ROBERT LAMPMAN

Litchfield 

Robert Lampman was an African American soldier, born in the early 1800’s in Connecticut. He married Anne Eliza Lampman on October 16th, 1851, in a service in Litchfield, Connecticut performed by the Rev. Benjamin S. Swan. He had three children: Rob J. Lampman, born July 9, 1852, Hannah T. Lampman, born January 23, 1854, and William A. Lampman, born May 31, 1855. Robert and Anne Lampman were married for 24 years until his death on December 27, 1875.  They were living together in a house in Litchfield when Robert enlisted to fight in the Civil War.

Robert joined the 29th Connecticut Infantry on December 14, 1863, in New Haven. In his service as a Union infantryman he was promoted from private to corporal. However, on March 26, 1865, he went missing for unknown reasons. He superiors called it an absence without leave and he was demoted back to private upon his return on May 3, 1865. During his time in the service, he contracted a lung issue, which we later determined to be tuberculosis. Because of this he was honorably discharged on October 26, 1865. He later applied for, and received a pension, as the tuberculosis impacted his ability to work. He struggled with the disease for the rest of his life, ultimately dying of it on December 26, 1875. His wife, Anne, and his three children survived him, with Anne continuing to collect his pension. The last pension payment was sent to Anne on September 4th, 1910. Although the exact date of Anne's death is unknown, we know that she died sometime before September 29th, 1910.