E18 Row E, place 18
JAMES H. CHAFEE
Private, Co. B, 12th Rhode Island Volunteers · died 1906-08-25
Name read from the stone; the records not yet searched. Revised November 1, 2026.
The stone reads
JAMES H. CHAFEE
Priv. Co. B 12th R.I. Vol.
Died Aug. 25, 1906
Transcription as recorded in the plot register from the photograph; square brackets mark letters not legible or below ground. Photograph by B. Brennan, October 30, 2026. [1]
Life
James H. Chafee lies in grave E18 of the Prescott Post lot. His stone names his unit as Company B of the 12th Rhode Island Volunteers, and gives his death as August 25, 1906. [1]
The National Park Service's index of Civil War soldiers lists Chafee, James H., 12th Rhode Island Infantry, Company B — a candidate noted from an index search for Rhode Island, detail card not yet opened. [2] The stone confirms the PV001 list's James H. Chafee, 12th Rhode Island Volunteers, Company B, died 1906.
A 2022 list of Civil War veterans buried at North Burial Ground gives his death as 1906. [3]
His service record, any pension file, and his life before and after the war have not yet been researched. This page will grow as the records are read.
The records
Headstone photograph (shown above) — Headstone of James H. Chafee, grid E18, Prescott Post lot, photographed October 30, 2026. [1]
What we don't know
- When and where did he enlist, and what did his company do? His compiled military service record (National Archives, RG 94) will say.
- Did he or his widow apply for a pension? The General Index to Pension Files (NARA T288/T289) has not yet been searched for him.
- Where was he born, and how did he come to Providence?
- Where did he live and work in Providence? The city directories and the censuses of 1870–1920 have not yet been read for him.
- Did he marry, and did he leave children?
- When was he buried here, and what does the City's interment record say? The City lot record has not yet been matched.
Sources
- Gravestone of James H. Chafee, grave E18, Prescott Post plot, North Burial Ground, Providence, Rhode Island. Photograph by Bernard Brennan, October 30, 2026; transcription as recorded in the plot register.
- National Park Service, Civil War Soldiers and Sailors Database, search for "James H. Chafee" (12th Rhode Island Volunteers); accessed October 31, 2026, https://www.nps.gov/civilwar/soldiers-and-sailors-database.htm.
- James Bessel, list of Civil War veterans buried at North Burial Ground (PV001), 2022, entry for James H. Chafee.
Help research this man
Do you have a record of James H. Chafee — a census page, a pension card, a city-directory entry, a newspaper item, a family story? You can upload it to the project without an account. Please say what the record is, where you found it, and why you believe it is this man. Every contributor is credited on this page.
Credits
Researched by Bernard Brennan. Records courtesy City of Providence, Department of Parks, North Burial Ground. Revised 2026-11-01.