My great great grandfather, James Eiland, always sticks in my mind as one of my more interesting ancestors. He was the son of Frances Marion Eiland and Elmina Jones. Born in Alabama on 23 August 1840, James was the third of possibly eight children. James and his older brother, Absalom, both served in the 29th Alabama Infantry during the Civil War. James was captured by Union forces as Sherman marched toward Atlanta. I can only assume as a measure of self-preservation, James enlisted in the Union Navy and was stationed aboard the USS Susquehanna until the end of the war, becoming my “galvanized Yankee” ancestor.
When he returned to Alabama, he married Rebecca Hayes on 11 June 1865. Their children were: William, John, Enoch, James, Basil, Arthur, Ed and Anna Rebecca. All but the older two are pictured below with James, Rebecca and their own families. The photo was taken in October 1898.
James is of course in the center, seated next to Rebecca. I love the way his hair is combed upward, just like the “younger dudes” today.
He died of a spider bite in 1908 in San Angelo, Texas.
Marue
