Woolson was born in
Antwerp,
New York, to Willard P. Woolson (1811–1862) and Caroline Baldwin (ca. 1822–unknown). He claimed to be born on February 11, 1847, but his entry in the
1850 United States census lists him as born in 1850. Entries in the later census records and in the 1905 Minnesota state census support the conclusion that he was born in 1850. His father, Willard Woolson, enlisted in the
Union Army. Willard was wounded at the
Battle of Shiloh and was transported to an Army hospital in
Windom,
Minnesota, where he would die of his wounds. Albert and his mother had moved to Windom to accompany Willard. Albert enlisted as a
drummer boy in Company C,
1st Minnesota Heavy Artillery Regiment on October 10, 1864, becoming the company's drummer. However, the company never saw action, and Albert Woolson was discharged on September 7, 1865. Woolson returned to Minnesota, where he lived the rest of his life. He was a
carpenter and later a member of the
Grand Army of the Republic (G.A.R.), a powerful political organization made up of Civil War veterans where he became senior vice commander in chief in 1953. In his final days, he lived at 215 East Fifth Street in
Duluth, Minnesota. Woolson died at
St. Luke's Hospital in Duluth on August 2, 1956, at what was then thought to be the
age of 109, of a "recurring lung congestion condition". He was twice widowed and was survived by six daughters and two sons. Woolson was buried with full military honors by the
National Guard at
Park Hill Cemetery. Following his death, President
Dwight D. Eisenhower said: The American people have lost the last personal link with the Union Army ... His passing brings sorrow to the hearts of all of us who cherished the memory of the brave men on both sides of the War Between the States. ==Legacy==