Risden Tyler Bennett facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Risden Tyler Bennett
Bennett, photograph by C. M. Bell
48th United States Congress
In office 1883–1887
Preceded by	Clement Dowd
Succeeded by	Alfred Rowland
North Carolina Superior Court
In office 1880–1882
North Carolina House of Representatives
In office 1872–1874
Personal details
Born	June 18, 1840 Wadesboro, North Carolina, USA
Died	July 21, 1913 Wadesboro, North Carolina, USA
Political party	Democrat
Education	Davidson College Cumberland University University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Profession	Attorney

Risden Tyler Bennett (born June 18, 1840 – died July 21, 1913) was an important American politician. He served as a U.S. Congressman for North Carolina from 1883 to 1887. He was a member of the Democratic Party. Besides being a politician, he also worked as a lawyer and a judge.

Early Life and Education

Risden Tyler Bennett was born in Wadesboro, North Carolina. He was the youngest of twelve children. His parents were Catherine Harris and Nevil Bennett, who was a farmer and a Baptist minister. Risden was only twelve years old when his father passed away.

He went to local schools and the Gouldsfork Academy. He also graduated from the Anson Institute in Wadesboro. When he was sixteen, he started college at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. However, he soon left because he didn't like how some older students treated new ones. He decided to travel West, where he saw the Rocky Mountains and spent time living with Native American communities. His guardian, George W. Little, eventually asked him to return home.

In 1859, he attended Davidson College. He also studied law at Cumberland University in 1858-1859, graduating in 1859. While there, he was part of a group called the Fraternity of Delta Psi.

Service in the Civil War

On April 30, 1861, Risden Bennett joined the Confederate Army. He started as a private in a group called the Anson Guards. He quickly rose through the ranks and became a colonel of the 14th North Carolina regiment on July 5, 1862.

He was injured three times during the war. One of his injuries happened at the famous Battle of Gettysburg in July 1863. He was later captured in Winchester, Virginia. He was held as a prisoner until February 28, 1864, when he was released on parole.

Political Career and Public Service

After the Civil War, Risden Bennett became a successful lawyer. In January 1860, he started working as an attorney in Anson County, North Carolina. After the war, he joined a law firm with Judge Thomas Samuel Ashe. He also served as the county solicitor for Anson County from 1866 to 1867.

In 1870, he was considered for a position in Congress, but he decided not to run because he wasn't feeling well.

Serving North Carolina

In 1871, Risden Bennett was elected to the North Carolina House of Representatives. He served there from 1872 to 1874. He chose not to run for re-election after his term.

In 1875, he was chosen as a delegate for the Constitutional Convention. This was a special meeting to help write or change the state's constitution. He led the group that focused on the state's court system. In 1880, he was appointed to fill an open spot as a judge on the North Carolina Superior Court. He served as a judge for two years.

Time in Congress

In 1882, Risden Bennett was elected to the United States Congress. This was a special election where he represented the entire state of North Carolina, not just one district. He was re-elected in 1884.

During his second term in Congress, Bennett was in charge of a committee that looked at how money was spent in the Department of State. However, he decided not to run for re-election again after this term.

After leaving Congress, Bennett went back to practicing law in Wadesboro, North Carolina. He was also known for being a good speaker and wrote articles for local newspapers.

Personal Life

Risden Bennett married Kate Shepperd on August 26, 1863. They got married while he was at home recovering from his war injuries. They had two sons who passed away when they were babies, and three daughters named Mary, Effie, and Kate.

Even though he was raised as a Baptist, he was baptized by a Methodist chaplain during the Civil War. Later in his life, he joined the Episcopal Church. He was very generous and donated about a thousand books to help start a library in Wadesboro.

In 1875, while at the Constitutional Convention, Bennett had a painful condition called sciatica. It was so bad that he had to be carried to the Capital building on a cot every day because he couldn't sit up.

Risden Tyler Bennett passed away at his home in Wadesboro on July 21, 1913, at the age of 73. He died from pneumonia. He is buried in his family's cemetery in Wadesboro, North Carolina.

Images for kids

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  Risden Tyler Bennett, a U.S. Congressman from North Carolina.