CIVIL WAR LETTER - 50th NY Vols - Hospital Steward Wants Transfer to Engineers !

Description

Civil War Letter
Civil War letter written by Edward Coulton, a hospital steward with the 50th New York State Vols at Camp Lesley near Washington DC.  He asks his daughter to send some of his engineering drawings for a canal project so he can demonstrate his abilities and get out of the hospital corps!.
This Civil War letter was written by Edward Vivian Coulton (1800-1866) who enlisted, at age 61, in August 1861, as a hospital steward with the 50th New York State Volunteers. He later served as a First Lieutenant with First Veteran Regiment.
Edward was born in Dublin, Cork county, Ireland, in 1800. By the time of the 1850 US Census he was enumerated in Elmira, Chemung county, New York working as an architect/surveyor. With his wife Sarah Bush (1818-1855), a native of Pennsylvania, the couple had several children: Charlotte (1836-1890), Emma (1838-1852), Mary (1841-1911), Thomas James (b. 1842), Edward V. (1844-1883), Charles H. (b. 1846), and Frances Amelia (b. 1849). While serving in the 50th New York Infantry, we learn from these letters that Edward had his 15 year-old son Charles with him though he was clearly too young to serve and may have filled the role of a drummer boy and/or a cook. In January 1864, Charles would enlist as a private in the 16th New York Artillery.
His son, Thomas James Coulton, who at age 20 enlisted in May 1861 at Buffalo to serve as a private in Co. H, 21st New York Infantry. He transferred to Co. A, 2nd New York Infantry on 4 October 1861 and remained with the regiment until 26 May 1863 when he mustered out at Troy, New York.
Edward addressed this letter to his daughter Charlotte Rebecca Coulton (1836-1890) and her husband, James T. Goldsmith (1832-1922) of Elmira, New York. Their daughter Ida S. Goldsmith (1860-1951) was born in October 1860.
Interesting letter here in which he directs his daughter to find some engineering drawings of the lock gates at Havanna (Cuba ?) which he needs quickly - he wants to demonstrate his engineering abilities so he can get out of the hospital corps!.
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