James A. McGregor

MCGREGOR, JAMES A. (1833 ~ 1923). James A. McGregor, Confederate veteran, was born in 1833 in Greenville, South Carolina.

According to the 1860 Census, McGregor was living in Dougherty County, Georgia by June 12, 1860, where he worked as a painter. With the outbreak of the Civil War, he enlisted in the Confederate Army and was mustered into Company E (also called the Albany Guard) of the 4th Regiment, Georgia Infantry on April 28, 1861.

Early in the War, McGregor was admitted to the hospital on 12 different occasions for several different infirmities. On August 20, 1863, McGregor was promoted to 1st Lieutenant of Company E in the 28th Battalion of the Georgia Siege Artillery and was discharged from the 4th Georgia Infantry on September 28, 1863.

Once in the 28th Battalion, McGregor likely participated in the Battle of Olustee, in Florida. From there, the 28th was divided into several companies. McGregor was assigned to Company E. Two of the new companies, F and H, were assigned to the Army of Northern Virginia and participated in the Battle of Petersburg and the Appomattox Campaign. The other companies, including McGregor's Company E, served in the Savannah area and in the North Carolina Campaign. They surrendered on April 26, 1865 under the command of Major A. Bonaud.

McGregor moved to Texas in 1869. He probably immigrated with his wife, Lavinia, or Laura, Ann Davis McGregor. Lavinia, who was a native of Crawford County, Georgia, was born around 1840. In 1894, James and Lavinia moved to Pittsburg, Camp County, where he worked as a painter and decorator. In 1899, while still living in Pittsburg, he successfully applied for a Confederate Pension from the State of Texas. Complaining of poor health and the inability to work, the couple moved to Fort Worth, where they may have lived with their son, J. M. McGregor.

Following his wife's death, McGregor moved to Austin to live in the Texas Confederate Men's Home. He moved in on December 1, 1916, but was later discharged for disorderly conduct on April 30, 1919. Even though his Home records state that he was not eligible for readmission, he returned to the Home on April 5, 1922.

McGregor died November 28, 1923, and was buried in the Texas State Cemetery the same day.

Information taken from: Compiled Military Service Records; National Park Service website, http://www.itd.nps.gov/cwss; 1860 Dougherty County, Georgia Census, http://ftp.rootsweb.com/pub/usgenweb/ga/dougherty/census/1860/pg539.txt; Confederate Pension Application #00674; Confederate Home Roster; Death Certificate #034680; and information provided by descendant, Laura A. Hickey.