James C. Traynor

Sgt. James C. Traynor, about 1840 – 1882
U. S. Soldier
 
Buried in City/Loosley Cemetery, exact location unknown

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James C. Traynor was a native of County Monaghan, Ireland. He came to the United States as a lad, possibly during the great potato famine. Traynor being a fairly common Irish name, it has not been possible to identify him in early records.
 
In about 1862, Traynor joined the Union Army, as many Irish immigrants did, and remained a soldier for the rest of his life.
 
When he was 38 years old, Traynor may have been stationed at Fort Randall, Dakota Territory, as a soldier born in Ireland and approximately of that name and age is listed on the federal census of 1880.
 
In 1882, Traynor was a sergeant with Company E, 1st U. S. Infantry. Having been recalled from their post in Clifton, Arizona, his unit was passing through the Salt River Valley on the way to its new assignment at Fort McDowell.
 
On the evening of December 3rd, Traynor assayed to climb aboard a moving wagon at the Salt River crossing near Phoenix. He put his foot upon the brake and grasped the wagon bow in order to swing up to the seat, but the bow was broken and could not support his weight. Traynor fell under the heavily loaded wagon's wheels and was killed instantly.
 
Following the tragedy, Company E bivouacked that night in downtown Phoenix. Traynor’s body was laid out in a tent next to the Phoenix City Cemetery, located between Jackson and Madison and 5th and 7th Avenues. At 3 PM the following afternoon, an Episcopal clergyman conducted the funeral and Traynor was interred with full military honors and a farewell volley fired by his fellow soldiers. Company E then continued on to Fort McDowell.
 
Barely two years later, the first Phoenix City Cemetery was decommissioned and families were asked to remove the remains of their loved ones and have them reburied in the new cemeteries on the outskirts of town, at 14th Avenue between Jackson and Madison. Although no written records have been found, it is likely that Traynor’s body was one of those moved—perhaps to a common grave. His subsequent resting place is therefore unknown, but his military service is hereby commemorated.
 
© 2025 by Donna L. Carr. Last revised 11 March 2026.

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