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 June 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..

Transcription

Near Bermuda Hundred
June 4th 1864

Dear Sister,

I received your letter of the 25th of May this morning and was glad to hear from you. I have not been well for a few days but am well this morning. I have not had much time to write since we have had so much fighting to do and I have not felt much like either. We had another fight [see Ware Bottom Church] on the 20th of last month. I guess you have heard about it by this time. Our loss was pretty heavy. We had to make a charge on the Rebels rifle pits. We had a skirmish yesterday. We lost 31 men. That makes 250 men we have lost since we have been here. If we keep on that way, we will soon play out.

Lieut. [Algernon Cox] Sweetser was wounded yesterday in both legs. One had to come off. ¹ We have some fighting every day now. When the Rebs commence to throw shell over, we all have to skedaddle to the breastworks. The shells burst all over our camp. There was a bullet went through my tent the other day. It hit just where I lay but I happened to be out. This is the first letter I have got from home for some time. I think you might [write] oftener. I expect we will have a big fight here some day. I would like to see Sallie’s baby. I hope she will get along well. I am expecting a letter from Mat every day. I suppose it is pretty dry in Bloomington now. But for all that, I would like to be there. I think I could enjoy myself pretty well.

I don’t feel much like writing today and I will have to go on picket tonight so I will not write much more. Your brother, — John

P. S. My love to all the family and Sallie and the baby. My love to all the friends. — John

Please send some stamps.

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¹ The regimental history Lieutenant Al. C. Sweetser of Company B was wounded through both legs. The wound of the left leg was not serious, the ball making merely a flesh wound. The right limb fared worse, the bullet passing through the knee- joint and so disrupting the articulation that amputation at the lower third of thigh became necessary. We shall never forget the courage and fortitude of Lieutenant Sweetser while on the operating-table, or while suffering for long months at Chesapeake hospital by reason of hospital gangrene and the subsequent operations that become necesssary from the necrosis of bone. He came back to the field hospital on a stretcher, calmly smoking a cigar, and after an examination, when told that he must sacrifice a limb, he said, “Well, ‘Doc,’ just go to work, and do the very best you can for me.” Lieutenant Sweetser was a brave and gallant officer.” (pp. 201-202)