STEPHEN, JOSEPH, FRANK, and JEAN BAPTISTE CASSAVAH -- 118thINFANTRYFATHER LOSES 3 SONS WHILE AT DREWRY'S BLUFF - On December 7, 1863,Stephen Cassavah from West Chazy was mustered into the 118th Infantry.He joined his two older brothers, Joseph and Frank, who had enlisted inAugust 1862. They were the sons of Jean-Baptiste Cassavah, who at 44years of age, later joined the regiment on January 4, 1864.Jean-Baptiste and his wife, Marguerite Lapier, were both immigrants fromQuebec, born in villages along the Richelieu River.Joseph and Frank first served in theWashington area with the new regiment, then were on the battlefield fromApril to July 1863. They were subsequently ordered to go to Yorktown,Norfolk, Portsmouth and Newport News, VA to perform garrison and guardduties for the rest of the year.The Cassavah men were all together in Company B under the 30-year-oldCaptain Levi Dominy, until that fateful day of May 16, 1864, at Drewry'sBluff, VA.Between May 4th to 6th, the regiment was transported up the James Riverfrom their camp at Yorktown. They landed at Bermuda Hundred and marchedto Point of Rocks on the Appomattox River. On the 7th and 8th, theregiment engaged the enemy near Port Walthal and the Petersburg Pike.For the next two days they were involved in fighting and skirmishing anddestroying railroads after the Battle of Swift Creek on the 9th. The11th of May was a day of rest for the men near Point of Rocks. For thenext three days there was fighting again and skirmishing along theRichmond and Petersburg Pike. Their main engagements were at WarebottomChurch and Proctor's Creek. The 15th found them holding the capturedworks on the left of the Pike near Fort Darling, and the next day camethe Battle of Drewry's Bluff.Joseph and Frank were killed in action on May 16th and were buried onthe battlefield. Steven, only 18 years old, who had received \$350 forhis enlistment, was captured and taken to Richmond, where he died onJune 15th. Jean-Baptiste survived this battle in which he lost 3 sonsand was wounded in the hip and the hand in October near Fair Oaks.Stephen is buried in Richmond National Cemetery. Jean-Baptiste wasburied next to his wife, who died in 1896, in the St. Louis de FranceCemetery in Sciota. He lived until 1900.
