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Submitted by Deana Bell Thanks Deana!

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Fireside Stories by Silas C. Turnbo, 1904

Shot Down On The Porch

One day in the year 1895 Mr. W. L. Ridinger who lives near Harrison, Arkansas, gathered the following sad account from Mr. Isaac Milum, an early resident of Crooked Creek. Mr. Ridinger sent the story to me in a letter to my address when I lived near Protem, Taney County, Missouri. The letter read thus, 'Mr. Milum related to me how James Deshazzo who lived one mile and a half east of where the town of Harrison now is. When the Civil War was at great heat or in 1863 a bunch of bandits rode up to Deshazzo’s yard fence one night and after dismounting they called to Deshazzo to come out and give them directions how to go to a certain place for they had become bewildered in the dark and did not know where they were. Though they had not called his name but he believed they were telling the truth and the unsuspecting man went out at the door onto the porch to direct the pretenders how to got when they shot him down by the light of the fire that was in the fireplace. The unfortunate man never spoke after he fell.'

Note from Judy: James DeShazo was a cabinet workman from Tennessee. James R. DeShazo was born August 11, 1800 North Carolina; died March 7, 1863; buried Old Milum/Liberty Cemetery. He married Nancy Turbeville in 1828, Tennessee.
1850 Hickman County, Tennessee Census:
James Deshazaer, age 50 years
Nancy Deshazaer age 42 years
Mary Deshazaer age 21 years
Benjamin Deshazaer age 20 years
Elizabeth Deshazaer age 17 years
Alen Deshazaer age 15 years
Louisa Deshazaer age 14 years
Richard Deshazaer age 11 years
Milley Deshazaer age 9 years
Bird Deshazaer age 8 years
Docia Deshazaer age 6 years
Garret Deshazaer age 4 years
Tennessee Deshazaer age 2 years