Benjamin Franklin Foster

Benjamin Franklin Foster

--b. abt 1828 Morgan Co., GA
--d. after January 3, 1880 probably Harris Co., Georgia
----buried unknown

Research of Houston S. Foster

Enlisted July 8, 1861 Company K, "Evans Guard" 13th Georgia Regiment. 13th Georgia Regiment mustered in Griffin Georgia in July 1861. The troops were recruited from Pike, Randolph, Early, Muscogee,Meriwether, Fayette and Troup Counties. Company K being from Troup Co. raised at the call of Governor Joe Brown for the defense of the Georgia Coast after the bombardment of Ft. Sumpter.

This regiment first served in Western Virginia, then in December was ordered to Charleston, South Carolina, where it reported to General R.E. Lee. During the spring it fought at Whitemarch Island and soon moved back to Virginia. Brigaded under Generals Lawton, John B. Gordon, and C.A. Evans, it served with the Army of Northern Virginia from the Seven Days' Battles to Cold Harbor. The regiment was then involved in Early's Shenandoah Valley operations and the Appomattox Campaign. The unit lost 9 killed and 19 wounded at Second Manassas, had 48 killed and 166 wounded at Sharpsburg, and sustained 13 casualties at Second Winchester. Of the 312 engaged at Gettysburg, more than forty percent were disabled. It surrendered 12 officers and 161 men. The field officers were Colonel John H. Baker, Marcellus Douglass, Walton Ector, and James M. Smith; Lieutenant Colonels S.W. Jones and Richard Maltbie; and Majors James A. Long and John L. Moore.

Georgia 13th battles included.

• West Virginia Mountains, some skirmishing at Sewell Mountain and Laurel Hill until December 1861.

• Skirmishes on the Georgia Coast at Charleston, winter and spring of 1862.

• Seven Days Battle around Richmond

• Mechanicsville (June 26,1862),

• Gaines' Mill (June 27,1862),

• Savage's Station ( June 29,1862)

• Garnett's Farm June 27,1862

• Malern Hill (July 1, 1862)

• Bristoe Station (August 27, 1862)

• Groveton (August 28, 1862)

• Second Manassas (or Bull Run) (August 29-30, 1862)

• Antietam (September 17,1862)

• Fredericksburg (December 13, 1862)

• Chancellorsville (April 29-5, 1863)

• Wincester 2nd Battle (June 13-15, 1863)

• York & Wrightsville (June 28-29, 1863)

• Gettysburg (July 1-3, 1863)

• Mine Run Campaign ( Nov. 26-Dec 2, 1863)

• Wilderness (May 5-7,1864)

• Spotsylvania Court House (May 10-12, 1864)

• Cold Harbor (June 1-3,1864)

• Monocacy (July 9, 1864)

• Winchester (3rd Battle) (Sept. 19, 1864)

• Fisher's Hill (September 22, 1864)

• Cedar Creek (October 19, 1864)

• Hatcher's Run (Feb. 5-7,. 1865)

• Hares Hill (Fort Steadman) (March 25, 1865)

• Appomattox Court House (April 9, 1865)

Benjamin Franklin (Frank) was reported as killed in action in 1863. Of the men that originally enlisted in K Company only 18 survived to the end of the war.

Although he was reported as killed Benjamin did indeed survive the war however he was crippled. Apparently he was listed as dead because they had no expectation that he would survive.

In 1870 he is listed in the census in Harris county with his sister the widowed Antoinette Booker, he is listed as crippled. In the 1880 Census he is enumerated in the home of Thomas B. Johnson in Harris County, Georgia and is listed as a pauper. I have not found him yet in the 1900 census. He was apparently never able to work after his injuries in the Civil War.

He probably died between 1880 and 1900. Frank was among the thousands of men who were badly wounded in the War and never fully recovered.

• 1843-January, May, Returns from Court of Ordinary

  Book B, p.295-Benj. F. Foster, orphan of Francis Foster, now l4 years old, selected John Edwards as his guardian. Other orphans of Francis Foster, under l4 years of age: Elizabeth, John, Asa, Frances & Antoinette.

  Benj. Johnson posted bond.

• 1850 Census > Georgia > Troup > District 701> page 1> H383F6
  enumerated 25 Sep 1850

  Ama           Foster   f 48  $600   GA 
  Benj.F.           "    m 22         GA
  Susan A.          "    f 16         GA   attended school within the year
  John E.           "    m 14          "      "       "     "
  Esom M.           "    m 13          "      "       "     "
  Frances J,        "    f 11         GA
  

• 1860 Census> Georgia>Troup County> West Point District> H139F127>
  enumerated 18 Jun 1860

  John G.  Foster    25M   farming    $ 1,000     $11,000   GA
  L. J.     "        22F                                    GA
  B. F.     "        33M              $ 1,000               GA
  Asa M.    "        22M              $ 1,000               GA
  

• 1860 Slave Schedules > Georgia > Troup > West Point> page 13
  enumerated 18 Jun 1860

  J. E. Foster  5 slaves  2 slave houses
  B.F. Foster   1 slave   1 slave house
  Asa     "     2 slaves  1 slave house
  

• Civil War Service Record

  American Civil War Soldiers
  Name: B F Foster
  Residence: Troup County, Georgia
  Enlistment Date: 08 July 1861
  Distinguished Service: DISTINGUISHED SERVICE
  Side Served: Confederacy
  State Served: Georgia
  Unit Numbers: 348
  Service Record: Enlisted as a Private on 08 July 1861
  Enlisted in Company K, 13th Infantry Regiment Georgia on 08 July 186

• 1870 Census > Georgia > Harris > Hamilton Post Office > page 34 > H256P256
  enumerated 14 Jun 1870

  Booker George H.     65 m w Farmer 400     Virginia
  Booker Ellen         64 f w Keeping house  Virginia
  Booker Mattie        36 f w                Virginia
  Booker Harriet       27 f w                Georgia
  Booker Antonett      32 f w                Georgia 
  Booker Franklin G.   13 m w                Georgia 
  Booker Mary S.       11 f w                Georgia 
  Booker John T.        3 m w                Georgia 
  Foster Benjamin      40 m w cripple        Georgia 
  

  Antonett (Foster) Booker was the Benjamin's sister. Her husband had died in the 1860's.

• 1880 Census > Georgia > Harris > Whitesville > ED55 > page 5 > H43F43
  enumerated 3 Jun 1880

  Johnson Thomas B.   head   w m 50m farmer        GA GA GA
  Johnson Misouri     wife   w f 50m keeping house GA GA GA
  Johnson John        son    w m 21s laborer       GA GA GA
  Johnson Arthur      son    w m 19s laborer       GA GA GA
  Johnson Billie      dau    w f 17s               GA GA GA
  Foster B.F.         pauper w m 52s               GA GA GA 
  

  Thomas Benjamin Johnson married Missouri Davidson November 26, 1855 Harris Co., Georgia. Thomas was the son of Benjamin Johnson and Jane Dodwell who married November 2, 1828 Upson Co., Georgia. Thomas was the grandson of Arthur Dodwell and Mary Bussey. Mary (Bussey) Dowell was the sister of Elizabeth (Bussey) Edwards - Asa's grandmohter.