Doddridge County Roots

A West Virginia Genealogy

James BACKUS

James BACKUS

Male 1822 - 1877  (55 years)

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  • Name James BACKUS 
    Born 25 Apr 1822  Harrison Co, (W)VA Find all individuals with events at this location  [1
    Gender Male 
    Military Co E, 7th W.Va. Infantry, Civil War  [2
    Census 1850  Wood Co, (W)VA Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Census 1860  Harrison Co, (W)VA Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Census 1870  Tenmile District, Harrison Co, WV Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Died 15 Jun 1877  Harrison Co, WV Find all individuals with events at this location  [3
    Cause: consumption 
    Person ID I103104  Doddridge County Roots
    Last Modified 10 Dec 2021 

    Family Julia Etta DAVIS,   b. 16 Apr 1825, Harrison Co, (W)VA Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 22 May 1922, Parkersburg, Wood Co, WV Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 97 years) 
    Married 7 Dec 1843  Harrison Co, (W)VA Find all individuals with events at this location  [4
    Notes 
    • The following biographical information was posted on Ancestry.com by RobEugGault, great-great-grandson of James Backus and Julia Etta Davis::

      James served in the Civil War, being mustered in as a Private, March 15, 1865, at Wheeling, West Virginia. He was in Company E, 7th Regiment West Virginia Infantry Volunteers. His regiment saw action at Appomatox in April, 1865, and also at Farmville and Sayler’s Creek in the same month. The unit was commanded by Captain Richard C BURTON. James was honorably mustered out at Munson’s Hill, Virginia July 1, 1865.

      James was a farmer. On March 12, 1853 (?1847) he purchased fifty acres in Harrison County on the head waters of Coburn’s fork of Ten Mile Creek. In later years he obtained acreage on Cherry Camp Run and Raccoon Run in the same vicinity. He also purchased 75 acres of the original 200 belonging to William Jr which, was part of the 400 acre Land Grant of William Sr. He left farming briefly when the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad was being built between Grafton and Parkersburg to work on its construction in 1852-53.

      After James’ death, Julia received a pension of eight dollars a month, which ultimately was increased to thirty dollars a month. She lived with her grown married children for many years after James' death, Her final years with her youngest son, Clarence, in Parkersburg. Aunt Libby remembered her well. She didn't like the way Julietta had to stay in a small room off the kitchen . Juliaetta was blind then and Libby would read to her from the Bible or the Harper's Bazaar magazine. Juliaetta had a pocket sewn in her petticoat and had new nickles for the children when she would visit.

      This came from Aunt Freda Smith: "Julietta told about her parents (Asa and Content Ann Davis) living in a log cabin (probably at Cherry Camp). One day she was playing with brothers and sisters in the front when Content heard Indians coming through the woods. She had been making soap over a fire outside (it couldn't be made inside because of the lye). Asa was away in the settlement at the time so she herded the children into the cabin, as she grabbed up a kettle of the boiling soap. ... She didn't want the Indians to steal it. When one of the Indians tried to push open the cabin door, she poured hot soap on his arm, scalding him and causing the two to leave. Several weeks later , two Indians came into the settlement to trade . One had a bad burn-scar on his arm. The men made the two leave the area."

      Juliaetta called her husband "Jeem". She said he liked to dance (not accepted well by the Seventh Day Baptist Church, which could account for his name to be absent from the church rolls!). He also was a good whittler and made dolls for Mary Ellen and Mitt [short for Curmetta]. Julietta had curly hair that was white and very thick in her old age. She died at 99, had very blue eyes and a happy disposition. She was short and chubby. She always visited with her felt slippers (she wore them in the house). [5]
    Children 
     1. Monterville BACKUS,   b. Apr 1851, Cherry Camp Run, Bristol, Harrison Co,WV Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 22 Nov 1881, Doddridge Co, WV Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age ~ 30 years)
     2. Ira James BACCHUS,   b. 9 Mar 1862, Doddridge Co, (W)VA Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 20 Aug 1934, Parkersburg, Wood Co, WV Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 72 years)
     3. William Arzy BACKUS,   b. 26 Jul 1868, Harrison Co, WV Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 28 Nov 1948, Mt. Gilead, Morrow Co, OH Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 80 years)
    Family ID F42954  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  • Sources 
    1. [S934] Findagrave.com.

    2. [S2588] U.S. Civil War Pension Index: General Index to Pension Files, 1861-1934 [database on-line], (Ancestry.com and National Archives & Records Administration).

    3. [S1670] Harrison County Death Records, Clarksburg, WV.

    4. [S1654] Harrison County Marriage Records, Clarksburg, WV.

    5. [S1567] Marriage record of son.