USA > Kansas > Sedgwick County > History of Wichita and Sedgwick County, Kansas, past and present, including an account of the cities, towns and villages of the county, Vol. II > Part 8
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During the Civil War the Wichita Indians, then living near the Wichita mountains, to the southwest, were intensely loyal, and their persecution by the Confederates drove many of them into the vicinity of the Little Arkansas river. In a treaty that was made with the various Indian tribes of that portion of the country, Mr. Mead represented the Wichita Indians in the treaty of the Little Arkansas, and there for the first time he met the famous scout and hunter, Kit Carson. It was because of his work on the plains and his influence with the Indians that he did not enlist in the Civil War, as the governor of the state told him his services were of more value to the government in the work he was then doing than it would be in the army.
In 1864, Mr. Mead was elected to the legislature from Butler county by a handsome majority, and in 1868 he was elected to the state senate, his district comprising the four counties of Mor- ris, Chase, Marion and Butler, together with all the unorganized territory west of the state line, comprising what is now about thirty-five counties.
In 1868 the town of Wichita was incorporated by Mr. Mead, Governor Crawford and others. The town was named by Mr. Mead, or rather he insisted that the place was already named after the Wichita Indians who had occupied the ground for sev- eral years prior to its incorporation.
In 1869, after the death of his wife, he sold his trading post at Towanda and removed to a claim he had previously taken adjoining Wichita, and which is now a valuable portion of that city. The land lies north of Douglas avenue and between Law- rence and Washington avenues.
In the upbuilding of that city he took a most active part. In 1871 he organized a company to construct the Wichita and Southwestern railroad, and he was honored with the presidency. The road was completed within six months from the time of the organization of the company. This prompt action on the part of Mr. Mead and the men associated with him in thus securing a railroad for Wichita, at that particular time, made it possible for Wichita to become what it is today, the metropolis of the southwestern portion of the state.
In the panic of 1873, Mr. Mead was much embarrassed by the failure of the First National Bank of Wichita, to which he
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THE INDIANS IN KANSAS
had extended credit, but he turned over to its depositors sub- stantially all his property, which is now worth many thousands of dollars.
For several years after locating in Wichita, he kept up an extensive trade with the Indians at his trading post, then located between the Little and Big Arkansas rivers and a short distance above the mouth of the former.
In Mr. Mead's later years he was an ardent student of biology and ethnology, and for thirty years he was an active member of the Kansas Academy of Science. After twenty-five years' service in this organization, he was honored with life member- ship. He was also an active and influential member of the Kan- sas State Historical Society and was its president for the year 1909. Before his election to the presidency he was also honored with a life membership in the society. His picture now hangs in the rooms of the State Historical Society. By birthright he was entitled to membership in the Society of the Cincinnati.
During his whole life he contributed liberally to all public enterprises and several churches and school houses were erected on lots donated by him for that purpose. He was a member of the First Presbyterian Church of Wichita, Kan., being deeply impressed with the same faith that brought his father to Iowa as a missionary.
He has been a frequent contributor to the periodicals of the day and his many articles written for the Kansas State Historical Society and the Kansas Academy of Sciences are models of their kind and well worth a permanent place in the annals of the state.
His later years were spent in study and research and for a long time before his death he was considered one of the very best authorities on the early history of the state.
In 1873 he contracted a second marriage with Miss Lucy A. Inman of Wichita, who died in 1894.
In 1895 the Mead Cyle Company of Chicago, Illinois, was organized, his son being chosen as president, and he as vice-presi- dent, and he remained in such a capacity until the time of his death. In this year also, he gave a biography of his life to his friend, Mr. Charles Payne, of Wichita, Kansas.
In 1896 he was united in marriage with Miss Fern F. Hoover of Perry, Oklahoma, and to this union two children were born, Ignace Fern Mead, aged eight years, and Loreta Hoover Mead, aged six years.
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Mr. Mead contracted a severe cold in the early part of the spring of 1910, which rapidly developed into pneumonia, and on the 31st day of March, 1910, he died, surrounded by his family, who were called to his bedside shortly before his death.
Five children survive him : James L. Mead, born in 1863, and who now lives in Chicago and who is owner of the Mead Cycle Company of that city ; Lizzie Agnes, now Mrs. J. A. Caldwell of Los Angeles, California ; Mary E., now Mrs. I. B. Lee of Iowa City, Iowa; Ignace Fern, born in 1902, and Loreta Hoover, born in 1904. He is also survived by his wife, Mrs. Fern Hoover Mead, who with the two younger children lives at the Mead residence at 433 Wabash avenue, Wichita, Kansas.
Mr. Mead belonged to a class of men who are rapidly dis- appearing from our midst. Our civilization will never again produce this type of citizenship. Kind and true, yet stern and forceful, Mr. Mead lived a long and active life, and made the world better for his having lived in it. He belonged to that class of men who had foresight for planning and doing things on an extensive and grand scale. As his early life was not circum- scribed by the narrow limitations of our close civilization, so his vision of things reached far beyond the ordinary views of men.
CHAPTER XLII.
THE G. A. R. IN KANSAS.
The Grand Army of the Republic of this state was organized into a provisional department in the year 1866, with John A. Martin, of Atchison, who afterward became governor, as the first commander. He served honorably and faithfully two terms. In 1879 the provisional department was organized into a regular department, as it is now constituted, with J. C. Walkinshaw, of Leavenworth, as the first regular department commander. Wich- ita has been honored by the election of three department com- manders, Col. Milton Stewart, now of Chicago, in 1885; Judge W. P. Campbell in 1894, and Rev. Nathan E. Harmon in 1910, and their administration was creditable and honorable to the department.
The officers for this year are: Nathan E. Harmon, Wichita, department commander; A. M. Fuller, Topeka, senior vice-com- mander; D. E. Reid Hutchinson, junior vice-commander; Rev. W. C. Porter, D. D., Fort Scott, chaplain; A. A. Raub, Fort Dodge, medical director ; J. M. Miller, Topeka, assistant adjutant general; W. L. Appling, Wichita, assistant quartermaster gen- eral; T. P. Anderson, Kansas City, judge advocate; C. A. Week, Wichita, department inspector. The membership as reported at the last department encampment in May last was a little less than 10,000. We are at this time on account of the age of the veterans losing heavily by death, but are gaining by muster and reinstate- ment about as many as our losses, so that we are about holding our own.
During the present summer and fall a great many reunions have been held in different parts of the state which have been very helpful and well attended, but it has been noticeable that there was a falling off in the attendance of the comrades as com- pared with former years on account of age and death. The Sons of Veterans are beginning to take more interest than in former years and in many places new camps have been instituted. The department commander is taking great interest in the Sons,
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which is telling for good in that organization. The W. R. C. and Ladies of the G. A. R. throughout the state are both in fine condition and doing good work in their line, which is greatly appreciated by the department commander and the comrades generally. Peace, harmony and good will prevails throughout the department, for which I am devoutly thankful.
N. E. Harmon, Commander G. A. R., Department of Kansas.
THE VETERANS OF SEDGWICK COUNTY.
The soldiers of 1861 to 1865 on being mustered out of service found it necessary to "get a start in life."
Kansas offered them a fine field for beginning the new phase of life's struggle.
Many of the early settlers of Sedgwick county were of this bold and enterprising class. In 1881 for the mutual assistance and for friendship the Garfield Post of G. A. R. was organized and has proved a great boon to its members. It now enrolls 412 old boys whose average age is about 70 years. In 1883 the Woman's Relief Corps, No. 40, was organized as assistant to the Garfield Post. Many needy soldiers and their families have been helped in the hour of suffering and death by this band of mis- sionary angels. Many helpless children have been cared for and placed in comfortable homes by these noble women, who always respond promptly to any call for relief. They freely join with the G. A. R. in literally exemplifying the G. A. R. motto, "Fra- ternity, Charity and Loyalty."
As bees "swarm," so Garfield Post sent out Eggleston Post in 1893, which now numbers 244 members. The Relief Corps at the same time furnished members for the organization of the Caroline Harrison Circle Auxiliary to Eggleston Post. The names of these two are known throughout the city and many do and will continue to rise up and call them blessed. As the years rolled by the old soldiers and their wives gradually became bur- dened with disease and feeble powers. To perpetuate the history of their declining years and to strew their graves with flowers, in 1892 the Anson Skinner Camp of Sons of Veterans and the Ladies' Auxiliary of the Sons of Veterans were organized. These flourishing camps are active in their efforts, growing in numbers and will be a power in perpetuating the memories of their fathers and mothers. Many old soldiers live in Wichita and its vicinity
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THE G. A. R. IN KANSAS
who have never united with either of these G. A. R. Posts. These persons are making a mistake, as in the hour of need, sickness or death they have not the administering care of post or corps. The present official roster is as follows :- C. A. Meek, commander ; J. M. Naylor, adjutant; W. T. Buckner, quartermaster; J. E. Conklin, chaplain; W. H. Payer, senior vice-commander; S. M. Barnes, junior vice-commander; L. Laverty, surgeon; James Blain, officer of the day; J. B. Fishback, patriotic instructor. Regular post meetings are held in the court house at 2 o'clock p. m., on the first and third Wednesdays of each month.
WOMAN'S RELIEF CORPS, NO. 40.
Mrs. Betty Rogers, senior vice-president ; Mrs. Eugenia Love- land, junior vice-president ; Miss Alice Huffman, secretary ; Mrs. Lizzie Brown, treasurer; Miss Mary Parker, chaplain ; Miss Eva Gard, conductor; Mrs. Mary R. Buckner, patriotic instructor.
Corps meetings are held in the basement of the court house, the first and third Tuesdays of each month.
EGGLESTON POST, NO. 244.
W. L. Appling, commander; John McCray, senior vice-com- mander ; E. Dye, junior vice-commander; J. H. Alexander, sur- geon; W. A. Bosworth, chaplain; J. A. McElhaney, quartermas- ter ; D. E. DeRoss, officer of the day ; J. E. Miller, adjutant. Post meets second and fourth Tuesdays at 2 p. m., at the A. O. U. W. hall.
Mrs. Maggie Merrill, president ; Miss Salathie Appling, senior vice-president ; Mrs. Barbara Grubb, junior vice-president; Miss Anna Bennett, secretary; Miss Minnie Dell, treasurer; Mrs. Mary Snyder, conductor; Mrs. Mary Thatcher, chaplain. Meets first and third Tuesdays in the Odd Fellow hall, at 3:30 p. m.
ANSON SKINNER CAMP, NO. 49, SONS OF VETERANS.
H. C. Carnahan, commander; Louis Bulkley, senior vice- commander; James H. Smith, junior vice-commander; W. W. Brown, secretary; M. J. Sweet, treasurer. Meets every second and fourth Tuesdays in basement of court house. M. J. Sweet, of this camp, is now serving his second term as division com- mander of the state of Kansas.
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HISTORY OF SEDGWICK COUNTY
LADIES' AUXILIARY OF THE SONS OF VETERANS.
Mrs. C. S. Pratt, president. The old soldiers are rapidly an- swering the final roll call. They have finished life's battles and the G. A. R.'s as an active organization will soon cease to exist. But the Sons of Veterans will take up the battles of loyal citizen- ship and carry on the existence of our nation to its full fruition among the nations of the earth.
J. M. Naylor, Adjutant Garfield Post.
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CHAPTER XLIII.
THE COLORED SOLDIER OF SEDGWICK COUNTY IN THE SPANISH AMERICAN WAR.
By CAPTAIN SAMUEL W. JONES.
The days that marked the opening or beginning of the Spanish American War in 1898 were anxious ones indeed to many a patriotic Afro-American then residing in Wichita, for as has al- ways been the case when our country is thrown into war her negro citizens, ever patriotic, are among the first to volunteer their services. The first colored American to offer his services in this city was Harry Holmes, the second was James Gage. These two men, bosom friends, applied to the enlisting officer the second day after the office or recruiting station was opened here. They were refused, were told by the recruiting officer that he had no authority to enlist other than white men. Holmes and Gage were quite disappointed indeed, and came to me asking that I write an article to be published in the daily papers asking why it was that as war had been declared they, as colored men, should be denied the privilege of serving their country. I suggested to these two men that they wait a while, and I was satisfied that before the war was over they would have a chance. Such we now know proved to be the case, for it was not many days as we might say, there came the second call for volunteers, and under that call, the appointment to Kansas was eight hundred and seventy-five men.
At that time I was associated with W. A. Bettis in the pub- lishing of a weekly newspaper known as the "National Reflector." We had but two months previous bought a newspaper and job office from that old pioneer, Judge S. M. Tucker. We had moved the office or outfit to rooms over 403 East Douglas avenue, had just become established and were doing a good business when the war cloud cast itself over the country. By reason of the
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fact that the paper had always taken an independent stand in politics, Bettis, my partner, who was associate editor, had allied himself somewhat with the Populist movement and had man- aged in this way to get in touch with John W. Leedy, the Pop- ulist Governor. The very day it was known Kansas was to furnish her second quota of men, Bettis began writing the gov- ernor urging upon him to make the new organization a colored regiment. Other colored men began doing the same, and finally on July 2, 1898, Bettis received a letter from Governor Leedy authorizing him to begin the enlisting of colored volunteers. When Bettis had read the letter over he handed it to me with the remark that he wanted me for captain because of my former experience as a captain of an independent militia company here. I tried to urge upon him to take that place, declaring to him at the same time I would be satisfied with the honor of being the first man to sign the enlistment roll. This honor he granted me. Together we rented the storeroom directly across the street from our office, and while I remained in the office to carry on the business Bettis went out and began the enrolling of volun- teers. By reason of the fact it seems that Gage and Holmes had been refused enlistment the colored boys were a little loath to sign their names. Bettis came back to the office rather dis- couraged, had but three or four names on the roll among whom was Charles R. Stewart, known at that time to nearly every man as "Pappy Stewart." We called "pappy" into the office, and after a conference it was agreed that he was to be made first sergeant of the company if he would lend his efforts toward enlisting of a company. "Pappy" went to work with a will. The next evening he and Bettis came into the office declaring that they were meeting with little success, as any number of the boys whom they had approached were members of the inde- pendent militia company would not enroll unless they knew I was going to be captain. Bettis declared he knew his unfitness for the place and insisted that I allow the boys to know I would accept the place. The result of this conference was we closed the printing office, hired some drums and drummers and set to work with a will. As soon as we had twelve men enrolled I be- gan the work of drilling them in army tactics. July 4th and 5th we worked hard indeed, with the result that on the morning of the 6th when the recruiting officer arrived we had thirty-nine men to be examined by the examining physician, Dr. E. Harrison,
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THE COLORED SOLDIER
who lent his services in securing more men. The next morning while I continued the work here, Bettis went to Winfield and Arkansas City. About noon on the ninth of July our little band of forty-nine soldiers to be marched from the city hall to the Santa Fe depot where amid the tears and good-byes of mothers, wives, sisters, sweethearts and friends boarded the train for Topeka.
The law at that time was that each company should be com- posed of 106 enlisted men and three commissioned officers. We had forty-nine, were of course sixty men short of the requisite number, and then came the struggle of my life time it seemed to get those sixty men. There were seven other companies foraging about, we might say, to get men to fill out their number so they might be mustered into service ; some nights I would lay down to sleep with nearly enough men to make out my company only to awaken in the morning to find that all perhaps but the faith- ful forty-nine had gone into other camps or partial companies. I wrote an appeal to Dr. Harrison to enlist some more men here in Wichita and send them to me, he responded by sending up nine more, thus swelling our number to fifty-eight faithful ones. This band of fifty-eight remained true to me, as firm as the rock of Gibraltar. On July 12, the old war horse of Wyandotte county, Corvine Patterson, came marching into camp at the head of 162 men from Kansas City, and out of this number I secured enough men to fill out my company and win the place I had set out to win for them and myself, the first place in the Second battalion.
July 14, 1898, is a day I shall never forget, for it was on that day my company was mustered into the service of the United States volunteer army. The men sworn in on that day as Company E, 23rd Kansas volunteer infantry, were as follows: Samuel W. Jones, Captain; William A. Bettis, First Lieutenant; William Green, Second Lieutenant; Charles R. Stewart, First Sergeant; Thomas A. Dupart, Quartermaster Sergeant; Giles Anderson, Second Sergeant; Henry Sheairills, Third Sergeant; Harry Holmes, Fourth Sergeant; Thomas H. White, Fifth Sergeant; Napoleon Starnes, Artificer; Henry W. Gilbert, Wagoner; Corporals, William H. Stell; John McBride, Edgar Franklin, Charles Staten, James Gage, James W. Turner, Isaac McAfee, Frank E. Green, James W. Thompson, Lee Toms, George R. Cowen and Leonard C. Martin; Musicians, Wallace Bernal and Bert Burns; Privates, John B. Anderson, Mack An-
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derson, William Allen, William K. Arnold, Benjamin Barnes, James Barnes, Frank Barber, Lewis Bass, John Bell, James H. Bransen, Henry Brayden, James B. Brown, William A. Brown, Alfred Buford, Henry Bynum, Thomas W. Campbell, William Carter, Charles Childs, David Chinneth, Anderson Crump, Peter C. Danforth, Henry C. Dixon, James Dozier, Edward Drain, Ora Earle, Clarence Estes, Samuel Farmer, Richard Fintch, Ollie Fin- ley, Leroy Franklin, George W. Gardner, George Garr, Ceabron Greenwood, Samuel Hall, Thomas Harris, Charles Herring, Duff Herrington, Ben Hickey, Clifford Hill, John Hoard, Elliott Holmes, John T. Howard, Walter H. Howard, John Hudson, Al- len Jackson, James C. Jackson, Joseph Johnson, McDonald Johnson, Stanton James, Frank K. Jones, William M. Love, John E. Majors, William Masir, John R. Martin, Abraham McAfee, Fred Martin, Walter Marshall, Henry I. Meredith, John Midina, Joseph Millford, George Murphy, William Weely, William Over- street, Nelson S. Patterson, James Porter, Bevley M. Perry, Frank H. Ray, Henry Roeark, Eugene Reed, Ky Richards, Andy Simms, Henry Robinson, Lewis Robinson, John A. Rodgers, Samuel Sheairills, Dallas Thurman, Jones Vaughn, David Washington, James Warren, Frank West, Horace G. Wilder, Eugene R. Whitted, Charles Williams and Joseph Williams.
Company E was at first called by the men in the other com- panies "raggety company E," by reason of the fact that every man in the company had been advised by me to dispose of all his clothing except his most worn suit for army regulations for- bade a soldier having citizen's clothing in his possession and when their uniforms should be issued what clothing they had must at once be disposed of. The quartermaster's department at Leavenworth was so slow in issuing uniforms I must admit that ere long the majority of the men were wearing clothing but little better than rags, hence the name "raggety company E." It wasn't long, however, until I had by hard and patient work, drilling my men, carefully explaining every move in drill, tak- ing them off to themselves during drill hours and there instruct- ing them, until I had the acknowledged best drilled company in the regiment. Whenever any honors were to be won it was Company E that could be depended upon to carry off the laurels.
Just a little incident to bear out this statement. August 3 it was announced through orders that General Monnehan would arrive in Topeka to pay the regiment. Something of a secret
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THE COLORED SOLDIER
order so far as I was concerned went the rounds of the camp, that the best drilled company, the one making the best showing should have the honor of escorting the first paymaster from the city to the camp ground. Company A was made up entirely of colored men who resided within the city limits of Topeka. The camp was two and a half miles from town, and Captain Reynolds, of Company A, was quite anxious of course to go up town and "show off" his company at this the first opportunity. Well, he didn't go. Only three days before my men had received their now uniforms and rifles, and that morning they seemed to be in perfect trim. When drill hour had come and passed Colonel Beck, commanding the regiment, prompted by Captain Allison, U. S. army (retired) who was instructor to the officers of the regiment, issued the order for E company, the Wichita company to go at once to quarters, get dinner and be ready to march promptly at twelve to the city and escort the paymaster. This was a gala day for my company, for myself, for when I reached the paved part of Kansas avenue I began putting my company through almost every movement possible for a company to make in drill, receiving the plaudits of the thousands who watched us from the sidewalks.
August 20, 1898, came the welcome news that we had been ordered to New York, there to take a transport for Santiago de Cuba. With the coming of daylight, Monday, August 22, we began breaking camp, and by seven o'clock were in light march- ing order ready to march to the city. A few minutes after seven we were on the march to the capitol where Governor Leedy delivered a very touching address, and then the march was taken up to the Santa Fe depot. That was a day I shall never forget ; on the platform were mothers, fathers, wives, children, sisters, brothers and friends weeping, handshaking and saying good- bye. At last there came the call all aboard, and the journey toward Cuba had begun. Wednesday, August 24, we reached New York, were ferried over to pier 22 Brooklyn, where the transport Eigilancia was moored awaiting our coming. By 8 o'clock men and baggage were aboard, the lines were cast off and we dropped down the bay to anchor ground. With the com- ing of daylight the anchor was raised and we started on our journey of more than 3,100 miles to Cuba. After seven days steaming, during which time the men on account of cramped quarters and seasickness suffered a great deal and during which
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time too our vessel was storm tossed by one of those terrible hurricanes peculiar to the West Indies we, in spite of the fact that we had been reported lost in the terrible storm, steamed by the Moro castle, the wreck of the Rena Mercedes and Captain Hobson's sunken Merrimac on up the bay to the city of Santiago.
On the morning of September 1, we began disembarking, and by 4 o'clock men and baggage were on Cuban soil. About 6 o'clock we went aboard the train made up of four very crude passenger cars and a number of cattle cars, and by 9 o'clock the journey of twenty-seven miles had been completed and we were in the city of San Luis.
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