When did the last soldier of the Civil War die?

Question: When did the last soldier of the Civil War die in the United States?

— Martha Dailey

Dear Ms. Dailey,

The last verified Civil War participant, Albert Henry Woolson, was born in Antwerp, New York on February 11, 1850. His father was first in the family to enter service, but died of wounds suffered during the Battle of Shiloh in April 1862. Albert enlisted as a drummer for Company C of the 1^st Minnesota Heavy Artillery Regiment on October 10, 1864, but the unit never got to see action before the war ended. Woolson was discharged on September 7, 1865, went into carpentry postwar and died in Duluth, Minnesota on August 2, 1956. His grave can be found at that city’s Park Hill Cemetery.

Sincerely,

Jon Guttman

Research Director, HistoryNet.com