| Albert Henry Foster.
Mustered in, July 12, 1861 Born November 12, 1839, in New Braintree. He was son of James R. Foster, who was born in Middleboro, February 24, 1798, and of Nancy (Henry) Foster, who was born in Rutland, September 20, 1796. They were married August 22, 1822. Mrs. Foster was daughter of Lieut. Samuel and Mary (Gates) Henry, and sister of Samuel G. Henry and of Mrs. Rufus Gould, the mother of Dr. John W. Gould, 25th Mass., and of Rev. Edwin S. Gould, 51st Mass. James R. Foster was a resident of Colbrook in 1821; later he lived in Rutland and in New Braintree. In 1848 he purchased the Sheers Berry farm in the west part of Oakham, now known as the Foster farm, on which he and Mrs. Foster lived till their death. Mr. Foster died May 4, 1875; Mrs. Foster, April 17, 1880. Albert H. Foster went to North Brookfield when fourteen years of age and was employed in the Batcheller shop. May 1, 1861, at the age of twenty-one, he enlisted in Co. F, 15th Mass.; was promoted from corporal to sergeant, March 1, 1863; was taken prisoner in the battle of Ball’s Bluff, October 21, 1861, and was in prison in Richmond four months. He was in the battles of Fredericksburg(Chancellorsville), May 3, 1863, and Gettysburg, July 2 and 3. July 28, 1863, he was detailed on detached service in Boston Harbor. At the expiration of his term of service he returned to North Brookfield and resumed work at the Batcheller shop, where he was employed till 1879, when he established himself in the coal business, in which he still continues. He has been for several years a member of the board of Investments of the North Brookfield Savings Bank. He was married (10 January 11, 1865, to Addie M. Ashby, of North Brookfield, who died, February 3, 1892; (2) Dec. 13, 1894, to Alice W. Smith, of North Brookfield. Children: George B. , born September 16, 1868, died September 8, 1869; Harold Abbott, born May 15, 1871; Frank Webster, born June 13, 1874. Harold A. was married in April, 1893, to Jean Kidder, of Boston, and has three children: Albert Edward, Maynard Ashby, and Elizabeth. He was appointed Postmaster of North Brookfield in 1902 and held that office till the close of the Taft administration. Frank W. was in the telephone business in North Brookfield from 1895 till September, 1910, when he removed to Oakland , California, where he is in the employ of the Cyphus Incubator Company. |