GEORGE and HERMAN WINTERS -- 16th CAVALRYENCOUNTERED MOSBY IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA - The 16th, or Sprague's Light Cavalry, organized in Plattsburgh in the fall of 1863 to serve the United States for three years. During the life of the regiment over 2,200 men enlisted, however, 738, or about a third of them deserted -- some of them even before the regiment left Plattsburgh.Herman S. and George A. Winters received a \$300 town bounty for enlisting. They, and two other men from the Chazy area, enlisted in January and February 1864 and went to join their regiment while they were roving in northern Virginia. Herman and George were mustered into Captain James Fleming's Company L on March 4th, before the 16th moved on to Leesburg.Between March 4th and December 3, 1864, the regiment was in 25 engagements performing as the eyes and ears of the Department of Washington DC. Their main opponents were John Singleton Mosby and his [43rd Battalion](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/43rd_Battalion,_Virginia_Cavalry) of Virginia Cavalry, known as *Mosby\'s Rangers* or *Mosby\'s Raiders*, which was a [partisan ranger](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Partisan_(military)) unit noted for its lightning-quick raids and its ability to elude [Union Army](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Union_Army) pursuers and instantly disappear into the countryside.During 1864, the regiment had 114 men captured by Mosby. George was captured on June 24, 1864. Four months later, he died of disease at Andersonville, GA. Herman remained with the 16th and went into winter quarters. Starting on March 5, 1865, they had three engagements, but Herman became ill and, by the end of March, was in hospital in Alexandria, VA.Herman returned to Clinton County but soon returned to his home state of Vermont. He married Sophia Noe and went to California to farm near Bakersfield where their two daughters were born. After his wife died, Herman returned to Vermont and married again. By 1900 his second wife, Cornelia Luce, was widowed and she was living with her sister in Morristown, VT. One of his daughters died in New Hampshire in 1988.
