James Barkley (1761 - 1837)

Biography

Private James Barkley served with Rowan County Regiment, North Carolina Militia during the American Revolution.

Revolutionary War soldier. Fought with his brother-in-law, Capt. Thomas Cowan.

Rowan County Regiment, 1780, a Private under Capt. Thomas Cowan, Capt. William Bell, and a Capt. Pinson. 1781, a Private under Capt. Thomas Cowan, Capt. William Bell, and Capt. Hugh Hall. John Barkley was his younger brother. Born on 11/26/1761 in Rowan County, NC^[1]

Moved to Rutherford Co., Tennessee before 1810 and to Warren County, Tennessee by 1820

Spouse & Children

• Sarah Knox (1767 - abt 1855), married (Bond dated: Apr 14, 1787, wedding Apr 17, 1787) in Rowan County, North Carolina^[2]

• • -Mary Barkley (1788 - 1791)
  • -William Knox Barkley (1790 - 1791)
  • -Margaret "Peggy" Barkley (1792 - 1802)
  • -Henry Barkley (1795 - 1808)
  • -Elizabeth "Lizzie" Barkley (1797 - aft 1861)
  • -Jane "Jinnie" Barkley (1799 - 1802)
  • -Lydia "Liddie" Barkley (1802 - abt 1856)

Family Bible Record

Three pages of the Family Bible of James Barkley were included as some of the documentation for his Revolutionary War Pension Application^[3]. It includes birthdates for his brother's and sisters as well as the birth and some death dates for his children. The family name is spelled "Barkly" throughout. See images.

Henry & James Barkly (Barkley) Family Bible

• Pg 677 Marriages

• • -James Barkly & Sarah Knox was married April the 17th 1787

• Pg 678 Births

• • -Robert Barkly was Born of Henry & Mary Barkly the 25th of March 1753
  • -Mary Barkly was the 4th day of Oct. 1755
  • -Henry Barkly was Born the 5th of Oct 1758
  • -James Barkly was Born the 26th of November 1761
  • -John Barkly was Born the 13th day of February 1765
  • -Thos Barkly was Born 11th day Oct 1766
  • -<crossed out>
  • -James Barkly & Sarah Knox
  • -William K. Barkly
  • -oct
  • -</crossed out>
  • -Mary Barkly was March the 28th 1788
  • -William K. Barkly was Born Oct the 29th 1790
  • -Peggy Barkly was Born the 26th day of Oct 1792
  • -Henry Barkly was Born the 26th day of January 1795

• Pg 679 Births

• • -Betsy Barkly was Born the 12th day of March 1797
  • -Jinny Barkly was Born the 27th of August 1799
  • -Liddy Barkly was Born the 12th day of December 1802

• Pg 679 Deaths

• • -Mary Barkly departed this life Oct the 12th 1791
  • -William K. Barkly departed this life Nov. 20th 1791
  • -Peggy Barkly departed this life March the 13th 1802
  • -Jinny Barkly departed this life July the 17th 1802
  • -Henry Barkly departed this life Oct the 28th 1808

Revolutionary War Service

James Barkley Rev War Service from Pension Application^[3]

Volunteered Jun 1780 entered the army in the Regiment of Capt Cowan's Company belonging to Col. Locks, Major Brandon was an officer in the same Regiment and he lived in Rowan County, North Carolina. The object of the tour that he volunteered to perform was to march against the tories who were embarking themselves at Ramsours Mills on the South side of the Catawba river in what was then called Tryon County but now Lincoln. On the 20th, or 21st of June 1780 the whig forces under Col. Frances Lock, of which he was one, attacked the tories at Ramsours Mills and defeated them with great loss. Out of ten captains on the whig side seven were killed and one wounded. After this engagement he was verbally discharged by the Col of his Regiment, having served a tour of 8 days.

Shortly afterwards and in the same year he again volunteered to march against the tories who had collected at Colsons on the Pedee river in Anson county N.C.; he entered upon this tour in Captain Bells's company & Col Locks Regiment Col. Davidson belonged to the same Regiment, They had an engagement with the tories about the last of July 1780, and defeated them, in which engagement Col Davidson was wounded, he was engaged in this tour twelve or fourteen days.

Immediately after Gate's defeat near Camden, South Carolina, the militia in North Carolina in the vicinity of his residence (was) called out to oppose the advance of Cornwallis who it was thought would immediately march through North Carolina. He entered in to the service for this purpose in Capt (James) Persons company and was attached to the Regiment commanded by Col. (James) Brandon & Major White, the Lieutenant of Persons company was by the name of Gillespie. He was in this service this tour 5 or 6 weeks and was stationed near Charlotte in the County of Mecklenburg N.C. On his march to this place he met Gen Smallwood and other Continental officers retreating from Gates's defeat.

After General Morgans victory over Tarlton at the Corprus (?) in S.C. he was pursued by Cornwallis with great speed, and sent an express to the Counties of Rowan and Mecklenburgh for reinforcements to join him at Sherrill's Ford on the Catawba river. He volunteered in this tour and met Gen Morgan at the place designated. He attached himself to Capt. Cowans Company & shortly after he joined Morgans army. Morgan thought it highly important that an only canoe that was on the opposite side of the river which was occupied by the British and tories should be destoyed to prevent them from crossing the river in the night & obtaining information as to the situation of his army and directed that two soldiers should be sent to perform this object. This applicant and one Robert Olivant volunteered to perform the request of Morgan and did destroy the canoe. During this tour he was frequently employed in reconnoitering the British troops whilst they lay in Salisbury. He was about 8 days is active service. At the expiration of that time he was attacked with the small pox and was utterly prevented from doing active service during the various marching and counter marchings of Generals Green & Cornwallis. His sickness prevented him from being in the battle at Guilford Courthouse, about the 1st of September 1781.

He again rendesvoused at Salisbury to go against the British and tories who were at Wilmington. He went out in Capt Bells Company in a Regiment commanded by Col Loftus (?) and Maj. White. This expedition was commanded by General Griffith Rutherford. After he had been out some time he was transferred to Captain Hugh Halls Company of riflemen. They marched within 16 or 17 miles of Wilmington where they received the intelligence of Cornwallis surrender to Washington. After this it was ascertained that a detachment of British had stationed themselves at bridge that he has not recollected on North East river. Major White was directed to beat up for volunteers to attack them. Applicant volunteered in this enterprise. They went an this expedition attacked the British by surprise, killed a considerable number of these and compelled the others to retreat to Wilmington. he met with the other troops under Gaines at Wilmington. Rutherford pursued them to that town. The British becoming alarmed retreated from Wilmington to their ships and sailed for New York. From Wilmington he went home where he arrived a few days before Christmas 1781 having been out something more than three & a half months.

In the month of March 1782 the General Court for Roan County was in session in Salisbury N.C. it was believed that a Col of the Tories by the name of Fannon (Fanning) would attack the Court or in some way molest it. He with others volunteered to defend the Court went & done so and was engaged in this 8 or 10 days, which ended his military service.

He never received any discharge.

After the Revolution he moved to Rutherford County Tennessee where he lived about five years, then he moved to Warren County Tennessee where he now lives

To the question of how he was called into service - He always volunteered, that he had lost an eye when a boy and was not bound to serve at all but did so from patriotic feelings. (3rd Day of October 1832)

Notes

North Carolina Marriage Bonds, Rowan Co., NC
Bride: Sarah Knox
Groom: James Barkley
Bond Date: 14 Apr 1787
County: Rowan
Record #: 01 019
Bondsman: William Knox; Henry Barkley
Witness: Max Chambers
Bond #: 000122861

Alias

• Alias: last name Barclay, Barkly

Research Notes

James's Pension ledger records that he died on 26 Feb 1837 in Tennessee. There are entries for a James Barkely in Warren County, Tennessee Census records in 1820 and 1830 and Rutherford County in 1810.^[4] Canon County was created from Warren County in 1836. There are also records for a James Barkley in Iredell County, North Carolina in 1790, 1800, 1810, 1820, and 1830. Iredell County was created from Rowan County in 1788.^[5]

• Fact: Military Service (04 Mar 1831) Tennessee, United States
• Fact: Burial (after 27 February 1837) Cannon, Tennessee, United States
• Fact: http://familysearch.org/v1/LifeSketch Information in Find a Grave:

He was a son of Henry BARKLEY & Mary (maiden name unknown).

He served as a Private in the North Carolina Line of the American Revolutionary War & his exact birth and death dates can be found in his & his widow's Pension Application.

The following came from the Widow's Pension Application of Sarah BARKLEY... {NOTE: three pages from a Bible & all entries appear to be in the same handwriting} Page [677] of original Bible page for... Marriages. James Bar(k)ly & Sarah Knox was married April the 17th 1787

Page [678] of original Bible page for... Births. {left column} Robert Barkly was Born of Henry & Mary Bar kly the 25th of March 1753 Mary Barkly was the 4th day of Oct. 1755 Henry Barkly was Born the 5th of Oct. 1758 James Barkly was Born the 26 th of November 1761 John Barkly was Born the 13th day of February 1765 *{NOTE: this is the same John Barkly who died in Rutherford Co.,TN. on July 3rd, 1850}*

{right column} Thos. Barkly was Born 11th day of Oct 1766

• {NOTE: the above births are siblings, all children of Henry & Mary Barkley & below are the births of James & Sarah (Knox) Barkley's children}*

Mary Barkly was March the 28th 1788 William K. Barkly was Born Oct the 29th 1790 Peggy Barkly was Born the 26th day of Oct 1792 Henry Barkly was Born the 26th day of January 1795

Page [679] of original Bible page for... Births. {left column} Betsy Barkly was Born the 12th day of March 1797 Jinny Barkly was Born the 27th of August 1799 Liddy Ba(r)kly was Born the 12th day of December 1802

Deaths. {right column} Mary Bark(l)y de parted this life Oct the 12th 1791 *{NOTE: aged 3yrs. 6mos. 14ds.}* William K. Barkly departed this life Nov. the 20th 1791 *{NOTE: aged 1yr. 22ds.}* Peggy Barkly departed this life March the 13th 1802 *{NOTE: aged 9yrs. 4mos. 15ds.}* Jinny Barkly de parted this life July the 17th 1802 *{NOTE: aged 2yrs. 10mos. 20ds.}* Henry Barkly departed this life Oct the 28th 1808 *{NOTE: aged 13yrs. 9mos. 2ds.}*

• {NOTE: all deaths above were the children of James & Sarah (Knox) Barkley}*

His son Henry BARKLEY {listed above in Births & Deaths} died in Rutherford Co., TN. & is Buried in an unknown, at this time, Cemetery.

His daughter Elizabeth "Betsy" BARKLEY {listed above in Births} married William WOOD on October 7th, 1817 in Warren (now Cannon) Co., TN. & she died on ______ ___, 1872 in Cannon Co., TN. & is Buried in an unknown, at this time, Cemetery.

Sources

1. ↑ #Lewis
2. ↑ #Marriage
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1} Revolutionary War Pension Application, NARA M804. Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files. Roll: 0144 State: North Carolina: James Barkley, Pension # W.44: Accessed at Fold3[1]
4. ↑ #C1810, #C1820, #C1830
5. ↑ #C1790…

• "Family Tree," database, FamilySearch (http://familysearch.org : modified 05 September 2023, 17:32), entry for James Barkley (PID https://beta.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/4:1:K2Y5-6DL ); contributed by various users.
• J.D. Lewis, Database of North Carolina Revolutionary Soldiers, Link
• Full Transcription of Pension, W44], James Barkly/Barkley
• "United States Revolutionary War Pension Payment Ledgers, 1818-1872," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q24Q-2F2Z : accessed 18 September 2018), James Barkley, 04 Mar 1831; citing Tennessee, United States, NARA microfilm publication T718 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1962), roll 4; FHL microfilm 1,319,384. Died 26 Feb 1837
• "North Carolina, County Marriages, 1762-1979 ," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F8CL-5QH : 22 December 2016), James Barkley and Sarah Knox, 14 Apr 1787; citing , Rowan, North Carolina, United States, p. , Office of Archives and History, Division of Archives and Records. State Archive of North Carolina and various county Register of Deeds; FHL microfilm 317,002.
• "United States Census, 1790," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XH2M-926 : accessed 18 September 2018), James Barkley, Iredell, North Carolina, United States; citing p. 394, NARA microfilm publication M637, (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 7; FHL microfilm 568,147.; see also Space:Iredell County, North Carolina, 1790 Census
• "United States Census, 1810," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XH24-N2Q : accessed 18 September 2018), James Barkley, Nashville, Rutherford, Tennessee, United States; citing p. 2, NARA microfilm publication M252 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 63; FHL microfilm 218,687.
• "United States Census, 1820," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHGC-J2W : accessed 18 September 2018), James Barkley, Warren, Tennessee, United States; citing p. 289, NARA microfilm publication M33, (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 122; FHL microfilm 193,684.
• "United States Census, 1830," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHP4-Y1D : 10 September 2017), James Bartley, Warren, Tennessee, United States; citing 316, NARA microfilm publication M19, (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 181; FHL microfilm 24,539.