Artifact of the Quarter | September 2021

Among the various images in MCWI’s growing collections is a carte-de-visite taken at the Addis Gallery in Washington, D.C. of John F. Colburn. A farmer prior to the conflict, he enlisted in the 9th New York Heavy Artillery on Feb. 23, 1864. Like a fair number of members of the regiment, he transferred to the 2nd New York Heavy Artillery in June 1865. He mustered out of service on Sept. 29, 1865. Records indicate that in the conflict’s aftermath he worked at a variety of occupations including harness maker and editor. Colburn’s experiences during the Civil War aged him well beyond his years. For the final fourteen years of his life, 1901-1915, Colburn bounced in and out of homes for disabled soldiers in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. Evidence indicates he suffered from various maladies including deafness in his left ear, cardiac issues, chronic rheumatism, and general “irritability.” Colburn died on June 28, 1915, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He is buried in Wood National Cemetery in Milwaukee.