George Strickland was born around 1856 in North Carolina. Strickland worked as a laborer and resided in Wake County, North Carolina. Strickland was charged with larceny on May 20, 1878, and sentenced to two years in the North Carolina State Penitentiary. Strickland was recorded in the North Carolina State Penitentiary's Descriptive Register for the Years 1869-1884 as prisoner number 2717. Strickland's race was described as "colored." Strickland was twenty-two years old when he was arrested. Strickland was noted as being able to read. During his incarceration, Strickland was leased to the Western North Carolina Railroad Company to work on railroad construction. Strickland escaped on February 2, 1880, and was recaptured on July 31, 1880. He was discharged on November 16, 1880.