Samuel Joseph Young Carlile was born Feb 18, 1833 in Georgia, possibly Meriwether County, the youngest of Francis and Mary Elizabeth "Betsy" Grant Carlile's thirteen surviving children. By 1850, Joseph, as he was known -- then18 years old, was the only other person living in the household of his widowed father, Francis, in Randolph County AL. The census for that year lists Francis' occupation as a mechanic and Joseph as a farmer.

Webster's Dictionary published about 1850 defines a mechanic as a "person whose occupation is to construct machines, or goods, wares, instruments, furniture, and the like...one skilled in a mechanical occupation or art." Joseph was skilled in furniture making, which may explain why he didn't serve in the military during the civil war.

According to a letter written by his father, Francis, in the spring of 1853, Joseph is living with his sister, Margaret, in Hogansville, Meriwether County, GA and earning $15 a month working for her husband, William B. Hill. Shortly afterwards, Joseph moved to Cass (later Bartow) County GA to live with another sister, Martha, and her husband, Rev James Parker.

There he met Elizabeth Leak and on Nov 26, 1854, they married in a ceremony conducted by Joseph's brother-in-law, Rev. Parker.

Elizabeth "Lizzie" Leak, the youngest daughter of John Leak and Mary "Polly" Dendy, was born May 22, 1837 in Spartanburg, SC and moved to Cass (later Bartow) County GA with her family in 1843.

By 1860, Joe and Lizzie have three little girls and are living and farming just east of the Western & Atlantic railroad tracks about a mile south of Adairsville. Serena Wright, Lizzie's older, widowed sister is also listed as a member of the household. Joe's net worth was recorded as $250.

Lizzie's parents, John and Polly Leak, live next door on the north side of the Carliles, and Samuel McDow, a fairly well-to-do planter with eight slaves lives next door on the south side. Since Joe is not listed as owning property in the census for that year, perhaps he's farming for his father-in-law, John Leak or Samuel McDow.

It's puzzling that no civil war military records exist for Joe, though at 29 he was of prime fighting age. However, a couple of clues lead us to wonder if he may have served the Confederacy in a different capacity. Joe was skilled in furniture making, which at the time was defined as a mechanic. The Confederacy granted exemptions to mechanics but "employed" them to construct items necessary for the war effort.

Joe and Lizzie moved to Spring Place Rd. in Cassville to perhaps the same 5th District property Joe is recorded as having purchased at sheriff's auction in 1872.

By the summer of 1880, only their oldest child, Mattie, has married and left home, and the Carliles -- 13 of them -- are living and farming in an area of Bartow County designated on census records as "Little Prarie". Their oldest son, our grandfather, William, is listed as 12 years old and working on the farm.

Joseph died Jan 10, 1903 in Bartow County, GA and is buried there in Old Cassville Cemetery. After Joe died, Elizabeth lived with her sons, Will and Bascombe. Several Letters to Elizabeth Leak Carlisle written during those years have been preserved.

Elizabeth died Jan 29, 1926 and is buried in an unmarked grave next to her husband.

Grave Marker for Samuel Joseph Young Carlile
	The inscription reads: S.J. Carlile Born Feb 18, 1833 Died Jan 10, 1903 His toils are past, his work is done. He fought the fight, the victory won. To find the marker in Cassville Cemetery in Bartow County, GA, locate the large Confederate Soldiers' monument with flag, which appears on the left in this photo.