AMBROSE AARON DENSMORE -- 118th INFANTRYIN COMPANY H OF THE 118th INFANTRY - Ambrose Aaron Densmore, son ofLeicester Densmore and Ruth Merrick, was born in Georgia, VT, in 1841.The family moved to Schuyler Falls, and Ambrose was living in BlackBrook when he enlisted in the 118th Infantry on August 13, 1862. Hewasn't mustered in until the day before they left Plattsburgh onSeptember 1st.On the way to Washington, they took the train from Relay House a fewmiles west of Baltimore to guard the Thomas Viaduct and the Baltimoreand Ohio Railroad facilities in the area. It was the junction of theWashington and Harper\'s Ferry trains and was the only railroad reachingWashington from the north, so it was important to protect it against anyraids of the enemy.They reached their destination about sundown on September 12th andcamped just beyond the viaduct, on a grassy hillside and slept thatnight in the open air. They named their camp "Camp Wool", in honor ofGeneral Wool who was in command at Baltimore and the oldest general inthe Civil War on either side -- born in 1784.While getting the camp organized, setting up tents, etc., Ambrose gotsunstroke and was out of action for a few days. He recovered and went onto participate in all the activities of the 118th Infantry untilFebruary 1865 when he landed himself in hospital again. He wastransferred to the Balfour Hospital in Portsmouth, VA, and was stillthere in April 1865. On May 27, 1865, Ambrose was discharged fromhospital. He spent 2 years, 9 months and 13 days of his 3-yearcommitment with the 118th.The Plattsburgh Town Clerk's Records of 1865 record that Ambrose wasalready living in Nashua, NH, with his wife, Emma Hare, and twochildren. The couple then went to Scituate, RI, where they farmed forthe rest of their lives and received a pension of \$7 a month. He died1903 and was buried in the North Scituate Cemetery, Emma died in 1907and was buried with him.
