James Cameron (Union colonel)

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James Cameron (March 1, 1800 – July 21, 1861) was a Pennsylvania-born soldier who became colonel of the 79th New York Volunteer Infantry in the Union Army during the early days of the Civil War. He was the brother of Simon Cameron, a U.S. Senator and later Secretary of War under Lincoln. Cameron died at the First Battle of Bull Run on July 21, 1861, at age 61, and was buried in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania.

Early life and career
Cameron was born in Maytown, Pennsylvania. His family moved to Northumberland County when he was young, and his father died soon after, leaving his mother to raise eight children. As a young man, James held many jobs and worked with his brother Simon in a print shop. He edited the Lycoming Gazette (1824) and the Political Sentinel (1827), studied law with James Buchanan, and then worked in government contracting. In 1829 he married Rebecca Lemon Galbraith.

Cameron’s career included roles such as superintendent of motive power on the Columbia Railroad (1839), deputy attorney general of the Lancaster mayor’s court (1843), and a sutler with Pennsylvania troops in the Mexican–American War (1847). He also served as a colonel in the Pennsylvania militia and later returned to law, railroad work, and farming. By the start of the Civil War, he was retired to a country estate along the Susquehanna River (some sources say he supervised the Northern Central Railway).

Civil War service and death
When the Civil War began, Cameron offered his services to the Union and joined Washington, D.C. The 79th New York Volunteer Infantry, known as the Highlanders, was one of the early units to reach the capital. Cameron accepted the position of colonel on June 20, 1861. The regiment, whose core was Scottish-descended, later included many Irish volunteers, and it fought in the early Virginia campaigns under General Irvin McDowell.

On July 18, 1861, in the First Battle of Bull Run, Cameron’s regiment took part in a difficult engagement on Henry House Hill. During the battle Cameron was mortally wounded by a chest wound while leading his men in an attack to recover Union batteries. He died shortly after, and his body was left on the field as medical transports were captured by Confederate forces.

His body was not retrieved until the Confederate lines withdrew in March 1862. Adjutant Sergeant John Kane and a slave who had helped bury the dead located Cameron’s remains, which were identified by his clothing and a hernia truss. Cameron’s personal effects and $80 were missing. He was eventually buried in Lewisburg Cemetery, Lewisburg, Pennsylvania.

Legacy
James Cameron is remembered for his leadership and bravery at Bull Run, and for his connection to Simon Cameron, a prominent early American statesman. The 79th New York Infantry suffered significant losses that day—32 killed, 51 wounded, and 115 missing. Cameron’s death marked one of the early sacrifices of the Civil War.