Veteran Bio

William Barton, father of Wayne Barton, was born in South Carolina in 1777; moved to Alabama, and in 1829 emigrated to Texas with his children and his brother, Elisha Barton. In November, 1830 he moved to a place seventeen miles below Bastrop, which at that time was forty-five miles further up the Colorado than any other settlement. In 1833 Elisha Barton was killed by Indians. On November 30, 1837 William Barton moved with his children and eleven slaves to a place two and one-half miles above where the city of Austin now stands and settled at a spring, since known as Barton’s Spring. There Mr. Baron died April 3, 1840 survived by the following children: Wayne; Parthenia, wife of Richard Lloyd; Eliza; Aleff; William and Willifred Barton. Eliza later married Samuel Craft of Bastrop County and Aleff was married to John Burleson of Hays County. With the Bartons lived a friend, James M. Trammell, who was born May 12, 1809 and died at Leander, Williamson County, April 24 1881.

In Service Record No. 213 it is certified that Wayne Barton served in Captain James C. Neill’s Artillery Corps from September 28 to November 24, 1835. He was a member of Captain Jesse Billingsley’s Company of "Mina (Bastrop) Volunteers" and on March 11, 1839 he was issued Donation Certificate No. 826 for 640 acres of land for having participated in the battle. ON March 10, 1847 he received Bounty Certificate No. 233 for 320 acres of land for having served in the army from February 28 to June 1, 1836. He was living in Bastrop County March 10 1847 when he sold the certificate to Robert D. MacAnelly for $25.00.

Mr. Barton was the first sheriff of Travis County. He was married to Mary Jane Burleson, daughter of General Edward Burleson, and they returned to Bastrop County to live. In 1848 he was killed in Washington County. In about 1856 Mrs. Barton was married to James C. Stephenson.

Mr. Frank Young in a letter dated Westpoint, Texas December 29, 1933 and addressed to the compiler of this volume told of the killing of Rufus Burleson by Wayne Barton and the killing of Wayne Barton by Edward and Joseph Burleson. He had heard several versions. The account furnished his brother, Zed Young, by Spencer Haynie, son of the Rev. John Haynie was as follows: "At a public gathering north of the river between Bastrop and Austin, was where Wayne Barton killed Rufus Burleson, son of Gen. Ed. Burleson. Wayne Baron made a practice of deriding and ridiculing the Burleson family. This exasperated Rufus Burleson, and he told Barton that this must cease. On the day Burleson was killed, Barton began belittling the Burlesons and resulted in a shooting scrape in which Rufus Burleson was wounded. His wrist was broken and the bullet passed into his body. He died from infection of this wound. The death of Rufus Burleson was after 1844; for in June, 1844 he led the punitive expedition against the Waco Indians who raided the Cunningham and Winchester settlements. After the killing Barton went to Washington County. I do not know how long after this that Barton was killed Young Ed Burleson’s mother made him a padded vest that was bullet proof and he and Joe Burleson went to Washington County. They met Wayne Barton and both fired at the same time. Ed Burleson missed but Barton’s shot knocked Ed down but did him no harm on account of the padded coat. Ed Burleson grasped Barton and Joe Burleson using Barton’s rifle as a club killed Barton."

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