William Augustus Coy was born in Hartford, Connecticut and came to Minnesota in 1856. He settled in Mankato and resumed his occupation as a bricklayer. He enlisted, at the age of 21, in Company K on May 22, 1861. He stood only 5' 4" and was one of the shorter men in the regiment. He was considered a good soldier, who never faltered in his duty. He was wounded at Antietam and subsequently discharged for disability, on Feb 18, 1863. After the war he returned to Mankato. Later he made several trips across the plains with pack trains carrying government supplies. He worked for James B Hubbell, who had a contract with the government to transport these supplies. As time went on unnamed diseases prevented him from working any longer. He made his home in the Clifton House and could often be found there along with a number of the old pioneers relating stories of the early days in Mankato and this section of the state. He was well known in the area and was popular with all who knew him. He was said to be a genial man, who had a kind word for everyone and rarely did he speak disparingly of anyone. He was a member of the Wilkin GAR Post. At the age of 52, William, known to most as "Gus", lived for awhile in the Soldiers Home in Minneapolis. He had sought admission on July 3rd His nearest surviving relative was James Coy (a contractor in Mankato) his brother. Charles suffered from rheumatism and was unable to do any manual labor. Frank Mead of Co. H and M. L. Webster were his witnesses. He said on his application for entrance to the home that he had no wife or children, when in fact he did. He left the home after his health improved and he was able to find a job. He was discharged from the home on Nov 18, 1893, at his own request. In 1898, he developed asthma, which, together with his other ailments, caused him to travel in December, to Hot Springs, Arkansas, in hopes of finding relief in a different climate. However, the complications had developed too severely. The physician he consulted with there suggested that nothing could be done for him. He returned to Minnesota to die. It was apparent to those who saw him that he didn't have long to live. He moved in to the home of his son on Spring Street in Mankato. At 12:15am Sunday morning, Jan 1, 1899, he passed away just as a new year began. He was 59 years old. William was buried at the Glenwood Cemetery in Mankato. Sources: From the Minnesota Soldiers Home File Mankato Daily Review, Monday, Jan 2, 1899. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
