Evans was a carpenter and musician whose brother William ran a singing school at Barnes Settlement. Their nephews were the Getman brothers of Theresa, managers of the Getman Houses in Theresa and St. Lawrence County.
On 6 Aug 1862 at Redwood, Evans enlisted as a sergeant in Co. F, 10th NY Heavy Artillery. He suffered a blast injury in Petersburg, 19 May 1864 when a shell exploded close to his head. He became completely deaf in one ear, and lost substantial hearing in the other. Evans later used his talents to become a dealer in musical merchandise, and also worked as a lawyer and cabinet maker.
As he aged, Evans increasingly experienced several symptoms that are now associated with CTE (Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy). CTE was not identified in Veterans before 2018. While it is widely described as resulting from repeated concussions, a few researchers now argue that a single blast can result in CTE.
John’s wife proposed that his neurological impairment and shortened life expectancy were a direct result of the wartime injury. He died at 61 while his parents lived to 91 and 95. Doctors dismissed this idea, but Evans did receive a Veteran’s pension. Philinda, an eloquent advocate for her husband, may have been far ahead of her time in making this connection.
