WALLACE A. SLATER -- 16th and 3rdPROVISIONAL CAVALRYPATROLED MOSBY'S CONFEDERACY - On his mother's side, Wallace Slater wasa descendant of Thomas Dudley who served as Puritan governor of theMassachusetts Bay Colony for several terms. Eventually, his familymigrated to Jay, NY, in the early 1800s to farm. When Wallace wasgrowing up, his father worked as a bloomer in the iron industry.In May 1863, he added two years to his age and enlisted for three yearsin the 16th Cavalry, saying he was eighteen years old. The 16th, knownas the Sprague Light Cavalry, was organized at Plattsburgh, thecompanies of which it was composed being recruited in the counties ofClinton, Erie, New York, Westchester, Monroe, Oswego, Rensselaer and St.Lawrence.Wallace was assigned to Company A and one of their first duties was topatrol in the rear of Army of the Potomac during Gettysburg Campaign.The 16th continued to patrol along the Potomac west of Washington andin John Singleton Mosby's Confederacy in northwestern Virginia. Duringtheir tenure, they garnered 197 casualties, 144 of which were mencaptured by the enemy.After the war was over, the regiment remained in Virginia, and wasconsolidated into the 3rd Provisional Cavalry on August 17, 1865. Alittle over a month later, they were mustered out at Camp Barry inWashington, DC.Wallace returned to Jay and toward the end of his life, moved to thevillage of Saranac Lake.On September 1, 1916, the Lake Placid News carried Wallace's deathnotice -- "Wallace Andrew Slater died at his home on Main Street inSaranac Lake at 8 o'clock Monday morning. He was 69 years old and awell-known and respected member of the community for over 30 years. Hehad been in ill health for some time and death was due to paralysis. Heis survived by two sons, Wallace and Roy and two daughters, Louise andEliza."Wallace was laid to rest beside his wife, who had died in 1908. They areburied in the Pine Ridge Cemetery in Saranac Lake.
