DOB:  May 6, 1843 DOD:  January 3, 1898 Age at Enlistment: 18 Date of Enlistment:  May 9,1861 Place of Enlistment:  Franklin, TN Rank at Enlistment:  1st Corporal Rank at Discharge:  Private Casualty:  He was wounded in right leg at Perryville on October 8, 1862 and the leg was amputated.  Later captured when hospital in Harrodsburg, KY was overrun by Federals on October 10, 1862.  Comments:  James first appears on the 1850 Census living in District 10 (the area directly southeast of Franklin) but by 1860 he is living in District 1 (western part of the county).  The 1860 Census states he was attending school which would make him a good candidate to be one of the students who walked out with Captain Hanner.  James was elected Corporal at the company’s formation but was demoted down to Private at the regiment’s reorganization in April 1862.  He is listed as being sick in Hot Springs, VA.  He and 2nd Sergeant M.P.G. Winstead were wounded side by side at Perryville and by the same bullet according to Winstead. However his wife’s pension record states he was wounded by a piece of a broken shell.  He is listed as being paroled between December 28, 1862 and January 9, 1863.  He recuperated in Franklin before joining the Invalid Corps.  On his UCV application he states he was a Quartermaster Sergeant at the end of the war but Robert Richardson and George Nichols state he was a Cavalry Scout.  He surrendered on June 7, 1865 at Alexandria, LA. He married Alma Sue Gates on January 29, 1880 and the couple had three daughters.  James worked as State Circuit Court Clerk, owned a Grocery Store that he took over from Thomas Handy (former Williamson Gray), and was Postmaster of Franklin at the time of his death.  He died on January 3, 1898 and is buried in Section A of Mount Hope Cemetery in Franklin, TN.

Left:  James’ photo taken in January 1862 at Staunton, VA.  He is wearing a 2nd issue Tennessee Frock Coat.  Right: James’ grave at Mount Hope Cemetery

James Neely’s UCV Application is here.

Newspaper Ad announcing James Neely is taking over Thomas Handy’s Grocery store.