52 Cousins~Pleasant A. Brock: Soldier, Merchant, and Family Man

The “52 Cousins” 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 Pleasant A. Brock: Soldier, Merchant, and Family Man  was compiled with the assistance of Claude Sonnett 4 and is entitled:

 Pleasant A. Brock: Soldier, Merchant, and Family Man

Pleasant A. Brock was born on March 10, 1839, in Chesterfield, South Carolina, into a world on the cusp of tremendous change. He was the son of Alsey Brock (1815-1858) and Lucy Morris (1822-1887). Pleasant grew up with at least one brother, C. A. Brock, who was about two years older than him.

The Brock family lived a modest rural life in Chesterfield County. Pleasant's father, Alsey, worked as a farmer, providing for his family through the land. Tragically, Pleasant lost his father when he was only about 19 years old—Alsey passed away in 1858. After her husband's death, Lucy found work as a seamstress to support her family, showing the resilience that must have been passed down through the generations.

Growing Up in Antebellum South Carolina

The 1850 census captures a snapshot of young Pleasant at age 10 or 11, living at home with his parents and brother in Chesterfield. Also staying with the family was Martha Morris, likely a relative. By 1860, when Pleasant was 21, he was working as a clerk and still living with his widowed mother Lucy in Cheraw. His brother Charles had also found work as a clerk. These were the formative years of Pleasant's young adulthood, spent learning business skills that would serve him well in the years to come.

Civil War Service

When the Civil War erupted, Pleasant answered the call to serve the Confederacy. On March 24, 1862, at the age of 23, he enlisted as a private for the duration of the war. He initially served with Company A of the 12th Battalion South Carolina Cavalry before being reassigned to Company A of the 4th Regiment South Carolina Cavalry (Rutledge's).

Pleasant's service took an interesting turn when his organizational skills were recognized. In July 1863, he was detailed to the Quartermaster Department by order of Colonel Rutledge. By the end of that year, on December 31, 1863, General Walker detailed him for duty as a Wagon Master—a position of considerable responsibility that involved coordinating the movement of supplies and equipment for the troops. This role speaks to Pleasant's reliability and competence, trusted as he was with keeping the cavalry unit properly supplied during the challenging war years.

Building a Life After the War

After surviving the Civil War, Pleasant returned to Cheraw and threw himself into civilian life. He established himself as a merchant and lumber dealer, building a successful business in the recovering post-war economy. The lumber trade was crucial to the rebuilding South, and Pleasant clearly had a knack for commerce.

On February 10, 1869, when Pleasant was nearly 30 years old, he married Martha Eugenia "Mattie" Horne, who was just 17 at the time. Mattie was the second daughter of William E. and Sarah Horne of Anson County, North Carolina. The wedding took place in Wadesboro, North Carolina, performed by Reverend J. R. Little. The marriage was a happy occasion, bringing together two families from neighboring states.

Pleasant owned a family Bible—a beautiful edition published in 1865-1866 by Oxford University Press, with his name embossed in gold on the front cover. In this cherished Bible, he carefully recorded the important milestones of his family's life, creating a record that would survive long after him.

The 1870 census shows the young couple settled in Cheraw Township, with Pleasant listed as a 31-year-old merchant and Mattie, then just 17, keeping house. They were building their life together, with Pleasant's business providing for their needs.

A Tragic End

Sadly, Pleasant's story ends far too soon. On February 28, 1873, just four years after his marriage and only four years shy of his 34th birthday, Pleasant died of typhoid fever in Cheraw. He was buried that same day in the Old Saint David's Episcopal Church Cemetery, where his tombstone still marks his resting place.

Typhoid fever was a devastating disease in the 19th century, spread through contaminated water and food. It claimed victims without regard to age or station, and even young, strong men like Pleasant couldn't always overcome it. His death left his young widow Mattie, not yet 21 years old, to manage his affairs alone.

Legacy

Pleasant's estate records (packet #318 in Chesterfield County) reveal that he had built a solid business as a lumber dealer. His widow Mattie served as administratrix of the estate, handling the complex business of settling his affairs. The estate papers mention several individuals including C. A. Brock (his brother), William McCall, P. H. Brock, and Hannah Liles—all part of the community that surrounded Pleasant's life and work.

Mattie would eventually remarry on July 20, 1875, to Thomas A. Gandy, and they would have a daughter, Edith May Gandy, born November 9, 1876. Pleasant's Bible remained in the family, preserved by descendants and eventually making its way to Ashton Gandy in Society Hill, South Carolina, where it stood as a testament to Pleasant's life and the family he loved.

Though Pleasant A. Brock's life was brief—just 33 years—he lived through one of the most tumultuous periods in American history. He survived a brutal civil war, built a successful business, married, and left behind records that allow us to remember him over 150 years later. His story reminds us that even lives cut tragically short leave ripples that extend far beyond their years.

Pleasant A. Brock is my 1st Cousin 3X Removed

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1. P. A. Brock Family Bible Family Bible Holy Bible, (Oxford: University Press, 1865), BIRTH- 10 March 1839; P. A. Brock,  Obtained from Ashton Gandy by L. Cleveland, 2004.

2. 1850 U. S. Census, Chesterfield, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, population schedule, Chesterfield, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, Page 102A, Line 21, Dwelling #46, Family 46, Household of Alsey BROCK; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : viewed 23 July 2012); citing  National Archives Microfilm M432 Roll 851.

3. 1860 U. S. Census, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, population schedule, Cheraw, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, Page 183A, Line 25, Dwelling #1238, Family #1239, Household of Lucy BROCK; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : viewed 23 July 2012); citing National Archives Microfilm M653_1217.

4. Ancestry, "Civil War Service Records" database, Military Service Records (https://www.fold3.com/ : accessed 2 September 2012), entry for Pleasant A. Brock, Private; Co A, 4th SC Cavalry; Confederate.

5. 1870 U. S. Census, Court House, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, population schedule, Cheraw, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, Page: 252A;  Line 7, Dwelling 48, Family 52, Household of P. A. BROCK; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : viewed 23 July 2011); citing National Archive  Microfilm M593, Roll 1491.

6. P. A. Brock Family Bible Family Bible, DEATH - 28 Feb 1873 of typhoid fever, P. A. Brock.

7. James C. Pigg, Chesterfield County Cemetery Survey; Chesterfield County Genealogical Services, 1995, page 87. Tombstone of Pleasant A. Brock; 10 March 1839–28 February 1873, St. David's Episcopal Church Cemetery, Chesterfield County, South Carolina.

8. Find A Grave, Inc., Find A Grave, database and digital images, (http://www.findagrave.com : accessed  22 January 2012); Memorial page for Pleasant A. Brock; (10 March 1839–28 February 1873); Find a Grave memorial # 52861355, Citing Old Saint Davids Episcopal Church Cemetery; Cheraw, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, USA.

9. Chesterfield County, South Carolina, Probate Files & Loose papers, Pleasant A. Brock; digital images, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, FamilySearch (http://www.familysearch.org: viewed 12 January 2012); Estate Folder #318, Pleasant A. Brock.

10. P. A. Brock Family Bible Family Bible, MARRIAGE - 10 February 1869, P. A. Brock & Martha Eugenia Horne.

11. Find A Grave, Inc., Find A Grave, database and digital images, (http://www.findagrave.com : accessed  26 August 2021); Memorial page for Martha Eugenia “Mattie” Horne Gandy; (3 March 1852–27 May 1925); Find a Grave memorial # 100453492, Citing Abel Gandy Family Cemetery; Society Hill, Darlington County, South Carolina, USA.

12. Land Deed - M. E. Gandy to Lucy + C. A.Brock  Release; 13 December 1875; Deed Book #4; Page(s) 767, 768, 769; Register of Deeds; Chesterfield, Chesterfield County, SC; 4 November 2017.

13. Family data, Booker Gandy Family Bible, : Containing the Old and New Testament, 1837, (Hartford, Conn: n.p., 1837); original owned in 2023 by Darlington Historical Commission, [ADDRESS FOR PRIVATE USE], Darlington, South Carolina.

14. Mrs. Thomas A. Gandy Dies At Society Hill obituary, The State, Columbia, Richland County, South Carolina, 6 June 1925, page 5, column 4.