Rev. Augustus R. Bennick
Confederate Veteran
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He completed the course in Theology at Catawba Lutheran College in 1856. Soon after, he joined the Methodist Episcopal Church and served as a circuit preacher for the Hickory, NC circuits and other circuits as an itinerant preacher. In 1858, he married Sarah Elizabeth CANSLER, who was born in NC in November 1841. Their first child, Lucia A., was born in South Carolina in 1859. On December 15, 1861, he was confirmed as an elder in the Methodist Church South, SC Conference. In 1863, A.R. was commissioned by President Jefferson Davis, with the rank of Captain as the Chaplain in the 34th North Carolina Regimental Volunteer Infantry. He was honorable discharged in January 1864. Upon his discharge from military service, A.R. and Sarah moved to Rock Hill, SC. Their second child, Ida Augusta, was born there in May 1865. At Rock Hill, he preached, farmed and taught school. In 1867, A.R. moved his family to Johnson City, Tennessee, where he served as a principal of an academic academy for four years. His first son, John H. was born there in 1868. Following his tenure as principal of the academic academy in Johnson City, A.R. moved his family to Bethesda, nine miles west of Batesville, Arkansas. There he farmed, taught school, and preached. While in Bethesda, the Bennick family was blessed with three more children: Elizabeth (Aug 1871), Harriet May (Feb 1873) and Charles Augustus (Dec 1876). Due to health problems and acute bronchitis, A.R. decided to move his family to a drier climate. In June of 1877 they moved to Smithwick Mill, south of Burnet, Texas, and Oatmeal in Burnet County, Texas. A. R. farmed, taught in the Oatmeal school, and preached. While in Burnet County, A.R.'s daughter, Ida Augusta, married Robert R. Russell in Llano. Also, it was in Burnet county that A.R.'s son, John H., died. While in Burnet County, A.R. served as a Texas State Representative in the Seventeenth Legislature during 1881 and 1882. Two more children were born to the Bennick family: Winniefret (July 1878) and Ella Vivian (Jan 1884). During the mid 1880s, A.R. moved his family to Waverly in south Walker County, Texas. There he preached in the Black Jack Methodist Church while farming and teaching school. A.R. retired from teaching in 1909 and continued to preach and farm. He then moved to Pine Valley in San Jacinto County where he preached and farmed. Here, his youngest daughter, Ella Vivian, taught school and instructed his grandchildren, by his daughter Ida Augusta (Bennick) Russell. In September 1912, A.R. and Sarah moved to Doucette, Texas, just three miles north of Woodville, Texas in Tyler County. At the age of 79, he applied for his Confederate Soldier pension, which he began to receive in 1914. During the early 1920s, Sarah and A.R. moved to Orange City, Texas to live with their daughter and son-in-law, Winniefret and William R. Honea. Later in the 1920's, A.R. and Sarah resided with their daughter and son-in-law, Harriet May and Lum Benson in Call, Texas. His wife, Sarah, died there on Nov 19, 1925 at the age of 85 years. They had been married 67 years. A.R. was a member of the Orange Lodge of A.F. and A.M. and was buried with Masonic honors by the Kirbyville Lodge at Kirbyville, Texas. Seven of eight children survived him at the time of his death:
Revised 1998 by J. R. Allen, P.
O. Box 26, Conroe, TX 77301 |
