Joseph Hardy Sellers was born 5 August 1853, a son of Hardy Huntley Sellers (1829 - 1857) and Mary E. Sinclair Sellers (1830-1912) of Chesterfield County, South Carolina. He was the 2nd of 5 children borne to this couple. He had two brothers and two sisters.
On 6 October 1878, Joseph went to his brother’s home and finding no one at home let himself into the house, found a pistol and killed himself. Family and friends said his mind had been wandering for some time. He was 25 years, 2 months and 1 day of age.
Joe Sellers Death:
October 9, 1878, Pee Dee Herald, Page 5, Column 2; (Anson County, NC) "Suicide" - Joe Sellers a young man living in the edge of Chesterfield, SC committed suicide, last Saturday. Mr. Sellers mind had been wondering for some time past and his friends were keeping close watch over him. It seems Mr. Sellers went over to his brothers on a visit and not finding any of the family at home raised one of the windows and went into the house. When found he was lying across a bed cold in death with his brother's pistol by his side with one bullet hole in his forehead and one in his stomach.
Saturday, October 12, 1878, MONROE ENQUIRER (Union County, NC)
-We learn that on last Sunday, Mr. Joseph SELLERS, a young man about 24 years old, and living near Chesterfield CH [Courthouse], committed suicide by shooting himself with a pistol...
Coroner's Report:
THE STATE VS. THE DEAD BODY OF JOSEPH H. SELLERS
Date: October 6, 1878, Deceased
Joseph H. Sellers
Sex: Male
Race: White
COD Category: Suicide
COD: Firearm
COD Inquest Finding:
upon their oaths do say, that on the 6th day of October AD 1878 at the residence of J. S. Sellers in the County and State aforesaid the said Joseph H. Sellers came to his death by voluntarily shooting himself twice with a Pistol once near the pit of the stomach and once in the forehead.
https://csidixie.org/inquests/4141
He was buried on 7 Oct 1878 at Gaddy-Sellers Cemetery in Chesterfield, Chesterfield, South Carolina.
Joseph Hardy Sellers is my 1st Cousin 5X Removed.
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1. Find A Grave, Inc., Find A Grave, database and digital images, (http://www.findagrave.com: accessed 23 June 2013); Memorial page for Joseph Hardy Sellers; (5 August 1853–6 October 1878); Find a Grave memorial # 42742799, Citing Gaddy-Sellers Cemetery; Ruby, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, USA.
2. Julie Hampton Ganis, http://www.usgwarchives.net/, CHESTERFIELD CO., SOUTH CAROLINA - Miscellaneous Newspaper Accounts (http://files.usgwarchives.net/sc/chesterfield/newspapers/misc01.txt: viewed 23 June 2014), Death of Joseph Sellers, committed suicide by shooting himself with a pistol..., 7 October 1878.
3. Find A Grave, Inc., Find A Grave, database, "Record, Joseph Hardy Sellers (5 August 1853–6 October 1878), Memorial # 42742799.
4: Coroner's report > https://csidixie.org/inquests/4141
