James A Matthews

• Military_service: Kentucky, United States - 1863
• Residence: Owen county, part of, Owen, Kentucky, United States - 1850
• Residence: District 2, Owen, Kentucky, United States - 1860
• Residence: Kentucky, United States - 1870
• Residence: Bond Township Birds vill., Lawrence, Illinois, United States - 1900
• Residence: Petty, Lawrence, Illinois, United States - 1910
• Residence: Petty, Lawrence, Illinois, United States - 1920
• Residence: Petty Township - 12 October 1920

"...Never-the-less, it appears from the records of James Matthews, at least some Confederate POWs were offered the opportunity to be paroled if they would desert the Confederate Army and enlist in the Union Army for duty out west fighting Indians.

James Matthews’ Union Army service records have not been discovered as of this writing but we know he was assigned to Douglas, UT sometime in 1864 or 1865. While there he had an affair with a laundress at the Fort, Elizabeth Fairchild Young Lyman McMurray. The product of that union was William Matthews later adopted by William Lowery Chastain and taking the name William Matthew Chastain.

James Matthews was discharged from Fort Douglas early in 1866 and left before learning that Elizabeth was pregnant. He returned to Kentucky and in late March of 1868 married Sophia Smith in Owen, Kentucky. They subsequently relocated their family of a daughter and two sons to Sumner, Lawrence, Illinois.

Many years later, about 1910, William Matthew Chastain began to look for his biological father. He located him in Sumner, IL. He began an enduring correspondence with him. James acknowledged his relationship with Elizabeth and acknowledged William as the son of that union and his son..."

SOURCE: "Story of James Matthews Civil War Service and how He Became My Great Grandfather"; Contributed By: Keith Clifford Chastain · 8 September 2016; Retrived from familysearch.org from profile of William Matthew Chastain (KPH3-J4Z)