JAMES and RANSOM ALFORD -- 1st ENGINEERSLOST HIS SON WHILE IN THE SAME COMPANY - In November 1861, James, theeldest son and second child of Ransom Alford and Mary Fisher, enlistedin the 1st Engineers. He was mustered into Company I which was made upof men from New York City, Newburgh, Schuyler Falls, Mooers Forks,Goshen, Saranac, Piermorat, Plattsburgh, and Ellenburg.The regiment left New York City where they left the state in variousdetachments. Company I left for the Department of the South inmid-December 1861 and the Lower Seaboard Theater in Georgia and SouthCarolina. One of their major achievements was the building of gunemplacements around Fort Pulaski which was captured in 1862. James wasappointed artificer in September 1863 and was given a team of his ownmen.In January 1864, James' father, Ransom, enlisted in the same regiment.By March 1864, James had re-enlisted and both men were assigned to thesame company - Company L. From May 1864, Companies B, D, E, F, H, K, Land M were with the Army of the James building trenches, roads and gunemplacements in the Richmond/Petersburg area. Sometime during thesummer, James became ill, and he was sent to the hospital at Point ofRocks, VA, on the Appomattox River. He died there on November 24, 1864,was buried in the hospital cemetery, and then buried in City PointNational Cemetery where at least a dozen men who enlisted in ClintonCounty are buried.Ransom continued with the regiment and mustered out with the regiment onJune 30, 1865, at Richmond, VA. He returned to his family with the \$300town bounty and the \$200 county bounty he received for enlisting. Hiswife died soon after his return, and from then on, he spent time inIllinois with his son David and in Mooers Forks. He was buried in theMooers Forks Union Cemetery with his wife after his death in Illinois in1893.
