The “Aunts & Uncles” series of biographical sketches are Artificial Intelligence (AI) compiled narratives of selected individuals from my Genealogical database. The selected AI will used the RootsMagic Individual Summary
from my Genealogical Software, Roots Magic. All genealogical data is my research material acquired over the past 46 years of research. Today's Biography of William Thomas Graves and Mary Gilley Lassiter was compiled with the assistance of Claude Sonnett 4 and is entitled:
“The Life of William Thomas Graves and Mary Gilley Lassiter”
William Thomas Graves was born around 1836 in Chesterfield, South Carolina. He was the son of David W. Graves (1812-1898), a tailor by trade, and grew up in the close-knit community of Chesterfield County during the antebellum period. In the 1850 census, young Thomas was living with his grandmother Mary Graves, along with his father David and sister Sarah J. Graves. At just 14 years old, Thomas was already learning the skills that would help him become a farmer in the years to come.
Mary Gilley Lassiter was born in 1839 in Chesterfield, South Carolina, to Eli Lassiter (1816-1880) and Mary Gainey (1814-1870). Her father Eli had moved from North Carolina and established himself as a farmer in the area. The 1850 census shows young Mary, then about 10 years old, living with her parents in Chesterfield County. Her middle name "Gilley" was discovered years later in a family Bible, adding a sweet piece of family history that had been tucked away on little scraps of paper.
Marriage and Building a Life Together
On July 26, 1857, William Graves and Mary G. Lassiter were married at the residence of James Hewitt in Chesterfield County. Both were described as being "of the district" in the parish register of St. David's Parish. Thomas was about 21 years old, and Mary was approximately 18. They were starting their married life together during a time of growing tension in the South.
By 1860, the young couple had established their own household. The census that year shows Thomas working as a farmer at age 25, with Mary at his side at age 20. They already had a baby daughter, Clary G. Graves, who was just ten months old. It must have been an exciting but challenging time for the young family, working the land and raising their first child.
The War Years and Tragedy
The outbreak of the Civil War would dramatically change the course of William Thomas Graves' life. On August 13, 1861, Thomas enlisted in Company C of the 8th South Carolina Infantry, leaving behind his young wife and daughter. Like so many men of his generation, he answered the call to serve, though it would prove to be a fatal decision.
Tragically, Thomas never made it home from the war. On October 15, 1862, just over a year after enlisting, he died of pneumonia at Charlestown Hospital in Virginia. He was only about 26 years old. His death left Mary a widow at approximately 23 years old, with a young daughter to raise and another child on the way.
Mary's Struggle and Resilience
The years following Thomas's death were incredibly difficult for Mary. By August 3, 1866, her circumstances had become so desperate that she sought help from the Freedmen's Bureau. The records paint a heartbreaking picture: Mary Graves, described as a "white widow" aged 27, was living in Cheraw on Abner Struther's lot with her two young daughters (both under 7 years old) and her mother Mary Lassiter, who was 52. To survive, Mary maintained a small garden and took in sewing and washing. The entry notes that she had "a free ticket on R. R. from MacFarland Pres." and was directed to bring references before receiving three days' worth of rations for her family.
This period, just after the Civil War ended, was a time of tremendous upheaval and hardship throughout the South. The economy was in ruins, and many families like Mary's were struggling just to put food on the table. The fact that she needed to apply for rations from the bureau shows just how desperate things had become.
The Children
Despite the hardships, Mary raised her two daughters:
Clarinda G. Graves (October 23, 1859 - August 1, 1933) was born in Chesterfield before her father went to war. She was baptized on January 1, 1874, at St. David's Church when she was 14 years old, with Jacob Gainey, Miss R. A. Reddy, and Reverend Jno W. Motte serving as sponsors. The baptismal record refers to her as "Clara Edna Green," though she was known as Clarinda. On November 25, 1878, she married Christopher Wesley Teal (1851-1922), and they built a life together in the Zoar section of Chesterfield County. She died at the age of 73 at her son E. T. Teal's home and was remembered in her obituary as leaving "her children as a precious legacy the memory of beautiful Christian motherhood."
Nancy Jane Graves (born 1862) was born in Chesterfield, likely after her father's death or just before he left for war. She too was baptized on January 1, 1874, at St. David's Church at age 12, with the same sponsors as her sister. The 1870 census shows her living with her grandmother Mary Lassiter and her mother and sister in Cheraw.
Historical Context
The lives of William Thomas and Mary Graves were shaped by some of the most tumultuous events in American history. They came of age during the 1850s, a decade of increasing sectional tensions that would ultimately lead to the Civil War. Their marriage in 1857 occurred just four years before South Carolina became the first state to secede from the Union.
The Civil War (1861-1865) devastated the South, claiming the lives of hundreds of thousands of soldiers like Thomas. Disease, particularly pneumonia and other camp illnesses, killed more soldiers than combat during the war. The 8th South Carolina Infantry, in which Thomas served, saw action in several major campaigns before his death.
The Reconstruction period that followed the war was equally challenging. The South's economy was shattered, with many families reduced to poverty. The Freedmen's Bureau, established in 1865, provided assistance not only to formerly enslaved people but also to destitute white Southerners like Mary Graves. The fact that she needed such assistance in 1866 reflects the widespread hardship of the era.
Legacy
Though William Thomas Graves' life was cut short at just 26 years old, his story represents that of countless young men who left their families to fight in the Civil War and never returned. Mary's story is equally representative of the widows left behind, who showed remarkable resilience in the face of tremendous adversity.
Their daughters carried on the family name and built new lives in Chesterfield County. Clarinda, in particular, lived a long life and was remembered fondly by her community. The discovery of family records tucked into an old Bible by later generations shows how these stories continue to matter to descendants, connecting us to ancestors who lived through some of America's most challenging times.
William Thomas Graves is my 2nd Great GrandUncle; his wife my 2nd Great GrandAunt by marriage.
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1. 1850 U. S. Census, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, population schedule, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, Page 106A, Line 8, Dwelling 110, Family 110, Household of Mary GRAVES; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : viewed 20 November 2011); citing National Archives Microfilm M432 Roll 851.
2. 1860 U. S. Census, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, population schedule, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, Page: 171; Line 3, Dwelling 1082, Family 1080, Household of [William] Thomas GRAVES; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : viewed 20 November 2011); citing National Archives Microfilm M653_1217.
3. Ancestry, "Civil War Service Records" database, Military Service Records (https://www.fold3.com/ : accessed 13 October 2013), entry for Thomas GRAVES, Private; Co. C, 8th SC Infantry; Confederate.
4. Brent H. Holcomb, St. David's Parish, South Carolina Minutes of the Vestry 1768-1832,: Parish Register 1819-1924 (Greenville, South Carolina: Southern Historical Press, 1991), pages 87-68.
5. Holcomb, St. David's Parish, South Carolina Minutes of the Vestry 1768-1832, NARRIAGE at July 26, 1857 at the residence of James Hewitt, William Graves and Mary G. Lassiter, both of the district, page 105.
6. The South Carolina Genealogical Society, "Freedmen's Bureau Ration Book: May - September 1866 Darlington, South Carolina," The Carolina Herald (Summer Issue 2003): Page 27.
7. 1870 U. S. Census, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, population schedule, Cheraw, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, Page: 259A(stamped); Line 39, Dwelling 164, Family 170, Household of M. LASITER; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : viewed 4 January 2009); citing National Archives Microfilm M593_1491.
8. Holcomb, St. David's Parish, South Carolina Minutes of the Vestry 1768-1832, The Feast of the Circumcision, Nancy Jane Graves, aged 12, daughter of Mary and Wm. Thos. Graves. Sponsors Jacob Gainey, Miss R. A. Reddy & Revd. Jno W. Motte, page 67.
