James Grant Odom, student 1858-1859

Odom enlisted as a private in Co. C of the 12th Battalion NC Cavalry on Dec. 19,1862. He was captured July 28, 1863 near Edward's Mill, NC, at which time he was a lieutenant. He was sent from Fort Norfolk, VA to the prison camp at Fort McHenry in Baltimore, MD on August 10, 1863. He was sent to the prison camp for officers at Johnson's Island, OH on August 22, 1863, arriving on August 24. The superintendant of the prison, Lieutenant Colonel E. A.Scovill, reported in September 1864 that Odom had escaped: "There is no definite knowledge as to the manner, but it is presumed he personated one of the roll-callers and eluded the vigilance of the gate-keepers. There have been several attempts of this kind, but I believe that this is the first successful one." Odom, listed as a lieutenant in the 7th SC Cavalry, was captured again on October 27, 1864 at Petersburg, VA and sent to Old Capitol Prison in Washington, DC on October 31. He was then sent to Fort Delaware on December 16, 1864 and remained there until he took the oath of allegiance and was paroled on June 7, 1865.  It is unknown whether he returned home to Northampton County, NC; no records of him after this have been found.

Odom is probably also the James Grant Odom who on May 23, 1861 mustered into Co. G of the 5th NC Infantry (later Co. A of the 15th NC Infantry) in June, 1861. He was promoted to corporal on June 10, 1862. Odom was wounded on September 17, 1862 at Sharpsburg, MD during the Battle of Antietam.He was on furlough from late September until December 1862. Although some sources place him in the 15th Infantry until the summer of 1863, it is likely he moved to the cavalry in December 1863.