Benson’s Real Daughter Of Confederacy To Be Honored

In 2016, the town of Benson, North Carolina, honored one of its own as a “Real Daughter of the Confederacy.” Iva Lee Benson Gainey was the daughter of Charles H. Benson, who enlisted at age 20 and served as a private in Company I of the 24th North Carolina Infantry. At the time, she was one of only a handful of Real Daughters still living. She was honored at a public reception at the Heritage Center’s Holding-Richardson Exhibit Hall.

What Is a Real Daughter?

A Real Daughter is the actual daughter, not a granddaughter or great-granddaughter, of a man who served the Confederacy. The term is used by the United Daughters of the Confederacy, which honors these women as living links to the war. It may seem impossible that a daughter of a Civil War soldier was still alive in the 21st century, but it happened when veterans married much younger wives late in life and had children in their 70s or even 80s. Today, nearly all of them have passed away.

The 24th North Carolina

The 24th North Carolina Infantry was organized in 1861 and served throughout the war. It fought in the Seven Days battles around Richmond, including Malvern Hill, and at Sharpsburg and Fredericksburg as part of General Robert Ransom’s brigade. Later it served in North Carolina and Virginia, including the long siege of Petersburg. Like most North Carolina regiments, it suffered heavy losses. North Carolina sent more men to the Confederate army than almost any other state.

Benson and Johnston County

Benson lies in Johnston County, which saw some of the last major fighting of the war. In March 1865, General Joseph E. Johnston’s army made a final stand against Sherman’s much larger force at the Battle of Bentonville, just a few miles away. It was the largest battle ever fought in North Carolina. Today the Bentonville Battlefield State Historic Site preserves the ground where so many North Carolina families lost loved ones.

For the people of Benson, honoring Mrs. Gainey was a way to honor her father and all the men of the county who served. Read more in our post The North Carolina Republic, 1861–1865, and honor North Carolina’s soldiers with a flag from our Confederate flag collection.

Source: The Daily Record: Benson’s Real Daughter of Confederacy to Be Honored

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