May 2011

John P. Lafferty
First Vermilion County, Illinois Civil War Death

John P. Lafferty enlisted on April 18, 1861, in Danville, Illinois. He was twenty-one years old and joined for a period of three months. He was a private in Company C of the 12th Illinois US Volunteer Infantry.
He was signed up by the unit commander, Samuel Frazier. 
He was mustered in on May 2, 1861, in Springfield, Illinois.
 He died on July 20, 1861, at Cairo, Illinois.

Photograph of original tombstone at Lafferty Hill Cemetery, Grape Creek, Illinois.

Excerpt from letter to the Vermilion County Press dated July 31, 1861

   From the continued good health of our company, we were in hope that we should be able to return with our full company. But death has entered our ranks and taken one of our number. When I wrote last week, J. P. LAFFERTY, although very sick, had many hopes of recovery. On Saturday morning, he was reported still better. While the company was down to Camp Defiance, for dress parade, Saturday evening, we were shocked by the announcement of his death, He was even then supposed to be better. The Doctor had left him, but five minutes before, and was hopeful of his recovery. He died with a smile on his face, and passed almost without a struggle. He had a very hard time the last month of his life.
   On the Missouri trip, he was very footsore, and it was all he could do to get to Benton the first night. I walked about four miles with him and although his feet were blistered and swollen so that it must have been a long trek to Benton. Before he recovered from his trip, he was taken down with the measles, and was not discharged from the Hospital but a few days before he was taken down with typhoid fever, which afterwards changed to the typhus.
    LAFFERTY had many warm friends in the company. He was one of those quiet boys, who do not make many acquaintances, but many friends. His death has cast a gloom over the company, from which it will not recover. His body was sent home on Monday morning and has doubtless arrived long before you receive this.