The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1906-07-25
SENATOR BENSON FROM KANSAS
Amabe Traits of the SunHower States Representative
IJnassuming Conscientious Hard-Workirg Legislator.

well and with ones whole heart the
duty of the moment and letting Provi-
dence take care Of the future.
There are two things priced by Ben
son of Kansas more than his latest
success-his being a New Yorker by
right of birth and his civil war record
He was born in Poland, n. Y, in 1S43,
was educated in Chamberlain insti-
tute at Randolph and moved to the vi
cinity Of Jamestown. In July, 1862, he
enlisted as a private in the One Hun
dred and Fifty-fourth New York vol
unteers and went to the front. Ten
months later he was left for dead on
the field at Charlottesville, May =,
1868. A Confederate mimic ball had
pierced his right lung and put him out
of the fighting. Later two Confeder-
ates found him still alive. relieved his
suffering as far as they could and
filled his canteen with water. He was
a prisoner on the field for eleven days
after the battle. On May Is those pris-
oners who were able to march were
sent off to Richmond, while the wound
ed were paroled. Benson recovered
slowly and as soon as he could re-
Joined the Army Of the Cumberland,
participating in the Chattanooga cam
paign with the Missionary Ridge vic
tory and then continuing with his
command in all of Sherman's march to
the sea.
When Appomattox was followed by
the grand review in Washington in
1865 the private Benson, who had
gone out from little New York town
three years before, marched past Grant
as Major Benson, in command of a
battalion of battle Scared veterans.
That was the second time he had been
in Washington, the first time having
been when he went with his regiment
through Washington into Virginia.
When he told Senator Daniel of Nir-
ginia the other day that up to his ar
rival at Washington as senator
few days ago the only time he had
been to Washington since the war was
on a business trip twenty years ago
the Virginian, who had a distinguished
war record and rose to be a Confeder-
ate brigadier, Embossed great lot OF
wartime "reminiscences.
you got into Washington before |
cid" said the courtly Virginian in his
pleasant badinage, but that was due
to the fact that you had friends at
court who were so inhOspitable that
they would not afford me the same
courteous treatment when l came up
through the Old Dominion, sir, with
General Jubal Early and some very
charming gentlemen of my acquaint-
ance"
1T was our misfortune" returned
the valiant Union veteran, smiling,
that we were not aware such splen-
did gentleman and scholar was in such
bad company, or we would have laid a
trap to capture you unframed"
But time m0les all things even,"
philosophically observed General Dan
lei. Il got to the senate before you
did"
Eyes, but l have caught up with you
at last" retorted Major Benson, land
have got into your camp here. That
was something you could never do
when you were training with Jubal
Early"
Then the valiant Unionist who had
been left for dead at charlottesville
and the courageous Confederate who
had been wounded three times in bat
tie and permanently crippled in the
Wilderness fighting of 1864 went off
arm in arm to celebrate the cementing
of their new friendship. While Sher-
mans march to the sea is not pOpu-
lar subject of discussion with all south
erners, they all recognize true fight
ing blood when they see it, and Ben
sons record as veteran will be the
means Of Developing strong friendships
on both sides of the senate chamber.
The old New York home was first In
his thD"~htS after Major Benson
marched by in the grand review of
1863 He returned TO jamestown, fin
ish1d lis .a~al studies and was admit
ted to the bar at Buffalo in 1867. For
four ears he practiced law in Sher-
man. n Y. before he set his face to-
ward the west and determined to grow
up with the country. He settled in
Ottawa, Kan. and has kept progress
Ing in the good opinion Of his neigh
bors so steadily that they had him
serve rs district Judge for twelve
years. then as state senator for Il four
year term and as member Of the last
/ legislature.
! Senator Benson is working hard to
master t,:e ways of the senate. He is
| invariably In his seat through all the
routine, and when other senators drift
| out to the cloakrooms or to commit
! tees he moves up to some vacant chair
near whichever one of his colleagues IS
addressing the senate. 1t has not mat
| tered whether the subject was Pana-
ma, the meat inspection bill OR q CON
ference report on something else. He
Is frankly interested in the senate and