Governor of Delaware and Soldier. He was the son of Joseph and Elizabeth Prew Wiley Bennett who moved to Delaware when he was three years old. He was the grandnephew of Daniel Boone. In 1775 he enlisted as a 17 year old in the Continental Army and during the Revolutionary War saw action at the battles of Valley Forge, Staten Island, Brandywine, Germantown, Monmouth, Camden, and the siege of Yorktown. He advanced to the rank of lieutenant and was wounded three times. After the 1st Delaware Regiment was decimated at Camden, Bennett was sent back to Delaware to recruit replacements. A year later he joined General George Washington and the French for the Siege of Yorktown. After the English surrender at Yorktown, his regiment proceeded to South Carolina where he served for two more before returning home on January 17, 1783. In 1792, he married Catherine Britton and they were to have 13 children during their lifetime together. In the War of 1812 he was appointed Captain of the Artillery and Commander of the town of New Castle. He was promoted to colonel of the militia and developed a well-disciplined force of infantry and artillery. Brigadier General John Stockton was a Whig opponent of Bennett and charged him with failing to perform his duty. The charges were not proved at the court martial and he was acquitted. In 1832, he was elected Governor of Delaware by 54 votes becoming the first man to be elected to a four year term. He was also the oldest man ever inaugurated and he failed to finish his term when he became the fifth governor to die in office.
Governor of Delaware and Soldier. He was the son of Joseph and Elizabeth Prew Wiley Bennett who moved to Delaware when he was three years old. He was the grandnephew of Daniel Boone. In 1775 he enlisted as a 17 year old in the Continental Army and during the Revolutionary War saw action at the battles of Valley Forge, Staten Island, Brandywine, Germantown, Monmouth, Camden, and the siege of Yorktown. He advanced to the rank of lieutenant and was wounded three times. After the 1st Delaware Regiment was decimated at Camden, Bennett was sent back to Delaware to recruit replacements. A year later he joined General George Washington and the French for the Siege of Yorktown. After the English surrender at Yorktown, his regiment proceeded to South Carolina where he served for two more before returning home on January 17, 1783. In 1792, he married Catherine Britton and they were to have 13 children during their lifetime together. In the War of 1812 he was appointed Captain of the Artillery and Commander of the town of New Castle. He was promoted to colonel of the militia and developed a well-disciplined force of infantry and artillery. Brigadier General John Stockton was a Whig opponent of Bennett and charged him with failing to perform his duty. The charges were not proved at the court martial and he was acquitted. In 1832, he was elected Governor of Delaware by 54 votes becoming the first man to be elected to a four year term. He was also the oldest man ever inaugurated and he failed to finish his term when he became the fifth governor to die in office.
Bio by: Tom Todd
Family Members
Advertisement
See more Bennett memorials in:
Explore more
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
