George Grenville Benedict facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
George Grenville Benedict
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Benedict as a private in the 12th Vermont Infantry.
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| Born | December 10, 1826 Burlington, Vermont |
| Died | April 8, 1907 (aged 80) Burlington, Vermont |
| Buried |
Greenmount Cemetery
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| Allegiance |  United States of America |
| Service/ |
 United States ArmyVermont Militia |
| Years of service | 1862 - 1865 1866 - 1867 |
| Rank |  Major (Union Army) Colonel (Militia) |
| Unit |  12th Regiment Vermont Volunteer Infantry |
| Battles/wars | American Civil War |
| Awards |  Medal of Honor |
George Grenville Benedict (born December 10, 1826 – died April 8, 1907) was an American soldier. He fought in the American Civil War, a big conflict in U.S. history. Benedict received the Medal of Honor, which is the highest award for bravery in battle. He earned it for his actions during the Battle of Gettysburg in Pennsylvania on July 3, 1863. He was given this special award on June 27, 1892.
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About George Grenville Benedict
George Grenville Benedict was born in Burlington, Vermont, on December 10, 1826. He went to the University of Vermont and finished his studies with high honors in 1847. He later earned a Master of Arts degree in 1850. While at college, he joined two special groups: the Sigma Phi Society and the Phi Beta Kappa honor society. In 1853, he married Mary Anne Kellogg.
Benedict was also a newspaper editor and publisher for The Burlington Daily Free Press in Burlington, Vermont. He was in charge of the Vermont & Boston Telegraph Company from 1859 to 1863. The people of Chittenden County elected him to the Vermont Senate, where he served from 1869 to 1871. He also worked for the University of Vermont as the secretary of its corporation from 1865 to 1879. In 1880, he was chosen as a representative for the Republican National Convention, a big meeting for the Republican political party. That same year, he joined the University of Vermont's Board of Trustees, which helps guide the university.
Military Service
In August 1862, Benedict joined the 12th Vermont Infantry in Burlington. During the third day of the Battle of Gettysburg, he was part of a group that made a successful surprise attack on a Confederate charge called Pickett's Charge. This brave action helped him earn the Medal of Honor.
In 1863, he was promoted to a lieutenant. Later, he became an aide-de-camp, which means he was a special assistant, to General George J. Stannard. General Stannard commanded the 2nd Brigade of Vermont Volunteers. By 1865, Benedict was an assistant inspector general with the rank of major. In 1866, he was promoted again to colonel and became an aide-de-camp to Governor Paul Dillingham. In 1879, Governor Redfield Proctor chose Colonel Benedict to be the military historian for the State of Vermont. This meant he would write about Vermont's military history.
Books Written by Benedict
While he was in the Army for nine months, Benedict wrote letters back to his newspaper, The Burlington Daily Free Press. After the war, he collected these letters and published them in a two-volume book in 1866. The book was called Vermont in the Civil War: A History of the Part Taken by the Vermont Soldiers and Sailors in the War for the Union 1861-1865.
In 1895, he also published another book titled Army Life in Virginia: Letters from the Twelfth Vermont Regiment and Personal Experiences of Volunteer Service in the War for the Union 1862-1863.
Memberships and Societies
George Grenville Benedict was a member of several important organizations. He belonged to the Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States. He was also a member of the Vermont Society of the Sons of the American Revolution. In 1899, he was elected to be a member of the American Antiquarian Society.
Later Life and Death
Colonel Benedict passed away in April 1907 in Burlington, Vermont. He was buried in the Greenmount Cemetery in that city.
