Thomas Bennett (1841-1898)-- 3rd USCHA, Corporal

Thomas Bennett was born into slavery in Kentucky sometime in 1841 and moved to Illinois before the outbreak of the civil war. By October of 1864, he was living in Buffalo, Ogle County and traveled to nearby Dixon to enlist for one year in the third US Colored Heavy Artillery. Bennett was promoted to Corporal less than halfway through his enlistment in March 1865 and discharged at Memphis, Tennessee that October. After leaving the army, Bennett married Hester Ann Sawyer, whose previous husband, Nelson Sawyer (previously discussed) had died recently. Bennett struggled with rheumatism which made it difficult for him to do much work. He died from his affliction on November 14, 1898.