Yes, we have all of the letters, all of his military records and I am transcribing them. Some, however, are so damaged they are impossible to make out.
Reguarding his trial...and his officers...I'm not quite sure what that was all about. I am currently transcibing them. This lead to a near court martial. His Lt claimed he swindled him out of a gold watch. Was it because the Lt would be next in line for his job? or was it Irish backlash, which was particularly bad at the time? I don't think the watch incident was as it appears, mainly because it took the Lt a year to report it. I tend to think it had alot to do with James being a type A...and he probably expected high standards at a time when morale was very low since they were not seeing any action...James was more than likely drilling and having everything in a state of alert, and they (the officers- were thinking it was pointless)( I however am not too familiar with military things and not an expert in the Civil War, so I'd appreciate any input.) Eventually the Commander interceeded, James resigned and joined the Marines in the Gulf, he wound up commanding the Matagorda Marine District, mainly aboard the CSS John F Carr untill the end of the War, and his eventual parole in Galveston.