The Beddingfield Family Cemetery in the Bob’s Creek community of southern Henderson County contains the graves of many of the descendants of Nathaniel Beddingfield and his wife, Manerva Merritt.
The couple moved into the area of Henderson County near the North and South Carolina state line in 1808. They had 19 children. They are buried at the historic Davis Cemetery off old U.S. 25 South.
One of their sons, David L. Beddingfield Sr., 1844-1928, is buried at the Beddingfield Cemetery. He and his brother, Ezekiel, both served in the Civil War, according to family histories in the Henderson County Heritage books. But several other members of this Beddingfield also served in the war.
David L. Beddingfield enlisted in the 35th N.C. Infantry Regiment, Co. G, Henderson Rifles, in October 1861. He was wounded 5-20-1864 at the Battle of Ware Bottom Church during the Bermuda Hundred Campaign in Virginia, and surrendered at Appomattox Court House. He died in 1928.
He and his wife, Julia Frances Ward, and many of their children are buried in the cemetery. The children married into families with the surnames Levi, Jones, Morgan, Capps, Rhodes, Hudson, Ward, Bane (Bayne) and Sentelle.
Ezekiel Beddingfield also enlisted in the 35th N.C. Infantry Regiment, Co. G, Henderson Rifles, in October 1861. He died of disease 11-7-1862 in Richmond, Va.
Charles B. Beddingfield enlisted in the 64th N.C. Infantry Regiment, Co. B, in July 1862. He was captured 9-9-1863 at Cumberland Gap, a prisoner at Camp Douglas, Chicago, Ill., and died of disease 7-17-1864 in the Union prison.
Larkin Beddingfield enlisted in the 25th N.C. Infantry Regiment, Co. H, Cane Creek Rifles, in July 1861 at the age of 47. He died of typhoid fever 6-28-1862 in Goldsboro, N.C.
There were two men named George W. Beddingfield who served with the Confederacy.
One enlisted in the 35th N.C. Infantry Regiment, Co. G, Henderson Rifles, in May 1863. He was wounded mortally 3-25-1865 at the Battle of Fort Stedman during the Siege of Petersburg.
The grave site of the other George W. Beddingfield is not known. He enlisted in the 25th N.C. Infantry Regiment, Co. A, Edney’s Greys, in May 1861. He was discharged 5-17-1862 after providing a substitute. The place and date of his death are not known.
George C. Beddingfield enlisted in the 56th N.C. Infantry Regiment, Co. G, Henderson Blues, in April 1862. He served through the war and surrendered April 14, 1865, at Burkeville Junction, Va. He died in 1900 in Henderson County. His gravesite is not known and is possibly located within the cemetery.
There are about 36 graves in the well-maintained graveyard off Beddingfield Drive.
The oldest grave in the cemetery is that of G.W. Morgan who died in 1889. He was the husband of Ida Malita Beddingfield,
The area is surrounded by new home construction, yet the cemetery is preserved, marked and signs direct visitors to its location.
Where there were old field stones, efforts have been made to identify the people buried there with small markers.
“I was recently there putting up a Confederate marker for D.L. Beddingfield,” said Jay Jackson, chairman of the Henderson County Cemetery Advisory Committee. “This cemetery is still active, with plenty of room for new burials.”
The cemetery is located on the lands of D.L. Beddingfield and is shown on plats at the Henderson County Courthouse as the “graveyard.” At one time, it was owned and maintained by the Green River Baptist Church, but the cemetery deed was transferred to Fred Beddingfield, Oscar Beddingfield and Paul Beddingfield, trustees of the Beddingfield Cemetery.
It consists of about .75 acre and can be found on the county’s GIS cemetery layer.