Benjamin Franklin Kelley

Benjamin Franklin Kelley
Benjamin Franklin Kelley
Born	(1807-04-10)April 10, 1807 New Hampton, New Hampshire
Died	July 16, 1891(1891-07-16) (aged 84) Oakland, Maryland
Place of burial	Arlington National Cemetery
Allegiance	United States of America Union
Service/branch	United States Army Union Army
Years of service	1861 - 1865
Rank	Brigadier General Brevet Major General
Unit	1st West Virginia Volunteer Infantry
Battles/wars	American Civil War Battle of Philippi Races Battle of Romney Battle of Blue's Gap Battle of Folck's Mill Battle of Moorefield
Other work	revenue collector, Indian agent, examiner of pensions

American Civil War

Benjamin Franklin Kelley (April 10, 1807 – July 16, 1891) was an American soldier who served as a brigadier general in the Union Army during the American Civil War. He played a prominent role in several military campaigns in West Virginia and Maryland.

Kelley was born in New Hampton, a small village in New Hampshire. At the age of 19, he went to Wheeling, Virginia, a center of the slave trade. He engaged in the merchandise business until 1851, when he became a freight agent for the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad.

Upon the outbreak of the Civil War, Kelley raised the 1st Virginia Infantry, a Federal volunteer three-months regiment, and was appointed as its colonel. His first service was at Philippi, where he captured the Confederate camp equipage and was himself badly wounded. He was promoted to brigadier general of volunteers on May 17, 1862, and was victorious at Romney and Blue's Gap (Hanging Rocks Pass). Afterward, Kelley commanded a division of 10,000 men in the Department of Harper's Ferry.