Benjamin F. Allen

Benjamin F. Allen (February 15, 1817 – between 1870 and 1880[lower-alpha 1]), also referred to as B. F. Allen, was an American lawyer and politician in the state of Florida. Allen served as the 5th Secretary of State of Florida.[1]

Benjamin F. Allen
5th Secretary of State of Florida
In office January 13, 1863 – July 4, 1868
Governor	John Milton Abraham K. Allison William Marvin David S. Walker
Preceded by	Frederick L. Villepigue
Succeeded by	George J. Alden
Member of the Florida House of Representatives from the Leon district
In office 1862–1863
In office 1850–1851
Personal details
Born	February 15, 1817 Tennessee
Died	between 1870 and 1880 (aged 53–63) Tallahassee, Florida or Hot Springs, Arkansas
Political party	Democratic (after 1860)
Other political affiliations	Whig Party (before 1856) Opposition Party (1856-1860)
Education	University of Virginia
Military service
Allegiance	Confederate States
Branch/service	Confederate States Army
Years of service	1861–1863
Rank	Private
Unit	Dyke's Light Artillery Company
Battles/wars	American Civil War

Early career

Allen was born in Tennessee on February 15, 1817. His brother, Richard C. Allen, moved to St. Joseph, Florida by 1825, and became a prominent local politician, serving in the 1838 Florida Constitutional Convention and as a federal district judge in nearby Apalachicola, Florida.

Allen attended the University of Virginia from 1839 to 1840, and moved to Tallahassee, Florida after graduation to take care of his brother, who died shortly after.[2]

Allen took occupation as a local lawyer, and was elected to represent Leon County in the Florida House of Representatives for one term, serving from 1850 to 1851. In 1855, Allen was appointed as the printer for the Florida Senate. Allen later served as the editor for the influential Whig Party newspaper the Florida Sentinel, serving in this position from 1856 to 1858.[2][3]

Allen ran as the Opposition Party candidate in the 1860 United States House of Representatives election for Florida's at-large congressional district, losing to clerk of the Florida House of Representatives Robert Benjamin Hilton, receiving only 40% of the vote compared to Hilton's 60%.[4]

American Civil War and Reconstruction

At the outbreak of the American Civil War, Allen sided with the Confederacy and joined the Confederate States Army in 1861, serving as a private in Dyke's Light Artillery Company under the command of Captain Charles Dyke.[5] Dyke's Light Artillery was tasked with the defense of Tallahassee, which was far from the frontlines of the war. Due to this free time, Allen was again elected to the Florida House of Representatives to represent Leon County.[3][6]

Allen was mustered out of the army on January 13, 1863 following his appointment as Secretary of State of Florida after the resignation of Frederick L. Villepigue, who resigned in order to take captaincy of the Kilcrease Light Artillery. In this position, Allen oversaw the transition of Florida into Reconstruction, and, along with Governor David S. Walker and other state officials, signed off on the resolution recognizing the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution.[7] Allen served as secretary of state until July 4, 1868, when he was succeeded by George J. Alden after an election.[2]

Death

Allen appeared on the 1870 United States Census, living in a boarding house in Tallahassee. However, he did not appear on the 1880 United States Census, meaning he likely died in the decade between. Maximilian Schele De Vere, a professor at the University of Virginia who compiled the histories of notable alumni, listed Allen's deathplace as Hot Springs, Arkansas, though there are no other sources to corroborate this.[2]

References

1. "Office History - Florida Department of State". Florida Department of State. Retrieved 2020-11-08.
2. Cooper, Jean L. (2012-11-27). "Benjamin F. Allen (15 Feb. 1817-d. betw. 1870 and 1880)". Students of the University of Virginia, 1825-1874. Retrieved 2020-11-08.
3. The People of Lawmaking in Florida 1822 - 2019 (PDF). Tallahassee: Florida House of Representatives. 2019. p. 3. Retrieved November 7, 2020.
4. "Our Campaigns - FL At Large Race - Oct 01, 1860". www.ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved 2020-11-08.
5. "Soldier Details - The Civil War (U.S. National Park Service)". National Park Service. Retrieved 2020-11-08.
6. "Battle Unit Details - The Civil War (U.S. National Park Service)". National Park Service. Retrieved 2020-11-08.
7. "Congressional Serial Set". U.S. Government Printing Office. July 9, 1866 – via Google Books.

Notes

1. Allen appeared on the 1870 United States Census, but not on the 1880 United States Census, meaning he likely died in the decade between.