John Bennett, infirmary director of Highland county, besides being a most excellent citizen in all respects, enjoys the distinction of being one of four brothers who each served three or more years in the Union army.
Their grandfather, Isaac Bennett, who took part in the battle of New Orleans in 1815, was a Pennsylvania farmer of the olden times, used to run flatboats from Pittsburg to New Orleans during the navigation season and did a prosperous business in this line before the days of steamboating. With an eye to profitable investments, he made a trip to Highland county, Ohio, at a very early date, and bought a large amount of land in Liberty township, which was subsequently divided between his sons. He remained in Pennsylvania until about 1850 when he removed to Missouri and there spent the remainder of his life. Isaac and Jennie Bennett had six children, Campbell, Isaac, John, Phebe, Jane, and Nancy, all long since deceased.
Campbell Bennett was born in Fayette county, Pa., married Sarah Smith, and about 1840 came to Highland county, where he settled on land inherited from his father. In 1847 he purchased a farm in Hamer township, on which he lived until 1877, when he removed to Danville and served as postmaster. At the expiration of his term he returned to the farm where he passed away at the age of seventy-eight years, his wife having died in 1874. Of their seven children, George, Joseph and Eleanor are deceased, the living being Jacob, of Lincoln, Neb.; Francis M., of Kansas; John, subject of this sketch; and Henry, of Hamer township. John Bennett, fifth of the children, was born in Highland county, Ohio, on the farm now owned by Ira Hiestand, January 1, 1846, and was consequently a little over fifteen years of age when the guns at Sumter electrified the nation.
There was no more patriotic family than that of the Bennetts, the younger members of which furnished four recruits for different commands in the Union army. John Bennett, when seventeen years old, enlisted in Company G, Eleventh regiment, Ohio volunteer cavalry, which did valuable service during its term of service. After a brief campaign against Morgan, the command was sent to Fort Leavenworth, Kas., and from there across the plains to Fort Laramie, Wyo. They wintered at that point and later had many fierce skirmishes with the Indian tribes who had been stirred up to hostility by agents of the Confederacy. The Federal cavalry was kept very busy holding the savages in check and in one of the numerous fights Mr. Bennett had a horse shot under him, though fortunate enough to escape serious personal injury. The Eleventh regiment remained in that wild country for three years, and in July, 1866, were sent to Leavenworth and thence to Columbus, Ohio, where they were mustered out.
Jacob Bennett, second of the brothers in order of birth, served gallantly for three years as a member of the Eighteenth regiment Iowa volunteer infantry. Joseph, the third of these patriotic brothers, was among the first to enlist in the First regiment Indiana volunteer infantry, and served with it for three years. Francis M. first enlisted in Company A, Sixtieth regiment Ohio infantry, and later became a member of Company G, Eleventh regiment, Ohio volunteer cavalry, with which he served three years.
After his retirement from the army in the summer of 1866, John Bennett returned home and shortly afterward married Lydia M., daughter of William P. and Rebecca Webster, of Highland county. In 1872, he located in Dodson township and remained there twenty-five years, when he purchased the place in Hamer township, where he has since made his residence. In 1897 he was elected infirmary director of Highland county and was re-elected in 1900, 'being the only person on the Republican ticket that was successful that year. He is a member of the Masonic order, the Ancient Order of United Workmen and the Grand Army of the Republic at Lynchburg. Mr. Bennett's wife died in March, 1900, leaving four children: Etta J., George E., Myrta B. and Charles R.
from "The County of Highland"
By J. W. Klise, A. E. Hough, Northwestern Historical Association, Northwestern Historical Association
John Bennett 
