Eaton, H. J. (Herman J.), 1839-1914
Biographical Note
Herman J. Eaton was a Corporal in the Union Army during the American Civil War. He enlisted on August 14, 1862, at Hillsborough, New Hampshire, as a Private in Company E of the 11th Regiment of the New Hampshire Volunteers. During the war, Eaton fought in a number of the most important battles, including Fredericksburg, Vicksburg, Jackson, Wilderness, Spotsylvania, North-Anna, Bethesda-Church, Cold Harbor, and Petersburg. At one point, Eaton was promoted to Corporal during his service, but he was reduced to Private on March 1, 1865. Eaton was wounded on June 16, 1864 during the Battle of Petersburg, and he spent the remainder of the war in hospitals before being mustered out on May 25, 1865 at the end of the war.
Eaton was born to James and Rebecca Eaton on July 20, 1839, in Goffstown, New Hampshire. He married Cynthia M. Crombie on February 12, 1867, in Concord. Eatno was a farmer upon enlisting, but after the war, he worked in a foundry (1870 census), as a "hardware merchant" (1880 census), and as a "pattern fitter" (1900 census). The couple lived all over the U.S., including Illinois, Ohio, and Virginia. He died on December 20, 1914, in Burnham, Maine, and is buried in Riverview Cemetery in Waynesboro, Virginia.
External sources:
U.S. Federal Censuses, 1850-1900
"Herman J Eaton" in the U.S., Civil War Soldier Records and Profiles, 1861-1865, Ancestry.com, https://www.ancestrylibrary.com/discoveryui-content/view/2013068:1555, accessed October 5, 2023.
"Eaton, Herman J." in the National Park Service's Civil War Soldier Database, https://www.nps.gov/civilwar/search-soldiers-detail.htm?soldierId=DF993599-DC7A-DF11-BF36-B8AC6F5D926A, accessed October 5, 2023.
"Herman J. Eaton", Findagrave.com, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/24494350/herman-j-eaton, accessed October 5, 2023.
"Herman J Eaton" in the New Hampshire, U.S., Civil War Service and Pension Records, 1861-1866, Ancestry.com, https://www.ancestrylibrary.com/discoveryui-content/view/13523:61896, accessed October 5, 2023.
"Herman J Eaton" in the New Hampshire, U.S., Marriage Records, 1700-1971, Ancestry.com, https://www.ancestrylibrary.com/discoveryui-content/view/73864:61836, accessed October 5, 2023.
"Herman J Eaton" in the U.S., National Homes for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers, 1866-1938, Ancestry.com, https://www.ancestrylibrary.com/discoveryui-content/view/307023:1200, accessed October 5, 2023.
Found in 1 Collection or Record:
H. J. Eaton Memoir
This collection contains an undated memoir written by Corporal H. J. Eaton (1839-1914) covering his service as a Union soldier during and immediately after the American Civil War from 1864 to 1867. In the memoir, the second of two volumes, Eaton discusses several aspects of military life during the war, including marches and the battles of Spotsylvania, North-Anna, Gaines Mills, Bethesda-Church, Cold Harbor, and Petersburg.