Submitted by Descendant: Lynda Blanton WILSON
James Ellis Blanton was born on 09 October 1844. He died 28 September 1917 in Lee, Madison County, Florida. On 01 February 1866 he married Sarah Delilah Morgan. She was born on 02 February 1846 in Brooks County, Georgia. Sarah died in Lee, Madison County, Florida on 31 August 1936. Ellis and Sarah were the parents of thirteen children, four of whom died in infancy.
He enlisted at Camp Leon on 27 February 1863 at age 18. He served the Confederate States of America with the Florida Light Artillery and later served with the Kilcrease Light Artillery.
J. Ellis received a limited education but was an ardent reader. He studied law and was admitted to the Florida Bar to practice law in 1873. He served on the Board of County Commissioners for Madison County for several years. He also served five terms as a member of the House of Representatives for Madison County.
He later gave up his practice of law and was ordained a Minister of the Gospel in the Primitive Baptist Church. He served as Pastor of Corinth Primitive Baptist Church in Lee, Florida for twenty five years. He and wife Sarah, and several of their children and grandchildren, are buried at Corinth.
James Ellis Blanton was first established as a Florida Pioneer in 2003