ALBERTLAPORT – 96(th) INFNTRY and 6(th) HEAVY ARTILLERYTRIED TO FINISH TWO 3-YEAR TERMS - On November 20, 1861, Albert Laportenlisted in the 96(th) Infantry in Ellenburg to serve for three years.According to the Muster Roll for Captain Addis Woodhull’s Company D, hejoined men from northeastern Clinton County, with a few from Franklin,Essex and St. Lawrence Counties. Three men even crossed the border fromQuebec, or Canada East as it was then known, to enlist.This regiment was organized at Plattsburgh and mustered in the serviceof the United States for three years. They left for Washington by trainon March 11, 1862, and were assigned to the 1st Brigade, 3rd Division,4th Corps of the Army of the Potomac, and embarked for the VirginiaPeninsula under General McClellan.At first, they besieged Yorktown for a month and then started fightingtheir way up the Peninsula – at the battles of Williamsburg, Bottom'sBridge and Savage Station. They lost heavily at Fair Oaks – 78casualties – then participated in the Seven Days' Battles. Afterreaching the outskirts of Richmond, McClellan marched them south toHarrison’s Landing on the James River and it was here that Albert wasdischarged for disability on August 7, 1862.About a year and a half later, on January 2, 1864, he enlisted again atMalone. He was mustered in as private, Co. M of the 6(th) HeavyArtillery on Jan. 2, 1864, to serve 3 years and mustered out on May 29,1864, at Satterlee, U.S. Army General Hospital, Philadelphia, PA.Albert returned to Clinton County and farmed for the rest of his life.He died in 1882 and his wife, the former Alice Moore, received herpension for ten years before she was buried in the Sheldon Hill Cemeteryin Ellenburg Depot.
