HENRY C. OLIVER -- 9th CAVALRY18 MONTHS IN THE 9th CAVALRY - Henry C. Oliver's great grandfathercame from England in the 1790s and settled in Vermont. His descendantslived on both sides of the border until finally settling in Champlain.Henry, the son of Stephen Oliver and Elizabeth Phillips, was born inChamplain in January 1845, and was 19 years old when he enlisted in the9th Cavalry for a town bounty of \$300.He joined his regiment while they were in winter quarters and foundhimself at the opening of the Campaign against Petersburg in May 1864.They were heavily engaged at The Wilderness and Spotsylvania and thentook part in Sheridan\'s Raid to the James River. Returning to the Army,they were active at Totopotomoy and Cold Harbor and then shared inSheridan\'s Trevilian Raid, meeting with a loss of 50 killed, woundedand missing at Trevilian Station, which was one of the severest lossesin that action.The regiment was next engaged before Petersburg in June, and in July andAugust was active at Deep Bottom, Berryville, Newtown, Cedar creek,Cedarville. Summit Point, Kearneysville, Smithfield, and many minorskirmishes. In the fall, as part of the Army of the Shenandoah, theyfought at the Opequan, Fisher\'s Hill, Winchester, Cedar Creek,Middletown, etc., sharing in all the brilliant campaign whereby Sheridanswept the valley clear of the enemy. They shared in the final AppomattoxCampaign, in which they met with an additional loss of 13 killed,wounded and missing.Henry was mustered out with his company at Cloud's Mills, VA, nearAlexandria and spent the rest of his life in Champlain as an activemember of the community. The Plattsburgh Sentinel of August 29, 1890,carried a 3-line death notice -- "We regret to learn of the death ofHenry Oliver of Champlain which occurred on Wednesday night."
