Risden Tyler Bennett

Risden Tyler Bennett (June 18, 1840 – July 21, 1913) was a Democratic U.S. congressman from North Carolina between 1883 and 1887. He was also an attorney and judge. He was also an orator and wrote articles for the Charlotte and Wadesboro newspapers.

Personal life Bennett married Kate Shepperd on August 26, 1863, while he was at home recovering from his wounds during the Civil War. They had two sons who died in infancy and three daughters, Mary, Effie, and Kate.

Although raised a Baptist, he was baptized by a Methodist chaplain during the Civil War. Later in life, he joined the Episcopal Church. He donated a collection of a thousand books to start a library in Wadesboro.

While at the Constitutional Convention in 1875, Bennett suffered from sciatica and had to be carried to the Capital on a cot daily, as he was unable to sit up.

In 1913, He died at his home in Wadesboro from pneumonia at the age of 73. He is buried in his family cemetery in Wadesboro, North Carolina.