Senate Bill S9509

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S9509

SPONSOR: ORTT
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the highway law, in relation to dedicating a portion of
the state highway system to Civil War Veteran John B. Nichols

 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:

To dedicate a Portion of the state highway system to be dedicated to
Civil War Veteran John B. Nichols. The bridge on state route five
hundred thirty-one, crossing over route two hundred fifty-nine, also
known as South Union Street, in the town of Ogden, county of Monroe,
shall be dedicated to Civil War Veteran John B. Nichols.

 
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:

Section 1 outlines the portion of highway to be renamed. Section 2
outlines that the renaming is ceremonial, and that the commissioner of
transportation shall install and maintain the signage for the desig-
nation. Section 3 is the effective date.
              

 
JUSTIFICATION:

On August 8th, 1861, in Richmond, Virginia, Private John B. Nichols lost
his life making the ultimate sacrifice in defense of freedom.  John B.
Nichols was a veteran who was the first resident of Ogden to be killed
during the Civil War.

A lifelong resident of Ogden, Private John B. Nichols, born March 13th,
1837, served in New Yorks 13th Infantry Regiment, Company G, at the time
of his death. John joined as one of the first men from the Rochester
area to serve in the Civil War.

During the Battle of Bull Run, the first major battle of the Civil War,
Private John B. Nichols was captured and held as a Prisoner of War by
the Confederates following an injury likely caused from canon fire. On
July 23rd, 1861, Private Nichols suffered a compound leg fracture which
protruded through his shin.

While in captivity by the Confederates, Private Nichols was transported
to a Richmond Virginia hospital, General Hospital One, which was prima-
rily comprised of other Prisoners of War. It was then that he underwent
a leg amputation.

On August 8th, 1861, Private John Nichols died in Confederate prison
following his leg amputation. He was 24 years old and had only been
enlisted for 11 weeks and 6 days. Private Nichols was buried after his
death in a large, unmarked grave with around 500 other Union Prisoners
of war at Shockoe Cemetery in Virginia.

In 1866 following the war, the Federal Government reinterred the remains
of these unidentified soldiers in Richmond National Cemetery in Virgi-
nia. In Ogden, there is also a Cenotaph memorializing John in his family
plot at Fairfield Cemetery.

The death of Private John B. Nichols was a devastating loss for the
Ogden community at the time, with the local paper, the Brockport Repub-
lic, publishing a resolution of condolence on behalf of the Ogden commu-
nity. John was eventually memorialized by his family and community on
August 25th of 1861, in Adams Basin. Private John B.  Nichols service
and sacrifice for our nation and community in pursuit of freedom has
served as an example for generations of Americans who now wear military
uniform.

Private John B. Nichols was survived by his parents, Barnabus A.
Nichols and Sally Allerton; his many siblings; and his many nieces and
nephews whose descendants still call Ogden home to this day.

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

New Bill

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:

None.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
Immediately.