10/01/2026
With our nation celebrating its 250th anniversary, Fort Caspar Chapter, NSDAR, is sharing the stories of our patriot ancestors whose courage and sacrifice helped shape the freedoms we have today. This week, we highlight BOSTON GRAVES of North Carolina.
Sebastian “Boston” Graves was born 279 years ago today on October 1, 1747, in Berks County, Pennsylvania. His parents had immigrated from the German Palatinate around 1730. He was christened at Dunkel’s Reformed Church in Virginiaville on May 31, 1748. The family relocated to North Carolina sometime before 1757.
In June 1769, Boston married Sarah Ephland in Orange County, North Carolina. A blacksmith by trade, Boston and Sarah raised nine children. In 1779 he owned property in Orange County valued at $1,501, and in 1780 he was taxed on 129 acres of land.
According to his pension application, Boston was drafted four times during the American Revolution. He was first drafted in 1779 by Captain William O’Neil; but Boston—married with a large family—made an agreement with his business partner in the smithy, who was single, to serve in his place and split the business proceeds with him. A second draft in 1779/80 was filled by Boston’s brother‑in‑law John Ephland, and a third in 1780/81 by a hired substitute.
In 1781, Graves and Joseph Allbright, his then-partner in the smithy, were drafted to work as Army blacksmiths. Soon after, British forces advanced, and Graves was ordered to Hillsboro, North Carolina, where he was captured the next day. He was taken to Wilmington and then Charleston, spending eleven months confined on prison ships. He was awarded a pension of $40 per year for his service.
After the war, Boston and family purchased land in Montgomery County, Virginia. They moved back and forth between Virginia and North Carolina before finally settling in Knox County, Tennessee. Here Boston died on April 1, 1840, at the home of his son George, near Knoxville. He and Sarah are buried in Graveston Cemetery in Corryton.
Does your own family tree include a patriot of the American Revolution? The DAR’s Ancestor Search tool is a wonderful place to begin your search. The database is free, open to the public, and may reveal whether your ancestor has already been proven.
https://www.dar.org/genealogy