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James B. Busick was born February 11, 1842 in Reidsville, N.C. He was one of two sons of Rigdon Duvan Busick and Rhoda Cantreel. Rigdon was a shoemaker.
James enlisted in the War Between the States in Reidsville, NC Company E 45th Regiment, also known as the "Troublesome Boys". The 45th Infantry Regiment was organized at Camp Mangum, near Raleigh, North Carolina, in April 1862, with men from Rockingham, Caswell, Guilford, and Forsyth counties. This regiment served under the command of Generals Daniel and Grimes. After fighting at Malvern Cliff in Virginia, they returned to North Carolina and were stationed in the Kinston-New Bern area. During the spring of 1863, the unit moved north and took an active part in the campaigns of the Army of Northern Virginia from Gettysburg to Cold Harbor. They continued the fight with Early in the Shenandoah Valley and ended the war at Appomattox. They reported two killed and 14 wounded at Malvern Cliff, lost about forty percent of the 570 engaged at Gettysburg, and sustained two casualties at Bristoe and six at Mine Run.
James Busick was wounded at the Battle of Gettysburg in Gettysburg, PA July 1-5, 1863. He was wounded in the arm and was captured and taken as a POW. Eventually, he was hospitalized at David’s Island, NY Harbor where he arrived on or about July 17, 1863. James was later released to the Invalid Corps. The story told to family members and passed down to succeeding generations was that he was scheduled for amputation of his right arm because it was not healing and was obviously severely infected. He saw a string, or piece of his jacket protruding from the wound. When he pulled the string out, the wound opened, drained and eventually healed.
Using census records for verification, James Busick’s first wife was Melinda, last name unknown. They had four children in 1870. After 1870, there is no record of Melinda or of James until 1900 where he is in Wise County with his second wife, Eliza, and they have five children.
James Busick and his second family then moved to Hawkins County, TN. He applied for and was awarded a Civil War pension when he was 68 years old. James was shot to death at age 71 as he worked in his cornfield. Court records show that his murderer was tried, found guilty and sentenced to prison. James is buried in Hawkins County.
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