James Leslie, farmer and stock-raiser, was born in Scotland in 1848, immigrated to America with his parents in 1851, and was reared on a farm in Cedar County, Iowa; he enlisted in February, 1863 in Company C, Twenty-fourth Iowa Infantry, and served until the war closed, after which he gave his attention to farming in Cedar County.
      He came to Thayer County, Neb., in February, 1873, and purchased 200 acres in Gilead Precinct, where he resided for six years, engaged in farming. In 1879, Mr. L. came to Belvidere - he is the owner of about six hundred acres of land, and is extensively engaged in farming and stock raising, making a specialty of Short-Horn cattle and Poland-China hogs. During the year 1880, he was also engaged in implement business at this place, and is now in connection with other pursuits engaged in buying and shipping live stock. The subject of this sketch was married in Scott County, Iowa, in 1868 to Lucy I. Wilson; they have three children - Annie, William and Myrtle.