James F. Curtis

James Freeman Curtis Jr. (1825-1914) - Born 19 Dec 1825, Boston, Massachusetts. Died 1 Mar 1914, Boston, Massachusetts. James Freeman Curtis Jr went to sea and in 1849 sailed around Cape Horn, settling in San Francisco. In the 1850s, he was a member of the California Pioneers and several California vigilance committees. He was San Francisco’s chief of police from 1856-58. At the outbreak of the Civil War, he was stationed at Fort Colville in Washington Territory to prevent Indian unrest. He remained in southern California for the duration of the war and then moved to Idaho. He became the secretary of state in Idaho in 1892 and was a member of the Grand Army of the Republic.

Father: James Freeman Curtis (1797-1839)

Mother: Isabella Pelham Stevenson (1803-1875)

Marriage:
 * Maria Louisa Westfall (????-1871)

Children:

Assignments:
 * (1861-1862) Maj. (2 Sep 1861),4th California Infantry, Commander, Fort Colville, Washington
 * (1862-1863) Maj., 4th California Infantry, Commander, Camp Lincoln (4), Crescent City, California
 * (1863-1864) Lt. Col. (25 Jun 1863), 4th California Infantry, Commander, Camp Drum (3), Wilmington, California and the Military District of Southern California
 * (1864-1865) Colonel (11 Apr 1864), 4th California Infantry, Commander, Camp Drum (3), Wilmington, California and the Military District of Southern California
 * (1865) Colonel, Discharged 30 Nov 1865
 * (1867) Retroactive promotion to Bvt. Brig. Gen. as of 13 May 1865

Personal Description:
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Links:
 * Biography
 * Family Biography

Sources:
 * Shumate, Dr. Albert, James F Curtis, Vigilante
 * McDowell, Don, The Beat of the Drum, 1993