Dedicates a portion of the state highway system to Civil War veteran John B. Nicholas

◆ The sponsor's argument

Why Robert Ortt says this is needed

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.

This is the sponsor's own case for the bill, quoted from their memorandum. It is not Agora's description of what the bill does.