LEANDER WILSON -- 118th INFANTRYDIED IN THE XVIII CORPS HOSPITAL - Vermont-born Leander Wilson wasliving on his 125 acre farm in Chazy with his wife and several childrenin 1860. By the time the 47-year-old left for the war two years later,some of the older children had married and moved away, but his pregnantwife, Betsey, still had a full house to work the farm.Leander was recruited for Captain Henry Ransom's Company I of the118th Infantry as a musician, by 1st lieutenant, Lyman Holbrook, onAugust 11, 1862. He survived the trip through New York City to Baltimoreand Washington before the end of the year.He also survived the regiments unsanitary encampments around the capitalbefore being put on a transport to the Virginia Peninsula to take thejourney to Richmond alongside the James River. He was with the regimentin all their engagements through the end of July 1863, and their firstfew months traveling back to Norfolk, VA.It wasn't until late September that he had his first hospitalizationwhich was at Portsmouth, VA, about three miles to the northeast acrossthe Elizabeth River at Balfour Hospital. At the end of October, Leanderwas back with the 118th, which, by this time had removed toPortsmouth.In 1864, the regiment started up the Peninsula again and began theirheavy fighting in the Petersburg/Richmond vicinity at the beginning ofMay. After a major assault on Petersburg in mid-June, Leander became illand was sent downriver to the Corp Hospital at Fort Monroe by transport.He died there on August 17th of chronic diarrhea and his finalstatements were sent to Washington. He was sent to what would becomeHampton National Cemetery a few miles away to be buried. He is one of 15men we have found so far who are buried in this cemetery.Betsey died in 1880 and was buried in the Waters Cemetery in Champlain.The stone bears an inscription for him and mentions that he was buriedin Virginia, giving the correct month, but not the correct year.
