Edmund Parker French
Edmund Parker French was born around 1841 in Merrimack, New Hampshire, to Robert and Harriet French. His father was a farmer who owned $6,000 of real estate and $700 of personal property by 1860. He grew up and attended school in Merrimack, and by 1860, he was working as a farm laborer.
 
He enlisted in the Union army on August 4, 1862, and he mustered in as a musician in the 11th New Hampshire Infantry on August 21. As he explained to a friend, “I told the Captain I would enlist if I could get in the band.” He added that he would “rather be a soldier than a farmer. I have got entirely sick of farming.” By January 1863, however, he wrote that he was “entirely sick” of army life: “I prefer a good old home than these little small miserable tents.” The regiment took part in the Battle of Fredericksburg, the siege of Vicksburg, and the siege of Petersburg. He mustered out on June 4, 1865.
 
He settled in Manchester, New Hampshire, after the war, and he worked in a cotton mill. He married Marion J. Dodge, and they had at least two children: Harry, born around 1874; and Florence, born around 1883. He applied for a federal pension in December 1888 and eventually secured one. By 1910, the family was living in Haverhill, Massachusetts. He died there of myocarditis on June 23, 1930.
3919
DATABASE CONTENT
(3919)French, Edmund Parker18411930-06-23
  • Conflict Side: Union
  • Role: Soldier
  • Rank in: Musician
  • Rank out: Musician
  • Rank highest: Musician
  • Gender: Male
  • Race: White

Documents - Records: 20

  • (10965) [writer] ~ DL1609.001
  • (10966) [writer] ~ DL1609.002
  • (10967) [writer] ~ DL1609.003
  • (10968) [writer] ~ DL1609.004
  • (10969) [writer] ~ DL1609.005
  • (10970) [writer] ~ DL1609.006
  • (10971) [writer] ~ DL1609.008
  • (10972) [writer] ~ DL1609.007
  • (10973) [writer] ~ DL1609.009
  • (10974) [writer] ~ DL1609.010
  • (10975) [writer] ~ DL1609.011
  • (10976) [writer] ~ DL1609.012
  • (10977) [writer] ~ DL1609.013
  • (10978) [writer] ~ DL1609.014
  • (10979) [writer] ~ DL1609.013b
  • (10980) [writer] ~ DL1609.015
  • (10981) [writer] ~ DL1609.016
  • (10982) [writer] ~ DL1609.017
  • (10983) [writer] ~ DL1609.018
  • (10984) [writer] ~ DL1609.019

People - Records: 2

  • (3920) (?), William is the [friend of] (3919) French, Edmund Parker
  • (3921) (?), Georgia is the [friend of] (3919) French, Edmund Parker

Places - Records: 2

  • (1109) [birth] ~ Merrimack, Hillsborough County, New Hampshire
  • (2495) [death] ~ Haverhill, Grafton County, New Hampshire

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Regiments - Records: 1

  • (575) [enlisted] [C] ~ 11th New Hampshire Infantry
SOURCES

1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920, and 1930 United States Federal Censuses, available from Ancestry.com; Civil War Soldier Records and Profiles, 1861-1865, available from Ancestry.com; New Hampshire Death Records, 1650-1969, available from Ancestry.com; General Index to Pension Files, 1861-1934, available from Ancestry.com; Edmund P. French to William (?), 5 August 1862, DL1609.001, Nau Collection; Edmund P. French to William (?), 22 September 1862, DL1609.003, Nau Collection; Edmund P. French to William (?), 20 January 1863, DL1609.007, Nau Collection