Volunteers are out this morning cleaning up some of the gravesites of Civil War veterans in Manitowoc’s Evergreen Cemetery.
One of those grave sites is that of Private Johnathan “Leonard” Benkelman.
Leonard was born in Germany in 1828 and came to the United States twenty years later.
He lived in Lancaster New York for two years before coming to Manitowoc.
Historical documents list him as 5’ 10” tall with brown eyes, dark brown hair, and a “light complexion”.
Leonard officially joined the U.S. Army on September 8th, 1861 when he joined Company A, First Regiment, Mechanic Fusileers under a fellow Manitowoc man, Captain William Bates.
While we were unable to find any documents noting his exact movements and actions, we do know that he was listed as being a “weaver”.
That unit disbanded less than a year later, but according to Volunteer Enlistment paperwork, Leonard reenlisted on February 14th, 1865, joining Company D under the 48th Wisconsin Infantry.
He officially left the army in February of 1866 and lived out his days in Manitowoc.
Leonard had four children with Jane McCormick, William, Mary Jane, Fredrich, and Emma.
Fredrich and Emma appear to have been good scholars, as they were each listed in the First Ward School News on March 23rd, 1871 as having “attained an average standing of 85 or upwards” in school.
Emma would have been 11 at the time, and Fredrich would have been 15.
Leonard Benkelman passed away in May of 1913, with his obituary in the Manitowoc Daily Herald noting him as being well known in the county and “universally esteemed”.
He was laid to rest at Evergreen Cemetery IN Section W2, Block 150, Lot 3, Space 3.