▁War , ▁rising ▁to ▁the ▁rank ▁of ▁major ▁general . ▁He ▁commanded ▁a ▁division ▁at ▁the ▁Battle ▁of ▁Sh il oh , ▁which ▁suffered ▁heavy ▁cas ual ties ▁while ▁def ending ▁what ▁became ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁Hor net ' s ▁N est ▁from ▁continued ▁Confeder ate ▁assault s , ▁and ▁he ▁eventually ▁surrender ed ▁his ▁division . ▁He ▁was ▁critic ized ▁by ▁some ▁for ▁his ▁conduct ▁in ▁that ▁battle . ▁After ▁his ▁exchange , ▁he ▁continued ▁to ▁serve ▁in ▁the ▁army ▁until ▁his ▁res ignation ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 3 . ▁He ▁spent ▁much ▁of ▁his ▁remaining ▁life ▁pract ising ▁as ▁a ▁lawyer ▁and ▁as ▁a ▁politician ▁in ▁the ▁Republican ▁Party . ▁ ▁Early ▁life , ▁mar ri ages ▁and ▁family ▁Benjamin ▁M . ▁Pr ent iss ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁Belle ville , ▁Virginia . ▁He ▁was ▁a ▁direct ▁desc endant ▁of ▁Valent ine ▁Pr ent ice , ▁who ▁imm igr ated ▁from ▁England ▁in ▁ 1 6 3 1 . ▁His ▁early ▁child hood ▁was ▁spent ▁in ▁Virginia ▁until ▁his ▁family ▁joined ▁the ▁migration ▁and ▁moved ▁near ▁Hann ib al , ▁Missouri . ▁They ▁then ▁moved ▁to ▁Qu in cy , ▁Illinois , ▁where ▁Pr ent iss ▁made ▁his ▁home ▁until ▁ 1 8 7 9 . ▁ ▁He ▁then ▁moved ▁to ▁Missouri . ▁ ▁In ▁his ▁early ▁life , ▁Benjamin ▁Pr ent iss ▁was ▁a ▁ro pe - maker ▁and ▁served ▁as ▁an ▁au ction e er . ▁On ▁March ▁ 2 9 , ▁ 1 8 3 8 ,