Henry B. Banning
Encyclopedia
Henry Blackstone Banning (November 10, 1836 – December 10, 1881) was a lawyer and three-term U.S. Representative
from Ohio
, as well as an infantry
officer in the Union Army
during the American Civil War
.
, and Kenyon College
, Gambier, Ohio
, where he stayed a short time before returning to Mount Vernon to study law in the office of Hosmer, Curtis & Devin. He was admitted to the bar
in 1857 and commenced practice in Mount Vernon, Ohio
.
. He was commissioned as a captain in Company B of the 4th Ohio Infantry
, on June 5, 1861. He served as colonel
of the 87th Ohio Infantry
(a three-month regiment), June 10-September 20, 1862.
Banning was honorably mustered out October 4, 1862. He reenlisted and was commissioned lieutenant colonel
of the 125th Ohio Infantry
on January 1, 1863. He transferred to the 121st Ohio Infantry
on April 5, 1863, being promoted to colonel of that regiment on November 10, 1863. He took part in the battles of Rich Mountain, Romney, Blue Gap, Winchester, Cross Keys, Chickamauga, Buzzard's Roost, Resaca, Rome, Kennesaw Mountain, Dallas, Peachtree Creek, Jonesboro, and Nashville.
as a brigadier general
and major general
of volunteers March 13, 1865.
Banning served as member of the State House of Representatives in 1866 and 1867. He moved to Cincinnati
, in 1869 and resumed the practice of law. He was elected as a Liberal Republican
to the Forty-third Congress
and as a Democrat
to the Forty-fourth Congress
and Forty-fifth Congress
, serving from (March 4, 1873 until March 3, 1879). He served as chairman of the Committee on Military Affairs in the Forty-fourth and Forty-fifth Congresses.
He was an unsuccessful candidate for renomination in 1878 to the Forty-sixth
Congress, and for election in 1880 to the Forty-seventh
Congress. He then returned to his legal practice in Cincinnati.
Henry Banning died in Cincinnati on December 10, 1881. He was interred in Spring Grove Cemetery
. He is buried not far from his brother-in-law, fellow former Civil War general Byron Kirby.
Banning was inducted to the Ohio Veteran's Hall of Fame in November 2004 by Ohio Governor Bob Taft
. The Hall of Fame recognizes Buckeyes who continue to contribute to their community, state, and nation after their military service.
In 1868 he married Ida Kirby of Cincinnati, and had four children.
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
from Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, as well as an infantry
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
officer in the Union Army
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
.
Early life and career
Born in Bannings Mills, Ohio, Banning attended the Clinton district school, Mount Vernon AcademyMount Vernon Academy
Mount Vernon Academy is a private, Christian high school in Mount Vernon, Ohio. The school is owned and operated by the Seventh-day Adventist Church.-History:...
, and Kenyon College
Kenyon College
Kenyon College is a private liberal arts college in Gambier, Ohio, founded in 1824 by Bishop Philander Chase of The Episcopal Church, in parallel with the Bexley Hall seminary. It is the oldest private college in Ohio...
, Gambier, Ohio
Gambier, Ohio
Gambier is a village in Knox County, Ohio, United States. The population was 1,871 at the 2000 census.Gambier is the home of Kenyon College and was named after one of Kenyon College's early benefactors, Lord Gambier....
, where he stayed a short time before returning to Mount Vernon to study law in the office of Hosmer, Curtis & Devin. He was admitted to the bar
Admission to the bar in the United States
In the United States, admission to the bar is the granting of permission by a particular court system to a lawyer to practice law in that system. Each U.S. state and similar jurisdiction has its own court system and sets its own rules for bar admission , which can lead to different admission...
in 1857 and commenced practice in Mount Vernon, Ohio
Mount Vernon, Ohio
Mount Vernon is a city in Knox County, Ohio, United States. The population was 16,990 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Knox County. The city is named after Mount Vernon, the plantation owned by George Washington.-History:...
.
Civil War service
With the outbreak of the Civil War, he enlisted in April 1861 in the Union Army as a privatePrivate (rank)
A Private is a soldier of the lowest military rank .In modern military parlance, 'Private' is shortened to 'Pte' in the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth countries and to 'Pvt.' in the United States.Notably both Sir Fitzroy MacLean and Enoch Powell are examples of, rare, rapid career...
. He was commissioned as a captain in Company B of the 4th Ohio Infantry
4th Ohio Infantry
The 4th Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment in the Union Army during the American Civil War. It served in the Eastern Theater in a number of campaigns and battles, but perhaps is most noted for its actions in helping secure Cemetery Hill during the Battle of...
, on June 5, 1861. He served as colonel
Colonel (United States)
In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, colonel is a senior field grade military officer rank just above the rank of lieutenant colonel and just below the rank of brigadier general...
of the 87th Ohio Infantry
87th Ohio Infantry
The 87th Ohio Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment in the Union Army during the American Civil War.-Service:The 87th Ohio Infantry was organized at Camp Chase in Columbus, Ohio and mustered in on June 10, 1862 for three months service under Colonel Henry Blackstone Banning.The regiment left...
(a three-month regiment), June 10-September 20, 1862.
Banning was honorably mustered out October 4, 1862. He reenlisted and was commissioned lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant Colonel (United States)
In the United States Army, United States Air Force, and United States Marine Corps, a lieutenant colonel is a field grade military officer rank just above the rank of major and just below the rank of colonel. It is equivalent to the naval rank of commander in the other uniformed services.The pay...
of the 125th Ohio Infantry
125th Ohio Infantry
The 125th Ohio Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment in the Union Army during the American Civil War.-Service:The 125th Ohio Infantry was organized at Camp Taylor, Cleveland, Ohio, and mustered in three years of service on October 6, 1862 under the command of colonel Emerson Opdycke.The...
on January 1, 1863. He transferred to the 121st Ohio Infantry
121st Ohio Infantry
The 121st Ohio Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment in the Union Army during the American Civil War.-Service:The 121st Ohio Infantry was organized at Delaware, Ohio and mustered in for three years service on September 11, 1862 under the command of Colonel William P. Reed...
on April 5, 1863, being promoted to colonel of that regiment on November 10, 1863. He took part in the battles of Rich Mountain, Romney, Blue Gap, Winchester, Cross Keys, Chickamauga, Buzzard's Roost, Resaca, Rome, Kennesaw Mountain, Dallas, Peachtree Creek, Jonesboro, and Nashville.
Postbellum career
He resigned from the army on January 1, 1865, to return home to Ohio. Banning was brevettedBrevet (military)
In many of the world's military establishments, brevet referred to a warrant authorizing a commissioned officer to hold a higher rank temporarily, but usually without receiving the pay of that higher rank except when actually serving in that role. An officer so promoted may be referred to as being...
as a brigadier general
Brigadier general (United States)
A brigadier general in the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, is a one-star general officer, with the pay grade of O-7. Brigadier general ranks above a colonel and below major general. Brigadier general is equivalent to the rank of rear admiral in the other uniformed...
and major general
Major general (United States)
In the United States Army, United States Marine Corps, and United States Air Force, major general is a two-star general-officer rank, with the pay grade of O-8. Major general ranks above brigadier general and below lieutenant general...
of volunteers March 13, 1865.
Banning served as member of the State House of Representatives in 1866 and 1867. He moved to Cincinnati
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
, in 1869 and resumed the practice of law. He was elected as a Liberal Republican
Liberal Republican Party (United States)
The Liberal Republican Party of the United States was a political party that was organized in Cincinnati in May 1872, to oppose the reelection of President Ulysses S. Grant and his Radical Republican supporters. The party's candidate in that year's presidential election was Horace Greeley, longtime...
to the Forty-third Congress
43rd United States Congress
The Forty-third United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1873 to March 4, 1875, during the fifth and sixth...
and as a Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
to the Forty-fourth Congress
44th United States Congress
The Forty-fourth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1875 to March 4, 1877, during the seventh and...
and Forty-fifth Congress
45th United States Congress
-House of Representatives:-Leadership:-Senate:*President: William A. Wheeler *President pro tempore: Thomas W. Ferry -House of Representatives:*Speaker: Samuel J. Randall -Members:This list is arranged by chamber, then by state...
, serving from (March 4, 1873 until March 3, 1879). He served as chairman of the Committee on Military Affairs in the Forty-fourth and Forty-fifth Congresses.
He was an unsuccessful candidate for renomination in 1878 to the Forty-sixth
46th United States Congress
The Forty-sixth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1879 to March 4, 1881, during the last two years of...
Congress, and for election in 1880 to the Forty-seventh
47th United States Congress
The Forty-seventh United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1881 to March 4, 1883, during the administration...
Congress. He then returned to his legal practice in Cincinnati.
Henry Banning died in Cincinnati on December 10, 1881. He was interred in Spring Grove Cemetery
Spring Grove Cemetery
Spring Grove Cemetery and Arboretum is a nonprofit garden cemetery and arboretum located at 4521 Spring Grove Avenue, Cincinnati, Ohio. It is the second largest cemetery in the United States and is recognized as a U.S. National Historic Landmark....
. He is buried not far from his brother-in-law, fellow former Civil War general Byron Kirby.
Namesake
Camp 207, Ohio Sons of Union Veterans, was founded in 1903 and named in General Banning's honor and memory. It is still active in Mount Vernon, Ohio.Banning was inducted to the Ohio Veteran's Hall of Fame in November 2004 by Ohio Governor Bob Taft
Bob Taft
Robert Alphonso "Bob" Taft II is an Ohio Republican Party politician. He was elected to two terms of office as the 67th Governor of the U.S. state of Ohio between 1999-2007. After leaving office, Taft started working for the University of Dayton beginning August 15, 2007.-Personal background:Taft...
. The Hall of Fame recognizes Buckeyes who continue to contribute to their community, state, and nation after their military service.
In 1868 he married Ida Kirby of Cincinnati, and had four children.
See also
- List of American Civil War generals
- List of Ohio's American Civil War generals
- Ohio in the American Civil War