Robert L. Foster (Civil War Veteran) and Sarah "Sally" Ann Cox

Robert L. Foster and Sarah “Sally” Ann Cox

Robert Foster was born June 20, 1834 in Hancock, Indiana. His pension record states that Robert Foster enlisted in the Civil War 27 August 1862. Discharged at Little Rock, Arkansas 26 June 1865, with gun shot wounds suffered in the Battle of Prairie Grove, on 1 November, 1863; wounded in head and gravel, ruptured lower abdomen and skin disease. Death Certificate states Robert, 70, male, white, Residence at 19^th and Z Streets, died of tuberculosis on 16 August, 1904; buried 17 Aug. 1904 at Laurel Hill Cemetery, South Omaha, Nebraska.

BATTLE OF THE LITTLE BLUE

While living near Frankfort, Robert enlisted in a local Militia unit and was at the battle of the The Little Blue, described on pg. 208-209 (see below).
On Sept 27, 1864, Gen. Price, with his Confederate Army, invaded Missouri from the south, advancing almost to St. Lewis, where he made a westward turn. At first sign of invasions, the Kansas forces, under Gen. Blunt, were called out to help in the defense of Missouri. The union units, to which the Foster brothers belonged, set up a defense line just east of Lexington, Missouri, where the Rebel forces attacked them.
After a short, sharp engagement, the Rebel force outflanked this position, and the Union Militia retired to the west bank of the Little Blue River. They had gotten a few reinforcements, but, again, the confederates outflanked their position. The Union force retired still further westward and set up a defense position bordering Independence Missouri. More reinforcements arrived during the night, under Gen. Curtis, who out-ranked Gen. Blunt.
All during October 22, Gen. Price's forces attacked the Union troops with infantry, cannon and cavalry. This time, the reinforced Kansas Militia was able to beat off each assault, although the Confederates did capture a portion of Independence. During the night, however, Union Army units that had been dogging Gen. Price's trail, arrived on the scene. Again the opposing forces battled long and hard, until finally a Union cavalry charge pushed the Rebels out of Independence. Soon thereafter, Gen. Price decided he had urgent business in the state of Arkansas, and took off with the Union troops in hot pursuit. It was during this pursuit that Milton S. Foster was taken prisoner and confined in the infamous prison at Tyler, Texas.
This is the way Silas J. Foster described the battle of October 23, 1864:-- "After a cool, damp night, we lay in the 'brash' along the Little Blue and traded shots with the Rebels. Early in the fight, one of my men was hit by a sharpshooter, the Minis ball lodging under the skin near his elbow. While he was removing the ball with his knife, a second ball entered just above the elbow, drove upward under the skin, and lodged near his shoulder.
The damp air 'helt' the smoke from our muskets and cannon close to the ground, so thick we often had to hold our fire till it cleared enough so we could see targets to shoot at. We would have at it again, but after a few rounds from our cannon, and musket volleys, the smoke would be as thick as before., But we were doing pretty well, for the Rebs had had enough after taking our lead for three hours. They headed south, with us on their tails. We hiked our boots off, but were unable to catch 'em, and we were very willin' to let the horse soldier take over the job at evening of the second day." (In his every day speech, like most of his age group, Silas J. (Silas Jackson Foster) used see'd for saw, Brash for brush, and fought was always, fit.) by Flavius Foster.

Robert Foster family. Son Daniel Foster is standing in the middle.

“Seedlings of William Foster" by Flavius Foster, Book II, pg. 39 states:

“Robert, last child of Dennis and Polly Foster, born in Hancock Co, Indiana, went to McLean Co, Illinois with his parents. Here, he grew to manhood, met and married his cousin, Sally Ann (Sarah Ann) Cox, pg. 117. In 1859, Robert and family joined the families of his father-in-law, John Cox, and uncle, Harrison Foster in a wagon train bound for Kansas territory. Robert lived with his Uncle til Harrisons' death, near Frankfort, Kansas.
While living near Frankfort Robert enlisted in a local Militia unit and was at the battle of the The Little Blue, described on pg. 208-209. In 1868, after the death of John Cox, Robert took his family to Washington Co., Kansas and settled near present-day Haddam. At that time there were three large families of Fosters and Coxes living in that area, but today, 1979, no Fosters live there. Two and one half miles south of Haddam, on the west side of the highway, is a cemetery, the land of which was donated by one of the Foster families. Here, in an unmarked grave, Sally Ann rests. She died of tuberculosis, the "White Plague" of the period.
After the death of his first wife Robert moved to the old Solomon River settlement where many of his cousins lived. Here, he took up a homestead as a civil war veteran, which he later sold.
Today this land supports several oil-producing wells. After selling his land, Robert moved back to eastern Kansas, where he met and married his second wife, Margaret Ellen Howard, widow of Thomas H. Smith. Robert is buried in the Laurel Hills Cemetery, Omaha, Nebraska."

Sarah “Sallie” Ann Cox
Sarah Cox is also listed “Sallie Ann Foster” on affidavits. She was born 23 December 1836 in Illinois. On August 20^th, 1856 she married Robert Foster. They had seven children together: Mahala, Clarissa, Malinda, Daniel, Harrison, Dorcas and Joseph. Her first child, Mahala, died just two days after birth, and Harrison at age four. Sarah died on December 29, 1884 at age 48 in Haddam, Washington County, Kansas. See the family photograph with her on the previous page.