Private James
Betts
Company I, 27th US Colored Infantry.
Died
31 Jan 1912; 81.9 years of age.
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Paynes Crossing
Although they are all gone now, I remember, as a
child, seeing a few of the old abandoned houses on Route
595 near New Straitville, Ohio. I didn't know it
then, but what I saw were the remnants of Paynes
Crossing. Paynes Crossing was a small community settled by free blacks who moved to the Ohio
Territory in the early 1800's from Virginia. The Payne family, along with several
families including the Harpers, Betts, Mabrays, Striblens, Hardens, Hances, and the Letts
settled here. They worked in many professions including coal miners, coopers,
and farmers. Most were reported to be very light skinned, and may have been
children of plantation owners. They also appear to have been relatively wealthy
- an unusual situation for blacks of that time. Only one family, the Betts, has
been traced back to a specific location in Virginia. The Betts came from a
plantation in Sussex County, Virginia and were owned by Drewry Betts, from whom
they took their name. Drewry freed his slaves just after his wife died in
1821.
PAYNE'S CROSSING CEMETERY Another source of information is Army records. Among those who are buried in the 29 known graves on the ridgetop are five (perhaps six) Civil War veterans. All but one served in the Ohio Regiments of the U.S. Colored Troops (USCT). Some had quite impressive military records and fought in numerous battles. One soldier, Henry Striblen, a light-colored mulatto, transferred to a white calvary regiment where he served during the war. Captain Verb Washington is the leading expert on the 5th
Regiment of the USCT. Two of the veterans belonged to this unit. Washington said
other than the Payne, he had never seen a marker for a 5th USCT soldier outside
of Arlington Cemetery. He notes black families were often denied burial in
established sites, and their cemeteries were normally not well
preserved. As the genealogists researched the family
histories, other volunteers, including a work crew from the Hocking County
Correctional Facility straightened and repaired stones. A monument was set
commemorating the veterans and the other early black settlers for their role in
the early history of Ohio. Newspaper articles about Payne's Crossing
and Cemetery
Census information for the Payne, Harpers, Betts, Mabrays, Striblens, Hardens, Hances, and the Letts families is available here at the Hocking County Genealogy Trails website on our census pages.
Private James
Betts
Company I, 27th US Colored Infantry. Died 31 Jan 1912; 81.9 years of age. James Betts enlisted on 08 June 1864 as a Private.
His age was reported as 34 years. The regiment was heavily engaged in the Battle on the Crater [or Mine Explosion] on 30 June and suffered 74 casualities; 11 KIA, 45 WIA, 18 POW The 27th US Colored Infantry regiment participated in the capture of Wilmington, NC, 12 - 22 February 1865, and General William T. Sherman's Campaign of the Carolinas, 01 March - 26 April 1865, and was present at the surrender of General Joseph E. Johnston and the CSA Army of Tennessee on 26 April 1865 at Bennett House near Durham's Station, North Carolina. James Betts, and the regiment, was mustered out on 21 September 1865. Other Information regarding James Betts Lot 07 Grave 06 Private Evan Payne
Company C, 5th US Colored Infantry.
The regiment stormed the heights of Petersburg on 15 June 1864 including the Battle on the Crater [or Mine Explosion] on 30 June 1864 In the fighting at Chaffin's Farm,
Virginia, 29 September 1864, the regiment lost 85 killed and 248 ranks and
9 officers wounded, of the 550 men engaged that day. Sergeants Beatty,
Holland, Pimm, and Brunson were awarded medals for gallantry in action by
both Congress and General Benjamin F. Butler.
The 5th US Colored Infantry regiment participated in the capture of Wilmington, NC, 12 - 22 February 1865, and General William T. Sherman's Campaign of the Carolinas, 01 March - 26 April 1865, and was present at the surrender of General Joseph E. Johnston and the CSA Army of Tennessee on 26 April 1865 at Bennett House near Durham's Station, North Carolina. Evan Payne, and the regiment, was mustered out on 20 September 1865 at Carolina City, North Carolina, and discharged at Columbus, Ohio, 05 October 1865. Other Information regarding Evan Payne Lot 01 Grave 06 Note: Two persons named Evan Payne are reported in the 1870 Hocking County, Ohio, census: The younger, Virginian born, is taken to be the soldier based on the soldier's age [31] at enlistment in June 1863. Private Thomas Payne
Company H, 27th US Colored Infantry
The regiment was heavily engaged in the Battle on the Crater [or Mine Explosion] on 30 June and suffered 74 casualities; 11 KIA, 45 WIA, 18 POW The 27th US Colored Infantry regiment participated in the capture of Wilmington, NC, 12 - 22 February 1865, and General William T. Sherman's Campaign of the Carolinas, 01 March - 26 April 1865, and was present at the surrender of General Joseph E. Johnston and the CSA Army of Tennessee on 26 April 1865 at Bennett House near Durham's Station, North Carolina. Thomas Payne, and the regiment, was mustered out on 21 September 1865. Other Information regarding Thomas Payne buried in Paynes Crossing Cemetery, Ward Township, Hocking County,
Ohio; Private Henry
Striblen
Company K, 4th US Cavalry. Striblin appears as the surname in the military
records. The 4th US Cavalry regiment also participated in Kilpatrick's raid in Georgia, Aug 1864, and Wilson's raid in Alabama and Georgia, April 1865. Both notable Union cavalry raids. Other Information regarding Henry Striblen Lot 02 Grave 05 Note: The 'History of Paynes Crossing' section of the Paynes Cemetery webpage reports: 'One soldier, Henry Striblen, a
light-colored mulatto, transferred to a white calvary
regiment where he served during the war.' This is taken to imply that Henry Striblen initially reported to one of the US Colored Troops regiment which were formed in Ohio in Fall 1863 or Winter 1863-1864. His enlistment in the US Regular Army is taken to have occurred about this time. His muster-out is taken to have occurred after the cession of hostilities, April 1865. Sources: US National Park Service Civil War Soldier System online database Wayne National Forest, USDA Forest Service Website
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