William A. Keepers[1]
Rank: Sergeant, Company A, 39th
Illinois Volunteer Infantry
Born/died: April 3, 1838 – February 7, 1922
Cause of death: old age[2]
Residence at death:
Whittemore, Iowa
Served: August, 1861 –
December 18, 1864
Age at enlistment: 23
Claim filed: Surgeon’s
Certificate: September 23, 1881
Remarks:
William’s partially burned
discharge papers are in the pension file.
He enrolled in Wilmington, Illinois, and was honorably discharged at
Springfield, Illinois. The surgeon’s certificate
describes William as 6 feet tall, 175 lbs., age 42 with a fair complexion. Another affidavit, April 10, 1908, notes he
had gray eyes, brown hair and his occupation was farming. An early muster roll lists William as a
Corporal in Captain Munn’s company, which became company A.
The reason given for a
pension was old age - “unable to
perform manual labor.” He also stated
on April 2, 1865, at Fort Gregg, Virginia, “while in a charge upon the enemy,
rec’v’d a gun shot wound in the left hip.”
William was promoted to Sergeant effective September 1, 1864. No pension amount is listed in the file.
His March 20, 1915, affidavit
affirms his marriage to Mary Philena Underwood on March 13, 1866, in Essex,
Illinois. There was no former marriage,
and they had five children living. Bertha Louise (McArthur) had died in
1890. William’s brother, Cornelius D.
Keepers, served as a Private in Company G, 69th Illinois Infantry.
Descendants of William have
shared copies of four letters he wrote during the war.
LETTERS OF W. A. KEEPERS, COMPANY A,
39TH ILLINOIS VOLUNTEERS, TO HIS MOTHER, MRS. WILLIAM KEEPERS, WILMINGTON, WILL
COUNTY, ILLINOIS OCTOBER 12, 1864 TO NOVEMBER 5, 1865: [Copied exactly from
copies. W. A. Keepers was a paternal grandfather of Lucille Keepers Stewart.]
Robinson Farm, Va.
Oct. the 12th. 1864
Dear Mother
I thot that I would write you a few
lines to let you know
that I am still alive and in middling
good health. And I hope
when this reaches you it will find you
in the best of health.
Our regiment now belongs to the Army of
the James River, and
we are now on the north side of the
river and are camped about
six miles from Richmond. We had
middling hard fighting in taking
this place from the Rebbles. And the
Rebbles attaked us the 7th
day of this month with the intention of
driving us back but they
faled in the atemptd. And we repulsed
them most handsomely. We
burried 155 of their dead. Once took
quite a number of
prisoners. Our loss was not so heavy as
we fought behind
fortifications.
The Boys are all well and in good
spirits at the present
time and the most of them are looking
for the war to come to a
close before long. Mother, Hiram is now
owing me three hundred
and thirty-one dollars $331 and for
fear of any accident hapening
to him or me I think it best to get his
note for the amount. I
wish you would see him and speek to him
about it and get Cooper
to draw up the note in my mane. And you
can hold it for me till
I come home. $181 of it draws interest
from the 24th day of
February 1864 and I sent $150 to him
the 17 [?] th. of July so he
can give one note or two. Just as you
think best. I should like
to have you see Cooper and get him to
draw up the note as he
knows how it should be drawn upp. I
will write to Hiram about
it. You can draw it upp for one year or
day after note. I am
not particular wich. I only want to
make myself safe and have
something to show for the money if
anything should happen to
either of us.
I heard that Reid has gone back home. I
am glad of it for I
don't know how you and Father could get
along without him at
home. Tell Father that I send my love
and best wishes to him and
I hope that his health is good at the
present time and all the
rest of the folks I hope is well.
I received a letter from Rachel [his
sister] the other 'day. She said
that she hass been sick but she was
getting better. But I must
close for the present hopeing that you
will write soon.
From your afectionate son
W. A. Keepers
Before Richmond, Va.
Dec. 10th, 1864.
Dear Mother:
Your
kind and welcome letter of Nov. 30th. came to house
this morning and I was glad to hear
from you and to hear that you
was enjoying good health. I am in quite
good health at the
present time and I hope when you get
this it will find you in the
best of health.
I
have nothing of any importance to write to the present
time.
We
was called out this morning middling early the Rebbles
advanced on our picket lines and they
had quite a skirmish with
them. So therefore we were called out.
And we returned to camp
to-night. So I think that the General
does not apprehend any
danger from the Rebbles or we would
have been kept out all night.
But I am glad that we came back to camp
for it iss pretty cold
weather now and there is snow on the
ground so therefore it iss
rather disagreeable to be out all night
without any fire. Just
lying in line of battle or lying in a
skirmish line. I herd that
the Rebbles atacked our picketts with a
small force. I suppose
that they wanted to find out whether we
were still here and iff
we was evacuating this place with the
intention of atacking them
some where else. Perhaps we will be
called out before moving
again. But I honestly think that the
Johnies will try us again
to-night. Tell Father that I have a
coat over to Channohan at
Shepps that he can have if he wants it.
And a pair of pants also
iff he wants them he can have them and
welcome.
You
said that you hoped that I would get home all right.
Well I hope that I will. And I hope
that the war will end before
1 return and God grant that I will find
you all alive and in good
health when I get home. Iff I live to
get back. But you must not
feel uneasy about me for I think that I
shall see you all once
more. And perhaps before another year
passes around. But as it
iss getting late I must close for the
present. I was glad to
hear that Father was enjoying good
health. Give him my love and
best respects and I hope that you may
both always be blessed with
good health. .
I
will close for the present. With my love and best wishes
to you. From your
afectionate Son
Wm. Keepers.
To Mrs. E. Keepers
Write soon address:
W. A. Keepers, Co. A. 39th. Ill.
Vol., 1st Brig. 1st Div 10th. Army
Corps
City Point Va
(Christian
Commission) This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation that
Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.
Hampton Hospital
Fortress Monroe,
Apr. 18th. 1865.
Dear Mother
I thought that I
would write you a few lines to let you know that I am still alive.
You have undoubtedly have herd that I was wounded. And iff not I
was wounded the 2 of this month while charging at Fort Greyly. A Rebble fort
near Platers Brisy. I was wounded in the left side with a musket ball but it is
only a flesh wound and not anyways dangerous I do not think. I have not so I
have been able to sett up any yett. But I am so that I am able to eat my
allowance of grub. And in good spiritts. And I think that I
will be able to
be upp in a few days. I suppose that there must be some letters to the Regiment
for me but I have not heard from the Regiment since I was wounded as I have not
ben able to write any before to-day. I do not know whether you can read this
letter or not as I have to write while
lying on my side so therefore I do not
think that you will hardly be able to read it.
But I must close
for the present as I am getting tired of writing.
From Your afectionate Son
Write soon
address
W. A.
Keepers
Hampton Hospital
Ward 25, Fortress
Monroe Va.
Norfolk, Va.
Nov. 5, l865
Dear Mother
I
take the present apertunity to write you a few lines in
answer to your kind and welcome letter
of October 31. it found
me in good health and I am in hopes
that when this comes to home
it will find you in the best of health.
I have nothing of much
of anything of any importance to write
at the present time. But
we are having middling cool weather
down here now but I suppose
that it is much cooler out in Illinois
than it is here at
Norfolk, Virginia.
I
suppose that you will have plenty of molasis to eat when I
get back there on the creek.
You
said that you had colected six months interest and you
would send it to me if I wanted it. I
should like to have you
send it to me as I am out of money and
not any prospects of
getting payed off very soon. You can
have Cooper to write a
letter and send it, in that I have not
been payed for some time
the Government owes me now ten months
pay. So that when I gett
it I will have the more. I do not see
any prospects of our
getting home yett. And I think that we
will hardly gett home now
this winter. There is a military prison
in Norfolk and we have
to guard it and I expect that they will
keep uss here till that
is broken upp and I do not know when
that will be but do not
expect that it will be for some time
yett.
But
as it is getting late I must close for the present
hopeing that you will write soon. Give
best wishes to Father and
all the rest of our folks.
Your afectionate Son Co. A. 39 111. Vol.
Norfolk, Va.
Nov. 5. l865
Dear Mother
I
take the present apertunity to write you a few lines in
answer to your kind and welcome letter
of October 31. it found
me in good health and I am in hopes
that when this comes to home
it will find you in the best of health.
I have nothing of much
of anything of any importance to write
at the present time. But
we are having middling cool weather
down here now but I suppose
that it is much cooler out in Illinois
than it is here at
Norfolk, Virginia.
I
suppose that you will have plenty of molasis to eat when I
get back there on the creek.
You
said that you had colected six months interest and you
would send it to me if I wanted it. I
should like to have you
send it to me as I am out of money and
not any prospects of
getting payed off very soon. You can
have Cooper to write a
letter and send it, in that I have not
been payed for some time
the Government owes me now ten months
pay. So that when I gett
it I will have the more. I do not see
any prospects of our
getting home yett. And I think that we
will hardly gett home now
this winter. There is a military prison
in Norfolk and we have
to guard it and I expect that they will
keep uss here till that
is broken upp and I do not know when
that will be but do not
expect that it will be for some time
yett.
But
as it is getting late I must close for the present
hopeing that you will write soon. Give best
wishes to Father and
all the rest of our folks.
Your afectionate Son Co. A, 39 I11 Vol.
William A. Keepers Norfolk, Va.