Death of Charles Hevener!

Last letter written home, death announcement from commanding officer, and deceased pay document!

1 1/2 pages, 5 x 8, in ink, written by Charles Hevener to his father, on imprinted letter sheet, U.S. Christian Commission, sends this as the Soldier's messenger to his Home. Let it hasten to those who wait for tidings. "Behold! now is the accepted time, now is the day of salvation." Central Office: 11 Bank Street, Philadelphia. Branch Office: 10th and H Streets, Washington.

Near Deep Bottom, Virginia, Oct. 20/64

Dear Father,

I will now inform you by a short note how I am getting along. I am now in the Hospital sick with the diarrahea quite bad. My appetite is very poor and I am quite weak, so much so that I have to lay in bed most of the time. I have been here only abour 2 days now. I have as good care taken of me as I could expect under the circumstances. You need not worry for now I have got into the Hospital I shall probably get better soon. Give my respects to all the folks and answer as soon as you receive this note for I like to hear of home especially when sick.

From your Son,
Charles Hevener

The condition of Charles Hevener continued to get worse and 5 days after writing this, his last letter home, he was dead!


Death Announcement Written By Lieutenant Commanding Co. I, 117th New York Infantry!

Hd. Qrs. 117th N.Y. Vols., Nov. 5th, 1864

Mr. Hevener,

Sir, I have to report to you the sad intelligence of your Son's death. He died the 26th day of October 1864. I have some money that belongs to him. If you will please tell me what to do with it I will do so at once. I have (65.45) Sixty five Dollars and Forty five cents. Your son died with the chronic diarrhea.

I have the honor to remain your Obedient Servant,

Jno. G. Glazier
Lieut. Comdg. Co. I, 117th
N.Y. Vols.

Light age toning and wear. Tiny chip out of the bottom of the letter sheet which does not affect any of the content.


Treasury Department Document Concerning Deceased Soldier

8 x 10, imprinted form, filled out in ink.

Treasury Department,
Second Auditor's Office
Oct. 22, 1867

Enclosed you will receive a Certificate, No. 354166, for $110.00, payable to you as Parents of deceased or to your order by any Paymaster of the U.S. Army, being for pay due Charles Hevener, a late Private, 117 Regiment of N.Y. Vols. Bounty allowed by Act July 28, 1866.

Very respectfully,
Your obedient servant,
E.B. French
Second Auditor

[to] William Hevener at al,
Care of L.W. Fiske
Booneville P.O.
New York

Light age toning and wear.

Also includes 2 Civil War covers addressed to Mr. William Hevener, Boonville, Oneida Co., N.Y. The first one is postmarked from Old Point Comfort, Va., Jul. 25, and the second one, addressed the same as above, is postmarked from Baltimore, Md., Sep. 30.

Very desirable grouping pertaining to this deceased New York soldier!

These items came out of a grouping of 117th New York Infantry letters. Some of the letters in the group were written by Charles Hevener, some by John Lobdill, and some were combination letters written by both of them. Charles and John were best friends from Boonville, N.Y., both 21 years old, and in the year 1863 they found themselves as tentmates serving in Old Abe's Union Army, in Co. I, 117th New York Infantry. John occasionally wrote letters home for Charles when he was either sick or just plain lazy and didn't feel like writing them himself. John was also a family friend of the Hevener's so he would sometimes write to them himself.

John Lobdill, was a 21 year old resident of Boonville, New York, when he enlisted on Aug. 11, 1862, as a private, and was mustered into Co. I, 117th New York Infantry. He mustered out of service on June 8, 1865, at Raleigh, N.C.

Charles E. Hevener (also know as Herner) was a 21 year old resident of Boonville, New York, when he enlisted on Aug. 11, 1862, as a private, and was mustered into Co. I, 117th New York Infantry. He died on Oct. 25, 1864, in the hospital at Jones Landing, Va.

The 117th New York Infantry, was recruited in Oneida County, N.Y., in the summer of 1862. The regiment saw action at Suffolk, Va., and in the 1863 Peninsula campaign. Ordered to the Department of the South, they took part in the siege of Fort Wagner and the operations around Charleston Harbor. In April 1864, they were ordered to Virginia where they joined the Army of the James and were engaged at Swift Creek, Drewry's Bluff, Bermuda Hundred, Cold Harbor, and Petersburg, where they were present at the Mine Explosion, fought gallantly in the battle of Fort Harrison, and were heavily engaged on the Darbytown Road. They were then sent to North Carolina where they participated in General Terry's 1865 Carolina campaign. The regiment fought with conspicuous gallantry in the final assault on Fort Fisher, and also saw action at Cape Fear River, Fort Anderson, and Wilmington.