Henry Artis was born around 1864 in North Carolina. Artis worked as a laborer and resided in Washington County, North Carolina. Artis was charged with larceny on March 25, 1878, and sentenced to five years in the North Carolina State Penitentiary. Artis was recorded in the North Carolina State Penitentiary's Descriptive Register for the Years 1869-1884 as prisoner number 2627. In the descriptive register, Artis's race is noted as Black. Artis was fourteen years old when he was arrested. Artis was noted as possessing no formal education, meaning he could not read or write at that time. During his incarceration, Artis was leased to the Western North Carolina Railroad Company to work on railroad construction. He was discharged on November 14, 1882.