Theodore F. Bennett was a resident of Mansfield on August 11, 1862 when he enlisted as a Private in Co. D of the 21st Regiment Connecticut Volunteer Infantry. He was killed in action June 3, 1864 in Cold Harbor, Virginia.
The following account of his death is from the 1864 diary of Alfred P. Hanks, a fellow soldier of Co. D:
“While lying down in the line looking towards the enemy, T. F. Bennett, who lay side of his brother was hit by a Ball… He made no move only to straighten his body & was dead, without uttering a sound.“
The Diary of Alfred Hanks, June 3, 1864
The descriptive muster roll for the 21st Regiment Connecticut Volunteer Infantry lists his age as 33 and his occupation as farmer. He is described as 5’9” tall with a fair complexion and red hair and dark eyes. His marital status is married.
He was born on December 25, 1829 in Mansfield. In the 1860 U.S. census in Mansfield, he is a 31 year old farmer and the head of household. His wife, Lucina, 24 and brother, George D. Bennett, 32 are also living in the household. George also enlisted in Co. D; both are sons of William and Harriet (Dunham) Bennett. A third brother, Seth D. Bennett served in Co. B of the 7th Regiment Connecticut Volunteer Infantry. Theodore married Lucina Dunham on March 20, 1854 in Mansfield. They had no children.
His young widow, Lucina, filed for a widow’s pension on September 19, 1864, No. 35,552 that was granted under certificate No. 45,117. According to the list of pensioners on the roll in 1883, she was receiving a widow’s pension of $8 per month that commenced in April, 1865.
Theodore F. Bennett is buried at the Spring Hill Cemetery in Mansfield.