Biography - James Butts
James W. BUTTS, plasterer, Litchfield, was born in Greenbrier County, Va., now West Virginia, in 1844, and lived in that place until 1862. His first service was in the Fiftieth Virginia Infantry Regiment, White's division, under Joe Johnston; he was sixteen years old when he enlisted, and in the regiment mentioned he served eighteen months; he fought in the Confederate army in the battles of Fort Donelson, Five Oaks,Williamsburg, Malvern Hill and Gaines' Mill; he was captured by the Illinois troops in the seven-days' fight at Malvern Hill, and taken to Washington, D. C., whence he was sent to Camp Chase, where he took the oath, in August, 1862, and enlisted in theForty-fourth Ohio Volunteer Infantry in November, same year; his regiment was assigned to duty in Kentucky, and he fought in the battles of Somerset, Ky., Knoxville, Tenn., and in other minor engagements, until June 29, 1863, when he was honorably discharged on account of disability. He then located in Columbus, Ohio, where he recovered, and he again enlisted, this time in the Thirteenth Ohio Volunteer Cavalry, in July, 1864, and joined the Army of the Potomac, and participated in the battle of Harper's Ferry, the siege of Richmond, and in all battles up to the surrender of Lee; he was the Third Brigade of the Second Division of Sheridan's Thirteenth Cavalry Corps, and was mustered out at Columbus, Ohio, July 21, 1865. Among his many engagements were the battle of Boyden's Plank Road, Stony Creek, Five Forks, Farmersville and Appomattox; he was wounded in the arm at Dinwiddie Court House on March 31, 1865, by a pistol ball. After the war, he began business as clerk in the woodyard of LANE & EARLY, and remained with them six months. He removed to Iroquois County, Ill., and settled on a farm near Onarga, where he engaged in farming until 1869, when he came to Montgomery County, Ill., and lived at Butler and at Hillsboro, working at various employments until 1873, when he located in Litchfield and learned the plasterer's trade, working one year with G. W. JACKSON and two years with John K. MILNOR. Completing his trade, he worked as partner of Mr. MILNOR two years; since that, he has been a contractor for himself, working from two to three other men, with good success. In 1873, Mr. BUTTS married Miss Jennie ALLEN, of Litchfield.
Extracted 19 Nov 2016 by Norma Hass from 1882 History of Bond and Montgomery Counties, Illinois, Part 2 Biographical Department, pages 133-134.
