General Benjamin F. Coates
was born June 23, 1827, near Wilmington, in Clinton County, Ohio. His father was Aquila Coates, born in 1799, in Chester County, Pennsylvania. His mother was Rachael Pidgeon, born in 1801, near Lynchburg, Virginia. His maternal grandfather, Isaac Pidgeon, was the owner of 1,600 acres of land, about five miles north of Winchester County, Virginia, which he divided among his children. General Coates' father and mother, and his grandfather Pidgeon were Friends, and were married according to the formula of that faith at Hopewell Meeting House, near Winchester, Virginia. They came to Ohio in 1823. They had eight children, six sons and two daughters. General Coates was reared on his father's farm, and attended the common school in Clinton County. He also attended an academy at Wilmington, conducted by Oliver W. Nixon. He studied medicine with Dr. Aquila Jones at Wilmington, and took his first course of lectures at the Ohio Medical College, of Cincinnati. His second course was taken at Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He began the practice of medicine at Mawrytown, in Highland County, in 1850, and remained there two and one-half years. He located in West Union, Ohio, in 1853. In 1857 he was married to Elizabeth J. Patter son, a daughter of John Patterson, a former resident of Adams County, and a prominent politician. In Adams County General Coates was a Democrat, and as such was elected to the Ohio senate in 1861, to rep resent the present seventh senatorial district. George A. Waller, of Portsmouth, was his opponent, and Coates' majority was twenty-three. In the legislature, he found himself at variance with his party, and acted with the Republicans on all questions relating to the Civil War. On August 10, 1862, after having attended the regular session of the fifty fifth general assembly from January 6 and May 6, 1862, he entered the Volunteer Army as lieutenant colonel of the 91st Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry. From January 6th until April 14, 1863, he was granted a leave of absence to attend the adjourned session of the fifty-fifth general assembly. He was wounded August 24, 1864, at the battle of Halltown, Virginia. He was promoted to the colonelcy of his regiment December 9, 1864, and was brevetted brigadier general March 13, 1865. He was mustered out of the service June 24, 1865. He made an excellent officer, and was highly esteemed for his ability and bravery by his superior officers. He located in Portsmouth, Ohio, July 1, 1865, as a physician. On July 1, 1866, he was appointed deputy collector of internal revenue, under Colonel John Campbell, of Ironton, Ohio, and on October 1, 1866, was appointed collector in the eleventh district of Ohio, in place of John Campbell, and held the office until July 1, 1881, when he resigned. He was a trustee of the Ohio Soldiers' and Sailors' Orphans' Home from 1868 to 1871. He was receiver of the Cincinnati & Eastern Railway Company from September 1, 1885, until February 1, 1887, and as special master commissioner, sold the road to the Ohio & Northwestern Company. He has served on the Portsmouth city board of equalization one or more terms. In 1897 he was appointed a member of the city board of elections for a term of four years.
Since 1862, General Coates has been a Republican. He left the Democratic party on account of war questions. During the time he held the collector's office, he was the leader of his party in the county and congressional district. He had a wonderful insight of human nature, and could tell beforehand how the public would form opinions of men and measures. He had great executive ability, and always had the courage of his opinions. He was a pleasant and agreeable companion, and had hosts of friends. He had been unwell for some two weeks prior to his death. On Saturday evening, May 6, 1899, he went to the Republican primary meeting in his precinct and voted. On returning, he lay down for a few moments, and then arose and undertook to walk to his chair. He sank between the bed and chair, where he breathed once or twice, and then died of heart failure. He leaves a widow and three children-his son Joseph, and daughters Lilian and Sarah. The latter was in Boston, Mass., the time of her father's death. General Coates made quite a reputation as an officer, and his memory will be always cherished by the survivors of his regiment.
From History of Adams County, Ohio from its Earliest Settlement to the Present Time - by Nelson W. Evans and Emmons B. Stivers - West Union, Ohio - Published by E. B. Stivers - 1900