JAMES MADISON AYRES, of Hinton, W. Va., a gallant Confederate soldier identified with the record of Echol's brigade, was born in Greenbrier county in 1843. He is the grandson of John Ayres, a native of Rockbridge county, Va., who served with the Virginia troops in the war of 1812. Mr. Ayres was among the first to prepare for defense of the Old Dominion, enlisting April 11, 1861, in the Rock Point Grays, a company organized in Greenbrier county, and assigned as Company G, and later as Company F, to that distinctively western Virginia regiment, the Twenty-second infantry. He was promoted corporal in the winter of 1861, orderly-sergeant in the summer of 1862, and sergeant-major on the battlefield of New Market. He subsequently served as sergeant-major and acting adjutant of the regiment until the close of the war. In July, 1861, he participated in the fight at Scary, W. Va., and subsequently took part in the principal engagements in that region and southwest Virginia, including Tyler Mountain, Cross Lanes, Cotton Hill, Lewisburg, Montgomery's Ferry, Big Sewell Mountain, Dry Creek, and Droop Mountain. He took part in the defeat of Sigel's Federal command at New Market in May, 1864, and soon afterward, being called to eastern Virginia, was at the artillery fight of Totopotamoy, and was eight days under fire at Cold Harbour, also participating in the bloody repulse of Grant's army. He fought in the defense of Lynchburg against Hunter, and then marching down the valley, was engaged at Salem and Martinsburg, and, crossing the Potomac, fought at Sharpsburg; was under fire two days and nights at Maryland Heights, and was slightly wounded in the defeat of Wallace at Monocacy, but remained with his command and participated in the demonstration made by Early's army against the defenses of Washington, D. C. Returning to Virginia he fought at Leesburg, Snicker's Gap, Snicker's Ford, Kernstown, Winchester, September 19, 1864; Fisher's Hill, Cedar Creek, and Rude's Hill, December, 1864. At the battle of Winchester his brother, William A. Ayres, color-guard of the Twenty-sixth battalion, was among the killed. After the close of hostilities Adjutant Ayres resided in Greenbrier county until 1882, with the exception of two years or more in Craig county, and then made his home in Summers county. Here he soon attained a prominent position in the community, and in 1890 began an honorable official career as deputy clerk of the county court. In 1893 and 1894 he was chosen city recorder of Hinton, and in 1896 he was elected county clerk for a term of six years. Mr. Ayres was married in 1870 to Belle W. Ingles, who died in 1881, leaving one son, William Ayres. In July, 1892, he was married at Hinton, to Priscilla F. Young.