Herbert Hosey Benbrook

BENBROOK, Hosea M. - City's Confederate Soldier To Wear Uniform of Veteran Who Was Wounded at Gettysburg - Fayetteville's lone Confederate soldier, Hosea Benbrook, 93, will be suitably clad in a spic and span Confederate Uniform when he reaches Gettysburg, Pennsylvania today.

The uniform originally was worn and belonged to J. Thomas Fisher, a native son of Virginia and whose great grandson, Robert E. Lee, eight, now lives at Emmett, Idaho.

The uniform was delivered last evening at the Frisco depot to Mr. Benbrook by son of the owner, who is a newcomer to Fayetteville -Oscar R. Fisher, who has carried it in his trunk since his father's death in 1921.

The coincident was that in size the uniform was an exact fit for the 1938 Reunion wearer, and that it recently had been cleaned and pressed and carefully packed, ready for wearing or a trip, although the Fisher family had no idea it ever would be worn again by a Son of the Confederacy.

Idea of Mr. Fisher to lend the uniform to Mr. Benbrook came following reading of an editorial in last night's Northwest Arkansas Times.

The family, including Mr. and Mrs. Fisher and a son Donald B. Fisher of the University of California, Los Angeles, are residing on Storer street and plan probably to make this place their permanent home.

"My father was a native of Virginia," Mr. Oscar Fisher said today. "Did he know his uiniform would appear in the Reunion at Gettysburg and that he had a great grandson named Robert E. Lee, he would give the Rebel yell again,"

A clipping from files of May 9, 1921 recites that Captain Fisher was born in Franklin County, Virginia, August 17, 1840 and lived in that county until the beginning of the Civil War. The year after the war he came to Callaway County, Missouri, living for a short time near Reform and later locating and living near McCredie until his death.

He was married December 20, 1870 to Miss Mary Elizabeth Houf whose parents were also of Virginia. He was one of the first volunteers from his native county in Virginia when the Civil War broke out. He joined the Second regiment of Virginia Cavalry, serving under General Stonewall Jackson. He participated in the memoriable Pickett's charge at Gettysburg where he was wounded and captured.

In the Gettysburg campaign he served as a courier on the personal staff of General Robert E. Lee and the wound he received in battle caused his death.

Captain Fisher never lost his devotion to the Confederacy and there were few reunions he did not attend. He likewise was a Democrat throughout his life. "Hundreds of families throughout this county grieve with his family because of his death," says a clipping from the Evening Gazette of Fulton of May 9, 1921.

Mr. and Mrs. Oscar R. Fisher came to Arkansas in April and were joined only this week by their son from California. The family is located at 505 Storer street. A son, Richard, is in the U.S. Navy and now at Norfolk, Virginia on the U.S.S. Richmond and a daughter is connected with C.C.C. work, Emmett, Idaho, where her husband, Lieutenant Thomas A. Lee is connected to the C.C.C. work and whose son is named after the great Confederate General, Robert E. Lee.

The Fishers went to North Dakota in 1899, "and grew up with the country." More recently they have longed for the South and decided to come to the Arkansas Ozarks and may locate here pernanently. "It was a great joy to us to be able to supply Mr. Benbrook, Fayetteville's lone Confederate, for the Reunion at Gettysburg, the battle with which my father was so closely identified.," Mr. Fisher said today. [Northwest Arkansas Times 6/28/1938]

Hosea M. Benbrook, Civil War Veteran, Dies Here Sunday - Hosea Maguire Benbrook, 96, died Sunday night at 11:30 at the home of his son and daughter-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. H.H. Benbrook, on Mount Sequoyah. Mr. Benbrook was one of Fayetteville's oldest residents, and its last United Confederate veteran, as far as is known. He attended the last Civil War veterans reunion for both Confederate and Federal veterans held at Gettysburg in 1937, when he received the Confederate Distinguished Service cross. He also held the Confederate Cross of Honor awarded previously by the United Daughters of the Confederacy.

Survivors include two sons, H.H. Benbrook of Fayetteville and Pete Benbrook of Little Rock; two sisters, Mrs. Nan Wood of fayetteville and Mrs. Levada Benbrook Williams; five grandchildren; and eight great grandchildren. Funeral services will be held Sunday afternoon at 2 o'clock at the Nelson-Savage funeral home. [Northwest Arkansas Times 10/11/1943]

Funeral Services For Hosea Benbrook Sunday at 2 P.M. - Funeral services will be held Sunday afternoon at 2 o'clock at the Nelson-Savage funeral home for the late Hosea Maguire Benbrook, retired trader, stockman and pioneer citizen.

A life-long friend, the Rev. P.W. Mason will officiate, assisted by the Rev. John McConnell. Burial will be at Strain cemetery with a brief service at the grave for benefit of friends in the vicinity unable to attend the Fayetteville services. Pallbearers will be Roy Williams, Henry George, Walter Smith, John Morrison, Roy Cole, Witt Carter, Wallace Shoffner and Edd Fincher.

Mr. Benbrook died last Sunday following a brief illness. He was nearly 97 years old and believed to be Fayetteville's oldest resident. He was also its last Confederate veteran. He is survived by two sons, H.H. Benbrook of Mount Sequoyah and Pete Benbrook of Little Rock; two sisters, Mrs. Nan Benbrook Wood of 216 Sutton street, 95; and Mrs. Lavada Williams of Teague, Texas who also is elderly and who will be unable to be present; five grandchildren and eight great grandchildren. His wife, with whom he celebrated his 66th wedding anniversary, was the late Cathryn Irvin, daughter of the pioneer citizen, John Irvin. Mr. Benbrook's hobby was history and he was considered an authority on local historical events. [Northwest Arkansas Times 10/16/1943]

(PHOTO) Hosea Maguire Benbrook, Last UCV Member in Fayetteville, Is Buried Sunday in County's Early Cemetery - Hosea Maguire Benbrook, 97, who was laid to rest at Strain cemetery Sunday afternoon, was one of Washington County's last pioneer citizens and its last Confederate veteran.

The eldest of 11 children, he was a son of earlier pioneers, Ewing and Kathryn Fincher Benbrook. He was born October 8, 1846 near Maguire Town, famous early trading post near Elkins and frequented more than a century ago by notables such as Albert Pike and Archibald Yell and others. He was a member of the same Masonic lodge attended there by these famous Masons and was a kinsman of the late Dr. H.D. Wood who attended school in the vicinity. He was married to Kathryn Fincher in a ceremony performed by Rev. Luther Bell on January 1, 1870. Of the 21 persons who attended the wedding, only one, Mr. Benbrook's sister, Mrs. Nan Wood is living. She recently observed her 95th birthday. He and his wife lived together for 66 years and celebrated that wedding anniversary as their last.

Mr. Benbrook was a lover of early Arkansas history and possessed a remarkable memory. One of his greatest pleasures in recent years was relating events of early Arkansas on which he was considered an authority.

In early days he engaged in cattle and mule buying and made many trips to Louisiana and other States with Arkansas animals taken overland to the nearest railroad before the Frisco lines were built through Fayetteville. Once he ran for sheriff.

He has related to friends his many experiences while driving a team and wagon loaded with Arkansas apples to Texas, the fruit in those days bringing $140 a load, or a average of $4 a bushel.

Once he related he sold a horse in Texas for $160 and was paid in cash, "all silver half-dollars," which he was forced to bring back to Arkansas. These he sometimes put in a crate of oranges he was bringing home, but the night the oranges were stolen while he slept by the roadside, he had placed the money in his saddle bags upon which he slept, and so the money was saved.

While too young to engage in actual combat in the Confederate Army, he joined this, serving as a scout with Capt. Tuck Smith's Cavalry at Huntsville in 1863. He was in several minor skirmishes and once was held prisoner by the federals, that he might not give information to the Confederacy concerning the troops who had suddenly come upon him.

Once he was assigned to deliver Cavalry horses, hiding them in a cane break in Louisiana to keep the federals from taking them.

His memory was remarkable concerning Civil War events and he liked nothing better than to end a long recital of them with the declaration, "Without doubt, Robert E. Lee was the greatest general who ever lived."

Captain Tuck Smith's grandson, Rev. Jeff Smith of Boston, Mass., and son of Walter Smith of 119 North East Street, while at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, wrote his graduation thesis on, "The Life and Achievements of Hosea M. Benbrook," and was given an A rating.

Tributes to his memory were paid both at the funeral services held in Fayetteville and at the Strain cemetery. Services were, as previously announced at the cemetery and at the Nelson-Savage funeral home in Fayetteville, filled to capacity. [Northwest Arkansas Times 10/18/1943]

BENBROOK, Hosea – Hosea Benbrook filed Veteran Application #29892 for a Confederate pension and it was received as allowed in 1928 by the State, citing service with the Arkansas Cavalry in 1864 and 1865. [State of Arkansas Confederate Pension Archives]