STEPHEN GARFIELD WALKER -- 94th INFANTRYLESS THAN THREE MONTHS IN ARMY AT AGE 16 - Near the end of the CivilWar, 16-year-old Stephen Garfield Walker enlisted in the 94th Infantryin Troy on January 21, 1865. He was born in Huntingdon, VT, the son ofJohn Walker and Sevina Mix. He gave his age as 18 when asked by therecruiter. Unusually for the time, he signed up for a three-year term.It turns out that Stephen was ambitious in his expectations, becauseless than three months later, he was discharged for disability at a campnear Petersburg while he was with the V Corps of the Army of thePotomac. Thus, his adventure came to a close.When he returned home to Rouses Point, he told the Champlain Town Clerkthat he had been at the retaking of Fort Stedman, part of the siege lineon the outskirts of Petersburg, on March 25.In 1869, he married Almira Randlett and they raised a family of ninechildren. The family lived for many years in North Elba and he supportedthem as a salesman. In later life, the couple moved back to the RousesPoint area.Stephen applied for a pension in 1885, but it wasn't granted, probablybecause he didn't have the required 90 days in the Army and he wasuninjured.The Plattsburgh Sentinel of June 25, 1926, carried this notice -"Stephen Garfield Walker, a former resident of Saranac Lake and late ofRouses Point, died at the Champlain Valley Hospital yesterday at the ageof 76 years. The funeral services will be conducted at the Rouses PointM. E. Church Saturday afternoon at 3 o'clock."He was buried in the Maple Hill Cemetery in Rouses Point. His wife,Almira died in 1927 and was buried beside him.
