Albert Woolson - Last Confirmed US Civil War Veteran

SPOTLIGHT: CIVIL WAR VETERAN OF THE DAY

Albert Woolson
Published on Nov 14, 2008

This is colour video of Albert Woolson, the last Union veteran of the US Civil War; he is also the last absolutely confirmed veteran of that conflict from either side.

This footage, as far as I know, is the very last footage taken of a US Civil War veteran at all. I believe at least one still photograph of Woolson was taken after this video, however. Woolson outlived the second-last Union veteran (James Albert Hard) by well over 3 years, and the last verified Confederate veteran (Pleasant Crump) by about 5 years. Hard was the last verified combat veteran of the US Civil War, known to have been at the battles of Antietam and Chancellorsville.

Woolson never saw combat, but his father Willard died of wounds taken at the battle of Shiloh. Young Albert came into contact with the army because of this, when his mother moved them down to be with his father when he was trying to recover. He signed up as a drummer boy. The 1st Minn. Heavy Artillery Regiment never saw action, and Woolson was officially discharged on 7 September, 1865.

I know nothing about the girl in the video. If she is still alive, she wouldn't even be all that old; possibly born in 1950?


Category
Education


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Standard YouTube License
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