| Benjamin L. Cleaves | |
| Office: | Coroner of Cook County |
| Term Start: | 1869 |
| Term End: | November 1870 |
| Predecessor: | William Wagner |
| Successor: | John Stephens |
| Office1: | Sheriff of Cook County |
| Term Start1: | April 1870 |
| Term End1: | November 1870 |
| Predecessor1: | Gustav Fischer |
| Successor1: | Timothy Bradley |
| Birth Date: | June 25, 1835 |
| Birth Place: | Portland, Maine, U.S. |
| Death Place: | Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
Benjamin L. Cleaves (June 25, 1835 - March 8, 1883) was an American politician who briefly served as both the Coroner of Cook County and ex officio Sheriff of Cook County.[1] He assumed the office of Sheriff after his predecessor, Gustav Fischer, absconded in December 1869, leaving behind his family and a number of disgruntled creditors.[2]
Cleaves was a police sergeant in Chicago before the beginning of the American Civil War. He enlisted in the 1st Illinois Artillery, serving as a private in Battery A. He fought in multiple battles, including the Battle of Shiloh and the Siege of Vicksburg.[3]
Discharged from the Union Army in 1864, Cleaves returned to Chicago. On July 4, 1867, Cleaves' right arm was accidentally blown off by a cannon during an Independence Day celebration. He ran for Coroner of Cook County in 1868 and won the election in November. He resigned a position as a police substation manager to fill the coroner's office.[4]
Cleaves drowned in the Chicago River on March 8, 1883.[5]