This tintype of Clinton P. Sheldon came to light yesterday at CCHA. Wethought it would be nice to show the picture and post his story, thatwas originally posted on September 4, 2016, again.CLINTON P. SHELDON -- 153rd INFANTRYLOST HIS POWER OF SPEECH - The family history of Clinton PettigrewSheldon can be found between pages 318 and 319 in, Hurd's, "History ofClinton and Franklin Counties". You'll see a picture of his house andbarn of which he was so proud, and this portrait.https://books.google.com/books?id=rk4MAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA318-IA3&lpg=PA318-IA3&dq=%22clinton+p.+sheldon%22&source=bl&ots=67h1ZdYZn0&sig=bPMp3Rh1jKlCI-K3KQQjN3JTbik&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj9uOqaxfXOAhUD9R4KHXpPAZgQ6AEIKDAA#v=onepage&q=%22clinton%20p.%20sheldon%22&f=false\Clinton was born in Reading, VT, in 1833, and gave his occupation asfarmer and teacher when he enlisted on September 4, 1862, in Altona,promising to serve for 3 years. He left his wife, the former Mary E.Baldwin, at home in Ellenburg with 2 children at home and was musteredinto Captain Fred J. P. Chitty's company - Company K. The company wasfilled with men from Queensbury, Ellenburg, Altona and Mooers. Clintonwas promoted sergeant on October 18, 1862. His fellow sergeants wereAllen Underwood from Queensbury, Rollins Hutchins from Ellenburg, MarkA. Allen from Queensbury, and Merrill B. Hammond from Ellenburg.The regiment left the state on October 18, 1862, after mustering inFonda, NY. The 153rd started serving around Washington as a provostguard, as part of Abercrombie\'s Division, as soon as they got there, onOctober 25, 1862.The 153rd was transferred to General Casey\'s Division, 22nd Corps, inFebruary 1863. On January 1st, he had been returned to ranks. Clintonstayed in and around Washington with the regiment. He was honorablydischarged for disability on a surgeon\'s certificate on October 28,1863. By looking at his picture, one may surmise he had some kind of astroke.Clinton came home and became a leader in his church and community eventhough his time in the military had weakened his constitution and he hadlost his power of speech. His speech returned to him about a monthbefore his death. In April 1866, he applied for and received anInvalid's Pension. Two years before his death on September 9, 1872, hestarted running a store in the village. His last child, Cora, was bornonly 5 months before his death, in April 1872.Clinton had planned a barn to replace the one destroyed by fire in 1871,and a home. He built the barn first, but the home he had planned, wasn'tbuilt until about 5 years later.Clinton was buried in the Sheldon Hill Cemetery in Ellenburg at age 38years and 3 months. Mary died 20 years later, in 1892, and was buriedwith him.
