Civil War Photographs
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Civil War Photographs
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Jerome Riker 137Th Ny Enlisted Young Died In ServiceVery touching ninth-plate ambrotype of a local boy who enlisted in 1862 in the 137th new york and did not live to return home. Absolutely real period pencil identification in the rear of the case jerome riker / ithaca / died a soldier. From a local estate and has been in my collection for twenty or moer years. Condition is very nice and clear. No flaking or meulsion loss. Case is complete, ubt separated along the hinge. One slight tear in the facing pad. He wears a forage cap and the early-war issue new york state jacket. Jerome enlisted in ithaca on august 18, 1862 ot serve three years and mustered in as a private in company d on august 28, 1862. He died of fever on dec. 1, 1862, at bolivar heights, virginia. New york records list his age at enlistment as 18, but he looks younger, and the 1860 census records for ithaca lists him as 15 years of age. It's possible he turnd 16 juts after the census and just made 18 for enlistment, but underage recruits could join with the permission of a parent or guardian. (some simply lied to get into the army. ) in any case, the official minimum age was 18 and for bookkeeping purposes these young men were enrolled as 18 years of age even if they were younger. Jerome shows up in the 1860 census for tompkins county living in the household of margaret riker, age 45, along with john (26), peter (21), george (18), jerome (15), and mary (15. ) i do not know what happened to her husband. Chances are she was widwo depending on her sons for income. Peter is listed as a day-laborer john, george, and jerome are listed as boatmen. In the roster of hte 137th i find two other rikers from ithaca george j. Riker, perhaps jerome's brother, who was discharged for disability, and a william (whose relationship to the family, if any, i do not know) who died of typhoid fever, also at bolivar heights. A veyr touching memento of the war and its lasting effects. Shipping in the us $4.80 plsu insurance. Oversaes $30. yN and oh add sales tax. Check, m. O, paypal.
Thanks!
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