Corporal Mitchell Payne
Company H, 8th West Virginia Mounted Infantry

Mitchell Payne was one of 36 members of the 8th West Virginia Mounted Infantry to be captured or lost on Averell's Salem Raid.  All or almost all were captured near Covington, Virginia during the return when confronted by William L. "Mudwall" Jackson's force.

Mitchell's date of death is recorded as August 4th or August 14, 1864, depending on the source. Several of Averell's troops died in July and August, about eight months after capture.   Mitchell was 35 years old.  

Mitchell's wife, Emily Payne, applied for his pension on September 1, 1866.
Picture
Many more pages are available on Ancestry relating to the pension file.  In one case it appears that the agent could not find any proof that Mitchell served; another record showed him as a private.  I believe that part of the confusion came from the change of the 8th WV Mounted Infantry into the 7th WV Cavalry--a designation that occurred after the Salem Raid.   

Mitchell is Shane Harper's third great grandfather.  Shane has these comments:

 I have seen both dates (of death) on records. Even at Andersonville they had the 4th in one place and 14th in another.

When my son was born, I named him Mitchel after my ggg grandfather. Two years after he was born, I found Steve Cunningham's website for the 7th WV and he had a page for tombstones. I called my mom to find the picture we took. She called back a few minutes later and informed me he died on August 4, and my son was born on August 4.

Shane can be reached at :  ​[email protected]