Benjamin H. Helm
| Benjamin Hardin Helm | |
|---|---|
.jpg) |
|
| Born |
June 2, 1831 Bardstown, Kentucky |
| Died | September 21, 1863 (aged 32) Chickamauga, Georgia |
| Place of burial | Helm Family Cemetery, Elizabethtown, Kentucky |
| Allegiance |
 Confederate States of America
|
| Service/branch |
 Confederate States Army
|
| Years of service | 1861 – 1863 |
| Rank |
 Brigadier General
|
| Commands held |
1st Kentucky Cavalry 1st Kentucky "Orphans" Brigade |
| Battles/wars | American Civil War |
Benjamin Hardin Helm (June 2, 1831 – September 21, 1863) was a Kentucky politician, attorney, Confederate brigadier general, and a brother-in-law of Abraham Lincoln. He was also the son of Kentucky Governor John L. Helm. Helm was born in Bardstown, Kentucky. He attended the Kentucky Military Institute and the West Point Military Academy and then went to study law at the University of Louisville and Harvard University. He served as a state legislator and the state's attorney in Kentucky. He also served as the assistant inspector-general for the Kentucky state guard. Helm was offered the position of Union Army paymaster by his brother-in-law, President Abraham Lincoln, a position which he declined. Helm felt it was an honor to serve in the Confederate States Army, where he was initially a colonel and later promoted to brigadier general. Helm commanded the 1st Kentucky Brigade more commonly known as The Orphan Brigade. He died on the battlefield during the Battle of Chickamauga. Helm was married to Emilie Todd, the half-sister of Mary Todd Lincoln.
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