He was 44 years old when he enlisted in 1864, and was born in Northampton, England (3). He was a basket maker (3).
He was 5 feet 7-1/2 inches tall, had a dark complexion, grey eyes, and dark hair (3).
He was mustered into service, as a recruit, for three years, on 28 January 1864, at Philadelphia Pennsylvania (1). He was enlisted by Lieutenant Shipley, and was mustered in by Lieutenant Hilderburn (3). He served as a private in company E (1, 3).
He was detailed by Colonel Switzer as guard for the brigade commissary sales wagon on 23 June 1864 (5, 7). He was still detailed as a cattle guard in September (?) 1864 (7).
He died on 2 October 1864 (1; 4 has 3 October), at City Point Hospital, Virginia, of disease (3; 2--the name of the disease appears to be something like "Cramer's dirative [??]", 8 [3 Oct]). He was buried at City Point National Cemetery, Virginia, section C (1, 4, 10).
On 26 January 1865, company E published resolutions mourning his death (and fifteen others), and sympathizing with their families (9).
His widow, Eliza Hutchings, applied successfully for a pension on 21 December 1864 (6, 11).
1 Bates, Samuel Penniman. History of Pennsylvania volunteers, 1861-5. Harrisburg: B. Singerly, state printer, 1869-71. 5 volumes. 'Ninety-first regiment', volume 3, pages 186-233. (In the roster)
2 list of deaths, company E
3 descriptive roll, company E, entry 125 (James Hutchings)
4 City Point National Cemetery, interment index (searched 26 November 2000)
5 special order, headquarters, 2nd brigade, 1st division, 5th corps, 23 June 1864
6 pension index, by name. Searched 3 February 2001, on <www.ancestry.com>.
7 [list of detailed men, probably from Sept 1864] (James Hutchings)
8 consolidated morning report, 91st Pennsylvania, 6 October 1864 (Prvt Hutchings)
9 'Headquarters company E', Philadelphia Inquirer 26 January 1865 page 5 (James Hutchings)
10 'Our illustrious dead', Philadelphia Inquirer 20 July 1865 page 2 (James Hutchings)
11 pension index, by regiment, 91st PA Infantry, company E (James Hutchings)
[I did not find an entry for him in the index on <www.ancestry.com> to the 1890 veteran's census (searched May 2007)]