Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential

Center

 

Rezin J. Bennett

 

GA-6


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Introduction

Biographical Sketch

Scope and Content

Inventory

 

Introduction

 

This collection was acquired by the Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Center in 1976.

 

Biographical Sketch

 

Rezin J. Bennett was born on August 7, 1815 in Frederick County, Maryland; his parents were Samuel and Rebecca (Borham) Bennett.  In 1817, the Bennett family moved to Jefferson County, Ohio—one year before the death of Bennett’s father.  In 1837, Bennett moved to Cadiz, Ohio, and worked as a clerk in the general store of his older brother until 1844, at which time he took over the business.  He was elected to mayor of Cadiz in 1847, followed by a position as Sheriff and Treasurer of Harrison County, Ohio.  Bennett acquired an interest in politics—particularly in regards to presidential elections—and served as delegate for the Republican National Conventions of 1860, 1864, and 1868.  When the American Civil War began, Bennett was a member of the Home Guards in Washington and working in the House of Representatives under the Clerk of the House.  He served as an officer throughout the conflict, achieved the rank of brevetted colonel, and remained in the army until his resignation in 1866.  Bennett was then appointed Internal Revenue Inspector, followed by a stint as Inspector of Customs at the Port of New York.  Following his resignation from that post, Bennett retired to Ohio before being commissioned as Treasury Agent in Chicago.  He spent some time on duty in Topeka, Kansas, and, upon his return to Illinois, was transferred to the position of Inspector of Customs at the Port of Chicago.  Upon resignation from that position, Bennett remained in Chicago as vice president of the Old Tippecanoe Club Chicago.

 

Scope and Content

 

The collection spans from 1864 to 1883.  It contains letters of recommendation pertaining to the government positions held by Rezin J. Bennett, many penned by prominent statesmen—including Congressmen from Ohio (40th Congress).  It includes letters of reference for Bennett to Presidents Abraham Lincoln and Ulysses S. Grant as well.  The collection is further comprised of myriad miscellaneous documents and certificates, diary reports, a short, typewritten autobiographical sketch, and a photograph of R. J. Bennett.

 

Inventory

 

Ac. 4047

39 items

 

AMBLER, JACOB A.

See: E. R. Eckley et al, petition.

 

ASHLEY, JAMES M.

See: E. R. Eckley et al, petition.

 

BARTLEY, JUDGE T. W.

To Thomas Murphy dtd Washington, D.C., Jly. 15, 1879.  1 p.  A.L.S.  W/notation by Fred. Stanton on the verso.

 

BEATTY, JOHN

See: E. R. Eckley et al, petition.

 

BENNETT, REZIN J.

To ? dtd n.p., n.d.  1 p.  A.C.S.

To Moses H. Grinnell dtd Washington, D.C., Mch. 25, 1869.  1 p.  A.L.S.  W/notations.

To RBH dtd Fort Madison, Iowa, Apr. 18, 1878.  1 p.  Copy, original in RBH Papers, same date.

To RBH dtd Washington, D.C., May 27, 1878.  1 p.  A.L.S.  Xerox copy, original in RBH Papers, same date.

Misc. notes dtd U.S. Internal Revenue, Collector’s Office, Chicago, Ill., Jly. 11, 1878.  1 p.  Mss.

 

BINGHAM, JOHN A.

To Moses Grinnell dtd Washington, Apr. 12, 1869.  1 p.  A.L.S.

See: Rezin J. Bennett, Mch. 25, 1869

 

BRAILEY, M. R.

To “Whom It May Concern” dtd Comptroller’s Office, Ohio, Columbus, Jan. 5, 1869.  1 p.  A.L.S.  W/notation by William Johnston.

 

CARTER, D. H.

See: Rezin J. Bennett, Mch. 25, 1869

 

CARTER, D. K.

To Moses H. Grinnell dtd Washington, D.C., Apr. 13, 1869.  1 p.  A.L.S.  W/notations.

 

CHANDLER, ZACHARIAH

See: Reader W. Clarke, Apr. 20, 1869.

 

CLAPP, A. M.

See: Rezin J. Bennett, Mch. 25, 1869.

 

CLARKE, O. P. G.

To R. J. Bennett dtd Dept. of Interior, Pension Office, Washington, D.C., Feb. 24, 1883.  1 p.  A.L.S.

 

CLARKE, READER W.

To M. H. Grinnell dtd Treasury Dept., Third Auditor’s Office, Apr. 20, 1869.  1 p.  A.L.S.  W/notations.

See: E. R. Eckley et al, petition.

 

COOKE, HENRY D.

To M. H. Grinnell dtd Jay Cooke & Co., Washington, D.C., Apr. 12, 1869.  1 p.  A.L.S.

See: James H. Goodman, Jan. 5, 1869.

 

COX, JACOB D.

To Moses H. Grinnell dtd Dept. of Interior, Washington, Jan. 10, 1870.  1 p.  A.L.S.

See: John Sherman, Mch. 31, 1869.

 

DELANO, COLUMBUS

See: E. R. Eckley et al, petition.

See: James H. Goodman, Jan. 5, 1869.

 

DENNISON, WILLIAM

To Abraham Lincoln dtd Washington, Jne. 11, 1864.  2 pp.  A.L.S.

 

DONALDSON, THOMAS

To M. H. Grinnell dtd Washington, Apr. 21, 1869.  1 p.  A.L.S.

 

ECKLEY, EPHRAIM R. AND OTHERS

To ? dtd Washington, D.C., Jan. 13, 1869.  1 p.  Petition signed.

 

ELY, ALFRED

To Moses H. Grinnell dtd Washington, D.C., Apr. 19, 1869.  1 p.  L.S.

 

FRENCH, EZARA BARTLETT

See: Rezin J. Bennett, Mch. 25, 1869.

 

FRENCH, JOHN R.

See: Willard Warner, Apr. 9, 1876.

 

GARFIELD, JAMES A.

See: E. R. Eckley et al, petition.

See: Willard Warner, Apr. 9, 1876.

 

GODMAN, JAMES H.

To “Sir” dtd Auditor of State’s Office, Columbus, O., Jan. 5, 1869.  1 p.  A.L.S.  W/notations.

 

HAYES, RUTHERFORD B.

See: James H. Godman, Jan. 5, 1869.

 

JACKSON, J. J., JR.

To U. S. Grant dtd Washington, Mch. 13, 1869.  1 p.  A.L.S.

 

JAMISON, JOHN C., NEWTON, EBEN AND OTHERS

To Edwin M. Stanton dtd Columbus, O., Jan. 18, 1864.  3 pp.  Petition signed.

 

JOHNSTON, WILLIAM

See: M. R. Brailey, Jan. 5, 1869.

 

LACEY, ROBERT S.

To N. M. Curtis dtd Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen and Abandoned Lands, Lynchburg, Va., Apr. 10, 1869.  1 p.  A.L.S.

 

LAWRENCE, WILLIAM

See: E. R. Eckley et al, petition.

 

MCCRARY, GEORGE W.

To R. J. Bennett dtd War Dept., Washington City, Oct. 26, 1877.  1 p.  A.L.S.

To R. J. Bennett dtd War Dept., Washington City, Dec. 31, 1877.  1 p. A.L.S.

 

MOORE, E. H.

See: E. R. Eckley et al, petition.

 

NORRIS, JOHN A.

To ? dtd Columbus, O., Mch. 31, 1869.  2 pp.  A.L.S.

 

OHIR, A. B.

See: D. K. Carter, Apr. 13, 1869.

 

ORDWAY, N. J.

See: Willard Warner, Apr. 9, 1876.

 

PLANTS, TOBIAS A.

See: E. R. Eckley et al, petition.

 

POMEROY, S. C.

See: John Sherman, Mch. 31, 1869.

 

ROLLINS, EDWARD A.

To R. J. Bennett dtd Treasury Dept., Office of Internal Revenue, Washington, Apr. 3, 1866.  1 p.  A.L.S.

 

SCHENCK, ROBERT C.

See: Rezin J. Bennett, Mch. 25, 1869.

See: E. R. Eckley et al, petition.

 

SEWARD, WILLIAM HENRY

See: Reader W. Clarke, Apr. 20, 1869.

 

SHELLABARGER, SAMUEL

See: E. R. Eckley et al, petition.

 

SHERMAN, JOHN

To Moses H. Grinnell dtd Committee of Finance, U.S. Senate, Washington, Mch. 31, 1869.  1 p.  A.L.S.  W/notations.

To R. J. Bennett dtd Treasury Dept., Washington, D.C., Jan. 11, 1878.  1 p.  Prtd. letter signed.

See: Rezin J. Bennett, Mch. 25, 1869.

See: James H. Godman, Jan. 5, 1869.

 

SMITH, JOHN A.

See: E. R. Eckley et al, petition.

 

SPAULDING, RUFUS P.

See: E. R. Eckley et al, petition.

 

STANTON, FRED P.

See: Judge T. W. Bartley, Jly. 15, 1879.

 

STEVENSON, JOB E.

See: E. R. Eckley et al, petition.

 

TIPTON, THOMAS H.

See: John Sherman, Mch. 31, 1869.

 

UPSON, WILLIAM H.

See: E. R. Eckley et al, petition.

 

WARNER, WILLARD

To Moses H. Grinnell dtd N.Y., Apr. 9, 1876.  3 pp.  A.L.S.  W/notations.

 

WASHBURN, C. C.

See: Willard Warner, Apr. 9, 1876.

 

WELKER, MARTIN

See: E. R. Eckley et al, petition.

 

WHITMAN, D. C.

To R. J. Bennett dtd Treasury Dept., Office of Internal Revenue, Washington, Mch. 3, 1866.  5 pp.  L.S.

To R. J. Bennett dtd Treasury Dept., Office of Internal Revenue, Washington, Apr. 3, 1866.  6 pp.  Copy of Instrcs.

 

WILSON, J. T.

See: E. R. Eckley et al, petition.

 

WINANS, JAMES T.

See: E. R. Eckley et al, petition.

 

Documents and Certificates

 

1. Document indicating that R. J. Bennett was duly appointed Revenue Inspector for the 14th, 16th & 17th Collection Districts in Ohio dtd Apr. 2, 1866.

 

2. Document indicating R. J. Bennett’s appointment as an Inspector of Customs for the Port of New York dtd May 20, 1869.

 

3. Free and Accepted Masons membership certificate, Lodge No. 219, Cadiz, O. dtd Nov. 21, 1871.

 

4. Typed. mss. Dtd Thursday, Sept. 2, 1875.  W/penciled notation at the bottom.

 

5. Document indicating R. J. Bennett was duly appointed an Internal Revenue Agent dtd Jly. 10, 1878.

 

6. Diary Reports showing R. J. Bennett’s activities as an Internal Revenue agent from Jly. 11-31, 1878, 9 pp. and Aug. 21-31, 1878, 4 pp.

 

7. Loyalty oath signed by R J. Bennett for position as clerk to the Supt. Of the construction of U.S. Post Office and court house at Topeka, Kas. dtd Oct. 31, 1878.

 

8. House Roll—1879.

 

9. Typed autobiographical sketch of R. J. Bennett, 3 pp.  Also carbon copy of same.

 

Transferred to Portrait File: Cabinet size photograph of R. J. Bennett at age 60.