Hosmer, Francis J.

Francis J. Hosmer died in Holyoke, February 17, 1919. He was born in Montague, August 27, 1840, a descendant in the eighth generation from James Hosmer who came from Kent, England, and took the freeman's oath at Boston, Mass., in 1635. His early life was spent in Colrain; he lived in Greenfield fifty years and went to Holyoke in 1917 to make his home with his son. He enlisted September 4, 1861 as a musician, was mustered September 21 following in Co. I, 4th Vt. Infantry; re-enlisted December 15, 1863; made Corporal September 20, 1863; Sergeant May 6, 1864; taken prisoner June 23, 1864; parolled April 28, 1865; transferred to Co. F, February 25, 1865; mustered out May 23, 1865. At this time his residence was given as Halifax, Vt., but he probably enlisted from there while living at Colrain. Mr. Hosmer was a man of unusually retentive memory with a vast knowledge of history and biography. Having served through nearly the whole war his personal as well as historical knowledge of the conflict, together with his acquaintance of the events leading up to the struggle, made his war recitals interesting and instructive wrote quite a good deal, his book "Glimpses of Andersonville" especially having had a wide circulation; member of Edwin E. Day Post [GAR].