Old Town Plantation

Researched & transcribed by Deloris Williams.

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.

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.
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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

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.

Source: http://www.ncgenweb.us/.../plantations/cool_spring_edgec.htm