ALBERT A. WILSON -- 153rd INFANTRYDIED OF DIABETES IN 1908 - Albert A. Wilson was born on June 12, 1845, in Peru, the son of William Wilson and Hannah Staves. In April 1861, he enlisted in the 16th Infantry in Plattsburgh. By July, he was discharged on a surgeon's certificate of disability in Baltimore, MD, for a rupture and heart disease.\September found him sufficiently recovered so that he could re-enlist and was the only man who enlisted in the 153rd Infantry in Peru on September 20, 1862. He was mustered into Company I in as a private on October 9, 1862, expecting to serve for 3 years. A little over a week later, on October 18, 1862, he was appointed to be a musician -- the same day the regiment left for Washington.The 153rd served in the defenses of Washington, in Abercrombie\'s Division, starting on October 25, 1862. They were first stationed at Alexandria as provost guard, and during most of the year 1863, did garrison and guard duty about the capital.In 1864 they were transferred to the Department of the Gulf and fought from March through May, their most bloody battle being that of Mansura where they had 33 casualties. By July, they were back in Washington confronting General Jubal Early and his men.Then, in September and October, they were in several battles in Virginia -- Opequan, Fisher's Hill, Strasburg and Cedar Creek -- and had almost 150 casualties. On September 19, 1864, Albert was wounded in action at Winchester, about 8 miles from Opequan.Having lost a finger, he was transferred on October 16th, out of the 153rd to the 14th Regiment of the Veteran Reserve Corps and spent the rest of the war with that regiment. He was mustered out on October 7, 1865, in Washington.Albert and his extended family moved west. On March 31, 1897, he married Margaret Lowth Lewis in Milwaukee, WI. The marriage didn't last long before they decided to part their ways.\Albert\'s ill health required him to be in and out of Soldier\'s Homes about 8 times between 1892 and 1905. During his last admission in 1908, he died on February 22nd, in the hospital ward of K Barracks, at the Leavenworth Soldier\'s Home, in Leavenworth, KS. The surgeon's note said he died of diabetes mellitis, a chronic condition. Albert was buried in the Leavenworth National Cemetery in Leavenworth, KS.
