The students of the Radical University: William Grant

William James Grant (b. Abt. 1859)
South Carolina.  Born free. Mulatto.
Occupation: butcher.
Father's occupation: butcher.

William Grant was born in Charleston, South Carolina to James and Ann Grant.  The father James worked as a butcher.  Both James and Ann were free persons of color, although they were evidently light-skinned and may have occasionally passed for white.  (The 1870 U.S. lists the race of James and Ann as "white" and states that James is from Ireland, although all other records described them as "mulattos" from South Carolina.) James had been born free in Charleston, and he'd had largely spent his entire life in the city. According to an 1872 account he gave, he'd never been more than fifty miles away from the city. In the same account, he said that he'd had problems with hearing since the 1860s which limited his ability to participate in politics and social activities. 

James's 1872 account was offered as part of a claim made to the U. S. Southern Claims Commission. (The commission provided reimbursement to Unionists in the south for property taken by the U.S. army.) His claim was submitted to Theodore W. Parmele, the father of William's USC classsmates Charles R. Parmele and Holmes Agnew.

Offered as it was in support of a reimbursement claim, James's account should not be accepted uncritically. Nevertheless, it provides insight into his family's experiences during and after the Civil War. James told the claims commissioner that, when war broke out, "everybody" (meaning presumably white Charlestonians) was sure that that the Confederate army would be victorious. Many White Charlestonians openly said that the colored people would be killed because of the outbreak of war. Of course, James said that he had not wanted war and that he had always supported Unionism. 

During the war, James said that he helped provide food to Union prisoners held in Charleston. According to him, "[a]bout a year before the evacuation of Charleston" (probably meaning in spring 1864), a white woman ("Mrs. Potter") who frequented his market stall spoke with him about how Union prisoners were suffering from hunger. He gave the woman meat from his slaughterhouse as well as soup and pancakes prepared by his wife to offer to the prisoners. He did not personally offer the prisoners food because he felt it was dangerous for men to give anything to them, but he used his wagon to help the woman transport the food to the prison.

Union troops entered the city in mid-February 1865. William was quickly hired by a Union quartermaster ("Captain Fowler") as a butcher. After troops had been in the city for about a week, two white Union soldiers accompanied William to the Grant home. They took the sheep and cattle held in James' pen (about 30 head of cattle and 45 head of sheep) as army provisions. The claim that James presented to the commissioner was for compensation for the livestock that the soldiers had taken. James's claim was not approved for payment. No reason was recorded, but in general, few claims (only about a third) were approved. 

William first appears in university records in the January 1876 University of South Carolina catalogue.  He described as a freshman from Charleston following the modern studies track.  This university closed before he completed his degree.

After the university closure, William returned to Charleston and took up his father's trade, working as a butcher at W. A. Grant & Sons.  He stayed in Charleston until sometime in the 1900s when he moved Los Angeles, continuing to work as a butcher. 

William likely died at some point between 1910 and 1920 as his wife Orville is listed as a widow in the 1920 Census.

Sources

1). 1860; Census Place: Charleston Ward 5, Charleston, South Carolina; Page: 387

2). 1870; Census Place: Charleston, Charleston, South Carolina; Roll: M593_1487; Page: 399B

3). 1880; Census Place: Charleston, Charleston, South Carolina; Roll: 1222; Page: 341D; Enumeration District: 068

4). 1900; Census Place: Charleston Ward 8, Charleston, South Carolina; Page: 14; Enumeration District: 0096

5). 1910; Census Place: Los Angeles Assembly District 70, Los Angeles, California; Roll: T624_81; Page: 9B;

6) 1920; Census Place: Los Angeles Assembly District 73, Los Angeles, California; Roll: T625_114; Page: 9B; Enumeration District: 394

7) The National Archives at Washington, D.C.; Washington, D.C.; Barred and Disallowed Case Files of the Southern Claims Commission, 1871-1880; Record Group Title: Records of the U.S. House of Representatives, 1789 - 2015; Record Group Number: 233; Series Number: M1407