Learned tanner's trade prior to Civil War at Peru, Huron Co., Ohio and lived with Deacon Kingsbury.

Enlisted in 3rd Regiment Ohio Volunteer Calvary after Fort Sumter was fired on and trained in Monroeville, Ohio.

3rd Regiment Ohio Volunteer Calvary organized in September 1861 at Monroeville, Huron Co., Ohio.

14 Jan 1862 from Camp Worester to Camp Dennison

February 1862 - Jeffersonville, Indiana (opposite Louisville)

2-18 March 1862 - unit moved to Nashville, Tennessee

29 March 1862 - left Nashville for Pittsburg Landing

25 April 1862 - arrived at Pittsburg Landing and went into camp four miles from the river

27 May 1862 - Siege of Corith, Mississippi; picked up on battlefield by Confederate Rebel "Old Fellows" when sick with fever. Rode a federal gunboat to Cincinnati, Ohio to recuperate. [Odd Fellows was some kind of organization that James Ransom Hall belonged; this later to be investigated]

4 Aug 1862 - Commissioned 2nd Lieutenant

23 Mar 1863 - Resigned (Discharged) from the Army of the Cumberland at Huntsville, Alabama

m. 17 JUN 1863 - Kalamazoo, Michigan

Jul 1863 - Norwalk, Huron, Ohio

Fall 1864 - Northeast of Waterloo, Black Hawk Co., Iowa

"Later" - 80 Acres, 12 miles east of Waverly, Brewer Co., Iowa

1868 - Moved into "Lush" home in Waverly, Brewer Co., Iowa, abandoned farm

Oct 1868 - Moved into cottage on the west side of Water Street on a lot running back to Cedar River

1869-1871 - Superintendent of schools

~1868-1870 - Joined St. Andrews Episcopal Church, Cornelia joined Baptist church where Jeremiah Hall was pastor.

-1870 - Was sewing machine agent

~1870 - Moved to Jeremiah Hall's home on Slate (or State) Street

Fall 1871 - Great Chicago Fire

1873 - Invested in patent washer to manufacturer & sell but folded when banks failed

Panic of 1873 - Lost house on Slate (or State) Street to foreclosure

Winter 1873-1874 through spring of 1874- Left family in Waverly for Kansas City to look for work. Was car-sweeper @ $43/mo. also trained to become telegrapher and worked in Olathe, Kansas. Telegrapher in those days read ticker tape instead of directly translating what was heard on the telegraph.

Spring 1874 - Moved over store on Main Street, Olathe, Kansas

Spring 1874 - Traveled to Uncle Albert L. Drew's farm at Chickanning Corners and Uncle Harvey L. Drew at Brownville, Michigan north of Three Oaks, Michigan.

Summer 1874 - Moved to Toledo, Ohio on Buffalo Street. Then moved across Maumee River and rented house.

Winter 1874/75 - Out of work, scrounged potatoes from field's in order to eat

Spring 1875 - Joined Baptist Church because no Episcopal. Disagreed with Episcopal baptism but liked everything else.

Spring 1875 - Called to be pastor of baptist church at Auburn Center(near Tiro, near Plymouth - about 6 miles) Crawford Co., Ohio

April 1875 - Moved to Tiro, Crawford Co., Ohio

Spring 1880 - Resigned as pastor at Auburn and became pastor to churches at Windsor and Harmony churches (small community churches). Settled in Shelby which was about 7 miles from Plymouth, Ohio.

1880 census - Living on Main Street in Shelby, Richland Co., OH

Spring/May 1881 - Called to become pastor at baptist church of Geneva, Ashtabula Co., Ohio

2 Jul 1881 - President Garfield shot

19 Sep 1881 - President Garfield dies.

Fall 1882 - Assaulted by Charles Button, hit in head with club. Recovered in sanitarium's at Green Springs, Ohio and Clifton Springs, New York.

Spring 1883 - Family moves to Ottowa, Kansas.

Spring 1884 - Accepted pastorate at Twinsburg, Ohio 20 miles south of Cleveland.

1888 - Drops Twinsburg pastorate to start broom factory with son Fletcher at Geneva, Ohio only to be priced out by large manufacturers within the year.

1889 - Resumed pastorate of small church south of Oberlin, Ohio

1898 - Went to live with Frank Drew Hall in Fargo, North Dakota