James Henry F. Remington1,2,3

Family Chart
ID# 17839, (1843 - 1861)
FatherJohn Henry Remington4,5 (7 Oct 1818 - 14 Aug 1892)
MotherBetsey Mariah Stevens4,5 (9 Sep 1821 - 22 Mar 1852)

Key Events:

Birth: 19 May 1843, Vermont6,7,8
Death: 24 Dec 1861, Camp Griffin, Virginia9,10,11
Burial: Hillside Cemetery, Castleton, Rutland Co., Vermont12,13
ChartsDescendants of Gideon Cobb
AncestryThe Cobbs of Pawlet, Vermont

Copyright Notice

Narrative:

     James Henry F. Remington was born on 19 May 1843 in Vermont.6,7,8
     He appeared on the 1850 Federal Census of Castleton, Rutland Co., Vermont, in the household of his parents, John Henry Remington and Betsey Mariah Stevens.14
     His mother died on 22 Mar 1852, when James was 8 years old.15,16,17
     James's sister Eveline later recalled that never in her memory was her father was never "of good health nor strong or able to do farm work and his children had to do most of it. "She said during the period 1857 through 1863 she did light farm work out of doors while her brother James took the heavy part, such as pitching on hay, holding the plough, etc, etc. She often loaded hay while he pitched it on, and drove the horses while he held the plough. After he died she had to take his place.18
     The will of his mother's maternal grandfather, Lemuel Ransom, left her use for her lifetime of the Pond Farm in Castleton, containing about 96 acres, and a piece of wood land of about 15 acres. At her death the land was to be equally divided between her heirs. A copy of the will was recorded in Castleton deed books 28 Feb 1859, apparently to document transfer of ownership of the farm to James and his four siblings. It seems likely that it was recorded after a delay of seven years from his death was because the eldest them was then reaching legal age.19
2nd Vermont Infantry, Camp Griffin, Virginia, 1861
courtesy Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division

     From the age of 15 James was working off the family farm to earn money to give to his father to support the family. He cut wood and sold it, and by the fall of 1859 he was running a horse-powered thrashing machine, hiring Daniel T. Johnson to assist him. He hired him again the next spring to operate a horse-powered sawmill.20 In Sep 1860 his father posted a newspaper notice stating that he had agreed to give James "his time during the remainder of his minority." He stated that he would "not claim any of his earnings nor pay any debts of his contracting." It appears this was to done to make it easier for James to engage in work off the family farm.21
     James enlisted 1 Oct 1861 as a private in Co. B, 2nd Vermont Infantry, at Castleton, Vermont.22,23 James 19 Oct 1861 at Camp Griffin, Virginia, as a private. He was promoted to corporal three days later, 22 Oct 1861.24,25
     While in the army James did laundry and sold lemonade, sending most of the money to his father. He also gave his father his $100 enlistment bounty.26
     James died on 24 Dec 1861 in Camp Griffin, Virginia, at age 18, of disease while in the Union Army, guarding the Chain Bridge.9,10,11 He was buried in Hillside Cemetery, Castleton, Rutland Co., Vermont.12,13

Citations

  1. [S3432] John H. Remington household, 1850 U.S. Census, Rutland Co., Vermont, shows name as James H. F. Remington.
  2. [S500] Findagrave.com, online, memorial # 88314366, James H. Remington, includes tombstone photo showing same.
  3. [S12247] "Notice," Rutland Weekly Herald, 27 Sep 1860, shows name as James Henry Remington.
  4. [S3432] John H. Remington household, 1850 U.S. Census, Rutland Co., Vermont, shows them apparently living as parent and child.
  5. [S12371] John H. Remington, Civil War pension, National Archives and Records Administration, affidavit of claimant, 3 May 1882.
  6. [S3432] John H. Remington household, 1850 U.S. Census, Rutland Co., Vermont, shows age 6 and state, as Vermont.
  7. [S500] Findagrave.com, online, memorial # 88314366, James H. Remington, shows date and includes tombstone photo showing same.
  8. [S12371] John H. Remington, Civil War pension, National Archives and Records Administration, affidavit of claimant, 3 May 1882, shows date; and affidavit of Eveline M. Barber, citing entry in family Bible now lost, shows date, and citing what she was always told, place, as Williamsburg Ohio.
  9. [S12371] John H. Remington, Civil War pension, National Archives and Records Administration, Declaration for Original Pension of Father, 7 Jan 1880, shows date, camp, cause, as pneumonia, and service; and War Department, 29 Oct 1880, citing mortuary record, shows corroborated death data, cause as typhoid fever.
  10. [S3427] General Index to Vital Records of Vermont, death card for James H. Remington, from FHL #27666, shows date, with year as 1864, in U. S. Service, place and state.
  11. [S500] Findagrave.com, online, memorial # 88314366, James H. Remington, shows date and includes tombstone photo showing same, and place and state, in U.S. service.
  12. [S3427] General Index to Vital Records of Vermont, death card for James H. Remington, from FHL #27666.
  13. [S500] Findagrave.com, online, memorial # 88314366, James H. Remington, includes tombstone photo.
  14. [S3432] John H. Remington household, 1850 U.S. Census, Rutland Co., Vermont.
  15. [S3427] General Index to Vital Records of Vermont, death record for Betsy M. Remington, prepared by Castleton town clerk, apparently from cemetery records or tombstone, shows date.
  16. [S12371] John H. Remington, Civil War pension, National Archives and Records Administration, Declaration for Original Pension of Father, 7 Jan 1880, shows date, town, and state.
  17. [S500] Findagrave.com, online, memorial # 88314222, Betsey Maria Stevens Remington, shows date and includes tombstone photo showing same.
  18. [S12371] John H. Remington, Civil War pension, National Archives and Records Administration, affidavit of Eveline M. Barber, 15 May 1882.
  19. [S12249] Land Records, Castleton, Vermont, 14:722-4, will of Lemuel Ransom, copy from Fairhaven District Probate Court records.
  20. [S12371] John H. Remington, Civil War pension, National Archives and Records Administration, affidavit of claimant, 3 May 1882, shows James for the last three years of his life cut and sold wood, and ran a thrashing machine and a sawing machine, and gave him the money earned; affidavit of Allen St. John and Daniel S. Lincoln, 25 May 1882, shows James thrashed grain and sawed wook for neighbors, St. John paid his father at James' request; and affidavit of Daniel T. Johnson, 12 Mar 1883, shows he worked for James at thrashing and sawing and after paying for his labor gave his earnings to his father.
  21. [S12247] "Notice," Rutland Weekly Herald, 27 Sep 1860.
  22. [S12371] John H. Remington, Civil War pension, National Archives and Records Administration, War Department, 29 Oct 1880, citing company muster roll Sep and Oct 1861, shows enrollment date, as 1 Sep 1861, and town, and unit; Declaration for Original Pension of Father, 7 Jan 1880, shows enlistment date, as 20 Oct., town and state, rank and unit.
  23. [S2214] "U.S., Civil War Soldier Records and Profiles, 1861-1865," Ancestry.com, record for James H Remington, shows unit, enlistment date, as 1 Oct, muster date, rank, and promotion date and rank.
  24. [S12371] John H. Remington, Civil War pension, National Archives and Records Administration, War Department, 29 Oct 1880, citing company muster roll Sep and Oct 1861, shows muster in date and camp, and rank in muster roll as corpl; and Declaration for Original Pension of Father, 7 Jan 1880, shows rank as corporal at death.
  25. [S2214] "U.S., Civil War Soldier Records and Profiles, 1861-1865," Ancestry.com, record for James H Remington, shows promotion date and rank.
  26. [S12371] John H. Remington, Civil War pension, National Archives and Records Administration, affidavit of claimant, 3 May 1882; and affidavit of Willard S. Humphrey, 5 Dec 1882, shows James was very frugal and said he was saving money to send to his father, who needed it.