James R. Wilson (1828 - 1907)

Born 24 Aug 1828 in Jasper, Georgia, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Katharine Anna (Carmichael) Wilson — married about 1846 (to 1850) in Georgia, United States

Husband of Elizabeth Campbell (Page) Wilson — married 30 Sep 1855 in Polk, Georgia, United States

Descendants

Died 5 Dec 1907 at age 79 in Mississippi, United States

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Biography

First Lieutenant James Wilson served in the United States Civil War.
Enlisted: Aug 10, 1861
Mustered out: Apr 9, 1865
Side: CSA
Regiment(s): 5th Regiment, Alabama Infantry

James Wilson was Wounded in Action at Gettysburg during United States Civil War.

James R. Wilson was born on August 24, 1828, in Jasper County, Georgia, to Hugh Wilson and Jane Brooks Wilson. He married Katharine Anna Carmichael before 1850, and they had at least one child together. Sadly, Katharine passed away in the same year.

By 1850, James was residing in Militia District 950, Paulding County, Georgia, where he earned a living through farming. He later married Elizabeth Gordon on September 30, 1855, in Polk County, Georgia.

By the 1860s, James had moved to Ranges 8 and 9 in Calhoun County, Alabama, near the Jacksonville post office. Again, he was engaged in farming as his primary occupation.

In 1861, amidst the tensions leading to the American Civil War, James enlisted in the Confederate Army on August 10. He served as a private in the 5th Alabama Infantry Regiment, Company B. Throughout his service, he participated in several significant battles, including Mechanicsville, Gains Mills, Fraziers Farm, Cedar Run, Manassas Junction, Manassas, Ox Hill, Harpers Ferry, Snickers Gap, Fredericksburg, and Chancellorsville. He sustained injuries at Gettysburg on July 1, 1863. Over the course of his military service, James was promoted multiple times: to sergeant in 1862, second lieutenant on June 4, 1863, and first lieutenant on August 11, 1863.

After the war, in 1870, James was living in Township 10, Pontotoc County, Mississippi, where he worked as a farm laborer. By 1880, he had moved to Lee County, Mississippi, and continued farming for a living.

Tragedy struck again in 1887 when his wife, Elizabeth, passed away on June 21 in Mississippi. Despite this, James persevered and, by 1900, was living in Beat 1, Holmes County, Mississippi, still working as a farmer.

James R. Wilson passed away on December 5, 1907, in Mississippi. He was laid to rest at Zion Cemetery in Zion, Pontotoc County, Mississippi, leaving behind a legacy of resilience and dedication to his family and country.

Sources

• 1850 United States Federal Census: The National Archives in Washington D.C.; Record Group: Records of the Bureau of the Census; Record Group Number: 29; Series Number: M432; Residence Date: 1850; Home in 1850: Militia District 950, Paulding, Georgia; Roll: 80; Page: 58a Ancestry Record 8054 #18888248
• 1860 United States Federal Census: The National Archives in Washington D.C.; Record Group: Records of the Bureau of the Census; Record Group Number: 29; Series Number: M653; Residence Date: 1860; Home in 1860: Ranges 8 and 9, Calhoun, Alabama; Roll: M653_4; Page: 408; Family History Library Film: 803004 Ancestry Record 7667 #12959704
• 1870 United States Federal Census: Year: 1870; Census Place: Township 10, Pontotoc, Mississippi; Roll: M593_746; Page: 302B Ancestry Record 7163 #36454740
• 1880 United States Federal Census: Year: 1880; Census Place: Lee, Mississippi; Roll: 654; Page: 93a; Enumeration District: 088 Ancestry Record 6742 #8638344
• 1900 United States Federal Census: Year: 1900; Census Place: Beat 1, Holmes, Mississippi; Roll: 810; Page: 6; Enumeration District: 0035 Ancestry Record 7602 #27801967
• Alabama, U.S., Civil War Muster Rolls, 1861-1865: Ancestry.com. Alabama, U.S., Civil War Muster Rolls, 1861-1865 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010. Original data: Muster rolls of Alabama Civil War Units. SG025006-25100. Montgomery, Alabama: Alabama Department of Archives & History. Ancestry Record 1736 #270008
• Alabama, U.S., Civil War Soldiers, 1860-1865: Ancestry.com. Alabama, U.S., Civil War Soldiers, 1860-1865 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2015. Original data: Civil War Soldiers. Alabama Department of Archives and History, Montgomery, Alabama. Ancestry Record 61017 #108842
• Georgia, U.S., Marriage Records From Select Counties, 1828-1978: Georgia Archives; Morrow, Georgia; County Marriage Records, 1828–1978 Ancestry Record 4766 #492826
• U.S., Headstone Applications for Military Veterans, 1861-1985: National Archives at Washington DC; Washington DC, USA; Applications for Headstones For U.S. Military Veterans, 1925-1941; NAID: 596118; Record Group Number: 92; Record Group Title: Records of the Office of the Quartermaster General Ancestry Record 2375 #2240321
• Burial: Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/94504375/james_r-wilson: accessed April 6, 2024), memorial page for James R. Wilson (28 Aug 1828–5 Dec 1907), Find A Grave: Memorial #94504375, citing Zion Cemetery, Zion, Pontotoc County, Mississippi, USA; Maintained by Kathleen (contributor 47296951).