Berry Leech 83, Died in Robeson County, NC and was in 135th US Colored Infantry

In "They Served in 135th US Colored Infantry from Fayetteville and Cumberland County, NC on March 1865," I published the names of the 135th US Colored Infantry from Fayetteville or Cumberland County, NC. They enlisted in Goldsboro, NC on March 27, 1865, and mustered in March 28, 1865. Well, Nicholle Young has taken on to look up Owen Spearman. She knows of connections there to Fayetteville State University.

Minnie Becton also let me know that she is related to Jack Sherrod and has written his story. She amazingly let me post it on my Facebook Timeline for which I am grateful. Now, I would like to tell you a little about Berry Leech. Perhaps we will find those descendants as well.

Pension File

This is Berry Leech's US Civil War Pension Index:

The National Archives at Washington, D.C.; Washington, D.C.; Record Group Title: Records of the Department of Veterans Affairs, 1773 - 2007; Record Group Number: 15; Series Title: U.S., Civil War Pension Index: General Index to Pension Files, 1861-1934; Series Number: T288

For those of you that do not know this, finding an ancestor's US Civil War Pension Index who served with the US States Colored Troops (USCT) means that you could perhaps discover that at the National Archives at Washington, D. C. exists the original file just like Minnie Becton found on her ancestor. Read 52 Ancestors: #10 - Jack Sherrod – “A Man of First Class Standing” to understand the depth of information that a pension file can contain.

Death Certificate

North Carolina State Archives; Raleigh, North Carolina; North Carolina Death Certificates

Berry Leech was born in Fayetteville, Cumberland County, NC. before he enlisted the 135th US Colored Infantry in March 27, 1865 in Goldsboro, NC. This death certificate shows that upon his death his was living in Robeson County, NC in March 13, 1929.

As on his US Civil War Pension Index, his wife's name was Lucinda Leech. The death certificate has his name spelled as Leach. We would need to look for both spellings of his name to find him in other historical documentation. His father's name is on the death certificate as well. It is Richard Leach.

Cemetery

I was really excited to see the cemetery was on the death certificate. I could not wait to look Beauty Spot on Find A Grave.

Find A Grave: Photo added by Jess B. T.

He was in Beauty Spot United Methodist Church Cemetery. Let's just pause here and reflect on what the headstone says for a minute. Berry Leech, 23 April 1847, 13 March 1939, Gone to a bright home where grief cannot come.

I did not know Berry Leech. I am however eternally grateful for his sacrifice before the US Civil War, during the US Civil War, and after the US Civil War until he was laid to rest here. Because of what he and others did, I have a different life. I do not know about his descendants, but if they see this I hope they will come forward that I can meet them one day.

Berry's wife, Lucinda is buried here to: Lucinda Leech.