18 Facts About Benjamin Brice

Benjamin William Brice was a lawyer and soldier who served in the United States Army during the Black Hawk War and Mexican-American War.

Later employed as the Paymaster General of the Union Army during the American Civil War and reconstruction era, Brice had on his retirement in 1872 risen to the rank of brevet major general.

Benjamin Brice was born in what is Harrison County, West Virginia.

Benjamin Brice's classmates included future civil war generals Robert Anderson, Daniel S Donelson, Benjamin Huger, William R Montgomery, and Charles F Smith.

Benjamin Brice graduated near the bottom of his class, ranking fortieth out of forty six cadets.

Benjamin Brice served during the Black Hawk War expedition against the Sac Indians in 1831.

Benjamin Brice passed the bar exam, began to practice law, and in 1846 was elected an associate judge of the court of Licking County, Ohio.

Later in 1846, Benjamin Brice was appointed Adjutant General of the state militia by Governor William Bebb and served until 1847, when he resigned to re-enter the army to serve in the Mexican War.

Benjamin Brice saw service at Camargo in 1847, Monterrey, Saltillo, and Brazos Island in 1848, and was then stationed at Fort Brown, Texas, from 1848 to 1849.

Benjamin Brice was reappointed a Major in 1852, and saw service in the Pay Department at Fort Fillmore, New Mexico from 1852 to 1854; New Orleans, Louisiana, from 1854 to 1856; Paymaster of the Southern District of New Mexico, headquartered at Fort Bliss, Texas, from 1856 to 1859; as well as special service in Florida in 1859.

Benjamin Brice was made Paymaster of the Western Department under General David Hunter at Fort Leavenworth, Missouri in 1859 and served until the beginning of the Civil War.

On March 22,1862, he was promoted to brigadier general, but the promotion was tabled by Congress on July 16,1862, and Benjamin Brice reverted to his regular army rank of major.

Benjamin Brice died September 6,1862, and was succeeded by Col.

When Benjamin Brice took charge in 1864, the regulations were finally brought up to date, and officially included the examination of candidates.

General Benjamin Brice reflected on the massive endeavor of creating a modernized pay department from scratch in 1865:.

Benjamin Brice is among the group of capable Washington staff officers who have been largely forgotten by modern historians, even though there was a surprisingly low turnover.

In 1866, Benjamin Brice was promoted to brigadier general in the regular army during the reorganization of the staff corps.

Benjamin Brice died in 1892 and was interred at the Soldier's Home National Cemetery in Washington.