"History of Wayne County, Indiana" by Andrew W. Young. pub 1872.  

City of Richmond
pgs 411-412


Thomas W. Bennett was born in Union county, Indiana, February 16, 1831.  His 
father was a farmer, and raised his son to work on the farm.  In 1850, at the 
age of 19, he entered Indiana Asbury University, where he completed his 
education in July, 1854.  Immediately afterward he began the study of the law, 
and after a full course, graduated in the law school of the Asbury University in 
July, 1855.  During the spring and summer of 1853, he was Professor of 
Mathematics and Natural Science in Whitewater College in Centerville.  He 
commenced the practice of his profession at Liberty, in his native country in 
the fall of 1855, and continued in the practice actively until the breaking out 
of the Rebellion in 1861.  On the first call for troops in April, he raised a 
company of volunteers, and entered the army as a captain, in the 15th Regiment 
of Indiana Volunteers.  He served in that capacity in Western Virginia until 
Sept., 1861, when he was promoted to Major of the 36th Regiment, in which he 
served during the whole of Gen. Buell's campaign to Nashville, Shiloh, East 
Tennessee, the great retreat to Louisville, Ky., and the pursuit of Bragg.  In 
October, 1862, he was appointed by Gov. Morton, colonel of the 69th Regiment.  
With his command he joined Sherman's army at Memphis and participated in the 
failure to capture Vicksburg in Dec., 1862, and in the capture of Arkansas Post 
in Jan., 1863.  He was engaged in all the movements and battles which resulted 
in the capture of Vicksburg, in July, 1863, was in the command of a brigade in 
the Tesche and Red River campaigns under Banks, and served in that capacity 
until detailed by the War Department in Sept., 1864, as a member of the military 
commission which tried and convicted the notorious Bowles, Milligan, and Horsey. 
 At the election of 1864, he was elected a senator from Union and Fayette 
counties, a position which he had held for two years before the war, and took a 
leading part in that body.  Since 1856 he has been actively engaged in politics,
making public speeches in successive campaigns in most of the counties  of the
state.  After the close of the war, and his term in the senate, he made a
tour of Europe, and returning, he moved to Richmond in Aug., 1868, and in the
spring of 1869 was elected Mayor of that city, serving until May, 1871, when
he resumed the practice of the law.  In 1871, he was appointed by President
Grant Governor of Idaho Territory.


Transcribed by Phyllis Phillips