Albert Colcord [1841-1918]
Co. "E" 

Albert Colcord ( referred to as “Alfred” in at least one location in the rolls) was born at Thurston (Bonny Hill), Steuben County, New York on July 21, 1841, one of ten children of Joseph (7) and Sally (Dickinson) Colcord of Bath, New York.^{1,  2}

On December 23, 1860, Albert married Elizabeth Sherer of  Bath, New York. There were 6 children born to Albert and Elizabeth, being: Joseph B. Colcord; Cora Colcord; John Sherer Colcord;  Amy Colcord; Susan Colcord and  Iva Colcord.^{1, 2,  9a}

Albert had two older brothers in the Civil War, those being David D. and Amos D. Colcord. David D. Colcord served with the 199^th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry Regiment which participated in the capture of Forts Gregg and Alexander and in the engagements at Burkesville, Rice’s Landing and Appomattox.^{1, 6}

 Amos D. Colcord enlisted in the Regular U.S. Cavalry prior to the Civil War and was serving in Texas under Braxton Bragg when hostilities broke out. Amos chose the Union and returned North, while many of his comrades-in-arms, including his commanding officer, cast their lots with the Southern Confederacy. Amos served all through the war, escaping from over 60 engagements without a scratch, although having his clothing pierced many times and having several horses shot from under him.^{1, 6}

 As the 1901 Adjutant General’s report indicates, Albert, at age 22, enlisted on July 16, 1863, at Thurston, New York, to serve three years. He was mustered in as a Private in Co. "E," 76^th N.Y. Volunteer Infantry Regiment on that same date. On enlistment he was described as 5' 8" tall with brown hair, black eyes and a fair complexion. His occupation was listed as blacksmith. ^{2, 5}

 In his inclusion of the 76^th New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment in his “300 Fighting Regiments,” Fox provides a concise summary of highlights of this Unit:

 The men of this regiment were proud of the suggestive numerals in their regimental title, and by their gallantry and patriotism proved themselves worthy of the historic figures emblazoned on their colors. The Seventy-sixth was recruited in Cortland  and Otswego counties in 1861, and arrived at Washington, February l, 1862. It was assigned soon after to Doubleday's Brigade, Hatch's Division. Its first battle was at Manassas, where the regiment under command of Colonel Wainwright was engaged at Warrenton Springs, Gainesville, and the other engagements incidental to the main one, sustaining a loss of 11 killed, 88 wounded, and 48 missing; total, 147. The Seventy-sixth met its greatest loss at Gettysburg. In the first day's battle on that field, it took 27 officers and 348 men into the fight, and in half an hour lost 32 killed, 132 wounded, and 70 missing; total, 234. Major A. J. Grover, who was in command of the regiment at Gettysburg, was among the killed. In March, 1864, the Seventy-sixth was assigned to Rice's Brigade, Wadsworth's Division, Fifth Corps. In the Wilderness, the regiment lost two color-bearers killed, and three wounded, its casualties in that battle amounting to 27 killed, 69 wounded, and 186 captured or missing; total, 282. General Rice, the brigade commander, was mortally wounded at Spotsylvania while leading the Seventy-sixth. A surgeon asked the dying general if he could place him in an easier position. Rice replied: "Yes, turn me so that I may die with my face to the enemy." The regiment was mustered out in January, 1865, its term of enlistment having expired. The reenlisted men and recruits were transferred to the One Hundred and Forty-seventh New York.”  ⁷

 As pointed out elsewhere,  Albert " . . . enlisted just a few weeks after Gettysburg, so he missed the tremendous losses the 76^th N.Y. suffered in that battle.⁴

 Albert appears to have enjoyed a creditable military record, it being noted only that he had  been charged $00.62 for the loss of a belt, cartridge box and plate sometime during September - October, 1864. Albert was listed as “absent - sick” on the Company muster roll for Sept./Oct.; Nov./Dec., 1864. During the period Nov./Dec., 1864, he was transferred to Co. “C” by order of Col. Livingstone. On November 18, 1864 “somewhere near Petersburg, Virginia,” Albert was transferred to Co. “D.” On Dec. 31, 1864, he was listed as a patient in the U.S.A. Depot Field Hospital, 5^th Army Corps, City Point, Virginia.³

 Presumably, apart from the several months illness noted above,  Albert participated in the 76^th ‘s  later engagements as, for example,  Mine Run, Brandy Station, the fierce and brutal fighting of the Wilderness Campaign (which saw 282 men killed, wounded or missing during the first 2 days of fighting), the North Anna, Totopotomoy, Cold Harbor and Petersburg.⁵

 “ . . . In January of 1865, after the three-year enlistments of its initial complement had expired and the remaining re-enlisted three-year men and newer recruits were too few men to carry on as a separate regiment, all of the men still active at that time were transferred to various companies in the 147^th  N.Y. Volunteer Infantry Regiment . . .,” Albert being placed in Co. “E” of the 147^th.³ 

 In the absence of contradictory information, one again may suppose that Albert participated with the 147^th  N.Y. in one or more of the closing campaigns of the War including the Petersburg siege, the Weldon Railroad, Poplar Spring Church, Boydton Road, Hatcher's Run, White Oak Ridge, Five Forks and Appomattox.⁶

 On June 6, 1865, Albert was briefly transferred Co. "I," 91st N.Y. Volunteer Infantry, and on June 10, 1865, he was mustered out of the 91st N.Y. in Washington, D. C., having completed his term of service.^{3, 5}               

 After the War Albert returned briefly to New York  He subsequently moved with his family to Coudersport, Pennsylvania, in 1867 where he made his living as a farmer and a blacksmith. He was listed in the 1880 and 1900 census returns for Eulalia Township, Pennsylvania. ^{1, 2, 9b}

 Albert was described as " . . . a typical Colcord . . . (who was) . . . a rollicking lover of fun . . . (and) . . . a great mimic."  He continue living near Coudersport, Pennsylvania, as a prosperous, retired farmer until his death.¹ He was a member of the A. F. Jones Post No. 20 of the Grand Army of the Republic (G.A.R.). ^9b

 Albert Colcord died on October 10, 1918 in Coudersport, Pennsylvania, in his 77^th year and was buried in the Homer cemetery, Potter County, Pa.  He was survived by his son John of Inez, Potter County, Pennsylvania and his daughters Mrs. Sue LeCompte of Rochester, New York, and Mrs. Iva Austin of Nebraska. ⁸

Picture above is scanned from Dr. Doane B. Colcord's book The Colcord Genealogy - 1630 to 1908,
published by Mahlon J. Colcord, Press of the Potter County Journal, Coudersport, Pennsylvania, 1908, page 60. Larger Image is available (57K)

Notes:

1. Colcord, Doane B. The Colcord Genealogy. Coudersport, Pennsylvania:  Press of the Potter County Journal, 1908.

2. Colcord, Albert,   Veteran’s Records - pension file (Appl.#327490; Cert.#329978), National Archives and Records Administration, Washington, D.C., 1999. 

3. Colcord, Albert,   Veteran’s Records - military file,  National Archives and Records Administration, Washington, D.C., 1999. 

4. Brown, Mike,   personal communication, 11/30/98.

5. New York Legislature. Report of the Adjutant-General. 32 vols. Albany: Argus, 1895-1906. In: Historical Data Systems, 1998.

6. Dyer, Frederick H.,   Compendium of the War of the Rebellion, 1861 to 1865  Part III, Regimental Histories. In: The Civil War CD-ROM, Indiana: Guild Press, 1996.                                         

7. Fox, William F., Lt. Col., U.S.V.  Regimental Losses In The American Civil War , 1861-1865. Albany, N.Y.: Albany Publishing Company, 1889. In: The Civil War CD-ROM. Indiana: Guild Press, 1996.

8. Cwiklinski, Ms Judy   Personal communication (From the Potter County Enterprise - Coudersport, Potter Co., PA). Steuben County, New York, 1999.

9. Colcord, Timothy A.  Personal communication.  Arlington, Virginia, 1998.

^9a (. . . given as Shearer by Colcord Genealogy, p. 60)

 ^9b (Civil War Pension Appl., op. cit.; see also The History of the Counties of McKean, Elk, Cameron and Potter, Pennsylvania, J. H. Beers & Co., Chicago, IL, 1890, which also states that he was a member of the A. F. Jones Post No. 20 of the G. A. R.)

Edward Arthur Colcord Staples
Ontario, Canada
December 04, 1998

E-mail: tdoyle@nonline.net

Additional material supplied by Judy Allen Cwiklinski - Steuben Co., NY GenWeb coordinator: JudyKCski@aol.com

Obituaries from the Potter County Enterprise
Coudersport, Potter Co., PA

Albert Colcord, Civil War veteran of Inez, died Oct. 10, 1918; born in Bath, NY in 1841, son of Joseph & Sally (Dickinson) Colcord; married December 23, 1861 to Elizabeth Sherer of Bath, NY. He is survived by children: John of Inez; Mrs. Sue LeCompt of Rochester and Mrs. Iva Austin of Nebraska. Buried in Homer cemetery. (Inez & Homer are both in Potter Co., PA - JAC)

Mrs. Elizabeth Sherer Colcord of Inez, died Dec. 30, 1905 in her 66th year married in 1860 to Albert Colcord of Bath, NY who survives with sons, Dr. J.B. Colcord of Port Allegany and John S. Colcord of Inez; daughters: Mrs. Sue LeCompt of Coudersport and Mrs Iva Austin of University Place, Nebraska.

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