Elbert County GaArchives Biographies.....Eavenson, John William May 28, 1840 - December 1, 1935 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ga/gafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Chandler Eavenson http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00030.html#0007294 February 26, 2007, 2:26 pm Author: Chandler Eavenson Biography - John William Eavenson (1840-1935) John William Eavenson was born 28 May 1840 in Elbert Co., GA, the son of George W. Eavenson and Sarah Thornton. He died on 1 Dec 1935 and is buried in Hillcrest Cemetery, Bowman, Elbert Co. He joined the Concord Methodist Church in Elbert Co. at the age of 15 or 16 and later was a Steward and Sunday School teacher for over 50 years. He was a Mason, a farmer and merchant. He married first on 6 Nov 1860 to Lucy Brown (1843-1864) and second on 18 May 1865 to Jane Josephine Oglesby (1846-1930), daughter of John Phillips Oglesby and Permelia Ann Hall. He had two children by first wife and ten by second wife. He enlisted in the Confederate Army as a volunteer under Capt. John Thornton in 1861, Co. F., 38th Regt. Infantry as Sgt. at Elberton. He first went to Savannah, then Virginia. In 1862 he was in Jackson's Division with Gen. R. E. Lee Commander. He was taken sick and was in the hospital during the Richmond battle. He was in a forced march from Rappahannock to Manassas Junction and was at the capture of Manassas Junction. Then he ran into Federal Cavalry which were soon defeated, then retreated to 2nd Mannassas battle, fought part of two days, winning the fight in August 1862. Then pursued the Federal troops through Maryland, came back to Virginia through Petersburg valley, was taken sick and carried to hospital. After recovery he took train to Lynchburg, got off at a little station to get water, the train left him behind and he had to walk all the way to Staunton. On his way he came to a tunnel a mile long, while in tunnel he heard a train coming and lay down on the outside of the track and let the train pass over him. He went back to the army and was in the 2nd Fredericksburg fight, was wounded Dec 13, 1863 while turning around to speak to the Captain, a ball striking him in the back of his left shoulder and coming out through the front. He was taken to the hospital and given a furlough home. On the way home, he lodged in the Bennett home in Fayetteville, GA in which his daughter Mrs. W. N. Bailey later resided. Afterwards he was found disabled for field service but went into Cavalry State Service as First Lt. in 1864, then promoted to Captain. He was then sent out into the mountains of Georgia to take up deserters, was taken sick with chills and fever, sent to a private house, the family had to refugee, they went all day and could go no further, so lodged all night in a negro house, resumed march the next day. Went to Atlanta to help hold it, then to Macon and to hold Double Bridges over the Flint River, was defeated and returned to Macon. Surrendered in April 1865 and on his way home learned that Lee had surrendered. He was discharged at Hartwell, GA on 15 May 1865 in Co. G, 3rd GA Reserves as Captain in Blount's Batallion by General Brown. His daughter Sexta Eavenson Strickland secured him a Cross of Honor from the Union Springs, Alabama Chapter, United Daughters of the Confederacy. He was the first man in Georgia to hold membership in the Sons and Daughters of the Pilgrims. {Source: Book "Eavenson-Strickland and Allied Families", pub. 1933 by his daughter Sexta Eavenson Strickland.] File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ga/elbert/bios/eavenson920gbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/gafiles/ File size: 3.8 Kb