court-martial that convicted Fitz John Porter, his was a was a dissenting voice. In other words he voted not to convict.

 

[gentlemanrob]

Happy Birthday Major General Benjamin M. Prentiss! Salutes remembering General Prentiss on his birthday.

 

[rbasin]

When he sat on the court-martial that convicted Fitz John Porter, his was a was a dissenting voice. In other words he voted not to convict.

Porter got a raw deal.

 

[Belfoured]

Porter got a raw deal.

On the charges that were brought, he got a raw deal. His actions at 2BR were mediocre but not disobedient. His seditious correspondence with newspaper editor Manton Marble is on a different footing ....