James A. Lagle was born in Jefferson Co., Kentucky on December 9, 1824. I also found information that he was born in North Carolina, but most documents show he was born in Kentucky. He was the fourth child of John Lagle and Jenny Watson. Sometime before 1828 he and his parents moved to Indiana where his sister was born. Both his mother and father died in Indiana in 1837. James married Catherine Askren in Harrison Co., Indiana on March 4, 1849; he was of legal age and she had her father’s consent. By 1860, James, Catherine and two children were living in Bentonsport, Van Buren Co., Iowa.
On August 9, 1861, James enlisted at Warsaw, Illinois for 3 years service. He was 36 years old, with gray eyes, light hair, light complexion and listed his occupation as a shoemaker. He was 5 feet 6 inches in height. James mustered into “Capt. Brawner’s Co., Black Hawk Missouri Vols.” This organization subsequently became Co. A, 7th Missouri Volunteer Cavalry. He was provided with a government horse and equipment, and, according to the records, he was present for duty every month from enlistment through the end of 1862.
At the Battle of Lone Jack, James was “wounded in the leg, slightly’. It must have been “slightly” since he was not shown as being in a hospital after the battle, nor was he left at Lone Jack and captured.
There appears to be no out of the ordinary activities during his service. On February 26, 1864, he reenlisted in the 7th as a Veteran Volunteer and he mustered out of service on October 11, 1864 in St. Louis, Missouri. He owed $8.47 for clothing and was due $100.00. He served as a Private during his time in service.
After the war James returned to Bentonsport, Iowa and renewed civilian life. On the 1870 census, he was living in Bentonsport with his wife and four children. He was a Laborer who could read but could not write, had a Personal Estate Value of $100, and here is the one place where he listed his birth place as North Carolina. By the 1880 census, he was still living in Van Buren Co., Iowa with his wife, a son and a daughter, and he listed himself as a “farmer”. James was back to listing his place of birth as “Ky”. In 1885, James and his family were living at “East Vernon Block 2 Lot 3”, still in Henry Township, Van Buren Co., Iowa.
On August 8, 1889, James died in Bentonsport and is buried in the Bentonsport Cemetery. His stone does not appear to be a government stone, but it has the same shape with a lightly etched shield and an American flag in the center. His service in the 7th Mo. Cav. is noted on the stone.