Henry Edwin Elder enlisted in Company F, 25^th Alabama Infantry on April 10, 1862 (one record shows 02/28/62) at Wesobulga, Alabama. Wesobulga was in Clay County, Alabama which is located in the foothills of north Alabama bordering Randolph County. In 1907 the name was changed to Cragford.

Wesobulga was right in the middle of the Gold Rush District and "many men lost their lives coming down with ''Gold Fever'' in the 1840s and 1850s. It is said there a few unmarked graves in Cragford Cemetery of men killed in shoot-outs over gold.”[i]

Henry Elder’s Company F, was originally raised in neighboring Randolph County, as Company "A", McClellan's 6th Battalion under Captain William A. Handley (wounded, Murfreesboro; resigned, 12 June 63). Some records show that Elder mustered in on February 28, 1862, but entered Confederate service on April 10^th as Company F, 25^th, Alabama Infantry.[ii]

Last surviving record is his intent to reenlistment on March 14, 1864 at Dalton, Georgia. He was paroled in 1865[iii]. I think his later records are simply missing, because he later entered Soldiers' Home in Coosa County on November 21, 1916 and died on September 16, 1918. Henry is buried in the

Confederate Memorial Park Cemetery #2, Chilton County, Alabama.

I am sure that there is much more to be found out about this Rebel, but I simply do not have the time to go beyond the preliminary that I present here. Besides, you can have more fun researching him yourself.

I do know that when he was 58, he had been a painter by trade but was unable to work. He had been injured in a train crash and was unable to use left arm, his back was messed up, and his right foot injured.

"The 25th Alabama Infantry Regiment was organized at Mobile in December 1861 by the consolidation of McClellan's 1st and 6th Alabama Infantry Battalions. It remained in the Mobile area for about three months then went to Tennessee. The 25^th did fight at Shiloh and skirmished at Farmington. They followed Gen’l Braxton Bragg's Army of the Tennessee into Kentucky and back. Murfreesboro was hard on them and they lost 33% at Chickamauga, and it took heavy losses at Missionary Ridge. They then wintered and recruited at Dalton, GA.

The Alabama boys spread blood all over Georgia, especially at New Hope and at Atlanta, the regiment lost 49% of its force on July 22^nd, but they captured two stands of colors, and more prisoners than they had men.! Six days later, the 25th again lost heavily. It was engaged at Jonesboro without severe loss, but suffered considerably at Columbia, Tennessee. They charged the works at Franklin; need I say more? Nashville was nearly as bad, but it preserved its organization on the retreat. They fought their way through the Carolinas and lost heavily at Bentonville. After the battle the remnants were consolidated with the 19th, 22nd, 39th, and 26-50^th to make one undersized regiment. The end came with Joe Johnson’s surrender.

Elder’s canteen is good and solid, but is missing the bottom sling loop bar. The sling is strong everywhere but one place where is reduced to half strength by breaking to the tongue hole. This is shown in the photos.

All in all it is a very nice, attractive canteen with a solid id to a hard fought Western Theatre regiment

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