Military Monday~Pvt. James Arnold Sellers

James Arnold Sellers was born Sept 16, 1846¹ in Madison County, Tennessee to William Eddins Sellers and Elizabeth Parsons. William & Elizabeth left Chesterfield County, SC sometime before 1850. They are enumerated in the 1850 Census for Madison County, NC.²

1850 CENSUS: District 10, Madison County, Tennessee;  Roll: M432_889;   Image: 187, Page 305B (Written 610); Line 1, Dwelling 244, Family 244; Wm. E. SELLERS, Male, age 30, born in SC; Elizabeth SELLERS, age 28, born in SC; William R. SELLERS, Son, age 8, born in SC;  Andrew W. SELLERS, Son, age 6, born in SC; James A. SELLERS, Son, age 4, born in TN; Mary A. SELLERS, Daughter, age 2, born in TN and Luellen SELLERS, Daughter, age 1/12, born in TN.

Family tradition says that William Eddins Sellers was killed when he fell from the rafters of a church being built in 1854 Carroll County, Tennessee. (I have not been able to prove or disprove this folklore).³

In 1860, Elizabeth has returned to Chesterfield County without her husband  and 6 children; 4 sons and 2 daughter, one daughter is my great grandmother. Circumstantial evidence give some credibility to the story; something happen to William Eddins Sellers in Madison County, Tennessee. 
Regardless, she back home with 4 sons and rumors of War abounds.⁴

In January 1862, South Carolina succeeds from the Union.  On April 12, the first shots of the Civil War were fired on Fort Sumter.

By the end of 1861, her two oldest sons, William Riley and Andrew Washington Sellers had enlisted (Dec. 26, 1861) into the War.⁵

James  Arnold stayed behind at the early part of the war to take care of his Mother Elizabeth, two sisters, Mary Abigail and Louise Ellen Sellers. His younger brother Alonzo W. Sellers had passed away in April 1860. 

Then on February 26, 1863, James Arnold enlisted with Company “D”, 6th Regiment Calvary.⁶
James Arnold Sellers was wounded at Trevilian Station, VA on 11 June 1864; the first day of a 2 day battle.⁷ 



James Arnold returned home after the War, married twice and had elven (11) children between two wives. James Arnold and Sarah Jane had 8 children and with Nancy Jane Johnson he had three additional children.

James Arnold “Buck” Sellers died March 14, 1904. He is buried at Hopewell Baptist Church Cemetery, Chesterfield, South Carolina.⁸  

Photo Courtesy of Julious Burr

James Arnold “Buck” Sellers is my Great Grand Uncle; his sister Louise Ellen is my Great Grandmother.





Related Articles:

• http://carolinafamilyroots.blogspot.com/2012/02/interview-with-confederate-veteran.html
• http://carolinafamilyroots.blogspot.com/2012/03/great-great-grandparents.html

_____________________
[1] Jim Tipton, Find A Grave, digital image, http://www.findagrave.com; Headstone for James Arnold Sellers; (16 September 1846–14 March 1904); Memorial # 31354711; Record of the Hopewell Baptist Church Cemetery; Chesterfield, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, USA; Accessed on 3 March 2007.
[2] 1850 U. S. Census, Madison County, Tennessee, population schedule, District 10, Madison County, Tennessee, Page 305B; Line 1, Dwelling 244, Family 244, Household of Wm. E. SELLERS; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : viewed 2010); citing National Archives Microfilm M432 Roll 889.
[3] Interview with a Confederate Veteran obituary, The Chesterfield Advertiser, Chesterfield, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, 7 April 1932. Sellers, Confederate Veteran (conducted by Nellie Bristow, Florence Morning News, reprinted Chesterfield Advertiser, April 7, 1932).
[4] 1860 U. S. Census, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, population schedule, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, Page 130B; Line 28, Dwelling 0522, Family 0521, Household of Elizabeth SELLERS; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : viewed 2010); citing National Archives Microfilm M653_1217.
[5] http://www.fold3.com/image/66896091/
[6] http://www.fold3.com/image/20/65091847/
[7] http://www.fold3.com/image/20/65091893/
[8] Jim Tipton, Find A Grave, digital image, http://www.findagrave.com; Headstone for James Arnold Sellers; (16 September 1846–14 March 1904); Memorial # 31354711; Record of the Hopewell Baptist Church Cemetery; Chesterfield, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, USA; Accessed on 3 March 2007.