JOHN TEDFORD -- 91st INFANTRYLEFT FROM SARANAC -- RETURNED TO SARANAC - John Tedford and his wife,Mary Davidson came to Saranac from Canada East to farm. Their son,Robert Clinton Tedford, enlisted in the 91st Infantry in Plattsburghwith over a hundred other men. He received a county bounty of \$800 forenlisting on September 2, 1864. Sixty of the group were mustered intoCompany C and the rest were scattered through several other companies.The 91st had just returned from Louisiana and were on their veteransfurlough, when the men were recruited in Plattsburgh. After theirreorganization and with an infusion of these new recruits they weretransferred to the Defenses of Baltimore where they stayed untilFebruary 1865. In February they joined the 1st Brigade, 3rdDivision, V Corps of the Army of the Potomac. Lt. General Grant,general-in-chief of all the armies made his headquarters with the Armyof the Potomac and provided operational directives to General Meade fromMay 1864 to April 1865, however, Meade retained command of the Army ofthe Potomac.Robert took part in the Siege of Petersburg, and the Appomattox Campaignincluding the Battle of Lewis's Farm, Battle of White Oak Road, Battleof Five Forks and the 3rd Battle of Petersburg. They pursued Lee andhis army across Virginia to Appomattox Court House. Soon they weremustered out on June 10, 1865, near Washington.John returned to Saranac to farm. He and his wife had several children,most of whom died young. One of his sons died in the tiny hamlet of FortRipley, MN in 1953. Another son, Sheridan, died in 1955, and numbersamong his descendants members of the Alexander, Champagne, Drollette,Harrold, Tedford and other families.Robert died in May 1901 and his wife, Sarah, started receiving herWidows Pension in April 1902. She lived until 1923 and was buried besidehim in the Independence Cemetery in Saranac.
