General Notes

[Lamont.FTW]

Kentucky: A History of the State, Perrin, Battle, Kniffin, 8th ed., 1888,
Jefferson Co.

BENNETT H. YOUNG, one of the enterprising young business men of Louisville,
is a native Kentuckian, and was born May 25, 1843, in Jessamine County. He
is a son of Robert and Josephine (Henderson) Young, also Kentuckians, and
devout Presbyterians.  His early education was obtained in Bethel Academy,
in his native county, but in 1861 he entered Centre College at Danville.
His college life, however, was interrupted by the civil war, and affected
by the spirit of the times and the ardor of youth, he enlisted in Company
B, Capt. William Lewis (of Fayette County), Eighth Regiment, Col. Leroy S.
Clark, Morgan's famous cavalry.  He served with Gen. Morgan and was
captured with him at Buffington Island, Ohio, and imprisoned at Columbus.
Afterward he was transferred to Camp Douglas, Chicago, from which he
escaped in January, 1864, and finally made his way into Canada. It was too
late in the season to pass down the St. Lawrence River, navigation having
closed, and so the young soldier matriculated in the University of Toronto,
where he remained until April, passing a highly creditable examination. He
was placed in command of a number of escaped Confederate prisoners, and
took passage on the first boat going down the St. Lawrence after resumption
of navigation, and sailed for the West Indies, where they caught a blockade
runner for the Confederacy.  This was a hazardous undertaking, as the
blockader went in under fire, and several of the crew were killed, while
the remainder, panic-stricken, became so demoralized that they no longer
obeyed orders.  In this trying ordeal the young Confederate soldier, with
reckless exposure, gave his assistance to the officers of the vessel and
taking the post of a seaman who had been killed, he bore a very prominent
part in saving it from capture or destruction. He was appointed first
lieutenant in the Confederate service and sent to Canada, where he
subsequently engaged in many daring and hazardous enterprises, the last of
which was the St. Albans raid.  When the Confederacy went down at
Appomattox, Lieut. Young went to Europe, where he remained until his
political disabilities were removed under the general amnesty proclamation
of President Johnson in 1868.  While in Europe he studied several years at
the Irish and Scotch universities, taking the first honor in the law course
and third distinction in the literary department of Queen's University.  He
returned to the United States, and in 1868 commenced practicing law in
Louisville, where he soon won a large and lucrative practice.  He became
interested in railways, and in connection with St. John Boyle constructed
the Louisville & St. Louis Air-Line road.  This was followed by the more
difficult but important work of reconstructing an almost dead line.  In
connection with R. S. Veech and others he secured control of the
Louisville, New Albany & Chicago Railroad, rebuilt it, and made it one of
the most valuable lines centering in Louisville. In 1855 he undertook the
construction of the magnificent cantalever bridge across the Ohio between
Louisville and New Albany, followed by the Daisy Belt Railroad, connecting
Louisville and New Albany over this bridge, and also extending to the
beautiful suburb of Parkland.  Since the completion of these enterprises he
has constructed (having recently completed it) the Louisville Southern
Railroad, destined to be one of the most important roads from Louisville
to the South. It involves the development of Eastern Kentucky, a region as
rich in mineral resources as Pennsylvania, and hitherto not penetrated by
railroads.  No public enterprise fails to receive his hearty support.  He
is president of Bellewood Seminary at Anchorage, Ky., which stands as a
monument of his liberality toward education.  He is president and has
always been the moving spirit of Polytechn