ALBERT W. RANSOM -- 34th INFANTRYFIRST CHAZY MAN KILLED - Albert W. Ransomwas born in Grand Isle, VT, on December 19, 1837, to Guy Ransom andEliza Thomas who lived on a farm in Chazy. On May 22, 1861, when he was23 years old, Albert enlisted in the 34th Infantry to serve for 2 yearsin Chazy with his friend William Hill. They both mustered into Company Don June 15th in Albany - Albert as a sergeant and William as a private.Most of the men in Company D were recruited in the Champlain area.The 34th, called the Herkimer Regiment, was composed of 5 companies fromHerkimer County, 2 from Steuben, and 1 each from Clinton, Essex andAlbany Counties. They left the state for Washington on July 3, 1861, andwere quartered at Kalorama Heights until July 28th, when they moved toSeneca Mills. The mansion at Kalorama Heights in the northwest of thecapital is still there at the corner of S and 23rdStreets. http://kaloramahistory.blogspot.com/2014/09/the-kalorama-estate-brief-history.html\The regiment moved to Edwards Ferry on October 21st and then toPoolesville, MD, on October 23rd. The regiment established CampMcClellan, which was occupied until Feb. 24, 1862, when orders werereceived to move to Harper\'s Ferry. The early part of March 1862 wasspent in camp at Berryville, VA, and later in the month, they moved toWashington, where they were ordered to the Peninsula. The 34th was inthe Siege of Yorktown in April 1862, then lost 97 members killed,wounded or missing at Fair Oaks in late May. They had heavy casualtiesduring the Seven Days\' Battles. The 34th was then in camp at Harrison\'s Landing until August 15th, whenit was ordered to Newport News, and from there sailed for Acquia Creek.Later it returned to Alexandria and was again at the front during theMaryland Campaign in September. At Antietam on September 17, it lost 154in killed, wounded and missing, of whom 41 were killed or mortallywounded --- over 13% of the 311 engaged from the 34th.On Nov. 21, 1862, the regiment arrived at Falmouth, participated in thebattle of Fredericksburg, then went into winter quarters near Falmouth.On December 7th Albert was commissioned lieutenant, but within 2 weeks,he was mortally wounded in Battle at Falmouth, VA, by a shell. Hesuffered for 9 days before he died on December 2, 1862. His familybrought his body home to Chazy, and he was buried on June 22, 1864, inthe Riverview Cemetery there.
