Finding Aid of the Barbee Family Papers, PC.2047
Abstract
Christopher Barbee (b. 1792) of Chatham County married Jane Shepherd ca. 1814. Their
eight children included William A. Barbee, who would later serve as a Confederate
soldier. Various Barbee family members and descendants were Chatham County landowners
and farmers, and some were involved in businesses such as a sawmill operation. Many
owned land in and settled in adjacent counties; and a few family members moved west.
One, Walter Jackson Barbee (b. 1886), moved to Virginia and served during World War
II. The family papers include land and estate records, accounts, legal documents,
agreements, slave bills of sale; personal and business correspondence, miscellaneous
materials and writings, some photographs and postcards (20th century).
Descriptive Summary
- Title
- Barbee Family Papers
- Call Number
- PC.2047
- Creator
-
Barbee family
- Date
- 1785-1924
- Extent
- 2.00 Archive Boxes, 4.00 boxes, 2.00 flat oversize boxes
- Language
-
English
- Repository
-
State Archives of North Carolina
Restrictions on Access & Use
Use Restrictions
Copyright is retained by the authors of these materials, or their descendants, as
stipulated by United States copyright law (Title 17 US Code). Individual researchers
are responsible for using these materials in conformance with copyright law as well
as any donor restrictions accompanying the materials.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], PC.2047, Barbee Family Papers, State Archives of North Carolina,
Raleigh, NC, USA.
Collection Overview
These are the papers of the Barbee family of Chatham County. The greater part of the
collection contains papers related to William A. Barbee and his immediate family members.
The earliest documents, beginning in 1785, are land records from Chatham County. William
A. Barbee served as executor to several estates including his father, Christopher
Barbee and uncle, Mordecai Barbee. These records as well as legal documents from various
Barbee family members are a large part of the collection. Of particular interest are
slave bills of sale (5) most of which belong to Christopher Barbee (father of William
A.).
The greater part of the Barbee letters are Civil War era from William A. Barbee to
his wife, Eliza and Thomas C. Barbee (son of William A.) to his family back home in
Chatham County. Both men detail life experiences in camp and being away from home
for an extended period of time. Other letters are from family members living in Arkansas
and Mississippi. These letters primarily discuss family matters and farming. There
are nine account ledger books some of which belong to William A. Barbee and seem to
record business activities in regard to the sale of building materials. It is plausible
Mr. Barbee owned a building supply business considering an agreement in the collection
between the State of North Carolina and W.A. Barbee and R. D. Sears to build a dam,
sawmill, and cotton gin on Panther Creek in Chatham County in 1867. A few papers belonging
to Rufus Barbee, son of William A., document him as a student at the Ruffin Badge
Institute, a school located in Chatham County from 1869-1872.
Additionally, there are writings some of which are musings, copied plays, and poems
by an unknown author with an unknown date. Miscellaneous items include a Confederate
ten dollar bill, receipts for Confederate bonds, and a portion of a document from
the Confederate War Department granting permission to visit North Carolina. Also included
is a linen cap worn by Patsy Beavers Barbee as a baby.
A smaller part of the collection are papers from Walter Jackson Barbee, a later heir
of William A. Barbee. His papers included writings, correspondence, both personal
and business, and photographs. The greater part of his personal letters are from his
mother, Patsy Barbee. The majority of his correspondence pertains to his Army career
serving in France during World War I and his later stay at the U.S. Veteran's Hospital
in Oteen, North Carolina, 1921-1924. Photographs document him and unknown family members,
his squadron, and pictures of the Veteran's hospital. There is a small collection
of postcards from around the country written to him while he was hospitalized. Additionally
there is a small collection of poems and musings written on small pieces of paper.
Arrangement Note
This collection is arranged into the following four series: Land, Estate and Court
Records; Family Correspondence and Papers; Ledgers and Account Books; and Walter J.
Barbee Correspondence and Papers. These series are further divided into subseries.
The files within the series or subseries are arranged by topic, based on the type
of material and chronologically therein. Oversized materials are also listed separately
at the end of the finding aid. In general, there is a chronological arrangement within
established series.
Biographical and Historical No
Christopher Barbee
Christopher Barbee was born in Chatham County in 1792, to Christopher and Dicey Hopson
Barbee. His mother was pregnant with him when his father died. Accordingly, the elder
Christopher stated in his will that if his wife had a male child, he would later inherit
his land. The elder Christopher presumably owned a sizable farm in Chatham County
considering that in 1840 he worked about 15 slaves and 16 other agriculture employees.
After his marriage to Jane (Jeaney) Shepherd in January 1814, he and his wife continued
to live in Chatham County. They had eight children. Christopher Barbee died in 1860.
Interestingly, a cousin (son of his father's brother), also named Christopher (known
as Old Kit) donated much of the land to the state of North Carolina for the building
of the University of North Carolina.
William A. Barbee
William A Barbee was born in Chatham County in 1816, to Christopher and Jeaney (Shepherd)
Barbee. He married Eliza Harward (1814-1887), also of Chatham County. William A. Barbee
was a farmer in Chatham County prior to enlisting in the Confederate Army at age 48.
He was elected 1st Lieutenant for the 6th Regiment, North Carolina Senior Reserves,
Company E in 1864. Among the duties of the Regiment in which he served was guarding
the Salisbury Prison, a Confederate prison camp, and hunting deserters.William A.
married his second wife, Patsy Beavers (1853-1814) in 1889. An obituary from the , March 25, 1908 credits Mr. Barbee with assisting in furnishing material for the
State Capital Building in Raleigh. He is buried in the Mount Pisgah Church cemetery
in Chatham County.William A. and Eliza had a family of four sons and four daughters. William Thomas
Clingman (1837-1903), married Rebecca Trice. Henry B (1839-1862) died in Virginia
while serving in the Civil War. Rufus Haywood (1841-1921) was married twice (2nd time
Emily Burgess). Margaret Ann (1849-1924) married Joseph Scott. The eldest sons, Thomas
C. and Henry H, and Rufus H, served in the 6th Regiment, North Carolina Infantry.
Little is known about Cornelia (b.1844), Frances, William (b. 1853) and Milly (b.
1855) except that they all died in 1907.
William Thomas Clingman Barbee
William Thomas Clingman Barbee was born in Chatham County in 1837, to William A. and
Eliza Barbee. Thomas C. enlisted in the Confederate Army on May 28, 1861 at the age
of 24 and was a member of the 6th Regiment North Carolina Infantry, Company I, also
known as the Cedar Fork Rifles. He was wounded at Gaines' Mill, Virginia in 1862 and
later was promoted to corporal on August 1, 1863. He surrendered with his unit at
Appomattox. He later married Rebecca Trice in 1867 and had nine children. He died
in Durham County in 1907.
Rufus H. Barbee
Rufus Haywood Barbee was born in Chatham County in 1841, to William A. and Eliza Barbee.
Rufus Haywood enlisted in the Confederate Army on May 28, 1861 at the age of 19 and
was a member of the 6th Regiment, North Carolina Infantry, Company I, also known as
the Cedar Fork Rifles. He was wounded at Seven Pines, Virginia in 1862. Rufus H. was
first captured in Maryland in September 1862 and later transferred to Virginia for
exchange. He was first promoted to corporal and laters to sergeant. He was captured
twice more, the second time in the hospital in Richmond, Virginia in 1865, but was
later released. Rufus Barbee was married twice. His second wife was Emily B. Burgess,
and they had one daughter, Lydia Barbee. They lived in Cary, Wake County. Rufus Haywood
died in Wake County in 1921.
Walter Jackson Barbee
Walter Jackson Barbee was born in Chatham County in 1886 to Patsy (Beavers) Barbee
and William A. Barbee. He worked as a carpenter in Virginia until 1918 when he enlisted
as a Private the Army. He would rise to the rank of Sergeant in the 483rd Aero Squadron
stationed at Camp Lee, Virginia. Walter Jackson served in France during WWI. He was
discharged, February 26, 1919 and received his Victory Medal in 1920. In 1921 he was
admitted to the U.S. Veteran's Hospital in Oteen, North Carolina where he was treated
for pulmonary tuberculosis. He remained hospitalized until 1924. He married Virginia
Burnett from Virginia in 1907. They lived in both Virginia and Durham, North Carolina.
The couple had four children. Mr. Barbee died in Sandston, Virginia in 1968.
Sources:
U.S. Census of 1830, 1840, 1850, 1860, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920 North Carolina; Marriage
Collection, 1741-2004; North Carolina Death Certificates, ; North Carolina Troops,
1861-1865: A Roster; A Study of the Barbee Families of Chatham, Orange and Wake Counties
in North Carolina, Compiled by Ruth Herndon Shields, Belle Lewler West, Kathryn C.
Stone [found in the North Carolina Genealogy Library ]; Charlotte Observer, 25 March
1908; Bibliographical information found within papers. For more information on the
history of the Cedar Fork Rifles and a picture of Private William Thomas C. Barbee
visit the Morrisville Civil War Battlefield Preservation website.
Contents of the Collection
1. Land, Estate, and Court Records,1785-1889
Scope and Content:
Consists of indentures, deeds and plats, miscellaneous land records, slave bills of
sale, estate records, receipts from W.A. Barbee and those estates for which he was
executor, and court records for various family members. Miscellaneous land records
include plats and several land related agreements, including a construction agreement
to build a dam and sawmill. William A. Barbee was the executor for the estate of his
father, Christopher Barbee, his uncle Mordecai Barbee, and for Franklin O'Kelly [married
to his sister Elizabeth Barbee O'Kelly]. Papers and receipts related to these estates
are organized by name. Among the court records are subpoenas, court summons, power
of attorney, and a warrant in bankruptcy for Matthew Barbee (brother of William A.).
Land Records,1785-1867, undated
Plan of the tract of land divided among heirs of Christopher Barbee,1814
Box PC. 2047.1
Agreement between Joseph Sorrell and Elijah Sorrell of Wake County and Christopher
Barbee,1838
Box PC. 2047.1
Construction agreement,1855
Box PC. 2047.1
Receipt for the purchase of land,1859
Box PC. 2047.1
Appointment to divide land of Milly Harward and John Carney Harward, Chatham County,1866
Box PC. 2047.1
Agreement to complete a dam and build a sawmill,1867
Box PC. 2047.1
Estate Records,1828-1889, undated
Estate of Christopher Barbee,1861-1963
Box PC. 2047.1
Slave bills of sale,1828-1857, undated
Box PC. 2047.1
Receipts of the Christopher Barbee estate,1830-1859, undated
Box PC. 2047.1
Estate of Franklin O'Kelly [brother-in law to William A. Barbee],1844-1846
Box PC. 2047.1
Receipts of the Franklin O'Kelly estate,1843-1846
Box PC. 2047.1
Estate of Mordecai Barbee,1830-1848
Box PC. 2047.1
Receipts of the Mordecai Barbee estate,1829-1850
Box PC. 2047.1
Receipts of William A. Barbee,1844-1884, undated
Box PC. 2047.1
Receipts of Rufus H. Barbee,1865-1889
Box PC. 2047.1
Statement from the Clerk of Court certifying Jones Watson as Justice of the Peace
for Orange County,1860
Box PC. 2047.2
Acknowledgement of deed and Private Examination to be taken by Justice of the Peace,1877
Box PC. 2047.2
Subpoena for plaintiff,1872
Box PC. 2047.2
Lien bond, R.H. Barbee,1888
Box PC. 2047.2
2. Oversized Materials
Ledger and Account Books,
Accounting records of Franklin O'Kelly,1825
Box PC. 2047.3
Account book for W.A. Barbee,1853
Box PC. 2047.3
Ledger belonging to W.A. Barbee,1859
Box PC. 2047.3
Account book for W.A. Barbee,1884-1895
Box PC. 2047.3
3. Family Correspondence and Papers,1859-1906
Scope and Content:
Correspondence primarily consist of Civil War era letters from the battlefield and
are written by William A. Barbee and his son Thomas C. Barbee. One letter is from
J.C. Castlebury to his Aunt Eliza Barbee. Mr. Castlebury is the son of Eliza Barbee's
sister (Patsy Harward Castlebury). Writings and musings are included. Some are from
an unknown source; while others are potentially by Rufus Barbee when he was a student
at the Ruffin Badge Institute. Other miscellaneous items include Confederate memorabila
such as a Conferate ten dollar bill and a linen cap worn by Miss Patsy Barbee (second
wife of William A.) when she was a baby.
Confederate Papers and Family Memorabilia,ca. 1855-1864
Confederate States of America War Department, Permission to visit North Carolina,1861
Box PC. 2047.2
Certificate receipts for Confederate bonds,1864
Box PC. 2047.2
Cap worn by Patsy Barbee as a baby, ca. 1855
Box PC. 2047.2
Writings,1860-1869, undated
Writings -- Unknown author,undated
Box PC. 2047.2
Writings by H.B. Barbee,1860
Box PC. 2047.2
Writing from the Ruffin Badger Institute,1869
Box PC. 2047.2
Minutes from a meeting of the Ruffin Badger Institute,1869
Box PC. 2047.2
Civil War Letters,1861-1865
Box PC. 2047.2
4. Ledgers and Account Books,1825-1896
Scope and Content:
There are nine account or ledger books from 1825-1896. While some of the account books
belonged to William Barbee, and one belonged to Franklin O'Kellly, the source of several
are unknown. Some of the books contain a list of building materials, and others are
list of food supplies. Two of the ledgers (1853, 1859) belonging to William Barbee
contains several items of interest such as agreements to rent horses, stable, and
land. Another item of interest is a letter addressed to "Dear Brothers". Additionally
Mr. Barbee's books contain recordings of snow fall, poems, notes from church sermons,
a story copied from American Messenger, and a Letter re: Ruffin Badger Institute.
Accounting Records of Franklin O'Kelly,1825
Box PC. 2047.3
Ledger Belonging to W.A. Barbee,1859
Box PC. 2047.3
Account Book for W.A. Barbee,1853
Box PC. 2047.3
Account Book for W.A. Barbee,1884-1895
Box PC. 2047.3
5. Walter J. Barbee Correspondence and Papers,1907-1924
Scope and Content:
The papers of Walter J. Barbee include some personal correspondence; however, bulk
of his papers in this box pertain to his service in the Army during WWI and his later
stay at the U.S. Veteran's Hospital in Oteen, NC. Many of the items are business papers,
notes, and receipts from various military and veteran's offices regarding housing
and compensation. There is a number of miscellaneous items including a French railroad
pass, ac Christmas dinner menu from Oteen, and writings and musings. Photographs and
postcards belonging to Walter J. Barbee are included.
Correspondence,1913-1923, undated
Papers,1914-1926, undated
Military records for Walter Jackson Barbee,1917-1926, 1946
Box PC. 2047.2
Writings by Walter Jackson Barbee,undated
Box PC. 2047.2
Photos,1917-1923, undated
Box PC. 2047.2
Family members,ca. 1920's
Box PC. 2047.2
U.S. Veteran's Hospital, Oteen, NC,ca. 1921-1924
Box PC. 2047.2
Subject Headings
Banks, William
Barbee, Christopher
Barbee, Eliza
Barbee, Henry B.
Barbee, Matthew
Barbee, Mordecai
Barbee, Patsy
Barbee, Rufus Haywood
Barbee, Sgt. Walter J.
Barbee, William Thomas Clingman
Castlebury, J.C.
O'Kelly, Franklin
Christopher, II Barbee
William A. Barbee
Walter Jackson Barbee
Johnson, Polly
Johnson, Israel
Sorrell, Willis
Martha Barbee Sorrell
Sorrell, Joseph
Amelia Barbee Sorrell
Confederate States of America. Army. North Carolina Infantry Regiment, 6th.
United States. Army Air Forces. Aero Company, 483rd.
Account books
Civil War, 1861-1865
Courts--North Carolina
Estates--North Carolina
Military hospitals--North Carolina--Oteen (Asheville, N.C.)
World War, 1914-1918
Administration of estates
Soldiers
Chatham County (N.C.)
Durham County (N.C.)
Wake County (N.C.)
Orange County (N.C.)
United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865
Indentures
Acquisitions Information
Purchased in 2012 by funds from the George Stevenson Endowment ( established by the
Friends of the Archives).
Processing Information
Processed by Jennifer Davis, North Carolina Geneological Society Intern
Finding Aid by Jennifer Davis, North Carolina Geneological Society Intern.