Cool Spring Plantation, Edgecombe County, NC

Return \|Home \| Contact \| NCGenWeb \| Statewide COOL SPRING PLANTATION *Cool Spring on left; Old Town, right. (click images to enlarge)* *Edgecombe County, North Carolina*
PLANTATION NAME:	COOL SPRING PLANTATION
ASSOCIATED LINK(s):	OLD TOWN PLANTATION, a part of COOL SPRING
ORIGINAL OWNER:	Elisha Battle (1723-1799); later expanded by his grandson, James S. Battle (1786-1854)
BUILT:	ca 1747

ASSOCIATED SURNAMES:	Battle

HISTORY:	Elisha Battle (1723-1799), planter, revolutionary patriot, and state legislator, was born in Nansemond County, Va. He was the fifth child and third son of William and Sarah Hunter Battle. Earlier paternal and maternal ancestors had emigrated from Yorkshire, England, in the mid-seventeenth century, his grandfather, John Battle, settling on a two-hundred-acre estate on the west bank of Nansemond River in Nansemond County, Va. In 1663 this same John Battle obtained a royal patent for 640 acres of land on Pasquotank River in North Carolina. Here Elisha Battle's father, William, was born in 1682. In 1690, upon the death of his father, William returned to Nansemond County, where he continued to reside until his death in 1749. By deed of record dated 17 Aug. 1747, Elisha Battle purchased four hundred acres on the north side of Tar River, in Edgecombe County, from Samuel Holliman. This purchase formed the nucleus of Cool Spring Plantation, near the present town limits of Rocky Mount, to which Battle moved with his family in late 1747 or early 1748. Subsequent purchases made Battle a large and prosperous landholder. He soon gained a reputation as a man of honest conviction, sound judgment, and considerable native ability. In 1742, Battle married Elizabeth Sumner, a first cousin to Brigadier General Jethro Sumner, who served in the Continental Army under Washington. To their union were born eight children: Sarah, who married Jacob Hilliard and, afterward, Henry Horn; John, who married Frances Davis; Elizabeth, who married Josiah Crudup, Jr.; Elisha, who married Sarah Bunn; William, who married Charity Horn; Dempsey, who married Jane Andrews; Jacob, who married Penelope Edwards; and Jethro, who married Martha Lane. Elisha's son Jacob Battle (1754-1814) lived in a house on the plantation about one mile from his father's, which was known as Old Town. James Smith Battle (1786-1854) son of Jacob Battle & Penelope Langley Edwards, enlarged his father's and grandfather's lands to 20,000 acres and the slaves to over 500. James restored his grandfather's old house, and in 1850, he built a new house in front of the old one. In 1854, on James S. Battle's death, the 20,000 acres were divided between his five surviving children. The eldest son William received the cotton & grist mills and the farm called California; Cool Spring (now 3000 acres) went to his son Turner Westry Battle (1827-1895); Walnut Creek farm went to daughter Martha Ann, later married distant cousin, Kemp Plummer Battle (1831-1919) son of William Horn Battle & Lucy Martin Plummer; Penelo Farm went to Penelope (who married Genl. William Ruffin Cos); Shell Bank & Elm Grove farms went to Mary Eliza (who married 1st William Dancy, later Dr. Newsome Jones Pittman). A slave on one of Battle's plantations became embroiled in an unfortunate quarrel with an overseer, as a result of which the overseer, a white man, was stabbed by the slave and died. After a careful investigation of the circumstances, Battle was convinced that the slave had acted in self-defense under extreme provocation. Battle therefore was determined to see that the slave received justice and thereby became perhaps the first slave owner in the South to defend a slave in court against the charge of murdering a white man. Battle engaged two leading members of the North Carolina bar to represent the slave, and to one of them he is said to have paid the very substantial fee of a thousand dollars. When the accused was judged guilty in a primary court and sentenced to death, an appeal was carried to the state supreme court, where the decision was reversed. The opinion of the Supreme Court of North Carolina in State vs. Will (18 N.C. Reports 121) is a landmark in southern jurisprudence.

SLAVE POPULATION:	In 1790, ELISHA BATTLE had 22 Slaves. His grandson, JAMES S. BATTLE, had about 229 Slaves in the 1850 Slave Schedules. His will was probated in 1854. A petition filed in 1856 by the heirs mention that he had between 300 to 400 Slaves at the time of his death. =============================================================== Slaves named in ELISHA BATTLE Will-1799 To daughter ELIZABETH CRUDUP: VENUS LIKEY To Granddaughter CLOE LEE: CATE HARDY To JETHRO BATTLE: TONEY DANIEL To son DEMSEY BATTLE: BEN LUKE To Grandson ISAAC BATTLE: HARRY To Grandson JOEL BATTLE: BOB To Granddaughter ANN ROSS: DOLL See Elisha Battle Will & Deeds for additional details ********************* In 1810, JACOB BATTLE had 57 Slaves. JACOB BATTLE, 1815-Slaves named in a Deed of Gift to daughter BETSY BATTLE: REUBEN, MEELY, HENRY, PRISSEY, SILLER, NED, WINNEY, JESSE, CINDA, LITTLE TONEY, BEN, MERIAH, MATILDA, SILAS, DANIEL, LITTLE CATE, MARY, JULEY, DAVEY, OLIVE, STARLING and SAM See Jacob Battle Will & Deed Abstracts for additional details ******************* In 1810, DEMPSEY BATTLE had 42 Slaves. Slaves named in DEMPSEY BATTLE Will-1815 To daughter AMELIA BATTLE: DRED BEN the Younger ISOM HARDY TURNER CESAR DORSON ELY CLOE DORCAS CHARLOTTE LETTICE MARY CHARITY EMMY ELY CITTY To son ANDREW BATTLE: AFFY NOAH JORDAN MIAL SAMSON WILL MATIN LETTIS PINK MATILDA MARINA SABRA SEELY VINEY ROSE To son JOHN BATTLE: JONAS LITTLE PETER REDDING SILVER HANNAH EDE MARIA HETTY See Dempsey Battle Will for additional details ******************* JAMES S. BATTLE had about 229 Slaves in the 1850 Slave Schedules; his will written December 8, 1847, was probated in August 1854. A petition filed in 1856 by the heirs mentions that he had between 300 to 400 Slaves at the time of his death. See James S. Battle will abstract 1847, for additional Names & Details. JAMES S. BATTLE Inventory, filed Edgecombe Court, Nov. Term 1854, List of Slaves (415 names):**
	PHILLIS FEREBE PERRY JEREMIA SARAH POMPY WALTER ROSE JULIAN EUGENE ABBY JAMES DAVY SABRY LUKE EDY VIRGIL CHARLES CONSTANCE EVERETT COURTNEY PAUL WILL HELEN FANNY ALPHEUS HANNAH ISHAM CLARA CRAWFORD LUCY NEAL ISHAM DAVY ANN CILEA CYRUS OSCAR FELICIA GEORGE CHOCOLATE CELESTIA PEGGY STARLING RHODA ALFRED MARGARETT MARY DALLAS ESTER CONRAD SYVILLA RICHARD CEDDY ISABELLA EXUM HINTON KINGSTON DELIA LEAH SHADRACK LUKE CARY CYNTHIA MAHALA WHIT HORRACE TURNER ISRAEL LITTLE EDY WILEY ANNIS DANIEL JOSHUA JACKSON PUDLY EDWARD VINY JOHN MADISON DELHA LEVI BERTHA ROSETTA ENNIS SPOTSFORD HARRY JUDY MALVINA ARNOLD AMEY TONY HARRY HILLARD MARTHA RANDOL MARGARETT BENNETT PENINA CHARITY EDMUND HYMAN	DAVY DELPHA CALEB TOM LUKE ARCHER MOSES ANNY SILAS PETER LUCY DAVY BENSUN MANERVA JONAS SMITH GRANVILLE PERCY MIDDY JULIUS PARKER ELISHA FORT SALLY ANN LAURA ROSE JIM ABRAHAM RHODA ELI BURRELL DREW JESSE ROSE ANNICE KITTEN CLARA MARIAH LESEND NORFLEET CASSANDRA ORPHY BERNICE VINEY EDY CHRISTIN ROBERT ASA CHARLOTTE PLEASANT JORDAN EMILY JACOB CLANTON JOB MATILDA MOURNING GEORGE SADIDA RANDAL JULY JINSEY ROBIN HORRACE SELAH DAVY PHILLIS NED FRANCIS DREW JOHN KING HASTY KING ALLEN JACKEY HENRY ANNIE DAVY JULIA PRESTON JUDY MARY DOSSEY WINNY HENDERSON GASTON BEDA CLARRISA SIMON BRADFORD WRIGHT BETHANY WASHINGTON CHANA ANTHONY NANCY SANDY RANSOM WILLIAM	ALICE DRUCILLA TONY HAYWOOD PRISSY HANNAH JASMIN JANE MILLY RICHMOND PATIENCE NORFLEET HILLARD MARIAH TURNER MARTHA LEWIS LEAH CHANEY POWELL SALLY ANN JANE JESSE LOUISA VIRGINIA ALICE KATHLINE EMMA ORAN FELICIA LENA ALBERTA SELENA ISHAM JOFHY JACK(?) GENEVA RICHMOND FRANKY JOANNA JUSTICE DORA SAMSON CHARLES LEWIS DICY BLOUNT HESTER HYMAN LOUISA ROBERT JACKSON ANTHONY PETER LEWIS BRINAH ROSE CHARLOTTE SUE DOCK SYLVIA GRAND LIZZY ISAAC JOSEPH CLARISSA ESTHER GRANVILLE LUCY MARY NEPPY CALVIN ORPHY JASON JETHRO CLARA TRACY ISABELLA MILLY JIM ANNIE MILLY JOE JANE MARGARETT BECKY RISA CAROLINE CATHERINE EPHRAIM DELHA MANDY TONY HARRIETT DRED ISABELLA JOE PIETY GEORGE MOURNING
	GEORGE SUE TEMPY WASH AUSTIN CELY BARBARA GUSTIN TONY PEG JERRY LIZA LIZA MAHALA EVELINA ANDREW JACKSON PRISCILLA AMARILLIS SPENCER LEWIS WILL LILEY LUCINDA LILLIAN LEVENA WHIT REDDICK JERRY REDDIN RALPH HENRY CHARITY HAGER CEASAR DOCTOR RUFUS JUDY SUSAN ELIAS BYTHE	PETER JINNY POMPY LOUISA CHARITY JOHN JERRY SAM DERY ESTER ALFRED JOINER CADMUS SUSAN JASON DENNIS JONAS KIZZY MILLY KEARNEY CYRUS JOHN SAM JUDY EMMANUEL MILLY PINK HARREL MEALY PAT SARAH JORDAN NORFLEET CEASAR BECK HENRY AGGY AMOS LAUREN PEGGY	ALBERT BENNETT LAZ LIZA MARY RICHMOND SALLY ANN HILLARD HENRY FRED CAROLINE DRED POWELL VEAZY(?) MARTHA BELL BOSTON ABEL JASON JOHN CHLOE ALFRED HESTER JOE GEN. TAYLOR DOCTOR CELY ELLA JACK DICK PALDA PAST PENNY PRISSY HORRACE
RESEARCH NOTES:	The original house for Cool Spring Plantation burned down in 1899. The house at Old Town Plantation was built in 1785 by Jacob Battle, although it had originally been thought to have been built in 1742. Old Town is one of the homes which was a part of Cool Spring Plantation, owned by the Battle family, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Researched & transcribed by Deloris Williams.
MISCELLANEOUS:	Resources: Biography of Elisha Battle; Biography of James S. Battle; The Battle Book, Cool Spring Plantation; Battle Family Papers; Landmark Case of Slave Named Will ; Old Town Plantation National Register of Historic Places; Old Town Plantation House ; Old Town Plantation Narrative; Biography of Kemp P. Battle;Will of Elisha Battle,1799 ; Will of Dempsey Battle,1815; Will of Jacob Battle,1815; Will, Estate & Inventory of James S. Battle,1854