Biography of James Horton

James Horton was born in Goshen, New York in 1842. His family moved to Muscatine, Iowa in 1848 where he completed his education. He accepted a position with the J. B. Ayers Mercantile Company in Ft. Dodge, Iowa.

After the outbreak of the Civil War, he joined a Company which had been formed in Ft. Dodge. That Company was mustered into Federal Service in September 1861 and became Company "A" of the 11th Pennsylvania Cavalry. At age 19, James served as a Corporal in Company "A" from 1861 until December 1863, when he accepted a commission as First Lieutenant in Company "K" of the 8th Iowa Cavalry.

The 8th Iowa moved from Nashville, Tennessee to near Atlanta, Georgia by the late Spring of 1864 and joined Sherman's forces surrounding Atlanta from the North. The 8th Iowa became part of the First Brigade under General McCook in a daring series of Cavalry Raids behind Confederate lines known as "McCook's Raid." The raid began on July 27, 1864. While guarding the rear of the Brigade as it moved from Lovejoy's Station, Georgia on July 29, 1864, the 8th Iowa bore the brunt of an attack by Confederate Cavalry that afternoon. Leading the charge at the head of the column, First Lt. James Horton was killed by pistol fire from the charging Confederate Cavalry. He was 22 years old and Acting Regimental Adjutant at this time. He died instantly and was buried near the site of the battle.

In January of 1866, his brothers, Colonel Charles C. Horton (2nd Iowa Cavalry) and Pvt. Edwin Horton (44th Iowa Infantry), returned James' body to Muscatine, Iowa where he was buried on February 3, 1866. When the great Civil War Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument on the Iowa Capitol Grounds in Des Moines was built, Lt. James Horton was chosen to represent, on the Monument, all Iowa Cavalrymen who fought in the Civil War. His statue stands today as a tribute to those brave Iowa Cavalrymen.

Source: John Brockway, great-nephew. Special thanks to Les Baitzer for writing this article & submitting it. E-mail to webmaster Dec 2003.