1864: John R. Heafer to Sarah E. (Heafer) Steele

The following letter was written by John R. Heafer (1845-1864), the 19 year-old son of John Heafer (b. 1820) and Nancy (b. 1826) who moved with his family from Charleston, Jefferson county, Virginia, to a farm in Bloomington, McLean county, Illinois in the 1850s. John was serving as a private in Co. B, 39th Illinois Infantry when he wrote this letter from Bermuda Hundred in July 1864.

He was carried on the muster rolls as “Hafter” which may explain why he can’t be found under his given name. Unfortunately he did not survive the war. He was killed along with many other comrades in his regiment on 13 October 1864 in the Battle of Darbytown Road. The Union advance was repulsed with heavy casualties and John’s body was left on the field.

John wrote the letter to his sister, Sarah (“Sallie”) Heafer (b. 1844), the wife of William M. Steele, a former soldier in Co. A, 94th Illinois Infantry and a teamster working in Bloomington. He later became a minister.

I could not find an image of Robert, but here is a cdv of James S. Akehurst (1843-1864) of Pontiac, Illinois, not previously published to my knowledge. James served as a private in Co. C, 39th Illinois Infantry. He enlisted in October 1861 and was wounded on 20 May 1864 at Drewry’s Bluff, Virginia. The wound to his left arm was so severe it required amputation but the procedure did not save him—he died on 28 May 1864 at Hampton, Virginia. The news must have come as quite a shock to his wife, Elizabeth, who had promised to love and respect James “till death do us part” only three months earlier. James’ image was taken in front of a backdrop that features tropical type vegetation suggesting the cdv was probably taken in 1863 while the regiment was on the South Carolina coast. (Courtesy of Claudia & Al Niemiec Collection)

Transcription

Bermuda Hundred [Virginia]
July 4th 1864

Dear Sister,

You letter came to hand in due time. I was very glad to hear from you. It was a good while since I heard from home. I am not very well at present. I have got a touch of the lung fever. I got over heated and caught cold a laying on the ground. I hope these few lines will find you all well. I am sorry to hear of Annie Pancake’s death. ¹ She must have died very sudden.

This is the Fourth of July and a dry 4th it is for me. They are talking about opening on the Rebels this afternoon. There is not any fighting going on here at present. We have pretty good times to what we have had. I will have to stop writing for a while because I don’t feel well.

July 7th, Thursday. Dear sister, I will commence and finish this letter and I am better. I was very sick for a few days in my quarters and was getting worse until the doctor came to see me and saw me to the Convalescent Hospital. I am better now. The doctor says I have not got the lung fever. I guess I have got the pleurisy. I think I will soon get over it.

The weather is very warm here but it is cool enough in the hospital tent. You will have to excuse this writing as I have to lay on my side to write. I commenced this letter a few days ago but could not finish it. I told Ed[win] Wolcott to write me a letter because I thought I would not be able to write for some time but I guess I can a little yet. But you need not expect many.

There is good news here now. They are fighting at Petersburg. But we can’t hear anything from Grant. The rebels are deserting by hundreds. I have seen a good many go by here today. I will have to come to a close. My love to all. — John R. Hafer

P. S. Be sure and send the photograph.

Mr. John R. Heafer, Co. B, 39th Regt. Illinois Vols., 1st Brigade, 1st Division, 10th A. C.

¹ Ann Marie Pancake (1847-1864) died on 20 June 1864 when she was 17 years old. She is buried in Evergreen Memorial Cemetery in Bloomington.