Private Hiram Turner Coley was born on February 20, 1835, [1] into a family of farmers. His father Samuel Coley [2] was a farmer and he had a mother named Lucinda Coley [2] and one sibling named Ellen J. Coley[2]. He was a resident of Plymouth, Litchenfield, Connecticut[2] when he was 15. On July 3rd 1860 he got married to Urena[1]; she then took his last name. They had one child together on April 29, 1861 in Thomaston Connecticut[1]. His name was Elbert Eugene Coley[1]. On July 25, 1862[3] he was enlisted in the Army for the 2nd regiment Heavy Artillery in Company D as a private[3]. His company went to Winchester, Virginia to fight at Opequon. This battle, The Third Battle of Winchester, is where Hiram was killed in action on September 19th 1864 at age 29. His wife never remarried[4] and died on September 23, 1917 at age 79. Their tombstone is together at Hillside Cemetry.

The 2nd Connecticut Heavy Artillery was mustered into service on November 23, 1863[5]. They began their service, joining the Army of Potomac, on May 17th [6]. They then moved to Spotsylvania from May 17th to the 19th [6]. They fought there until May 21st. The regiment proceeded to North Anna River and stayed there until the 26th of May [6]. There were many other places they went and fought, but they soon arrived in Winchester, Virginia for the Battle of Opequan. In this battle, General Phil Sheridan’s Army of the Shenandoah was pinned against General Jubal A. Early’s Army of the Valley west of Opequon Creek. Sheridan saw an opportunity to attack an isolated part of Early’s Army[5]. The infantry swept through first but the columns that they were lined up in crowded the narrow canyon. Then Sheridan sent an attack using artillery. The grounds at which this battle was fought is considered the bloodiest grounds in Shenandoah Valley[5]. The Battle of Opequan is where Private Hiram Turner Coley died on September 19th, 1864. The regiment continued to fight until they were mustered out on August 18th, 1865[5].

[1] "Customer Login." Ancestry Login. Accessed June 09, 2016. http://person.ancestryclassroom.com/tree/20781278/person/1052522472/story

[2] Ancestry.com. 1850 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2009. Images reproduced by FamilySearch.

Original data: Seventh Census of the United States, 1850; (National Archives Microfilm Publication M432, 1009 rolls); Records of the Bureau of the Census, Record Group 29; National Archives, Washington, D.C.

[3] Historical Data Systems, comp. U.S., Civil War Soldier Records and Profiles, 1861-1865 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2009.

Original data: Data compiled by Historical Data Systems of Kingston, MA from the following list of works.

[4] "Page 1 Civil War." Fold3. Accessed June 09, 2016. https://www.fold3.com/image/271284127/?terms=Hiram Coley.

[5] "2nd CT Heavy Artillery." Civil War Data. Accessed June 10, 2016. http://civilwardata.com/active/hdsquery.dll?RegimentAssignment?79&U.

[6] United States. National Park Service. "Battle Unit Details." National Parks Service. Accessed June 12, 2016. https://www.nps.gov/civilwar/search-battle-units-detail.htm?battleUnitCode=UCT0002RAH.

Hiram T Coley