Civil War Veterans Buried In Washington State - Albert Towne

Albert Morton Towne

Representing: Union


G.A.R Post

  • Oliver Morton Post #10 Snohomish, Snohomish Co. WA

Unit History

  • 1st Illinois Independent Cavalry "Capt. Dodson Co.
  • 3rd Michigan Infantry I
  • 1st Michigan Light Artillery Battery L

See full unit history

Albert Towne
Full Unit History

KANE COUNTY ILLINOIS INDEPENDENT VOLUNTEER CAVALRY CAPT. DODSON’S CO.
Organized: 1861
Consolidated: 8/25/64 into 15th IL Cav.

3rd MICHIGAN VOLUNTEER INFANTRY
Organized: 6/10/61 Grand Rapids, MI
Mustered Out: 6/20/64 Detroit, MI and 5/66 Victoria, TX

9th MICHIGAN VOLUNTEER CAVALRY
Organized: 5/19/63 Coldwater, MI
Mustered Out: 7/21/65 Concord, NC
Discharged: 7/30/65 Jackson, MI

1st MICHIGAN VOLUNTEER LIGHT ARTILLERY BATT. “L”
Organized: 4/16/63 Coldwater, MI
Mustered Out: 8/22/65 Jackson, MI

Regimental History

REGIMENTAL HISTORY: CAPT. DODSON’S CO. IND. IL CAVALRY

   Early in the Civil War independent cavalry companies such as Dodson’s three-year unit were attached to and acted in conjunction with infantry regiments.  In the spring of 1862 the Union army of which Dodson was a part moved from Cairo, IL up the Tennessee River to Fort Henry and shortly thereafter participated in the battle of Shiloh/Pittsburg Landing, TN.  During the spring of 1863 various independent IL cavalry organizations were brought together as the 15th Illinois Cavalry with Dodson’s unit designated Co. H.  When initial recruits ere mustered out in 1864 the 15th was consolidated into the 10th IL Cav.  The 10th saw final muster November 11, 1865.

 

 REGIMENTAL HISTORY: 3rd MICHIGAN INFANTRY:

   This three-year regiment left Michigan in mid June, 1861 to join the Army of the Potomac.  One month later it was in action at Blackburn’s Ford, VA and, from then on, was involved in every significant movement in the east: Peninsula Campaign, 2nd Bull Run, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, The Wilderness, Spottsylvania, North Anna River and Cold Harbor.  When the original regiment was mustered out of service in mid ’64 a new 3rd was organized.  Serving in the western theater, the unit was stationed in Tennessee, Alabama, Louisiana and Texas.

 

REGIMENTAL HISTORY: 9th MICHIGAN CAVALRY:

  This three-year “western theater” regiment was finely mounted and equipped with Spencer repeating rifles when it left the state.  It saw its first action at Triplett Bridge, KY in June, 1863 when it routed a group of enemy guerillas.  The 9th next confronted Confed. Gen. John Hunt Morgan’s troops during their raid into Indiana and Ohio.  Moving to Knoxville, TN, the unit took part in the expedition against Cumberland Gap during which lack of supplies proved nearly disastrous for man and beast.  In the fall of ’64 the regiment participated in Union Gen. W.T. Sherman’s Atlanta campaign, marched to the sea and was fighting through the Carolinas when the War came to an end.  Some claim the 9th fired the last hostile shot of the war east of the Mississippi.

 

REGIMENTAL HISTORY: 1st MICHIGAN LIGHT ARTILLERY BATTERY “L”

NOTE:  During the American Civil War companies of an infantry or cavalry regiment could generally expect to serve together as an organization.  Such was not the case with artillery regiments which seldom, if ever, came together as a whole.  Instead, individual companies (batteries) were assigned where needed.  As such, presented here is not the history of the 1st MI L.A., but that of Batt. “L.” 

  This 3-year unit was organized in conjunction with the 9th MI Cav.  As such, battery L’s history generally parallels that of the 9th as noted above until the fall of 64 when the 9th set off with Sherman for Atlanta and beyond.  At that time Batt. “l” now stationed in Knoxville, TN was sent out in sections throughout that region to guard bridges and upon scouts until it was paid off and disbanded in 8/65.

Soldier History

SOLDIER:
Capt. Dodson’s Ind. Cav.
Residence: Inf. Not Avail.   Age: 19 yrs.
Enlisted/Enrolled: 8/7/61 Geneva, MI   Rank: Pvt.
Discharged: 10/12/61
Highest Rank: Pvt.

3rd MI Inf.
Residence: Kent Co., MI   Age: 19.8 yrs.
Enlisted/Mustered In: 2/24/62 Grand. Rapids, MI
Discharged: 7/25/62
Highest Rank: Pvt.

9th MI CAV.
Residence: Inf. Not Avail.   Age: 20.9 yrs.
Enlisted/Enrolled: 3/10/63   Rank: Pvt.
Transferred Out: 5/1/63
Highest Rank: Pvt.

1st MI LIGHT ARTILLERY
Residence: Inf. Not Avail.   Age: 20.10 yrs.
Transferred In: 5/1/63   Rank: Pvt.
Discharged: 8/22/65 Jackson, MI
Highest Rank: Pvt.

Family History

PERSONAL/FAMILY HISTORY:

 

*NOTE: Albert Town seems to have passionately wanted to be a soldier! Although he joined the military almost as soon as the America Civil War began, it appears health reasons-most likely chronic asthma- caused farmer Town’s initial enrollments to be short lived.

 

  However, by persistently reenlisting he - four units and three service arms later - successfully completed the War.  Along the way his name was noted not only as Albert B. Town (the spelling used by the veteran on post war documents, but also Albert B. Towne and Albert S. Town.  Whether these changes were conscious attempts to conceal previous enlistments or merely clerical errors is not known.


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The first biographical profile of Albert was created a number of years ago during the infancy of the Civil War Veterans Buried In Washington State project. Many of the early life sketches were created without the documental and website resources available today. Further, they were also limited in scope by the venue in which they were displayed, that being graveside placards available to the public once or twice per year. As such, many early bios are being updated and up graded. This look at Albert Towne’s life was rewritten in February, 2018.


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  Albert B. Towne was born 6/7/42 in New York State to parents Edmond J. (b. 12/18 VT) and Mary (nee Lent b. 12/22 NY) Town. In the U.S. Census of 1860 Edmond listed his occupation as “carpenter.”

Edmond produced two children with Mary. The first was son, Albert. The second was daughter Anne Eliza. Anne was born in Sandy Hill Washington County), New York in 1844. Mary, the mother of Albert and Anne then died of undocumented causes in 1846 in Washington, NY. 

After Mary’s death Edmond remarried twice. His first remarriage was to Jane P. Wiley (b. 1822 VT. By Jane Edmond fathered three additional children. The three were: L. Jerusha (b. 1851 NY), J. (b. 1853), NY and Clark (b. 1859 NY).

Finally, Edmond remarried for third time.  This bride was Eunice M. Braman (b. ca. `1823 NY). Edmond and Eunice produced one child: Mary Marilla (b. 1862 MI).

In all, then, Albert had one full blood sibling, his sister Anne. He also had four half-siblings by his father’s second and third wives.

 

We have no definitive information about Albert’s, formative or early teenage years. We do know, however, that the census of 1860 found him in Muskegon, Muskegon County, Michigan. Edmond had  moved his family there from New York sometime between 1850 – when he was censusd in Franklin Malone County, NY with children Albert and Anne and third wife, Eunice,  residing in the home of her parents.  – and 1860. What had drawn the Towns westward is not known.

On 8/7/61, in Geneva, MI Albert enlisted for the first time. His unit of choice was Captain Dodson’s Company, Kane County, (IL) Independent Volunteer Cavalry. Private Towne remained with that unit only a short time he being discharged on 10/12/61

 

(On 3/9/62, in Grand Rapids, MI, between his first and second enlistments twenty one year old Albert married eighteen-year-old Clarice “Clara” M. Bush (b. 12/44 PA) originally of Walker, MI.  The couple produced two children: Alva B. (b. 6/7/63 MI) and Edmund D. (b. 11/8/66 or ‘67 WI).)

 

  Following the War the 6’2” blue eyed Town returned to Michigan, but as with many veterans of the American Civil War, his location of residence was not reported in the population tally of 1870.  In 1880 he, his wife and two children were farming in Monterey, Allegan County, MI. There is also some indication they may have resided in or near Grand Rapids, Kent Co. but when that was, if true, is not known.

In 1900 the Town family was in Plainfield, Kent County, MI where Albert listed his occupation as laborer. Albert’s father, Edmond J.  who has residing in Albert and Clara’s home, died on July, 26th of that year. Details

1910. By this year Albert and Clara had moved to the Puget Sound area of Washington Territory/State and were residing in the Snohomish County community of Snohomish.  .  Exactly when and why the move was made is not documented. As earlier noted, In 1900 Albert’s occupation had been “laborer”. In 1910 he was the pastor of a Methodist Episcopal. Church

 

 By mid-1912 Albert, then 70 years of age, and Clara (age) were residing in Darrington, Snohomish County, WA. Slightly less than two years later on 4/15/14 this “minister of the gospel” was dead from a sudden bout of cerebral apoplexy (stroke).  At passing the 76.11-year-old former cavalryman/infantryman/artilleryman was receiving a $25 per month government pension. Burial was/is in the Grand Army of the Republic cemetery located in Snohomish.

 Following her husband’s death Clara lived in Arlington Snohomish County, WA with Reuban and Eva Cole. Eva, the widow of Albert and Clara’s youngest son Edmond D.  had remarried to Mr. Cole. Having brought three children of own to the marriage, Eva and Reuban also had at least one child of their own.

 It appears Clara remained in the Cole home until her death on 11/4/26. At passing she was receiving a $30 per month pension stipend based on her late husband’s Civil War soldiering.  Clara was/is buried beside Albert in the Snohomish G.A.R. Cemetery.  

 

ADOPT-A-VET SPONSOR: Chris Keyes Centralia, WA
ADOPT-A-VET WEBSITE:
ROW: 14   GRAVE: 2

Albert Town was Post Commander 1904-5

Cemetery

Buried at Grand Army of the Republic Cemetery Snohomish
Row: 14
Site: 2

Adopt-a-Vet Sponsor

Chris Keyes
Centralia, WA


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