Nathaniel S. Benton

Nathaniel Seley Benton (February 19, 1792 – June 29, 1869) was a New York politician who served as a New York State Senator and Secretary of State of New York.

He was born in Westmoreland, New Hampshire but, at the age of four, his family moved to Fryeburg, Maine, where he attended Fryeburg Academy and studied under Daniel Webster.^[1][2][3] He was engaged in teaching during the winter of 1812, but, filled with a sense of patriotism by the War of 1812, he enlisted in the 34th Regiment of the United States Army.^[1] He rose rapidly to the rank of adjutant general, and also served as Judge-Advocate at two courts-martial in 1814 at Plattsburgh, New York.^[1][3]

After the war, he studied law at his uncle's law office in Orford, New Hampshire, and in early 1816 moved to Little Falls, New York, where he continued his studies with George H. Feeter.^[1] In 1817, he was made Justice of the Peace, and was admitted to the bar in 1819.^[1] About 1820, having a desire to see something of the west, he made a tour of Pennsylvania, Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Missouri, Illinois, Michigan, Indiana, and Ohio.^[1]

He was surrogate of Herkimer County 1821-1828, an influential New York State Senator from the fifth district 1828-1831, United States Attorney for the Northern District of New York 1831-1841, and Secretary of State of New York 1845-1847.^[1][2] He was a member of the Democratic Party until 1855, when he became a member of the American Party, and ran in 1858 for Lieutenant Governor of New York with Lorenzo Burrows on the American ticket. Afterwards he joined the Republican Party, supporting both of Abraham Lincoln's elections. He was auditor of the canal department from 1855 to 1868.^[3] He died in Little Falls, New York on June 29, 1869,^[3] and was interred in the Church Street Cemetery, Little Falls.

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d e f g} Harlow, Samuel R.; H.H. Boone (1867). Life Sketches of the State Officers, Senators, and Members of the Assembly of the State of New York in 1867. Weed, Parsons & Co.. http://books.google.com/books?id=LV04AAAAMAAJ&pg=PA50&dq=%22nathaniel+s.+benton%22&ei=YaT3R-HXA5PcygT2u_S7Bw. 
2. ^ ^{a b} "The Political Graveyard: Index to Politicians: Benton". http://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/benton.html. Retrieved 2008-04-05. 
3. ^ ^{a b c d} Crandall, Aaron (1891). "Benton, Nathaniel S.". Appleton's Cyclopædia of American Biography. http://books.google.com/books?id=fF4pYIceqwEC&pg=PA240&lpg=PA240&dq=%22He+was+educated+at+Fryeburg+academy%22&source=web&ots=9glClbre7o&sig=engKngaqOlwrtwxBZAlxaj2d01E&hl=en. 

Political offices
Preceded by Samuel Young	New York Secretary of State 1845 - 1847	Succeeded by Christopher Morgan

Persondata
Name	Benton, Nathaniel Seley
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	February 19, 1792
Place of birth
Date of death	June 29, 1869
Place of death