My Genealogy Hound

Charles H. Grant, a prominent farmer and stock-raiser of Madison Township, residing three miles northwest from Fair Play, Mo., was born April 23, 1839, in Giles County, Tenn. His parents, John A. and Ann (Hannah) Grant, were natives of Virginia and Tennessee, respectively; he was born about 1805, and she about 1808 or 1810. They were married near 1836, and the father followed farming, and was also overseer on a plantation in Tennessee until 1854, when he came to Polk County, Mo., and from there to Cedar County in the fall of the same year. Aside from his farming interest, he was also quite a mechanic. He died in the last named county February 8, 1855, and the mother died in Tennessee in 1850. She was of Scotch descent, and a member of the Baptist Church. In their family were seven children, three now living: C. H., J. A., and Martha C. Charles H. Grant came to Missouri with his father in March, 1854, and grew to manhood in Polk County. He attended the common schools of Tennessee for about six years, and this was about all of his schooling. July 6, 1861, he enlisted in Company E, Sixteenth Missouri, six months’ men, and afterward re-enlisted December 18, 1861, in Company A, Eighth Regiment Missouri State Militia Cavalry, and was in the Humansville battle. He was wounded May 20, 1864, in a skirmish by a thirty-eight calibre revolver, the ball entering his left side below the lower lobe of the left lung, and coming out behind the right shoulder. He was laid up for six weeks. For this he receives a pension. He was mustered out January 25, 1865, returned home, purchased a farm, and December 27, 1866, he married Miss Mary M. Frieze, of Polk County, Mo. Eight children were the result of this union, seven now living: Ann E., Cordelia A., Martha R., Ulysses S. A., Hattie R., James W. and Mary J. Mr. Grant is a Republican in politics, and was elected by that party in 1870 to the office of assessor of Polk County, serving two years, and serving as deputy assessor from 1873 to 1878. He also filled the same position in 1880. He is a member of the Masonic Fraternity, also the G. A. R., and is a member of the Baptist Church, of which he was deacon. He has been a school director most of the time since 1865. John A. Grant, the paternal grandfather of our subject, was a native of Ireland, born about 1765, and when a young man came to America. He was in the War of 1812 under Jackson, and died in Tennessee about 1845 or 1846. The paternal grandmother was also of Irish descent, and died in Tennessee a short time previous to the death of her husband. The maternal grandfather, John Hannah, was a native of Scotland, and died in Tennessee previous to 1835. The maternal grandmother also died in that State, several years previous to the death of her husband.