Jesse M. Benner - G.A.R., Bishop Post

As a young man of twenty-one in 1860, Jesse Benner was working on the farm of A. Resor (Rasor?).  When the call came for men to enlist, Jesse was probably one of the earliest to sign up.  He enlisted in Defiance on August 15, 1861, for a three year term of service with Company D, 38th Ohio Infantry.  
The 38th first went to Kentucky and then to Tennessee.  They were not engaged in the battle of Chickamauga, but were instead behind the scenes, guarding the supply train. They actively fought at the Battle of Missionary Ridge, where the unit lost seven men.  


The group was then furloughed home for thirty days where many reenlisted as veterans and met up again in Georgia.  They were active in the Battle of Kennesaw Mountain and then marched with Sherman through Atlanta and appeared at the Grand Review in Washington, D. C. at the end of the war.
Jesse was discharged on July 12, 1865 and he returned to Defiance.  He reported on the 1890 veterans census that he suffered from heart disease and rheumatism as a result of his war service.

In November, 1866, Jesse married his wife, Phoebe, and they settled down in Tiffin Township.  The 1870 census enumerator found them there with one son, Oreng (Ora).  Jesse was 28 and farming.  The 1880 agricultural census indicated that he had 55 tilled acres and 25 acres of wood.

At some point, Jesse began to teach in District 10 in Tiffin Township, at least from 1893 - 1895, and maybe even more years than that.  One newspaper reported in November, 1895, that he had been ill with malarial fever for three weeks and "had to give up his school."  About that same time, Jesse and his wife moved into Defiance and their grown son, Ora, moved to the farm.

Jesse and Phoebe had one other son, Jesse M. Benner, Jr. who attended Michigan State University from 1895 - 1901 to become a dentist.  His father went to Ann Arbor to witness his son's graduation.

Jesse Benner not only farmed and taught school, but he also served at various times as Commander of the Bishop Post, G.A.R., as a school board member, as a trustee of the Children's Home, and as Chaplain of the Post.  He went into the schools as a patriotic instructor for the G.A.R., as well.  

In 1900, he and Phoebe were settled into a home at 820 North Clinton Street.  He mentioned that he was a landlord at that time.  In 1910 and 1920, Dr. Jesse Benner Jr. lived with his parents and maintained a dentist's office in Defiance.

Jesse Benner died on May 4, 1920 and was buried at Riverside Cemetery. His obituary appeared in the Crescent-News on May 4, 1920:

Phoebe Benner lived until 1922, and her obituary appeared in the Crescent-News on October 10, 1922:

(This is part of a series on Civil War veterans of Defiance County who were part of the G.A.R., Bishop Post, that headquartered in the city.  Formed in 1879, the post was named after a local man, Captain William Bishop, Company D, 100th Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Army who died as a result of wounds received in battle.  The veterans' photos are part of a composite photo of members that has survived.  If you have other information or corrections to add to the soldiers' stories, please add to the comments!)