WILLIAM FLOYD BELCHER (UNION) WEST VIRGINIA
William F. Belcher,Jr. and his son Paris were members of the Union Army during the Civil War. For some reason they were home at their family cabin on Barker's Creek which is now Bud, W.Va. on September 4, 1864.
Paris was trying to get to the cabin to warn the family of approaching rebel raiders when he was shot in the back. William was taken from the cabin and executed while his family watched. An eyewitness to the event was Anna who was 6 years old at the time. Anna related the story to her grand daughter Annie Magdalene Lester.
William, and Paris are buried in a common grave on the old Belcher farm on Burke Mountain above the town of Keystone.
There is but one headstone and there are 2 footstones. The stone reads "William and Porris Belcher. Soldiers in the Union Army". The footstones are inscribed W.B. and P.B.
The book "Wyoming County Heritage" says "Col. V.A. Witcher led 525 men on a raid in Wyoming County in September 1864. On the way he took horses, cattle, hogs, whatever he found there. On this raid Witcher captured Maj. Green M. Cook and his aide but the two escaped when Witcher's men were feasting on the spoils of their raids". Witcher was Lt. Colonel, Commanding the 34th Batallion, Virginia Horse Cavalry.
It was these raiders who took everything they could find from William Belcher's cabin except a pone of cornbread which Mary Polly Belcher had hidden under a corn shuck mattress.
She was left a widow, during a war for survival, and she had a cabin full of children.
William and Paris' bodies were transported by sled from Bud to the family cemetery on Burke Mountain. It must have taken at least 2 days to transport them over the mountains.
Why this event took place is somewhat of a mystery. It was highly unusual for soldiers of either side to commit an outright murder. Even though the confederates were raiders they were under command of a Confederate Regular officer and subject to ordinary rules of engagement. There is a possibility that William was or at least was suspected of being a Union spy. This would account for his summary execution, but no information about it can be found in the official records of the Civil War.
There is no doubt about "what" happened, there remains the question as to "why" it happened.
OLD BELCHER CEMETERY
MCDOWALL COUNTY WV
| William F. Belcher, Jr. | B:1814 D:5 Sep 1864 soldier/Union Army | son of William Belcher sr./Sally | ||
| Paris Belcher. buried with father common grave/one headstone | Died: 5 Sep 1864 soldier/Union Army | son of William F. Belcher Jr/Polly | ||
| John Laben Belcher. | 3 Nov 1880 =21 Apr1904 (fell off ladder) | sn/ John Turner Belcher/Cynthia Lambert | ||
| John Turner Belcher. | 2 May 1844=31 Aug 1905 | son of William Floyd Belcher/Polly | ||
| Cynthia Lambert Belcher. | 2 Jan 1852=22 Apr 1904 | wife/John Turner Belcher/dau/Samuel Lambert | ||
| Baby Belcher. | 3 Nov 1880=21 Apr1904 | infant child of J.T. and C. Belcher | ||
| Ida Belcher White(remarried) | 4 Nov 1879=1 July 1965 | wife/Paris Edward Belcher | ||
| Paris Edward Belcher. | 12 Feb 1876=8 Feb 1840 | sn/Turner/CynthiaBelcher | ||
| Amanda Belcher, burned near open fire | 16 May 1889=16 Feb 1898 | dau John Turner/Cynthia Belcher | ||
| Wendell Scott | 7 Oct 1920=17 Jan 1931 | sn Ethel Belcher/ Ben Scott | ||
| Dora Scott | 22 Nov 1926=9 Oct 1931 | d/o Ethel Belcher and Ben Scott | ||
| Payton Scott | 1 Aug 1925=27 Oct 1997 | spouse/Velma | ||
| Velma B. Scott | 27 Dec 1927. ======= | common marker. inscribed "M:Dec. 13, 1947" | ||
| Benjamin H. Scott | 22 Oct 1889=27 Nov 1931 | |||
| Ethel Corrine Belcher (Johnson) Scott | 8 Jul 1904=10 Nov 1990 | common marker. inscribed � M:Wed Aug 20, 1924" d/o Paris Belcher / Ida White wife/Ben Scott |