Thomas Warren Bennett (February 16, 1831, in

Union County, Indiana Union County is a county in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 7,087. The county seat is Liberty. Since 2018, Union County has been included in the Cincinnati-Middletown, OH-KY-IN Metropolitan S ...

– February 2, 1893) was governor of Idaho Territory from 1871 to 1875. He also served as a Congressional delegate from the territory from March 4, 1875, to June 23, 1876. He also served in the Indiana State Senate.

Biography

Bennett was born in

. He left his father's farm in 1850 to attend

Indiana Asbury University DePauw University is a private liberal arts university in Greencastle, Indiana. It has an enrollment of 1,972 students. The school has a Methodist heritage and was originally known as Indiana Asbury University. DePauw is a member of both the ...

(now DePauw University) where he received his law degree in 1855.

Career

Bennett returned to Liberty and practiced there until the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

. He raised a company of volunteers and was commissioned captain, and attained the rank of

colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge o ...

and was brevetted

brigadier general Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...

. A year after his move to Richmond, Indiana, he was elected mayor and served for two years. Bennett, a

veteran and local politician in his native Indiana, was the fifth choice of President

Ulysses S. Grant Ulysses S. Grant (born Hiram Ulysses Grant ; April 27, 1822July 23, 1885) was an American military officer and politician who served as the 18th president of the United States from 1869 to 1877. As Commanding General, he led the Union Ar ...

to succeed David W. Ballard as Idaho Territory governor. Grant's first two nominees accepted the appointment, but then each quickly decided to instead accept other government appointments before they ever travelled to Idaho. A third choice declined the offer entirely, while the fourth, Thomas M. Bowen, disliked the Idaho landscape so intensely that he resigned from the governorship and returned east after only one week in office. As a result, fifth choice Bennett took office several months after Ballard's term expired; all told, the territory had been effectively without a governor for an entire year when Bennett accepted the position. He was Governor of Idaho Territory from 1871 to 1875. In 1874 Bennett was declared the winner of the election for Congressional delegate from Idaho Territory. Bennett served until June 1876 when a recount determined his opponent in the 1874 election, Stephen S. Fenn, was the actual winner. Upon leaving office Bennett returned to Indiana.

Death

Bennett died on February 2, 1893, in Richmond, Wayne County, Indiana. He is interred at Earlham Cemetery, Richmond.

References

External links

Bio
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* ttp://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/bennett8.html The Political Graveyard
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bennett, Thomas W. 1831 births 1893 deaths People from Richmond, Indiana People from Union County, Indiana Mayors of places in Indiana Indiana state senators Delegates to the United States House of Representatives from Idaho Territory Governors of Idaho Territory Burials at Earlham Cemetery, Richmond, Indiana People of Indiana in the American Civil War Union Army generals Indiana Republicans Idaho Republicans Idaho Independents 19th-century American politicians