Cemetery Research Blog: James W. Wright
James W. Wright (1828-1897) By: Kari Moore James William Wright was born in 1828 or 1829. His parents, Louis and Eliz Wright lived in Brunswick, Virginia. He married Amanda Melvina Walthall in 1857. He was 28 years old, and Amanda was 24 years old. They had six children together Emmett, Horace, Indianola, Robert Louis, James David, and John Hill. James was a farmer. His sons became his farm hands. He owned one slave, Jones Charles. They had a lovely home. Several members of the Wright family are buried together. They had an established life on the outskirts of Lynchburg. James fought in the Civil War. He was a soldier and a stonemason. He did live in Virginia, so he fought for the Confederacy for the first year and a half until July 1863. After the battle of Gettysburg, he deserted the rebel army, and it went up to Missouri. He registered with the union. I don’t know if it was James Wright wanting to survive and make it to the union, he decided that slavery was wrong, or t...