HistoricSiteMarkers
Early Republic

Miles Bennett

Elkhart, Anderson County, Texas

Marker Inscription

A soldier in the Army of Texas, 1836. Born in Indiana, July 26, 1816; died November 24, 1849. His wife Laura Jordon Bennett; born August 28, 1830; died December 24, 1925.

Erected by Texas Historical Commission

The Story

Miles Bennett came from Indiana to the fledgling Republic of Texas and took up arms in the Army of Texas in 1836, the year Texans won their independence at San Jacinto. He died young in 1849, but his widow Laura outlived him by more than seventy years, a common frontier story of short-lived soldiers and long-widowed wives. Markers like this one preserve the names of the ordinary men who filled the ranks during Texas's fight for nationhood.

Why it matters

It puts a human face on the volunteer soldiers of the Texas Revolution, whose service helped turn a rebellious province into an independent republic and, eventually, a state.

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Related people

  • ยท Miles Bennett
  • ยท Laura Jordon Bennett

Related events

  • ยท Texas Revolution

Themes & tags

Military & WartimeWestward ExpansionFrontier HistoryMemorial

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