William Mayfield (1810–1862) was an American pioneer in Illinois, Texas, and California; a soldier, farmer, miner, and a cattleman.
He led Tulare County militia to aid settlers in the early part of the Owens Valley Indian War and was killed in the Battle of Mayfield Canyon.
[1] In 1832, William Mayfield served in the Black Hawk War, as a private in the Company of Captain Levi D. Boone, Brigade of Mounted Volunteers.
[10] Mayfield's son Thomas Jefferson claimed his father fought against the Mexicans with Sam Houston and became a captain.
"[11] However, there is no record of such an officer with Doniphan's 1st Regiment of Missouri Mounted Volunteers, nor in any of the Texas State units in that war.
[12] After William's first wife Terissa or Tussa, died sometime before 1848, he married Mary Ann Curd on March 16, 1848, in Brazos County, Texas.
[17] Mayfield and his son John may have taken livestock to Stockton, California at the end of the year because they are also listed as farmers in the 1850 census in San Joaquin County on Nov. 24, 1850.
The next day they encountered the California Volunteer force under George S. Evans and Mayfield and 40 of his men, joined him.
Evans moved up in a snow storm, but the Indians had left at the approach of the main body of cavalry.
The site of the Mayfield cabin and the Choinumni village across the Kings River are now under Pine Flat Lake.