Foster, William Edward, 1843-1906
Dates
- Existence: 1843 - 1906
Biographical Note
William Edward Foster was born in Louisburg, North Carolina. For a large portion of his childhood his formal guardian was a Mr. Massenberg. He studied at the Louisburg Academy and, in 1858, went to Princeton until 1861. According to his letters, he was among the last of the southern students from seceded states to be at Princeton, and he, too, left in late April or early May of 1861. He enlisted with Company L, 15th Regiment, North Carolina Infantry, though records and his own letters suggest he was also a part of Company E, 1st Regiment, North Carolina Cavalry. He was wounded at Goodall’s Tavern, Virginia, in 1864.
Following the war, Foster spent some time in Texas before returning to North Carolina. In 1874, he married Cora Elizabeth Beves (1856-1931). The couple had six children: Mary Cecilia (usually called Cecilia) (later Johnson) (1875-1944), Dorson Beves (1877-1954), John Wiatt (1879-1964), Susan Morris (later Stoker) (1882-1971), Dora B. (1889-1920), and Willie Dabney (later Mooneyham) (1894-1937). William worked for a number of businesses in the Franklin County and Raleigh, North Carolina area as a secretary, treasurer, or bookkeeper (in similar capacities with different titles). William died in 1906 and is buried in Oakwood Cemetery, Raleigh, North Carolina.