Edwin C. Reed was believed to be the last surviving Spanish-American War veteran in the Galesburg area when he died July 1, 1968. He had earned the rank of sergeant in Company C, Sixth Illinois Militia (Illinois National Guard). Carl Sandburg served in the same unit.

In his autobiography, Always the Young Strangers, Sandburg remembered that the men had been plodding along a steep grade in Puerto Rico. He recalled an old Salvation Army song and began to sing it.

            Oh, I'm glad I'm in the army

            I'm glad I'm in today

            And I mean to keep fighting

            In this hallelujah way.

Ed Reed and some of the other men turned their heads to see who was singing. They smiled and kept marching. They didn't join in the singing because it would take too much breath to even make a comment. One wonders how Sandburg was able to sing and march at the same time. Perhaps it was a way to change the boredom of the trek.

Ed Reed was among the group of officers of Company C who appeared on the Lombard College campus one day. They intended to ask Sandburg if he was willing to be appointed by Congressman George Prince to the United States Military Academy. Sandburg was very honored to be selected for the appointment. Unfortunately, his education had not been sufficient to pass the required tests.

Edwin returned to Galesburg after the war and became a lather and contractor. He had married Mary Ann Anderson in Knoxville on April 22, 1897. They had one daughter, Bernice. For many years the family lived at 99 Lake Street in the Olaf Hawkinson subdivision. The house contained a thousand square feet with a small room on the second floor. It still stands with air conditioning and a one-stall garage.

Many of the nineteenth and twentieth century homes in Galesburg were built with plastered walls. Split wood laths were nailed perpendicularly to the interior wall studs and ceiling joists of rooms. They were placed 3/8 inch apart. The plaster was applied which filled the small spaces between the pieces of wood. When dry the plaster would be held against the lath by these keys. Sheet rock began to replace lath and plaster in the 1950s. There was much less effort and time required to complete the interior finishing of houses with the new product.

Edwin C. Reed served his country in a time of war, returned home, learned a skill, married and had a daughter. His life was not so spectacular as that of Carl Sandburg. One could say he was successful, not withstanding his fourth grade education.