THOMAS EDWARD MAGOON -- 96th INFANTRYSERVED 1 YEAR, 10 MONTHS AND 7 DAYS - The 1865 Census of the Town ofSchroon in Essex County shows that John Edward Magoon was a farmer, butstill in the Army. He was born in the border town of Stanstead, Quebec,in 1829, and his parents had brought him with them to Essex County whenthey moved there to farm.Edward, as he was known, enlisted in Plattsburgh in April 1864, to servefor three years in the 96th Infantry. The regiment had just beentransferred to the Army of the James, and the 96th formed a part of the1st Brigade, 1st Division. During May it was present at Swift creek,Proctor\'s creek, Drewry\'s bluff and Bermuda Hundred, and joined theArmy of the Potomac at Cold Harbor at the beginning of that battle. Itthen remained with the forces besieging Richmond until the end of thewar, with the exception of the month of November 1864, when it wasordered to New York harbor.Upon the organization of the XXIV Corps, the 96th became a part of the3rd Division, remained in the field as a veteran regiment and received,in December 1864, the veterans and recruits of the 92nd NY Infantry. Theregiment was active at Fort Harrison, with a total loss of 103 killed,wounded or missing; at Fair Oaks, and in the general assault on thePetersburg works on April 2, 1865.On June 13, 1865, the 118th and 184th NY Infantry were assigned to the96th, and the regiment, including Edward, mustered put at City Point,VA, on February 6, 1866, having been retained in service in the vicinityof Richmond for the performance of various necessary police and garrisonduties.Edward returned to the Town of Schroon, married, and farmed until hedied in 1895 after receiving his pension for about fifteen years. He andhis family lived in Vermont but moved back to New York just before hedied. His wife, Huldah Bruce, received a Widows Pension for anotherseven years. He and his wife are both buried in the Schroon LakeCemetery.
