James M. Leach

[1] Leach was born on his family's homestead, "Lansdowne", in Randolph County, North Carolina, January 17, 1815.

He entered the US Military Academy in 1836, but resigned in 1838 and returned to North Carolina to study law.

Leach began his law practice in Lexington, North Carolina, and served in the State house of commons from 1848 to 1858.

During the American Civil War, Leach served as a captain and lieutenant colonel of the 21st North Carolina Infantry in the Confederate Army.

The grand jury of the Federal District Court in session at Raleigh, returned a true bill of indictment against Jas M Leach, member of Congress from North Carolina, James A Leach, and fifteen others, for conspiracy, under the act of Congress of May 31, 1872, commonly known as the Ku Klux law.