Bob Hudson Posted February 7, 2012 Share #1 Posted February 7, 2012 Today I bought a few hundred knives that had been gathered by a dealer/collector. In the boxes were a couple of old razors including one wrapped in a piece of paper: The razor is made by THOMAS TURNER SHEFFIELD and I was able to verify that this style does indeed date to about 1860: The soldier's initials are scratched into the handle: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Hudson Posted February 7, 2012 Author Share #2 Posted February 7, 2012 U.S. Civil War Soldiers, 1861-1865 about James R. Choate Name: James R. Choate Side: Confederate Regiment State/Origin: Tennesee Regiment Name: 48 (Voorhies')Tennessee Inf. Regiment Name Expanded: 48th Regiment, Tennessee Infantry (Voorhies') Rank In: Private Rank In Expanded: Private Rank Out: Private Rank Out Expanded: Private Alternate Name: John R./Choat He was wounded three times: >From "Who's Who in Central, North and Eeast Texas," published between November, 1910 and March, 1913, by the Forrister History Co., Regan Printing House, Chicago, Illinois CHOATE, James Rufus Mr. J. Rufus Choate, Treasurer of Kaufman County and a man of a remarkable family record, was born on a farm in the Wolf Creek neighborhood of Lawrence County, Middle Tennessee, July 27, 1843. His great grandfather, Thomas Choate, was married to Elizabeth Keeth in Ireland, and came to America--they being among the earliest Virginia colonists. He was killed at Old Fort Dinwiddie by the Tories during the Revolutionary War, and his wife died in Virginia. His grandfather, Thomas K. Choate, was born and reared in Virginia; was in the war of 1812, and was a soldier in Gen. Andrew Jackson's army when he fought and won the battle of New Orleans in 1815, and immortalized the American Army. He was married to Miss Elizabeth Renfro, oof Virginia, and both died at a ripe age in Lawrence County, MIddle Tennessee. Mr. Choate's father, Esq. Edward Choate, was born in Virginia in 1818, but reared in Lawrence County, Tennessee. In the Florida war of 1836, he helped to drive the Indians out of that state. He was married to Miss Nancy Atwill, who was born in Virginia but reared in the same neighborhood of Lawrence County, Tennessee, where she died in 1861. Thirteen children were born to them, eleven of whom lived to maturity, and as reflection of those helathy days, "only haad the doctor with two of them." Just after the Civil War, his wife having died, the fathr migrated to Johnnson County, Arkansas, where he died in 1882 t the age of seventy-five, and in which neighborhood there still live many of his descendants. When the time came to test the steel of Southern manhood to cross swords with the North in the CIvil War, Mr. James Rufus Choate showed the courage that was handed down to him by an ancestry that hadnever failed to respond to their country's call in time of peril. Elnlisting April 16, 1861 at Wayland Springs, Lawrence County, in Company I, Capt. John D. Ives, and Forty-eight Tennessee Regiment, Col. George H. Nixon who was a Mexican war veteran and was in the battle of Monterey. Mr. Choate experienced service in Tennessee, Kentucy, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Virginia, North and South Carolina andd was with Gen. Joseph E. JOhnson near Greensboro, North C. when the surrender came. Was three times wounded, as follows: In the battle of Perryville, Ky., Oct. 8, 1862, in left leg; batle of Chickamauga, Sept. 20, 1863, brokken thigh and laid on the the battle field four days and nights without any food and ony three drinks--two fo water and one of whiskey, the last named given him by Rev. Williams Qualls, a Baptist minister of Wayne Co., Tennessee. Was a third time wounded in the battle of Atlanta, July 28, 1864, and laid out for dead, but he soon afterwards recovered. Mr. Choate fought under Gen. Albert Sidney Johnson in the battle of Shiloh, under Gen. Kirby Smiithat Richmond, Ky., ;aug. 13, 1862; under Bragg at Stone's River and Bellbuckle, and was in all the battles of the Georgia campaign, and was never out of hearing of the artillery or small arms from battle of Resaca on May 16 to July 28th, 1864. In 1871 (1870) Mr. Choate left his Tennessee home, and settled in Kaufman County March 1 of this same year, where he spent the greater part of his life as a farmer. On Sept. 19, 1872, he was happily married to Miss Mary Jane French in this, Kaufman County, but who was born near Florence, North Alabama, and for thirty-nine years they have fought side by side the battle of life, blending their joy and tears. They lost three sons in infancy and have reared four sons and three daughters to strengthen their lives. Mr. Choate never went to school but four months in his life--previous to becoming nine years of age--and never had but one book, that of the old Blue Back Speller, a jewel representative of the good old days. However, he had the greatest God-given gift to man, that of a liberal store of good common sense, and being a chosen observer and a student of affairs in general, absorbed a useful and sufficiennt education. He informed the writer that he learned most of his academic education through the methood of instructing his children in their school lessons, novel as it may seem. Mr. Choate was elected Treasurer of Kaufman County in November, 1910, for a two-year term, and the efficient manner in which he is conducting his office affairs, and his popularity throughout the county among all classes, insures him a re-election for a second term. Personally Mr Choate is a gentleman of the highest traits of honor and is one among the most congenial of men, being a full blooded American Irishman. He and his family worship with the Christian Church, he is a Past Master Mason, and has been a member of this, father of all orders, since 1872. While attending the national gathering of the United Confederate Veterans at Little Rock in the summer of 1911, Mr. Choate took occasion to attend a family reunion in Johnson County, of that state, where were gathered sixty-four descendants, there bing in existence something more than one hundred at present time. Mr. Choate belngs to the J.B. Stewart Camp, C.V> Association, Terrell, and also the Terrell Guards. Died February 26, 1913. Buried at Terrell, Texas, March 1, 1913 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Hudson Posted February 11, 2012 Author Share #3 Posted February 11, 2012 The razor itself was made before 1865, which was when THOMAS TURNER started using the mark THOMAS TURNER & CO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Hudson Posted February 11, 2012 Author Share #4 Posted February 11, 2012 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TLHSS Posted February 11, 2012 Share #5 Posted February 11, 2012 Outstanding piece of history! Thanks for posting. Tim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack's Son Posted February 11, 2012 Share #6 Posted February 11, 2012 I didn't know them Johnny Rebs were old enought to shave! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craig_pickrall Posted February 11, 2012 Share #7 Posted February 11, 2012 Maybe not old enough to shave but they sure could fight and shoot. You a Yankee are ya? Bob, that is a great piece, especially with all the documentation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack's Son Posted February 11, 2012 Share #8 Posted February 11, 2012 You a Yankee are ya? I don't know......I'm from California! (I think ya'll have different names for us! ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craig_pickrall Posted February 11, 2012 Share #9 Posted February 11, 2012 Are you talking about the names frtom the last 40 years or so? Those are post Civil War you know. Were you actually born in California? I thought every one there was from somewhere else. That brings me back to my original question, Were you born a Yankee? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack's Son Posted February 11, 2012 Share #10 Posted February 11, 2012 Yes Sir! Born, raised and living in California. But it is ...SOUTHERN California! (Is that still Yankee?) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craig_pickrall Posted February 12, 2012 Share #11 Posted February 12, 2012 I don't think you would be considered Yankee. Check with Bob to confirm. He's from PA and should know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
combat-helmets Posted February 12, 2012 Share #12 Posted February 12, 2012 Now THAT is something you don't see every day!!! :thumbsup: Outstanding artifact!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now