Individual Details
James William RAIFORD
(12 Oct 1842 - 18 Jan 1919)
Calhoun County, Arkansas - from Goodspeed's History of Arkansas
James W. Raiford, a prominent farmer of Champagnolle Township, was born in North Carolina, in 1842, the eldest of a family of five children born to Robert J. and Charlotte C. (Covington) Raiford, natives of North Carolina. His paternal grandfather was a solider in the Revolutionary War. His father was a farmer in North Carolina and in 1852 came to Arkansas, settling near Little Bay, Calhoun County, where he bought and entered a tract of land, employing some twenty to thirty hands to improve some of this land; he died February 6, 1855. His widow after a time, married a Mr. McDonald and died. The subject of this sketch was reared on a farm attending the common schools until the outbreak of the war. In May, 1861, he enlisted in the company of Dr. Eckles, which company was disbanded, and out subject returned to his home in Calhoun County. He then joined the company raised by O.H.P. Black, left home December 9, and December 22, 1861, joined the Confederate service. He participated in the battle of Pea Ridge, from there went to Corinth, was in the battle of Tennessee and Kentucky; was with Kirby Smith in Kentucky; was at Covington, then went to Harrodsburg, and then to Cumberland Gap, and then at Murfreesboro, then to Shelbyville, for the winter. He then went to Mississippi, was at Big Black, July 4, 1863, and stood a siege of ten days at Jackson, was in the battle of Chickamauga, then to Mobile and into Florida where they remained until May 4; then to Resaca, Georgia, from that point in all the battles of the Georgia campaign, then in many skirmishes before Atlanta; next through Georgia, after Sherman; then after much marching to North Carolina, at Bentonville, March 19, 1865 and surrendered at Jamestown. He had a brother, J. K. Raiford, killed at Atlanta. He reached home September 23, 1865, and at once began farming, and soon purchased the place on which he now resides. He has as good a farm as there is in the township; his farm consists of 280 acres of good land, with 185 acres under cultivation, of which commodity he averages one-half bale to the acre. He also does general farming, and has a fine orchard. Mr. Raiford was married January 22, 1868, to Miss C. E. Furr, the daughter of an old pioneer of this county. To this union were born nine children, viz: Robert E. (died in infancy), Maud Covington, James G. (died at the age of fourteen years), Willie (died in infancy), Emmitt O'Neal (died in infancy), Jewell (died in infancy), Lillian, Minnie Lee and Ellis Elmo. The family are all members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South.
James W. Raiford, a prominent farmer of Champagnolle Township, was born in North Carolina, in 1842, the eldest of a family of five children born to Robert J. and Charlotte C. (Covington) Raiford, natives of North Carolina. His paternal grandfather was a solider in the Revolutionary War. His father was a farmer in North Carolina and in 1852 came to Arkansas, settling near Little Bay, Calhoun County, where he bought and entered a tract of land, employing some twenty to thirty hands to improve some of this land; he died February 6, 1855. His widow after a time, married a Mr. McDonald and died. The subject of this sketch was reared on a farm attending the common schools until the outbreak of the war. In May, 1861, he enlisted in the company of Dr. Eckles, which company was disbanded, and out subject returned to his home in Calhoun County. He then joined the company raised by O.H.P. Black, left home December 9, and December 22, 1861, joined the Confederate service. He participated in the battle of Pea Ridge, from there went to Corinth, was in the battle of Tennessee and Kentucky; was with Kirby Smith in Kentucky; was at Covington, then went to Harrodsburg, and then to Cumberland Gap, and then at Murfreesboro, then to Shelbyville, for the winter. He then went to Mississippi, was at Big Black, July 4, 1863, and stood a siege of ten days at Jackson, was in the battle of Chickamauga, then to Mobile and into Florida where they remained until May 4; then to Resaca, Georgia, from that point in all the battles of the Georgia campaign, then in many skirmishes before Atlanta; next through Georgia, after Sherman; then after much marching to North Carolina, at Bentonville, March 19, 1865 and surrendered at Jamestown. He had a brother, J. K. Raiford, killed at Atlanta. He reached home September 23, 1865, and at once began farming, and soon purchased the place on which he now resides. He has as good a farm as there is in the township; his farm consists of 280 acres of good land, with 185 acres under cultivation, of which commodity he averages one-half bale to the acre. He also does general farming, and has a fine orchard. Mr. Raiford was married January 22, 1868, to Miss C. E. Furr, the daughter of an old pioneer of this county. To this union were born nine children, viz: Robert E. (died in infancy), Maud Covington, James G. (died at the age of fourteen years), Willie (died in infancy), Emmitt O'Neal (died in infancy), Jewell (died in infancy), Lillian, Minnie Lee and Ellis Elmo. The family are all members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South.
Events
| Birth | 12 Oct 1842 | North Carolina | |||
| Marriage | 22 Jan 1868 | Calhoun County, AR - Elizabeth Clementine "Clemmie" FURR |  | ||
| Death | 18 Jan 1919 | Hampton, Calhoun County, AR | |||
| Burial | Moores Chapel Cemetery, Hampton, Calhoun County, AR | |
Families
| Spouse | Elizabeth Clementine "Clemmie" FURR (1849 - 1891) |
Endnotes
1. Hunting For Bears, comp. Arkansas Marriages, 1820-1949 [database online]. Provo, Utah: MyFamily.com, Inc., 2004..
2. Hunting For Bears, comp. Arkansas Marriages, 1779-1992 [database online]. Provo, Utah: MyFamily.com, Inc., 2004..
3. findagrave.com.