In September of 2010, Lisa received an email from Ron Bellenger, of Holland Michigan. In honor of the 200th Anniversary of the War of 1812, local graves of men who served in the war were being recognized. Ron contacted us regarding James Emery, whose wife Mary had a gravestone in the Stuller Cemetery, but there was no marker for James. The Stuller cemetery is a small country cemetery and Ron has tended many of the graves there, including his great grandparents and other family members.

Ron indicated that the VA would provide a marker for James, but that it had to be requested by a family member.  We were delighted to hear from Ron and gave permission for the marker to be ordered.

James Emery was born 17 April 1792 in Maryland.

When the War of 1812 broke out, James, age 20 enlisted, initially serving under Lieutenant Clinton Wright. After serving his term, he re-enlisted on 17 May 1813, serving in Captain Samuel D. Harris' Company 2, U.S. Dragoon. It was during this service that he fought in the battle of Lundy Lane, also known as the battle of Niagara Falls.

Lundy Lane was fought on 25 Jul 1814, in what is present day Niagara Fall, Ontario, Canada. It was one of the bloodiest battles of the war and one of the deadliest battles ever fought on Canadian soil.

British records indicate that they captured four officers and 75 Americans of other ranks, and imprisoned them at Quebec in the autumn of 1814. Among those men was James Emery (he related in his pension request) refused to go into the overcrowded lice infested prison,(how he was able to do this is a mystery). Instead, he went to work on the farm of Phineas Hutchins for the duration of the war.

Lisa did find a prison record dated 30 Nov 1813, listing men of the United States held by the British. There was a James Emery listed. Could this be our James? (Probably, but it is not definite.) In his pension James stated he did not hear about the end of the war for several months, as the information was kept from him.

In 1812, the area around Lachute, Quebec, mustered three companies of militia to fight in the war under three captains - Bixby, McNeal and Phineas Hutchins, who captained a Volunteer Rifle Company. Perhaps this is how James Emery came to be brought to Phineas Hutchins farm to work.

Following the end of the war, James must have stayed in the area around Lachute for several years, as in 1816, he married Mary Davis, and the couple eventually had 9 children.

Sometime before November of 1848, James and his wife moved to Trenton, Washington County, Wisconsin, where he is listed as having voted in the 1st general election of the town of Trenton. He was given a bounty land grant in Trenton, Washington County, Wisconsin on 16 Sep 1852. According to his obituary notice James and Mary moved from Wisconsin to Michigan in 1868.

James Emery's wife Mary Davis Emery died in 1879 in Allegan County, Michigan at age 83, she is buried in the Stuller Cemetery, Casco Township, Allegan County , Michigan. James died on the 22nd of September, 1881 at the age of 89 years. The family was not sure where he was buried by it was thought it was either on the family farm or next to his wife Mary.

In row eight she reported the following:

Emery, Mary d. wife of James? y m 26d stone broken and reset lot 109, Emery, no first name, 2 GAR.

The inscriptions for the Stuller Cemetery were copied on September 19, 1960 by Mrs. Ruth Robbins Monteith of Martin, Michigan, she stated many stones were broken or off the bases. Her report was published in an Allegan County Cemetery Book, published by the DAR, Volume 5, Pages 143-146, Grand Rapids Public Library.

It is possible that at one time there may have been a stone for James Emery next to Mary's stone. Thanks to Ron Bellenger, James Emery does have a stone that honor's his service to his country.