Crim Carson

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 This article is a good article. It is written to a high standard. This article is part of Altverse II. This page is for a Continental person in Altverse II. This page is for a Continental politician in Altverse II.
Crim Carson
John Burns of Gettysburg.jpg
Carson in 1918
Personal details
Born (1829-09-03)3 September 1829
Burlington, New Jersey,
United Commonwealth
Died (1931-10-22)22 October 1931
Pontiac, Illinois,
United Commonwealth
Resting place National People's Cemetery, Chicago
Nationality Continental
Political party Continental Star.svg Continentalist Party (1918-)
Religion Presbyterian
Military service
Allegiance

 United States (1846–1869)

 United Commonwealth
Branch/service

United States Army (1846–1868)

Revolutionary Guard (1918)
Years of service 1846–1869, 1918
Rank

Army-USA-OR-09c (Army greens).svg Sergeant major

US-O6 insignia.svg Colonel (Honorary)
Battles/wars
Awards

John "Crim" Carson (3 September 1829 – 22 October 1931) was an American and Continental soldier, constable, and centenarian. Carson was a locally famous veteran of multiple wars in American history, including the Mexican–American War, American Civil War, and War of Contingency, who became nationally famous when in the early days of the Continental Revolution for defending his town against Federalist incursions at the age of 88. For his bravery he was awarded the Order of the Red Banner of Labor.

Carson was born in Burlington, New Jersey, of Scottish ancestry. As a young man he lied about his age to enlist in the United States Army and serve in the Mexican–American War, and two decades later also volunteered to serve in the American Civil War. At the war's end he retired, but upon the outbreak of the War of Contingency attempted to reenlist. Initially rejected for combat duty due to his old age, in the later years of the war his request was accepted and he served in Superian War of Independence. In 1869 he retired from the army with the rank of sergeant major and moved to Illinois, settling in the then small town of Pontiac. For the next few decades he lived on a small estate in town and worked as a constable. In 1870 he married Daniella Dickinson, an Illinois local, and the pair had eight children.

When the Continental Revolutionary War broke out, Carson was indifferent and continued his affairs. However, as Pontiac was one of many small towns surrounding the approach to Chicago, Federalist forces moved into the region in late 1917 in an effort to cut off the city. Carson complained to the town's Federalist mayor that his pension was not being paid but was ignored, and in a separate incident Carson was disrespected and fined on tenuous grounds by a Federalist officer, causing him to despise the current administration. In December 1917 Federalist forces moved through the town, seizing supplies from town's people and arresting a number of people. Feeling that his fellow citizens were being harassed, Carson took up arms to drive off the soldiers. After a group of marauders attempted to steal from his barn, Carson opened fire, killing several. Later that month Carson and several other town's people joined up with a Continental division moving south from Chicago. Although skeptical of his old age and eccentric dress consisting of an old fashion American army coat, the Continental commander allowed Carson to follow along, effectively acting as a sharpshooter. Carson took part in a few small skirmishes around his town, and in one incident was left abandoned after his unit retreated. Receiving minor wounds and exhausted, Carson hastily hid his weapons and pretended to be a noncombatant. He narrowly escaped execution for being a Continentalist bushwhacker by pretending to be an innocent civilian who had been attacked by the Continentalists, and instead was treated for his wounds and sent home. Without his primary weapon, he donned his Springfield Model 1861 that he kept over the mantlepiece to defend himself. In early 1918 Continentalist forces moved through Pontiac and pushed out remaining Federalist forces. Being recognized by some of the other soldiers, Carson was praised by the Continentalist leadership as a hero and was brought to Chicago. There he was given the newly created Order of the Red Banner of Labor for his service.

After the war Carson returned to Pontiac and lived there the rest of his life. The local community and the Continentalist Party raised funds to repair his house and rebuild his barn, which had been damaged during fighting, and to hold a ceremony in his honor, where he was awarded the honorary rank of colonel. At a naming ceremony around that time Carson was given the name "Crim" by Party Secretary of Illinois and future member of the Secretariat Joseph McDonald. Carson also joined the Continentalist Party and was a guest at the 12th Party Congress in 1922, and was present at the dedication of the National People's Cemetery, where Aeneas Warren delivered a speech. Carson remained a local legend and fixture of Pontiac for the next several years, occasionally speaking at veteran events. He was nominated for the town council on several occasions, but rejected to enjoy his retirement. Toward the end of his life he suffered from dementia and would sometimes wander away from home. On one occasion he was discovered in Detroit, Michigan and was brought home by locals. In 1931 he died at the age of 102, and his death was widely reported. He was buried at the National People's Cemetery in a large ceremony attended by numerous Party dignitaries from Illinois. A statue in Carson's honor was raised in downtown Pontiac in 1932.