ASA PRESCOTT BOARDMAN – 2nd VETERAN CAVALRYIN THE CAVALRY IN THE SOUTH - At seventeen years old, Asa Prescott Boardman, enlisted in the 2nd Veteran Cavalry in Keeseville with over thirty other men in September and October 1863. The regiment, known as the Empire Light Cavalry, organized in Saratoga Springs with men from all over northeastern New York and left the state in detachments. Asa’s detachment of Companies I and K left for Washington in November.It was stationed at Washington for the winter and then sailed for New Orleans to join the Department of the Gulf. The men had signed up for 3 years’ service and spent the entire time in the South. They took part in Banks' Red River campaign, in which it was in action eighteen times and suffered 77 casualties.Through June, July and August was engaged in a number of raids and scouting expeditions, meeting with few losses. Between September and December, the regiment was engaged back and forth along the Mississippi. They had very few casualties except in their last engagement at McLeod’s Mills, LA, where they had eleven killed or wounded.Starting in March 1865, they were in western Florida and Alabama. Its last active service was at Whistler's Station about seven miles northwest of Mobile on April 12th. The regiment moved northward to Talladega and mustered out the on November 8, 1865Asa came home to farm in the Keeseville area and in 1872, he married Olive Lane. After the birth of five children, the family moved to Hillsborough, NH. Asa died in 1910 after receiving his Invalid’s Pension for over thirty years. Olive got her Widow’s Pension for thirteen years before she died and was buried with him in the Pinegrove Cemetery in Manchester, NH.
