Father: Col. Robert Turner(1789-1861)
Mother: Lucy Green Long (1802-1864)
09/09/1850 - Medical student, Front Royal, Warren Co., VA (lived with his parents andSmith S. Turner - indexed in the 1850 U.S. Census as James H. Turner)
1851 - M.D. degree, Medical Department of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA (from: VA; thesis: "Miasma" )
1852 - Practiced medicine, Middletown, Frederick Co., VA
~1859 - Married, Annette Tyler (1835-1863)
06/30/1860 - Practiced medicine, Front Royal, Warren Co, VA (lived with his wife, Annette - indexed in the 1860 U.S. Census as Jas. H. Turner)
04/18/1861 - Enlisted, Capt. Robert H. Simpson's Co., (Warren Rifles), Confederate States Army, Winchester, VA [Note: This company was accepted into the service of the Confederate States as Co., B, 17th VA Infantry, on July 1, 1861]
05/26/1861 - Mustered in as Pvt. in Capt. Robert H. Simpson's Co., (Warren Rifles), Camp Pickens, VA
07/23/1861 - Father, Robert, died (buried: Prospect Hill Cemetery, Front Royal, Warren Co., VA - Find A Grave #25671870)
08/31/1861 - As Pvt., Co. B, 17th VA Infantry, absent at Front Royal, VA ("permanently unwell - has performed no service and should receive no pay")
08/16/1861 - Signed contract to serve as an Acting Asst. Surgeon with Thos. H. Fisher, "Medical Director of the Army of the Potomac" [Note: It is unlikely that Dr. Thomas H. Fisher was a Medical Director. His Confederate Compiled Service Record indicates that he was an Asst. Surgeon in the Army of the Potomac at this time and was not promoted to Surgeon until 1862. There is no indication that he was a Medical Director.]
09/00/1861 - Furnished medicines for $33.78 to a hospital in Front Royal, VA
10/31/1861 - "With leave at Front Royal"
11/00/1861 - Serving as a civilian, Gen. Hospital, Front Royal, VA
12/03/1861 - Discharged as Pvt., Co. B, 17th VA Infantry, for "disability", Centreville, VA
12/01/1861 - 03/01/1862 - Acting Asst. Surgeon
01/00/1862 - Acting Asst. Surgeon, Gen. Hospital, Front Royal, VA
02/00/1863 - Examining Surgeon on Examining Board for examining conscripts in the 9th District of Virginia [?Camp Lee, VA, where he was paid on 11/02/1863]
05/12/1863 - Wife, Annette, died in Warren Co., VA (buried: Prospect Hill Cemetery, Front Royal, Warren Co., VA - Find A Grave #143048354) [Note: It is possible that Annette died in childbirth as she gave birth to a daughter, Roberta G. Turner, about this time.]
05/27/1863 - In a letter written from Front Royal, VA, to Medical Director Thomas H. Williams, "Dr. Sir, I had been intending for some time to write to you about the condition of the Hospital buildings in this place, that you may take steps you may think proper to put a stop to the depradations [sic - depravations] of Citizens upon them. The dead house has been entirely removed & the greater part of the ice house & necessary. In the large buildings & in some of the rooms, the lathes have been entirely removed; if something is not done to arrest this destruction by the Spring, there will be nothing left. I would have written to you sooner but for the fact that I was confined to my bed & house the greater part of last Summer & Winter & knew nothing of it until within a few weeks past; I called to see you at the Surg Generals Office, a short time ago but you were not in. I hope to see you before a great time when I will give you a full account of affairs here since the evacuation of the Hospitals. I have done what I could to protect the property by threats of future punishment to all Offenders Respectfully, James H. Turner
P.S. I am entitled to pay for services rendered since 1st March 1862, but do not know how exactly to make out my acct. For several weeks after the evacuation of the Hospitals, I had quite a number of those who were too sick to move left on my hands, say until the 1st or middle of Apl, 2 until about the end of May when Jacksons Army passed through leaving me from forty to fifty more scattered about town & its vicinity, of these I was relieved by the Yankees sometime early in June, with the exception of 3 or 4 severely whom I continued to attend (or rather to be attended, for being sick myself I had to get Dr. Dorsey to attend them for me) until about the 1st September; Please advise me as to what length of time I ought to make out my acct for. I do not want more than what is right. Whilst I had not as many patients as when I had charge of a regular ward, yet the few from being scattered about at private houses gave me almost as much toubles. I will be obliged if you will send me a blank on which I can make out my acct, as I do not recollect the form. Your ob. J H.T." [Note: S. Bassett French, in his capsule biography of Dr. Turner, states "a succession of severe hemorrhages compelled him to leave the army; later on he did duty as Hospital Surgeon, and as Medical Examiner."]
05/19/1864 - Mother, Lucy, died (buried: Prospect Hill Cemetery, Front Royal, Warren Co., VA - Find A Grave #25671863)
03/23/1865 - Nurse, Invalid Corps, Chimborazo Hospital No. 5, Richmond, VA
10/27/1867 - Married, Mary Helen "Mollie" Jackson (1844-1931), Rappahannock, Essex Co., VA
08/24/1870 - Practiced medicine, Township 2, Warren Co, VA (lived with wife, Mary H., daughter, Roberta G. Turner and son, Walter H. Turner - indexed in the 1870 U.S. Census as "Jas. H. Turner")
1874 - Member, Medical Association of Warren Co. [Virginia]
1874 - Practiced medicine, Front Royal, Warren Co, VA
06/11/1880 - Practiced medicine, Front Royal Township, Warren Co., VA (lived with wife, Mary H., one daughter and two sons - indexed in the 1880 U.S. Census as James H. Turner)
1886,1890 - Practiced medicine, Front Royal, Warren Co, VA
1894 - Son, Daniel J. Turner, graduated from the University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, with an M.D. degree
06/09/1900 - Practiced medicine with his son, Dr. Daniel J. Turner, Front Royal, Warren Co., VA (lived with wife, Mollie H., and two sons - indexed in the 1900 U.S. Census as James H. Turner)
04/18/1910 - Retired, Front Royal, Warren Co., VA (lived with wife, Mary H., and son, Walter H. - indexed in the 1910 U.S. Census as James H. Turner)
12/08/1911 - Died at his home, Front Royal, Warren Co., VA (buried: Prospect Hill Cemetery, Front Royal, VA - Find A Grave #143048303)
03/15/1931 - Widow, Mary, died in Front Royal, Warren Co., VA (buried: Prospect Hill Cemetery, Front Royal, VA - Find A Grave #143048433)

This biographical sketch is from:
Hambrecht, F.T. & Koste, J.L., Biographical
register of physicians who served the
Confederacy in a medical capacity.
10/17/2012. Updated 07/10/2019.
Unpublished database.