James C. Campbell and Sarah A. Campbell

This Monday, February 23, would have been my great-great-great-great grandparents' anniversary. For that reason, I have decided to write about them this week.

James Columbus Campbell was born 25 October 1824 in Georgia. His wife, Sarah Ann Higginbotham, was born 25 November 1828, also in Georgia.

The couple got married 23 February 1843 in Elbert County, Georgia. Together, they had (that I know of) 13* children. Those children were:

• Lucy J. Campbell, born about 1846
• Mary E. Campbell, born about 1848
• Martha L. Campbell, born about 1853
• Sarah Frances Campbell, born about 1853
• Susan M. Campbell, born about 1855
• William E. Campbell, born about 1857
• John H. Campbell, born about 1859
• James Steve Campbell, born about 1861
• Albert C. Campbell, born about 1866
• Ida Ann Campbell, born about 1868
• George Letcher Campbell, born about 1870
• Robert L. Campbell, born about 1871
• Mose Campbell, born about 1878

The reason for the relatively long period between James Steve Campbell and Albert C. Campbell is, of course, none other than the US Civil War.

James enlisted 15 July 1861 in Elberton, Georgia as a Private with either Captain J. C. Burch and Company F of the 15th Regiment Georgia Infantry. He enlisted "for the war unless sooner discharged." I found this funny, because most people listed simply "for the war." The clarification he added at the end of his enlistment period somehow adds character to James for me.

Taken from Service Records

In January and February 1862, James is listed as absent from war due to "sick leave."

Taken from Service Records

The story gets more interesting as in March and April, James is listed as being "absent with wagon."

Taken from Service Records

I don't know what happened during that time he was sick with what seems to be a stolen wagon, but in May and June of 1862, he is present again in the war.

I lose track of James after June of 1862. That is until he shows back up in the 38th Georgia Infantry, Company F. His actions between June and September of 1862, when he enlists in the 38th, go mostly unmentioned in records. I do find it interesting that this time when he enlisted with Captain Thornton, he signed up "for 3 years or during the war."

Taken from Service Records

In January and February 1863, James is listed as being "home on furlough." By March 1863, though, he has returned to battle. From March 1863 until April 1864, James continues to show up as "present" with the 38th Georgia Infantry.

He followed them to Gettysburg. He was listed as one of the wounded on 1 July 1863. He appears in 1 Division General Hospital at Camp Winder in Richmond and General Hospital No. 9 shortly after Gettysburg.

Taken from Service Records

On 6 June 1864, James is listed as being at Jackson Hospital in Richmond with a disease I don't understand. It says

"V. S. R. Arm 

Mi. B." 

Taken from Service Records

I assume "R. Arm" means "Right Arm," but I don't know what "V. S." stands for, nor do I know what "Mi. B." stands for.

Whatever it was, he returned to duty 27 June 1864.

Then, on 22 August 1864, James gets promoted to 2nd Sergeant. Apparently, this was a bad move for James because one month later, on 22 September 1864, he gets captured at Fisher's Hill, Virginia and becomes a Prisoner of War.

Taken from Service Records

He was held at Point Lookout, Maryland. Even though he was captured in September, he doesn't make it to Point Lookout until 27 November 1864 from Harpers Ferry.

James was released 4 June 1865 having taken the Oath of Allegiance to the United States.

After the war, life seems to have returned relatively back to normal for the Campbell family. They were farmers before the War, and they were farmers after the War. Other than the fact that the value of his real estate and personal estate were cut in half in 1870 compared to 1860, James seemed to return to a relatively normal life.

James died at the age of 68. According to his wife's pension application, James died 8 May 1893 of typhoid fever.

Taken from Sarah's Widow's Pension Application

Sarah died in 1903. They are buried at Holly Springs Baptist Church Cemetery in Bowman, Elbert County, Georgia.

*The 1900 census lists that Sarah was the mother of 12 children, 9 of which were still living in 1900. I have found 13 children for the couple. I have also only found one child so far who died before 1900.

Sources:

• 1860 Ray's District, Hart County, Georgia U.S. Federal Census (accessed on Ancestry)
• 1870 Ray's District, Hart County, Georgia U.S. Federal Census (accessed on Ancestry)
• 1880 Ray's District, Hart County, Georgia U.S. Federal Census (accessed on Ancestry)
• 1900 Goshen, Elbert County, Georgia U.S. Federal Census (accessed on Ancestry)
• 1902 and 1903 Confederate Widow's Pension Applications (accessed on Ancestry)
• Compiled Service Records of Confederate Soldiers Who Served in Organizations from the State of Georgia (accessed on Fold3)