WILLIAM BARJONAH "JONAS" BRASWELL (6/1/2003)
Contributed by Foy Braswell

  Tracking Jonas in Johnston CO, NC

WILLIAM BARJONAH ("JONAS") BRASWELL

My ggg-gf  William Barjonah ("Jonas") Braswell was in the Revolutionary War. In my genealogy research, I have been unable to find out which NC militia unit he served with, which battle(s) he was in, and most importantly, who were his parents. Below are two similar versions of stories in county history books that got me started on this quest.

The first Braswell family to settle in the Caldwell County area was the family of William Barjonah Braswell. William Barjonah was born ca 1755 in Edgecombe Co, NC. Perhaps this is where he became known as "Jonas" Braswell to distinguish him from the many other William Braswells in that area. After serving with the NC Militia in the American Revolution, Jonas lived in Johnston County, NC.

Between 1810 - 1815, Jonas Braswell and his family settled in the Lower Creek Section of Burke County, NC. He and his sons hunted in the northwestern mountains of Burke County. Late one fall, Jonas became ill when caught in a sudden snowstorm. He had to spend the night camped under a rock on a high ridge. When morning dawned, Jonas was taken to a nearby settlement where he died after having revived for a short time. He was buried near Linville Falls. The mountain or ridge where he became ill has been called "Jonas’ Ridge: or "Jonas Ridge since that time. In 1913, the DAR placed a Revolutionary Soldier marker on his grave.

William Jonas Braswell, Hero.----- In a lonely field now owned by W.H. and Harstin Ollis, under two hickory trees, a third of a mile above the old Gen. Albertus Childs’ place on Three Mile Creek, is another one of those "monuments" at the unveiling or dedication of which our great government occasionally invites its citizens to be present. It contains an even more economical inscription than that of poor Edward Moody. It follows:

REV. WAR.

"That’s the crap," as our farmers say in derision of a small offering. This was unveiled to the light of day and to the indignation of all right-thinking people in 1913, the crowd in attendance numbering nearly five hundred. That seems to be all this great and powerful government could find out about this dead hero, now without a vote. But others remember something else of him. John Wise, born May 9, 1835, relating that Braswell lived on Lower Creek in Burke County, and hunted through the country lying between that locality and Black Mountain, in what is now Yancey. He had relatives in Pensacola, near Big Tom Wilson’s old home, "under the Black." When a very old man, Braswell, his wife and a girl named Yarber, started late one fall from Lower Creek to Pensacola to visit people named Mace, relatives to his wife, probably. They had to spend the night in camp under a rock on a high ridge leading up from Burke to Linville country, then and now a much used highway for local travel, a wagon road now replacing the former trail. They could not procure fire, and a cold-snap coming on, the old man "froze down," to use Captain Wise’s forceful phrase. When the chill morning dawned, his wife and the Yarber girl met Jacob and William Carpenter at the ford of Linville River, to which point they hastened through the darkness, seeking aid. The women went on to Carpenter’s house in "the meadow in front of Captain Wise’s present residence, while the two Carpenter men hastened on to the camp rock, where Braswell was found, very low, but still alive. Placing him on a horse, they managed to keep him there by walking on each side of him and holding him in the saddle till they reached home. There he died after having revived for a short time, and was buried where the so-called "monument" now stands. His name was William Jonas Braswell, but to have spelled all that out on a tomb-stone would have required, at five cents a letter, at least fifty cents more! Hence, etc. The present wagon road does not pass very near the old camp rocks, but they are still remembered, while the high ridge on which they stand have preserved that part of a hero’s name which a niggard nation consigned to oblivion, for it has been called ever since "Jonas Ridge."

Watauga Co., NC - History - A History of Watauga County, North Carolina, Chapter 5, Part 2, John Preston Arthur

1. Jonas was probably born in Edgecombe Co, NC abt. 1755. Parents unknown. See item 12 for Johnston Co. Link.

2. Johnston Co. Deeds. A William Braswell involved in several land transactions from 1778 to 1796.

3. Revolutionary War. I cannot find this specific William who was probably in the NC militia. I have a sworn statement by Bedie E. Pritchard dated 9 Feb. 1949 stating that she frequently heard her father and uncle discuss the fact that William received a wound in the Battle of Cowpens, SC from which he never fully recovered. Bedie is Obedience Elizabeth Braswell (b. 1867), daughter of Thomas Newton Braswell, born 1834.

4. 1790 NC CENSUS.

.....William Braswell..........Nash...............1-3-4-1

.....William Brawill............Nash...............1-1-4-0

.....William Brassell...........Robeson..........1-0-1-0

.....William Brazor.............Wake ..............3-3-3-0

.....William Bracewell Sr...Edgecombe.....2-1-1-4

.....William Bracewell Jr....Edgecombe.....2-3-4-0

.....William Bonsil.............Wilkes.............1-1-1-0 (the name Bonsil disappeared from future census)

5. 1794 JOHNSTON CO. - A William Braswell, Baptist Minister, performed a wedding.

6. Jonas married Nancy Humphries 19 May 1798.

7. NC 1800 CENSUS

.....William Brassel - Johnston Co.....8 in family. William in "45 and up" age bracket..

8. NC 1810 CENSUS

.....William Braswell - Johnston Co.....6 in family. William in "45 and up" age bracket.

9. 1810-1815. Jonas and his family settled in the Lower Creek section of Burke Co, NC.

10. NC 1820 CENSUS

......William Brazell - Burke Co. William Blackstock Braswell (25)

......7 in family. William in 16-26 group.

......One female "45 and up." Probably mother - Nancy. Jonas could be dead.

......Jonas buried near Linville Falls, Avery Co., NC.

11. NC 1830 CENSUS

......Jonas’ 3 sons: William Blackstock - Ryan Edward - Wiley in Burke Co.

12. NC 1840 CENSUS. William (listed as "Brasher") and Wiley were in Burke Co. Ryan was in Wiles Co.

13. 1850 CALDWELL CO, NC CENSUS - States that William (Blackstock) and Ryan were born in Johnston Co, NC.  Nancy married James Barber who was from Johnston Co.  Wiley was born in Burke Co.  which would make him the youngest.

15. TN 1860 CENSUS. Wiley A. Braswell and William Jackson Braswell, sons of Ryan were the first of the family in TEnnessee (Carter Co.)  William is my great-grandfather.

William Barjonah "Jonas" Braswell

Born abt. 1755 in Edgecombe Co, NC

Died 1825 in Three Mile Creek, near Linville Falls (Avery Co), NC

Married Nancy Humphries: 19 May 1798

********************************

Known children -

William Blackstock Braswell (1795-3 Mar 1879)

Born in Johnston Co, died in Caldwell Co.

Married: Margaret Shell/Lucinda L. Braswell (niece)

*****

Nancy Braswell (20 Nov 1799-1876)

Born in Burke Co, NC

Married: James Barber

*****

Ryan Edward Braswell (1800-1850/60)

Born in Burke Co, died in Johnston Co.

Married Ann Beard on 26 Jan 1819

*****

Wiley Braswell (1802-20 May 1863)

Born in Burke Co, died in Burke Co, NC

Married Obedience Barber on 20 May 1821

*****

Big Suzie Braswell

Search for Mace. Wife’s relatives. Lived Pensacola, NC

Aquilla Suggs was married to a Humphries and was grandfather of Aquilla Mace

Nancy Humphries was Jonas’ wife. Married 19 May 1798. Johnston Co. BM Robert Gully Jr.

At the time of his death, Jonas was riding with a young girl named Yarber.

In 1816, John Braswell married Matilda Price. Aquilla Mace was the Bondsman.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Revolutionary War and William Braswell. I have the following from the Edgecombe Co. NC Militia companies.

Captain Aqueler (Aquilla) Suggs

.....Joseph Brasswell (pg 662)

.....William Brasswell (pg 663)

Captain Jacob Whitehead

.....William Brasswell (pg 669)

.....Jacob Brasswell (pg 669)

.....Arthur Brasswell (pg 770)

There are 2 Williams. Most likely, Arthur, Jacob and Joseph are relatives of William. The question is, were there 2 different Williams above? Or did one William move around?

Also, I found a note from the my beginner days when I didn't copy down the references. There was a William J. Braswell from Ashe Co. who fought with John Sevier in the Rev. War. The J. could stand for Jonas.