WILLIAM H. CHEEVER, LT, USN
William Cheever '55
Photo from the Minnesota Historical Society via researcher Kathy Franz
Loss
William died of yellow fever on July 13, 1857 at Rio de Janeiro aboard St. Lawrence.
Other Information
His middle name was Harrison, and he was born in Maine but appointed to the Naval Academy from Minnesota.
From researcher Kathy Franz:
The newspaper account [Bangor Daily Whig and Courier] in Bangor, Maine, said he was born in Oldtown, Maine, about 1832, and he also lived in Boston and Wrentham, Massachusetts. In 1848 William started living in Minnesota.
At his funeral, the Brazil Squadron's Commodore French Forrest gave the resolutions. In part, it said "he was an intelligent, gallant, faithful and efficient officer, one of the brightest ornaments of the navy, whose career of honor and usefulness is brought to an early close … His generous, frank and noble hearted disposition strongly attached us to him and won for him our affections and esteem.”
In 1856, William wrote two letters to the Navy from St. Anthony Falls, Minnesota. One was dated July 3; the other September 1 accepting orders to the St. Lawrence. Living at St. Anthony Falls then were Rebecca (nee Gerould) Cheever, age 68, her son Henry Laurens Cheever, age 38, a farmer born in Wrentham, Massachusetts, his wife Helen and their four children. Rebecca’s son George died January 3, 1856, in St. Anthony’s. His wife was Ann, and he had four children, the last being born May 26, 1856. Rebecca’s husband John died in 1853, she in 1880, and they are both buried in the Gerould Cemetery, Wrentham.
William died in the hospital in Rio and was buried there. His father John was a justice of the peace.
William is buried in Rio de Janeiro.
Letters Home
From Minnesota Historical Society in St. Paul, Minnesota, located by researcher Kathy Franz:
Description
Two letters to relatives from Cheever, a midshipman in the United States Navy, relating his shipboard experiences and his studies at the U.S. Naval Academy.
The first letter (May 9, 1853) was written from Buenos Aires (Argentina) while he was on board the "Jamestown" to his father in St. Anthony (Minnesota), with information on the activities of other family members, his hopes to be in St. Anthony soon, partridge hunting and trips up the Uruguay and San Salvador rivers, his duties as a midshipman, and his salary, food, and other details on his naval career. The second letter (Oct. 15, 1854), written to his cousin Frank, tells of his studies at the U.S. Naval Academy. Also included are two envelops with some family information and a calling card for Lieutenant W. G. Cheever.
Letter 1
U.S. Ship Jamestown
May 9th, 1853
Off Buenos AiresDear Father:
Your letter dated Boston, Feby 12th reached me April 20th only 2 months and eight days: this was quicker than most I receive; but ships often make the passage from New York or Boston in 45 days to this port; but I am very well satisfied to have my latest news from home only three months old. Ever since I got your letter I have been thinking about that trip you made to Wrentham and its consequences: long before this, Anna and Emily are with you at Saint Anthony I suppose, but it does seem odd to me. Somehow or other I had begun to think of them as being at home in Wrentham and now Aunt Fanny’s will seem deserted and so will Aunt Caroline’s. I have always, when I was thinking over my plans of operation, when I got home till now, intended to travel north to Wrentham first then to Minnesota: that is if we go in to Norfolk, Philadelphia or New York: but now my plans are all to be changed, I shall post it for St Anthony City as soon as I arrive in the States.
Sisters had a great many other advantages besides that of good schools but doubtless they will enjoy the same in Minnesota. For my part, I never liked Minnesota much but perhaps that is because my first visit to it was not a very happy one: I hope and am quite sure my next visit will be a pleasant one: at all events I look forward to it with great delight: when I get out there our family will then be once more gathered together, Father and Mother, brothers and sisters. Much as I regret that Anna & Emily must be raised out West; I am not all surprised or astonished that you take them home with you. You ask me several questions in your last. I will endeavor to answer them now: my pay is $475.00 a year, as midshipman; year after next twill be $750. Out of this we pay all our own expenses, up here at Buenos Aires our mess bill is about $15.00 pr. month: for this we live very well. Wild game is abundant, ducks are more numerous than I even before heard of them. But since the Port has been blockaded of course the prices of provisions has been increased. My particular duties just now are to keep in order and preserve discipline on our main or gun deck and the charge of the Spirit Room and to serve out the men’s daily ration of whiskey. I am up at daylight and my duties for the day end at eight oclock in the evening when I put out and report secure the fires and lights. Our uniform has lately been changed, as yet, I have seen none of the new, but I have not a great stock of the old on hand so I shall not lose any. Our commodore has been living up here for a long time, but at last becoming tired of waiting for things to be settled, he has gone to Montevideo to rejoin his own ship, the Frigate “Congress.” The Congress has been out here three years and her officers are expecting anxiously the arrival of the Frigate Savannah, which is to relieve them.
Next January, if not before, I hope, to clap my eyes on our relief, and I’ll warrant the good ship Jamestown won’t be long going home. Last month I went on an expedition up the Uruguay River: we were wanting firewood and so chartered a schooner for a tender and a party went up in her for a hunt: uniting duty and pleasure. We found the partridges very abundant, in one day we, three of us, shot about 100: while up there I went ostrich hunting; this was the greatest sport I ever had: after chasing a half a dozen of them about 10 miles we came up with a drove of more than 60: one of them we killed. By we I mean myself and our Assistant Surgeon: as he couldn’t hit a bird at 5 yards distant, setting, on ordinary occasions and as I the same day had shot about a dozen partridges on the wing in one hour, tis but fair to suppose I was the death of the ostrich. I love gunning very much as you know and during the two weeks I was gone I had fun enough to pay me for the long time I had stayed aboard ship and more for had I gone ashore in town there was nothing doing and little to be seen. I never before got tired of eating partridges, but this trip, I at last, preferred the salt pork. We went to a little town way in the interior of the country, ‘Dolores’ 21 miles up the San Salvadore River which runs into the Uruguay River about 80 miles from its mouth. They gave us a ball and we brushed up our shooting clothes and had a very pleasant danse. Though I was pretty sore when I got back, I was in good health and I am quite sure my health (always good) was benefitted by the trip.
I think I am getting thicker and larger than I was. I weigh 142 pounds, do you think you will know me? I am going to put a couple of feathers in this letter, one for Anna and one for Emily. They are some I pulled from the ostrich: give my warmest and best love to them, to Albert, to mother and reserve for yourself the sincere affection of your distant but faithful son, Harrison.
Letter 2
Naval Academy
Saturday Afternoon
October 15, 1854.Dear Frank:
Tis almost two weeks since I entered this institution and if these two may be taken as a fair sample of what we are to expect in the remaining ones, I shall not only acquire a great deal of knowledge but shall undergo a great deal too. Tis a cramming system, we descend from the higher branches of mathematics philosophically calculating the distance fallen through and plunge into the tar-bucket, while any spare time we have is occupied in learning to be machines, called by some Infantry soldiers, or perhaps devote a few hours to the more elegant exercise that of the small sword in which the art of killing for honor is taught, wheras my profession, (look here, a man with a profession spelling it with 2 f’s) only requires it to be done for glory.
I have been forced to study considerable thus far, because I wish to lead my class: I could pass, I think above half my class, without studying at all but that is not going to satisfy me. I want to be one. I may take three, but nothing lower. This is a charming place, from my windows, I have a fine view of the bay and Sevens river, the practice ship and the buildings of the school. There has been built since I was last here, a gas house. The man who planned it gets my blessing every moon-shining night, for in the silvery light with its towers and turrets, and gables it seems more like a noble castle than like any such useful thing as a gas house. We have the best of everything, we must have it, for the Secretary of the Navy says so! And I verily believe a man gets demerits for not going to dinner. I wrote Susie last week but have as yet no answer. I got a letter a few days since from Anna & Emily. They were well and going to school.
Enclosed I send 8 dollars. I find my funds do not admit of my being generous. I hope it pays my debt but if it does not I will do so. Give my respects to Mr. W and a kiss to little Allie and believe me
Truly yours Affcly Harry.
[Note: Frank was Francis George, his cousin in Mentham, Mass.]
Career
From the Naval History and Heritage Command:
Midshipman, 19 October, 1849. Passed Midshipman, 12 June, 1855. Master, 16 September, 1855. Lieutenant, 11 May, 1856. Died 13 July, 1857.
The "Register of Commissioned and Warrant Officers of the United States Navy and Marine Corps" was published annually from 1815 through at least the 1970s; it provided rank, command or station, and occasionally billet until the beginning of World War II when command/station was no longer included. Scanned copies were reviewed and data entered from the mid-1840s through 1922, when more-frequent Navy Directories were available.
The Navy Directory was a publication that provided information on the command, billet, and rank of every active and retired naval officer. Single editions have been found online from January 1915 and March 1918, and then from three to six editions per year from 1923 through 1940; the final edition is from April 1941.
The entries in both series of documents are sometimes cryptic and confusing. They are often inconsistent, even within an edition, with the name of commands; this is especially true for aviation squadrons in the 1920s and early 1930s.
Alumni listed at the same command may or may not have had significant interactions; they could have shared a stateroom or workspace, stood many hours of watch together… or, especially at the larger commands, they might not have known each other at all. The information provides the opportunity to draw connections that are otherwise invisible, though, and gives a fuller view of the professional experiences of these alumni in Memorial Hall.
January 1850
January 1851
January 1852
January 1853
January 1854
January 1855
January 1857
Note
A special thank you to Kathy Franz, a historian who located William's cause of death.
Memorial Hall Error
Illness is not a criteria for inclusion in Memorial Hall.
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