James was born on July 8, 1837 in the community of Union City, Union Co., Indiana, the son of William and Ellen Scott. William was from Rhode Island and Ellen from Kentucky. At some point James moved to Connersville, in Fayette Co., Indiana and apprenticed himself to learn to be a tinsmith. James remained working at this trade until 1861 and the outbreak of the Civil War. At that time he enlisted in the Union army and on August 24, 1861 was mustered into service in the 3rd Indiana Light Artillery as a Sergeant.
During the Battle of Lone Jack, Sgt. Scott was directing the actions of the section because the lieutenant in charge had been placed under arrest. James was wounded in the battle but left the field with the rest of the Union forces and went back to Lexington. According to the Report of the Adjutant General of the State of Indiana, Sgt. Scott was promoted to 1st Lieutenant. He left the 3rd Indiana and was commissioned as a 1st Lieutenant in the 22nd Indiana Light Artillery and mustered in on December 15, 1862. He resigned this commission on March 29, 1863 as a result of the wounds he received at Lone Jack.
James returned to Missouri as a civilian and, on May 19, 1863, married Mary Cornelia “Nellie” Hyatt in Cole Co., Missouri. She was born in Portsmouth, Ohio on November 27, 1844. By this union eight children were born: Charles M. arrived on October 20, 1865, but died eight days later; Mary J. was born on May 1, 1867; Edith M. was born on April 8, 1870; Ella was born on March 14, 1872 and died January 11, 1873; Georgia Kate was born on March 27, 1875; Hattie E. arrived on April 1, 1877, dying on January 17, 1878; and Robert H. “Bertie’ was born on May 7, 1880.
In January 1865 James and Nellie moved to Hannibal, Missouri and he engaged in the grocery business. In August 1865 they moved to Brookfield, Missouri where he did various odd jobs to make a living. He listed himself as a farmer on the 1870 Census and showed a Real Estate Value of $4000 and a Personal Estate of $600. On April 14, 1871, James filed for a Veteran’s Pension and received Certificate no. 128940. In September of 1876, the family moved to St. Catharine and James went into business as a tinsmith (that trade he learned years before) and a general hardware merchant. In addition, he was appointed township clerk in 1876 and was then elected to the same position in 1877.
On the 1880 Census, James was a widower, as Nellie had died on May 18, 1880. He was living with his oldest daughter, Mary, who was keeping house for him, along with his other two daughters and his one month old son. In April 1881, James was elected township clerk and assessor and held that post for some time after. According to the 1882 History of Linn County, Missouri, “Mr. Scott has a fine residence and four lots in St. Catharine, Missouri, and is doing a thriving business.”
James married Mary J. Wyatt, also a resident of St. Catharine, Missouri, on February 22, 1883. The service was conducted by C. H. John who was “A Preacher of the Gospel”. Mary was listed as “Mrs.”, so she apparently was married once before also.
By the time of his death, James and Mary had moved to Marceline, Missouri. James died on Sunday, July 2, 1893 in Marceline. One of the newspapers reported that he died “after a long illness, results of gun shot wounds at the Battle of Lone Jack”. James was buried in the Rose Hill Cemetery in Brookfield, Missouri, beside his first wife, Mary (“Nellie”), and their children who preceded him.