CHARLES H. COLE -- 15th CAVALRYDIED 6 MONTHS AFTER ENLISTMENT - In the Union Army, there were 249enlistments under the name of Charles Cole. In New York, there were 51enlistments and Clinton County had one of them -- Charles H. Cole fromEllenburg Center, the 18-year-old son of John Cole and Mary Ann Barneywho were farming there when the war broke out.Three men from the Ellenburg area enlisted in December 1863, in CompanyM of the 15th Cavalry which was just being organized. They wereassigned to the Cavalry Brigade of the Army of West Virginia startedpatrolling in the northern Shenandoah Valley in January 1864.Sometime between January and June while they were in the field, Charlesbecame ill and was sent to be treated at Camp Stoneman near Washingtonoverlooking the Potomac River. He died of typhoid fever there on June20, 1864.Charles was buried in Robert E. Lee's Arlington Estate which wouldbecome Arlington National Cemetery. He was one of the earliest soldiersburied there. The first were buried in May 1864 and now there are 18Charles Coles buried there between the ranks of private and colonel.His family placed a memorial stone for him in the Riverside Cemetery inEllenburg Center with the inscription -- Charles H. \~ Son of J. & M. A.Cole \~ Died at Camp \~ Stoneman Hospital \~ June 20, 1864.
