United States of America

U.S. Army · United States

William H. Cool

1844 – 1932

1 war 1 assignment 1 family held

Private William H. Cool served in the U.S. Army. William served with the 56th Ohio Infantry. William served in the Civil War. William was 87 years old.

Life Story

William H. Cool was born on December 19, 1844, in Ohio to John Cool and Jane Shumate. His father was a farmer who owned $1,400 of real estate and $400 of personal property by 1860. Cool grew up in Scioto, Ohio, and by 1860, he was working as a farm laborer.

He enlisted in the Union army on November 20, 1861, and he mustered in as a private in Company F of the 56th Ohio Infantry later that day. The regiment took part in the Battle of Shiloh, the siege of Corinth, and the Vicksburg campaign. He mustered out on April 25, 1866.

Cool returned to Ohio after the war. He applied for a federal pension in October 1879 and eventually secured one. He married a woman named Henrietta around 1892, and their son William was born around 1892. They lived in Franklin, Ohio, and Cool worked as a merchant. They moved to Alliance, Ohio, in the early 1900s. Cool died of “generalized arteriosclerosis” in Alliance on February 26, 1932.

Letters1

1 written by William

21 January 1864 William H. Cool → Edward A. Dibble

Camp at Algiers Louisiana Jan 21/64

St Charles Parish

Dear Sir

as this morning affords the first opportunity I will improve a portion of its precious moments by conversing with you through the Silent Medium of the pen in order to show my gratitiude to you by answering your most kind and interesting letter of Dec. the 30^th which was received with a welcome as I am always anxeious to hear from an old friend kind friend Edward I was truly glad to once more get a letter from you and also glad to hear that you were all well Your letter found me in the enjoyment of good health and I sincerely hope and trust that these few lines may find you all enjoying the same well Edward I hardly know what to write to you this morning that will be interesting to you the boys in Co F. were all very glad to hear from you. they are all well and getting along first rate they are a recruiting the 56. again for the Veteran Service and a good many of the boys are going in again Lieutenant Lantz is trying to get up Co F. Capt Wilhelm and Lieut Dewolf are not agoing in / to the Veteran Servise I guess I think there is about half of Company F that will go in with Lantz. well I guess we have finished our Campaign for this winter and have got moved in to tolerablely good Winter Quarters we are in Algiers just across the Miss river from new orleans there is some talk of us moving over in to the City but I dont know how true it is. I think about the next move we make will be towards Mobile or that is my opinion any how although all of our Corps has gone to texas but our Division and its getting all tore up by going in to the Veteran 24^th Ind. has all gone in all gone home, and the 47^th has all gone in to the Veteran Col. W. H. Raynor is Commanding our Brigade now. old Jim Slack has gone home I expect to get his comission for a brigadier General I dont know sure. well I guess that I have writen about all the news the boys in Co F all sends their love and best wishes to you. I wrote to you some time ago but I suppose that you did not get it I want us to keep the run of one another as well as our circumstances will let us do for I am very anxious to hear from you. I send my best respects to all the other boys that was in Co F. if you get in for quartermaster I dont want you to steal my grub for you know how they use to growl about the grub in Co F. well I will have to close with these few words of friendship and my best love to you I subscribe my self your most affectionate though unworthy friend and well wisher till Death W H Cool E A Dibble

[verso]

Please Direct Co F 56 Regt O.V.I. 3^rd Division

New Orleans L^a

His last letter, 21 January 1864 · Died 26 February 1932

56th Ohio Infantry

Private

Branch

U.S. Army

Highest rank

Private

War

Civil War

Service Record

U.S. Army

56th Ohio Infantry

Private

Conflicts

Civil War

Family

Open in Discovery

Solid line: Home Front · dashed: Loved Ones · outlined circle: named in the record, not yet held

Loved Ones

Edward A. Dibble

Private · U.S. Army

Friend

1831 – 1912

Dibble, Edward A. is the friend of Cool, William H.

In Our Keeping

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Record added October 18, 2026 vincent.nw

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Last updated October 18, 2026

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