1st Lt. David Richard Reynolds Camp #2270, SCV, Mount Pleasant, Texas

 

Piney Cemetery

Piney cemetery is a large public cemetery that serves the African-American populace of Titus County. It is located in the Piney Community about 9 miles North of Mt. Pleasant. Following the tradition of most Titus County Cemeteries, a Decoration Day service is held annually on the Saturday before the first Sunday in May. It has about 3 distinct sections that make up the total cemetery. The old section lies on the southern bank of a dry creek bed. South of a blacktop road that divides the two is the intermediate aged section and the third and newest section rests on a hilltop North of the dry creek bed. Characteristically of the early cemeteries in Titus County, this one has many unmarked graves. Some of these graves can be detected by the major earth depressions left when the grave collapses.

Other evidences of grave locations were found as indicated by following examples. There were 31 graves marked by flowers only, 13 by flowers placed beside a native stone and 8 by flowers placed beside a funeral home marker (FHM). Three graves are marked by a combination of a FHM and a native stone. Thirty six graves are marked by unreadable FHMs. There are at least 96 graves marked with plain native stone and an additional 7 are marked with pieces of petrified wood. An attempt was made to identify some of the remaining gravesites with the following results: 2 pieces of broken concrete, 6 concrete slabs, 3 concrete blocks at one grave, 4 concrete piers, 3 concrete blocks, a 1 foot square concrete block, a 1 foot diameter circular block, and a large concrete structure of a hollow molded shape with holes and slots. Significant to identifying some of the interred were the following: a FHM beside a concrete block that has “Bud Hines” inscribed, a concrete block with “---- Simms” discernable, a concrete slab with “Alver ----” discernable, a double monument with only Estella Aug 18, 1887 and Ross Jan. 14, 1914, an overturned monument lying face, down, a monument base with the monument missing, a concrete encased grave with no inscription, a concrete slab with a painted unreadable inscription, and a concrete cross with an unreadable inscription. The remaining anomalous markers include: 2 mortared brick columns, a concrete form shaped as a log, a mortared tile form, and a crockery pot.

To reach the Piney Cemetery from the Titus County court house take Jefferson Avenue (Business US 271) north for 1.5 miles (Interstate Highway 30 will be crossed over at 1.4 miles). Turn right onto FM 2152 and proceed north for 6.1 miles to the intersection from the right of County Road (CR) 1670. Turn right onto CR 1670. After 1.6 miles, CR 1680 intersects from the left. Turn left onto CR 1680 and after 0.6 mile the cemetery will be on the right side of the road. Coordinates: 33o 16.527' 094o 58.523'.

At the present time, there is no Guardian for this cemetery. If you are interested, or if you know of any other Confederate Soldier that is buried here and not listed then please Contact Us.

NAME BIRTH DATE DEATH DATE REGIMENT RANK PHOTO
Brown, Parris 03/07/1846 02/21/1920 Co. E, 18th Mississippi Infantry   Parris Brown