War of 1812 Veterans Who Lived In Texas
"Charles Graham"

Charles Graham, born 29 January 1792 in NC [possibly Anson County], moved with his family to Perryville, Perry County, Tennessee in the early 1800s, living on the banks of the Tennessee River. His father, Captain John Graham, is reported to have fought on the wrong side of a skirmish in Scotland and fled to North Carolina. Other than Charles, children of Captain and Mrs. Graham were Robert Crawford and Mary and possibly others.

Charles served in the War of 1812 in the Tennessee Militia. His application for pension and bounty land shows that he was a first lieutenant in the company of William Douglass in Stephen Copeland's regiment of the Tennessee State Volunteers, and was a part of the brigade of Johnson in the army commanded by General Andrew Jackson. He fought in the battle of Horseshoe Bend between the United States and Indians about the 27th day of March 1814. He was drafted at McMinnville for a term of three months and was in actual service for the full period, being honorably discharged at Fayetteville, Tennessee. For this service he was granted a land warrant of 80 acres in Cass County, Texas and later was given 80 additional acres.

After his return from the militia, Charles was thought to have married twice. By his first wife, he is believed to have had one son. He married the second time to Jane [Janett] Rayburn in September 1823. She was the daughter of Henry Rayburn and Sarah "Sally" Shanklin of Wayne County, Tennessee. Jane was born 14 April 1801.

Charles owned land in Perry county and took an active part in the affairs of the town and state. He served in the state legislature as representative, was county commissioner, and served on numerous juries. In 1821, he helped to locate the county seat of Perry County.
In the 1820's and 1830's, rumors began to grow about land being given away in a place called Texas, much of which was in dispute between Mexico, Spain, France and England. A qualifying man could get 640 acres. Although virtually unexplored and barely settled, this land attracted many U. S. citizens. Charles Graham, his brother Robert Crawford Graham, and other families traveled together to settle in Cass County, Texas. Some of these families were Jeremiah M. Wood, West Wood, Edward W. Story, J. W. Story, Gideon Story, Samuel Story, Jr. and Sr., Henry J. Story, Jesse W. C. Story, Daniel Story, Bennett B. Story, William Led better, Wylie Graves and Mary Story Sutherland. This part of Texas was very much like the area from which they had migrated in Tennessee.

So in 1843, Charles Graham and his family made their home in what became Cass County, Texas. The resided in the area near what later became known as Linden, Texas. Because the county seat of their former home was Linden, Mary Graham Wood and her husband Major Jeremiah M. Wood chose the same name for their new home. It seems that other relatives came to Cass County as word reached them of the advantages of this part of the country.

Charles, his brother R. C. and some of his older sons set to work surveying and patenting land. Records in Cass County and Marion County indicate many transactions including surveys, deeds, patents by the Graham family. Charles became active in civic affairs as he had been in Tennessee. The first drawing for jurors held on 12 August 1846 listed Charles ' son-in-law, A. Ferdinand Holcomb assisted in laying out the lots for the town site of Linden in 1849. Charles Graham was one of the purchasers of these lots.

Charles and Jane had thirteen children. All of the children were born in Tennessee except for son Robert D. M. Graham, born 25 May 1846 in Cass County, Texas. Although several of the boys served in the Civil War, only one Samuel R. Graham, was killed. This son Samuel was four years old when the family moved to Texas. He was unmarried. For a short time he was a Mason in the Andrew Jackson Lodge in Linden, initiated 2 June 1860. After being wounded and captured, Samuel R. Graham died in Ohio on 29 September 1863. He is buried at Johnson's Island, Ohio.

Other children of Charles and Jane Graham include:
[a] Tillman Williamson, born 15 May 1817 Hickman County, Tennessee, died 9 September 1893 Marlow, Oklahoma
[b] Perry M., born 7 November 1823 Tennessee, died Jefferson, Texas 3 November 1881
[c] John H., born 1827 Tennessee, died 1 October 1895 Cass County, Texas
[d] Elizabeth Caroline, born 2 March 1830 Tennessee, died 12 March 1851 Cass County, Texas [never married]
[e] Charlotte Jane, born 26 March 1831 Tennessee, died 1 June 1853 Cass County, Texas [never married]
[f] Charles Gibbs, born 30 April 1833 Perryville, Perry County, Tennessee, died 3 June 1896 Jefferson, Texas
[g] Samuel R., born 1836 Tennessee, died 29 September 1863 Johnson's Island, Ohio [never married]
[h] Mary F., born 4 December 1837 Tennessee, married Dr. J. P. Mills, died 18 September 1898 Cass County, Texas
[I] Annie Eliza, born 4 November 1839 Tennessee, married Dr, Robert Frank Sloan, died June 1930 Cass County, Texas
[j] Emily P., born 5 February 1842 Tennessee, died 1 March 1900 Cass County, Texas [never married]
[k] R. D. M., born 25 May 1846 Cass County, Texas, married Mattie [Mallie] Lee, died 12 April 1887
[l] Sara Ann, born 1830 Tennessee, married A. Ferdinand Holcomb, died 14 September 1888 Cass County, Texas
Charles Graham died 8 September 1875 in Cass County, Texas. Jane died 26 January 1861 in Cass County, Texas. Both are buried in the Center Grove Cemetery [sometimes called the Graham Cemetery] about 7 miles north of Linden, Texas.
[Source: Dorothy BROWN Craver, P. O. Box 224 Jefferson, Texas 75657]

The above information was taken from the Cass County Connections March 1995

Martha "Mattie" Priscilla Lee married Robert D. M. Graham 20 February 1879 in Cass County, Texas. She married 2nd John Henry Westbrook 6 January 1892 in Cass County, Texas. Martha Priscilla Lee was the d/o Miles Park Lee and Sarah Ann Morris. Robert D. M. and Martha LEE Graham had three children: Robert Lee Graham was born 27 May 1880 in Cass County, he married Effie Gholson; Effie Lillian Graham was born 3 August 1882 in Cass County, she married Jim Griffin; Charley Auborn Graham was born 15 June 1885 and died 26 April 1887, he is buried in Center Grove Cemetery.

Perry Graham s/o Charles and Jane RAYBURN Graham, married Kasiah Frances Rogers, d/o Captain John Rogers, she was born in Gilmer, Upshur County, Texas.

Charles Gibbs Graham married Sarah Texana Harris d/o Francis Tennessee and Martha FREEMAN Harris. Sarah was born in Harrison County, Texas, they married 30 April 1868 in Carrollton, Missouri. Charles and Sarah Texana had seven children: [a] Infant son born & died 17 January 1873 in Jefferson; [b] Vitia Graham was born 19 July 1874 and died 5 August 1874; [c] Karl Harris Graham was born 9 November 1876 in Jefferson and died 4 May 1959 in Louisiana, he married Virginia "Lovie" Chew, no children were born to this union; [d] Marcia Tennelle Graham was born 22 August 1881 in Jefferson and died 26 October 1881; [e] Frances Tennelle Graham was born 19 June 1883 in Jefferson and died 7 February 1934; [f] Pierson Holcomb Graham was born 14 March 1885 in Jefferson and died 29 August 1946, he never married; [g] Marie Vesta Graham was born 21 May 1890 in Jefferson and died 27 May 1968, she married Horace Clifton Brown 5 September 1910.

Charles A. Graham, s/o Perry M. and Kasiah F. ROGERS Graham was born 18 June 1862 in Jefferson and died August 1945 in Denison, Texas. He married Sallie "Saccie" T. Lee the 8th January 1885 in Linden, Cass County, Texas, she was the d/o Miles Parks and Sarah Ann MORRIS Lee. Sallie was born 8 October 1864 in Linden and died 22 May 1917 in Fort Worth. Charles and Sallie had six children: [a] Maxey/Maxcey Lee Graham was born 15 December 1885 in Jefferson and died 8 September 1901 in Hillsboro, Texas; [b] Annie Kasiah Graham was born 13 October 1887 in Linden, she married Charles Richard Williams; [c] Charles A. Graham, Jr. was born 7 September 1890 in Linden, he married Etta Jess Graham; [d] Thomas Edward Graham was born 21 July 1893 in Greenville, Texas and died 1974 in Fort Worth, Texas, he married Kathleen Jones; [e] Luna Rhea Graham was born 26 April 1897 in Hillsboro, Texas, she married Emerson Turner [they are divorced]; [f] John Buie Graham was born 20 April 1903 in Hillsboro, Texas and died 24 December 1963, he married Dorsett Sheffield.

As published (expect where formatting was web prohibitive) in Cass County Connections. Cass County Connections is a quarterly publication put out by the Cass County Genealogical Society of Cass County, Texas.

Permission granted by Cass County Genealogical Society to Dana Thomas for publishing on The Cass County, TXGenWeb Project Pages.