James Maxwell. 127th IL, letters to his family 1863 – 1873
James Maxwell enlisted on August 13, 1862. He mustered into Company “D”, 127th Illinois Infantry. He was mustered out on May 31, 1865
Submitter: Sherri Cawley
Brian Brown, author of In the Footsteps of the Blue and Gray: A Civil War Research Handbook kindly sends the following information: James R. Maxwell was born in Milford (?) or Westford (?) (the entry was almost illegible). The state looked like Connecticut in the Illinois service records, but census records indicate birth in Ohio….
On 8/13/62, he joined Company D, 127 Illinois Volunteer Infantry Regiment at Chicago. He mustered in on 9/5/62, also at Chicago. He was discharged on May 31, 1865 at Washington D.C. At the time of his enlistment, he was single, a farmer, age 20, 5-10, black hair-gray eyes-light complexion and resided in Highland, Grundy County, Illinois. On the 1860 census of Grundy County Illinois, Wauponsia township, page 170, James Maxwell, a 21 year old farmer hand who was born in Ohio, is listed.
In 1890, Maxwell applied for an invalid’s pension and received certificate #797043. At the time, he was living in Illinois. In 1930, his widow Emily (who was living in Illinois, applied for a widow’s pension and received certificate #A-5-15-30.
Read more letters in the Maxwell Collection: Biography | undated | 5 June 1863 | February 15, 1863 | 24 March 1863 | 29 May 1871 | 30 Sept. 1873