New Hampshire's Last Civil War Veteran:
Farmington
George V Card
Died January 17,1937
Farmington’s last Civil War Veteran George V. Card died January 17,1937 at his North Main street home at the age of 96. He was born in Newcastle, July 28,1842, the fifth in a family of ten children of Edward and Frances Card. His parents moved to Farmington when he was young.
When George was 20 years old he married Miss Nancy J. Sampson and less then a week later enlisted in the Farmington Co. of the 13th N.H. Volunteer Infantry, commanded by First Lieut. Charles H. Curtis.
On November 15,1862 he was promoted to Corporal and was with his company in the bloody battle of Fredericksburg following a few days of training at Lee’s Plantation, Virginia. At the siege of Suffolk he was under continuous fire for 30 days and at the slaughter of Cold Harbor, he was wounded and knocked unconscious by a limb blasted from a tree. He took part in the battle of Drury’s Bluff and met steel with steel when the Confederate forces charged the Union Lines at Bermuda Hundred. He fought through the storming fury of the siege of Petersburg and escaped the fate of hundreds of Union soldiers in the charge after the famous mine was exploded and with the remnant of his proud old regiment, carried the first Union colors into Richmond when the rebel capitol surrendered.
He was mustered out of the service on June 21,1865 at Richmond after having seen three years of service that was equaled by few men in the Union Army.
Mr. Card returned to Farmington to take up civil pursuits with the same steadfast courage and persistence that marked his career as a soldier. He was a strong Republican and represented Farmington in the state legislature in 1897. For 25 years he was chairman of the Republican club and presided at party caucuses and had served various town offices.
He was a member of Carlton Post, G.A.R., for 50 years and had filled all the offices of the post. He also served on the staffs of four state commanders of the order.
He joined the Baptist church soon after his return from the war and was a faithful and valued member throughout his life.
Although he only received a minor education he energy and ambition led him to continued self-improvement and his native ability combined to endow him with a high place in the minds of his fellow townsmen.
Over the years he retained his faculties to a remarkable degree and it was only within the past year that failing eyesight and other infirmities of age had confined him to his home.
Mrs. Card died about 10 years earlier, but leaves three daughters, Mrs. Elizabeth Card who for many years cared for him, Mrs. Gertrude Hurd of Lawrence, Mass., and Mrs. Faith Miller of Dover, also on son Edward F. Card of Farmington; two granddaughters, Mrs. Vera of Rochester and Mrs. Clifford Salisbury of Farmington; two grandsons, Earl D.V. Richardson and Ray Miller of Farmington; as well as a number of great grandchildren, Eaton V. Young of Boston, Ray Miller Jr., Edward R. Miller, Lyndall Salisbury and Beverly Ann Miller of Farmington.
Members of the Clarence L. Perkins Post, American Legion, laid Mr. Card to rest. The blue clad veterans of 1917-18 in full military honors paid their respects to the last gallant representative of the “Boys in Blue of 1861-1865” in one of the most impressive funeral services seen in Farmington in many years. A guard of honor from the Legion Post escorted the cortege to the cemetery and fired a volley at the grave.
Farmington’s last Civil War Veteran George V. Card died January 17,1937 at his North Main street home at the age of 96. He was born in Newcastle, July 28,1842, the fifth in a family of ten children of Edward and Frances Card. His parents moved to Farmington when he was young.
When George was 20 years old he married Miss Nancy J. Sampson and less then a week later enlisted in the Farmington Co. of the 13th N.H. Volunteer Infantry, commanded by First Lieut. Charles H. Curtis.
On November 15,1862 he was promoted to Corporal and was with his company in the bloody battle of Fredericksburg following a few days of training at Lee’s Plantation, Virginia. At the siege of Suffolk he was under continuous fire for 30 days and at the slaughter of Cold Harbor, he was wounded and knocked unconscious by a limb blasted from a tree. He took part in the battle of Drury’s Bluff and met steel with steel when the Confederate forces charged the Union Lines at Bermuda Hundred. He fought through the storming fury of the siege of Petersburg and escaped the fate of hundreds of Union soldiers in the charge after the famous mine was exploded and with the remnant of his proud old regiment, carried the first Union colors into Richmond when the rebel capitol surrendered.
He was mustered out of the service on June 21,1865 at Richmond after having seen three years of service that was equaled by few men in the Union Army.
Mr. Card returned to Farmington to take up civil pursuits with the same steadfast courage and persistence that marked his career as a soldier. He was a strong Republican and represented Farmington in the state legislature in 1897. For 25 years he was chairman of the Republican club and presided at party caucuses and had served various town offices.
He was a member of Carlton Post, G.A.R., for 50 years and had filled all the offices of the post. He also served on the staffs of four state commanders of the order.
He joined the Baptist church soon after his return from the war and was a faithful and valued member throughout his life.
Although he only received a minor education he energy and ambition led him to continued self-improvement and his native ability combined to endow him with a high place in the minds of his fellow townsmen.
Over the years he retained his faculties to a remarkable degree and it was only within the past year that failing eyesight and other infirmities of age had confined him to his home.
Mrs. Card died about 10 years earlier, but leaves three daughters, Mrs. Elizabeth Card who for many years cared for him, Mrs. Gertrude Hurd of Lawrence, Mass., and Mrs. Faith Miller of Dover, also on son Edward F. Card of Farmington; two granddaughters, Mrs. Vera of Rochester and Mrs. Clifford Salisbury of Farmington; two grandsons, Earl D.V. Richardson and Ray Miller of Farmington; as well as a number of great grandchildren, Eaton V. Young of Boston, Ray Miller Jr., Edward R. Miller, Lyndall Salisbury and Beverly Ann Miller of Farmington.
Members of the Clarence L. Perkins Post, American Legion, laid Mr. Card to rest. The blue clad veterans of 1917-18 in full military honors paid their respects to the last gallant representative of the “Boys in Blue of 1861-1865” in one of the most impressive funeral services seen in Farmington in many years. A guard of honor from the Legion Post escorted the cortege to the cemetery and fired a volley at the grave.