DUANE
Duane's take
Here's how the official marker tells it — Ellis Benson's story, as recorded for the state of Texas. Now, some men seem to find trouble the way a creek finds low ground. Ellis Benson was born in Vermont in 1813, and by the time he was done, he'd fought in three separate wars on two different soils — and still found time to settle down, raise a family, and get himself elected to public office.
Not bad for a carpenter from up north. His first brush with a shooting war came in Illinois, 1832 — the Black Hawk War. He was nineteen years old.
Most young men might've had enough after that. Not Benson. A few years later, there he was in New Orleans, and that's where the next chapter found him.
A man named Captain Amasa Turner came recruiting for the Texas Army, and Ellis Benson signed on. He arrived in Texas in January of 1836, assigned to Company B, First Regiment of regular infantry — Capt. Turner's outfit.
Orders came down to march toward San Antonio. But then came the news that stopped everyone cold: the Alamo had fallen. Just like that, those marching orders changed.
The unit was reassigned, redirected to join the main army under General Sam Houston at Beason's Ferry, on the Colorado River near what we'd call Columbus today. From there, the army moved toward Harrisburg. And what waited at the end of that march was San Jacinto — the final military event of the Texas Revolution.
Now, you want to talk about being in the right place at the right moment? Ellis Benson handled one of the Twin Sisters. Those were the two cannons donated by the city of Cincinnati, and the marker is plain about it: they were vital in securing victory in that battle.
The man wasn't just there — he had his hands on the guns that helped decide the thing. But the revolution ending didn't mean Benson was done soldiering. Under a Captain Reuben Ross, he went south, helping patrol south Texas during Mexico's struggles with civil war.
And in 1839, at the Battle of Alcantra, he was wounded. Whatever rest he'd been hopin' for, he'd have to earn it the hard way. Eventually, Benson settled in Houston and took up carpentry.
In 1848, he married Elizabeth Ritchie, a native of Germany, born in 1819. The two had one daughter together. He put down roots, built things instead of burning through them, and let the community claim him as its own.
The community returned the favor. Benson was elected county constable in 1858, then twice elected county coroner. And when the Civil War came, he served two years in Company K, 20th Texas Infantry, Confederate States Army — working on railroad equipment.
Ellis Benson died in 1896, at eighty-three years old. He'd come into the world in Vermont, fought in Illinois, answered a recruiter's call in New Orleans, stood at San Jacinto with a cannon rope in his hands, taken a wound in south Texas, built a life in Houston, and served his county in times of both war and peace. The marker calls him a patriot and a leader.
Given everything on that list, it's hard to argue the point.
What the marker says
Ellis Benson (1813-1896), a veteran of the Texas revolution and participant in the battle of San Jacinto, was born in Vermont. Before immigrating to Texas, he fought in the Black Hawk War (1832) in Illinois. By 1835, Benson was in New Orleans, where Captain Amasa Turner recruited his services for the Texas Army. Arriving in Texas in January 1836, Benson served under Capt. Turner in Company B, First Regiment of regular infantry. The unit received orders to march to San Antonio, but after the fall of the Alamo, was reassigned to join the main army under General Sam Houston at Beason’s Ferry (near present day Columbus) on the Colorado River. The army marched towards Harrisburg and fought in the battle of San Jacinto, the final military event of the revolution. During the fight, Benson handled one of the "Twin Sisters," cannons donated by the city of Cincinnati which were vital in securing victory in the battle. Following the war, Benson continued to serve in the military. Under Capt. Reuben Ross, he aided in patrolling south Texas during Mexico’s struggles with civil war and was wounded during the Battle of Alcantra in 1839. Afterwards, Benson settled in Houston and worked as a carpenter. In 1848, he married Elizabeth Ritchie (1819-1894), a native of Germany; the couple had one daughter. Benson was elected as county constable in 1858 and was twice elected as county coroner. He also served two years in Company K, 20th Texas Infantry, Confederate States Army, during the civil war, working on railroad equipment. Today he is remembered as a patriot and leader, contributing and serving during times of war and peace. (2008)