Whitten, Benjamin F. (Benjamin Franklin), approximately 1836-

Union Army officer.

From the description of Benjamin F. Whitten papers, 1848-1945 (bulk 1861-1883). (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 701330768

Biographical Note

Benjamin F. Whitten of Topsham, Maine, born circa 1836, enlisted with the Ninth Maine Volunteer Infantry Regiment in Union service at age twenty-five in 1861. While stationed at Camp Harding near Washington, D.C., the regiment was assigned to General William T. Sherman's expedition to capture Port Royal and in November 1861 arrived at Hilton Head, South Carolina, where camp was established until January 1862. In February, the Ninth Regiment was garrisoned on Fernandina Island off the coast of Florida for the remainder of the year. From July to September 1863, Whitten participated in the siege of Fort Wagner on Morris Island, South Carolina. In the Spring of 1864, the regiment was transferred to the Army of the Potomac, and in May, fought in the Bermuda Hundred Campaign. Later in May, Whitten also fought in the Battle of Cold Harbor where he was taken prisoner on June 1, 1864. Whitten was paroled on March 12, 1865, and the Ninth Maine Regiment was mustered out of service on July 13, 1865. From 1868 to 1885, Whitten made unsuccessful attempts to homestead near Dakota City and Wakefield, Nebraska. By 1907, Whitten had relocated to the West Coast and lived in San Diego, California, from 1908 to 1911.

From the guide to the Benjamin F. Whitten Papers, 1848-1945, (bulk 1861-1883), (Manuscript Division Library of Congress)