I'm always interested in an old razor's history - of course most of their past will never be known, and they will stay forever anonymous. Just now and then though something does turn up. I've included one here just for general interest.
A while back I purchased a job lot of old razors from a US source. They were the usual - good, bad and ugly - but one did stand out. It's a frameback and completely average - or was until I gave the horn scales a bit of a clean. Incised into them were the following words -
"This razor was carried through the war from Oct 19 1861 until Oct 16 1864. 73d. Reg O. V. I. 1861." There's also a name but it's too faint to make out.
Now I thought 'oh yes, and it probably belonged to JFK as well' and put it to one side. Moving on a year or two I happened to meet up with an old friend of mine who was visiting the UK from the US - he's a military historian of some note with several books to his name. I told him about the inscription with and said words to the effect of 'yet another fake eh?'
He thought for a minute and said - "if it had said 1861 - 1865 I would have said 'fake' - but not as it said 1864". He then went into great detail about how long soldiers served for etc etc and said he's look into it when he got back to Tulsa. Anyway, this is what he wrote back with -
" The inscription tells me the following: the owner enlisted into the 73rd Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry 19 October 1861 on a three year enlistment and was trained at Chillicothe, Ohio. The regiment left Ohio state service and entered Mr. Lincoln's army [US federal service] 30 December 1861 for a two year commitment. The owner was then stationed at Camp Logan until January 24, 1862, then moved to Grafton, Virginia, thence [all within Virginia] to Fetterman January 24-26, New Creek February 3, Romney, Moorefield, Clarksburg February 18 to March 20, then Weston to April 10, then to Monterey.
On 8 May 1862 the regiment fought at the Battle of McDowell as part of Schenck's Brigade. On 1 June the regiment was transferred to the 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, 1st Corps, and on 2 June fought at Woodstock, on 3 June battled at Mount Jackson, captured New Market on 4 June and Harrisonburg on 6 June. The unit served at the Battle of Crosskeys 8 June.
Following this the regiment was stationed at Middletown to July 7 and at Sperryville to 8 August. Then the regiment began a long march, culminating in the battle of Freeman's Ford 22 August and the huge Second Bull Run 29-30 August.
After this the regiment was assigned to the garrison of Washington DC under the command of 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, 11th Army Corps, and from October under 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, 11th Army Corps.
In December 1862 the regiment served at the grandiose Battle of Fredericksburg December 12-16.
Following this the unit was based at Falmouth until April 27, 1863.
The regiment fought at the very large Battle of Chancellorsville May 1-5, 1863.
Then the unit made the long retreat into Maryland and Pennsylvania. It fought at the monumental Battle of Gettysburg July 1-3.
Following this the regiment pursued Lee to Manassas Gap to 24 July, then rested at Camp Bristoe until September 24.
On 24 September, 1863 the regiment moved by rail to Bridgeport, Alabama, arriving October 3, and remained there until October 24. Then retreated north into Tennessee.
On 28-29 October the regiment served at the Battle of Wauhatchie, Tennessee.
Following this the force was besieged at Chattanooga, Tennessee, and then fought at Orchard Knob November 23, Tunnel Hill November 24, Mission Ridge November 25.
This was followed by the march to lift the Confederate siege of Knoxville, Tennessee November 28-December 17.
By now the regiment had fulfilled its two year obligation to Honest Abe and should have returned to the governor of Ohio, but with permission of that fellow the men of the regiment volunteered to remain in federal service. [Gluttons for punishment]
However, as part of the deal the men were allowed to go home for three months!
Returning to Tennessee the regiment advanced into Georgia in early May 1864 as part of 3rd Brigade, 3rd Division, 20th Army Corps, and fought at Rocky Faced Ridge May 8, Buzzard's Roost Gap May 9, Resaca May 14-15, Cassville May 19, New Hope Church May 25, and then held the line at Pumpkin Vine Creek, Dallas, New Hope Church and Allatoona Hills to June 5. Then actions at Kenesaw Mountain June 10, Pine Hill June 11-14, Lost Mountain June 15, Golgotha Church June 16, Muddy Creek June 17, Noyes Creek June 19, Kolb's Farm June 22, Kenesaw June 27, Ruff's Station July 4, in line at Chattahoochie River July 5-17, then the Battle of Peach Tree Creek July 19-20. Then the siege of Atlanta July 22-August 25. Followed by operations at Chattahoochie River Bridge August 26-September 2, 1864.
The regiment was then left as the garrison of Atlanta. However, our intrepid owner of the razor left the regiment when his three year enlistment was up in October, 1864.
He would have gone home on the train, which would have taken several days, and then reported for duty to the Ohio forces, where he was demobbed from state service on October 16, 1864.
The Regiment continued to serve in Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina to May 1865.
During the war the one thousand man regiment lost 4 Officers and 167 Enlisted men killed, and 1 Officer and 149 Enlisted men dead by disease, plus more than 500 wounded."
I have no reason to doubt the razor's authenticity as to where it came from - it wasn't sold as a Civil War piece, just one more old straight covered in grime at the bottom of a box. Needless to say it is now in my own small collection and will stay there - it has what can with great certainty be called "History"
Hope this was of interest!
