James middle name was in honor of his grandfather McElvaine. He wasde scribed as 6', fair complexion, auburn hair and hazel eyes.
Events in his life included:
1859 There was a list of notes for him at the courthouse, nospecifica tions whether he owed them or was trying to collect them.
1855 Jonathan Creek Twp, Moultrie Co, IL. He was listed among thetax payers of that area.
7/30/1860 PO Sullivan, T13 R6E, Moultrie Co, IL. At census time,Jame s was a 27 year old farmer with real estate valued at $800. Heand Eva line, 25, had a full house with children John N, 9, Francis M,6, and M ary E, 2, as well as brother, Nelson E, 30, and his twodaughters, Eliz abeth, 9, and Elvira C, 8 months. Also living therewas 20 year old ho usekeepers assistant, Elizabeth Purvis, but listedas a Powell (she wou ld marry Nelson 5 years later). Next door wasHudson Martin.
3/13/1861 He was appointed road supervisor in Dist 10.
9/4/1862 James enlisted and served as First Lieut of Co C, 126th Regto f Ills Vols under Capt. Smiser.
Michael Fryburger, a friend from the area serving in the Civil Wareffo rts, made references to James in his letters:
4/5/1860 He hasn't seen James Powell yet.
2/1/1863 - From LaGrange, he saw James Powell. He was moderatelywell.
7/28/1863 - From Memphis, he asked for news of James & Nelson Powell.
He was also mentioned often in the McPheeters family letters:
11/1862 - "anything you wish to send me such as sockes etc can be sentb y Lieut Powell or Enoch Purvis who are both at home on sickfurlough.
2/15/1863 - "Mrs (James) Powell and Nelson start for Humboldt (TN)next w eek."
7/3/1863 - from Haines Bluff, Miss "There is a great deal of sicknessi n our Co & reg. Lieut Powell....and some 10 or 12 more have all hada l ittle brush but are now all on the mend....our sickness was causedby t he unhealthy location of our camp. our water was bad and noshade, and t hen it was right on the roade leading to the riverlanding where from 1 000 to 2000 teams were pasing daily after forcomisary stores, ammun. e tc. it kept our camp enveloped in a couldof smoke from morning till n ight."
7/5/1863 - "Lieut Powell, Vaugan & 2 or three more are quite sick yet.P owell has camp diarhea very bad, says he feels better this morning."
7/28/1863 - from Helena, Arkansas. "Lieut. Powell has been right sicks ince you left; he came up the River as we did and got on anotherboat w hen he landed here and went to Memphis."
9/28/1863 - "was sorry to learn that Mr. Powell was again prostrate byd isease."
10/18/1863 - "Lieut. Powell returned home saturday."
10/20/1863 - "Perry saw Lieut Powell at Memphis, sayes he lookes veryb ad is waiting for his papers to be sent to Washington forapproval."
11/8/1863 - "I am going to send you two pair of socks.....by LieutPowe ll."
Enoch Purvis testified that "he (James) was never a healthy or soundma n on account of his lung trouble being a good part of the timeunable t o do anything after he came out of the servis and he was thestrongest a nd healthiest man in the country before he went into the
war."
On or about 10/10/1862, according to the Declaration for OriginalInval id Pension, he "incurred Rupture left side; also A Disease oflungs con tracted at LaGrange Tenn about the last of December 1862 byreason of e xposure."
As previously mentioned, Jame's military career was plagued by medicalp roblems and hospitalizations. He was unable to march because of thepa in in his side which was later diagnosed as the rupture, hecontracted t yphoid fever and once he was unable to return to dutyfrom a medical le ave of absence due to chronic diarrhea and general
problems of the digestive system.
1/4/1864 He was discharged at Duvall's Bluff, Arkansas, "on accountof P hysical Disability and for absence without leave, having failedto forw ard medical certificates as required by existing regulations."At the a ge of 55 he was given an invalid's pension.
3/10/1864 In a letter to her husband, Mrs McPheeters reported that MrC ornwell was moving from their home to James Powell's house, therelatio nship or reason for the move was not stated.
1/5/1865 James bought another 10 acres for $130 cash from the trustof a l ady from New York and a Mrs. Hoffman, widow of David, locatedat NE SE S W 33 14 b E
3/1/1865 He gave estray notice where he claimed a stray animal.
1865 He paid a road tax.
6/21/1865 He bought 2 plots, each containing 10 acres from AddisonGut hrie and his wife, Ben, through Addison McPheeters, atty-in-fact,for $ 297.50 cash.
7/15/1865 For $160 James and Eveline sold a lot containing 10 acresto h is brother, Nelson, newly discharged from the army and preparingfor a n ew bride within a few months.
10/24/1865 Martin and Catherine Bussear of Warren Co, OH, sold 80acre s in Moultrie Co to James for $550. He sold the same property on9/4/1 866 for $500 to John Glazebrook.
1866 He was mentioned in the country treasurer's report and in 1868he w as in a juror's treasury report.
6/1866 He was among those petitioning for a road change.
6/12/1869 His name appeared on a warranty deed and another on5/10/187 0.
3/1870 James was mentioned again in the county treasurers report.
6/28/1870 PO Mattoon, Humboldt Twp, Coles Co, IL. That census takerl isted him as James Powel, 40, born MO, a farmer with property worth$35 00/2000. Wife Evelyn was 38 and their children were John, 18,Francis, 2 6, Thomas, 14, Harry (Mary), 12, Orlando, 9, Ida May, 5,and Nathan, 2.
10/10/1871 Shelbyville, Shelby Co, IL. It is unknown if James andthe f amily actually lived in this location but son, Lycurgus, wasborn there o n this date according to his descendants.
9/9/1872 Moultrie Co, IL. Estray Notice: "Taken up by theundersign ed residing 5 miles northeast of Sullivan, one bay horse, 16years old, a bout 14 hands high, string halt in both hindlegs, withgovernment brand , running at the nose and believed to be glanders."
Signed J. M. Powell, recorded by Geo. Leffler, Town Clerk
2/16/1874 While living in Jonathan Creek Twp, Moultrie Co, he bought4 0 acres at E. Nelson from William and Ellen Purvis for $900 cash.
11/2/1874 He bought more Jonathan Creek property, 120 acres for $3600w ith $1000 subject to trust deed to McInley & Co from William andCather ine Powers.
1875 Jonathan Creek Twp. James was listed in the atlas as a landowne r among the 1001 residents in that township. Also listed wasLevi Seas s.
8/1/1878 Buying another 80 acres in Jonathan Creek Twp, he paid $55as t he highest bidder at public auction, from the George Buxtonestate, Jam es Bath Admin. A few months later on 11/12/1878 he soldthe same prope rty for the same amount to James Bathe.
10/2/1879 James and Eveline sold 240 acres in Jonathan Creek Twp toHe nry Corley, of Shelby Co, IL, for $6000.
10/13/1879 He bought the land surrounding the Christian Church ofSul livan for $3200 from William and Louise Elder.
1/22/1880 He and Eveline sold another 20 acres in Jonathan Creek Twp,t his time to William Merritt for $300 cash.
6/2/1880 Jonathan Creek Twp, Moultrie Co, IL was where the nextcensus t aker found the family and recorded James at age 50, Evalineat 47 and c hildren in the house were Lincoln, 19, Ida, 15, Nathan,12, Lycurges, 7 , and Herman, 5. Next door was the patten family,in-laws of son, John . James was still farming.
11/27/1880 He bought a piece of property from the Haney family for$10 , the amount of acreage unspecified.
6/23/1885 James applied for, and finally received, an invalid pensionb ased on his Civil War injuries. In a general affidavit, CharleyEilers , 23, of Bishop Town, Effingham Co, with PO address ofDieterich, test ified before the justice of the peace "in the matterof James M Powell, o f Arthur Moultrie County Ills,' that he had knownJames for 6 years and t hat "I first went to work for James M Powellof Moultrie County Ills in t he mounth of April 1880 and worked forhim until Dec 1880.
Durring all that time he was in very poor Health had a very bad cougha nd had to have his work all done Except what his boys could do Ithen r eturned to work for him in April 1881 found him in very poorhealth not a ble to make a half hand except at very light work worked
for him untill harvist I then were absent till in the fall of 1881whenI r eturned and hired to him to gather corn his health was still poorand h e hired all of his work done
CharlesW. E ilers"
The affidavit was dated 5/27/1886 and signed by Fred Plinke, Justiceof t he Peace.
5/27/1886 Arthur, Moultrie Co, IL. The preceeding item recorded hisr esidence there but apparently the bounderies later shifted,relocating A rthur in Douglas Co.
11/20/1890 Sullivan, Moultrie Co, IL. James deeded the propertyaroun d the Christian Church, to a trust for Eveline for $1, subjectto a $25 00 security note by Orren Taft, Trustee. He died 18 dayslater.
Daughter Ida Cornwell told the 1920 census taker her father was bornin M O.
James died of apoplexy which was believed to be the "sequence ofdiseas e contracted while in the service one lung seemed to be oflittle use t o him indicated by short breathing for several yearspost."
His estate was settled 1/7/1891, A. J. Buxton, Administrator, andJames B athe supplied the securities. John Purvis was the ProbateJudge. The e state was valued at $1500.
His heirs included all his children plus Claude and Elvira Powell,chil dren of deceased son John.
