Israel Adam Broadsword

Israel Adam Broadsword
Birth name	Israel Aaron Broadsword
Born	(1846-12-23)December 23, 1846 Ottawa, Ohio
Died	July 25, 1952(1952-07-25) (aged 105) Spokane, Washington
Allegiance	Union
Branch	Army
Service years	1861-1865, 1868-1869
Rank	Sergeant
Unit	51st Missouri Infantry, 19th Kansas Calvary
Battles / wars	American Civil War First Battle of Lexington American Indian Wars Battle of the Washita River
Spouses	Sarah Elizabeth Hamilton (m. 1871 div. 1872), Amy Diana Viola Morris (m. 1872)
Children	11

Israel Adam Broadsword (December 23, 1846 - July 25, 1952) was an Ohio-born American Civil War veteran and the last surviving Free-Stater. ^{[1] [2] [3]}

Early Years

Israel was second eldest child of John Adam Broadsword (1820–1894) and Mary Magdalene Crites (1822–1910). Israel and his family lived in Kansas during Bleeding Kansas. Israel and his family were Free-Staters, those who believed that Kansas should be free of slavery. ^{[4] [5]}

Military career

Civil War

During the Civil War, when Israel was 14-years-old, he enlisted in the Company H of the 51st Missouri Infantry Regiment and fought in the Siege of Lexington from September 13, to September 20, 1861. ^[1]

Battle of the Washita River (1868)

American Indian Wars

From 1868 to 1869, Israel enlisted in the 19th Kansas Calvary and fought Sioux warriors in Oklahoma. On November 27, 1868, Israel fought in the Battle of Washita River in Cheyenne, Oklahoma, which saw Major Joel Elliott be murdered and mutilated. ^[2]

Post War

Following his service, Israel married his first wife, Sarah Elizabeth Hamilton (1854–1930), on May 18, 1871. However, Israel divorced Sarah and married Amy Diana Viola Morris (1855–1900) on June 15, 1872. Israel and Amy had 11 children between 1873 and 1900, among these children was William Strout Broadsword (1893–1976), a World War I veteran and father of Edward Dalton Broadsword (1927–1995) and a World War II veteran. ^{[6] [7] [8] [9] [10]} In 1929, he moved to Idaho and stayed there until his death in 1952. At the time of his death he was one of the four last surviving Civil War veterans, the others were James A. Hard, William A. Magee, and Albert Woolson. ^[3]

References

1. Grzyb, Frank L. (2016-04-12). The Last Civil War Veterans: The Lives of the Final Survivors, State by State. McFarland. ISBN   978-1-4766-6522-1.
2. "Walter M. Kennedy (1839-1868) - Washita Battlefield National Historic Site (U.S. National Park Service)". www.nps.gov. Retrieved 2025-11-28.
3. "Obituary for Israel Broadsword (Aged 105)". The Spokesman-Review. 1952-07-26. p. 17. Retrieved 2025-11-28.
4. Hoar, Jay S. (2007). The North's Last Boys in Blue. Vol. 2. Higginson Book Co. ISBN   978-0-7404-5907-8
5. United States, Census, 1850
6. United States, Veterans Administration Master Index, April 12, 1919
7. Idaho, World War II Draft Registration Cards, September 26, 1945
8. United States, Census, 1870
9. United States, Census, 1910
10. United States, Census, 1950