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James Burridge was born on March 23, 1847 at Crediton, Devon, England, the youngest of eight children and the son of John and Mary Burridge an agricultural worker, between 1828 and 1847. The 1851 census for Devon lists a James Burridge, age 3, living and born in Crediton on Fordtown Road. It lists his father as one John Burridge, age 50 and a farm labourer, his mother as Mary A. Burridge at age 45 and a flax weaver, a sister Emma Burridge age 20 and unmarried, a brother John age 15, a sister Mary A. at age 12 and a brother George at age 6; all born at Crediton. Burridge arrived in America, settling in Buffalo, New York, worked as a shoemaker and according to his enlistment records, roll 19 No. M551, he enlisted in the 33rd. Independent Battery of New York Artillery on July 15, 1863. The 33rd Independent Battery Light Artillery, however, according to regimental histories and governmental records, was organized at Buffalo, New York and mustered in at Elmira, New York on September 4, 1863. So if he joined in July, he would have had to have enlisted during the time the regiment was actually being organized and have been mustered into it upon its organizational completion. The regiment, under the command of Captain Alger M. Wheeler, then left New York for Washington, D.C. on September 4, 1863 and was attached to Camp Barry and the Defences of Washington, 22nd Army Corps until February 1864. Burridge indicated that in December 1863 he had contracted fever, ague, and rheumatism, while at Jamestown, Virginia. The 33rd saw duty at Yorktown and Gloucester Point, Virginia, Butler's operations on south side of the James River and against Petersburg and Richmond, operations against Fort Darling, the occupation of City Point and Bermuda Hundred, Virginia, the Battle of Drury's Bluff, the siege operations against Petersburg and Richmond, saw duty in the Defences of Bermuda Hundred, Virginia, participated in operations resulting in the fall of Petersburg and Richmond and stood duty at Petersburg until June when it was mustered out on June 25, 1865. Records reveal James Burridge was discharged on June 25, 1865 at Buffalo, New York, though Burridge gave the date as June 18th. After the war Burridge again enlisted in the U.S. military, on August 7, 1865 into the 16th United States Infantry; deserting on August 11th before he could be assigned. The following day, August 12, 1865 he again enlisted at Rochester, New York, into Company “C”, 1st. Battalion, 14th. Infantry for three years. The 14th Infantry was originally activated in July 1798, soon after the Revolutionary War but was disbanded in June of 1800, activated again at the outset of the War of 1812, again called to arms in 1847 for the Mexican War and when the Civil War broke out in 1861, the Fourteenth was again called to fight against the Confederacy. It did so with conspicuous gallantry and its colors bear twelve battle streamers reflecting participation in some of the most famous battles of the Civil war; including Manassas, Antietam, Fredericksburg, Chancellorville, Gettysburg, The Wilderness, Cold Harbor, and Petersburg. At the termination of his 3-year enlistment with the 14th Burridge was discharged at Camp Lincoln, Arizona Territory on August 12, 1868. Less than 3 months later Burridge again enlisted; on November 6, 1868 at San Francisco, California, in Company “D”, 9th Infantry and six month later on May 7, 1869, he was transferred to Company “D”, 12th Infantry; eventually being discharged at Fort Yuma, California, on November 6, 1871. Burridge then returned to Crediton, England, his home, where he married 22 year old Miss. Eliza Mogridge at Crediton, on March 24, 1874 at the Crediton Parish Church, by Vicar C. Felton Smith; sailing to Australia the following year. It has been stated by some that James and his wife had eight children in England, but they are in fact confusing James with his father; who had eight children in England. Upon arriving in Adelaide, South Australia in 1875 Burridge became a shoemaker. Sixteen years after arriving in Australia and his health failing, Burridge applied for an invalid pension; in 1890. He said in his application that his reason for applying was that during his service at Jamestown, Virginia in December 1863 with the 33rd Independent Battery of Light Artillery, he had “- --contracted the fever and ague and also rheumatism, which disease I am still suffering at the present time and have been partially unfit to perform manual labour and am in a state of poverty” I never had the chance in those days to be treated in a hospital as we were always fighting or running and had to do our duty”. His original pension application, under number 722681 wasn’t granted, but a pension was later granted, under pension number 1074220, and a sum of $50 per month was awarded; due to “fever, ague and rheumatism” acquired during his duty at Jamestown. He and his wife lived in Adelaide, South Australia where they lived largely on his pension, until his death in 1905. He was survived by his wife and five children. James Burridge died on July 29, 1925 and was buried in the Pioneer Park Section, West Terrace Cemetery, Adelaide, South Australia. Many years later a bronze plaque was acquired from the American Veterans Administration in Washington D.C. and erected in the Pioneer Section of West Terrace Cemetery, in commemoration of his service to the United States. |
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A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion. Frederick H. Dyer, Dayton, Ohio, 1978. Brown, Fred R. History of the Ninth US Infantry, 1799-1909. Chicago: Donnelley & Sons, 1909 Burridge Discharge Records Crediton Parish Archives, England Crediton Parish Library, England “Infantry Regiments of the US Army”, James A. Sawicki, Dumfries, Va., 1981 John Brunton, Principal Archivist, Devon Record Office, Great Moor House, Sowton, Exeter, UK Neville Enderson, Crediton, England
New York Regimental Histories “The Ninth Regiment of Infantry”, Captain E. B. Robertson, 9TH U. S. Infantry “The Twelfth Regiment of Infantry”, Lieut. Charles W. Abbot, Jr., Adj. 12TH U. S. Infantry U.S. Pensions, Washington, D.C., James Burridge, certificate no. 1074220. West Terrace Cemetery Records, Adelaide |
