John Benjamin (Grove) Graft (abt. 1825 - abt. 1873)

Born about 1825 in Augusta, Virginia, United States

Ancestors

Descendants

Died about 1873 at about age 48 in Saint Jo, Montague, Texas, USA

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Profile is using named inline reference ^[1], that is not defined by ^[1].

Biography

John Benjamin Grove was born in 1825 in Augusta, Virginia to Benjamin Grove then 40, and Susan Browning, then 31. He left the family farm before 1850,^[2] when he lived with a family named Points in Augusta and worked as a tinner. In 1860^[3] near Burkes Mill, Augusta County, he farms 270 acres, 60 uninproved, 4 horses, 6 milk cows, etc. A lsubstantial spread, compared to his neighbors.

It was probably Fall 1861 when he moved to Texas. and changed his name to John Benjamin Graft. Civil War troops were active in the Shenandoah Valley and he may have decided to sell out and move from the battleground. His sister's husband had just enlisted, along with their son. Or he may have had a disagreement with family that caused him to change his name. His mother was still living; father unclear.

Civil War In Jul 1862, John served in Texas Regiment Well's Battalion, Texas Cavalry Company A in the Civil War. ^{[4] [5]}He mustered out after a month, July 16, 1862.

NOTE: as far as we can tell he was not part of the Reynolds Band John Reynolds part of the same Regiment that was in Colorado.

Family A son was born to him with Mary Belle Allen in Feb 1864 in St Jo, Texas. She had previously married 5 Jun 1853 • Cass, Texas, to James Parker. She was widowed with a son and daughter from her second marriage to John Warren Womble in 1855. They had a daughter who died in infancy born 1865. Two more sons were born in 1867 and 1870. In 1870^[6] in Montague Texas, John is farming and Mary is keeping house with two Womble children: Alice age 14, John W is 12, Her Graft sons are Richard B age 6, Charles B age 3 and Thomas B is 3 months.^[7] The youngest, Thomas, died in 1872.

Oct 1873^[8] John Graft was prosecuted for introducing 5 gallons of spiritious liquor into Indian territory in August, served subpoena Sept, brought to court with bond of $900 for court hearing at Fort Sills in November. Witnesses testified that he had a load of peaches for sale with hidden liquor. Not clear what resulted at court. No more records appear for John Graft. A Joseph Graft age 20 was charged with the same violation the same day.

In the 1880 Census, Mary B Graft is listed as keeping house in Cooke, Texas with her 21 year old John W Womble who is a stock raiser and two Graft sons, Richard age 16 and Charles age 12 working on farm. Her daughter Alice was married in 1871.

Mary Bell and her sons moved to Custer, Oklahoma. Charles married in 1899. Richard never married, was a stock raiser and cared for his mother till her death in 1921. Source: ^{[6] [5] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] [3] [2] [14]}

Residence 1850 District 2, Augusta, Virginia, USA. ^{[2] [15]} 1 SEP 1860. North Subdivision, Augusta, Virginia, USA. ^[3] 5 AUG 1867. Montague, Texas. ^[12] Post Office: Montague. 11 JUL 1870. Precinct 4, Montague, Texas, USA. ^{[6] [11]}

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} …
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2} Source: #S40 Year: 1850; Census Place: District 2, Augusta, Virginia; Roll: M432_934; Page: 306B; Image: 200
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2} Source: #S484 Census Year: 1860; Census Place: North Subdivision, Augusta, Virginia; Archive Collection Number: T1132; Roll: 5; Page: 289; Line: 2; Schedule Type: Agriculture
4. ↑ Rank In Private Rank Out Private Film Number M227 roll 14 Other Records Well's Battalion, Texas Cavalry.
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1} Source: #S601
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1 6.2} Source: #S38 Year: 1870; Census Place: Precinct 4, Montague, Texas; Roll: M593_1599; Page: 336B; Image: 85943; Family History Library Film: 553098
7. ↑ 1870 US Census Year: 1870; Census Place: Precinct 4, Montague, Texas; Roll: M593_1599; Page: 336B; Family History Library Film: 553098
8. ↑ ^{8.0 8.1} Source: #S1439
9. ↑ Source: #S550
10. ↑ Source: #S1440
11. ↑ ^{11.0 11.1} Source: #S484 Census Year: 1870; Census Place: Montague, Texas; Archive Collection Number: T1134; Roll: 10; Page: 5; Line: 2; Schedule Type: Agriculture
12. ↑ ^{12.0 12.1} Source: #S1441
13. ↑ Source: #S161
14. ↑ Source: #S280 Book Title: Genealogical record of Reverend Hans Herr and his direct lineal descendants : from his birth A D 16
15. ↑

• Source: S1439 Ancestry.com Fort Smith, Arkansas, Criminal Case Files, 1866-1900 Publication: Name: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2012;

• Source: S1440 Ancestry.com Fort Smith, Arkansas, Criminal Case Files Index, 1866-1900 Publication: Name: Ancestry.com Operations Inc; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 1997;

• Source: S1441 Ancestry.com Texas, Voter Registration Lists, 1867-1869 Publication: Name: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2011;

• Source: S161 Historical Data Systems, comp. U.S. Civil War Soldier Records and Profiles Publication: Name: Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2009.Original data - Data compiled by Historical Data Systems of Kingston, MA from the following list of works.Copyright 1997-2009Historical Data Systems, Inc. PO Box 35Duxbury, MA 02331.O;

• Source: S280 Ancestry.com North America, Family Histories, 1500-2000 Publication: Name: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2016;

• Source: S38 Ancestry.com 1870 United States Federal Census

• Source: S40 Ancestry.com 1850 United States Federal Census

• Source: S484 Ancestry.com Selected U.S. Federal Census Non-Population Schedules, 1850-1880 Publication: Name: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2010;

• Source: S550 Ancestry.com Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Mennonite Vital Records, 1750-1940 Publication: Name: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2015;

• Source: S601 National Park Service U.S. Civil War Soldiers, 1861-1865 Publication: Name: Ancestry.com Operations Inc; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2007;