Biography of A T Chaffin, Greene Co, AR

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Submitted by: Michael Brown
        Date: 5 Sep 1998
Copyright.  All rights reserved.
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Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Northeast Arkansas

page 129

A. T. Chaffin is one of the energetic and progressive farmers and stockmen
of Cache Township, Greens County, Ark., and was born in Georgia in 1832, being the
eldest of a family of ten children belonging to Elias and Sarah (Yearwood) Chaffin,
who were born in North Carolina and Georgia, respectively; the former, besides his
association with farming, is a Missionary Baptist minister, and is actively engaged
in preaching the gospel at the present time, although eighty-three years of age. His
wife died in 1872 at the age of sixty-four years. Both grandfathers were soldiers in
the War of 1812. A. T. Chaffin was reared on a farm in Georgia, and in his youth
received very limited educational advantages, but managed to attend the common
schools to some extent. When but nineteen years of age he bought a farm and began
tilling the soil, the same year marrying Miss Nancy E. Gosa, who was born in Alabama.
They lived on this farm for ten years, then sold out and came to Arkansas, and soon
located in Greene County, where he bought forty acres of slightly improved land, and
in time cleared thirty acres and erected buildings. He continued to purchase other
tracts of land from time to time, on which he also made improvements, and at one time
owned 800 acres of land. He sold off a portion of this, however, and on the remainder
has erected six dwellings, with out-buildings, and on all these places has set out
good orchards of well assorted fruits. His home farm is a fine tract at the foot of
Crowley's Ridge, of which sixty acres are under cultivation. In 1861 Mr. Chaffin
enlisted in the Confederate army, and was mustered into the service at Little Rock,
being assigned to Bragg's division; and was in the battles of Oak Hill, Corinth,
Murfreesboro, Chattanooga, Chickamauga, Cross Roads, Shiloh, where he was wounded,
and was mustered out of service at Columbus, Miss. He then returned home and resumed
farming, which occupation has since received his attention. He is a Democrat
politically, and takes considerable interest in the political affairs of the county.
In 1878 Mrs. Chaffin died, leaving these children: Calvin, who is married and resides
in Mississippi; Benjamin (deceased); Catherine and Roxana, residents of Mississippi;
and John Walter, who lives at home. In 1881 Mr. Chaffin wedded Mrs. Susan (Croft)
Shoemaker, [p.129] who was born in Kentucky, being the daughter of Logan Croft, an
early immigrant to Arkansas. By her first husband Mrs. Chaffin was the mother of
three sons: Peter, Thomas and John. Mr. Chaffin is active in promoting the welfare of
schools and churches, as well as the county in which he resides.