John Craig Evans

John Craig Evans was born September 30, 1822 in Chesterfield, South Carolina. In January 1844, he was elected clerk of the court for Chesterfield and held the position until 1848. He married Ann Eliza Lacoste in 1845 and after the end of his term as the court clerk, the couple moved to Cheraw, South Carolina. There, Evans entered the mercantile business and became deacon of his church. The couple had six children; Gus, Mamie, Margaret, Annie, Hattie, and William. During the Civil War, Evans served as Captain of Company A of the 23rd Regiment of South Carolina Volunteers. He was captured and sent to Johnson's Island Prison near Sandusky, Ohio and remained there until the end of the war. In 1886 John Craig Evans died in Cheraw. ============================================================================== John Craig Evans Civil War Letters, 1864-1865 This collection contains transcripts of letters written by John Craig Evans to his wife, Annie, from December 1864- June 1865. Most of the letters were written in Petersburg, Virginia and consist of questions about his children, family, and home life. Evans letters also note an increasing amount of desertions as troop conditions become harsher, and mention his involvement in the Battle of Hatchers Run and the Battle of Fort Stedman. On April 1, 1865 John Craig Evans was captured at the Battle of Five Forks and was brought to U.S. Prison, Johnson's Island, in Sandusky, Ohio. The remaining letters are written during his time there, and mainly discuss his health and his option to take an oath to the U.S government so he can be released and return home. After taking this oath, Evans wrote his last letter on June 16, 1865 to tell his wife of his expected discharge. In addition to the letters, the collection contains extra biographical information on John C. Evans that was compiled by his family. This collection was edited by Mrs. H. Malloy Evans and E. McIver Evans. Processing Information: Collection reprocessed in 2008 The location of John Craig Evans original letters has not been determined. John Craig Evans (1822-1886) was born September 30, 1822 in Chesterfield, South Carolina. He received his education at the "Old Academy" school in Chesterfield and in 1842 he became its principal. In January 1844, Evans was elected clerk of the court for Chesterfield and held the position until 1848. He married Ann Eliza Lacoste in 1845 and after the end of his term as the court clerk, the couple moved to Cheraw, South Carolina. There, Evans entered the mercantile business and became deacon of his church. The couple had six children; Gus, Mamie, Margaret, Annie, Hattie, and William. During the Civil War, Evans served as Captain of Company B of the twenty-third regiment of South Carolina Volunteers. After the Battle of Five Forks, Evans was captured and sent to Johnson's Island Prison near Sandusky, Ohio and remained there until the end of the war. In 1886 John Craig Evans died in Cheraw. America's Turning Point: Documenting the Civil War Experience in Georgia received support from a Digitizing Historical Records grant awarded to the Atlanta History Center, Georgia Historical Society, Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library, and the Digital Library of Georgia by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission. https://dlg.usg.edu/record/dlg_turningpoint_ahc0105f-001