James Wilson McKenzie was a substantial citizen of Texas during and
after the Civil War period. He was born in Mississippi and moved to 
Texas with his parents in 1856 when he was 16 years old, served in the 
Confederate Army, and later was an upstanding citizen of north central 
Texas.

1839-1860
        James Wilson McKenzie was born November 19, 1839, near 
Monticello in Lawrence County, Mississippi as shown on his Confederate 
Honorable Discharge papers. His father's name was Alexander W. McKenzie
and his mother's name was Albany Blount Carr. He accompanied his father
and family to Texas in 1856, moving to Walker County with the family in
April 1857.
                                                  1860

     On September 13, 1860, James married his first wife, Mary Ann 
Miller of Yazoo County, Mississippi, born July 8, 1845.3 James is 
listed in the 1860 Walker County, Texas, Federal Census with his 
father, Alexander, on written page 98, printed page 137.

 1861-1879 

       During this time period, the war between the states consumed 
everyone's life. After marrying in 1860, James "took up the burden of 
life on his own responsibility", working for a time in Walker County 
and later going to Madison County, where he cultivated land belonging 
to his father.
      At the beginning of the war between the states, James was not 
slow to show his colors and prove himself a true Southern man. He first
enlisted in July 1861 under Captain John Cleveland. However, when 
Captain Cleveland and his company went to the front in Virgina, James 
was left behind because of severe illness, and he was subsequently 
discharged from that command.

       On March 25, 1862, he again enlisted, this time at Galveston as 
a private of Company I, Twenty-sixth Texas Cavalry, De Bray's Brigade, 
Army of the Trans-Mississippi Department, J. R. Whitehead First Captain,
X. B. De Bray Colonel. James relates that "On being made a regiment by 
having several companies of scouts attached to the battalion, General 
Hebert, who was in command of the Western Division of the department 
at the time, announced by special order that Samuel Boyd Davis was to 
be our colonel. The men stacked arms and refused to serve under any 
appointed officer, and were then allowed to select as their colonel X. 
B. De Bray, the choice being unanimous". Col. De Bray was later 
promoted to Brigadier General at the battle of Mansfield, La., and J. J. 
Myers was promoted to colonel as his replacement.
      James spent the winter of 1862 in Wallisville, near the mouth of 
the Trinity River, with his company and one other which was stationed 
there. He was on detached service and had many privileges including 
having his wife spend the winter with him, boarding with a Mrs. Kilgore. 
He was there on January 1, 1863 when the battle of Galveston was fought. 
His company blew down the lighthouse on Bolivar Point just after the 
capture of the city, and captured seven Yankees (six privates and one 
lieutenant), who had landed for the purpose of foraging. He then spent 
about seven months on Galveston Island.
      James then did picket duty between Texarkana and Orange, TX, for
two years. He spent the winter of 1863 near the mouth of the trinity 
river as a courier working about four hours every other day. His 
leisure was passed in hunting and fishing, and he referred to this time
as one of the happiest periods of his life. He then participated in the
battles of Mansfield, La.(April 18, 1864), and Pleasant Hill(April 9, 
1864), and followed General Banks in his retreat to Yellow Bayou, where
they engaged him and "had the hardest fight of any, excepting Pleasant 
Hill".
      During the war, James had maintained residence in Walker County 
and it was here that he united with the Baptist Church at Huntsville 
in 1863. Ruben E. Brown and J. A. Kimbell attended and preached during 
the meeting. It was also here that his wife, Mary Ann Miller contracted 
an illness and died on December 9, 1864, leaving no children. James 
nursed her through this sickness, and after her death, rejoined his 
regiment at St. Augustine, Texas, January 1, 1865. He was made company 
clerk that same day and shortly thereafter was elected orderly sergeant, 
in which capacity he was retained until the close of the war. He 
carried the company into Houston on May 25, 1865 the last time it was 
out in service, and received his discharge on the same date. His 
Honorable Discharge papers stated that he was born in Lawrence County,
Mississippi; he was 25 years old, six feet one-half inches tall, fair 
complexion, blue eyes, auburn hair, and was a farmer. This document was
dated May 25, 1865, at Houston, Texas and signed by L. E. Trezevant, 
Captain. James later stated that he had worn out three good horses 
during the war.
      After the war, James moved to Madison County where he purchased 
one hundred eleven acres of land initially, and later added other lands
amounting in all to four hundred and thirty-six acres. It was in 
Madison County where James married Lauren Emeline Winn, daughter of
Burwell Green and Syrena (Spillars) Winn, on November 21, 1866. She was
born in Walker County, Texas, on September 30, 1848, and their union 
produced 10 children, one of whom died young. In 1867, he was at the 
old Trinity River Baptist Association, possibly in the 1870 census in 
Corpus Christi, Texas, and in the school years of 1871-72, and 1872-73,
received a Third Class Teacher's Certificate from the State of Texas.
     James and his family continued living in Madison County until 
November 1879. During this time, James served as the first sheriff of 
that county after the war, under the reconstruction regime.

1879-1911
      In 1879, less than ten years after the Comanche and Kiowa Indians
were reported swarming over Llano, Mason, and Gillespie Counties to the
south, and were devastating a wagon train in Jack County to the north17, 
James and Emeline moved to Comanche County where he bought one hundred 
and six acres of land located half way between Dublin and Carlton, near
the Purves community.
      James and some of his family are found in the 1880 Comanche 
County, Texas, Federal census. James belonged to the Comanche Baptist 
Association from 1880 to 1889; he served as Treasurer for the 
association for two years.
      On March 29 1881, James and William Miller opened a store at 
Miller's Mill, later known as Democrat Mills. The firm was to be known 
as Miller and McKenzie. The agreement was that Miller furnish the store 
house and necessary fixtures, a house in which James could live, do the
freighting until the cotton came in, and furnish half the required 
capital. James was to furnish the other half of the capital and manage 
the business. Merchandise on hand at the opening was valued at $377.31.
      

      On December 6, 1889, James purchased one hundred and nine acres 
one and one-half miles north east of Carlton, Hamilton Co., Texas. James 
moved to this land and continued farming operations successfully until 
April, 1893, at which time he moved into Carlton. This farm was still in 
the family on Christmas Day, 1906, when a family photograph was taken in 
front of the farm house.

        During this time, James served as the clerk of the Hamilton Baptist 
Association for one year, and served as moderator for four years. On May 22, 
1893, he was made postmaster of Carlton. He continued in this job at least 
until December 1897. Soon after this last move, he formed a partnership with 
Dr. J. H. Tull and started a drug and stationary store. During this general 
time period, he also served two terms as Justice of the Peace, and became a 
notary public in June 1895.

        James W. McKenzie died August 18, 1911, at age 71 at Carlton, Texas, 
and is buried in the cemetery there. Lauren Emeline Winn McKenzie died January 
29, 1929, at age 80, and is buried with James W.




J. R. McKenzie Jr
4365 Wedgworth Ct.
Fort Worth, Texas 76133
jrmckenz@flash.net