Hall, James (1832-1892)

HALL

Posted By: Karon King (email)
Date: 5/19/2010 at 18:03:29

James HALL 3/17/1832 - 7/8/1892
(Father of James Byron HALL)
3/17/1832 - 7/8/11892
Source: John HALL and His Descendents 1753-1987 by Thomas B. and Ruth HALL Hammer; p. 115-117

James HALL was born 17 March, 1832 on his father's 300 acre farm located on the Steubenville Turnpike eight miles west of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in Robinson Township. He was the fifth child and third son of William and Letitia (YOUNG) HALL. He was the third generation of the HALL family to live on the farm.

James attended public school and continued at Pennsylvania University in Philadelphia until he had obtained his masters degree in engineering which was unusual at this early date. He apparently had little interest in farming during and following his college years as he made frequent visits to Iowa and Colorado prior to 1860. He had considerable interest in the silver mines of Colorado and was known to have had invested in silver mine stock some of which proved to be poor investments. It was thought that he had several cousins in Colorado which may have been his main reason for his visits and upon whose investment advice he had depended.

On the 21 of September, 1862 while in Colorado, James enlisted in Company F of George Stillwell's Colorado Cavalry, a volunteer regiment. James however, was captured by the Confederates and spent considerable time in the Libbyville prisoner of war camp. Libbyville was famous for poor food, bad housing and disease.

James survived and was discharged from the service on September 26, 1865, in Denver City, Colorado with $255 in his pocket at age 30.

He must have returned home following the war as a poem written to his future wife, Hannah Lindsay, dated August 25, 1867 indicated that they must have been dating for some time. She was living in Allegheny City.

James had left home by 1870 as his father William wrote his will the 12 day of July 1870 and left James $6,000 on the condition that "he is living and returns home at or before the expiration of ten years from this date."

Prior to 1871 James had lost all four of his brothers from various causes. John in 1825 by a fever, Mathew from a buggy accident in 1827, Samuel from sickness in 1860 and William Jr. in October of 1870, the same month that his father died. William Jr. fell ill and died while a seminary student. His younger sister Letitia died in 1859 and his older sister Sarah Ann died of consumption in 1865. His oldest sister, Mary, had married John A. KELSO in 1865. His younger sister Eliza Jane who married Dr. J. K. RUTLEDGE would have been 37 at the time and had probably been gone from home for some time.

James HALL and Hannah LINDSAY were married Thursday evening at 6 3/4 o'clock January 18, 1872 at the Second U. P. Church Allegheny according to their wedding announcement.

James must have operated the home farm for several years as three children were born there. James and Hannah's oldest son William was born 13 October, 1872, James Byron 7 March, 1874 and Rebecca Jane was born 8 December, 1875.

What James had seen on his travels to the west must have made him restless at home The deep prairie soils of Iowa even with less rainfall and a shorter growing season must have caused him to move to Iowa.

On October 8, 1875 James HALL signed a contract to buy a 347 acre farm 2 miles south of Milo, Warren County, Iowa, which he had seen prior to the Civil War. The cost of the improved farm was $13,000. Perhaps the $6,000 he inherited from his father and the $4,200 which his mother gave him as his share of her estate helped with most of the financing.

The HALL farm in Robinson Township was left in the hands of Samuel Scott born in 1851 and married to Susie YOUNG, a cousin of James HALL.
Four more children were born on the farm. Laura Drane on 23 November, 1877, John Walter on 18 June, 1880, Mathew Warren 8 August, 1882 and Paul Rutledge on 21 January, 1887.

During these years on the farm James HALL was known by his neighbors as "Cap" HALL. His engineering experience became valuable when the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Rail Line contracted with James to survey the right-of-way for the line from Indianola through Milo to Chariton. For $312 he was able to purchase a nearby 40 acres to which he added to make a total of 408 acres. James was highly respected by his neighbors and the surrounding community. Byron HALL, his second son, related that his father liked to run his farm as he did his army "on horseback."

Hannah was "Queen" of her household. She liked to sew and with ample hired household help she was able to avoid such of the drudgery of a large family and do her fancy stitching as she watched her family grow. Sarah NEHYMEYER worked for the family for many years.

In 1890 the HALL family moved to Indianola. James was ill from what proved to be terminal stomach cancer probably caused by his confinement in the Libbyville prisoner-of-war camp and its extremely poor conditions.

James died July 8, 1892 and was buried in the Indianola, I.O.O.F. Cemetery. John, Warren and Paul soon followed other family members to California where they were able to be together for many years.

Additional information about James HALL
Source: National Archives
On September 9, 1899 James HALL filed a disability claim in Warren County. According to the papers, he "contracted while in the service aforesaid varicose veins of the left leg said disability was brought on by hard saddle service."
In July of 1890 he filed again adding asthma, chator(?), and rheumatism to his list of disabilities.
His pension must have been allowed because in 1891 he applied for an increased allowance. He claimed to be totally unable to support himself and his family because of "nasal
catarrh(?), varicose veins, asthma, rheumatism, a relapse of grip nearly a year ago caused the general disability originally claimed to be much worse causing a diseased condition of the stomach from which especially all together he has been with the Dr. care for the past 7 months with total disability. He believes himself entitled to a full pension."
Affidavits verifying his claim were filed by Henry HAYDEN and T. T. ANDERSON.
James HALL died a year later in 1892.