ERASTUS LES CARPENTER -- 16th INFANTRYDIED OF TB 50 YEARS AFTER MUSTER-OUT - In 1832, Erastus Les Carpenterwas born in Orleans County, VT, to Charles Carpenter and Eliza Eaton,who lived for a short time in the Town of Au Sable area before leavingsome family behind and settling in Wisconsin. Erastus was one of 64privates personally recruited for Company K of the 16th Infantry byCaptain William Wallace Wood from West Chazy. Erastus enlisted on May15, 1861, a month after Lincoln's call for 75,000 men. The enlisteestraveled to Albany where the regiment was organized, and Erastus wasmustered in on May 22nd to serve for two years.During the two years he was with the 16th, he remained in Virginia. In1861, they had an officer injured at First Bull Run in July, but theydidn't suffer any major casualties until May of 1862 at West Point, VA-- 6 killed in action and 11 injured. During the Seven Days' Battles inJune they sustained over 250 casualties and on the way to Antietam, thereceived 62 more. At Antietam in September, they were held in reserve,but still had one man mortally wounded and two injured.They missed the Battle of Fredericksburg in December because they werestanding picket duty, but during the battles at Marye's Heights andSalem Church just three weeks before the 2-year men were due to bemustered out they had 24 men killed, 12 mortally wounded, over 100injured and 17 who went missing or were captured. They were with the VICorps of the Army of the Potomac under General Sedgwick. General Lee.The North had 23,000 men in the field and the South had about 10,000.Both had about 4,500+ casualties.Erastus decided not to re-up and returned to Clinton County. Two yearsafter he returned, he married Mary Julia Allen from Peru. They farmed inthe area until Mary died in 1903. She was buried in the Peru VillageCemetery. For a few years, Erastus lived in Albany, NY, with hisdaughter Minnie and son Frank. After 1910, he moved to Framingham, MA,near Boston, to live with his daughter, Eva Bragg, the wife of acarpenter. It was here that Erastus died of pulmonary tuberculosis onJanuary 14, 1913.The family brought is body home to Peru starting on January 16th, and hewas buried with his wife 10 years after her death. The Plattsburg DailyPress of January 27, 1913, carried his funeral notice in the Peru newssection -- "The funeral of Erastus Carpenter was held at the M. E.Church last Friday. The Rev. J. L. Cole officiating. The three sons werepresent: Allie of Essex Junction, VT, Frank of Watervliet and John ofPeru and a daughter, Eva, wife of Reuben Bragg, also many neighbors andrelatives of the deceased -- One generation passeth away, and anothergeneration cometh, but the earth endureth forever."
