Corydon E. Foote Biography, Genesee County, Michigan

This Biography extracted from “Portrait and Biographical Record of 
Genesee, Lapeer and Tuscola Counties, Michigan…”, published be Chapman 
Bros., Chicago (1892), p. 992-993

This copy contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives.




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CORYDON E. FOOTE. This gentleman who is now serving his second term as 
Alderman of the second ward of Flint, was known throughout the days of 
the war as the boy soldier, as he enlisted the day after he was 
thirteen years old, and although the youngest in his regiment showed 
real soldierly qualities and endurance. He is now engaged in the 
business of taking contracts for roofing and galvanized iron work. His 
birth was in Grand Blanc, January 9, 1849, and his father, Col. Eli 
Foote, was born in New London, Conn.

   Eli Foote came in 1841 or 1842 to the Wolverine State and for a 
while made his home in Pontiac, but soon removed to Grand Blanc, where 
he engaged in harness-making, which he had carried on at the East. His 
former home had been Lima, N. Y., and he was there the Colonel of the 
Nineteenth Regiment, New York militia. In 1853 he located in Flint 
where he carried on his trade until age led him to retire from active 
work and he died here in 1878 in his eighty-fifth year. His political 
views brought him into affiliation with the Democratic party. His good 
wife, Marina, was a daughter of Wakeman Lyon, of Massachusetts, who had 
been a pioneer farmer at Lima. This venerable woman, now eighty-five 
years old, resides with our subject. Her four children are Hannah, 
William H., George W., and Corydon E.

   Hannah is now Mrs. W. Davison and resides at Grand Blanc, and 
William H. carries on a hardware business at Davison. George, whose 
home is in Flint, enlisted in 1861 in Company G, Eighth Michigan 
Infantry, became a veteran and served all through the war. At Hilton's 
Head he was shot through the leg and at Petersburg received a wound in 
the face.

   Our subject was only four years old when he came to Flint and was 
still attending the union schools when the war broke out. He enlisted 
January 10, 1862, in Company F, Tenth Michigan Infantry, and went South 
in April. He was in the Mississippi campaign under Pope and Halleck, 
was transferred to Tennessee where he took part in that campaign under 
Thomas and Rosecrans. He also participated in the Atlanta campaign 
under Sherman, following him in the celebrated march to the sea. During 
his three years of service he participated in the following battles: 
Farmington, Corinth, Stone River, Chickamauga, Missionary Ridge and 
Knoxville. This boy was also in the fight at Resaca, and in the 
conflicts at Peach Tree Creek, Rome, Dallas, Chattahoochee, Marietta, 
and the siege of Atlanta. While the regiment lay in camp at Rossville, 
just before the Atlanta campaign, the regiment was ordered out on a 
reconnoiter and at Buzzard's Roost were surprised and lost eighty-nine 
men in five minutes' time. When Hood swung around Atlanta and started 
for Nashville, his division was ordered to Chattanooga in pursuit of 
that general and upon reaching Galesville, Ala., they received orders 
to return to Atlanta, marching again into Georgia and at Cartersville 
the regiment voted at the second election of Abraham Lincoln. They tore 
up the railroad from there to Marietta and rejoined the army at 
Atlanta. The next day they started on the march to the sea.

   This young man received his honorable discharge February 22. 1865, 
at Sisters Ferry, Ga., on the Savannah River, and returned home, having 
just completed his sixteenth year. His clothes were riddled with bullet 
holes yet he was never wounded nor was he taken prisoner. He had been 
the drummer boy of the regiment all through this period of the service.

   Corydon Foote now determined to acquire more education and attended 
school for two years and at the age of eighteen began an apprenticeship 
as tinsmith. Having served his time he worked as journeyman for a 
number of years and finally, in 1885, established the business which he 
is now carrying on. He was married in Flint, November 3, 1874, to Miss 
Mary Holmes, a native of this city and a daughter of Frederick Holmes, 
a pioneer and furniture dealer here. Mrs. Foote died December 23, 1882, 
leaving two children-Kate and Hugh Foote-the latter of whom is 
deceased.

   Our subject is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. 
Having filled all the Chairs in the subordinate lodge he was selected 
to represent his lodge in the Grand Lodge of Michigan. He also belongs 
to Crapo Post, G. A. R. He has always been a Democrat, with liberal 
views on the currency and labor reform movements, and at different 
times has represented his party as a delegate to county and State 
conventions.



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