Lois Branch found an article on Logan County's last surviving Civil War veteran. Unfortunately the date of the article means it is under copyright and can't be used on the web page but in case you are researching any of these names here it is: Logan County's last Civil War veteran is not dead. CHARLES COATES, Sr. of Lake Fork, who on Sunday, March 30, [1941] observed his ninety-third birthday anniversary, is the county's last G.A.R. veteran, despite belief that JOHN C. "Uncle JOHNNY" MIER, of Mount Pulaski, who died at the age of 99 years last July 26, was the last. MR. COATES, who enjoys moderately good health at his advanced years, was a member of company H, third Michigan battery, heavy field artillery, on duty in Ohio in 1863. He recollects vividly seeing many of his comrades killed when JOHN MORGAN'S raiders stormed Marietta and Nelson, Ohio, in Haskins County, at a time when practically all of Co H was destroyed. He enlisted for service shortly before is sixteenth birthday, and was sent to Marshfield, Ohio, not far from his birthplace, Athens. He was born March 30, 1848, the son of James and Mary Fierce Coats, Ohio pioneers, and came to Logan County in 1867, and settled in Lake Fork. He is the father of five children: JOHN and SOLOMON COATES, employed by the state in Springfield; JAMES and CHARLES, JR., Lake Fork, and MRS. BESSIE DUNCAN, Decatur; 12 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren. He is capable of getting about and working the gardens without the least assistance, and says that he has no physical complaints of any greatness. He is mildly hard of hearing, but otherwise retains a sharp wit and carries on a lively and pointed conversation. To his physical wellbeing today, Mr. COATES attributes the abstinence "from any kind of liquor for 50 ears, tobacco in any form and coffee. Cheryl Rothwell clrothwell@mindspring.com Coordinator, Logan County, ILGenWeb Project http://www.rootsweb.com/~illogan/loindex.htm Logan County mailing list> LOGAN-L-request@rootsweb.com Downing mailing list> DOWNING-L-request@rootsweb.com Harding mailing list> HARDING-L-request@rootsweb.com Downing query board> http://cgi.rootsweb.com/~genbbs/genbbs.cgi/FamilyAssoc/Downing Lucas query board> http://cgi.rootsweb.com/~genbbs/genbbs.cgi/FamilyAssoc/Lucas