Born in
Arkansas, his owner O. B. Roberts moved him to
Gilmer, Texas in 1844. During the
American Civil War, O. B. served in the
Confederate States Army while Roberts cared for his house and family. After the war, O. B. gave him land and material to build a log cabin. In 1867, he was whipped by members of the
Ku Klux Klan, and soon moved to
Marshall, where he worked as a blacksmith. == Career ==