ADAIR, JOSEPH and SILAS DEMO -- 96th and 118thFATHER AND 2 SONS IN CO. K OF THE 118th - When Joseph Demo (Deno) andhis wife, Harriet, came from Canada to settle in the Peru area about1840, they didn't realize that three family members would be involved inthe Civil War. Forty-four-year-old Joseph, and two of his sons,18-year-old Adair and 20-year-old Silas enlisted in the 118th Infantry.The boys enlisted on August 30, 1862, and the father in December of1863.Joseph met up with his two sons in winter quarters in Virginia, and wasassigned to Company K, the same company. He received a town bounty of\$150 and a county bounty of \$200 for his enlistment which the boys didnot get. They spent the early months of 1864 in the vicinity ofPetersburg and Richmond. On May 14th, the 118th was engaged at Drewry'sBluff for 3 days -- their most bloody battle.Joseph was wounded in action and was taken to the 18th Corps Hospitalwhere he spent a few months. Silas was wounded, captured and taken southto Richmond, where he died as a prisoner of war on May 26, 1864. Adairremained unscathed.You can view the 150th Anniversary video of the Battle of Drewry's Bluffhere:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YnBSkdliQuAWhen the time came for the regiment to muster out, Adair was sent homebecause he was a 3-year man. Joseph was transferred to the 96th Infantryas part of the consolidation of regiments, and was finally mustered outon February 6, 1866, at City Point, VA.Silas was buried in the Richmond National Cemetery in a mass grave forUnion Soldiers. Joseph lived until 1890 and was buried in Peru. Adair(Adlor) went to the Springfield, MA, area to find work. On June 1, 1907,he was found dead in his rooms, and the Medical Examiner could notdetermine his exact date of death. He was buried at 60 years of age inthe Springfield Cemetery in Montague, MA.
