Bio information by Jim McFarlane:
James William Eckford, son of James Eckford (1800-1873) and Harriett
Parrish (1805-1862), was born in Columbus, Mississippi, on 26 Jan 1841. His
older brother was named John Thomas after his father's two oldest (twin)
brothers. James William was named after his father (James, last brother
born in Scotland) and next brother (William, first brother born in
America). Also, brothers James and William married sisters,
Harriett and Zuretha.

In the 1850 census, the family (parents and six children plus Aunt Mary)
was listed on 16 Oct as living in Noxubee County and on 31 Oct in adjacent
Oktibeha County without Aunt Mary. His father was listed as planter in
Noxubee and farmer in Oktibeha, with net worth of $10,000 in each. The 1860
census showed the family in Noxubee County again, with father listed as
farmer and owning real estate valued at $51,440 and personal estate of
$87,880, second highest in his neighborhood. The 1860 slave schedule showed
his father owned 66 slaves. Noxubee County produced 50,096 ginned bales of
cotton and 1,286,085 bushels of corn in 1860. His father and his uncle
William were also successful merchants with connections in Columbus and
Mobile.
The family residence was a mile or two north of Macon (approximately 460
Magnolia Dr, the NW 1/4 of NW 1/4 of Section 27 and the adjoining NE 1/4 of
NE 1/4 of Section 28 in T15N R17E). The Macon Beacon on 21 Nov 1919
reported, "Mr. Fred Kuydendall, who has bought the Eckford place from Dr.
Walker, is in town for a few days," and on 20 Feb 1932 reported, "... land
known as the Eckford Woods, now owned by S. W. Heard...."
James W. enlisted 18 Mar 1861 as a private in the Noxubee Cavalry, which
became Co G, 1st Mississippi Cavalry, and soon became 1st sergeant. After
the battle of Shiloh (6-7 April 1862), in which the Confederates captured
substantial number of Union artillery, he transferred to Smith's Light
Artillery company (later Turner's Battery or Light Artillery) that was
formed 8 Aug 1861 at Union City, Tenn. from two infantry
companies--Chickasawhay Desperadoes of Clarke County and Capt. Smith's
company--and was appointed sergeant major on 16 May 1862. Engagements of
Smith-Turner's Light Artillery include Belmont, Shiloh, Perryville,
Murfeesboro, Chickamauga, and Missionary Ridge. The company was late to the
battle of Franklin, Tennessee, but participated in the siege of Mobile,
Alabama, one of the last battles of the war. The company surrendered at
Citronella, AL on 4 May 1865 and was paroled at Meridian on 10 May 1865.

After the Civil War, times were tough. Despite a privileged upbringing,
James W. and his friend John F. Featherston earned money by cutting
firewood for the Mobile and Ohio Railroad, which had reached Macon in the
1850s and in which his father owned stock. In the 1870 census, James W. was
listed as a farmer with blanks for value of real estate and personal estate
and was living adjacent to his father-in-law.

On 17 Oct 1867 in Macon James William Eckford married Fannie Holt Lucas,
the oldest of fifteen children of Walter Ballard Lucas, Jr. and Eliza Parke
Longstreet (sister of Confederate General James Longstreet). Their first
child, a daughter name Fannie Lucas Eckford, was born on 31 Jan
1869.Although his parents and his wife's family had been staunch members of
the Methodist Episcopal Church, South for decades, his obituary says James
W. professed his faith in the summer of 1871 and "his character was
remarkedly pure and beautiful, having as few faults as commonly fall to the
lot of man."

But the years 1873 and 1874 brought many deaths. His father, James Eckford,
"was taken sick about the 1st of January, and died at his residence, near
Macon, Miss., April 25, 1873." Then James W died of yellow fever on 29 Sept
1873 in his late father's house, leaving his wife seven months pregnant.
Then a few months later, little Fannie also died of yellow fever on 5 Mar
1874. Three years later widow Fannie married family friend John F.
Featherston, who had graduated from Medical School at the university of
Louisville, KY, in 1869 and soon married Fannie's cousin Emma Dismukes, who
died without children in 1875. All are buried in Oddfellows Cemetery in
Macon.

James W.'s son was born two months after his death and was also named James
William Eckford. Because the second James W. never knew his father, this
second James William Eckford's suffix was Sr instead of II and all the
succeeding James William Eckfords are one digit lacking in their suffixes.
But it would be too confusing now to correct James William Eckford IV to V and V to VI.