Capt. Jesse Francis Barfield, the Tory

concerns

Do not confuse this profile with DAR patriot Jesse Francis Barfield who is the nephew of this person.

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Date and place of marriage to Sarah Jane Castellaw have also been (erroneously?) reported to be 1753 in Georgia (unattested).

links

• http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~hwbradley/aqwg958...

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Jesse Barfield was born in Halifax County, NC in 1738. His family resided in Ahoskie, NC and later moved to Duplin County where Jesse married Sarah Castellaw on 3 January, 1756.

There is mention of a possible intermarriage with the Tuscarora Indians with this Barfield family line (Source: Rootsweb ID: I219; and “William Taylor, Tuscarora Indian??” by genealogist Fletcher Freeman, Native Heritage Project, December 3, 2012). Jesse and Sarah had the following children: Stephen, Frederick, Charity, Solomon, Lewis, Jon, Thomas C., and Mary Ann.

Pvt. Jesse Barfield served in the NC Militia in Duplin and Sampson Counties and took part in the battle of Moore's Creek Bridge, serving there for 34 days. (Source: Militia Revolutionary War Records Duplin and Sampson Counties, NC 1997 By Virginia L. Bizzell and Oscar M. Bizzell).

Jesse left North Carolina and moved to Camden, Kershaw County, SC to join the South Carolina Militia under General Francis Marion. Jesse died in Camden, SC in 1780 when he was taken suddenly ill and died just a few miles from his home near the close of the Revolutionary War while driving cattle to the patriot army. It is possible that his death was the result of an injury he received during the Battle of Camden which occurred August 16, 1780, just days before this "sudden illness."

Ironically, there was another Jesse Barfield (the nephew of this Jesse Barfield) who resided in the Marion County area, who was known as Jesse “The Tory” Barfield and who fought against General Marion, his uncle Jesse Barfield, and the patriot cause.

There is a family story about Jesse Barfield included in the “HISTORY OF THE BARFIELD FAMILY” written by Garner Hughes who was a grandson of Catherine McCulloh Barfield, which read as follows:

"Jesse Barfield, the father of the family a sketch of which is written on the foregoing pages died near the close of the war while driving beef cattle to the Patriot Army. He was taken suddenly ill and died away from home, although he was but a few miles distant. After his death the mother lived with her oldest son, Frederick. She had the misfortune to lose her eyesight when he was an infant, and although she was the mother of nine children, he was the only one whose features she ever saw. She lived to be ninety yrs old and was ever cheerful and apparently happy."

There is reference of an historical account in “GOODSPEEDS HISTORY OF TN, the Goodspeed Publishing Co., 1886 which states Jesse and his son Frederick were in the Battle of Camden, South Carolina in the Revolutionary war. There is also reference to an application to General Francis Marion for payment of a horse, saddle and bridle made by Jesse's wife according to Mr. Gene Barfield, a descendant of Jesse the Tory. In addition, there is reference to Jesse in the book “SOLDIERS, SAILORS AND DESCENDANTS” by Joseph T. Maddox and Mary Carter, Georgia Pioneers Publication; 197[?], which shows Jesse Barfield (1738-1780) as a patriot and shows him being married to a Sara Castillo [Sarah Castellaw].

From https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Barfield-179

Biography Military

Title: Captain
Battle of Blue Savannah. August 4, 1780 (also given as 12 or 15 August) at Port's Ferry, Marion County, South Carolina. (aka Battle of Port's Ferry).

Note: Capt Jessie Barfield ambushed by the Gen. Francis "Swamp Fox"Marion, Marion County, South Carolina: BATTLE OF BLUE SAVANNAH RW 34° 4.394′ N, 79° 17.65′ W. Marker is near Rains, Marion, South Carolina. Snow Island - where Benjamin Port's ferry operated on the Pee Dee River.
Jesse was called "The Tory". He was a Loyalist during the American Revolutionary War.
Bear Swamp: 1780 October 30:

Col. Robert Gray's Regiment of Loyalist Militia detachment led by Capt. Jesse Barefield (wounded)[1]
1780 November 4, Col. Thomas Brown (NC) wrote a short letter to Brigadier General (Pro Tempore) Henry William Harrington (NC):
"I have killed Miles Barfield, and wounded two others of the Barfields; and it is said, Jesse Barfield is shot through the hand, but the certainty I cannot tell. I have got four more of the Barfields well ironed and under guard, whom I am very choice of."[1]
After his wounding and escape from Col. Thomas Brown, Capt. Jesse Barefield slipped down the Little PeeDee River with a group of horsemen and made his way to Georgetown to help defend the small town from the expected attack by Col. Francis Marion, an enemy that Capt. Jesse Barefield despised.[1]
Notes

4. Jesse Barfield (SOLOMON3, RICHARD I.2, JON.1) born about 1729 (makes father age 14?) and died about 1781 in Macon County, GA. Married ?
This Jesse was a Revolutionary soldier and supposedly known as "Jesse the Tory." One known son, Barrett Barfield Sr. (also spelled Barritt, Bassett). [2]
"Barfield, ....(Jesse)..Capt. of a company of Tories. In an affair with the Whig partisan Melton, he was successful. Gabriel Marion, a nephew of the General, fell into his hands, and as soon as recognized, was put to death. "His name was fatal to Him."[3]

Questionable link to Jesse
Name: Jesse (John) Barfield
Probate Date: 7 Apr 1787
Probate Place: Duplin, North Carolina, USA
Inferred Death Year: Abt 1787
Inferred Death Place: North Carolina, USA[4]
Children

Spouse: Nancy

SALLY BARFIELD, b. 1755; m. PRESERVED FORD.

BARRETT BARFIELD, SR., b. 1763, Marion County, South Carolina; d. Abt. 1850, Ideal, Macon Co., GA.
LEWIS BARFIELD

Burial
Macon Co., GA cemetery records: Cemetery#2 Barfield (Jesse) Cemetery.
Directions given state it is on the west side of Brooks Rd. on LL 201 in the 2nd District. It can no longer be located, but was proven in Deed Book 8, Pg 119 in Macon Co., GA courthouse records.* Only three graves are listed - Jesse, Nancy, Barrett.
information by: Davine V. Campbell, Guelda L. Hay & Millie C. Stewart 31-Mar-1994 (Susan Collier)
SEE: Macon county census records for Barfield, Jesse 1850, 1860, 1870

Sources

↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 The American Revolution in South Carolina, Bear Swamp. October 30, 1780. Accessed 2017 March 18, amb

↑ Source: Susan Collier

↑ p.209, Biographical Sketches of Loyalists of the American Revolution with an Historical Essay, Vol I, author: Sabina, Pub: Little, Brown and Co., Boston, 1864.

↑ Inventories and Accounts of Estates, 1769-1800; Author: North Carolina. County Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions (Duplin County); Probate Place: Duplin, North Carolina. 09 September 2018; amb

Barefoot, Daniel W. Touring South Carolina's Revolutionary War Sites: Touring the Backroads. John F. Blair, Publisher, 1999. amb 12:55, 14 August 2017 (EDT)

Bear Swamp, October 30, 1780. The American Revolution in South Carolina amb 12:52, 14 August 2017 (EDT)

Jesse Barfield, Thomas DeVane, and Alexander Outlaw (Alexander’s mother was Jesse's maternal aunt) in NC colonial record The Colonial Records of North Carolina; Vol. IX- 1771 to 1776; Published Raleigh; Joseph Daniels, Printer to the State; 1890.

Ancestral File Number: 3WNQ-GL6

________________________

https://www.carolana.com/SC/Revolution/revolution_bear_swamp.html

In his 1832 pension application, William Easterling (R14028) noted:

"He was engaged in one battle with the Tories on Bear Swamp between Drowning Creek and Little Pee Dee River. Colonel Brown, Lt. Col. Richardson, Adjutant Robert Raiford and Capt. Anderson commanded the Whigs and Captain Barfield the Tories. Captain Anderson was shot down in this battle just by deponent's side, and was carried and deponent does not know whether he died or survived it. The Tories were defeated."

In 1834, William Easterling added the following:

"When under Colonel Brown in the County of Bladen in North Carolina, sometime after dark, we heard one of our sentinels cry out - who came there? He then fired and ran into the line of fire. Another sentinel stood near who thought it was cattle. He hailed Captain Barfield who commanded the Tories shoot and hit the sentinel in the back. The Tories continued their fire until they came so near that I could see their faces by the flash of their guns. Our men were in confusion.

"The Colonel ordered one side of the line of fire, the Adjutant on the other - Our officers succeeded in forming us and commencing fire. We had not fired more than four rounds before the Tories retreated. We were commanded by Colonel Brown, Lt. Col. Richardson, Adjutant Robert Raiford & Captain Anderson. The Tories by Captain Barfield.

"During the engagement Captain Anderson (a brave man and true Whig) was shot down by my side. He cried out - Oh Lord, I'm a dead man; what shall I do? - Adjutant Raiford who was as brave as ever lived, but who stuttered very badly, replied - Gu Gu_d in it l-l-lye close... poor Anderson's wound was mortal -- we were ordered [illegible], set out sentinels, and lay on our arms till morning."

On November 4, 1780, Col. Thomas Brown (NC) wrote a short letter to Brigadier General (Pro Tempore) Henry William Harrington (NC):

"I have killed Miles Barfield, and wounded two others of the Barfields; and it is said, Jesse Barfield is shot through the hand, but the certainty I cannot tell. I have got four more of the Barfields well ironed and under guard, whom I am very choice of."

After his wounding and escape from Col. Thomas Brown, Capt. Jesse Barefield slipped down the Little PeeDee River with a group of horsemen and made his way to Georgetown to help defend the small town from the expected attack by Col. Francis Marion, an enemy that Capt. Jesse Barefield despised.