This is a nice pair of framed Civil War veteran’s documents with good eye appeal. The first is his original army discharge dated June 27, 1865. The second is a framed soldier’s memorial with Foster’s service record. The first was an essential document for a veteran to keep on hand to establish his military service, whether for a pension application, future military service or as a memento since it features a bold U.S. eagle at the top, with the notice “To All Whom it May Concern,” with details filled in by hand on the preprinted form, in addition to formal stamps and annotations indicating he had been paid a promised bounty (usually paid in installments to make sure the soldier stayed in service,) and had received his regular pay, except what may have been owed him from his clothing allowance. The larger piece is a fit accompaniment and popular among veterans, giving details of his enlistment followed by a regimental history, that is filled in by hand on the central panel on an imaginary grand soldiers’ memorial pictured as built in a large public park and fitted out with free-standing statues including an eagle, soldier and sailor, etc., and high-relief panels, including a G.A.R. badge at middle left, and a note that he “presented” it to his Wife, Mary, in 1895.

Foster’s life and service are actually more interesting than the memorial might indicate. He  enlisted at Butternuts, NY, on 9/6/62 at age 18 and mustered into Co. G of the 152^nd NY as a private on 10/15/62, listing himself as a farmer by occupation. The regiment recruited in Herkimer and Mohawk counties and October 15, 1862, is their date of formal muster into service. They left the state Oct. 25 and served at Washington until April 1863 when the joined the 7^th Corps and took part in the siege of Suffolk before moving to the Peninsula and also seeing service in NY draft riots. In October 1863 they joined the 2^nd Corps, Army of the Potomac and while Foster was with it saw action at Mine Run, the Wilderness, Spottsylvania, the North Anna River, the first assault on Petersburg and the First Battle of Weldon Railroad, also known at the Battle of Jerusalem Plank Road, where he was captured on June 22, 1864, when Grant extended his lines west of Petersburg in an effort to cut Confederate rail lines, the Petersburg and Weldon line in particular. Confederates found a gap between the 2^nd and 6^th Corps, which had been assigned to the task, routing some federal units with attacks from the rear and inflicting some 3,000 casualties with a loss of fewer than 600 of their own. Foster was one of about thirty officers and men captured from the regiment and remained in southern hands until paroled on April 21, 1865, and was officially mustered out in New York City as of July 18, five days after the regiment itself had been mustered out at Washington. The regiment saw more action at Petersburg after Foster’s capture, but casualty numbers in Phisterer indicate he had been with them for much of their heaviest fighting, and his time in Confederate hands included imprisonment at Andersonville. His receipt of a bounty for enlisting was certainly an inducement to enlistment: he was one of five siblings orphaned by the death of their father in 1856 and mother in 1857. He survived to marry in 1868. A daughter born in 1887 seems to have survived until 1985.

Both these pieces are in nicely framed and ready to display. Their condition is very good. We see just a horizontal crease from the left edge to middle on the memorial.  [sr][ph:L]

Extra shipping required.

Please note: the memorial's frame contains glass; click here for our policy for shipment of framed items containing glass.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

THIS ITEM, AS WITH ALL OTHER ITEMS AVAILABLE ON OUR WEB SITE,

MAY BE PURCHASED THROUGH OUR LAYAWAY PROGRAM.

CLICK HERE FOR OUR POLICIES AND TERMS.

THANK YOU!