William H. Comstock, 96 years old, the last Rice county Civil War veteran and one of eleven Civil War veterans in Minnesota, passed away Saturday at the home of his daughter in California with whom he had spent the past two months and where he had planned on spending the rest of the winter, according to the word received by Mr. Comstock's daughter, Mrs. Elfred Hand of Morristown. The remains will arrive in Morristown where funeral services have been tentatively set for Thursday at the Methodist church and interment will be made in Riverside cemetery. Services will be in charge of the Morristown American Legion and members of the Faribault Legion Post No. 43 will supply the firing squad. Mr. Comstock entered the Union army as a boy of 16 and his death in California leaves only 10 surviving veterans of the Civil War in Minnesota. His death was caused by a hip injury.

Mr. Comstock, who was born at Watertown Wis., on June 4, 1848, lived in or near Morristown since 1868. He entered the Army only a few days before the close of the war, He farmed until 1886, when he became a building contractor. Many buildings around Morristown are his work. He was councilman and the mayor of Morristown for many years.

He enlisted at La Crosse, Wis., March 28, 1865, in Company D, 52nd Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry, which was mustered out July 28, 1865 at Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas.

In 1868, he spent a year in St. Charles, Minn., returned to Wisconsin, but was back in Minnesota in 1868. He was married in 1872 to Alice M. Crawford.

He kept his charter of the Lampson Pence GAR Post No. 153 at Morristown alive by paying all its dues. With his death, the post also has passed.

Information from:
Obituary from Fairbault Daily News, Jan. 30, 1945
Invalid Pension filed February 27, 1892
U.S. Federal Census for 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920 and 1930
1890 Veterans Schedule
Minnesota Territorial and State Censuses, 1849 - 1905

Research by Bro. Don Jager

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