Hezekiah Blevens
Private in Company C

80th Indiana Volunteer Infantry
An American Civil War Regiment

Believed taken circa late 1862
Shows him holding a .54 Caliber Austrian musket
Copy of image and permission to use it courtesy of Belinda Wiggington
Image above has been electronically enhanced by Deep Vee Productions
To view enlarged copies of this and the original image, click HERE

Born _______ __, circa 1843 at _________________________ Indiana
Father was ____________________ (18__-18__)
Mother was ____________________ (18__-18__)
He died June 20, 1864 at Marietta, Cobb County, Georgia
He is buried at _____________________________________________

According to his military service records, Hezekiah Blevens was a 19 year old "Farmer" residing at Edwardsport in Knox County, Indiana when he volunteered and was enlisted by Captain James L. Culbertson on August 15, 1862 into what became Company C of the 80th Indiana.  Hezekiah was mustered into the Union Army at the rank of Private for a 3 year term of service on September 3, 1862 at Camp Gibson near the town of Princeton in Gibson County, Indiana.  At that time the Army noted he had been born in Indiana and was "5 feet 8 inches" tall with "grey" eyes, "dark" hair and a "light" complexion.

Co. C was then commanded by Capt. Culbertson, with 1st Lieutenant Thomas Chambers as second in command, 2nd Lieutenant William C. Chambers as third in command, and 1st Sergeant John Cochran as fourth in command.

Pvt. Blevens was recorded as "Present" with the 80th from September 3, 1862 until March 1863.

On October 8, 1862, the 80th took part in the bloody fighting at Perryville in Boyle County, Kentucky. This was just 30 days after the regiment had first drawn its uniforms and weapons. During 2 hours of heavy fighting that afternoon the 80th lost 25 men killed, 116 wounded, and 16 captured out of the 738 men it took into the battle. This was a 27% casualty rate, and amounted to 45% of all casualties the regiment would suffer during its entire service.  In his service records is a notation that Pvt. Blevens "lost in battle gun & equipment."

According to his service records, Pvt. Blevens was admitted to General Hospital No. 11 in Louisville, Kentucky On March 25, 1863 with "Phthisis."  He is recorded by the hospital as having been "returned to duty" on April 10, 1863, though the 80th still listed him as "Absent" that day.

On August 17, 1863 Pvt. Blevens was listed as "left sick at Lebannon, Ky."  He is next shown as "Present" on August 31, 1863 at Convalescent Barracks No. 1 in Louisville, Kentucky.  From September 6-13, 1863 he was treated for "Diarrhoea" in Convalescent Barracks Hospital No. 1 in Louisville.  On September 13th he was transferred to Branch No. 10 of General Hospital No. 2 in Louisville for treatment of what was now described as "Chronic Diarrhoea."  On September 22nd he was moved to Branch No. 3 of the hospital, and on the 25th to the General Hospital at Madison, Indiana.  He was then listed as "returned to duty" On November 27, 1863, though the 80th recorded him as "Absent" on December 31, 1863.

Pvt. Blevens was next recorded as being "Present" with the 80th starting sometime in January/February 1864 until June 1864.  During that period the regiment took part in the bloody fighting at Resaca, Georgia, on May 14, 1864.  There it suffered 26 killed and 100 wounded out of the 270 men who were ordered to take part in a doomed charge against entrenched Confederate troops.  This was a 47% casualty rate, one of the highest of any Federal unit in the battle.

The next month Pvt. Blevens was recorded as having "Died at Marietta Ga. June 20/64" of "Ga. [Georgia]  fever."

For more about Pvt. Blevens's experiences during the war, click the 80th History link below to read what happened during for the months he was present with the unit.  If you have additional details about him that you would be willing to share, then please contact Scott C. Meeker using the link below.

This page Copyright by Scott Cantwell Meeker of Deep Vee Productions.
All Rights Reserved. Created November 20, 2004. Last updated December 7, 2004.