COOPER
SOLDIERS AND
SAILORS OF THE CIVIL WAR
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES
On April 12, 1861 Fort
Sumter in Charleston, South Carolina harbor came under fire. This
rotation of fire marked the culmination of centuries of two cultures
diversifying and six decades of congress’s inability to
overcome the political malfunctions that resulted from unequal
economic strengths and conflicting views of humanity within our
nation. Those shots were the ultimate expression of states rights
aimed at a symbol of federalism.
We hope that we’ll list every man from each
town who was in the Civil War. Our research found no women. The list
is to be inclusive, including men born here, or lived here before or
after the War, or were connected by official records to our towns.
Note: place of birth may be what each soldier gave when he entered
the service, unless we have better evidence. We hope to tell about
each before those shots were fired, where they were born, where they
lived, and what work they did.
We will give
information about their military service based on sources listed
below. Occasionally this information is confusing, especially when
several people with the same name appear in the records. I hope I’ve
chosen the correct information for this paper.
Finally, what happened
to each? Did they die while at war? Did they return home? Did they go
west?
Civil War soldiers listed here where in the infantry
unless so stated. Some were in the Light or Mounted Artillery; both
terms are used in the records. All men served as privates unless
otherwise stated. Place names are in Maine unless otherwise noted.
Most men volunteered, but a few were drafted or conscripted. Most
were single farmers or laborers: I listed only other occupations and
noted those who were married. I used either the enlistment date or
the mustered-in date. The discharge date may be date of order or date
of actual discharge. Not all transfers are recorded.
These sketches were part of Special Issue 17 of the
A-CHS Newsletter. That also included soldiers and sailors of
Alexander, Crawford, Big Lake Township, Princeton, Baileybille,
Baring and Meddybemps. Errors here are mine and I apologize for them.
We ask for additions and corrections. John Dudley at A-CHS, 216
Pokey Road, Alexander ME 04694, did the research and writing.
Sources:
Maine
in the War for the Union, the
Special Schedule Census of Surviving Soldiers, Sailors, Marines and
Widows for 1890; Alexander
Vitals
compiled by Sharon Howland; The
Maine Adjutant General’s Reports;
No
Rich Men’s Sons
by James H. Mundy; The
Civil War Almanac;
census records; area cemetery grave stones; records at the Maine
State Archives, records collected by Pliney Eugene Frost (1920 -
1997) and other A-CHS files; Early
Princeton
by Bruce Belmore; A
History of Baring
by Clifford Chase; Maine
in the War for the Union
by Wm. Whitman & Chas. True; The
Story of the Maine Fifteenth
by H. A. Storey; History
of the 13th
Maine Regiment (1898)
by Ed Lufkin of Weld. Ken Ross shared his work Washington
County Maine in the Civil War.
It was of great assistance in this project. It is available on the
web. The text connects Washington County to important events of the
War; it tells who from here was where! He also has a list of over
4000 names of men from Washington County who served. This is a
valuable resource and interesting reading.
COOPER
SKETCHES
Township 16 BPPED was incorporated as
Cooper in 1822. Its population in 1860 was 468. An asterisk * is
found in front each who died while at war or as a direct result of
the war.
GEORGE
B. ASHLEY volunteered for a three-year term
in the US Navy on November 17, 1864 NFI
*ARIEL
W. AVERILL was born in Cooper ca 1830, a
resident of Cooper and living in the house of Joseph and Dolly
Averill; Also in the house was 17 year old Eliza Gardner, a domestic.
The1850 census lists a Ward W. Averill of appropriate age. Were these
two names for the same person? Ariel was newly married when he
enlisted on September 16, 1861. He served in Company H, 9th
Regiment Infantry, Maine Volunteers. He was killed in action on July
18, 1863 at Fort Wagner SC.
*STEPHEN W. AVERILL
was born ca
1835, son of Jeremiah and Mary Averill who lived on the Racetrack at
the top of West Ridge in Cooper. He enlisted on June 14, 1861 in
Company F 6th
Regiment Infantry, Maine Volunteers (Pembroke Company). He was
Discharged for Disability on November 19, 1862 and died April 16,
1864.
THEODORE
D. AYERS was born on June 20, 1838 in Cooper
a son of Simeon and Mary (Scott) Ayers. He was a half brother of John
Munson listed in Alexander. Theodore lived in Alexander with his
parents in 1860. On May 5, 1864 he mustered into Company I, 32
Regiment Infantry, Maine Volunteers, later he transferred to Company
I, 31st Maine. He
deserted on January 3, 1865.
AUGUSTINE HAVERTY
BABCOCK was
born in Alexander on July 17, 1840, son of Stephen and Betsey (Flood)
Babcock. In 1860 he was living with the Hiram Munson family in
Cooper. He enlisted on July 15, 1861 in Company F, 6th
Regiment Infantry, Maine Volunteers. He was wounded at the Battle of
the Wilderness and was discharged for disability in 1862. He
re-enlisted on August 9, 1863 in Company F, 19th
Maine, promoted to Corporal, and was honorably discharged on
September 11, 1865 from Company F, 1st
Regiment Heavy Artillery, Maine Volunteers. Augustine was a farmer
with a wife Louisa in Cooper at the time of the 1870 census. He owned
a place near James Niles house and the John Sprague place on
Breakneck in Cooper. This was near where he had grown up on that same
road. His Uncle Wesley Flood acquired the place from him in December
1879 and the Babcock family was gone by 1880..
*WILLIAM HENRY BABCOCK
was born in Alexander on June 9, 1842 a brother of Augustine. In 1860
he was living in Cooper with the Paul Munson family. He volunteered
at age 19 and served in Company F, 6th
Regiment Infantry, Maine Volunteers. He died at Camp Griffin February
14, 1862.
JAMES BAMFORD,
born ca 1837 a son of James and Mary Bamford who lived on Arbuckle
Hill. He was a farmer when conscripted into Company B, 11th
Regiment Infantry, Maine Volunteers on October 3, 1864. He was
discharged by Order #77. Maine Adjutants General Report gives his
name as Bradford.
GEORGE W. BLACK, JR
was born in Penobscot and was married with at least one child when he
enlisted at age 26 on August 11, 1862 into Company K (Eastport
Company), 6th
Regiment Infantry, Maine Volunteers. He transferred to Company D of
1st
Maine Veteran Volunteers, was wounded on May 5, 1864 and promoted to
Corporal on June 30, 1864. He was discharged on June 16, 1865. He
lived either on the Connick Road or on the East Ridge Road.
*THOMAS D. BRISLEY
was born in Lubec the son of Benjamin and Mary Brisley. The family
moved to the North Union Road. In July 1862 at age 28 he enlisted in
Company K, 6th
Regiment Infantry, Maine Volunteers. He was wounded in elbow on May
3, 1863 at Marye’s Height and killed in action on November 7,
1863 at Rappahannock Station. That was a deadly battle for the
Confederates who lost 2033 dead and captured.
HENRY J. BURBANK was
the son of Thomas and Harriet Burbank who lived on the East Ridge
Road where he was born ca 1837. The 1860 census listed him as a tin
peddler. He enlisted in Company F of 22nd
Regiment Infantry, Maine Volunteers on September 10, 1862 for a
9-month term. He was discharged honorably on August 14, 1863.
*CHARLES L. CLARK was
a Charlotte born 21 year old farmer, resident of Cooper, when he
enlisted on June 17, 1861 in Company F, 6th
Regiment Infantry, Maine Volunteers. He was wounded at Yorktown and
died on May 2, 1862.
JASON L. DOTEN, son
of Ammi and Mary Doten, was born ca 1840 and lived on the Vining
Road. He enlisted on November 6, 1861 and served in the 3rd
Battery, Maine Light or Mounted Artillery. He re-enlisted on December
21, 1863 in the Maine Veteran Volunteers, was promoted to Corporal on
July 18, 1864 and to sergeant in Maine Mounted Artillery. He was
honorably discharged on June 17, 1865. Jason returned to Cooper. In
1870 he was married to Sarah and had two children and lived near
Doten Brook on Route 191, Cooper Highway. He died on November 17,
1911 and is buried in a marked grave at West Ridge Cemetery.
*JOHN W. DOTEN was
a younger brother of Jason. He was conscripted into Company G, 20th
Regiment Infantry, Maine Volunteers on October 3, 1864. He died of
disease on June 8, 1865
WILLIAM B. DOTEN was
another brother of Jason. He was 19 and married when he volunteered.
He served in Company A, 9th
Regiment Infantry, Maine Volunteers and gave his residence as Baring.
He re-enlisted on January 1, 1864 and was on detached duty after
that. William came back to Cooper and in 1870 was living with his
parents, his wife Elizabeth and their two children. William died on
February 28, 1890 and is buried at the West Ridge Cemetery.
HENRY H ELLIS was
born ca 1846 in Calais and was a resident of Calais when he entered
Company A, 9th
Regiment Infantry, Maine Volunteers on February 19, 1864. He was
honorably discharged on July 13, 1865. Henry appears on but two
Cooper census records, 1860 living with his parents Thomas and
Rosanna, and again in 1900 with a 13 year old daughter and his
parents with him. He had married Ida Bean of Calais on May 11, 1872;
she may have been the mother of that girl born in 1887. He married
Martha Libby on July 11, 1914. He died in 1918 and is buried at the
West Ridge Cemetery.
LEVI
FLOOD was 30 and single when he volunteered
in the army on June 21, 1861. He mustered into Company K, 6th
Regiment Infantry, Maine Volunteers on July 15, 1861. His two Babcock
nephews also served in the 6th
Maine, but in Company F. By 1862 he was a Corporal, later 1st
Sergeant and was wounded at Rappahannock Station. He received an
honorable discharge on August 15, 1864. He re-enlisted in Company H,
1st Veteran
Volunteers on February 28, 1865 and was discharged on August 3, 1866.
Levi and Mary Webber of St. Stephen were married on October 30, 1883;
they lived in Cooper on the Green Hill Road. Levi died in 1891 and is
buried in the Flood Family Cemetery on the Cooper Road..
THOMAS
L. FOSTER joined the Navy in 1862.
*STEPHEN
J. GETCHELL was 39, lived on the Racetrack,
married with at least 3 young children when conscripted into Company
B, 11th Regiment
Infantry, Maine Volunteers on October 4, 1864. He drowned in the
Appomattox River on March 19, 1865. In 1870, his widow Delia and son
Waldo were in Cooper.
*CHARLES E. HAYWARD
was the son of
Henry and Azubah, residents of North Union Road. He was born in
Cooper ca 1844. He enlisted in Company F of 22nd
Regiment Infantry, Maine Volunteers on October 10, 1862. He died of
disease on July 2, 1863.
*WILLIAM H. HAYWARD,
older brother of Charles, enlisted in Co D 1st
Regiment, Maine Cavalry on October 10, 1861. He died of heart disease
on October 14, 1862 and is buried at the Military Asylum Cemetery in
Washington, DC. Listed in Meddybemps Historical Newsletter issue
#33.
BENJAMIN HENDERSON was
born ca 1832 in Cooper a son of Benjamin and Mary Henderson and lived
on East Ridge Road. He enlisted in Company F of 22nd
Regiment Infantry, Maine Volunteers on October 10, 1862 for a
nine-month term. His brother Levi volunteered the same day. Benjamin
was discharged honorably on August 14, 1863.
ISAAC N. HENDERSON was
a brother of Benjamin and Levi. He was about 35 when conscripted on
October 4, 1864 into Company G, 20th
Regiment Infantry, Maine Volunteers. Isaac was discharged by Order 77
on July 16, 1865 and returned to Cooper. He and Alma had 4 children
by 1870. He died on July 24, 1900 and is buried at Evergreen Cemetery
LEVI HENDERSON
was 21 when he enlisted in Company F of 22nd
Regiment Infantry, Maine Volunteers on September 10, 1862 for a
nine-month term. He was discharged on August 14, 1863. Later Levi
was in Cooper with a wife Diantha and two children. The family moved
to Tyler’s’ Corner in Alexander where five more children
were born. Levi drove the Airline Stage was a blacksmith and farmer.
The 1890 census reported that he suffered from fever, ague and
rheumatism He is buried in the Alexander Cemetery.
JAMES HICKEY
of Machias was a substitute for Paul Munson Jr of Cooper. Munson, a
forty-year-old lumberman, was the widowed father of two when
conscripted into Company B, 11th
Regiment Infantry, Maine Volunteers on October 4, 1864. He paid the
commutation fee and Hickey served in his place. William H. Babcock
had lived with Munson before the war.
JAMES R. HIGGINS was
a son of Nathan and Lydia Higgins of the Connick Road. He was 18 when
he enlisted in Company F, 6th
Regiment Infantry, Maine Volunteers on June 14, 1861. He was
discharged for disability September 16, 1863. A stone stands in the
East Ridge Cemetery for ‘J. R. Higgins, Co. F, 6th
Me. Infantry.
*NATHAN
HIGGINS, JR was 44 and married with seven
children when he entered the Army on January 4, 1864. He served in
Company M, 1st
Regiment Heavy Artillery, Maine Volunteers and died at Petersburg on
October 1, 1864. His widow Lydia and children were not in Cooper by
1870.
ELLIS L. HITCHINGS, a
son of Deacon Hiram and Mary Hitchings, lived on the East Ridge Road.
He was a 20 when in July 1861 he enlisted in Company C, 6th
Regiment Infantry, Maine Volunteers (Machias Company). He was
honorably discharged on August 15, 1864.
*HIRAM HITCHINGS was
a younger brother of Ellis. He enlisted in Company F, 22nd
Regiment Infantry, Maine Volunteers on October 10, 1862. He died on
April 21, 1863 at Baton Rouge LA. His name is listed on his parents’
gravestone at Evergreen Cemetery. How many Cooper men served with
him?
DAVID
HOWE had gray hair when he enlisted on
January 15, 1864. He had been born in 1821, was married to Charlotte
Brown and had fathered seven children when he mustered in Company M,
1st Regiment Heavy
Artillery, Maine Volunteers. His official record states he was killed
in action on April 1, 1864. Actually he was seriously wounded,
hospitalized until January 11, 1865 and discharged on September 11,
1865. He returned to Middle Ridge Cooper where he died on March 21,
1907.
*EDWIN IRELAND
was 16, but the record states 18 when he entered the Army on October
27, 1864. He was a son of Abram Ireland who had lost his wife in 1859
(childbirth?). Edwin was in Company A, 1st
Maine Sharp Shooters. He died at Augusta on November 6, 1864. Roll
of Honor
does not give his burial place in Augusta.
REUBEN KEEN was
born in Alexander on August 1, 1833 to the widow Mary Bean. He
married in 1855 Mary Bridges and they lived in Alexander. He was
drafted into the 20th
Regiment Infantry, Maine Volunteers on October 3, 1864. He actually
served in Company A, 13th
Regiment Infantry, Maine Volunteers. He was honorably discharged on
July 16, 1865. By 1880 he, his second wife Susan (Bagley), nine
children and two grandchildren were living at Keen’s Corner,
Cooper. Reuben died in 1914 and is buried at West Ridge Cemetery
FRANCIS P. LANE was
born in Cooper on November 8, 1842 the son of Daniel and Temperance
(Pettigrew) Lane of the North Union Road. He was almost 20 when he
enlisted in Company F, 22nd
Regiment Infantry, Maine Volunteers on September 10, 1862 for a
nine-month term. He was honorably discharged on August 14, 1863.
After his return he built a home at 324 North Union Road which stands
today. On June 10, 1865 he married Eliza Strout. He died on February
17, 1904 and is buried in the family lot at the Evergreen Cemetery,
Cooper.
*JOHN
MUNSON was
born in Cooper on October 27, 1836. By 1860 he was living on the
South Princeton Road in Alexander with his mother Elizabeth, her
numerous children and his stepfather Simeon Ayres. He enlisted on
September 10, 1862 in Company F, 22nd
Regiment Infantry, Maine Volunteers. He died of disease on April 29,
1863 at Baton Rouge LA..
HENRY
W. PALMETER was the son of James and Lovina
Palmeter of Cooper. He was born ca 1841, the oldest child. On August
25, 1861 he enlisted in Company G, 18th
Massachusetts Regiment. He died of wounds on September 20, 1862 at
Shepherdstown WV.
*RUFUS D. PHIPPS lived
with his parents on the North Union Road; they were William and
Eliza. He was born ca 1839 in Township #14. He enlisted in Company F,
6th
Regiment Infantry, Maine Volunteers on June 14, 1861. He was
discharged for disability October 16, 1862. He re-enlisted on March
16, 1864 in Company A, 9th
Regiment Infantry, Maine Volunteers and died of disease on April 14,
1865.
STEPHEN
E. PHIPPS was born ca 1841, a brother of
Rufus. He was of Calais when he enlisted on March 16, 1864 in Company
A, 9th Regiment
Infantry, Maine Volunteers. We note that Stephen and Rufus enlisted
at that time. Enlistments in the same company and regiment by
siblings were discouraged by the Army, as were enlistments by
neighbors. A single battle could devastate a family or community.
Stephen was wounded at the Battle of the Crater near Petersburg VA
and discharged for disability on March 1, 1865.
THOMAS
H. PHIPPS, 22 a third brother, was of St.
Stephen when he enlisted on September 21, 1861 in Company H, 9th
Regiment Infantry, Maine Volunteers. He was discharged for disability
on September 21, 1862.
JOSEPH L. REED was
born in New Brunswick ca 1844. A resident of Cooper, he enlisted on
August 1, 1862 in Company I, 6th
Regiment Infantry, Maine Volunteers. He later transferred to Company
C, 1st
Maine Veteran Volunteers. He was discharged on June 16, 1865 and went
to Port Orchard WA.
HUGH ROBB, JR volunteered
and was enrolled in Company F, 6th
Regiment Infantry, Maine Volunteers. He was born in Ireland ca 1832,
enlisted in Cooper, but was a resident of Alexander. He was wounded
at Rappahannock Station, hit in the left thigh, which fractured his
femur. This happened on November 7, 1863. He was discharged for
disability on May 5, 1864. He returned to marry and live at the north
end of the Robb Hill Road, on the Baileyville side, where he died
March 17, 1905.
THOMAS
J. SADLER
was born ca 1831 a son of Samuel and Eliza Sadler. He grew up on the
East Ridge Road. He was married to Alice when he enlisted on June 26,
1861 in Company K, 6th
Regiment Infantry, Maine Volunteers. His place of enlistment was
Alexander. He was honorably discharged on August 15, 1864. After the
war the family lived on the North Union Road where the Phipps family
had lived. He moved to Calais and died there at age 72 and is buried
at the Calais Cemetery.
JAMES C. SMITH was
a son of Haskal and Deborah Smith of the Haskal Smith Road. He was 25
when he enlisted
on December 28, 1863 in Company M, 1st
Regiment Heavy Artillery, Maine Volunteers. He transferred to Company
K, 3rd
Battery Maine Light or Mounted Artillery. He was promoted to
corporal. He was discharged on July 15, 1865.
*JOHN
H. SMITH was James Smith’s younger
brother. He was conscripted into Company I, 20th
Regiment Infantry, Maine Volunteers on October 4, 1864. He died of
disease on July 10, 1865 at 21 years, 11 months according to a
gravestone at the East Ridge Cemetery. That stone gives ‘12th
Maine’.
THOMAS M. SPRAGUE was
a son of John and Eleanor Sprague who lived on the Breakneck Road,
but was born in Baring. He was 21 when he enlisted on August 1, 1862
into Company I, 6th Regiment Infantry, Maine Volunteers. He was taken
prisoner at Fredericksburg. Upon his exchange, he re-enlisted and
transferred to Company C, 1st
Maine Veteran Volunteers. He was wounded and hospitalized in 1864. He
was discharged by Special Order on June 16, 1865.
WILLIAM T. SPRAGUE
was a younger brother of Thomas. He was drafted on October 3, 1864
and served in Company I, 20th
Regiment Infantry, Maine Volunteers. He was honorably discharged on
July 16, 1865.
JOHN O. TUELL born
ca 1839, was a son of Aliather and Electa Tuel of Plantation 14,
living next to the Cooper line. He was a lumberman. He enlisted on
July 16, 1861 in Company F, 6th
Regiment Infantry, Maine Volunteers. He was promoted to Corporal in
1862 and discharged for disability on October 21, 1862. Apparently he
re-enlisted on November 1, 1864 in Company C, 1st
Sharp Shooters and was discharged from the 20th
Maine on June 21, 1865.
CHARLES
C. WATERHOUSE, a son of Enoch and Eliza
Waterhouse who lived near and ran the mills on Mill Stream (Grange
Hall Corner) Charles was born in Cooper ca 1843. He mustered on
December 29, 1864 into Company I, 20th
Regiment Infantry, Maine Volunteers. He was discharged on July 16,
1865.
WILLIAM HENRY HARRISON
WATERHOUSE was
born ca 1842 a brother of Charles. He enlisted on September 10, 1862
in Company F, 22nd
Regiment Infantry, Maine Volunteers; he was discharged honorably on
August 31, 1863. The Waterehouse family disappeared from Cooper
before 1870.
GEORGE H. WATSON
was born in Perry and a resident of that town. He enlisted in the
Coast Guard on October 30, 1861 then was assigned to 1st
Battery of the Mounted Artillery. He was wounded on September 9, 1864
and was honorably discharged on July 15, 1865. He first appears in
Cooper on the 1870 census. His wife was Catherine and they had two
children. They resided on North Union Road, about across from the
school and in 1880 with his Aunt Mary Brisley (Thomas’s
mother). George is described as a disabled farmer. He died in 1921
and is buried at Evergreen Cemetery.