Civil War Veterans Buried In Washington State - Harry Carson

100^th PENNSYLVANIA VOLUNTEER INFANTRY
Organized: August, 1861 Southwestern, PA
Mustered In: September, 1861 Washington, D.C.
Mustered Out: 7/24/65 Washington, D.C.

33^rd UNITED STATES COLORED TROOPS VOLUNTEER INFANTRY
Organized: February, 1863 Beaufort, SC
Mustered In: 2/8/63 Beaufort, SC
Mustered Out: 1/31/66

104^th UNITED STATES COLORED TROOPS VOLUNTEER INFANTRY
Organized: 4/28 - 6/25/65 Beaufort, SC
Mustered In: 6/25/65 Beaufort, SC
Mustered Out: 2/5/66

REGIMENTAL HISTORY: (100^th)
 

The 100^th Pennsylvania, known as the "Round Head Regiment," was a three year unit. It saw active service in both the western and eastern theaters of the American Civil War.
 

Recruited from the southwestern part of Pennsylvania, on 9/2/61 it was ordered to Washington, D.C. From Washington City the 100^th was ordered to Fortress Monroe, VA. It then sailed on an expedition to Port Royal, SC where Fort Walker and Fort Beauregard were captured. The unit next moved to Beaufort, SC where it remained for several months. While there the men suffered much from sickness.
 

In August, 1862 the 100th met the enemy at 2^nd Bull Run/Manassas, VA. A final charge was ordered from which only 198 out of 450 returned unhurt.
 

The 100^th was next active at Chantilly, VA (9/1/62) and South Mountain, MD (9/14/62). During the battle of Antietam, MD (9/17/62) it was held in reserve due to its crippled condition. The combat year was concluded at Fredericksburg, VA (12/11 - 15/62).
 

May, 1863 saw the 100^th moved into Kentucky. From there the regiment supported Union Gen. U.S. Grant in his movements upon Vicksburg, MS. At Jackson it lost many men from sickness as well as enemy fire.
 

Next ordered into East Tennessee, many of the men were not fit for active service. Still, the unit saw action at Blue Springs (10/10/63) and Knoxville (11/29/1863).
 

January, 1864 saw most of the regiment re-enlisting. Thirty day furloughs followed.
 

Returning to the field, in May the 100^th joined the Army Of The Potomac for Gen. Grant's Overland Campaign into Virginia. It was in combat during The Wilderness (5/5 - 5/7), Spotsylvania (5/8 - 21), the North Anna River (5/23 - 26) and Cold Harbor (5/31 - 6/12). Moving to Petersburg it was repeatedly in action , notably at the mine (11/27/63), the Weldon Railroad (8/18-21/64) and Poplar Spring Church (9/30/1864), Hatcher's Run (2/5 - 7/65) and the final assault (4/2).
 

The regiment was mustered out on 7/24/65.

 REGIMENTAL LOSSES: 

Officers Killed Or Mortally Wounded: 16; Officers Died Of Disease, Accidents, Etc.:  2; Enlisted Men Killed Or Mortally Wounded: 208 ^; Enlisted Men Died Of Disease, Accidents, Etc.:  183.

*The 100^th was one of only a few regiments which lost more men in combat than it did to disease, etc.
 

REGIMENTAL HISTORY: (33^rd)
 

The 33^rd, a three year western theater regiment was organized from the 1^st South Caroline (Union) Colored Infantry. It served its entire period of enlistment in South Carolina and Georgia.
 

Duty assignments for the 33^rd included Port Royal Island, SC and the District of Beufort until 7/64. It then moved in an expedition to James Island, SC before being assigned to duty on Folly and Morris islands, near Charleston in the closing months of 1864.
 

The regiment was stationed at Pocotaligo, SC until February, 1865 then occupied Charleston. In March, 1865 it moved to Savannah, GA and was on duty there until June 6^th. It then moved to duties in Augusta, GA remaining at various points in that area until mustered out of Federal service in January, 1866.
 

REGIMENTAL LOSSES:
 
Information Not Available
 

REGIMENTAL HISTORY: (104^th)
 

This regiment was organized at Beaufort, SC between April 28 and June 25, 1865. The shooting had stopped and The War itself would be ended by congressional mandate in May. All that is known about the unit's period of service is that it performed garrison and guard duties at various points in South Carolina until mustered out in February, 1866.
 

REGIMENTAL LOSSES:
Information Not Available.

SOLDIER: (100^th)
Residence: Beaver County, PA   Age:  18.11 or 19.0 yrs.
Enlisted/Enrolled: 12/26/61   Rank: Pvt.
Mustered In: 12/26/61
Mustered Out: Inf. Not Avail.
Highest Rank: Inf. Not Avail.
Rank At Discharge: Inf. Not Avail.
 

SOLDIER: (33^rd)
Enlisted/Enrolled: 1/31/63   Rank: 2^nd Lieut.
Commissioned: 1/31/63
Resigned: 11/4/64
Highest Rank: 2^nd Lieut.
Rank At Discharge: 2^nd Lieut.
 

SOLDIER:  (104^th)
Residence: Inf. Not Avail.   Age: 22.5 or 22.6 yrs.
Enlisted/Enrolled: 6/25/65 (est.) Beaufort, SC   Rank: Quartermaster Sgt. ****
Mustered In: 6/25/65 Beaufort, SC
Mustered Out: Inf. Not Avail.
Highest Rank: Inf. Quartermaster Sgt. 
Rank At Discharge: Quartermaster Sgt.

PERSONAL/FAMILY HISTORY:
 

NOTE:  This birth - to - death biographical profile was created in February, 2021 during the Covid-19 medical pandemic. It does not feature the depth of detail found in many other biographies found on this site because military, pension and other veteran-related files housed in Washington, D.C.'s National Archives were not available. At a later time these files may be obtained and the data contained therein added to the narrative which follows.
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Harry Charles Carson was born in December, 1843.  No specific birth date has been found. The location of his birth was somewhere - perhaps Beaver County - in the State of Pennsylvania.
 

All that is known about Harry's parentage is that both his mother and father were reportedly born in Ireland. When they emigrated to the U.S. is an unknown.
 

Also not known is whether or not Harry had any siblings. The first regiment in which he served during the American Civil War had three other Wests in its ranks.  One was from Beaver County, PA, so that man could have been a relative - perhaps a brother?
 

Currently available military service documents are strangely silent on Carson/West's three periods of enlistment. National Archives files will need to be obtained to clarify matters. In the meantime here is what we know:
 

As Private West - why all three of his enlistments were under the surname West is a mystery - Harry enlisted in the 100^th Pennsylvania Infantry on 12/26/61. He likely remained with that regiment until around 1/31/63 when he accepted a prestigious commission as an officer in the 33^rd USCT.
 

For whatever reason Lieutenant West resigned his commission with the 33^rd in November, 1864. He apparently then was out of the military until late in June, 1965 when he accepted a position within the newly formed 104^th USCT regiment. If that position, as is hinted, was as a non-commissioned quartermaster sergeant he would have remained with the unit until it was disbanded in February, 1866.
 

Post American Civil War the first information found on Harry comes from 1880 St. Louis, MO. On 4/29 of that year Harry married. His bride was Clara Therese Kelter. Clara had been born in Illinois during 1863.
 

Harry and Clara produced three children. They were: Katherine I "Kitty" Carson (b. 1881 NB), Harry Pascal Carson (b. 12/2/83 NM) and Eula N. Carson (b. 4/19/90 Seattle, WA).
 

Noting the birth states of the three Carson children, the Carsons moved around during their child-producing years. It appears that almost immediately after marriage they departed Missouri and moved to Nebraska. Where they resided and what Harry did to earn a living there are unknowns.
 

By the end of 1883 Harry and family had quitted Nebraska and resettled in New Mexico. Where they were residing in '83 is not known, but by 1885 they were in the Grant County community of Silver City. There, Harry either owned or was working in a saloon. The New Mexico stay did not last long.
 

By 1887 the Carsons had made their final move and were residing in the Puget Sound region of Washington Territory/State. What had drawn Harry, Clara and their three children here is not known, but they had settled along the banks of the Duwamish River in the King County community - now a Seattle neighborhood - of Duwamish/Georgetown. While in Duwamish/Georgetown Harry listed his occupation as miner (5/1/89) and, apparently, saloonist (1892). In addition to serving as the local postmaster, by 1890 he had also become a justice of the peace.
 

Tragically, on 2/3/97 Clara - only thirty two or thirty three years of age - died. Details of her death are not known. She was/is buried in the Georgetown (Comet Lodge) I.O.O.F. Cemetery located just east of Georgetown on the western side of Seattle's Beacon Hill.
 

With three young children still in his home, Harry did not wait long to remarry. On an undisclosed date in 1898 he wed the previously married Celeste M. Brown (nee Cherrier b. 11/58 MN).
 

By her first marriage the new Mrs. Harry Carson had birthed five children, three of whom were then living. She brought those three into the Carson home. They were:  Joseph W. Brown (b. 1/80 MN), Celeste Brown (b. 6/83 MN) and Joy T. Brown (b. 9/87 MN).
 

Former Civil War soldier Harry C. Carson died in Seattle on 6/11/07. The Seattle Daily Times newspaper printed the following about his passing:
 

PIONEER JUSTICE IS DEAD

"Harry C. Carson, justice of the peace at Georgetown for the last seventeen years, and a resident of that suburb for twenty years, died last night at Providence Hospital, where he was removed two weeks ago. Death was due to dropsy and heart trouble. Although able to perform his judicial duties, he had been in feeble health for some time, often being obliged to hold court in his house."
 

Burial was/is in the Georgetown (Comet Lodge) I.O.O.F. Cemetery with Clara.
 

And Celeste?  At some point following Harry's death she left Seattle for California. She died on 5/10/14 in San Francisco, CA. Her final resting place is in the Cypress Lawn Memorial Park located in Colma San Mateo County, CA.
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* Service in this organization was under the name Harry West.
 

** According to the American Civil War Research Database Carson's service in this organization was under name Harry C. West.
 

*** According to the American Civil War Research Database Carson's service in this organization was under the name Harry C. West.
 

The database also claims Carson/A.K.A. West entered 104^th regiment at the rank of private. A Caucasian man would not have served in a USCT unit as a private. He would have ranked as either a non-commissioned or commissioned officer. Turning to research by Civil War historian, Denise Otteson, a pension card reportedly indicates that in the 104^th West was regimental quarter master. Based on her findings, herein we are adopting the rank of Quartermaster Sergeant. Military records will need to be obtained to clarify the matter.

Buried at Comet Lodge AKA Georgetown Cemetery