My Genealogy Hound

JAMES NELSON is a native of Fayette County, Ky., and is a son of James and Theodica (Bush) Nelson, born in Virginia and Kentucky in 1799 and 1803, and died in 1864 and 1834, respectively. The father was a teacher in early life, and at a later period became a tiller of the soil, and owned 425 acres of land. He became the father of twelve children, nine of whom are living. Our subject was born in 1828, and received his rudimentary education in his native county, and later attended Bacon College, Harrodsburg, Ky., for two years. In September, 1862, he enlisted in Company E, Eighth Kentucky Cavalry, Gen. Morgan’s command, and was with him on his raid through Kentucky, Indiana and Ohio. He was captured at Buffington, Ohio, and sent to Chicago, where he was retained until spring. He returned home in March, 1865. Before the war (1859) he purchased 117 acres of land in Wilson County, on which he located and where he has since lived. He is a man of good business capacity, and is at the present time the possessor of 470 acres of fertile and well cultivated land. He has been a life-long Democrat in politics, and cast his first presidential vote for F. Pierce in 1852. In 1876 he was elected magistrate of his district, and has held the office to the present time, to the satisfaction of all concerned.