Thanks so much, His first wife Jennette F Thompson was in Maury County in 1850 and 1860 Living with the McCallum family and her brother Peter Moses, I have been in contact with the Thompson family, this is her in Maury. With a name like James Brooks, it's difficult to find the correct 1850 & 1860 census record. deserting might explain why he went to (Home in 1870: Xenia, Clay, Illinois) and if his first wife died in about 1870 he remarried in Williamson County, Tenn in 1873 to Willie P. Irvin.
Thanks, I will take a look at this.
(29th Tenn Infantry Regt. Co.C.)
Mike