William
O'Neal Payne, 1837-1888
- by Alice Marie
Beard
The photo speaks for
itself. William O'Neal Payne was not a wealthy man. The
above photo shows him with his second wife, Elizabeth Ann Oliver,
and their two children who survived childhood and lived
to maturity, Hettie born 1885 and Mary Louise born 1883.
Judging from the children, this photo was taken when
William was about 44.
William was born 2 Apr
1837 in Danville, Vermilion Co., IL. His mother died when
he was 10. Soon after his mother died, his father left
for the Texas War of Liberation (Mexican War). Three
years after William's mother died, he was living with
George and Mary Fisher, no known relationship. William
married Emma Green when he was 20. William's father was
killed in a riot in Danville in Sep 1863; the riot was
over differing opinions on the Civil War. On 6 Feb 1865,
William enlisted in the U.S. Army in Danville; he served
in the Civil War as a private in Co. E, 149th Illinois
Infantry.
On 9 Apr 1865, Lee's army surrendered to the U.S. at
Appomattox. Five days later, President Lincoln was
assassinated. On 26 Apr 1865, twelve days after the
assassination, Johnston's army surrendered to the U.S. On
10 May 1865, Confederate president Jefferson Davis was
captured. The last surrender in the Civil War was in July
1865. Four months after that final surrender of
Confederate troops, William "deserted his command at
LaFayette, GA," taking with him his Army-issued
Springfield rifle musket. The Army had agreed to pay him
a $100 bounty when he enlisted for one year's service. By
the time William deserted on 21 Nov 1865, the Army had
paid him $63.33 of that bounty. The Army noted that he
owed them $24 for the rifle he took when he left to
travel, on his own, from Georgia to Danville, IL. He left
about ten weeks short of his one year, and he left four
months after the final straggler troops had surrendered
in July, but the U.S. Army labeled him a deserter.
William returned to his wife Emma and their 6-year-old
daughter Millie (and possibly a son slightly older). Emma
died in 1869, leaving him with three children. A year
later, he married Elizabeth Oliver. In addition to
farming, William also had a butcher shop in Danville.
According to the Army's description, William was a
farmer; five feet, ten inches tall; of fair complexion
with dark eyes, and grey hair when he enlisted at age 27.
OBITUARY:
Wm. O. PAYNE
Another Soldier Gone;
January 2, 1889Died, after a long sickness,
Wm. O. Payne, at his home in Potomac, on
Saturday, aged 51 years, of diabetes. The
deceased was the father of thirteen children,
four only surviving, two by his first and two by
his second wife, who survives. He was born in
this county, and served through the war.
A large congregation was present at his
funeral on Sunday. The deceased was a large
hearted and most generous man, and died with the
friendship of every one.
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Highlights of
William's life:
+ born 2 Apr 1837 Danville, Vermilion Co., IL
+ first married Emma GREEN 1857 [She died 1869.]
+ served in the Union Army, Civil War, Co. E, 149th
Illinois Infantry
+ second married Elizabeth Ann OLIVER 27 Dec 1870
Vermilion Co., IL
+ died 29 Dec 1888 IL
+ buried Potomac Cemetery, Potomac, Vermilion Co., IL
Sources:
military records, National Archives
2nd marriage record
gravestone at cemetery
U.S. census, Vermilion Co., IL, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880
Beckwith's History of Vermilion Co.
Danville, Illinois, was
William's hometown, and his ancestors were among the
early settlers in the Vermilion County area.
If you are researching
other PAYNEs, check out Payne at www.genforum.com
(If you know your Paynes are related to the Paynes on
Alice pages, sign the guestbook at this site: guest book)
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