Notes for: Charles H COLLEY
He first enlisted as a private in Co B, 1st Reg Maine Volunteer Infantry for only 3 months. He re-enlisted on September 28, 1862, as a sergeant in Capt James M Black's Company B of the 10th Maine.
Sgt Charles H Colley
BIRTH 1833
Gray, Cumberland County, Maine, USA
DEATH 20 Sep 1862 (aged 28–29)
Alexandria, Alexandria City, Virginia, USA
BURIAL
Alexandria National Cemetery
Alexandria, Alexandria City, Virginia, USA
PLOT A-325
MEMORIAL ID 40040862 · View Source
MEMORIAL
PHOTOS 1
FLOWERS 1
Charles Colley was a former house carpenter who was studying to become a teacher when the Civil War began. He first enlisted as a private in Co B, 1st Reg Maine Volunteer Infantry for only 3 months. He re-enlisted on September 28, 1862, as a sergeant in Capt James M Black's Company B of the 10th Maine.
During the battle of Cedar Mountain a courier rode up with orders for the 10th Maine to attack and halt the Confederates. Acting-Lieutenant Colley was hit by a bullet and badly wounded in the knee. The heavy round lead bullets used were able to do a great amount of damage to joints and caused a great deal of pain as well at times loss of limbs. The 10th Maine retreated from their exposed position.
Once the battle was over the wounded went through the First Division field hospital located close behind the lines. During the morning of August 10th, the wounded deemed able to travel were evacuated by rail to major army hospitals in Alexandria, Virginia. Charles Colley was sent to a hospital on Prince Street in Alexandria and placed under the care of Army Surgeon T Rush Spencer. Colley was officially promoted to rank of second lieutenant on September 17, 1862. Sadly he would never know of this promotion for the hospital was not notified of the promotion prior to his death on September 20th.
He was interred the same day in Grave #325 in the Alexandria Cemetery, where a section had been set aside for soldiers. Once his company commander Captain Black was notified of his death he wrote to Surgeon Spencer on the 29th asking that he take all of Colley's personal effects and pack them in a box, taking what he deemed sufficient as "pay" for the trouble of doing so.
Once word was received by his mother Sally Colley of his death she discussed with her step-son, Amos, the returning of his body to the family farm in Gray, Maine. Amos made the necessary arrangements, and in October a plain pine casket arrived by train. Sally wished to view her son's remains one last time. When the lid was removed she looked in and saw a stranger dressed in a gray uniform of the enemy. Although the family was stressed by the events they asked to have the body searched for papers in hopes of finding out who the individual was. No identification was found. The family gave the unknown soldier a Christian burial in the town cemetery at Gray.
A second casket arrived a week later and was taken to the Colley farm. This time it was her son, his body was buried in the same cemetery as the unknown Confederate soldier. After the war many of the women who lost loved ones during the war would come to the cemetery to place flowers on the graves of the soldiers and they would place flowers on the unknown Confederate soldier as well.