SETH MALCOME THOMAS -- 16th and 121st INFANTRYWOUNDED TWICE - After the terrible losses at Gaines' Mill on June 27,1862, where the 16th Infantry had 41 men killed in action, 17 mortallywounded and 173 injured, the regiment recruited men to replace theirlosses. Seth Malcome Thomas enlisted and was mustered in in Plattsburghon August 29, 1862. He was born in Peru, the son of Sidney Thomas andEliza Baker, and was living in Schuyler Falls with his widowed motherwhen the war broke out.Seth and over 60 men enlisted in Plattsburgh in August and September andwere sent to Virginia to supplement the regiment. Their first engagementwas at Fredericksburg on the southern bank of the Rappahannock River inDecember where they performed picket duty. They then crossed the riverto spend the winter at Falmouth, VA, about three miles upstream.At the beginning of May 1863, they crossed the river again and wereengaged in the Battles of Marye's Heights and Salem Church in thewestern outskirts of Fredericksburg. During the battles, the sustained154 casualties with six of the new recruits among them. Seth was woundedin the hand and was counted as missing in action.While he was in hospital, he was transferred to the 121st infantry onMay 30th, to serve the rest of his 3-years' term. The 121st hadreceived 276 casualties fighting alongside the 16th at Marye's Heightand Salem Church in the Army of the Potomac so they needed an infusionof men. Thomas fought with the regiment for the next year, and duringtheir first battle in 1864, at The Wilderness, he was wounded again. Hefinished the war as a member of the 78th Company of the 2ndBattalion of the Veteran Reserve Corps in Washington and came home toSchuyler Falls.After many adventures, Thomas died in California in 1913.
