James Van Buren McDonald
James Van Buren McDonald was born around 1834 in Smyth County, Virginia, to Nancy McDonald. His father probably died by the 1840s. By 1850, he was living in Smyth County, Virginia. He married Emeline Gannaway around 1856, and they had at least eight children: William, born around 1860; James, born around 1863; Robert, born around 1864; Charles, born around 1866; George, born around 1869; Laura, born around 1873; Kenneth, born around 1873; and Grundy, born around 1877. They lived in Marion, Virginia, and McDonald worked as a blacksmith. By 1860, he owned $4,000 of real estate and $1,500 of personal property.
He enlisted in the Confederate army on May 20, 1862, and he mustered in as a private in the 21st Virginia Cavalry. He mustered out on November 9, 1862. He settled in Rich Valley, Virginia, after leaving the army. By 1870, he was working as a farmer, and he owned $800 of real estate and $500 of personal property. The family moved to Pierce, Nebraska, in the late 1800s, and he earned a living as a carpenter. He died in Pierce on September 30, 1915.
DATABASE CONTENT
| (1825) | McDonald, James Van Buren | 1834 | 1915-09-30 |
- Conflict Side: Confederacy
- Role: Soldier
- Rank in: Private
- Rank out: Private
- Rank highest: Private
- Gender: Male
- Race: White
Documents - Records: 2
People - Records: 1
- (1825) McDonald, James Van Buren is the [friend of] (1824) Gannaway, John T.
Places - Records: 2
Regiments - Records: 1
- (566) [enlisted] ~ 21st Virginia Cavalry
SOURCES
1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, and 1910 United States Federal Censuses, available from Ancestry.com; Civil War Soldier Records and Profiles, 1861-1865, available from Ancestry.com.
