Benjamin Franklin Potts
| Benjamin Franklin Potts | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
January 29, 1836 Fox Township, Carroll County, Ohio |
| Died | June 17, 1887 (aged 51) Helena, Montana |
| Place of burial | Forestvale Cemetery, Helena, Montana |
| Allegiance |
United States of America Union |
| Service/branch |
United States Army Union Army |
| Years of service | 1861–1866 |
| Rank |
 Brigadier General Brevet Major General
|
| Unit | Army of the Tennessee |
| Commands held | 32nd Ohio Infantry |
| Battles/wars | |
| Other work | Governor of Montana Territory, Ohio State Senator |
Benjamin Franklin Potts (January 29, 1836 – June 17, 1887) was a lawyer, politician, and soldier from the state of Ohio who served as a general in the Union Army during the American Civil War, as well as a postbellum Governor of the Montana Territory from 1870 to 1883. He commanded a brigade of infantry in the Western Theater in some of the war's most important campaigns and repeatedly received commendations for gallantry and tactical judgement in combat.
Benjamin Potts was born on a farm in Fox Township, Carroll County, Ohio , to James and Jane (Mapel) Potts. He attended the common schools. When he was seventeen, he began working as a clerk in a dry goods store in nearby Wattsville. He attended Westminster College in 1854–55, until he ran out of funding and returned to Ohio. He taught school and read law starting in September 1857 under Ephraim R. Eckley, later a U.S. Congressman. An active supporter of President James Buchanan, Potts was interested in local and national politics and joined the Democratic Party.
In May 1859, he passed his bar exam in Canton, Ohio, and established a successful practice in Carrollton. He was a member of the Ohio delegation to the 1860 Democratic National Convention in Charleston, South Carolina, and supported the candidacy of Stephen A. Douglas.
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