Valerius Cincinnatus Giles was born on January 16, 1842 to Edward S. Giles and Nancy Jackson Giles in Shelby County, Tennessee.  When Val was seven, the family, including his six brothers and sisters moved to a farm in the Gilleland's Creek community just outside of Austin, Texas.  As a young man, Val worked on the family farm until Texas seceeded from the Union on Feb 1, 1861.