Dobbs County, NC - Court Records File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Grace Williamson Turner Transcribed and posted by Sue Guptill State of North Carolina Dobbs County In obedience to a commishon to us on or other of us Directed from the Superior Cort of Law and Equittey from the District of Newbern November Term 1788 authorising and impowring us or other of us to Take the Testimony of Ann BARFIELD widow in a Sertain matter of Controversey in our Cort Depending wherein Stephanus SHEPPERD is a Plantif and Mills BARFIED and others Defendants this day Parsonable? opeared this Deponent before me the Defendent having given the Plantif Timely Notis the Plantif faling to apear--this Deponent being Sorn on the Holy Evangolus of Almighty God Deposeth and Sayeth that in the night Time of the 13 day of Aprill in the year of our Lord 1788 this Deponent was at Home at hir one Hous had bin abead and a Sleep when her Granddaughter Nancy BARFIELD com to this Deponent hous and Told hir Shee must gow home with hir and see hir Children killed for theare was an army of men Sent for to Come and kill them this Deponent in grate Surprise got up and with much Difilty Whent home with hir granddaughter which was less than Half a mild when this Deponent come near her son Mills is Hous in an orchard of Apell trees this Deponent heard grate Noyse of People hir granddaughter being Sum small distance before hir this Deponent Drew Near the company Shee was Surprised at the Report of the fire of a gun but was Not nigh anough to See who discharge the gun or what it was at Coming up to the company this Deponent Saw hir two sons William and Mills lying on the Ground abought 16 or 18 feet a Sunder and fore men Standing by them with Clubs or Sum Such weepons in theare hands theare was more People Shee Took to be Negrows but did not know who they weare one of the men that stood with a Club in his hand as William SHEPPARD another was Martin Gardner SHEPPERD the other two men shee Believes to bee Thomas BRONTON & James MARTAIN by Seeing them in the company afterwords this Deponent Whent to hir son Mills to see if theare was any Life in him but cold Percieve None to her Site thought he was Dead Turning to hir son William to See if theare was any Life in him felt in his Buzam thought he was Dead While this Deponent was Standing in this Grat Suprise one of the SHEPPERDS Rased a club over hir head said Dam hir I will kill hir another made anser Dont hirt hir it is the Pore old woman this Deponent Further Declears that as hir Two Sons Lay on the ground as Shee thought Dead Shee heard one of the SHEPPERDS speake and Say the The Damed Son of a bitch kill him the other mad answer by god he dead enough the man they meant to kill was the Deponents Son Mills Lying then on the ground as Shee thought Dead holding hir son William by the hand Lementing hir Sad Loss to See hir children murdered in such a barbarus maner holding hir son William by the Hand felt his fingers move Rasing him up his head of the ground Washing his fase with water Perceived there was Life in him with the assistance of hir son Mills is Wife and children and a Negrow man Named Will the property of Abraham SHEPPERD Senr. Got them both to the Hous which was abought 60 or 70 steps carrying hir son Mills in Lade him on a bead after Sum time he spoke and sade I never ronged a man of a Shilling in all my Life if I dy Shall dy in a gust cause as he Lay on the Bead gasping for Life William SHEPPERD Came into the Rume with a club in his hand and Sade if the Damd half hanged Son of a bitch wants more he Shall have it and Further this Deponent Sayeth that shee heard William SHEPPERD and Martin Gardner SHEPERD Say and with them [can't read word--starts with S] Damde if they Cold find Asa BARFIELD & James BARFIELD if they would Searly Give them Life and Further this Deponent Sayeth that hir son Mills is Left arm was Broke between his Rist and elbow gint his head Lade open in Two Places to the Scull and Sum of his Ribs apeard to be Broke and that he Lay Helples Sum Days and Further this Deponent Sayeth Not Sworn Before me this 28 day of February 1788. her Wm. SPEIGHT Ann X BARFIELD mark [Note: See dates. This event took place in April, 1788, and first came to trial in November, 1788. Deposition was supposedly taken in February, 1788. This probably should be February, 1789-sbg] __________________________________________________________________________ USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, data may be used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. The electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or for presentation by other persons or organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for purposes other than stated above must obtain the written consent of the file contributor, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. __________________________________________________________________________