Cast and Crew

William Riley Webb

Evidence suggests that Private William Riley Webb was born about 1834 in Hartford, Connecticut, to Eloise Johnson. His father’s first name is unknown. Eloise married Edwin Salisbury on November 24, 1836, in Hartford. Eloise and Edwin also had a daughter Emerett. Emerett married Benjamin Franklin Roberts, a member of a prominent African-American publishing family in the Boston, Massachusetts area. Eloise and Edwin eventually moved to the Boston area.

William Webb married Augusta E. Madison of Ellington, on March 12, 1864. They were married in New Haven before the 29^th left the state.  Augusta and William had no children. William passed away in 1868. Augusta died at the age of 19 on April 3, 1868.

Service record – Company F -enlisted Dec. 22, 1863;  mustered into organization March 8, 1864; discharged March 9, 1865.

Sergeant Alfred Powers

RG 113, G.A.R. Records, Joseph K.F. Mansfield Post #53, Middletown, Memorial book, box 35A

Born Sept. 1844 in Saybrook, Connecticut, died Jan. 14, 1907 age 62. He is buried in the Washington Street Cemetery in Middletown.

Service record – Company E – enlisted Dec. 17, 1863, mustered in March 8, 1864. Promoted Nov. 1, 1864, mustered out Oct. 24, 1865.

His obituary in the “Middletown Penny Press” (Jan. 14, 1907 – page 2) stated

“ALFRED POWERS DEAD.                                              Formerly a Well Known Chef in This City.

Alfred Powers, a gigantic colored man, died at the Soldier’s Home at Noroton, this morning. The body will be sent to this city on Tuesday for burial. Mr. Powers went to the Home two or three months ago, and was ill at that time. Since then his health has been gradually failing and the end came today. He leaves a family in this city, who reside at Stadle Hill. Mr. Powers years ago was chef on the little steamer Silver Star that plied up and down the Connecticut. For years he was employed by Meech & Stoddard and was of such strength that he tossed bags of meal about with the greatest ease. For some time he was chef at the Hotel Chafee, and finally bought a place in Westfield, where he spent the last years of his life. He was a member of Mansfield Post, No. 53, G.A.R. He was sergent of Company E. Twenty-ninth Conn., during the Civil war. He was a man of great stature and commanded attention wherever seen. In his best days he probably weighed 400 pounds. Many people took particular pains to visit places where Mr. Powers was employed so that they could observe his size. “

 

Coming Soon:

Sergeant James H. Powers

William Burr Wooster

John R. Freeman

Alexander Newton

J. Isaac Hill

Joseph Johnson

Archie Howard