1st Lieutenant JAMES A. HAMMERS, Co. F, 77th Illinois

James A. Hammers was born on ____________ __, 1840 in or near Metamora, Woodford County, Illinois, the son of Jesse Hammers and Eleanor (Buckingham) Hammers. Jesse Hammers was born May 7, 1804 in Fayette County, Pennsylvania, the oldest of 8 children born to Joseph Hammers and Elizabeth (Hanna) Hammers. His siblings include, James, Mary (Meyers), Elizabeth (Hartley), Sarah, Joseph, Samuel and Rebecca (Whitaker).
On May 8, 1831 Jesse Hammers was married 1st to Eleanor Buckingham in Greene County, Pennsylvania. Jesse and Eleanor were the parents of 6 children;
1. Isaac Buckingham Hammers (1832 - 1854)

2. Joseph S. Hammers (1833 - 1893)

3. Elizabeth Hammers (1836 - 1855)

4. Morgan Buckingham Hammers (1838 - 1885)

5. James A. Hammers, born c. 1839/40 in Metamora, Woodford County, Illinois. See his biography below.

6. William Hammers, born c. 1841/42 in or near Metamora, Woodford County, Illinois.

Eleanor's parents moved west to Illinois in 18__. In 1835 Jesse and Eleanor moved to be with Eleanor's parents, bringing their growing family west to Illinois, where they settled in what would become Cazenovia Township of Woodford County, Illinois. Jesse's parents also moved from the hills of Greene County, Pennsylvania to the farm lands of Woodford County, Illinois about this time.
Elizabeth (Buckingham) Hammers died c. February __, 1851, though her tombstone reads 1850. Her mortal remains were laid in the Buckingham Cemetery in Cazenovia, Woodford County, Illinois. See her Find A Grave Memorial# 15168237.
On May 4, 1851, Jesse was married 2nd to Ruahanna (Garrison) Buckingham, the widow of Elizabeth's brother, Morgan Buckingham. Ruahanna was born on ____________ __, 1814 in ____________ County, ____________. Ruahanna and Jesse were the parents of 3 children, all of them dying before they reached the age of three;
7. George Hammers (1852 - 1854)

8. Ruah Eleanor Hammers (1853 - 1854)

9. Mary Hammers (1859 - 1862)

At the time of the 1850 census, the Hammers family is found in Woodford county, Illinois;
Jesse Hammers M 46 Pennsylvania
Elinor Hammers F 42 Pennsylvania
Isaac Hammers M 18 Pennsylvania
Joseph Hammers M 17 Pennsylvania
Elizabeth Hammers F 14 Illinois
Morgan Hammers M 12 Illinois
James Hammers M 10 Illinois
William Hammers M 8 Illinois
Grace Pearce F 26 England

At the time of the 1860 census, the Hammers family is found in Cazenovia Township, Woodford County, Illinois;
Jesse Hammers M 56 Penn
Ruah Hammers F 46 Penn
Morgan Hammers M 21 Ill
James A Hammers M 19 Ill
William O Hammers M 17 Ill
Mary Hammers F 1 Ill
Margaret Buckingham F 16 Ill
Morgan Buckingham M 14 Ill
Bendena Freehouse F 20 Munster
George Altic M 21 Munster

Jesse Hammers was a farmer. He bought hundreds of acres of government land. In 1878, Jesse Hammers is also recorded as owning the Harness Shop in the town of Cazenovia, Woodford County, Illinois. Jesse Hammers died on September 3, 1881 in Woodford County, Illinois and his mortal remains were laid in the Buckingham Cemetery in Cazenovia, Woodford County, Illinois, next to those of his wife, Eleanor. See his Find A Grave Memorial# 15168467.
After Jesse's death, Ruahanna went to live with her son, Morgan. Ruahanna (Garrison) Buckingham Hammers died on ___________ __, 1899 and her mortal remains were laid in the Buckingham Cemetery in Cazenovia, Woodford County, Illinois, next to those of her 1st husband, Morgan Buckingham. See her Find A Grave Memorial# 15138657.

Now to continue with the biography of James A. Hammers;

James A. Hammers volunteered at Metamora, Woodford County, Illinois to serve in a company which was being raised by

ILLINOIS STATE ARCHIVES
Illinois Civil War Detail Report

Name HAMMERS, JAMES A Rank SGT
Company F Unit 77 IL US INF

Personal Characteristics
Residence METAMORA, WOODFORD CO, IL
Age 22 Height 5' 5 1/2 Hair BLACK
Eyes GRAY Complexion LIGHT
Marital Status SINGLE
Occupation STUDENT Nativity METAMORA, IL

Service Record
Joined When AUG 22, 1862
Joined Where METAMORA, IL
Joined By Whom CPT CRANDALL
Period 3 YRS Muster In SEP 18, 1862
Muster In Where PEORIA, IL
Muster In By Whom
Muster Out JUL 10, 1865
Muster Out Where MOBILE, AL
Muster Out By Whom CPT HOOK
Remarks COMMISSIONED 1LT BUT NOT MUSTERED

1. Aylmer Jesse Hammers, born November 25, 1867 in Woodford County, Illinois. The following biography is found in "The History of Imperial County, California," Elms and Franks Publ. Co., 1918, pp. 460-461;
"AYLMER J. HAMMERS
Imperial Valley is prolific of successful and enterprising ranchmen, but all have not attained the prominence that has come to the Hammers family, whose fine farms have been brought up to a high state of cultivation. Aylmer J. Hammers was born in Woodford County, Illinois, November 25, 1867, a son of J. A. and Sarah Luella Hammers. Mr. Hammers' father is buried in Los Angeles. His mother makes her home in Los Angeles with her daughter, Ula May Rottman. The Hammers family is one of the pioneer families to come to the county in 1900. J. A. Hammers, the father, was a cattleman from Harper County, Kansas, where he leased a tract of land eight miles by ten square, all fenced. He owned and pastured as many as 4000 cattle at one time. He owned 2000 acres of land at Anthony, Kansas, where he farmed and handled stock. Coming to Imperial County, he belonged to the Cameron Lake Cattle Company, which filed on 10,000 acres of desert land. In 1903 the company was dissolved and the family took 2 sections of land as their portion. The land up to three years ago was devoted to Barley and stock, but the last three years has been devoted to corn and cotton. During the Colorado flood, Hammers Brothers suffered very little, as they threw up dykes to
keep the water back. The father was in Los Angeles during the flood, and at one time the water came very near the house. Alymer Hammers acquired his education in Kansas. He was united in marriage to Miss Blanche Murray, a native of Kansas.
Two children have been born to this union: Sarah Elizabeth and Jessie Murray. The ancestors on the Hammers side of the house are from old Pennsylvania Dutch stock, and on Mrs. Hammers' father's side date back to Scotch-Irish. James A. Hammers died in Los Angeles, September 9, 1912. He was extensively engaged in the real-estate business for some years. W. B., brother of Aylmer J., is a partner in the ranch, and with his wife, Josephine Lowrie, resides on the same ranch. Bertice P., who died in South America in 1904, was also a partner in the ranch. He is buried in the Rosedale Cemetery. Mrs. Ula May Rottman has one child, Ruth Louise, two years of age."

2. William B. Hammers, born c. 1869/70 in Woodford County, Illinois.

3. Bertice P. Hammers, born c. 1874/75 in Illinois. Bertice P. Hammers, who died in South America in 1904, was also a partner in the family ranch.

At the time of the 1870 census, James and his family are found in Cazenovia Township in Woodford County, Illinois;
James Hammer M 30 Illinois
Sarah Hammer F 22 Illinois
Jessiy Hammer M 3 Illinois
William Hammer M 0 Illinois
Amos Gaber M 18 Illinois

At the time of the 1880 census, James and his family are found in Anthony, Harper County, Kansas, where he is farming;
James A Hammers Self M 40 Illinois
Sarah L Hammers Wife F 32 Illinois
Aylmer J Hammers Son M 13 Illinois
William B Hammers Son M 10 Illinois
Bertice P Hammers Son M 5 Illinois
Edwin Downs Other M 21 New Hampshire
Francis W Poundstone Other M 25 Pennsylvania
Laura Burchfield Other F 18 Tennessee
Laura N Hanna Other F 23 Illinois

James A. Hammers died on September 9, 1912 in Los Angeles County, California and his mortal remains were laid in the Angelus Rosedale Cemetery in Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California.

by Baxter B. Fite III