James B. Ingalls was born in Hancock county, Illinois,
December 29, 1839, and was reared in Jefferson and Webster counties, Iowa.
During the years of youth he worked on a farm in the summers and attended
school in winter. At Border Plains, January 25, 1862, he enlisted in Company D,
Sixteenth Iowa Infantry, which was mustered into the Union service in
Davenport, and drilled at Benton Barracks, later being ordered south and taking
part in the battles of Shiloh and Corinth, and the campaign in front of Vicksburg
under General Grant. In 1863 he returned home on a furlough, and at the
expiration of thirty days rejoined the army at Cairo, proceeding up the
Tennessee river to Clifton, and then across the country to join General Sherman
at Buzzard's Roost. On July 22, when Hood made the move against the left
wing of Sherman's army, he and eighteen other soldiers were captured by the
Confederates and taken to Andersonville, where he remained for sixty days,
meantime suffering all the horrors that made the prison famous throughout the
world. After his release he joined Sherman at Atlanta and accompanied him on
the march to the sea, thence went to Washington and took part in the grand
review. Next he was ordered to Parkersburg, Virginia, and there took a boat for
Louisville, Kentucky, where he was mustered out of the service. He was
honorably discharged at Davenport, Iowa, July 26, 1865. Returning home, he
resumed work on the farm and also was employed for a time in railroading.
The marriage of Mr. Ingalls was solemnized at Border Plains,
July 23, 1885, and united him with Mrs. China (Hendricks) Crawford, who was born
in Marion county, Tennessee, November 5, 1845, a daughter of Mark and Mary
(Standerfer) Hendricks, natives respectively of Indiana and Tennessee. Some
years after their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Hendricks removed to Missouri, in 1855,
and there both died, the father in 1862 and the mother in 1872. Their family
consisted of ten children: Blackstone, deceased; Anderson, who was killed while
in the service of his country during the Civil war; Caroline, Mrs. Jeremiah
Prior, deceased; Jane, widow of Lafayette Prigmore, and a resident of Marion
county, Tennessee; Phoenix, who died in California; Skelton, who died during
the Civil war; Amanda, Mrs. Josiah Conn, who died in Hickory county, Missouri:
Harrison, who married Susan Steinbaugh, and lives in Indian Territory; China,
Mrs. Ingalls; and Fatten, deceased.
By her first marriage Mrs. Ingalls had four children. No
children were born of her union to Mr. Ingalls, but they have adopted a
daughter. Winnie May, who was born in Lehigh, Iowa, November 14, 1885. Mrs.
Ingalls is connected with the Order of Rebekahs, and Mr. Ingalls is a member of
the Odd Fellows, and also the Grand Army of the Republic. They attend the
Church of Christ in Lehigh, and contribute to its maintenance. Politically he
is a Republican, firm in his allegiance to the party, and interested in public
affairs. His home property comprises forty acres on section 25, Washington
township, and in addition he owns property in Lehigh.
SOURCE: S. J. Clark Publishing Company, The
Biographical Record Of Webster County, Iowa, p. 415-6
