BENSON, Capt. Daniel R.

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A Civil War Veteran, Co.H. of the IL Volunteer Infantry. Mustered out at Galveston,TX on 22 Jul 1865 as a corporal.

For eighteen years Capt. Benson ran as master of Puget sound steamers, notably the Chehalis, City of Quincy, George E. Starr, Josephine and the Eliza Anderson

He was killed in the Treadwell mine on Douglas Island, Alaska. He was blasting in a shaft or tunnel when an explosion jarred loosed a hanging rock that crashed down about 25 feet onto his head. He died instantly. He had been employed in the mine since September 1899 and the story marks his original departure from Seattle as July 1898. His body was brought down on one of the supply steamers, the Dirigo, which also brought miners and their families home from the gold district. The story notes that he was to be buried in the Lakeview cemetery, in a section we now know to have been devoted to G.A.R. veterans

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GRID=5101146

Daniel married KILE, Mary Ellen on 1 Oct 1866 in Kankakee, IL. Mary was born on 3 Apr 1848 in Crete, IL; died on 22 Sep 1922 in Retsil, WA; was buried in Retsil, WA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

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• _COLOR: 11

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GRID=85034045