General Perry Benson, NSDAR

Chapter History

On July 4, 1776, Perry Benson, was commissioned as an Ensign in the famous Maryland Line. On June 22, 1798, he was made Brigadier General and finally a Major General of the Maryland Militia, in charge of the forces in Caroline, Dorchester, and Talbot counties throughout the War of 1812. He died on October 2, 1827. Recently, chapter members researched the life of Thomas Carney, the man who saved the General's life on the battlefield and became his close friend. They submitted their research to the State of Maryland so that a sign could be erected in Denton, Maryland, as a tribute to the valor and sacrifice of this local Patriot.

Commemorating April 17, 1965, the General Perry Benson Chapter, NSDAR, celebrates our chapter’s anniversary by conducting a patriotic remembrance after having renovated an unkempt plot of debris-laden land and rededicating the now pristine Benson Family Cemetery in Newcomb, Maryland. We are grateful for the contributions of deceased member Nancy Chandonet, who bequeathed funds for this project, and the leadership of Laurie Burke Shaw, Past Chapter Regent, for breathing life into this project. We also worked with the State of Maryland to relocate a road sign to State Route 33, which directs the public to General Perry Benson's grave site overlooking Oak Creek.