Company B, 5th Kentucky Mounted Infantry, Confederate States Army

As researched by Stephen D. Bowling

Son of Eli S. and Mary Frances (Fletcher) Foster

Born on April 19, 1849, in Fleming County, Kentucky (another source lists his birth date as April 10, 1848).

1850 Fleming County, Kentucky Federal Census
Second Division, August 21, 1850, Line 33 
Dwelling Number 162, Family Number 162
Eli Foster			34
Frances Foster			29
	Jonathan M. Foster	11
	Robert A. Foster	9
	William J. Foster	5
	John E. Foster 	        1 

1860 Morgan County, Kentucky Federal Census
District 1, June 8, 1860, Line 7, Post Office: West Liberty
Dwelling Number 57, Family Number 57
Eli Foster			44
Frances Foster			40
	Milton Foster		21
	Robert L. Foster	19
	John E. Foster          10
	Alonzo Foster		8
	Elizabeth Foster	6				
	Mary Foster		4

Military Service
Company B, 5th Kentucky Mounted Infantry, Confederate States Army
Enlisted: 1863, May 20 at Castlewood in Russell County, Virginia, by Major William Mynhier for three years or the duration of the war (another source says he enlisted at Jackson in Breathitt County, Kentucky)
Present for Duty; 1863, May to June
Paid: 1863, April 30, by Captain William Wells
Present for Duty: 1863, July to August
Paid: 1863, June 30, by Captain William Wells
Present for Duty: 1863, September to October
Present for Duty: 1863, November to December
Bounty Paid: $50 on August 5, 1863 by Captain William Wells
Paid: 1863, August 31 by Major ____ Viley
Paid: 1863, November 1, by Captain William Wells
Paid: 1863, December 31, by Captain William Wells
Present for Duty: 1864, January through March
Present for Duty: 1864, May 1 to August 31
Paid: 1864, March 1, by Captain William Wells
Present for Duty: 1864, September and October
Paid: 1864, May 1 by Captain ____ Rhea
Paroled: 1865, May 6 at Washington in Wilkes County, Georgia by Colonel Lot Abraham, 6th Iowa Cavalry
	Description at Parole:
	Height: 5 feet 8 inches
	Hair: Dark
	Eyes: Dark
	Complexion: Fair
Highest Rank: Private

Married to Rebecca Elizabeth Jones (1849-1924). She was the daughter of James W. and Emily (McClain) Jones.

1870 Rowan County, Kentucky Federal Census
Christ Creek Precinct, June 14, 1870, Line 18, Post Office: Morehead
Dwelling 96, Family Number 96
John Foster		     22
Rebecca Foster		     20
	Elizabeth Foster     2

1880 Morgan County, Kentucky Federal Census
Supervisors’ District Number 5, Enumeration District Number 57
District Number 7, Line 24
Dwelling Number 101, Family Number 101
John Foster		     30
Rebecca Foster		     30
	Emma Foster	     13
	Fannie Foster	     7
	Robert Foster	     4
	David Foster	     2	

Listed as a citizen of Bath County in 1898 (The Orphan Brigade by Edwin Porter Thompson).

1900 Fleming County, Kentucky Federal Census
Supervisors’ District Number 9, Enumeration District Number 40
Magisterial District Number 3, Mt. Carmel Village, June 21, 1900
Dwelling Number 282, Family Number 287
John Foster		     51   April 1849
Rebecca Foster		     50   September 1849
	Robert Foster	     24   April 1876
	Mary C. Foster	     18   May 1882
	Margaret N. Foster   16   September 1883
	Willie W. Foster     6    September 1893

1910 Fleming County, Kentucky Federal Census
Supervisors’ District Number 9, Enumeration District Number 54
Magisterial District Number 3, May 9, 1910
Dwelling Number 249, Family Number 354
John Foster		     60	
Rebecca Foster		     60
	Louisa Foster	     21
	William Foster	     16
	Leona Earls	     8    Granddaughter
	Cora L. Earls	     6    Granddaughter

Kentucky Confederate Pension
Application completed on May 11, 1912, while he was a resident of Mt. Carmel in Fleming County, Kentucky
Filed on May 12, 1912
A copy of his parole from Washington, Georgia, was filed with the Pension Application Awarded as Pension #1307 

1920 Fleming County, Kentucky Federal Census
Supervisors’ District Number 9, Enumeration District Number 86
Magisterial District Number 16, Mt. Carmel Village, January 6, 1910
Dwelling Number 282, Family Number 287
John Foster		      71	
Rebecca Foster		      71	
	Ada Foster	      24   Daughter-in-law
	William R. Foster     5
	Robert F. Foster      3 11/12
	Cora L. Earls	      16   Granddaughter

Died on May 17, 1926, of “general paralysis” at Perry Lawrences’ home near Deitrich Precinct of Mason County, Kentucky.

Obituary Listing
The Maysville Public Ledger
May 18, 1923, page 6

Buried on May 19, 1926, in the Arnold Cemetery at Beechburg in Fleming County, Kentucky.

© 2024 Stephen D. Bowling