Benning, Henry Lewis (1814-75) Confederate army officer, born in Columbia County, Georgia. In the Civil War, Benning organized and was elected colonel of 17th Georgia Infantry; he fought in the Peninsular campaign (1862) Benning was known as “Old Rock” for his tenacity as a field commander. Benning won praise for “coolness, courage, and skill” in holding his position at Second Bull Run and at Antietam (both 1862). Under Maj. Gen. John B. Hood at Gettysburg (1863), he dislodged Union forces from Devil's Den and and held ground against repeated counterattacks. Benning maintained high troop morale and had one of the lowest desertion rates in the army.
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