RICHARD MOUNTAIN CHESBROUGH -- 61stINFANTRYFARMED IN NEW YORK AND IOWA - The 61st Infantry was organized in NewYork City in the fall of 1861 and was known as the Clinton Guards. Theyhad been in the field since November 1861 with the Army of the Potomac.It wasn't until August 1864 that Richard Mountain Chesbrough, and the 5men with whom he enlisted in Plattsburgh, joined the regiment while theywere near the Petersburg/Richmond battlegrounds. The 16-year-old farmer,son of Luther and Celia Chesbrough, received a town bounty of \$400 andan additional \$300 for being a substitute for Eleazar J. Larkins.Richard's first battle was probably at Ream's Station, about 10 milessouth of Petersburg, as part of the Siege of Petersburg. The 61st had 25men captured during the engagement. Hatcher's Run followed before theywent into winter quarters until the end of March 1865.The 61st was in one battle in the Petersburg Works on March 25th and wasthere when the city fell on April 2nd. They then joined the AppomattoxCampaign following Lee and his Army westward. After the Surrender atAppomattox, the regiment returned to Alexandria, VA, where they weremustered out on July 14th.Richard returned home to his widowed mother in Beekmantown andimmediately married the first of his 3 wives -- all of them named Mary.Two are buried in New York. The second Mary was buried in Cedar Rapids,IA, in 1913.His obituary was in the Chateaugay Record and Clinton County Democrat ofMarch 2, 1928 -- "Ellenburg Center - Richard Chesbrough, who before hisremoval to Clinton, IA, was for many years and esteemed citizen here,and an active member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, died early theweek of February 19, at his home in West Chazy. The funeral was held atthe church here Friday forenoon. Undertaker Norman Haugh had charge, theRev. H. M. Hall officiating. Interment was in the family plot in theRiverside Cemetery in Ellenburg Center. Mr. Chesbrough was a veteran ofthe Civil War."
