He was born on a plantation near Gainesville, Alabama.
He is listed as "James Bates Isbell Jr." in Southside Virginia Families by John Bennett Boddie, vol. 1 (1955), p.42 and Historical Southern Families by John Bennett Boddie, vol. III (1959), pp.178, 180.
His great-grandson James Branch Isbell III said he was sure that his great-grandfather's name was James Bates Isbell Jr.
His cousin Rosemary Holdredge says that this may be an incorrect assumption and that she has been unable to find his middle name recorded in any original contemporary documents. It is listed as Broaddus on his death certificate in 1914, signed by his son Francis Taylor Isbell. Francis Taylor Isbell named his own first-born James Broaddus Isbell in 1905. Francis Taylor Isbell's grandfather James Bates Isbell Sr. was a maternal grandson of Frances Broaddus Bates, so James Bates Isbell "Sr" could have named his own son James Broaddus for his maternal grandmother.
"He never told anyone what the "B" stood for; it could have been any of several family names. When he was 17, he enlisted in the 36th Alabama Infantry and was stationed in Mobile, AL. While there, he contracted typhoid fever, and his mother came down to Mobile, where she bought a substitute for him and took him home to care for him. When he regained his health some months later, she bought him a warhorse and he enlisted in the 16th Confederate Cavalry, reorganized as the 12th Mississippi Cavalry, under Gen. Nathan B. Forrest. After the Battle of Fort Pillow, the officer in charge of Company H resigned, and Isbell was elected captain. He and this unit also saw service at the Battles of Atlanta; Franklin, TN; and Nashville, TN. He surrendered his company on May 9, 1865, in Gainesville, not far from where he was born, close to his 21st birthday."
In 1869, James Isbell married his sweetheart, Harriet Eddins, whom he had met while foraging for the Confederate Army. With Harriet and his four children Benjamin Eddins (1870-1948), James Branch (1872-1943), Francis Taylor (1875-1948), and Harriet Elizabeth (1877-1881), he moved to Horatio, Arkansas, where he lived for the rest of his life. He cared little for his war mementoes and gave them all away. When grandchildren asked about his experiences in the Civil War, he said nothing and glared at them.
He became a farmer and orchardist, winning first prize and a gold medal in the 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis for his apples. He was a member of the John H. Morgan Camp of the United Confederate Veterans until his death in 1914. He was buried in a Confederate uniform, which he had purchased not long before his death for that purpose.
As a prominent citizen of Horatio, James Isbell was honored by the closing of the school and businesses on the day of his funeral so that all could attend. He was survived by his wife and sons; a brother, Bolling Branch Isbell of Odessa, TX; a sister, Mrs. T.C. McDonald of Birmingham, AL; and several grandchildren.
Lineage:
1 John Isbell (England to Gloucester County, Virginia by 1664), presumptive father of
2 William Isbell, Sr. of Isbell Spring, St. John's Parish, King William County;
+ wife unknown
3 Henry Isbell b.c1690 of Orange Co.; constable of Caroline Co., d. c1760
+ daughter of Elizabeth & "James Cox, Gent." (d c1739 St. Mark's Parish, Orange Co.)
4 William Isbell b c1722 d 1807 Goochland Co., Virginia
+ Ann Dillard
George B. Isbell 1746-1817
+Susanne Eubank Smith
George B. Isbell 1791-1819
+Frances Pryor Bates
James Bates Isbell 1813-1857
+Eliz Ann Branch (his cousin)*
Capt. James B. Isbell 1844-1914
+Harriett Aurelia Eddins
James Branch Isbell 1872-1943
+Elizabeth Mitchell Perrin
James Branch Isbell II 1903-1951
+Estelle Williams
James Branch Isbell III
+Elsie Marie Martin
Some family trees show Henry Isbell's mother-in-law Elizabeth Cox as a Cary while others say she was Elizabeth Pleasants, daughter of John Pleasants and Jane Larcome Tucker.
James B. Isbell married Harriett Aurelia Eddins who was a descendant of Woodsons, Pleasants, and also said to be a descendant of Jane Larcome Tucker. If these family trees are correct, then James B. Isbell and wife Harriett Aurelia Eddins would be distant cousins.
Capt. James B. Isbell's son James Branch Isbell Sr. was the father of Katherine Isbell Murphy and grandfather of Harriet Ann Murphy Auchincloss whose father-in-law Reginald L. Auchincloss was a first cousin of Hugh D. Auchincloss Jr., the stepfather of novelist Gore Vidal as well as former First Lady Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis.
He is listed as "James Bates Isbell Jr." in Southside Virginia Families by John Bennett Boddie, vol. 1 (1955), p.42 and Historical Southern Families by John Bennett Boddie, vol. III (1959), pp.178, 180.
His great-grandson James Branch Isbell III said he was sure that his great-grandfather's name was James Bates Isbell Jr.
His cousin Rosemary Holdredge says that this may be an incorrect assumption and that she has been unable to find his middle name recorded in any original contemporary documents. It is listed as Broaddus on his death certificate in 1914, signed by his son Francis Taylor Isbell. Francis Taylor Isbell named his own first-born James Broaddus Isbell in 1905. Francis Taylor Isbell's grandfather James Bates Isbell Sr. was a maternal grandson of Frances Broaddus Bates, so James Bates Isbell "Sr" could have named his own son James Broaddus for his maternal grandmother.
"He never told anyone what the "B" stood for; it could have been any of several family names. When he was 17, he enlisted in the 36th Alabama Infantry and was stationed in Mobile, AL. While there, he contracted typhoid fever, and his mother came down to Mobile, where she bought a substitute for him and took him home to care for him. When he regained his health some months later, she bought him a warhorse and he enlisted in the 16th Confederate Cavalry, reorganized as the 12th Mississippi Cavalry, under Gen. Nathan B. Forrest. After the Battle of Fort Pillow, the officer in charge of Company H resigned, and Isbell was elected captain. He and this unit also saw service at the Battles of Atlanta; Franklin, TN; and Nashville, TN. He surrendered his company on May 9, 1865, in Gainesville, not far from where he was born, close to his 21st birthday."
In 1869, James Isbell married his sweetheart, Harriet Eddins, whom he had met while foraging for the Confederate Army. With Harriet and his four children Benjamin Eddins (1870-1948), James Branch (1872-1943), Francis Taylor (1875-1948), and Harriet Elizabeth (1877-1881), he moved to Horatio, Arkansas, where he lived for the rest of his life. He cared little for his war mementoes and gave them all away. When grandchildren asked about his experiences in the Civil War, he said nothing and glared at them.
He became a farmer and orchardist, winning first prize and a gold medal in the 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis for his apples. He was a member of the John H. Morgan Camp of the United Confederate Veterans until his death in 1914. He was buried in a Confederate uniform, which he had purchased not long before his death for that purpose.
As a prominent citizen of Horatio, James Isbell was honored by the closing of the school and businesses on the day of his funeral so that all could attend. He was survived by his wife and sons; a brother, Bolling Branch Isbell of Odessa, TX; a sister, Mrs. T.C. McDonald of Birmingham, AL; and several grandchildren.
Lineage:
1 John Isbell (England to Gloucester County, Virginia by 1664), presumptive father of
2 William Isbell, Sr. of Isbell Spring, St. John's Parish, King William County;
+ wife unknown
3 Henry Isbell b.c1690 of Orange Co.; constable of Caroline Co., d. c1760
+ daughter of Elizabeth & "James Cox, Gent." (d c1739 St. Mark's Parish, Orange Co.)
4 William Isbell b c1722 d 1807 Goochland Co., Virginia
+ Ann Dillard
George B. Isbell 1746-1817
+Susanne Eubank Smith
George B. Isbell 1791-1819
+Frances Pryor Bates
James Bates Isbell 1813-1857
+Eliz Ann Branch (his cousin)*
Capt. James B. Isbell 1844-1914
+Harriett Aurelia Eddins
James Branch Isbell 1872-1943
+Elizabeth Mitchell Perrin
James Branch Isbell II 1903-1951
+Estelle Williams
James Branch Isbell III
+Elsie Marie Martin
Some family trees show Henry Isbell's mother-in-law Elizabeth Cox as a Cary while others say she was Elizabeth Pleasants, daughter of John Pleasants and Jane Larcome Tucker.
James B. Isbell married Harriett Aurelia Eddins who was a descendant of Woodsons, Pleasants, and also said to be a descendant of Jane Larcome Tucker. If these family trees are correct, then James B. Isbell and wife Harriett Aurelia Eddins would be distant cousins.
Capt. James B. Isbell's son James Branch Isbell Sr. was the father of Katherine Isbell Murphy and grandfather of Harriet Ann Murphy Auchincloss whose father-in-law Reginald L. Auchincloss was a first cousin of Hugh D. Auchincloss Jr., the stepfather of novelist Gore Vidal as well as former First Lady Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis.
He was born on a plantation near Gainesville, Alabama.
He is listed as "James Bates Isbell Jr." in Southside Virginia Families by John Bennett Boddie, vol. 1 (1955), p.42 and Historical Southern Families by John Bennett Boddie, vol. III (1959), pp.178, 180.
His great-grandson James Branch Isbell III said he was sure that his great-grandfather's name was James Bates Isbell Jr.
His cousin Rosemary Holdredge says that this may be an incorrect assumption and that she has been unable to find his middle name recorded in any original contemporary documents. It is listed as Broaddus on his death certificate in 1914, signed by his son Francis Taylor Isbell. Francis Taylor Isbell named his own first-born James Broaddus Isbell in 1905. Francis Taylor Isbell's grandfather James Bates Isbell Sr. was a maternal grandson of Frances Broaddus Bates, so James Bates Isbell "Sr" could have named his own son James Broaddus for his maternal grandmother.
"He never told anyone what the "B" stood for; it could have been any of several family names. When he was 17, he enlisted in the 36th Alabama Infantry and was stationed in Mobile, AL. While there, he contracted typhoid fever, and his mother came down to Mobile, where she bought a substitute for him and took him home to care for him. When he regained his health some months later, she bought him a warhorse and he enlisted in the 16th Confederate Cavalry, reorganized as the 12th Mississippi Cavalry, under Gen. Nathan B. Forrest. After the Battle of Fort Pillow, the officer in charge of Company H resigned, and Isbell was elected captain. He and this unit also saw service at the Battles of Atlanta; Franklin, TN; and Nashville, TN. He surrendered his company on May 9, 1865, in Gainesville, not far from where he was born, close to his 21st birthday."
In 1869, James Isbell married his sweetheart, Harriet Eddins, whom he had met while foraging for the Confederate Army. With Harriet and his four children Benjamin Eddins (1870-1948), James Branch (1872-1943), Francis Taylor (1875-1948), and Harriet Elizabeth (1877-1881), he moved to Horatio, Arkansas, where he lived for the rest of his life. He cared little for his war mementoes and gave them all away. When grandchildren asked about his experiences in the Civil War, he said nothing and glared at them.
He became a farmer and orchardist, winning first prize and a gold medal in the 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis for his apples. He was a member of the John H. Morgan Camp of the United Confederate Veterans until his death in 1914. He was buried in a Confederate uniform, which he had purchased not long before his death for that purpose.
As a prominent citizen of Horatio, James Isbell was honored by the closing of the school and businesses on the day of his funeral so that all could attend. He was survived by his wife and sons; a brother, Bolling Branch Isbell of Odessa, TX; a sister, Mrs. T.C. McDonald of Birmingham, AL; and several grandchildren.
Lineage:
1 John Isbell (England to Gloucester County, Virginia by 1664), presumptive father of
2 William Isbell, Sr. of Isbell Spring, St. John's Parish, King William County;
+ wife unknown
3 Henry Isbell b.c1690 of Orange Co.; constable of Caroline Co., d. c1760
+ daughter of Elizabeth & "James Cox, Gent." (d c1739 St. Mark's Parish, Orange Co.)
4 William Isbell b c1722 d 1807 Goochland Co., Virginia
+ Ann Dillard
George B. Isbell 1746-1817
+Susanne Eubank Smith
George B. Isbell 1791-1819
+Frances Pryor Bates
James Bates Isbell 1813-1857
+Eliz Ann Branch (his cousin)*
Capt. James B. Isbell 1844-1914
+Harriett Aurelia Eddins
James Branch Isbell 1872-1943
+Elizabeth Mitchell Perrin
James Branch Isbell II 1903-1951
+Estelle Williams
James Branch Isbell III
+Elsie Marie Martin
Some family trees show Henry Isbell's mother-in-law Elizabeth Cox as a Cary while others say she was Elizabeth Pleasants, daughter of John Pleasants and Jane Larcome Tucker.
James B. Isbell married Harriett Aurelia Eddins who was a descendant of Woodsons, Pleasants, and also said to be a descendant of Jane Larcome Tucker. If these family trees are correct, then James B. Isbell and wife Harriett Aurelia Eddins would be distant cousins.
Capt. James B. Isbell's son James Branch Isbell Sr. was the father of Katherine Isbell Murphy and grandfather of Harriet Ann Murphy Auchincloss whose father-in-law Reginald L. Auchincloss was a first cousin of Hugh D. Auchincloss Jr., the stepfather of novelist Gore Vidal as well as former First Lady Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis.
He is listed as "James Bates Isbell Jr." in Southside Virginia Families by John Bennett Boddie, vol. 1 (1955), p.42 and Historical Southern Families by John Bennett Boddie, vol. III (1959), pp.178, 180.
His great-grandson James Branch Isbell III said he was sure that his great-grandfather's name was James Bates Isbell Jr.
His cousin Rosemary Holdredge says that this may be an incorrect assumption and that she has been unable to find his middle name recorded in any original contemporary documents. It is listed as Broaddus on his death certificate in 1914, signed by his son Francis Taylor Isbell. Francis Taylor Isbell named his own first-born James Broaddus Isbell in 1905. Francis Taylor Isbell's grandfather James Bates Isbell Sr. was a maternal grandson of Frances Broaddus Bates, so James Bates Isbell "Sr" could have named his own son James Broaddus for his maternal grandmother.
"He never told anyone what the "B" stood for; it could have been any of several family names. When he was 17, he enlisted in the 36th Alabama Infantry and was stationed in Mobile, AL. While there, he contracted typhoid fever, and his mother came down to Mobile, where she bought a substitute for him and took him home to care for him. When he regained his health some months later, she bought him a warhorse and he enlisted in the 16th Confederate Cavalry, reorganized as the 12th Mississippi Cavalry, under Gen. Nathan B. Forrest. After the Battle of Fort Pillow, the officer in charge of Company H resigned, and Isbell was elected captain. He and this unit also saw service at the Battles of Atlanta; Franklin, TN; and Nashville, TN. He surrendered his company on May 9, 1865, in Gainesville, not far from where he was born, close to his 21st birthday."
In 1869, James Isbell married his sweetheart, Harriet Eddins, whom he had met while foraging for the Confederate Army. With Harriet and his four children Benjamin Eddins (1870-1948), James Branch (1872-1943), Francis Taylor (1875-1948), and Harriet Elizabeth (1877-1881), he moved to Horatio, Arkansas, where he lived for the rest of his life. He cared little for his war mementoes and gave them all away. When grandchildren asked about his experiences in the Civil War, he said nothing and glared at them.
He became a farmer and orchardist, winning first prize and a gold medal in the 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis for his apples. He was a member of the John H. Morgan Camp of the United Confederate Veterans until his death in 1914. He was buried in a Confederate uniform, which he had purchased not long before his death for that purpose.
As a prominent citizen of Horatio, James Isbell was honored by the closing of the school and businesses on the day of his funeral so that all could attend. He was survived by his wife and sons; a brother, Bolling Branch Isbell of Odessa, TX; a sister, Mrs. T.C. McDonald of Birmingham, AL; and several grandchildren.
Lineage:
1 John Isbell (England to Gloucester County, Virginia by 1664), presumptive father of
2 William Isbell, Sr. of Isbell Spring, St. John's Parish, King William County;
+ wife unknown
3 Henry Isbell b.c1690 of Orange Co.; constable of Caroline Co., d. c1760
+ daughter of Elizabeth & "James Cox, Gent." (d c1739 St. Mark's Parish, Orange Co.)
4 William Isbell b c1722 d 1807 Goochland Co., Virginia
+ Ann Dillard
George B. Isbell 1746-1817
+Susanne Eubank Smith
George B. Isbell 1791-1819
+Frances Pryor Bates
James Bates Isbell 1813-1857
+Eliz Ann Branch (his cousin)*
Capt. James B. Isbell 1844-1914
+Harriett Aurelia Eddins
James Branch Isbell 1872-1943
+Elizabeth Mitchell Perrin
James Branch Isbell II 1903-1951
+Estelle Williams
James Branch Isbell III
+Elsie Marie Martin
Some family trees show Henry Isbell's mother-in-law Elizabeth Cox as a Cary while others say she was Elizabeth Pleasants, daughter of John Pleasants and Jane Larcome Tucker.
James B. Isbell married Harriett Aurelia Eddins who was a descendant of Woodsons, Pleasants, and also said to be a descendant of Jane Larcome Tucker. If these family trees are correct, then James B. Isbell and wife Harriett Aurelia Eddins would be distant cousins.
Capt. James B. Isbell's son James Branch Isbell Sr. was the father of Katherine Isbell Murphy and grandfather of Harriet Ann Murphy Auchincloss whose father-in-law Reginald L. Auchincloss was a first cousin of Hugh D. Auchincloss Jr., the stepfather of novelist Gore Vidal as well as former First Lady Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis.
Bio by: Rosemary Holdredge
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