Edmund Soper (abt. 1827 - 1893)

Born about 1827 in Peru, Clinton, New York, United States

Ancestors

Died 11 May 1893 at about age 66 in Lewis, Essex, New York, United States

Edmund Soper served in the United States Civil War.
Enlisted: Aug 30, 1862
Mustered out: July 6, 1865
Side: USA
Regiment(s): 16th New York Infantry

Biography

Edmund was born about 1827. He was the son of Edmund Soper and Permilla Staves.

The following comes from the Clinton County, NY, Civil War Records 1861-1855 Facebook page:

TWO SOPERS FROM CLINTON COUNTY - A little over a year after the 16th Infantry was formed in Ogdensburg, Edmund and Herman (Heman) Soper, not closely related, enlisted in the 16th Infantry. The regiment had been in existence since May 1861 and was known as the First Northern New York Regiment.

The 16th had just participated in the Battle of Gaines Mill on June 27, 1862, and sustained 231 casualties, so they were in need of replacement troops. Edmund was assigned to Company E and Herman to Company G. The regiment formed as a 2-year regiment and was mustered out in May 1863. Men like Edmund and Herman who still had the rest of their 3-year term to finish, were transferred to the 121st Infantry in the field on May 11, 1863, just after both regiments had lost heavily at Marye’s Heights and Salem Church near Fredericksburg. Between the two regiments, they had 430 casualties.

The 121st spent the rest of the year in Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia with very few casualties even though they were at Gettysburg on July 4th. In 1864 and 1865, the men were in the field near Petersburg and Richmond and in 1865, they joined the Appomattox Campaign. Both men mustered out with their companies on June 25th at Hall’s Hill, VA.

Both men returned to Clinton County, Edmund to Peru, where he was born and Herman to Plattsburgh. Edmund died in 1893 in Essex County, and was buried in the Deerhead Cemetery in Lewis, NY. For years, Brevet Major General Newton Martin Curtis, the author of the history of the 16th Infantry, From Bull Run to Chancellorsville, advertised in New York newspapers for information about men who had been in the regiment. When the book was published in 1906, the notation beside Herman’s name was, “dead”, with no further information. It’s thought Herman died about 1876 in Iowa. Curtis got Edmund’s death date correct - May 11, 1893.

Sources

• Find A Grave: Memorial #97070020

• Rosters Of The New York Infantry Regiments During The Civil War—16th New York Infantry

• "United States Civil War Soldiers Index, 1861-1865," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FS8K-X5S : 4 December 2014), Edmund Soper, Private, Company E, 16th Regiment, New York Infantry, Union; citing NARA microfilm publication M551 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 133; FHL microfilm 882,189.

• "United States Civil War Soldiers Index, 1861-1865," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FSMX-GW1 : 4 December 2014), Edmund Soper, Private, Company C, 121st Regiment, New York Infantry, Union; citing NARA microfilm publication M551 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 133; FHL microfilm 882,189.

• "United States Civil War and Later Pension Index, 1861-1917", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NHHB-XJ8 : 24 March 2016), Edmond Soper, 1889.

• "United States Civil War and Later Pension Index, 1861-1917", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NHZJ-NML : 24 March 2016), Edmond Soper, 1889.

• "United States General Index to Pension Files, 1861-1934", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QJDP-X7LX : 20 February 2021), Edmond Soper, 1889.

• "United States Census, 1860", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MCWP-P8D : 18 February 2021), Edmund Soaper, 1860.

• "New York State Census, 1875," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VT8T-7G4 : 18 February 2021), Edmond Soper, Lewis, Essex, New York, United States; citing p. 32, line 1, State Library, Albany; FHL microfilm 866,322.

• "United States Census, 1880," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MZ83-ZJN : 19 February 2021), Edmund Soper, Lewis, Essex, New York, United States; citing enumeration district ED 51, sheet 162A, NARA microfilm publication T9 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), FHL microfilm 1,254,832.