About John Bryden, Jr.

John Bryden, Jr., son of John and Agnes Carruthers Bryden, was born October 25, 1826 at Dumfries, Scotland. He moved to upstate New York with his parents and siblings in 1840. Sometime later, the family may have relocated to England, but returned to New York after experiencing financial problems.

As a young man, John Jr. went to California to try his luck in the Gold Rush, going via Cape Horn and presumably returning across the continent. He was gone from March of 1852 through late 1854. Upon his return he married Sarah Bowles of Clinton, New York. On December 22, 1854 they purchased and settled on what was known as the Blair Farm near Hamilton College at Clinton. John and Sarah had three surviving children: David Bowles (10/01/1855 – 3/29/1926), William John (b. 10/19/1856), and Agnes (3/11/1859 – 6/30/1944).

In September 1862, John enlisted in the 57th New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment and, according to a muster roll published by the National Park Service (NPS), was assigned to Company D. The 57th mustered out by companies in the late summer of 1864. Since John’s enlistment was not yet complete, he transferred with the other “old soldiers” to Company G of the 61st New York Infantry Regiment on December 6, 1864. John remained with the 61st New York until the end of the war and was honorably discharged in May 1865. His Regiment was attached to the Army of the Potomac, and the family records say he participated in many of the major battles fought by this army, including the Siege of Richmond, Gettysburg, Fredericksburg, the Second Battle of Bull Run, and the Battle of the Wilderness.

John stepped on a nail while crossing a pontoon bridge over the Rapidan River near Fredericksburg on December 10, 1862. He was sent to Campbell Hospital in Washington DC, returning to his Regiment by the beginning of February 1863. That summer, most likely at Gettysburg, John was wounded in the shoulder by a shell and hospitalized in Philadelphia. By the middle of August, he was transferred to Camp Convalescent, located on the grounds of the Episcopal Theological Seminary in Alexandria, Virginia. Following his recovery, he once again returned to his Regiment, probably in mid-September.

John went home to his family and farm after the war. He was killed on February 1, 1870 by a falling tree, leaving his widow Sarah with three children and a large farm.

According to their daughter Agnes, Sarah took up the task of rearing her children and managing the farm with “undaunted courage and was able to accomplish both with a degree of success that won the admiration of friends and neighbors and demonstrated the remarkable qualities of mind and character that she possessed.” Sarah had been born on May 28, 1829 at Faversham, Kent County, England. She came to America with her parents in 1842 and settled with them in College Hill, Clinton, New York. She died on November 24, 1904.