Benjamin Stephenson was born July 8, 1769, in York, Pennsylvania. His father James was a private in the Revolutionary War and served as a waggoner at Valley Forge during the horrendous winter of 1777. His mother Mary was the daughter of Lt. Col. James Reed who also was in the Revolution.
In the 1790s, his parents moved to Martinsburg, Virginia. In 1799, Benjamin married Lucy Swearingen and moved to Harpers Ferry, Virginia, in 1803.
In 1807, he moved to Logan County, Kentucky and waited for the opening of the Illinois Territory in 1809.
In June 1809, Territorial Governor Ninian Edwards appointed Stephenson sheriff of Randolph County. he later was appointed adjutant general of Illinois state militia under commander Edwards. In September 1812, there were eight companies with 570 men at Fort Russell in Edwardsville commanded by Stephenson.
From 1814-1815, he was in the U.S. House of Representatives.
In 1815, he was appointed by President James Madison as Receiver of Moneys in the Edwardsville Land Office, a position he held until his death Oct. 12, 1822.
--Brock-Perry
2012 marks the 200th anniversary of America's "Forgotten War," the War of 1812 that took place over three years, 1812 to 1815.
Battle of New Orleans.
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