NORTH .. I '

~· It

February l4, 1982

Jesse Read, Patriot-Preacher

Johns. Polk

207 Belding ..J .. tr -2- ·-=-'"="'

Hot Springs, Arkansas, 1I1 c I /

Jesse Read, Patriot-Preacher

Jesse Read, minister, soldier, planter and ch1.:.:."ch historian

was the son of Harmon Read and his wife Mary. Jesse was born in

the year 1744 in Isle of Wight County, Virginia, w::~:-e his

father was a planter. Harmon Read had bought land ~n the county

as early as 1730 when in October of that year he pu=chased 240 ·

acres on Roasting Ear Branch from William Lee. On -he same day

Hugh Lee sold 175 acres on Roas1ng Ear Branch to R~d.1 William /\

Lee and Read later appeared together as estate a.ppraisora in

county documents.

Harmon Read most likely grew tobacco on his p~a.ntation, it

being the cash crop in the Virginia tidewater. Reed's plantation

probably numbered only a few hundred acres with on2..y part of it

1 Ls Le of fight County, Virginia, Deed Book 4 (172:::-1736), 56-60. ·

under cultivation as was the practice then. The tiiewater farms~

were for the most part self-sufficient and in some respects bore

little resemblance to the huge plantations of the :JNer South a

century later.

2.

By 1749 the Read family had moved some miles to the southwest

and settled in Edgecombe County, North Carolina, where land '!fas

purchased near Beaverda.mn Swamp.2 In 1757 Harmon Read sold part

of this land to Moses Pendry. PentL.-y was probably a relative o!

Harmon's second wife Mary. No recor.d of their marriage has been

located, but there ia evidence that Mary's maiden name was Pendry.3

In 1758 Halifax County was formed from Edgecombe leaving Read's

plantation in the new county.

Harmon had been married to his: ~irst wife in Virginia and by

this: marriage his children were J"ames:,. Amy, and a daughter whose name

in unknown • .Five o! Read's children by his second marriage to ~ary

lived to adulthood. The sons were Aaron, ~oaes and Jesse. Dorcas,

whose married name was Mobley and Lydia, married name Barker were

the two daught.ers.4 Jesse may hava been the oldest son of Jlary Read's

children as he·was the only child mentioned in his father's will.

Harmon Read'a will was written in 1760 and reads in part, "I give •••

unto. rrry loving wife Mary Read all my Real and personal estate •••

after her Decease ••• I do hereby give the plantation whereon I now

liveth Unto My son Jesse Read"'.5 Read signed the will using "his ·-

mark ii R" .. e.~

Witness~ were Moses Pendry, Betty Pendry and Richard

Pr ecar' (probably _correctly spelled Pr ear e) , The will was proven in

October court, 1767, indicating Harmon Read lived for soce years

after its writing.

2 Edgecombe County, liorth Carolina, Deeds (1732-1758), 107.

3 Halifax County, North Carolina, Jill Book 3, 15, will of Mary

4 .. Read, March 13~ 1778. Io1d.

5 H;:lifax County, North Carolina, '1fill Book l, 216, will of Harmon Read, October 4, 1760.

3.

r r•.;covr::ry11•0 It ·1~1s d u r i n g t'1ia tL.11c, ::i..s .J e s ae recounted

so:ne t hi r-t y -c i x .'f8a:::-s 1~1t·:r, +h a t :t11 i npo r t an t turning point

in his 1 ife tnrik t:lace .. 't·~ w ro t » ':-; had 11th is tedious spell

of a ff l i c b i on" cn.Iu r i n r; '':;.r·:;:.:i.t ua1n of body" .::L.'1cI "much

ri~0tre:::i8 o f ::;nul~'7 urio c.in only ~11es3 at whn t illness c.ius cd

hi S "a f fl i Ct i I !1 • I f

~"f8cti. u:1 t h e sincere n i Lk o f Coct 1 s word"8 and

be~an to ·r

4.

hi.1 duty to • h ,, ,1. ~, J. ~ r> • : n j I il8 J • , .. ,, , 'I • 1 , H build a :'lee ting-hous'3 ')D ;101:~\.J )1,1 11r .-,_l)nut ten miles north of

1 n l'lT'i f:t~ j o i n ed the Je pa r a t e J.~p t i s t

m i n i s t e r , On .J11Lj 11., lr'Tt, .~rJc]·:.:r ,.J·.v;imp Chu.r ch wa s constituted

Lat0r in the year

Jesse qead 11~1.s sent by 'th e church ;•.3 a (le Ie ga te to the ,)e ~:?.I'?. t e

As:-rncil.tion ::ie.::tinG i n .\::-:cli.::i. Corn ty , Vic,,;inia. It wa s on t h i s

j ou rn ey that ~{e::.d d e c i drd t h ...... t he ;•1'.9 ''to ;,:ire:-~c~1 the c;os'?el of

.)11a!!Ip mecting-h.0u0e. Un !.!~y 5, 177S, h•2 w.vs t

5.

u.r·• ,..-, ·I •' 110 ::.l te rna ti ve but

t r , j n i n 1 n th e f i :-~h ti 1 t ~ •

Gn Uctob'.c:- ,Jt), 1·n:J .. r 'sse l~e-! l en Lts t ed in the Con t i.n en t a L

Ini···-'t~,rJ -1.nd vuvs coo.~ir-::o:Lm-:3-i '1 0t-:r: J'1r1 Lieutenant in the 5th

No r t h Cn r o Li na '.\P.t_;iIT'.e:i t , 13 :re s e r v cd in the 5th Regiment until

.June 1, 1778, r c ce i.v i n g il'.:: i?irst Li eu t en t an t t s conru as t on

Oc t ob e r .?5, 1777.14 In the summe r an d f:-i.11 of 1777 La eu t en.m t 1le:..:l ::2rved 8.G the r ac ru i ti!1G o f'f'Lce r for his rcciment in :;.1rth

Ca ro l i.n a , In a. Le t t e r wr i t t cn at Ba th , :forth Carolina., to

"if ·,;r:--1J should :::·_·nd rJ1; thr~ mon o y , ~~il

6.

·n ' _i t e ? 1-'1 i n 8 J ur i n g l. '1 i ~-

i'he ma j o r e fI'o r tn •)r' ~.I)·~ British to end t he Revo Lu t i on

slJj f t eri to th o nou t he r n s t:t tc;; l n 1 71'). Li •:u ton2.nt Re ad ' s

r~.:;i~e n t broke carrp rm t he Ilud so n \fl :Iov::nber 23, 1779, and

ma r ch e d aou t h , :3even hun.l r oI No r t n r>rnlina 1;.-11lt.inent.'.l.ls w i t h

a Lart;c numbe r of t ha t sVtt.~';J a.i Li t. i a ua r ch ed by wn.y of

I'h i Lad e Lphf.a to Cha r l eo t c.r , South Ca r o Li n a , The aa r ch 1'12.S

difficult through bitter co l d QI1d heavy St10\7S. 1'he troops

~rrived in Charl~ston on Ll~rch 3, 1780, after nearly a three

m0nth's march. They ~ere to reanfnrc~ General Benjamin Lincoln's

array t het pr-epar i ng to d e I'e nd the city. 3hortly after the a r'r I vc.l

of the Horth Carolina troops the British under Sir Henry Clinton

laid a seiee to Charl~ston that l~st for forty-five days. The

Americ:ms w~re forced to currend~r the city on May 12, 1730.

Nith the fill of Charl~ston 1,600 Continental troops were captured

by C'l Ln t on ' s forces. Anon.; those we r e t h e ne n of the 2nd North

Carolina Reciocnt i~cludinG sixty-three officerG.18

17 ill£ .• 605. 18 Clark, ~· Cit., x i ,

7. 1 • i 1

)_,_"- ( (; -l· )~-- Q1 ~- r {f, rir If oi_,. f0G (I ·c- i·n r n i : •· !:'·'.:,~~; · : ·d i····i : Pnint al. th•! n i t e of Fort

ll.J ~· ill·, 'lhe Nati•;n~~l ;\rchive:l ~o ·;1ard, Christ(>t>her, ~ ~ of t he \\evolution, The l.b.cMilli3.!1

Com~>uny. Ii-cw York. 1:-152, H~·•-'.--

[r.:in [!cw York. L:ie·1t'c'!12n' Rc

I. : . , 1 1• • 11 · ,11 ~- lt\2e

9.

u~ [;: 1. ; ; : o f 11 ')'" !· .: 11· t .i .~.-. .?) I \ '1 '• _L - t;.':).

7he .vi r t.i pc r 'I :· t ! ) ! •. l ' ! ~ • l on t he

of 1?03. Lo>l·:int; back (1v·:.:r hL3 j't; Lt':J o f .s t ruvt Le , ha rd s h i p

.urd captivity C.t.ptain :-~··J mus t il'L'I' fr:lt it h«l all been worth

the effort.

As many veterans di J. ·.]a) t a i n :{c:Hl r o c e i ve d bounty land

.:;r:1r1ts for his a e r-v i ce , Cn Decembc r 20, 1783, ]orth Carolina

Gr3_n.ted him 3 ,940 a c r e s in Dav.i d s cn Cou:i.ty, Tennessee. 2,t

Sooe .,:e::trs Lat e r in 1796 the na t i o na I :,nv~r:i-:1en t also issued

Captain Read a bo urrt y land wa r ra n t • .25 He sold both £7~=L-'1 ts.

,\.t war's end Jesse .Ie ad r-e tu rne d to his rl;::i.ntation and

""!i.nlstry in Ha Li.f'ax County. i.bry .Icad , Jessa's mother, had

died during the var in t h-3 s unnc r of' 1781. 26 J e s s e had :narri ed

but no record h.1.3 b e cn Lo ca t cd n nd his wi f'e ' s n.un e is unknown.

In the mid '80's the r e .'r·~re a t o t a l of b;enty-tl1ree in the

'.1ead lrouaeho Ld includi nJ five ru 1~3, four females and fourteen

slaves.27 .~ong the Read childr~n ~ere Lydia, Stepheri and Rhesa.

23Ibid.

241 t . ht ~ t ,_ d .., ·_,ar ·.1ri5 , ue •.,y an i..ranliner, Lil t i an , Horth C;i.rolina L2.11d Gr.:;_11t3 in I'enne s se e .1778-l 7q1_, r,:en?hin, Tennessee, 1958, 1011-.

?5 The Ha t i ona L Ar chi ve n , Soun ty L::.nd :1e.::ords, 1f?.shington, D. r~. , File of Jesse Read 26Q.Q. Cit., ,fill of Mary .

10. ,'.,,1 l ? ).. i.f

Rhesa Read was born in 1782 and die~\in Halifax County,

North Carolina. 10 ~ He was married twice; his first wife

was Fanny Carstarphen the daughter o~ James Carstarphen of

Halifax Coun'ty , Their children were Martin ( 1803'-1855), Eunice, ,

Lydia and Eliza. Mary Sotherla.nd was Rhesa's second wif~ and

their issue were Ann Rebecca and Nancy Caroline. At his death

Rhesa Read left an estate.that included land and. slaves in both

Virginia and North Carolina.28

About the year 1805 Lydia, Jesse's daughter, married Henry

E. Horne (1785-1842) and settled in Halifax County. The Horne's

had three children: Sarah Battle, Jesse Read a.~d Henry Hilliard

(1809-1870). Lydia died sometime during 1809.29 Shortly after

his wife's- death Henry E. Horne married Nancy Eli~abeth Carstarphen,

a sist.er 0£ Rhesa Read's first wife.

In 1817 HenI7 E. Horne moved his family to Putnam County,

Georgia. Later Henry ff. Horne moved west to Autauga Count7, Alabama,

were he married his first wife Letha A •. Coleman on June 10, 1830.

On Noveober 26, 1835, Henry H. married Litia RodBers after the

death of his first wife. ': ..... :~J....-:

When his second wife died HorneA:narried

for a third time 'to Catherine F. Lewis on Septe.:!lber 8, 1842. Horne's

third wife was to outlive him by thirty-nine years. Tradition says

that in 1849 the Horne family had started west to California but

decided while traveling through southern Arkansas to settle there

in3tead because of the good farm land. At least one of Henry's sons,

Alpheus, did later continue on to California. Horne had ten children in

28 Correspondence from Mrs. Francis Collum Hill. Austin, Texas,

29 June 20, 1978, (a descendant of Rhesa R~ad).

Halifax County, ~crth Carolina, Deed Book 21, ~88.

lL

- (l

!11 ~ r r 1 .. L 1 ~ • ~ :J • ) ' \ :-: {1 I : ) t · -· r .I •:?.~.:3,~

rluri.n;:i;

Co tunb i a Coun t j . Durine the 1.T30' s :•.!l i ' -:O's .~: l l e r J ~ssr~ \{0 id b-=c:vne known

;~lder ::tead's cnu rch at '.to·~k:r .::iwar!lp ~-r"!w '.1.nd set up branches a t on~f the

i n his- ti'.'.:le and ?lace.T2

ott1er locations. Bet.Te

for a separ2..ti11n to .roris t i tu t e their:- cHn congreg3.tion. The

:)u ti tion w::i.s :~ran tcri and in LOO) l heir ,; ro up nu:"Jl.Je red fifty-four;

h()·:rever '.Uder ilead ~till :crvcd '' . .3 t'le p~stor ;i.ided. by Slder

30 The family Bible cf H~n..r~· ii:illi1.rd i-for::1e (lC'''r

' ..

< l711l-·;,Jti \

l ) . . . l I l ·. t. -~· i ) ; '!:'""" J •\

;--: ~ l t t c» )". d • I ?-:o 3

l n re o ~

1 ~·::;t p ,,..,~l;r h i c t o r i :::::.1 work ;_iublished ·i; I

l l :l-] .. I'll~· bn··~ ·.!' i t Lo d A Cenci ::;c

,I•~; t rr v o f t lu, \~.;!1u> ... ,. !'.:t"~·- ~.: t :,~:~·'": 1 , l [cm ----- - --- -------- __ ;.,.., --_:;::----·--·- ~,....

/

' . 13.

Altogether the Read clan in Halifax County owned forty-eight

alaTes and of that number Jesse owned nineteen.37 That was

not a large number of slaves compared with the plantations

that lay farther south.

By the year 1810 activities in Elder Read's household seem

to have slowed considerably with only five persons remaining

in his immediate family. He had also sold over one-quarter of

his slaves .38 In ill health and advanced age Jesse Read wrote his will

in the sumr:ier of 1818~ It is not an extensive document and tells

litt.le of his estate at the time. Eld.er Read's wife had undoubtedly

died previous to the writing of the will as she is not mentioned

in it.

The will reads:

"In the ?fame o! God Am.en. I Jesse Read of Ha.liiax County and State o! North Carolina being weak in Body but sound in mind and memory, do make and ordain this my last Will and Testament in manner and form following Vis. Firs~ I desire that all My Debts may be paid an~ in order thereto for rr:cy Executor hereafter named, to proceed in Selling of m:y Property to the best advantage at Public or private Sale as he may think best, and to collect the money due on Notes and my desire is that he may be i::aid for his trouble, and if anything remains I give it to my Son Stephen Read.

I do hereby appoint my Son Rhesa Read '"hole and Sole Executor of this m:y last l/iill and Testament. In Witness whereof I have here unto set my ffand and Seal the 12th Day of July 1818.

Signed Sealed and acknowledged by the within Testator as his last Will and Testament

Jesse Read"39

37 Unite(}. States Census, Halifax County, North Carolina (1800), 338.

38 39

United States Census, Halifax County, North Carolina (1810). Halifax County, North Carolina, .iill Bock 3, 654.

-- . "

14.

~ease Read died during the summer of 1820 after a long

lifa of serviee to· his church and country. On June 16, 1820,

his obituary appeared: "DIED, At his late residence in Halifax

county, on the 6th inst. int.he 76th year of his age, the ReT.

Jesse Read, late Pastor of the Baptist Church at Rocky Swamp

Meeting House, for !arty-five years. He was confined to his

bed for the last six months, but with the most exemplary piety

and perfect resignation to the will. of his heavenly :father,

anxiously waiting until his change should coma."40

Presumabl1 he was buried in Halifax Ccunty. It is not

known if Jesse Read had an epitaph but an appropriate one might

ba paraphased in part from the introduction to his book: I a.m

dear reader, your soul''s well wisher, and affectionate servant

in the g.ospel.

40 Raleigh Register, June 16, 1820, 3, col. 5.

; • I

. ,/ .;.._ .. ,,

/_ -~---_.-·-·~ ,~~.; ... : ... L,:_, ._,., ,_ .. J ~- ~ ~~ i: ' .- ,- , .~ .... - ) --·-----

, '

s. 0 l ~~~ ~r"f\ ( /1'94· 178)) \ H~"j E.. Honte ma.,,., c. 1 'CoS- b. n gs- e J1« co-~f

d. I~,_ G-aJsJ"" f.4.,, Flo,.-;Jfil Ter-r,'hr-a

J (4.)H4!~"d H~,,~.._-' 1--lor"'e H-ta>--.

\:). F=° e ~, 31 f g D 1 -~-~-,+.:.__. S-,- ~ a I ; .f ~ C.C. 1 I'{. ~ · . I 'O

Publisher Place Date

Explanation of Symbols, P-Facts Secured From Primary Sources: S-From Secondary Sources: Q-Quota From Primary Sources: QQ-Quota From Quota.

Symbols Page

OVER

;~AC-ff: Read, Jesse

DATA: ord. Rocky Swamp (Halifax) N. C., 1775-1791; Bapt.

SOURCE: The Colonial Clergy of Virginj a, No r t h Car o Li na and South Carolina by: Rev. F.r4rick Lew I s 1·:.::is

Page: 68

l==-N-AM_,E===4"""~~~ a~~ Married

b,

Ancestry

17 '1 D Record ~ ~,,tAZ ~ k ~~ ~~

R~,/~d.

See a...._ ,._,{,,,_· ..,C ) ;, - ?--f

Ancestry

b. a.

File No. (Over)