WILLIAM WOOD WRIGHT -- 124thINFANTRYONE OF 719 WILLIAM WRIGHTS IN THE UNION ARMY - William Wood Wright wasborn in Mooers to Lyman Wright and Sally Smith. In 1860, at 18 years ofage, he married Adeline Elizabeth Dominy, who was known as Addie. Fouryears later for a town bounty of \$600 and a county bounty of \$300, heenlisted in the 124th Infantry in Plattsburgh. He and 17 other menjoined the regiment in early September and were all mustered intoCompany E to serve for 1 year. Seventeen of the 18 came home. Williamwas one of 719 William Wrights who enlisted in the Union Army, and oneof 85 from New York State.The 124th had been in existence since September 1862. Up until the timeWilliam enlisted, they had sustained 518 battlefield casualties in suchbattles as Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, The Wilderness andSpotsylvania. They also had over 200 who had died of disability or beendischarged for disability or who had deserted. Plattsburgh was the onlyTown in Clinton County who enlisted men to serve in the 124th.The small group of men arrived to join the regiment when they were withthe Army of the Potomac in Virginia. They had 3 battle left in 1864. Inone battle, one of the men who enlisted with William was captured andtaken to Libby Prison. He saw his first blood at the Battle of BoydtonPlank Road, where 4 men died, and 11 men were wounded.Starting on February 5, 1865, they started fighting again and had 6 morebattles to go. They joined the Appomattox Campaign with General Grant onMarch 28th and fought right up until April 9th and were there whenGeneral Lee surrendered.William was mustered out on June 3, 1865 and returned home to MooersForks and resumed farming. He and Addie had 3 children after the war.Their daughters lived until the 1930s, but their son, Lyman, died at 5years old in 1875.The Plattsburgh Sentinel of December 16, 1898, carried a 3-line deathnotice -- "WRIGHT -- At Cadyville, December 8, 1898, William W. Wright,in the 77th year of his age. Interment at West Chazy." He was buried inthe West Chazy Rural Cemetery where at least 42 other Civil War soldierslie. Addie started receiving her Widow's Pension starting at the end ofDecember 1898 and was buried with her husband in 1908.
