The Barkleys were a farm family from Anderson District, South Carolina. Three sons of Josiah M. and Elizabeth Barkley served in the Confederate Army. John B. O. Barkely (b. ca. 1831) served as a private in Co. L, 1st Regiment South Carolina Rifles (Orr's); brothers George R. (b. ca. 1833) and Martin V. Barkley (b. ca. 1838) served as privates in Co. D, 18th South Carolina Infantry. John was badly wounded at the Battle of Fredericksburg and eventually discharged. In 1870 he was farming in what had become Anderson County, and he was married with three small children. George died of disease in March 1864. Martin was listed as absent because of wounds in August 1864 but survived and eventually settled on a farm in neighboring Greenville County.