THOMAS HENRY COLLINS -- 118th INFANTRYHAS TWO MEMORIAL STONES - Thomas Henry Collins, the son of SackettCollins and Caroline Manley, was living on his parent's farm in Saranacwhen he went to Plattsburgh to enlist in the 118th Infantry in July1862. His grandfather, Thomas Collins, had fought in the Revolution inVermont.At 21 years old, Thomas was mustered in under the name of Henry at theend of August and was assigned to William Bailey's Company H. OnSeptember 1, 1862, the regiment left Plattsburgh by boat thentransferred to train and got to New York City on the 2nd. They campedovernight in a park across the seat from P. T. Barnum's museum and, inthe morning saw Tom Thumb and his tiny carriage through the parkrailings. By the 4th, they were in Baltimore and guarded nearbyrailroad infrastructure for the next month or so.When the 118th got to Washington, they set up camp at Camp Adirondack.near Findley Hospital, north of the capitol, and stayed there untilApril. Henry became ill with typhoid and ended up in the EckingtonHospital a couple of miles to the west and died the day before theregiment left by boat to go to the Siege of Suffolk on April 20, 1863.He was buried in the Soldiers Home Cemetery near President Lincoln'sCottage under the name T. H. Collins. The cemetery is now known as theUS Soldiers\' and Airmen\'s Home National Cemetery. Henry is alsocommemorated on his parent's stone in the Independence Cemetery inSaranac as Thomas H.In 1868, his mother, Caroline, started receiving a pension based onHenry's service.
