USMA Class of 1873. Cullum No. 2475.
Forty-Four Annual Reunion Of The Association of the Graduates Of The United States Military Academy At West Point, New York, June 11th, 1913, Seemann & Peters Inc., Saginaw, Michigan, 1913.
William H. Coffin
No. 2475. Class of 1873.
Died, August 2, 1912, at Rochester, Minnesota, aged 61.
Colonel William Harrison Coffin, Coast Artillery Corps, was born August 26, 1851. Class 1873. Assigned upon graduation to the Fifth Artillery. He served as an Instructor in various departments at the Military Academy and as Professor of Military Science at the University of Vermont. He was Adjutant, Fifth Artillery, 1889 to 1893. He served for some years with the light battery of his regiment; assisted in organizing the Siege Artillery, 1898 and commanded one of the new batteries. He was a graduate of the Artillery School. His long service was rendered on both seacoasts, on the plains and in the Philippines. He reached the grade of Colonel of Coast Artillery, September 1908 and at the time of his death held the assignment to command of the Artillery District of Narragansett Bay, one of the most important commands in the Army.
He died at The Mayo Hospital, Rochester, Minnesota, August 2, 1912 and was interred at Oak Hill Cemetery, D.C., August 6, 1912.
He was the commander of the important artillery district tributary to Narragansett Bay and known to the world as Colonel, but to me he remained to the last as Billy Coffin, the warm hearted, generous natured friend of forty odd years. It requires no strain of memory to call to view the high minded young gentleman who donned the gray coatee in sixty-nine and honored it from the day we first met him until the hour when, as the slender waisted Adjutant, he conducted the graduating parade. The code of ethics of the Corps, which has meant so much to the Army for a century past, was to him the breath of life. He absorbed it in his very soul and abided by it in all his professional career. If there was a clear cut right and wrong to any question there was never need to ask on which side he stood. Affection for the flag and devotion to duty were to him as religion. He had risen from Cadet to Colonel of Coast Artillery. Throughout his career, though he knew his steps on the ladder of promotion were assured him through seniority, he never relaxed his preparation for any duty to which he might be called. And at last when dread disease slowly but surely drew his career to an end, all the gentleness of his character shone forth resplendently.
He was laid away, by those who had known and loved him, on the beautiful slope of Oak Hill, with those of his family who had gone before. As the last honors were paid the Colors were unfurled on the terrace above his final resting place; the sun which had been struggling all the morning to break the bonds of lowering clouds, came out and shone upon the martial setting, as if to typify the brightness of the future life to the departed spirit of our soldier dead.
It was a joy to have known him; an honor to have called him friend and a grief to have lost him.
Classmate.
Forty-Four Annual Reunion Of The Association of the Graduates Of The United States Military Academy At West Point, New York, June 11th, 1913, Seemann & Peters Inc., Saginaw, Michigan, 1913.
William H. Coffin
No. 2475. Class of 1873.
Died, August 2, 1912, at Rochester, Minnesota, aged 61.
Colonel William Harrison Coffin, Coast Artillery Corps, was born August 26, 1851. Class 1873. Assigned upon graduation to the Fifth Artillery. He served as an Instructor in various departments at the Military Academy and as Professor of Military Science at the University of Vermont. He was Adjutant, Fifth Artillery, 1889 to 1893. He served for some years with the light battery of his regiment; assisted in organizing the Siege Artillery, 1898 and commanded one of the new batteries. He was a graduate of the Artillery School. His long service was rendered on both seacoasts, on the plains and in the Philippines. He reached the grade of Colonel of Coast Artillery, September 1908 and at the time of his death held the assignment to command of the Artillery District of Narragansett Bay, one of the most important commands in the Army.
He died at The Mayo Hospital, Rochester, Minnesota, August 2, 1912 and was interred at Oak Hill Cemetery, D.C., August 6, 1912.
He was the commander of the important artillery district tributary to Narragansett Bay and known to the world as Colonel, but to me he remained to the last as Billy Coffin, the warm hearted, generous natured friend of forty odd years. It requires no strain of memory to call to view the high minded young gentleman who donned the gray coatee in sixty-nine and honored it from the day we first met him until the hour when, as the slender waisted Adjutant, he conducted the graduating parade. The code of ethics of the Corps, which has meant so much to the Army for a century past, was to him the breath of life. He absorbed it in his very soul and abided by it in all his professional career. If there was a clear cut right and wrong to any question there was never need to ask on which side he stood. Affection for the flag and devotion to duty were to him as religion. He had risen from Cadet to Colonel of Coast Artillery. Throughout his career, though he knew his steps on the ladder of promotion were assured him through seniority, he never relaxed his preparation for any duty to which he might be called. And at last when dread disease slowly but surely drew his career to an end, all the gentleness of his character shone forth resplendently.
He was laid away, by those who had known and loved him, on the beautiful slope of Oak Hill, with those of his family who had gone before. As the last honors were paid the Colors were unfurled on the terrace above his final resting place; the sun which had been struggling all the morning to break the bonds of lowering clouds, came out and shone upon the martial setting, as if to typify the brightness of the future life to the departed spirit of our soldier dead.
It was a joy to have known him; an honor to have called him friend and a grief to have lost him.
Classmate.
USMA Class of 1873. Cullum No. 2475.
Forty-Four Annual Reunion Of The Association of the Graduates Of The United States Military Academy At West Point, New York, June 11th, 1913, Seemann & Peters Inc., Saginaw, Michigan, 1913.
William H. Coffin
No. 2475. Class of 1873.
Died, August 2, 1912, at Rochester, Minnesota, aged 61.
Colonel William Harrison Coffin, Coast Artillery Corps, was born August 26, 1851. Class 1873. Assigned upon graduation to the Fifth Artillery. He served as an Instructor in various departments at the Military Academy and as Professor of Military Science at the University of Vermont. He was Adjutant, Fifth Artillery, 1889 to 1893. He served for some years with the light battery of his regiment; assisted in organizing the Siege Artillery, 1898 and commanded one of the new batteries. He was a graduate of the Artillery School. His long service was rendered on both seacoasts, on the plains and in the Philippines. He reached the grade of Colonel of Coast Artillery, September 1908 and at the time of his death held the assignment to command of the Artillery District of Narragansett Bay, one of the most important commands in the Army.
He died at The Mayo Hospital, Rochester, Minnesota, August 2, 1912 and was interred at Oak Hill Cemetery, D.C., August 6, 1912.
He was the commander of the important artillery district tributary to Narragansett Bay and known to the world as Colonel, but to me he remained to the last as Billy Coffin, the warm hearted, generous natured friend of forty odd years. It requires no strain of memory to call to view the high minded young gentleman who donned the gray coatee in sixty-nine and honored it from the day we first met him until the hour when, as the slender waisted Adjutant, he conducted the graduating parade. The code of ethics of the Corps, which has meant so much to the Army for a century past, was to him the breath of life. He absorbed it in his very soul and abided by it in all his professional career. If there was a clear cut right and wrong to any question there was never need to ask on which side he stood. Affection for the flag and devotion to duty were to him as religion. He had risen from Cadet to Colonel of Coast Artillery. Throughout his career, though he knew his steps on the ladder of promotion were assured him through seniority, he never relaxed his preparation for any duty to which he might be called. And at last when dread disease slowly but surely drew his career to an end, all the gentleness of his character shone forth resplendently.
He was laid away, by those who had known and loved him, on the beautiful slope of Oak Hill, with those of his family who had gone before. As the last honors were paid the Colors were unfurled on the terrace above his final resting place; the sun which had been struggling all the morning to break the bonds of lowering clouds, came out and shone upon the martial setting, as if to typify the brightness of the future life to the departed spirit of our soldier dead.
It was a joy to have known him; an honor to have called him friend and a grief to have lost him.
Classmate.
Forty-Four Annual Reunion Of The Association of the Graduates Of The United States Military Academy At West Point, New York, June 11th, 1913, Seemann & Peters Inc., Saginaw, Michigan, 1913.
William H. Coffin
No. 2475. Class of 1873.
Died, August 2, 1912, at Rochester, Minnesota, aged 61.
Colonel William Harrison Coffin, Coast Artillery Corps, was born August 26, 1851. Class 1873. Assigned upon graduation to the Fifth Artillery. He served as an Instructor in various departments at the Military Academy and as Professor of Military Science at the University of Vermont. He was Adjutant, Fifth Artillery, 1889 to 1893. He served for some years with the light battery of his regiment; assisted in organizing the Siege Artillery, 1898 and commanded one of the new batteries. He was a graduate of the Artillery School. His long service was rendered on both seacoasts, on the plains and in the Philippines. He reached the grade of Colonel of Coast Artillery, September 1908 and at the time of his death held the assignment to command of the Artillery District of Narragansett Bay, one of the most important commands in the Army.
He died at The Mayo Hospital, Rochester, Minnesota, August 2, 1912 and was interred at Oak Hill Cemetery, D.C., August 6, 1912.
He was the commander of the important artillery district tributary to Narragansett Bay and known to the world as Colonel, but to me he remained to the last as Billy Coffin, the warm hearted, generous natured friend of forty odd years. It requires no strain of memory to call to view the high minded young gentleman who donned the gray coatee in sixty-nine and honored it from the day we first met him until the hour when, as the slender waisted Adjutant, he conducted the graduating parade. The code of ethics of the Corps, which has meant so much to the Army for a century past, was to him the breath of life. He absorbed it in his very soul and abided by it in all his professional career. If there was a clear cut right and wrong to any question there was never need to ask on which side he stood. Affection for the flag and devotion to duty were to him as religion. He had risen from Cadet to Colonel of Coast Artillery. Throughout his career, though he knew his steps on the ladder of promotion were assured him through seniority, he never relaxed his preparation for any duty to which he might be called. And at last when dread disease slowly but surely drew his career to an end, all the gentleness of his character shone forth resplendently.
He was laid away, by those who had known and loved him, on the beautiful slope of Oak Hill, with those of his family who had gone before. As the last honors were paid the Colors were unfurled on the terrace above his final resting place; the sun which had been struggling all the morning to break the bonds of lowering clouds, came out and shone upon the martial setting, as if to typify the brightness of the future life to the departed spirit of our soldier dead.
It was a joy to have known him; an honor to have called him friend and a grief to have lost him.
Classmate.
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