James Augustus Orrell

In 1860 he was a 17 year old living with his parents, 9 siblings, and 6 slaves on their farm near Greensboro in Guilford County, NC. He enlisted at Fort Macon at Beaufort Harbor, NC on 1 May 1861 and mustered on 31 August as a Private in Company B, 27th North Carolina Infantry.

He was captured "in a skirmish with the enemy's cavalry, near the city" of Frederick, MD on 9 September 1862 (or may have been left in Frederick sick or wounded before 12 September and captured there).

He was a patient in US Army General Hospital #1 in Frederick until 22 September, then a prisoner at Fort Delaware to 2 October, when he was sent to Aikens' Landing, VA for exchange. He was admitted to a hospital in Richmond, VA on 6 October, sent to the parole camp there on 9 October, and was formally exchanged on 10 November 1862 to return to duty.

He was captured again, at Bristoe Station, VA on 14 October 1863 and held in the Old Capitol Prison in Washington, DC until transferred to Point Lookout, MD on 27 October. He was finally exchanged to return to duty on 1 November 1864. He was captured for the third time, at Fort Stedman near Petersburg, VA on 25 March 1865, and was a prisoner at Point Lookout until released on 3 June 1865 after taking an oath of allegiance to the United States.

By 1870 and to at least 1880 he was a farmer at Smithfield in Johnston County, NC.

His service from Sloan,1 source of the quote about his capture, and his Compiled Service Records,2 online from fold3. Personal details from family genealogists and the US Census of 1860-1880. His gravesite is on Findagrave.

He married Laurinda Clara Vinson (1840-1909) in October 1868 and they had 3 daughters.

04/06/1843; Greensboro, NC

08/21/1897; Selma, NC; burial in Vinson Cemetery, Johnston County, NC