Henry L. Benning

Henry L. Benning was a prominent Georgia jurist, ardent secessionist, and Confederate States Army brigadier general during the American Civil War. Known for his fierce command in some of the war's most pivotal battles, he led the storied 17th Georgia Infantry Regiment and later the unit known as "Benning's Brigade" within the Army of Northern Virginia. Following the war, he returned to his legal career, serving on the Georgia Supreme Court until his death, while his legacy remains a complex and contested part of Southern history.

Early life and career

Born in Columbia County, Georgia in 1814, Henry Lewis Benning graduated from Franklin College, the founding college of the University of Georgia, before reading law. He established a successful legal practice in Columbus, Georgia and became a prominent figure in state politics, serving as a justice on the Georgia Supreme Court from 1853 to 1859. A fervent advocate for states' rights and the institution of slavery, Benning was an influential delegate to the Georgia Secession Convention of 1861. He famously argued for immediate secession from the United States, fearing the eventual abolition of slavery under a Republican administration led by President Abraham Lincoln.

American Civil War

With the outbreak of the American Civil War, Benning helped raise the 17th Georgia Infantry Regiment and was commissioned as its colonel. He first saw combat at the First Battle of Bull Run and later fought throughout the Peninsula Campaign under General Robert E. Lee. Promoted to brigadier general in 1863, he commanded a brigade in John Bell Hood's division of James Longstreet's First Corps, Army of Northern Virginia. His brigade, known for its tenacity, played significant roles at the Second Battle of Bull Run, the Battle of Antietam, and the Battle of Fredericksburg. At the Battle of Gettysburg, Benning's men were heavily engaged in the assault on Little Round Top during the second day of fighting. Following the Battle of Chickamauga, he traveled with Longstreet's corps to the Western Theater, seeing further action before returning to Virginia for the grueling campaigns of 1864, including the Battle of the Wilderness and the Siege of Petersburg.

Postbellum life and death

After the Confederate surrender at Appomattox, Benning returned to his law practice in Columbus, Georgia. He was pardoned by President Andrew Johnson in 1865 and sought to rebuild his life and career in the postwar Reconstruction South. In 1873, he was once again appointed to a seat on the Georgia Supreme Court, where he served until his death. Henry L. Benning died in Columbus, Georgia in July 1875 and was interred in the city's Linwood Cemetery.

Legacy

Henry L. Benning's legacy is primarily tied to his military service for the Confederate States of America. His name is memorialized through Fort Benning, a major United States Army installation established in Muscogee County, Georgia in 1918, which was renamed Fort Moore in 2023. As a figure of the Lost Cause of the Confederacy, he has been commemorated by various United Daughters of the Confederacy chapters and other heritage groups. In contemporary times, his staunch defense of slavery and role in the Confederacy are re-evaluated within the broader context of American Civil War memory and the ongoing discussions surrounding public monuments and military base namesakes.

Category:1814 births Category:1875 deaths Category:People from Columbia County, Georgia Category:Georgia (U.S. state) Supreme Court justices Category:Confederate States Army brigadier generals