There were only a few Batchelor households in Haywood County, TN at the time of the 1850 and 1860 US Census -- all of the heads of household were white. If Doc was black and was born in Haywood County, TN, it is probable that he was enslaved.
1850 Batchelor /Bachelor Households Haywood, TN
Alex Batchelor
John A Batchelor
James W Batchelor
And in 1860, we find these Batchelors as heads of household in Haywood County:
Alex Batchelor age 78 b. 1782 in NC with wife Ruth b.1789 in TN and brother John age 76 b. 1784 in NC (John is noted as blind) In 1860, Alex was recorded as the owner of 15 enslaved persons and John as owner of 5 enslaved persons.
Thomas W Batchelor b. 1812 in GA with wife Mariah and six children viz James AG, John HH, Charles S, Ruth A, Thomas W and Dolly M Batchelor. In 1860, Thomas was recorded as the owner of 9 enslaved persons.
James W Batchelor age 28 b. 1832 in GA with wife Catherine Batchelor age 18 b. 1842 in MS, along with Caroline Beatty, age 59 b. 1801 in SC (possibly his mother in law) and John Beatty age 21 b. 1839 in GA working as his overseer (possibly his brotherinlaw) In 1860, James W was recorded as the owner of 3 enslaved persons.
John AM Batchelor (age 31 b. 1829 in GA) Living in the same household: Francis Beaty (M age 27 b. 1833 in GA), Thomas Midyett (M age 15 b. 1845 in TN) and
four free mulatto persons - Camire Nash (F age 25 b. 1835 in GA) Ashburn Nash (M age 12 b. 1848 in TN) Mary Nash (F age 8 b.1852 in TN) and Henry Nash (M age 5 b. 1855 in TN) In 1860, John AM was recorded as the owner of 14 enslaved persons.
These are the only households recorded in 1860 under the last name Batchelor or Bachelor. It's important to note that only
free blacks would have been included by name on the 1860 US Census so the four mulatto persons living in the household of John AM Batchelor were not enslaved. Still, none of them are the right age to be "Doc Bachelor." Enslaved people were "counted" on a "Slave Schedule" under the owner's name, however their names were not recorded - -- just their sex, race, and age.
View attachment 383079
Interestingly, in November 1861, we find the Last Will and Testament of John Batchelor who leaves the enslaved of his estate to his brother Alexander Batchelor or to remain in the possession of Alex's children.
At the time, John was the owner of 5 enslaved people, which he names in his will -- and Alex was the owner of at least 15. John was age 77 (b. 1784 in NC.) and his brother, to whom the enslaved people were to go, was 79 years old. Alex died the next year --- in December 1862.
View attachment 383080
Direct link to the will at Family Search
This part of the will says:
5th. It is my wish and request that in the division of my estate, my negro woman
Mary [b. 1836 age 25*] & her children
Wiley [b. 1854 age 7*]
Elizabeth [b. 1856 age 5*] and
Cally [b. 1859 age 2*] remain in the Batchelor family or connexion, that is with Alexander Batchelor or some of his children, and that my negro man
Noah [b. 1836 age 25*] be kept in the Curlin family, and if the family of Curlin cannot manage to keep him among them, then the executor is to sell for cash & apply the proceeds....
*The ages of the enslaved people listed in the Last Will and Testament of John Batchelor are taken from the US census 1860 "Slave Schedule" plus I added a year for 1861.
I'm not suggesting that Noah is the same man as Doc. It's just interesting that both Alex and John Batchelor who are recorded together as the owners of 20 enslaved people died within about 13 months of each other.
Mary is found on the 1870 US census in Haywood county with two of the named children -
Elizabeth and
Callie -- so she didn't leave the area. It is certainly possible that Doc and other enslaved people left Haywood County prior to 1863 and traveled to other places seeking their freedom.
View attachment 383084
Whether Doc traveled as far as Iowa is I think the question.