FREDERICK RIVERS -- 96th INFANTRYDIED IN PETERSBURG IN 1902 - Second Lieutenant Oscar Morrison'srecruiting territory was Dannemora. In the fall of 1861, he recruitedfifteen men for Captain Darius Parson's Company B. One of the men herecruited was Frederick Rivers who was born in St. John's, Quebec in1841. In all, sixty-eight privates were recruited mainly fromPlattsburgh, Rouses Point and Beekmantown.On November 21st, Frederick was mustered into Company B and the 96thdrilled in Plattsburgh until March 1862, when they left for Washington.Almost as soon as they arrived, they left for the Virginia Peninsulaand, with the Army of the Potomac, started their 3-years' service at theSiege of Yorktown in April.For the next four years, Frederick was a member of the 96th andsurvived the Peninsula Campaign including the Seven Days' Battles beforebeing ordered to South Carolina for fifteen months. Frederickre-enlisted on January 1, 1864, while they were encamped at Plymouth,NC. The 96th was brought back to the Petersburg/Richmond area in 1864and fought from May to the end of October losing over two hundred men tocasualties.Petersburg fell on April 2, 1865, and they stayed in the area tomaintain order. Frederick decided it was time to go home because the warwas over and deserted for the first time in July 1865. They bought himback to the regiment. He stayed with them until January 23, 1866, atLynchburg, VA.In 1878, Frederick married Judith Clarke in Amelia, about thirty-fivemiles of Petersburg. About ten years later, he applied for a pension,but it was not granted. The next year enumerated in the 1890 VeteransSchedules as living in Petersburg. He died of Bright's Disease in 1902and was buried in the Blandford Cemetery in Petersburg.
