JOHN LAFOUNTAIN – 11(th) CAVALRYLOST AT SEA IN DECEMBER 1864 - John and Catherine Lafountain had a son,James, a sailor, who enlisted in the 11th Cavalry in Champlain onFebruary 19, 1862. He was listed on his Muster Roll Abstract as JohnLafountain and was mustered into Company H as a private on March 5,1862, promising to serve for 3 years.By June 1862, the 11th Cavalry was in the Blue Ridge Mountains inVirginia. The regiment was in 21 engagements in Virginia and Maryland.Most of the regiment’s casualties were captures by the enemy.The 11th Cavalry was known as Scott’s 900, was in the Middle Departmentin 1863, then transferred to the Department of Washington, DC. Duringthat year, there were 17 engagements and their largest loss was atFairfax Court House where they had 73 casualties in June.In 1864, the regiment was moved to Louisiana. It was their busiest year– 40 engagements in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. Somewhereduring that time period James became ill or injured and was put aboardthe steamer, “North America”, at New Orleans to be taken to a hospitalon the east coast. James was destined for Washington.On December 22, 1864, the steamer foundered off the coast of Florida andmany on board were lost at sea. James was one of them. You can see theNew York Times article giving a list of survivors, including several ofhis companions from Company H.http://www.nytimes.com/1864/12/30/news/appalling-disaster-us-transport-north-america-foundered-sea-one-hundred-ninety.html?pagewanted=allHis mother, Catherine, applied for a pension based on James’ service in1879, and it was granted. You can read the story of the 11th Cavalry at:https://archive.org/details/storyofcavalryre00smit The story of the sinking of the “North America” starts on page 196.
