James C. Kelsey was born around 1835 in Ireland. He eventually immigrated to America and settled in Covington, Ohio. He married Elizabeth Reddick on October 24, 1854, and they had three children: Ellen, born on Dec 20, 1855; James W., born on June 20, 1857; and Holly M., born on September 10, 1860. Kelsey worked as a brush maker, and by 1860, he owned $400 of real estate and $200 of personal property.

 

Kelsey enlisted in the Union army on April 19, 1861, and mustered in as a sergeant in Company E of the 11^th Ohio Infantry on April 26. He mustered out on August 21, 1861, when his term of enlistment expired. He enlisted again on September 19, 1861, mustering in as a 1^st lieutenant in Company E of the 48^th Ohio Infantry. He was promoted to captain on March 17, 1862, and he fought in the Battle of Shiloh, the siege of Corinth, and the Battle of Chickasaw Bayou. He resigned on February 20, 1863, after becoming “seriously diseased by exposure in camps around Vicksburg.” He applied for a federal pension on July 20, 1863, and secured one on August 28 for “total disability.” He died of consumption in Covington on September 2, 1863.

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