L.B. Gravely, of Pickens County, South Carolina, was born June 28^th, 1828, the oldest son of Joseph & Elizabeth (Gilstrap) Gravely. (Elizabeth was a Daughter of a Revolutionary War Veteran.) On Oct. 22, Lontford married Naomi Winchester, and by the time of the War, they had 6 children, Mary Elizabeth, John Lewis, Sarah, Joseph, William, and Charity.

L.B, called Bal, and 5 of his Brothers fought for the Confederacy. The 4 younger brothers, John, Lewis, Joseph, and Bright, went 10 miles from their home into N. Carolina, and joined the 6 ^th N.C. Cavalry.

Bright, died of sickness while a prisoner of Point Lookout, Maryland. Bal, and his next Older Brother, Wiley, went across State to Charleston in 1863 & joined up with T.B. Ferguson’s, later Beauregard’s Light Artillery. This Unit was attached to Gist’s brigade, of Walker’s Division in the Army of Tennessee.

They also served in Longstreet’s Corp, and Hardee’s Corp at one time or another. Brother Wiley died in battle, and L.B. served throughout the rest of the conflict.

L.B’s job in the Artillery Unit was to bring shells to the Cannon. Beauregard’s Artillery participated in the following battles: Vicksburg -Campaign, Battle of Jackson, Miss. Chickamauga, Chattanooga/Missionary Ridge, Atlanta Campaign in GA. Resaca, New Hope Church, Kennesaw Mountain , & Jonesboro. Then they moved into Alabama, up into Tennessee & fought at the engagement of Spring Hill, then at the horrific Battle of Franklin. In 1865 they participated at the Battle of Bentonville, and then Gen. Joe Johnston’s surrender at Bennett’s House near Durham Station, North Carolina.

L.B.’s records show that he was a patient at Breckenridge’s Division Hospital #1, at Lauderdale Miss. during part of 1863. Family information indicates he had Typhoid Fever, but recovered!

From several family members who heard him tell stories, the following stories have been passed down. Bal once chased down a piece of fat that another soldier had thrown away, washed it off, cooked and ate it! He and other soldiers found Bloodhounds that were killed by the Federal troops. In retaliation they placed the dead dogs in a spring, and made captured Federal prisoners drink the water from the Spring.

L.B. was so scared one time that he promised the Lord that that if he was allowed to live, he would give up chewing Tobacco and Pray everyday! Well, he did good on praying, but had trouble giving up Tobacco!

He was hauling corn for the food supply at the time of the Battle of Franklin, and returned to see Gen. John Bell Hood walking among the dead on the Battlefield, crying as he looked upon the Dead!

After the Surrender at Durham Station, N.C., he and several other men got a pump car and powered themselves on the RR tracks the 250 miles to Greenville, where he got off and walked the last 35 miles to home! Naomi was down at the spring when she heard him coming, and let out a yell, like she sometimes did when she got excited at a Religious meeting! He brought his small sword home and Naomi could be seen using it to cut meat out in the yard!

On the 25^th of January, 1922, L.B. Gravely passed from this life, he is the Great, Great Grandfather of Terry’s Texas Rangers # 1937 Commander, Jerry Jetsel.