On or around 9/28/1775, Benjamin Exum was commissioned as a Lieutenant under Capt. George Miller (who was commissioned on that same date) and Col. Richard Caswell in the New Bern District Minutemen. This unit was at the battle of Moore's Creek Bridge on 2/27/1776. All Minutemen regiments were disbanded on 4/10/1776.

In March of 1776, Benjamin Exum was promoted to Captain under Col. Abraham Sheppard in the Dobbs County Regiment of Militia after George Miller deserted.

In April of 1776, Benjamin Exum was commissioned as the second Colonel in the Dobbs County Regiment of Militia. When Col. Abraham Sheppard was given command of the 10th NC Regiment (Continentals) on 4/17/1777, Benjamin Exum then became the Colonel/Commandant over the Dobbs County Regiment of Militia.

On 11/2/1779, the NC General Assembly created Wayne County, and soon thereafter they commissioned Benjamin Exum as the Colonel/Commandant over the Wayne County Regiment of Militia, a position he retained until the end of the war.

On 6/2/1780, the NC General Assembly created two special regiments of NC Militia in response to the British capture of Charlestown, SC a few weeks earlier. Col. Benjamin Exum was given command of the 2nd NC Regiment of Militia on that date, and he marched his regiment into South Carolina, where they, among many others, were routed by the British at the battle of Camden, SC on 8/16/1780.

Col. Benjamin Exum returned to Wayne County and led his regiment, in conjunction with Col. John Sheppard, until the end of the war.

Benjamin Exum was born in 1745 in Southampton County, VA and he died on 10/10/1821 in Greene County, NC. He was a North Carolina State Senator from Dobbs County during 1777 to 1779.