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“The First Tupper Laker”     Adirondack Memories - by Jon Kopp

 It was May 28, 1890 when 14 survivors of Company K reunited at the Maplewood Inn in Elizabethtown to remember the anniversary of their leaving, 39 years prior, to fight in the Civil War.

The reunion recalled vividly to mind, that memorable departure from Elizabethtown, May 28, 1861, especially the many giant forms that were "in line" upon that historic occasion. Drawn to the clarion call of “Honest Abe” there were 27 men in Company K who were over 6 feet in height, making Colonel Ward (afterwards General Ward) say of Company K "They are the largest and finest looking set of men I ever saw together." It was said on good authority that Company K men averaged 6 feet in height and that their patriotism was equaled only by their unusual size.

Sadly, on that day, only the following survivors took part in the hotel banquet room; Albert  Mitchell of Saratoga, George Luck of Keene Valley, Martin Marshall of Moriah, George Avery of Wadhams Mills, S. A. West of Reber, Frank West, Will Cornwright, Ben Daniels, John McDougal, and Lieutenant Will Smith of Lewis, John Williams, Marten Davis and Martin  McDougal of Elizabethtown and last but not least that great good natured giant, Nelson Shene, who had not been seen by many of his comrades since the close of the civil war. In 1866 he disappeared into the Adirondack wilderness.

H. Nelson Shene was born at Elizabethtown, November 10, 1836. Many of the Elizabethtown men knew Nelson. At the outset of the war he was the oldest of the enlistees at 24, and a favorite of all who knew him. They were all so grateful to see him, and even now, although older than all, he seemed as young as any, for he was full of life and excited to tell them about how he had purchased the very first building lot in this promising new village near Tupper’s Lake.

He told them about his boss A. A. Low, the man who owned such a large tract of land in the Tupper Lake region and who tapped 60,000 maple trees last spring. He told them about his family of sons, stalwart like himself, one who was serving as a soldier in Manila and of course about his earlier marriage to Fanny Arnold of Vermontville, who he married in 1863 after an honorable discharge, and then, just ten days after his marriage, duty compelled him to re-enlist again.

After taking an active part in the engagement at the Battles of Bull Run, The Seven Days Battle, and the Battle of Chancelorsville he was again honorably discharged in 1866, making a total of over four years service for his country.  It was needless to say that he was the hero of the re-union.

In 1916, The Tupper Lake Herald wrote;

Horatio Nelson Shene died today at 7:15 o'clock on the morning of April 12, at the home of his grandson, Harvey Hyde, who resides on the Wawbeek road. The funeral services were conducted Friday afternoon from the Methodist Episcopal Church, Rev. A. E. Budd, officiating. Interment will be in the local cemetery.

He was one of the pioneer guides and hunters of the Adirondacks and always active until February of this year, when he was deprived of the power of speech by a stroke of apoplexy. He had resided for many years with his daughter, Ada and his grandson. Although nearing his 80th birthday, Shene had been quite active to the last and on the morning of his death was about the house as usual minutes before he expired. In addition to the daughter, above mentioned, the deceased leaves three sons, Clifford E., of Springfield Mass., Ralph A., and Leslie A., of  Tupper Lake, one brother, William of Vermontville and a sister, Mrs. Martha Locklin of  Toronto, Canada, also eleven grandchildren and one great grandchild.

In the death of Mr. Shene, this place lost  another of the few remaining veterans of the civil  war, among those now left being, W. J. Slater, Moses Burrell and Richard Grile. The deceased was one of those whose entire being seemed wrapped up in loyalty to his country and its flag and amongst his most treasured belongings two flags, frayed and torn, distinctly showing the stars and stripes.