N. Benton Yackey
Contributed by Karen Mitchell and Jean Griesan. Photo by Floyd Kelling.
N. Benton Yackey 1843 - 1938
������� Yackey was the last surviving member of the Grand Army of the Republic in Pueblo.� As commander of the post - and only member - he held regular meetings and went through the ritual.� He was a familiar sight as he walked about the city in his blue GAR uniform and cap until weeks before his death.� He was one of the organizers of the GAR in Pueblo in 1881 and was active in affairs of the Colorado-Wyoming department.� A native of Illinois, he was reared in St. Louis and served in the Second Missouri Cavalry before being wounded in the battle for Memphis, Missouri, in 1862.� He then was a carpenter on steamboats plying the Mississippi River and tributaries for several years.� He moved to Pueblo with his wife in 1878, worked as a clothing salesman, operated an express wagon for ten years, and later worked as a cabinet maker and carpenter.� He was a member of Independent Order of Odd Fellows No. 8 for 73 years.
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