Monday, June 06, 2011

Samuel F. Woolman - updated 3/22/2015

Based on a review of pension records: 

Samuel F. Woolman was born in 1839, in Camden, New Jersey, probably the son of Josiah (b. 1817) and Martha (Rogers).

Samuel was probably living in Dorr, Allegan County, where he married Jane Nickerson (b. 1837) of Leighton, Allegan County, on February 11, 1862, and they had at least one child: Elton R. (b. December of 1862). Samuel stood 5’6” with blue eyes, light hair and a light complexion and was a 23-year-old mechanic possibly living in Dorr, Allegan County, Michigan, when he enlisted in Company E on August 10, 1862, at Grand Rapids for 3 years, crediting Dorr, and was mustered the same day.

He joined the Regiment on September 6 at Fairfax Seminary, Virginia, and was serving with the Brigade wagon and ambulance trains by April of 1863. He was missing in action on May 3, 1863, at Chancellorsville, Virginia, and he returned to the regiment in November, when he was listed as absent sick.

He eventually returned to duty and according to first Lieutenant Ernest Synold of Company E, Samuel was “mortally wounded” on May 23, 1864, at the North Anna River, “by a canister shot in the left shoulder’ and, according to Second Lieutenant Ernest Synold, then commanding Company E, subsequently “died from its effects May 30 in division field hospital.” War Department records report that he died at Lincoln Hospital in Washington. Either way, Samuel was reportedly buried in Arlington National Cemetery, probably in section 27, grave no. 609, listed as “Daniel Woolman.”

In August of 1864 his widow applied for and received a pension (no. 38083). In 1867 Jane remarried to Homer Collister and was probably living in Pentwater, Oceana County when she applied for and received a pension on behalf of a minor child of Samuel’s (no. 100195). Curiously, one Elihu Nickerson was listed as guardian of Elton.

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