Civil War Veterans Buried In Washington State - Samuel Benedict

33^rd INDIANA VOLUNTEER INFANTRY
Organized: Summer, 1861 Indianapolis, IN
Mustered In:  9/16/1861 Indianapolis, IN
Mustered Out: 7/21/1865 Louisville, KY

REGIMENTAL HISTORY: 
 

The 33^rd Indiana was a three year, western theater infantry regiment. It left the state on 9/28/1861 and proceeded to Camp Dick Robinson in Kentucky. From there it moved to Wild Cat where it engaged and defeated Rebel forces (10/21/1861) under Gen. Zollicoffer.
 

In April, 1862 the regiment broke camp and joined Union forces under the command of Gen. George W. Morgan. The maneuverings of this organization resulted in the bluecoats capturing Cumberland Gap, TN in June. The 33^rd then took part in marches and skirmishes in eastern Tennessee until the gap was evacuated in September. The 33^rd spent the winter at Danville, TN.

 March, 1863 found the 33^rd facing Confed. Gen. Van Dorn's troops near Columbia, TN. At that place about 400 of the regiment were captured and nearly 100 killed or wounded. After this action the unit remained stationed at Franklin, TN. During the remainder of the year it was involved in numerous engagements and skirmishes throughout the region.
 

January, 1864 saw the 33^rd veteranized. Thirty day furloughs home followed.
 

Returning to the field the 33^rd joined Union Gen. W.T, Sherman's campaign to capture Atlanta, GA. During this period regimental losses were over 300 killed or wounded.  After the fall of that city (7/22/1864) the regiment marched to Savanah and the sea.
 

Early 1865 found the 33^rd marching northward through the Carolinas. During this campaign it was engaged at Averysboro (3/16/1865) and Bentonville (3/19 - 21/1865).
 

The War ended, the 33^rd marched to Washington, D.C. via Richmond, VA. It then moved to Louisville, KY where it was consolidated with members of the 27^th and 85^th Indiana. The whole organization was mustered into history on 7/21/1865
 

REGIMENTAL LOSSES:

Officers Killed Or Mortally Wounded:  4; Officers Died Of Disease, Accidents, Etc.:2   ; Enlisted Men Killed Or Mortally Wounded: 112; Enlisted Men Died Of Disease, Accidents, Etc.: 180.

SOLDIER:
Residence: Williamsport, IN   Age: 19.6 yrs.
Enlisted/Enrolled: 6/9/1863   Rank: Pvt.
Mustered In: 6/9/1863
Mustered Out: 7/21/1865 Louisville, KY
Highest Rank: Pvt.
Rank At Discharge: Pvt.

PERSONAL/FAMILY HISTORY:

NOTE: The birth - to - death biographical profile of Samuel Benedict was created in June, 2021 during the Covid-19 medical pandemic. It contains less depth of detail than many other biographies within this website because military service, pension and other veteran-related files housed in Washington, D.C.'s National Archives were not available. At a later time those documents may be obtained and the data contained therein added to the narrative which follows.
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Samuel Goodrich Benedict, Jr. was born on 12/1/1844. His place of birth was within the state of Ohio.
 

Parents of Samuel, Jr. (hereafter Samuel) were Samuel Goodrich Benedict, Sr. (b. 12/10/1810 Ridgefield Fairfield County, CT - d. 7/22/1844 IL) and Harriet Wetman (nee Crane b. 8/16/1812 New Providence Essex County, NJ - d. 9/1853 Warren County, OH) Benedict. No occupational information has been found pertaining to Samuel, Sr.
 

Samuel was the youngest of four children. His older siblings were Almira Benedict (b. 1834 - d. 1836), Orpha Benedict (b. 1835), Elizabeth Benedict (b. 2/17/1836 OH), Almirett E. Benedict (b. 2/17/1838 IN) and William C. Benedict (b. 10/16/1840 IN).
 

Samuel G. Benedict, Sr. died approximately four months before his son, Samuel, was born. Harriet died in 1853 before he had reached his ninth birthday. Who then raised Samuel and his siblings is a big unknown.
 

The next information available on Samuel comes from his 1863 army enlistment, and that is not much. Further, without access to his military service records all we can say about Private Benedict's period of enlistment is that he survived and returned to civilian life.
 

Where Samuel settled after returning to life as a civilian is not known. He next surfaces on 5/1/1872 in Adair, IA. That was when and where he married.
 

Samuel's bride was Mary A. Cade. Mary had been born in Illinois during 1852.
 

During their years together Samuel and Mary produced five children. Three of the five were alive at the dawn of the twentieth century. They also adopted a daughter.

Four of the six Benedict children are identified: Oscar Henry Benedict (b. 1877 WT), Alva I. Benedict (b. 1881 WT), Ethel G. Benedict (b. 1/1891 WA adopted), and Verle Benedict (b. 2/1894 WA). As noted, all were born after Samuel and Mary arrived in Washington Territory/State. **

Exactly what drew the Benedicts to the Puget Sound region of the Pacific Northwest is an unknown. Also not known is when they arrived here, but they were in Seattle by 1877 when son, Oscar, was born. Finally, why they chose to settle in the Seattle King County area is not known.
 

An occupational look at Samuel over the decades he lived in Washington Territory/State drives home one point. Unlike most men of his era, he was NOT a farmer. From 1879 until at least 1883 he was a telegraph operator. In 1885 he was a clerk. In 1887 he was some kind of engineer. Finally, in 1900 he was noted as being a notary public and real estate agent.
 

Samuel Goodrich Benedict died at home in the West Seattle area of King County, WA. The date of his passing was 7/13/1906. Cause of the 61.7 year old's death was heart disease. He was/is buried in the Mt. Pleasant Cemetery located on Seattle's Queen Anne Hill.
 

On 5/9/1890 Samuel had begun the application process to obtain a U.S. Government disability pension based upon his days of Civil War soldiering. We know the pension was granted, but without his pension files the details of his monthly stipend are unknowns.
 

In September of 1906, after Samuel's death, Mary petitioned the government to continue receiving a portion of her late husband's financial benefits. That request was granted, but again, without the appropriate files details of the financial payments cannot be presented herein.
 

Mary lived out her years in Seattle. And, she had many of those years ahead of her. She died in Seattle King County, WA on 6/12/1938. At passing she was aged eighty six years. She was/is buried beside Samuel in the Mt. Pleasant Cemetery. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________

* When the shooting war ended in 1865, as a cost saving measure many regimental units were combined or "consolidated" until their members could be mustered out of Federal service. On 6/12/1865 the 27^th, 33^rd and 85^th Indiana regiments were merged. This resulted in Private Benedict's name appearing on the rolls of the 85^th between 6/12 and 7/21/1865. Because the transfer was strictly on paper and lasted only a few weeks, the history of the 85^th is not being covered in this biography.

** There is also an unnamed “baby” Benedict (b. 1906 – d. 1906) buried with Samuel and Mary in Seattle’s Mt. Pleasant Cemetery.

Buried at Mt Pleasant Cemetery AKA Free Methodist & Seattle IOOF