James Smith Born 1838 in North Carolina

I haven't posted here for a week, but will try to do better to share family history with my readers. Today's blog is about James Smith. He is a great-great grandfather on my mother's side. He served in the Union Army with Company A, 150th Indiana Infantry. He joined in February 1865, just a couple of months before the Civil War ended a Appomattox, Virg. This seems an odd time to be enlisting, but apparently there was a bounty (a bonus) available. He enlisted for a period of one year, but the unit was mustered out of federal service in August, 1865. Below is a snapshot of a page of his enlistment records I obtained from the National Archives.



The official history of the regiment reads:

150th Regiment Infantry

Organized at Indianapolis, Ind., and mustered in March 9, 1865. Left State for Harper's Ferry, W. Va., March 13. Duty at Charleston, Winchester, Stevenson's Station and Jordan's Springs, Va., until August. Mustered out August 5, 1865.

Lost during service 35 by disease.

According to other family history records his full name was James William Smith. He married Lucinda Cramer some time before his enlistment and they were apparently living in Lafayette, Ind. where he was a farmer. They eventually moved to Illinois and Missouri. His exact date of death is unknown, but he is buried in Riverside Cemetery in Hannibal, Missouri. This is a fairly old but scenic cemetery in Hannibal, overlooking the Mississippi River. As you can see from the photo below his headstone is partially buried and fairly weathered. Someday I would like to go back there and get his grave fixed. A veteran does not deserve this kind of legacy.



I really wish I knew more about the man, and that's the unfortunate thing about becoming interested in your family history when you are middle-aged. All the people who could tell you about an ancestor are deceased. So for you readers, ask about your family history when there are still people around who know something.