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responsible for the conduct of the persons they had made free even to the payment of their private debts for a certain number of years.
This was a very difficult bond to give, and he like many others failed to give one that was acceptable, so he disposed of his slaves to a good master and in 1813, accompanied by a brother, emigrated to Coshocton county, Ohio, which was then an unbroken wilderness.
On November 6, 1802, his son, Wesley, my grandfather, was born in Virginia.
He was eleven years old when he came to Ohio with his parents. About the same time my great grandfather's four brothers emit grated from Virginia to Kentucky.
Several members of their familys (sic) have since distinguished themselves as lawyers, judges and congressmen, one of them, a cousin of my grandfather represented the Louisville, Kentucky, district in congress for several years. On February 25, 1838, while a member of congress he shot and killed Mr. Cilly, a congressman from Maine, in a duel. This duel, which is known in history as the Graves and Cilly duel created great excitement at the time. Public sentiment against dueling had gradually grown in the north since 1804 when the famous duel between Burr and Hamilton had been fought, culminating in a fresh outbreak in public opinion in the Graves-Cilly duel. Public meetings were held and dueling denounced. The press and pulpit took it up and dueling as a mode of settling petty offenses between public men was practically done away with in the northern states. This duel was fought on the old Marlborough road to Baltimore, two miles out from Washington, with rifles at 80 yards. Cilly was killed the third shot. Mrs. Thomas H. Benton was a member of this family and her daughter, Jessie Benton Fremont, was a second cousin of my grandfather. Wesley Graves, was married to Nancy Wright in 1822 in Coshocton county Ohio. Twelve children were born to them, ten of them grew to manhood and womanhood, six sons and four daughters; four of his sons were in the war, the other two were in California at thee time. His two youngest sons, John Wesley and Albert live in this county. My mother, Mary Jane Graves, his sixth child, was born July 21, 1832. My pateral (sic) ancestors immigrated from county Dougal [Donegal ?], Ireland in the year 1800 and settled in Jefferson county, Ohio. My grandfather Andrew J. Lockard, was born in Jefferson county, Ohio, December 9, 1803. He was married there to Mary Carson, June 17, 1828. She was born in Ireland and moved to the United States in 1820. They settled in Coshocton couny (sic), Ohio, in 1836. Eight children were born to them, six of them grew to manhood and womanhood, three sons and three daughters. My father, Robert F. Lockard, their fourth child, was born January 14, 1834. Robert F. Lockard and Mary Jane Graves were married October 29, 1854. |
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