Lafayette Bibbins
Most of this information comes from Michelle Brooks, historic journalist and archivist. Mrs. Brooks has been studying the soldiers of the 62nd and 65th U.S. Colored Troops. She requests anyone with further information to please contact her at [email protected].
Lafayette Bibbins was born about 1834 in Currituck County, North Carolina. His mother, Annie, and father, Watson Bibbins, were owned by Spence H. Gregory. Gregory and his wife Elizabeth were in the southwestern part of Livingston County by 1850, as they are listed here in the census records.
Although born a slave, Lafayette's government paperwork noting "slave of" was crossed out; he was a free man before enlisting for the Civil War in Chillicothe on Nov. 23, 1863. He served in the 62nd Regiment Colored Troops. Several times during the course of the War he took ill. He was admitted to the post hospital in Benton Barracks Dec. 15, 1863, and the next day returned to duty. He was hospitalized again at Port Hudson, Louisiana in the spring of 1864. In the early spring of 1865 he again took ill. At some point he reenlisted. In February of 1866 Lafayette was discharged.
Lafayette was a farmer and laborer and 5’7.” With his first wife, he had two children before the war, Beal born 1858 and Harriett born 1860, as well as one after his return to Utica. He had Catherine (b. 1869) and Rena (b. 1870) with his second wife, Henrietta (b. 1848 Tenn.). He married Ellen Fulks (b. 1860 Mo.) Sept. 18, 1879, in Livingston County and they had Mattie with another child born to them in 1884.
Lafayette owned his own home free and clear in Utica. He suffered chronic diarrhea, likely lasting effects from the war, and had "bad eyes." Somewhere along the way he had received an education as he was able to read and write. His house burned in January 1890; he either rebuilt or moved in with his daughter as he remained in Utica.
Lafayette was “a well-to-do and highly-respected Negro,” according to the Chillicothe Constitution. He owned a large farm and considerable property in Utica, making him “one of the wealthiest Negroes in North Missouri.”
He died June 16, 1900, of heart failure and was buried in Utica Cemetery, Livingston County. His obituary in the Chillicothe Constitution on June 21, 1900 reads: "Lafayette Bibbins, a well-to-do and highly respected negro, dropped dead in his home in Utica around 5 o'clock Sunday morning supposedly from heart failure. "Uncle Lafe" was one of the wealthiest negroes in North Missouri. He owned a large farm and considerable property in Utica, besides receiving a pension of $25 a month from the Government for services rendered in the Civil War. He came to Livingston County as a slave in 1850, and, with the exception of four years during the Civil War, has resided in and near Utica. He was 70 years old. He accumulated his money by hard labor and frugal habits. The deceased leaves two children, Mrs. Mattie Beal of Utica and Mrs. Ed Jones of Chillicothe. The funeral occurred Monday afternoon at 2:00 o'clock. (editor's note: Lafayette Bibbons served Co. A 62nd U.S.C.T., much of his military time was served in Louisiana and Texas and he has a military stone in the Utica Cemetery.)
Lafayette Bibbins was born about 1834 in Currituck County, North Carolina. His mother, Annie, and father, Watson Bibbins, were owned by Spence H. Gregory. Gregory and his wife Elizabeth were in the southwestern part of Livingston County by 1850, as they are listed here in the census records.
Although born a slave, Lafayette's government paperwork noting "slave of" was crossed out; he was a free man before enlisting for the Civil War in Chillicothe on Nov. 23, 1863. He served in the 62nd Regiment Colored Troops. Several times during the course of the War he took ill. He was admitted to the post hospital in Benton Barracks Dec. 15, 1863, and the next day returned to duty. He was hospitalized again at Port Hudson, Louisiana in the spring of 1864. In the early spring of 1865 he again took ill. At some point he reenlisted. In February of 1866 Lafayette was discharged.
Lafayette was a farmer and laborer and 5’7.” With his first wife, he had two children before the war, Beal born 1858 and Harriett born 1860, as well as one after his return to Utica. He had Catherine (b. 1869) and Rena (b. 1870) with his second wife, Henrietta (b. 1848 Tenn.). He married Ellen Fulks (b. 1860 Mo.) Sept. 18, 1879, in Livingston County and they had Mattie with another child born to them in 1884.
Lafayette owned his own home free and clear in Utica. He suffered chronic diarrhea, likely lasting effects from the war, and had "bad eyes." Somewhere along the way he had received an education as he was able to read and write. His house burned in January 1890; he either rebuilt or moved in with his daughter as he remained in Utica.
Lafayette was “a well-to-do and highly-respected Negro,” according to the Chillicothe Constitution. He owned a large farm and considerable property in Utica, making him “one of the wealthiest Negroes in North Missouri.”
He died June 16, 1900, of heart failure and was buried in Utica Cemetery, Livingston County. His obituary in the Chillicothe Constitution on June 21, 1900 reads: "Lafayette Bibbins, a well-to-do and highly respected negro, dropped dead in his home in Utica around 5 o'clock Sunday morning supposedly from heart failure. "Uncle Lafe" was one of the wealthiest negroes in North Missouri. He owned a large farm and considerable property in Utica, besides receiving a pension of $25 a month from the Government for services rendered in the Civil War. He came to Livingston County as a slave in 1850, and, with the exception of four years during the Civil War, has resided in and near Utica. He was 70 years old. He accumulated his money by hard labor and frugal habits. The deceased leaves two children, Mrs. Mattie Beal of Utica and Mrs. Ed Jones of Chillicothe. The funeral occurred Monday afternoon at 2:00 o'clock. (editor's note: Lafayette Bibbons served Co. A 62nd U.S.C.T., much of his military time was served in Louisiana and Texas and he has a military stone in the Utica Cemetery.)