Evening Republican, Volume 14, Number 71, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 March 1910 — CAPTAIN BURNHAM ANSWERS THE LAST ROLL CALL [ARTICLE]

CAPTAIN BURNHAM ANSWERS THE LAST ROLL CALL

Well Known Soldier Citizen Died Wednesday Afternoon After Illness of Several Weeks. As briefly announced in the Wednesday Evening Republican, Captain James A. Burnham died that afternoon at about 2:30 o’clock, after an illness that covered a period of several months and that confined him to his home for a number of weeks. Acute brights disease and dropsy of the heart were the direct causes of death. Probably no soldier in Jasper coun-: ty has had so widq an acquaintance with veterans of the civil war as Captain Burnham. In addition to being an energetic worker in the. Grand Army of the Republic, he has been a ptusfon Agent for many years and has handled much of tbe pension business for his comrades and their widows in this county.* He was a man of strict honesty and showed a deep personal interest in securing for his fellow soldiers, their rights under the pension laws. He was engaged in this work up to the time that he was compelled by poor health to give -it up and it is probable that much uncompleted business was left behind and that the comrades, who were depending upon his knowledge of the«pension laws to secure adjustment of claims

will now have to look elsewhere for a completion of the work he had so systematically begun. Captain Burnham was born in Hollis, now Dayton, York county, Maine, May 24, 1836, and was therefore nearing his 74th birthday. He was the son of Simon and Mary J. Burnham. His father was a ship carpenter and farmer and moved to New Hampshire when James was a young boy and there died. Seven sons and eight daughters comprised the family and all were living at the birth of the youngest child. Mr. Burnham remained on the farm until he was 16 years old and attended the common schools. He then went to Biddeford and worked in a cotton factory, then at blasting rock and quarrying stone. He became interested when only 20 years of age, at the struggle Kansas was making to throw off the yoke of slavery and proclaim herself a free state. His interest led him to Kansas, where he remained from 1857 to 1861, and he rendered to the free state movement all the power he was possessed of. After leaving Kansas, he spent some time in St. Joseph, Mo., and at several points in Illinois. He drifted from place to place, Working at anything he > could get to do and was much of the time without money. He finally started to Rensselaer, where his sister, Mrs. M. L. Spitler was living. Captain Mil-

roy was raising his company but it was filled before Mr. Burnham reached Rensselaer and Mr. Burnham went to work as a Carpenter. That fall he taught school, but when the next call came he offered his services, enlisting in Company A, of the 87th volunteers. He continued in service until Jurito 10, 1865, when he was mustered out. He was married to L. Knox, a native of Maine, and one child was born to the union, Este L., the wife of Charles Morlan, at whose home he died. He taught school after his return from the war and later became deputy to different county officials, where his ability as a mathematician and bookkeeper made his services very valuable. During the meantime he studied law and was admitted to the bar, and later took up the pension agent employment. He was the main mover in the organization of Rensselaer Post No. 84, Grand Army of the Republic, and was the first commander of the post. He devoted himself to the post until his health became such that he could no longer attend its meetings, and his activities in the local G. A. R. affairs will make his loss keenly felt to the order as well as to the individual members end all the old soldiers and the public in general. He was a deotved member of the Church of God and his funeral will take place at that church Friday after-

noon at 2 o’clock. It will be preached by Rev. Williams, of Hillsboro. The Grand Army of the Republic will conduct services at the grave.