RUFUS SMITH DODGE -- 16th INFANTRYRAN A GENERAL MERCHANDISE STORE - The first of Rufus Smith Dodge'sancestors to come to North America in 1629 from Somerset, England, andwere some of the first subscribers to the founding of Harvard College.Gradually the descendants migrated westward and Rufus' father, the Rev.Harvey Bingham Dodge brought his family from New Hampshire to New Yorkand finally settled in Schuyler Falls.Rufus was 20 years old when he enlisted in the 16th Infantry less thantwo weeks after President Lincoln called for the first 75,000 men. Hewas mustered in as one of four sergeants in Captain William WallaceWood's Company K, expecting to serve for two years. They left forWashington on June 26th and by 21st were on the battlefield at thefirst Battle of Bull Run with the Army of Northeastern Virginia. Theyhad one officer injured in the fight and then returned to their homebase of Camp Franklin near Fairfax Seminary where they spent the winter.Starting in April 1862, they had one small engagement before sailing tothe Virginia Peninsula where they suffered massive casualties at Gaines'Mill on June 27th -- 58 deaths and 173 wounded. By September 14th,they were at Crampton's Pass in Maryland fighting to get over SouthMountain to Antietam -- another 63 casualties. At Antietam three dayslater, they were held in reserve and in December, a hundred miles southat Fredericksburg, served as pickets.After a winter in camp at Falmouth they went on the \"Mud March\" underGen. Burnside in January then were active in the ChancellorsvilleCampaign in May with 153 more casualties. Rufus decided he didn't wantto reenlist and came home to Clinton County.In the fall of 1866, his father died and was buried in the UnionCemetery in Schuyler Falls. The family, including his mother, AnnBeckwith, moved to Wisconsin. Rufus opened a general merchandise storein Sparta, WI. He married twice and had two daughters, one of whom diedin 1963. He died in 1908 and was buried with his first wife in theWoodlawn Cemetery in Sparta. His second wife joined the rest of thefamily in the family plot in 1938.
