William M. Brumfield (abt. 1789 - 1868)

Born about 1789 in York County, South Carolina, United States

Ancestors

Descendants

Died 1868 at about age 79 in Washington Parish, Louisiana, United States

Biography

William Brumfield served in the War of 1812
Service started:
Unit(s): Louisiana
Service ended:

William BRUMFIELD Birth: 1790 in York Co, SC Death: in Washington Parish, LA

There was an older Ridley Brumfield who told the Commissioner of Public Lands in 1813 that he had settled in St Tammany Parish, Louisiana, in 1801. Nearby in the claims list are William Brumfield, in 1808, and Ezekiel Brumfield in 1810. (American State Papers: Public Lands, vol 3, p 73)^[1]

From "Louisiana in the War of 1812", by Powell A. Casey. 2nd Division, 12th & 13th Regiments Consolidated of Louisiana Militia (Florida Parishes, Section East of Amite River, 1814 - 1815)^[2]

"St. Helena War of 1812 Veterans, St. Helena Parish, Louisiana ..." which mentioned "De Cluet's Regiment"^[3]

For the record, here are the Brumfields from that roster:

• Brumfield, Charles
• Brumfield, Davis
• Brumfield, Flemming
• Brumfield, Ridley, Cpl.
• Brumfield, William, Sgt.
• Brumfield, Willis, Cpl.

WILLIAM BRUMFIELD, Washington Parish, LA, Submitted by Carolyn Brumfield Henderson^[4]

William Brumfield, eldest son of John and Margaret Kelly Brumfield Taken from the Manuscript "BRUMFIELD HISTORIES" By Albert Brumfield and Del Magee Clawson (1997) With permission of Al Brumfield:

William Brumfield was born about 1789 in York Co., South Carolina. He died ca. 1868, and is buried in the yard, adjacent to the blacksmith shop, at the Leon Bankston place, 2 miles West of Clifton. William married Harriet Statum (from mortgage among Lymon Briggs Papers in Covington Courthouse.) There were 3 daughters and possibly 1 son born to Bill and Harriet before 1820, judging from the 1820 and 1830 censuses of Washington Parish. There may have been as many as 9 children, from indications on the censuses.

After moving to Louisiana, he entered 630 acres in the Silver Creek area on the West Bank of the Bogue Chitto River, in what is now Washington Parish.He filed for title in 1818 in the Greensburg Land Office, and received Headright Title to Section 37, TIS, RIOE, where he would later in the 1840's operate the Oakgrove Post Office. He based his claim on occupancy in 1809, and continuous cultivation since 1813. This may mean that he preceded his parents to Louisiana or that the claim was based on occupancy by an earlier owner. See mortgage in Lyman Briggs Papers, Covington.

William served in the 1813 Creek Indian War in Alabama. Service record not found. William Brumfield was a Sgt. in Capt. Thomas Bickham's Co., 12th & 13th Consol. Regt., La. Militia, and served in the Battle of New Orleans Campaign. He was Sheriff of Washington Parish in 1829, 1830 & 1836. He was State Representative in 1833, 1844 & 1845. William was delegate to the two La. Constitutional Conventions, 1824 & 1825. He became a Master Mason in 1851 in Masonic Lodge #101.

William apparently acquired the 641 acre Headright of his father, John Brumfield. This was Sect. 41, in T3S, RIOE, on the West Bank of the Bogue Chitto, and just North of Bonner's Creek. This occurred in the 1840's, when William was appointed administrator of the Estate of Fleming Brumfield, who had bought the place from the widow and heirs of John Brumfield. William bought and sold other tracts also. William purchased the 38 mile house and the Woody Jones headright, ca. 1854, and may have built parts of the house, still standing in 1997, known as the Leon Bankston place, 2 miles West of Clifton, La. William and the Brumfield Family operated the Palestine Post Office there after 1854, and according to legend, a tavern also. William, his wife Harriet, brother Alex Brumfield and perhaps others are buried there, with only a slab marker. The place was sold to Young Peter Bankston shortly after William died ca. Oct. 1868.

On 10-22-1850, Mr. William Quinn and Mr. William Ketchings,(Catchings-111 | Joseph Catching (1782 - 1852)?)prominent Mississippi Planters, were returning from selling their cotton in Covington or New Orleans. They camped out near the Brumfield Place, it being near the Holmesville, Miss. to Covington, La. freight and mail road, and convenient to the Franklinton Ferry. One of the Brumfield slaves entertained them with his fiddle by their camp fire. The slave returned during the night, and bludgeoned the planters to death for their money. He then climbed down into the Brumfield shallow dug well and washed the blood from himself and his clothes. William was not content with the sheriff's investigation, so he questioned his slaves, perceived the guilty slave, who was afterwards tried, convicted, and hanged. The Brumfields would never drink from that well again.

They are purportedly buried at the old Leon Bankston place (formerly William Brumfield's home) on the road from Clifton, LA to Mt. Hermon in Washington Parish.

Note: There is a short biography of William Brumfield in the History of the Masonic Lodge 101 of Washington Parish by Daunton Gibbs, located here: https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Space:History_of_Masonic_Lodge_101%2C_Franklinton_Louisiana_by_Daunton_Gibbs

Sources

1. ↑ http://lcweb2.loc.gov/cgi-bin/ampage?collId=llsp&fileName=030/llsp030.db&Page=68
2. ↑ http://files.usgwarchives.net/la/state/military/war1812/st-helena.txt
3. ↑ http://files.usgwarchives.net/la/state/military/war1812/st-helena.txt
4. ↑ http://files.usgwarchives.net/la/washington/history/family/wbrumfi.txt