James Samuel Redford

1872 - 1949

Army
Spanish American War

Their Story

James Samuel Redford was born on January 1, 1872, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the son of David Smith Redford and Katharine Tallen Redford.[1] Kate as she was known, was born in Ireland. David Smith Redford had served as a private in an artillery regiment, enlisting in 1862 in the Confederate Army.[2] In 1970, James’ father, a plasterer at the time, was living in the home of the Tallens’, which is where he met Kate, then 23 years of age.[3]

David Redford, James’ father, was from Virginia. The 1880 Census shows the Redford family had returned to Richmond, Virginia. James’ father was a tobacco salesman.[4] In 1900, Kate was head of the household with David having died in 1899,[5] and James had four sisters.[6] James was a laborer in a RR shop. James was living in Richmond when the Spanish American War began, and enlisted on June 22, 1898,[7] in Company D, 4th Virginia Infantry Regiment.[8] 

The 4th Virginia Infantry was mustered into service in May 1898, at Richmond. Initially, the unit consisted of 954 men and 44 officers, but the unit swelled to consist of 1,588 men and 57 officers. The Regiment was stationed at Jacksonville, Florida’s “Camp Cuba Libre,”[9] serving as part of the Department of the Gulf. On December 19, 1898, nine days after the war officially ended with the signing of the Treaty of Paris, the unit steamed for Cuba to serve as part of the occupation forces.

The 4th Virginia arrived at the island two days later, and served in Cuba until the following March, encamped near Havana at Camp Columbia. The regiment left Cuba on March 27, 1899, arriving in the U.S. two days later. It was mustered out of service on April 27, 1899.  During its term of service, the Regiment lost 30 men to disease, discharged 63 men with disability, and had 22 desertions.

After the war, James returned to Richmond and remained there until 1900. He was employed as a paper hanger (someone who hangs wallpaper), a profession he stayed with until the 1940s.[10]  He lived and worked in San Francisco, California, Tennessee, and finally in Chicago, Illinois. In 1940, he was residing at the Rice Hotel on Dearborn Street in Chicago. He was 68 years of age, widowed, and not working.[11]

The records show that he applied for a Military pension in 1926 and registered for Social Security in 1937.

Pvt. James Samuel Redford died on November 9, 1949,[12] at age 77 in Chicago,

Illinois. 

U.S., Find a Grave™ Index, 1600s-Current – Ancestry.com


[1] U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 – Ancestry.com

[2] U.S., Civil War Soldier Records and Profiles, 1861-1865 – Ancestry.com

[3] 1870 United States Federal Census – Ancestry.com

[4] 1880 United States Federal Census – Ancestry.com

[5] U.S., Civil War Soldier Records and Profiles, 1861-1865 – Ancestry.com

[6] 1900 United States Federal Census – Ancestry.com

[7] Fold3 – Redford, James Samuel in U.S. Veterans’ Gravesites, ca.1775-2019

[8] 4th Virginia Infantry Roster (spanamwar.com)

[9] Camp Cuba Libre (spanamwar.com)

[10] 1910 United States Federal Census – Ancestry.com

[11] 1940 United States Federal Census – Ancestry.com

[12] U.S., Burial Registers, Military Posts and National Cemeteries, 1862-1960 – Ancestry.com

References

Biblography

“Correspondence Relating to the War with Spain”, Center for Military History, U.S. Army, Vol 1, The Organization of the Army during the Spanish-American War, page 509 and Organization of Volunteers, page 581 Camp Cuba Libre (spanamwar.com) (Accessed 6/11/2022)

“U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007,” Ancestry.com, Social Security Database, U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 – Ancestry.com (Accessed 6/11/2022), Date and Place of Birth.

Ancestry.com. 1940 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012. 1940 United States Federal Census – Ancestry.com (Accessed 6/12/2022)

Fold3 Fold3 – Redford, James Samuel in U.S. Veterans’ Gravesites, ca.1775-2019 (Accessed 6/11/2022)

4th Virginia Infantry Roster (spanamwar.com)

1900 United States Federal Census – Ancestry.com

U.S., Burial Registers, Military Posts and National Cemeteries, 1862-1960 – Ancestry.com

1880 United States Federal Census – Ancestry.com

U.S., Civil War Soldier Records and Profiles, 1861-1865 – Ancestry.com

1870 United States Federal Census – Ancestry.com

1910 United States Federal Census – Ancestry.com