Last surviving Confederate veterans facts for kids
The American Civil War ended in 1865. For many years after, people wondered who would be the very last soldier from that war to pass away. It was a big question for historians!
Many people claimed to be the last surviving veteran from the Confederate States Army. But it was hard to prove who was telling the truth. Historians like William Marvel and Dr. Jay S. Hoar spent a lot of time checking old records. They looked at military papers, pension applications, and especially census records. These records helped them figure out if someone was really old enough to have fought in the war.
They found that many people who claimed to be Confederate soldiers were actually too young to have served. These people might have made up their stories to get a veteran's pension, especially during tough times like the Great Depression. A pension was like a regular payment from the government to old soldiers.
After a lot of research, historians agreed that Pleasant Riggs Crump was the last confirmed Confederate veteran. He was from Talladega County, Alabama. Pleasant Crump passed away on December 31, 1951. After his death, several other men claimed to be the last, but their stories didn't match the official records.
Contents
Who Were the Last Claimants?
Even after Pleasant Crump died, many people still claimed to be the last Confederate soldier. Here is a list of some of those men. Historians later found that most of them were too young to have fought in the war.
| Name | Claimed birth date | Believed birth date | Death date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pleasant Crump | 23 December 1847 | 31 December 1951 | |
| Felix M. Witkoski | 5 January 1850 | October 1854 | 3 February 1952 |
| Thomas Edwin Ross | 19 July 1850 | 27 March 1952 | |
| Richard William Cumpston | 23 May 1841 | 5 September 1952 | |
| William Loudermilk | 23 October 1848 | April 1851 | 18 September 1952 |
| William Jordan Bush | 10 July 1845 | July 1846 | 11 November 1952 |
| Arnold Murray | 10 June 1846 | 1854/1855 | 26 November 1952 |
| William Townsend | 12 April 1846 | 22 February 1953 | |
| William Albert Kinney | 10 February 1843 | 10 February 1861 | 23 June 1953 |
| Thomas Riddle | 16 April 1846 | 1862 | 2 April 1954 |
| William Lundy | 18 January 1848 | May 1860 | 1 September 1957 |
| John B. Salling | 15 May 1846 | 15 May 1856 | 16 March 1959 |
| Walter Williams | 14 November 1842 | 14 November 1854 | 19 December 1959 |
The Story of Walter Williams
For a while, many people believed that Walter Washington Williams was the last Confederate veteran. He died in Houston, Texas, on December 19, 1959. News stories at the time said he was the very last one.
However, even before his death, a newspaper story in the New York Times questioned his claim. Later, historian William Marvel looked at census records from before 1932. These records showed that Walter Williams was born between October 1854 and April 1855. This meant he would have been too young to fight in the Civil War, which ended in 1865. Also, in the 1910 census, he didn't say he was a Confederate veteran, even though there was a question about it.
Even though his claim was disproved, many people still celebrated him as the last Confederate veteran after he passed away. This was because all the other people who claimed to be the last had already died.
The Story of John B. Salling
After Walter Williams's claim was disproved, attention turned to John B. Salling. He was from Slant, in Scott County, Virginia. Many thought he might be the second-to-last Confederate veteran.
But historian William Marvel also found that John Salling was too young to have served in the war. Census records showed he was born in 1858. When Salling applied for a pension in 1933, officials couldn't find any war records for him. He only received a pension after he signed a sworn statement saying he had served. The state of Virginia accepted his claim, even without official war records.
Why Did People Make False Claims?
Historians found that many of the people who claimed to be the "last" Confederate veterans were not telling the truth about their age. For example, Thomas Riddle was only five years old when the war ended. Arnold Murray was only nine. William Loudermilk said he fought at age 16, but he wasn't even 14 until after the war was over.
The main reason people made these false claims was to get a veteran's pension. This was especially true during the Great Depression. This was a time in the 1930s when many people lost their jobs and money was very hard to find. A pension could help them survive.
The Last Union Army Veteran
The American Civil War had two main sides: the Confederate Army and the Union Army. While many people claimed to be the last Confederate veteran, the last confirmed Union Army veteran was Albert Woolson. He was born on February 11, 1850, and died on August 2, 1956.
Albert Woolson joined the Union Army on October 10, 1864. He was a drummer in Company C, 1st Minnesota Heavy Artillery Regiment. His company never saw any fighting. He was discharged from the army on September 7, 1865.
Another important veteran was James Albert Hard. He was born on July 15, 1843, and died on March 12, 1953. James Hard was the last confirmed American Civil War veteran who actually fought in battles.
