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Note: In 1860, three-year-old James lived with his parents in the Briar Creek District of Hancock Co., TN. In 1870, the family was living in District 11, Thorn Hill, Grainger Co., TN. At the age of 13, James was listed as a farm laborer. He was born in Tennessee. Although he and some of his siblings attended school that year, none of them could read or write. In 1875, just ten years after the Civil War ended, James, the son of a Union veteran, married Mildred, the daughter of a Confederate veteran.
In 1880, James and Mildred lived in District 7 of Claiborne Co., TN, where they may have gotten married. He was a 23-year-old farmer who could not read or write although Mildred, age 21, could. Their only child was one-year-old Martha. Their next-door neighbors were two of Mildred's siblings, Elizabeth and her husband, John Odell, and William Mannon (Manning) and his wife, Mary Cook. James indicated that he and his parents were born in Tennessee.
In 1900, James, age 43, born in Dec. 1856 (looks like 1854) in Tennessee, and Mildred, age 39, born in Dec. 1860 in Tennessee, had been married 25 years and both indicated that they could read and write. Six of their nine children were still alive, and James was still farming in District 7 of Claiborne County. Five children were still living at home: Hester A. - 16, Susan E. - 13, Albert E. - 10, Racha T. - 7, and Rosa M. - 4. Their daughter Mary, age 18, and her husband, Fleenor Brewer, were living next door.
In 1910, James, age 51 (actually 53), and Mildred, age 49, had been married for 35 years. The census taker, whose handwriting was horrendous and very hard to read, wrote down that only 1 out of 11 children was still living, yet he listed three daughters living with them! The first two names are completely illegible but are believed to be Racha (born in 1892) and Rosa (born in 1896). The third daughter was Bertha (born in 1901). Besides these three, three others were known to still be living: Kettie, Emma, and Elisha. Also living in their home in District 4 of Claiborne County was their six-year-old granddaughter Vicky whose name was listed as Vichey Henry. Mildred's widowed sister, Elizabeth (spelled Lizziebeth) Odell, lived next door.
Prior to his death, Jim was a very prosperous farmer. According to his will dated Dec. 15, 1916, his property extended from the east end at Brushy Ridge to the top of High Point Ridge at J.W. Smith's and Washy Bulls Corner. It was likely sometime around the writing of his will that his right hand had to be amputated due to cancer that set in after an accident he had while he was chopping wood. The doctor came to the house and performed the surgery there with the use of ether. Unfortunately, the cancer had already spread, and a second surgery was required to amputate the entire arm up to the shoulder. Sadly, that step wasn't sufficient to stop the cancer from spreading throughout Jim's body and ultimately taking his life after an agonizing illness over several months. He is buried in the Manning Cemetery on a hill that overlooks Upper Caney Valley Rd. near the junction of Comby Ridge Rd. in Claiborne Co., TN.
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