My Genealogy Hound

JAMES F. WASSON is one of the representative farmers in the town of Dix, and also a representative of the boys in blue who went to the defense of their country in the Civil War. He is also a representative of the American citizens of foreign birth who really and truly become identified with the institutions of their adopted country. In County Tyrone, Ireland, his birth occurred June 11, 1846, he being a son of Andrew and Jane (White) Wasson, both of whom were also natives of County Tyrone. When but three years of age his parents emigrated to this country and located in the town of Dix, Schuyler County, where the father purchased fifty acres of land, which is now owned by his son, Matthew Wasson. Here the parents spent the remainder of their lives, the mother dying April 16, 1888, and the father April 12, 1892.

The subject of this sketch was the youngest of eight children, of whom five are still living, three in Schuyler County, one in Steuben County, and a sister in Montcalm County, Mich. James F. was reared on the home farm and attended the common schools in the town of Dix. In 1864 he enlisted in Company D, One Hundred and Seventy-ninth New York Infantry, commanded by Captain Pierson, of this county. The regiment was organized at Elmira, N. Y., and was commanded by Major Gregg, of the old Twenty-third Battalion. Immediately after its organization it was sent to the front and took an active part in the campaign against Richmond. It was in the battle before Petersburg, June 17, in which it lost over one-third of its men in killed and wounded, took part in the series of battles in front of Petersburg, and was also at Poplar Grove. About this time it went into fortified camp in that region. The Ninth Corps, to which the One Hundred and Seventy-ninth belonged, changed positions with the Fifth Army Corps, and was placed in front of Petersburg. At midnight, April 1, a general advance was made on the latter place, the battle lasting all the next day, and in this charge the forces took many prisoners. At two p. M., April 2, the division led by the gallant One Hundred and Seventy-ninth made a charge on Ft. Mahone, and carried the day. This was conceded to be one of the most brilliant charges of the entire army and decided the day. In this charge the regiment lost heavily, a great number of its officers being killed. From this place, under command of Captain Bowen, the regiment followed the army to Burkville, and participated in the closing scenes of the Rebellion. Our subject remained with his company until the close of the war and was mustered out of the service at Alexandria. Two of his brothers were also in the service. Samuel, who was killed at the battle of Antietam, was a member of Company A, of the Eighty-ninth New York Infantry. John B. enlisted in the One Hundred and Forty-first New York Infantry, but was discharged for disability.

On receiving his discharge our subject returned to his home and again engaged in farming. On the 12th of September, 1866, he was united in marriage with Miss Alice M. Ellison, a native of Schuyler County, and a daughter of John and Rachel (Ellison) Ellison, the latter being a distant relative of her husband. He was a native of Ireland, born in County Tyrone, May 9, 1812, and came to America with his parents when a boy of ten years. Mr. and Mrs. Ellison reside on a farm in the town of Reading, the father at eighty-three years of age and the mother at eighty-one. Mrs. Wasson is second in a family of five children, four of whom still survive and reside in this county.

Mr. and Mrs. Wasson commenced their married life on a farm of eighty acres purchased by him in the town of Dix, and this is now the home of his eldest son. They resided on the farm until 1888, and in the mean time had added one hundred and twenty-five acres to the original purchase. In 1885 Mr. Wasson disposed of one farm of one hundred acres to his son-in-law, David Thompson, and purchased one hundred and fifty acres one mile north of Townsend. To Mr. and Mrs. Wasson four children were born: Wallace J., now residing on the old homestead; Ella E., wife of David Thompson, of the town of Dix; Charles and Carrie, at home. In politics Mr. Wasson has always been a Republican, and religiously he and his wife and daughter Ella are members of the Sugar Hill Presbyterian Church, of which he has been a member since twenty-one years of age, and in which he has been an Elder for the last twenty years. For the same length of time he has been a member of Jefferson Lodge No. 332, F. & A. M., of Watkins.