Although his official service record does not show him as color sergeant, it appears that William E. Coleman served as such.

The CSR show him enlisting as a private in Co C, 2nd MO Inf in St. Clair Co., MO, on 15 Dec 1861, and his appointment as 5th Sgt on 18 Dec. He was captured at Corinth, MS on either 3 or 4 Oct 1862 and paroled by 14 Oct. He was promoted to 4th Sgt at a date not shown. Left sick at Vicksburg following the surrender and subsequently paroled. Wounded and lost leg above the knee at Allatoona, GA, on 5 Oct 1864. Paroled at Columbus, MS in May, 1865.

The following excerpt appears in the Lexington Weekly Intelligencer, Lexington, MO, 21 Aug 1886:

"Mr. [William E.] Coleman enlisted in the Missouri State Guard in Warren County and served as color sergeant of the Second Missouri Infantry, Second brigade, C.S.A. He lost a leg at the battle of Altoona [sic], Ga., October 4, 1864. He was nominated for state superintendent of schools in 1882 as a Saline County man."