Henry L. Benning
Henry L. Benning | |
|---|---|
Brigadier General Henry L. Benning by Bjorn Egeli | |
| Birth name | Henry Lewis Benning |
| Nickname(s) | "Old Rock" |
| Born | April 2, 1814 Columbia County, Georgia, U.S. |
| Died | July 10, 1875 (aged 61) Columbus, Georgia, U.S. |
| Buried | Linwood Cemetery, Columbus, Georgia, U.S. |
| Allegiance | Confederate States |
| Branch | Confederate States Army |
| Years of service | 1861–1865 |
| Rank | Brigadier general |
| Commands | 17th Georgia Infantry Benning's Brigade |
| Battles | |
| Spouse(s) |
Mary Howard Jones (m. 1839) |
| Children | 10 |
Henry Lewis Benning (April 2, 1814 – July 10, 1875) was a senior officer of the Confederate States Army who commanded infantry in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War. Benning also was a lawyer, legislator, and associate judge on the Georgia Supreme Court. Following the Confederacy's defeat at the end of the war, he returned to his native Georgia, where he resumed his legal practice.
At the request of the Columbus Rotary Club circa 1918, Fort Benning was named in his honor, and remained such until 2023, when it was redesignated Fort Moore. In March 2025, the Secretary of Defense ordered that the name be reverted back to "Fort Benning." However, now the name purports to pay tribute to Corporal Fred G. Benning of Neligh, Nebraska, who was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for his extraordinary heroism in combat during World War I with the U.S. Army in France , and later served as mayor of his home town. Corporal Benning is not related to Confederate General Benning.