The Story of Frank M. Gay

Frank M. Gay was born in Wilmot, New Hampshire, in 1842, the son of James and Margaret Gay. Growing up in New Hampshire, he later moved to the town of Loudon, where he worked as a mechanic. When the Civil War broke out, he chose to answer the call to serve his country, leaving his civilian trade behind.

On August 22, 1862, at the age of 20, Gay enlisted in the Union Army. He was mustered into service on September 5, 1862, as a Corporal in Company F of the 12th New Hampshire Infantry. His regiment was thrust into the eastern theater of the American Civil War, and Corporal Gay fought alongside his comrades through most of the regiment’s major battles over the next two years.

The turning point of his service came on June 3, 1864, during the brutal fighting at the Battle of Cold Harbor in Virginia. Corporal Gay was severely wounded when a gunshot struck his left forearm, fracturing the ulna bone. He underwent emergency field surgery where three inches of his bone shaft were resected. Following the field operation, he was admitted to Harewood Hospital in Washington, D.C., on June 7, 1864, to recover.

Though he survived the initial trauma and was furloughed in July 1864, the severity of his injuries meant he would never return to his regiment. The physical toll of the wound, compounded by a severe case of chronic diarrhea, permanently compromised his health. Because of his ongoing medical struggles, Corporal Gay was officially discharged from the military due to disability on December 20, 1864.

Corporal Gay returned to New Hampshire but did not survive long after his discharge. He passed away in Concord, New Hampshire, on February 11, 1865, at just 22 or 23 years of age. His body was returned to his birthplace of Wilmot, where he was laid to rest.