I'd been looking for this guy for a while after I became aware of an unnamed soldier in plain clothes escaping death at Centralia. Finally pinned him down. Now I'm looking to fill in biographical and military gaps on one James Hamilton Pile, aka J.H. Pile, aka James Hamilton Pyle, Chaplain 60th USCT. Rev Pile was on the train en route home to Olathe, when it was stopped at Centralia on Sept. 27, 1864. He survived the mass execution of Federal soldiers because he fortuitously was traveling in civilian clothing (that's what I have--no evidence he was one of the ones who changed clothing in the heat of the event). While escaping close scrutiny he nonetheless was robbed of $650 cash he was carrying. Supposedly after the war he got into a heated discussion about Centralia, unknowingly, with Jesse James, at a dinner gathering outside Kansas City. Here's what I have on him--

James Hamilton 'Jim' Pile; born Lawrence County, Indiana Aug. 6, 1823 to Jacob Pile and Comfort Evangeline Williams Pile.

Married Henrietta Keller in Brown County Ill in 1847, where he was a constable. Moved to Olathe, Kansas 1857, where he was a Methodist Episcopal deacon.

Appointed Chaplain 60th USCT 1863 (made possible, apparently, because his more illustrious brother Col. William A. Pile 33rd Mo. Inf. was in charge of organizing all colored troops in Missouri at Benton Barracks and would go on to become a general, then a Radical Congressman for Missouri in 1866, then Territorial Governor of New Mexico in 1869 and then Ambassador to Venezuela in 1871). I'm not looking for additional info on William.

After the war information on James H. Pile drops off. I do know he died in Spring Hill, Kansas Sept. 8, 1901 and buried Olathe Cemetery.

So I have the basic bones of the first half of his life framed up, but not much depth or detail otherwise, and nothing at all on the second half of his life. If anybody has anything on him I'd appreciate some insights, especially broader military service and more details, insights or thoughts on his Centralia near miss.