SOLOMON LARIVIERE (RIVERS)102nd INFANTRY and 2nd VETERAN CAVALRYUSED THE NAMES LARIVIERE AND RIVERS - Joseph Lariviere and MatildaFanuff settled in Peru in the early 1840s. Their first two sons wereborn in 1843 and 1844 and both were destined to serve in the Civil War.Solomon, the second son, first enlisted in the 102nd Infantry the dayafter Christmas in 1861 under the name Lariviere. The newly-organizedregiment was also known as the Van Buren Light Infantry. Company I andSolomon's Company K left for Virginia on April 7, 1862. However, beforehis first engagement, Solomon was discharged on May 22nd at CampCarrol in Washington, DC, without crossing the Potomac into Virginia.Just over a year later, in July 1863,Solomon enlisted in Plattsburgh again. This time in the 2nd VeteranCavalry -- the Empire Light Cavalry -- under the name Rivers. He wasmustered into Company H and left Saratoga Springs where they organizedin October. They regiment spent the winter patrolling Washington, DC,and in March were transferred to the Department of the Gulf to take partin the Red River Campaign.At some point in the campaign, Solomon became ill or injured and wassent to hospital in New Orleans. On the way back to hospital in NewYork, the U. S. transport "North America" foundered off the Savannah,GA, coast and sank on December 22, 1864. Almost 200 people drownedincluding 20 from the 2nd Veteran Cavalry. The known victims, most ofwhom were convalescing Federal soldiers, hailed from Connecticut,Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts,New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont and Wisconsin.One of the few soldiers who survived the sinking was John Stuart of the11th NY Cavalry. When recalling the tragedy thirty-three years laterfor the regiment's historian, a reluctant Stuart still had difficultygoing back to that December day. "There were twenty-two saved, nearlytwo hundred lost, and may God rest their souls. I have completed a hardtask in telling this story the memory of which causes me to shudder\[still\], and I cannot explain how I feel.\" In 1879, Solomon's parents were awarded a pension based on his service.
