Birth
William A. Post was born April 6, 1842 in Berne[1], Albany County, NY to Jacob Post (B. Aug 5, 1811, D. Dec 3, 1892) and Eve Spateholte (B. June 9, 1813, D. May 24, 1851)[2].[3] He was one of twelve children.[3] His mother died when he was only 9 years of age.
Occupation
William's father Jacob was a farmer and William followed in his father's footsteps. However when he enlisted in the Civil War, his occupation was recorded as a shoemaker.[1]
Military Service
| Name: | William Post |
| Residence: | Berne[4] |
| Place of Birth: | Berne, NY[4] |
| Date of Birth: | 6 Apr 1842[4] |
| Names of Parents: | Jacob (Post) and Eva Spateholts[4] |
| Marital Status: | Single[4] |
| Occupation: | Farmer[4] |
| Term of Enlistment: | 3 years[4] |
| Enlistment Date: | 5 Dec 1863[1] |
| Enlistment Place: | Albany, New York [4][5] |
| Enlistment Rank: | Private[1] |
| State Served: | New York |
| Regiment: | 7th Regiment NY Heavy Artillery |
| Company: | Company D[1] |
| Killed in Action: | Cold Harbor, VA |
| Date Killed: | 3 Jun 1864 or 6 June 1864[1] or 7 Jun 1864[6] |
| Place of Burial: | Cold Harbor, VA[4] |
| Additional Remarks: Enlisted age 21.[5] "Buried on the field of Battle"[4]
Born in Berne, NY on April 6, 1842, Age 21, Shoemaker Farmer, Black eyes, Dark hair, Dark complexion, 5'4" tall.[7] |
| Sources Used: Ancestry.com American Civil War Soldiers, 1865 Census, Berne, Albany Co.,NY; Annual Report of the Adjutant-General of the State of New York For the Year 1897; Howell, George Rogers, History of the County of Albany, NY from 1609-1886, W. W. Munsell & Co., 1886, page 817;Town and City Registers of Men Who Served in the Civil War |
Death
William and Lucius E. Ball, friends from Berne, fought side by side during the battle of Cold Harbor. After both were wounded, they tried to get back to their lines by crawling at night under cover of darkness, but didn't make it. They were found together on the battlefield.[8]
William had died on June 7, 1864[6], his body was returned home and he was buried at the Beaverdam Cemetery in Berne, Albany County, NY.[2] His white marble gravestone recorded, "William A. son of Jacob and Eve Post killed at the Battle of Cold Harbor June 7, 1864 aged 22 years & 2 months."[2]
After his death his older brother George Post enlisted On June 29, 1864 in the 21st Massachusetts Infantry Regiment and served until the end of the war.
Other Media
Newspapers
- [h:[Kinckerbocker News dispatch from the field June 8, 1864| Knickerbocker News dispatch from the field June 8, 1864]] reports death of Lucius E. Ball and William A. Post, both of Berne.
Carnival of Blood|Carnival of Blood
William A. Post Born:Berne,N.Y. age 21. Occupation: shoemaker. Enlisted, Decenber 5, 1863, as private in Co. D; wounded June 3, at Cold Harbor; lay between the lines without treatment, food, or water, for three days; died of wounds, on the field, June 6, 1864 [1]
Heroes of Albany|Heroes of Albany
WILLIAM POST enlisted December, 1863, in the Seventh Regiment. Killed in battle, June 7, 1864, at Cold Harbor, and buried on the field of battle.
Town and City Registers of Men Who Served in the Civil War
Buried on the field of Battle
Sources
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 Keating, Robert, Carnival of Blood: The Civil War Ordeal of the Seventh New York Heavy Artillery, Published by Butternut and Blue, Baltimore, Md 1998
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Beaverdam Cemetery Records, Berne, NY
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Bernehistory.org
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 4.8 4.9 Town and City Registers of Men Who Served in the Civil War
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Ancestry Military Databases
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Clark, Rufus Wheelwright, "Heroes of Albany; A memorial of the Patriot-martyrs of the City and County", 1867
- ↑ NY Civil War Muster Roll Abstracts, Ancestry.com Military databases
- ↑ Clyde L. Ball as told to Allan Deitz
Researcher: Allan Deitz
