There were printed interviews with him, but I've not yet heard his voice. I know of no audio interviews with him. This is a great loss, in my opinion. With more modern mindset, I know that the printed interviews with him would also have been audio and video recorded!
I don't know for sure that he was never recorded electronically, but I don't know of it ever happening. Sorry if this is as disappointing to you as it is to me, but if you ever find otherwise, please tell me!
@IgnatzKolisch I actually found an interview with him a couple of days ago. It's kind of hard to understand what he's saying, but you can still hear him. I can't post the link, so just type in "albert woolson 1954 interview" on Google and the first result contains a link to an mp3 file of an interview with him.
The last verified Civil War combat veteran was James Albert Hard (1843-1953. He was present at 3 of the most famous battles of the Civil War: 1st Manassas/Bull Run, Antietam/Sharpsburg, and Chancellorsville.
Not only noted for his Civil War veteran status, he's also generally considered the oldest known person to be born in the year 1843, despite the somewhat sketchy details on his year of birth.
James Albert Hard (July 15, 1843 – March 12, 1953), a few months shy of 110.
I know this is off topic but I know that the last revolutionary war veteran died just after the civil war. And imagine what they were thinking when he saw the civil war going on. To fight for independence and watch the country go into civil war!
amazing to think what this man witnessed in his lifetime... from growing tensions to the north and south, to the cold war... he died just a few short years before the first artificial satellite was launched into space... the end of slavery, electricity being put to use, light bulbs, cars, airplanes, submarines, tanks, the roaring twenties, the great depression, two world wars, nuclear weapons, and the beginnings of the cold war and the civil rights movement...
It's sad when the last veteran of any war dies. The last WWI veteran just died earlier this year, and probably 20 years down the road the last WWII veteran will be gone. It's important that younger generations never forget what all of these men fought for and what they had to go through to keep America free.
Uh, Florence Green is still alive, as of today at least. Technically, she's a World War I veteran. If you mean combat veteran, then yes, Claude Choules did die this year. But "veteran" is a fairly broad term, that doesn't require one to be a combatant.
Not trying to nitpick with you here, but I honestly believe that Florence Green does deserve recognition (and she IS an actual veteran, and she IS still alive).
@IgnatzKolisch True, I actually completely forgot about Florence Green, but when I was typing this I was aiming more at combat veterans. And I do agree that she does deserve more recognition.
@Gettysburg20thMaine thats very true. And it just hit me a few months ago that 9-11 survivors are starting to age. I was in the 2nd grade for 9-11, time just goes by so quickly.
@tp22clt Yeah I wonder when the last surviving person to have memories of 9/11 will die (I would say around 2120-2130). Another one I would be interested in would be the last surviving person who was in the Trade Towers when the event occured, I would put that around 2100 but it would be nice to have at least one person make it to the 100th Anniversary (2101). Although I will likely be long gone before either of these events occur.
There were WWII combat veterans as young as 7 at the time of combat for Germany and Russia so they'll probably be around well into 2030. By the war's end, the Nazis had anti-tank battalions commanded by students pulled from elementary school.
If you see the clip with the real subtitles from the movie "Downfall" on Youtube of Hitler yelling and screaming, it says that Steiner didn't have sufficient forces to attack. When you watch the film, you'll see what that meant.
@MegaAstrodude If you think about it, that's actually not that far off either. That's a little under 20 years from now. I actually saw Downfall and it was a really good movie. All the kids were members of the Hitler Youth.
Those kids in the Hitler Youth should count as combat veterans. At least a couple of them would probably survive into 2050. The Soviet Union also used child soldiers as Russia traditionally used children in non-combat, but very dangerous, military roles. In fact, one of my great grandparents died about 5 years ago and came to this country fleeing the draft in the Russo-Japanese War. When I was really little, I remember seeing the last Buffalo soldier, Jones Morgan.
@MegaAstrodude That is true. The kids in the Hitler Youth were usually in their early teens or even younger. That's really cool too that you saw the last Buffalo Soldier.
There were also many non-uniformed children on the Allied side who would be considered combatants by the Geneva conventions including the kids who were fighting at Warsaw, which was largely dead to the last man, woman, and child. In the book, [/u]Snow Treasure[/u], Norwegian children smuggle supplies and gold away from Nazis to raise a resistance. It is reportedly true.
I wouldve loved the opportunity to hear this mans story. Not only from his military service background but just to have witnessed America's rise and transformation. Incredible.
@toddsmitts There was a book released in 1864 called "The Last Men of the Revolution", which contained the photographs and stories of the last seven Revolutionary War veterans. There are a couple of copies on Amazon at the moment going for around $200 a piece.
It's a rare book that I don't think has ever been reprinted, I see the photos from it and I find it sad to think that they fought so hard to create this country only to watch their hard work torn apart by the civil war
The kid in this video must be in his/her 50's or 60's by now (if they're still alive.) and it just makes you think...if they are still alive to this day...then they are living in the year 2011 and they had touched shoulders with a Civil War vet! Wow.
It's almost impossible to be%100sure when the last vetern died because of the bad records, senile possible vets who died in asylums, and outright liers.A big reason that there is so much confusion is because, what is a vet? During the war some kids served as drummers,older ppl as homeguards, some ppl enlisted but by the time they were deployed the war ended and ppl who did labor but no fighting. A prison labor man was the last person in the war to die in '58. He dug ditches for the CSA no combat
All that's very true; it's virtually impossible to nail down with absolute certainty who the final handful of participants were, and not all were technically military veterans, as you pointed out. I'm very interested in more information about that ditch-digger; do you have a name or anything? Such a guy would have been a participant in the Civil War in some capacity, which is certainly noteworthy. I'd love to learn more about people like that (and there were probably a few).
@IgnatzKolisch It was a computer CD I got at Stones River in '02. I don't remember his name, but I'm pretty sure he was from Alabama. The other details I can remember was he said he was in combat then he came clean about enlisting, stealing from somone in his unit, trying to desert but getting cought, sentenced to hard labor in a prison unit where he dug ditches. I think I remember him saying he only heard artillery firing at Nashville and seeing retreating men streaming past him. Help any?
I think current research indicates that Woolson was born in 1850 or very late 1849. Based on that, he was at most 15 years old at war's end in mid-1865.
Woolson’s father was a cabinet maker, painter, builder of fine furniture and a musician. A soldier in the Union Army, he was injured in the battle of Shiloh in 1862. He was mustered out of service and sent his family money .
When President Lincoln issued an appeal for troops, Albert, then 17, enlisted in October 1864 as a volunteer private in the First Minnesota Heavy Artillery Regiment. He started in the drum corps and served as head drummer boy and later became drum major...
This is amazing...The Civil War seems soooo long ago when you're a kid. The older you get, the more you realize that these people were my grandparents' grandparents age. Crazy.
My Great Great Great Grandpa served in the Missouri Guard and fought the whole warfrom 61 to 65 for the south, he was shot 3 times but by the end of the war he was still kickin. He died in the early 40's. He was 12 when he served, the MO Guard was low on troops because the Union invaded the state and killed many civilians and people that would be recruited, so they took him. He suupsedly kill a few Yanks too. His rifle is above my fireplace as of now.
I once had an employee by the name of "Pillow." He was related to the Confederate General Gideon Pillow. Gideon Pillow was the dumbest, most imcompetant general in the entire Confederacy. I had to discharge the employee for being dumb and incompetant. Maybe traits do run in families.
My great great great grandfather was probably one of the last Vets of the Union. He died in 1932. He was approximately 21 years old in 1862 when he arrived here from England or Wales. All that is known of his service was that he was a Draft substitute and was imprisoned at Andersonville. I don't know of the Draftee he subbed for, as he would've went by this mans name. I wish my great grandfather was still alive to tell me this unit in which my ancestor came from.
That's fantastic info about your great-great-great grandfather! A lot of people have ancestors that were in the Civil War, but don't even know it, so you're quite fortunate to know as much as you do!
There were a fair number of Civil War veterans remaining alive in 1932; there was even a large veterans' Gettysburg reunion in 1937! But by that time there certainly was dwindling in their ranks. Within 15 years of your ancestor's passing, there weren't many left at all.
@dfcvda I've always wondered about that myself. I am no sure expert on the Civil War, but it seemed a lot of immigrants fought for the North or even the South for profit or for patriotism.
For what it's worth, Frank Buckles, who recently turned 110 and served on the Western Front in France in 1918, was also a prisoner of the Japanese during World War II, doing three years in an internment camp in the Philippines and almost dying during his ordeal. Perhaps not a veteran of both wars, therefore, but no less of a sacrifice.
RIP All Veterans, your sacrifice will not be forgotten
This is some very sentimental and touching footage. Here's to Albert Woolson on February 11 ... the day of his Birth Anniversary! Today I actually spoke to someone who told me he remembers, as a child, watching the news story announcing Albert's passing. A hearty salute to the last of the Boys In Blue.
This is terrible news, but I do appreciate the update. I hadn't heard that he was doing so poorly. The last person who served in BOTH World Wars, that's just something incredible and now completely unique. Once he passes, that is gone forever.
@Pickuptruckdude your absolutely right that is why we should gain as much knowledge that thee people have before they pass so that we can never forget
Albert Woolson lived through a time of perhaps the most drastic changes in the world. He would have seen the world go from traveling on horseback & in steam trains to cars, rickety airplanes to jet airliners; he would have witnessed the change from telegraph to radio to TV; early photographs to silent movies to color films with sound; from muskets to rifles to Gatlin guns to machine guns to assault rifles. He was witness to some of the major wars in history - the Civil War and 2 WWs.
I am only 37 years old , but my Father served in WW2 and his grandfather served in the 7th IN cavalry during the Civil War . He died in the 30's , and my Dad got to know him well til he died . . There are not many men my age who can say their Dad knew and spoke to men who served during the War of the States
You're referring to William Lundy. Considering that he was actually born in 1860, it was easy to prove that he was not, in fact, a veteran of the US Civil War. He was long ago discredited as an actual veteran; he was one of the last fake claimants, including John Salling and Walter Williams.
Pleasant Crump (died 1951) was the last absolutely proven Confederate Veteran, though William J. Bush (died 1952) was PROBABLY an actual Confederate veteran; it just can't be proven so far.
@IgnatzKolisch maybe some didn't actually fight militarily but might have been doing non-combat service? because in most major wars when they are low on manpower they might recruit kids as young as 3 to sometimes play instruments, polish weapons or help them farm or help in staff rooms. though it doesn't prove they really are veterans, i am saying that there are veterans who lived to be over 100 in history who were too young to even attend school when they served.
None that is known. As I've said elsewhere in comments, though, it's very certain that children did do such things. I can imagine a general stationed at a desk in D.C. during the Civil War having his 5-year old son occasionally shine his boots, for instance. John Salling, a debunked Confederate claimant, may very well have gathered small amounts of saltpetre underfoot of the adults when he was 5 years old near war's end. As you say, not a veteran, but still helping some tiny way.
I love things like this. Whenever I see old films of any kind with old people in them, even old Hollywood movies, I always imagine the world events of long ago that they witnessed.
This makes one wonder, when did the last Revolutionary War veteran die? He probably saw the last Revolutionary War veterans go tottering by, or maybe carried along in carriages, in parades as a boy. Drummer boys were used then as well. A 10yr. old boy drummer in the Revolutionary War would be in his 90s or even 80s for the Civil War. The Revolution went on long past 1776. Imagine it, a boy who had old tell him about Washington might have seen Lincoln & then Eisenhower.
"Lemuel Cook (September 10, 1759 – May 20, 1866) was one of the last verifiable surviving veterans of the American Revolutionary War. Enlisting in the Continental Army at the age of sixteen, he fought at Brandywine and in the Virginia campaign, and was present at Charles Cornwallis' surrender, receiving an honorable discharge signed by George Washington on June 12, 1784." - Wikipedia
Someone named John Gray was a very young witness to the Battle of Yorktown, dying in 1868.
PS: Lemuel Cook was one of a small handful of veterans of the "American Revolution" of whom photographs still survive to this day. Look him up on Wikipedia, and they have his photo on there. I've seen one or two other photos of veterans of that conflict, but I can't recall where now (it was in a book years ago, not on the web).
@poopmcscoopface: obviously they DID.People lived long live then, they often had a better chance of living longer as the hardships of life toughened them. We only have higher AVERAGE life expectancy today. We are not somehow better then people in the past. In fact, I expect life expectancies to be declining. They only rose b/c of, first better knowledge of hygiene, 2nd inauculations & antibiotics. Once people raised in our modern sedentary life & diet get old...
Albert Woolson was 106 when he died. Younger than you might expect considering he died in 1956, but just remember that he was literally a kid during the war, a very young drummer boy who never saw (and probably would have been kept away from) combat. It's sad to note that kids his age, and even a tad younger, actually saw and participated (and died) in Civil War combat. And other wars in other countries throughout history, to this day, have had extremely young soldiers.
Yes, to be classified a veteran simply requires one to be a member of the military of one of the nations/sides involved in a conflict during that conflict. Those who saw battle are differentiated with the term "Combat Veteran". In the case of the Civil War, the last combat veteran was Albert Hard, as I mention in the notes to this video.
For example, none of the few surviving WW1 veterans saw combat in WW1, but they are technically veterans of that war.
I have always wanted to meet veterans from the civil war, WWI, and WWII and see from their perspective what it was like back then... Alas, that is impossible for me... I think it would have been amazing to hear the accounts of the last Civil War veteran
its hard to fathom that this man died 13 years before i was born and he was in the American Civil War, seems sureal when you think about that the civil war ended 104 years years before I was born. Makes you think.
Wow thanks for posting this vid. Today there is only one Veteran of the Great War (aka World War One) still living, Frank Woodruff Buckles, in thirty years we will be talking about the last veteran of the Second World War, its important to honour these men, they are living history and living heroes.
That is incorrect. There are three people left who are technically veterans of WW1. John Babcock died February 18th, leaving us only:
Claude Choules (UK vet lives in Australia)
Florence Green (UK)
Frank Buckles (US)
The last combat veteran of WW1 was Harry Patch, who died on 25 July of last year. Choules, however, was present at the final surrender of the German navy and witnessed the scuttling of many of its ships.
@LastFreedomFighter just to tell you I know Woodruff Bucles he went to my school and told us about how he got medals and never fired a bullet interesting right?
@LastFreedomFighter A great voice to hear sir! These men are still among us. we need to go INTO those nursing homes, and LISTEN to their stories while there is still time!
The American Civil War (18611865), He died August 1956. If he was born in 1865 that wold have made him 91 years old at time of his death.Last Confirmed US Civil War Veteran ?
Look at the sadness in his eyes and onl his face. He must have been so lonely with no one left but him to carry on the legacy of the Union cause and its suffering soldiers.
@white89euro some of the things he has seen, it sucks to carry all that with you your whole life. Brother fighting brother, you can tell by his face that he isnt the same. He fought for a noble cause indeed. RIP Albert Woolson, your up there with your brothers now.
There was more than 1 video recording made of him, but this was the last one. At the time this was taken, he was the last Civil War veteran left of any kind, and he was not video'd again after it, as he died not long after. I don't have any other motion picture, or audio interviews of him, though they do exist and are openly available for research. His family owns them and if you are a qualified researcher, they do allow access to original materials.
PS: I have seen one other motion picture of him, and also heard his voice before, but unfortunately I can't find any of that on the Internet just now. I didn't see and hear that on the Internet, though, it was on a documentary about last Civil War veterans. I also didn't get this video clip from the Internet, either, I got it off a DVD collection of such video clips.
There is an audio interview of good quality with one of the last surviving Confederates, who I think was an officer, that can be found on the web. He was in a Union prison camp at the end of the war and talks about seeing the flag at half mast and finding out Lincoln had been shot. Pretty eerie.
I'm having a hard time finding it now, and I can't remember his name. If it helps, he was fairly well known and I believe he was made an honorary high ranking officer in his old age (brig. general?).
He was active in Southern social circles but he also knew people in Hollywood, and it's believed the recording may have been made there in the mid or early 40's, which may account for the fairly high audio quality. He was over 100 wen it was made. I haven't heard it for over five years now.
The person who responded to you with "109" is incorrect. Woolson died at the supposed age of 106 (1850? - 2 Aug 1956). No way you do the math can that come up to 109.
accualy 109 is correct.. he would be my uncle i have a family tree with hiim in it i have so much research on him on every one it is 109 yrs old you must have the birth wrong ill see]
Woolson inflated his age to be able to get into the army. He wasn't 109 at the time of his death. In the 1850 census, he was recorded as an infant of less than 1 year of age.
he is my great great great great great great great great great great uncle! my grandpa just passed his name was clint woolson my grandma just showed me a ton of stuf on him bc she saw him on our family tree... then i decided to type his name in youtube... haha
Why won't people ever reading the freaking video description? It says in plain English that he never saw a battle. Why do so many people seem unable to read???
Many non-soldiers saw battles. This war was fought in "America's backyards", so I wouldn't doubt that Albert saw a few, even if he wasn't in the service at the time. No need to be harsh on the previous poster.
When they say "didn't see any battles", it means that they weren't involved in them. But as the original poster implied, yes, Albert probably did SEE a few battles with his own eyes, whether he was in the service or not when he saw them. I'm sure it was amazing also, and tragic.
Woolson enlisted as a drummer boy in Company C, 1st Minnesota Heavy Artillery Regiment, on October 10,1864. He was 14 years old. His regiment never saw action. The last confirmed Union veteran to see action was James Albert Hard of the 37th New York volunteer infantry who died in 1953.
Thanks for posting that. I'm not being sarcastic, either. I put a lot of that in the vid info, but based on some of the comments from a month ago and on, some people won't read it.
One thing I'm still curious about... has William Bush's Confederate veteran status had any headway in confirmation? I think most everyone is sure he was old enough, but not everyone is sure he actually served in the war in any capacity. It's a high possibility for a male of his age, but my info on his case is old.
Is there an interview with him?
kourosh89 2 weeks ago
@kourosh89
There were printed interviews with him, but I've not yet heard his voice. I know of no audio interviews with him. This is a great loss, in my opinion. With more modern mindset, I know that the printed interviews with him would also have been audio and video recorded!
I don't know for sure that he was never recorded electronically, but I don't know of it ever happening. Sorry if this is as disappointing to you as it is to me, but if you ever find otherwise, please tell me!
IgnatzKolisch 1 week ago
@IgnatzKolisch I actually found an interview with him a couple of days ago. It's kind of hard to understand what he's saying, but you can still hear him. I can't post the link, so just type in "albert woolson 1954 interview" on Google and the first result contains a link to an mp3 file of an interview with him.
kourosh89 1 week ago
@kourosh89
What a superb find! Thank you very much for sharing this! I didn't even know this existed!
IgnatzKolisch 1 week ago
Does anyone know who was the last living civil war veteran who saw combat (Woolson didn't see combat)?
DougSchofield 3 weeks ago
@DougSchofield Check out Confederate soldier Julius Howell, there is an actual audio of him here in youtube, he was in combat I think,
PureHeavenlySultan 2 weeks ago
@DougSchofield
The last verified Civil War combat veteran was James Albert Hard (1843-1953. He was present at 3 of the most famous battles of the Civil War: 1st Manassas/Bull Run, Antietam/Sharpsburg, and Chancellorsville.
Not only noted for his Civil War veteran status, he's also generally considered the oldest known person to be born in the year 1843, despite the somewhat sketchy details on his year of birth.
James Albert Hard (July 15, 1843 – March 12, 1953), a few months shy of 110.
IgnatzKolisch 1 week ago
I know this is off topic but I know that the last revolutionary war veteran died just after the civil war. And imagine what they were thinking when he saw the civil war going on. To fight for independence and watch the country go into civil war!
chucknorriswontdies 3 weeks ago
I don't wanna be the last if any conflict, because you know that every single soldier he saw is dead.
KirbyComicsVids 2 months ago
amazing to think what this man witnessed in his lifetime... from growing tensions to the north and south, to the cold war... he died just a few short years before the first artificial satellite was launched into space... the end of slavery, electricity being put to use, light bulbs, cars, airplanes, submarines, tanks, the roaring twenties, the great depression, two world wars, nuclear weapons, and the beginnings of the cold war and the civil rights movement...
DocGerbilzWorld 2 months ago
Just imagine the tales this man could tell, holy pete, what i would give to just listen to this old warriors war stories......
arivas713 3 months ago
It's sad when the last veteran of any war dies. The last WWI veteran just died earlier this year, and probably 20 years down the road the last WWII veteran will be gone. It's important that younger generations never forget what all of these men fought for and what they had to go through to keep America free.
Gettysburg20thMaine 3 months ago 6
@Gettysburg20thMaine
Uh, Florence Green is still alive, as of today at least. Technically, she's a World War I veteran. If you mean combat veteran, then yes, Claude Choules did die this year. But "veteran" is a fairly broad term, that doesn't require one to be a combatant.
Not trying to nitpick with you here, but I honestly believe that Florence Green does deserve recognition (and she IS an actual veteran, and she IS still alive).
IgnatzKolisch 3 months ago
@IgnatzKolisch True, I actually completely forgot about Florence Green, but when I was typing this I was aiming more at combat veterans. And I do agree that she does deserve more recognition.
Gettysburg20thMaine 3 months ago
@IgnatzKolisch Florence Green died on February 4th
rlt152 1 week ago
@Gettysburg20thMaine thats very true. And it just hit me a few months ago that 9-11 survivors are starting to age. I was in the 2nd grade for 9-11, time just goes by so quickly.
tp22clt 2 months ago
@tp22clt Yeah, its hard to believe that 9/11 was already 10 years ago
Gettysburg20thMaine 2 months ago
@tp22clt Yeah I wonder when the last surviving person to have memories of 9/11 will die (I would say around 2120-2130). Another one I would be interested in would be the last surviving person who was in the Trade Towers when the event occured, I would put that around 2100 but it would be nice to have at least one person make it to the 100th Anniversary (2101). Although I will likely be long gone before either of these events occur.
rlt152 1 week ago
@Gettysburg20thMaine,
There were WWII combat veterans as young as 7 at the time of combat for Germany and Russia so they'll probably be around well into 2030. By the war's end, the Nazis had anti-tank battalions commanded by students pulled from elementary school.
If you see the clip with the real subtitles from the movie "Downfall" on Youtube of Hitler yelling and screaming, it says that Steiner didn't have sufficient forces to attack. When you watch the film, you'll see what that meant.
MegaAstrodude 1 month ago
@MegaAstrodude If you think about it, that's actually not that far off either. That's a little under 20 years from now. I actually saw Downfall and it was a really good movie. All the kids were members of the Hitler Youth.
Gettysburg20thMaine 4 weeks ago
@Gettysburg20thMaine,
Those kids in the Hitler Youth should count as combat veterans. At least a couple of them would probably survive into 2050. The Soviet Union also used child soldiers as Russia traditionally used children in non-combat, but very dangerous, military roles. In fact, one of my great grandparents died about 5 years ago and came to this country fleeing the draft in the Russo-Japanese War. When I was really little, I remember seeing the last Buffalo soldier, Jones Morgan.
MegaAstrodude 4 weeks ago
@MegaAstrodude That is true. The kids in the Hitler Youth were usually in their early teens or even younger. That's really cool too that you saw the last Buffalo Soldier.
Gettysburg20thMaine 3 weeks ago
@Gettysburg20thMaine,
There were also many non-uniformed children on the Allied side who would be considered combatants by the Geneva conventions including the kids who were fighting at Warsaw, which was largely dead to the last man, woman, and child. In the book, [/u]Snow Treasure[/u], Norwegian children smuggle supplies and gold away from Nazis to raise a resistance. It is reportedly true.
MegaAstrodude 3 weeks ago
@MegaAstrodude There were also some non-uniformed children fighting in Holland with the underground
Gettysburg20thMaine 3 weeks ago
How interesting that actual footage of man who served during the Civil War has made its way to YouTube.
jonpev 3 months ago
I wouldve loved the opportunity to hear this mans story. Not only from his military service background but just to have witnessed America's rise and transformation. Incredible.
VTRaider202 3 months ago 2
Almost a century is a long time to live with the burden of the memory of war.
aMarinedaughter 6 months ago
wow amazing vid thanks for posting
1TakeVlog 8 months ago
Remarkable to see a civil war vet in color. Rare, but it is possible, just as a few Revolutionary War veterans survived into the age of photography.
toddsmitts 8 months ago
@toddsmitts There was a book released in 1864 called "The Last Men of the Revolution", which contained the photographs and stories of the last seven Revolutionary War veterans. There are a couple of copies on Amazon at the moment going for around $200 a piece.
Gunny761 5 months ago
@Gunny761
It's a rare book that I don't think has ever been reprinted, I see the photos from it and I find it sad to think that they fought so hard to create this country only to watch their hard work torn apart by the civil war
snakes3425 4 months ago
The kid in this video must be in his/her 50's or 60's by now (if they're still alive.) and it just makes you think...if they are still alive to this day...then they are living in the year 2011 and they had touched shoulders with a Civil War vet! Wow.
GenesisTree 8 months ago
@GenesisTree The the would be in his/her 50s by now.
67tr876 8 months ago
@GenesisTree I mean the kid not the the lol
67tr876 8 months ago
It's almost impossible to be%100sure when the last vetern died because of the bad records, senile possible vets who died in asylums, and outright liers.A big reason that there is so much confusion is because, what is a vet? During the war some kids served as drummers,older ppl as homeguards, some ppl enlisted but by the time they were deployed the war ended and ppl who did labor but no fighting. A prison labor man was the last person in the war to die in '58. He dug ditches for the CSA no combat
ginko27 8 months ago 4
@ginko27
All that's very true; it's virtually impossible to nail down with absolute certainty who the final handful of participants were, and not all were technically military veterans, as you pointed out. I'm very interested in more information about that ditch-digger; do you have a name or anything? Such a guy would have been a participant in the Civil War in some capacity, which is certainly noteworthy. I'd love to learn more about people like that (and there were probably a few).
IgnatzKolisch 8 months ago
@IgnatzKolisch It was a computer CD I got at Stones River in '02. I don't remember his name, but I'm pretty sure he was from Alabama. The other details I can remember was he said he was in combat then he came clean about enlisting, stealing from somone in his unit, trying to desert but getting cought, sentenced to hard labor in a prison unit where he dug ditches. I think I remember him saying he only heard artillery firing at Nashville and seeing retreating men streaming past him. Help any?
ginko27 8 months ago
He had to be a kid who fought in the war. Maybe even 18.
Governm3nt 8 months ago
@Governm3nt
I think current research indicates that Woolson was born in 1850 or very late 1849. Based on that, he was at most 15 years old at war's end in mid-1865.
IgnatzKolisch 8 months ago
@IgnatzKolisch many soldiers from WW1 lied about their age to sign up, so it is atleast feasible?
dfcvda 8 months ago
@Governm3nt Younger?
zipsrule 8 months ago
i just wish i could talk to them, to truely understand the civil war
xKAsoccer10x 9 months ago
how did we miss one
jdell151 9 months ago
hard to imagine seeing a color film of a veteran in a war where single shot muzzleloader rifles were the standard.
ffairlane57 9 months ago
Woolson’s father was a cabinet maker, painter, builder of fine furniture and a musician. A soldier in the Union Army, he was injured in the battle of Shiloh in 1862. He was mustered out of service and sent his family money .
When President Lincoln issued an appeal for troops, Albert, then 17, enlisted in October 1864 as a volunteer private in the First Minnesota Heavy Artillery Regiment. He started in the drum corps and served as head drummer boy and later became drum major...
.
TTBluez 10 months ago
My cousin several times removed was Gen. Grant
dreamwarrior2008 10 months ago
This is amazing...The Civil War seems soooo long ago when you're a kid. The older you get, the more you realize that these people were my grandparents' grandparents age. Crazy.
CLewey44 10 months ago
really though, he dosent look that old for his age. ive seen younger people than him look older than him
Ace4929 11 months ago
@Ace4929 ha ha what a jumbled statement
dfcvda 9 months ago
My Great Great Great Grandpa served in the Missouri Guard and fought the whole warfrom 61 to 65 for the south, he was shot 3 times but by the end of the war he was still kickin. He died in the early 40's. He was 12 when he served, the MO Guard was low on troops because the Union invaded the state and killed many civilians and people that would be recruited, so they took him. He suupsedly kill a few Yanks too. His rifle is above my fireplace as of now.
USAamericaUSA 11 months ago
I once had an employee by the name of "Pillow." He was related to the Confederate General Gideon Pillow. Gideon Pillow was the dumbest, most imcompetant general in the entire Confederacy. I had to discharge the employee for being dumb and incompetant. Maybe traits do run in families.
ZeekWolfe1 11 months ago
@ZeekWolfe1 beasted
ShredWithMe 11 months ago
@ShredWithMe Huh????
ZeekWolfe1 11 months ago
The last American WWI Vet died recently. In 25 years or less they will be saying the same thing about WWII Vets. Time passes on.
rdsanchez1966 11 months ago
Rest in Peace Frank Buckles
you had all my respect from me.
I lit a candle in honor of him.
Pickuptruckdude 1 year ago 3
Never knew he lived and died in my city.
RoninAvenger 1 year ago
My great great grandfather fought for the confederacy and got hung for bringing slaves to the north
drnachos 1 year ago
My great great great grandfather was probably one of the last Vets of the Union. He died in 1932. He was approximately 21 years old in 1862 when he arrived here from England or Wales. All that is known of his service was that he was a Draft substitute and was imprisoned at Andersonville. I don't know of the Draftee he subbed for, as he would've went by this mans name. I wish my great grandfather was still alive to tell me this unit in which my ancestor came from.
pw3djoeisback 1 year ago 7
@pw3djoeisback
That's fantastic info about your great-great-great grandfather! A lot of people have ancestors that were in the Civil War, but don't even know it, so you're quite fortunate to know as much as you do!
There were a fair number of Civil War veterans remaining alive in 1932; there was even a large veterans' Gettysburg reunion in 1937! But by that time there certainly was dwindling in their ranks. Within 15 years of your ancestor's passing, there weren't many left at all.
IgnatzKolisch 1 year ago 2
@pw3djoeisback I wonder how many soldiers came from Europe to fight in the ACW?
dfcvda 9 months ago
@dfcvda I've always wondered about that myself. I am no sure expert on the Civil War, but it seemed a lot of immigrants fought for the North or even the South for profit or for patriotism.
pw3djoeisback 8 months ago
the shit he must have seen,,,,,,,,,you can see it in his eyes
delcomurf 1 year ago
did he dieded?
delcomurf 1 year ago
For what it's worth, Frank Buckles, who recently turned 110 and served on the Western Front in France in 1918, was also a prisoner of the Japanese during World War II, doing three years in an internment camp in the Philippines and almost dying during his ordeal. Perhaps not a veteran of both wars, therefore, but no less of a sacrifice.
RIP All Veterans, your sacrifice will not be forgotten
colonelchaiko 1 year ago
@colonelchaiko he just died yesterday :(
RoninAvenger 1 year ago
This is some very sentimental and touching footage. Here's to Albert Woolson on February 11 ... the day of his Birth Anniversary! Today I actually spoke to someone who told me he remembers, as a child, watching the news story announcing Albert's passing. A hearty salute to the last of the Boys In Blue.
MichaelTheResearcher 1 year ago
*Salute*
Crashbrow 1 year ago
This man will rest in Heaven....Finally with his brothers and Sisters.
jediguardian1 1 year ago
Comment removed
Pickuptruckdude 1 year ago
@Pickuptruckdude
This is terrible news, but I do appreciate the update. I hadn't heard that he was doing so poorly. The last person who served in BOTH World Wars, that's just something incredible and now completely unique. Once he passes, that is gone forever.
IgnatzKolisch 1 year ago
@Pickuptruckdude die before april. anzac day is in april and his relatives say he probably won't even live to see that day either.
ultradumbass 1 year ago
@Pickuptruckdude your absolutely right that is why we should gain as much knowledge that thee people have before they pass so that we can never forget
phillip549 11 months ago
@Pickuptruckdude AND HE LIVES ON !
mattybock 9 months ago
Comment removed
Pickuptruckdude 9 months ago
@mattybock He just Died :(
Now we have the Soul Survivor of the War...
Florence Green. The Last Veteran of the War.
Pickuptruckdude 9 months ago
Albert Woolson lived through a time of perhaps the most drastic changes in the world. He would have seen the world go from traveling on horseback & in steam trains to cars, rickety airplanes to jet airliners; he would have witnessed the change from telegraph to radio to TV; early photographs to silent movies to color films with sound; from muskets to rifles to Gatlin guns to machine guns to assault rifles. He was witness to some of the major wars in history - the Civil War and 2 WWs.
drav1dan 1 year ago
Who the hell DISLIKES (1) this video? You must be kidding!!! Right??!!
1922sultan 1 year ago 4
I am only 37 years old , but my Father served in WW2 and his grandfather served in the 7th IN cavalry during the Civil War . He died in the 30's , and my Dad got to know him well til he died . . There are not many men my age who can say their Dad knew and spoke to men who served during the War of the States
Tecumseh1812 1 year ago
I thought the last CSA veteran died in 1957 was from Fl and known as Uncle Bill..which would make him one of the last to die
DieselDoc83 1 year ago
@DieselDoc83
You're referring to William Lundy. Considering that he was actually born in 1860, it was easy to prove that he was not, in fact, a veteran of the US Civil War. He was long ago discredited as an actual veteran; he was one of the last fake claimants, including John Salling and Walter Williams.
Pleasant Crump (died 1951) was the last absolutely proven Confederate Veteran, though William J. Bush (died 1952) was PROBABLY an actual Confederate veteran; it just can't be proven so far.
IgnatzKolisch 1 year ago
@IgnatzKolisch maybe some didn't actually fight militarily but might have been doing non-combat service? because in most major wars when they are low on manpower they might recruit kids as young as 3 to sometimes play instruments, polish weapons or help them farm or help in staff rooms. though it doesn't prove they really are veterans, i am saying that there are veterans who lived to be over 100 in history who were too young to even attend school when they served.
ultradumbass 1 year ago
@ultradumbass
None that is known. As I've said elsewhere in comments, though, it's very certain that children did do such things. I can imagine a general stationed at a desk in D.C. during the Civil War having his 5-year old son occasionally shine his boots, for instance. John Salling, a debunked Confederate claimant, may very well have gathered small amounts of saltpetre underfoot of the adults when he was 5 years old near war's end. As you say, not a veteran, but still helping some tiny way.
IgnatzKolisch 1 year ago
@DieselDoc83 impossible, do the math.
dfcvda 9 months ago
I love things like this. Whenever I see old films of any kind with old people in them, even old Hollywood movies, I always imagine the world events of long ago that they witnessed.
AnnihilatingAngel 1 year ago
This makes one wonder, when did the last Revolutionary War veteran die? He probably saw the last Revolutionary War veterans go tottering by, or maybe carried along in carriages, in parades as a boy. Drummer boys were used then as well. A 10yr. old boy drummer in the Revolutionary War would be in his 90s or even 80s for the Civil War. The Revolution went on long past 1776. Imagine it, a boy who had old tell him about Washington might have seen Lincoln & then Eisenhower.
VictorLepanto 1 year ago 14
@VictorLepanto
"Lemuel Cook (September 10, 1759 – May 20, 1866) was one of the last verifiable surviving veterans of the American Revolutionary War. Enlisting in the Continental Army at the age of sixteen, he fought at Brandywine and in the Virginia campaign, and was present at Charles Cornwallis' surrender, receiving an honorable discharge signed by George Washington on June 12, 1784." - Wikipedia
Someone named John Gray was a very young witness to the Battle of Yorktown, dying in 1868.
IgnatzKolisch 1 year ago
@VictorLepanto
PS: Lemuel Cook was one of a small handful of veterans of the "American Revolution" of whom photographs still survive to this day. Look him up on Wikipedia, and they have his photo on there. I've seen one or two other photos of veterans of that conflict, but I can't recall where now (it was in a book years ago, not on the web).
IgnatzKolisch 1 year ago
@VictorLepanto nobody lived that,long in those days
poopmcscoopface 1 year ago
@poopmcscoopface: obviously they DID.People lived long live then, they often had a better chance of living longer as the hardships of life toughened them. We only have higher AVERAGE life expectancy today. We are not somehow better then people in the past. In fact, I expect life expectancies to be declining. They only rose b/c of, first better knowledge of hygiene, 2nd inauculations & antibiotics. Once people raised in our modern sedentary life & diet get old...
VictorLepanto 1 year ago
@VictorLepanto
wonder no more.
Daniel F. Bakeman
Lemuel Cook
John Gray
axa88888888 3 months ago
This man is a hero ! but dam he saw the first nukeler bomb !
67tr876 1 year ago
but the 1st minn. never saw action
bornhard11b 1 year ago
This man has seen things only us people could see in our worst nightmares
RichieRottentooth 1 year ago
Even As A Southerner...This Is Simply Amazing... Glad He Lived To Be So Old...For His Life Could have Been taken at such a young age....
BLUTundGermany 1 year ago
the shit this man has seen... from cowboys and indians to jack the ripper, the car, wwi, and wwii
CyKoPathiK12 1 year ago
how old was he when he passed?
GeetarJunky 1 year ago
@GeetarJunky
Albert Woolson was 106 when he died. Younger than you might expect considering he died in 1956, but just remember that he was literally a kid during the war, a very young drummer boy who never saw (and probably would have been kept away from) combat. It's sad to note that kids his age, and even a tad younger, actually saw and participated (and died) in Civil War combat. And other wars in other countries throughout history, to this day, have had extremely young soldiers.
IgnatzKolisch 1 year ago 3
A drummer boy who never saw action is that kind of "veteran".
TheMrSmissen 1 year ago
@TheMrSmissen
Yes, to be classified a veteran simply requires one to be a member of the military of one of the nations/sides involved in a conflict during that conflict. Those who saw battle are differentiated with the term "Combat Veteran". In the case of the Civil War, the last combat veteran was Albert Hard, as I mention in the notes to this video.
For example, none of the few surviving WW1 veterans saw combat in WW1, but they are technically veterans of that war.
IgnatzKolisch 1 year ago
WHAT WAS HIS JOB IN THE ARMY???
pqwilrj 1 year ago
Can you imagine all the history he's seen? Amazing.
meginmd 1 year ago
I have always wanted to meet veterans from the civil war, WWI, and WWII and see from their perspective what it was like back then... Alas, that is impossible for me... I think it would have been amazing to hear the accounts of the last Civil War veteran
DominateroftheWorld 1 year ago
So was he a drummer boy are something.
steve4123456789 1 year ago
@steve4123456789
Does anybody read video descriptions before asking questions that are already answered? I'm amazed at how many people do this.
IgnatzKolisch 1 year ago 2
amazing to see that we have color footage of a civil war veteran
ks7800 1 year ago
one word "WOW"
phoenixfade 1 year ago
hard to believe this was a man when the da y & age of warfare was muzzle loading rifles, and now he has made it to the age of the atomic bomb.
ffairlane57 1 year ago
its hard to fathom that this man died 13 years before i was born and he was in the American Civil War, seems sureal when you think about that the civil war ended 104 years years before I was born. Makes you think.
stonewall1888 1 year ago
@stonewall1888 Heck I was 4 when he died weird
ugslamma 1 year ago
@ugslamma
You (as many of us) could have shaken hands with a man who shook hands with a man who fought in the American Revolution.
3511putman 1 year ago
Wow thanks for posting this vid. Today there is only one Veteran of the Great War (aka World War One) still living, Frank Woodruff Buckles, in thirty years we will be talking about the last veteran of the Second World War, its important to honour these men, they are living history and living heroes.
LastFreedomFighter 1 year ago 25
That is incorrect. There are three people left who are technically veterans of WW1. John Babcock died February 18th, leaving us only:
Claude Choules (UK vet lives in Australia)
Florence Green (UK)
Frank Buckles (US)
The last combat veteran of WW1 was Harry Patch, who died on 25 July of last year. Choules, however, was present at the final surrender of the German navy and witnessed the scuttling of many of its ships.
IgnatzKolisch 1 year ago
I was referring to American Veterans, and there is only one American Veteran of the Great War still living.
LastFreedomFighter 1 year ago
@IgnatzKolisch I think Florence Green has also passed away?
w0033944 1 year ago
@w0033944
As of today, Florence Green is still alive.
IgnatzKolisch 1 year ago
@IgnatzKolisch Sorry, good to hear she is still with us.
w0033944 1 year ago
@LastFreedomFighter just to tell you I know Woodruff Bucles he went to my school and told us about how he got medals and never fired a bullet interesting right?
rla1978x 1 year ago
@rla1978x wow! thats amazing! one day you will be able to tell your grandchildren about that!
LastFreedomFighter 1 year ago
@LastFreedomFighter As of today, I understand, he is still alive and kicking.
FaganRoberts 1 year ago
@LastFreedomFighter A great voice to hear sir! These men are still among us. we need to go INTO those nursing homes, and LISTEN to their stories while there is still time!
historygeeek 1 year ago
@LastFreedomFighter actually, even when he was still alive, there were 2 other veterans still living. NOW there is only one, Florence Green.
ninja067 6 months ago
war ended 1865 he died 1956 91 years.How old was he when fighting
rigd49 1 year ago
Read the description: "Woolson never saw combat". For God's sake, why won't anyone READ? He died at the age of 106 in 1956, and was born in 1850.
IgnatzKolisch 1 year ago
The American Civil War (18611865), He died August 1956. If he was born in 1865 that wold have made him 91 years old at time of his death.Last Confirmed US Civil War Veteran ?
rigd49 1 year ago
Assuming the girl was born sometime in the 40's she is in her mid to late 60's if she is still alive.
GunsOfThePhoenix 2 years ago
Look at the sadness in his eyes and onl his face. He must have been so lonely with no one left but him to carry on the legacy of the Union cause and its suffering soldiers.
white89euro 2 years ago 33
@white89euro some of the things he has seen, it sucks to carry all that with you your whole life. Brother fighting brother, you can tell by his face that he isnt the same. He fought for a noble cause indeed. RIP Albert Woolson, your up there with your brothers now.
SuperClintEastwood 1 year ago 2
is that not a navy cover hes wearing on his head
1991jarhead 2 years ago
@1991jarhead
It's a "Grand Army of the Republic" hat (GAR). It was an organisation consisting of Union Civil War veterans.
IgnatzKolisch 2 years ago
@IgnatzKolisch ..My great-grandfather fought in thr CW,and was a member of this organization.He homesteaded to Ks, and b/c a successful wheat farmer.
estelle715 1 year ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
why is it that we only see wimpy drummer boys surviving every war
thats not a civil war veteran
thats civil war entertainment
btw im just kidding
old people are awesome
hope i get to gain some equally valuable experineces by the time i get to be 120
edmontondesi09 2 years ago
good luck by getting thaaaaat old :D
xXCREEKSTARXx 2 years ago 2
The little girl in the video is his granddaughter. I know this because I'm a relative!!!
Carjamrac 2 years ago 5
Dam, could you try and upload more possible; poeples minds need to be put at rest lol.
GameCenter2009 2 years ago
Wtf why is there nothing documented about this, why is there only one video.
GameCenter2009 2 years ago
@GameCenter2009
I'm not sure what you mean. There's lots of documentation on Albert Woolson.
IgnatzKolisch 2 years ago
Theres only 1 video is this guy for real?, was he really the last, or even one?
Why is there only 1 video.
GameCenter2009 2 years ago
@GameCenter2009
There was more than 1 video recording made of him, but this was the last one. At the time this was taken, he was the last Civil War veteran left of any kind, and he was not video'd again after it, as he died not long after. I don't have any other motion picture, or audio interviews of him, though they do exist and are openly available for research. His family owns them and if you are a qualified researcher, they do allow access to original materials.
IgnatzKolisch 2 years ago
You heard his voice? What kind of accent did he have?
UNCfan102 2 years ago
@GameCenter2009
PS: I have seen one other motion picture of him, and also heard his voice before, but unfortunately I can't find any of that on the Internet just now. I didn't see and hear that on the Internet, though, it was on a documentary about last Civil War veterans. I also didn't get this video clip from the Internet, either, I got it off a DVD collection of such video clips.
IgnatzKolisch 2 years ago
wow a lvivng legend
mh2blade 2 years ago 4
r.i.p. he saw things no one should
honortheallies 2 years ago 4
There is an audio interview of good quality with one of the last surviving Confederates, who I think was an officer, that can be found on the web. He was in a Union prison camp at the end of the war and talks about seeing the flag at half mast and finding out Lincoln had been shot. Pretty eerie.
DavePerry2012 2 years ago 6
Dave where can I find this interveiw I would love to see it.
JoezVendetta 2 years ago
I'm having a hard time finding it now, and I can't remember his name. If it helps, he was fairly well known and I believe he was made an honorary high ranking officer in his old age (brig. general?).
He was active in Southern social circles but he also knew people in Hollywood, and it's believed the recording may have been made there in the mid or early 40's, which may account for the fairly high audio quality. He was over 100 wen it was made. I haven't heard it for over five years now.
DavePerry2012 2 years ago
@DavePerry2012 WHere is that interview? Would love to hear it.
thegools 1 year ago
The serouse line formations fighting for life and death.
GameCenter2009 2 years ago
more like death or a worse death.
life was the wild card only a lucky few drew...
plasticnapoleon22 2 years ago
Amazing just amazing veteran living long enough for colour picture to come out and also witness the line formations.
GameCenter2009 2 years ago
Hi, I love the Internet. Where did the film come from?
artbeings 2 years ago
He was the last of the great ones and the really big war.
The way things are unfolding here again,I'm afraid we may see some of the horrors and deprivations that he did.
dgl1962 2 years ago
how old was he
flythe101 2 years ago
109
GODDAMNSASQUATCH 2 years ago
The person who responded to you with "109" is incorrect. Woolson died at the supposed age of 106 (1850? - 2 Aug 1956). No way you do the math can that come up to 109.
IgnatzKolisch 2 years ago
accualy 109 is correct.. he would be my uncle i have a family tree with hiim in it i have so much research on him on every one it is 109 yrs old you must have the birth wrong ill see]
YnkksRock 2 years ago
Woolson inflated his age to be able to get into the army. He wasn't 109 at the time of his death. In the 1850 census, he was recorded as an infant of less than 1 year of age.
IgnatzKolisch 2 years ago
he is my great great great great great great great great great great uncle! my grandpa just passed his name was clint woolson my grandma just showed me a ton of stuf on him bc she saw him on our family tree... then i decided to type his name in youtube... haha
YnkksRock 2 years ago 4
Reposez en Paix ! Respect à tous ces soldats des deux camps!
Rest in Peace! Awesome to see this video! Respect to the soldiers from both sides!
JustFrench80 2 years ago 6
amazing! to see the battles he saw. great video!
RIP
pitatapiu 2 years ago
Why won't people ever reading the freaking video description? It says in plain English that he never saw a battle. Why do so many people seem unable to read???
IgnatzKolisch 2 years ago
Many non-soldiers saw battles. This war was fought in "America's backyards", so I wouldn't doubt that Albert saw a few, even if he wasn't in the service at the time. No need to be harsh on the previous poster.
BlueOceanBelow 2 years ago
its says that his company didnt see any battles.
taylord1 2 years ago
When they say "didn't see any battles", it means that they weren't involved in them. But as the original poster implied, yes, Albert probably did SEE a few battles with his own eyes, whether he was in the service or not when he saw them. I'm sure it was amazing also, and tragic.
BlueOceanBelow 2 years ago
i would love to go back in time and witness them. amazing indeed. the civil war era navy would also be a sight to see
taylord1 2 years ago
Laziness.
I read it, this is great stuff.
Thanks for posting.
mrceebees14 2 years ago
Woolson enlisted as a drummer boy in Company C, 1st Minnesota Heavy Artillery Regiment, on October 10,1864. He was 14 years old. His regiment never saw action. The last confirmed Union veteran to see action was James Albert Hard of the 37th New York volunteer infantry who died in 1953.
rebelingray 2 years ago 3
Thanks for posting that. I'm not being sarcastic, either. I put a lot of that in the vid info, but based on some of the comments from a month ago and on, some people won't read it.
One thing I'm still curious about... has William Bush's Confederate veteran status had any headway in confirmation? I think most everyone is sure he was old enough, but not everyone is sure he actually served in the war in any capacity. It's a high possibility for a male of his age, but my info on his case is old.
IgnatzKolisch 2 years ago
cool! what battles did he fight?
Dannoo007 3 years ago