William Graves, farmer and stock dealer, was born in Claiborne (now Union) County, November 30, 1838, the son of John and Annie (Russell) Graves, the former born in Randolph County, N. C., and deceased in this county November 30, 1858, aged about fifty-two years. He lived in Tennessee from boyhood as a successful farmer. The mother, born in Virginia, died in Union County, in 1872, aged seventy-four years. They were both Methodists. Our subject, the fourth of six children, worked on the farm until 1857, when he married Bartheny Lynch, a native of Claiborne County, born January 28, 1838. Of seven sons and three daughters, one son is deceased. William bought the homestead, after his father’s death, about in 1882 sold that and bought his present home. In 1861 he joined a Company of the Second Tennessee Federal Infantry, and became corporal, serving at Murfreesboro, Chickamauga, Mission Ridge, in the Georgia campaign. and in Kentucky; was captured while home on a furlough, but soon escaped, passing four days and nights without food. After many adventures he joined his company at Knoxville. He served as constable one term, and is a Republican, a member of the G. A. R., .and his wife a member of the Baptist Church.
Source: History of Tennessee Containing Historical and Biographical Sketches of Thirty East Tennessee Counties. Illustrated, pp. 1146-1152. Published: Chicago and Nashville: The Goodspeed Publishing Co. 1887.
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