A history of Montana, Volume II, Part 97

Author: Sanders, Helen Fitzgerald, 1883-
Publication date: 1913
Publisher: Chicago : Lewis Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 1002

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Mr. Kuphal is a member of a number of the fra- ternal orders, including the Elks and the Sons of Hermann. In the latter, he is one of the most active and earnest workers, and for a number of years has been grand president of the society. He is keenly alive to the importance of preserving to the German citizens of our country those traits and customs which have been the sources of strength in their native land. A man of education and of culture, he is eager for all that advances progress in his adopted country. The high regard in which he is held as a public official is due to the capable and honorable manner in which he dis- charges the duties of his office. As a man, his popu- larity is not less than as a public officer, and it would be hard indeed to find a higher measure of praise than that.

GEORGE L. BICKLE. As sheriff of Chouteau county since 1909, and now serving his second term in that office, George L. Bickle has given further evidence of the splendid ability as a public official which he has shown throughout the years in which he has served the county in various public capacities. As chief of police of Havre for ten years, he made an admirable record for efficiency, and previous to his election to the office of chief of police he was collector of customs at Havre from 1892 until the opening of Cleveland's first administration, when he resigned to assume the duties of the position of chief. His life has ever been a busy one, and has been marked with worthy progress in every line of endeavor to which he has applied his energies. As a ranchman and horse breeder he is today known for one of the most capable and pros- perous men in the county, and he is in every respect worthy of the high esteem and generous confidence which is everywhere accorded to him.

Mr. Bickle was born in Jackson county, Wisconsin, on June 29, 1858, and is the son of William and Susie

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(Alvord) Bickle. The father was a native of England, who came to America as a boy of fourteen years with his parents. He was a veteran of the Civil war, and from 1870 until the time of his death made his home in Kansas, where he engaged in farming. He died in Beloit, Kansas, in 1909, when he was in his sixty- fifth year of life. The wife and mother was born of German parents. She died in 1862.

The early education of George Bickle was secured in the public schools of Fayette, Iowa, and Beloit, Kansas, and his studies did not extend beyond his sixteenth year. He assisted his father with the general farm work until he was nineteen, when he struck out in life for himself. His first work was range riding. He fell in with a Texas company of rangers in Kansas, who were trailing a herd of cattle that were being supplied to the Indian agencies at the Yankton agency, and he accompanied them. In the following spring he engaged in roundup work, and in the summer of 1881 came to Montana, where he followed the free and easy life of the cowboy until 1887. His employment took him through the Yellowstone district and Miles City. While there he formed the acquaintance of Theodore Roosevelt, becoming intimately acquainted with him. In 1887 he gave up his life on the plains and went to Fort Benton, there following various occupations for about a year, after which he went to Havre, Montana, very soon thereafter being made chief of police, a position which he held for ten years. He was also a constable for fourteen years in Havre. In 1909 Mr. Bickle was elected to the office of sheriff of Chouteau county, and is now serving his second term in that position. His service during the years when he was chief of police was characterized by his contact with the roughest element the state has ever known, but he handled the office in a manner which left nothing to be desired on the part of the citizens of Havre. In his experience as chief and sheriff Mr. Bickle has met with the most dangerous and hardened crim- inals, but in all the years of his service he has never found it necessary to make an arrest at the point of a gun but on one occasion. His methods are unique, but effective, and his reputation as an officer of the law is one which will stand any test. He is regarded as one of the most efficient officers the county has known since its reorganization, and his position in the regard of the residents of the city and county is most secure.

Mr. Bickle is a Republican in his political affiliations and has always been an important factor in the interests of the party since he has been a resident of the state. He is a member of the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks and of the Order of Eagles, both of Havre.

On April 1, 1885, Mr. Bickle was united in marriage at Miles City, Montana, with Miss Martha Hatfield, the daughter of Mr. Hatfield, a native of Iowa. Three sons and three daughters have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Bickle. They are: Ernest, Hiram, Larned, Bernice, Eva, the wife of William McCloud of Havre, and Margaret.

Mr. Bickle is one of those men who have made the best of their lives, and despite early difficulties have made excellent progress in things material. His mother died in his infancy, thus depriving him of the greatest influence for good that might have been his, and his early life was attended by many untoward circum- stances. The splendid qualities of character and deter- mination were, however, inherent in him, and his life has been shaped accordingly, with the good results that are willingly attested by all who know him.

THOMAS JAMES BRYAN. Although now a resident of California, where he is devoting his activities to fruit growing and cattle raising, Col. Thomas James Bryan was so closely identified for a long period of years with the history of Montana that no record of the Treasure State would be complete without a sketch of his career. A pioneer of Custer county, whence he came in 1881,

he immediately began to exert his influence in behalf of good government and the growth and development of the community, and in public life displayed the same courage and conscientious devotion to duty that marked his services and gained him promotion in the Union ranks during the Civil war.

Thomas James Bryan was born in Winnebago county, Illinois, nine miles northwest of Rockford, the county seat, in 1838, and is a son of Thomas McCune and Christiana (Manchester) Bryan, the former a native of Pennsylvania and the latter of New Brunswick. His paternal great-grandparents were of Irish birth and settled in the Keystone State at an early day, and there his grandfather Bryan was born. The latter served under General Washington, in the campaign of Valley Forge. On the maternal side, Mr. Bryan's grandfather was John Manchester, of English parentage, born in New Brunswick, where was born also his wife, Eliza- beth, whose parents were Welsh. Two years before the birth of Thomas J. Bryan his parents settled in Winne- bago county, Illinois, and there he secured his educa- tion in the public schools, subsequently spending one term in the Howard Seminary, at Durand, Illinois. His father was originally a Whig and later a Republican in politics, and was a farmer by vocation, the youth being thoroughly trained in the cultivation of the soil as practiced in those days. He was sixteen years of age when the family moved to Howard county, Iowa, the journey being made by ox team and the Mississippi river being crossed on a ferry-boat from Prairie du Chien to McGregor's Landing. Here he resided in Howard county, Iowa, until 1858, when he returned to Winnebago county, Illinois. It was from this latter place that Mr. Bryan enlisted in the Union army, and after his services, of which more will be said later, were completed, he returned to his home and in the spring of 1866 went to Harrison county, Iowa, where he en- gaged in farming and railroad grading in Iowa and Nebraska, with his home at Dunlap, Iowa. He em- barked in the mercantile business at Dunlap in 1868, but after a few years disposed of his interests therein. He continued to reside at Dunlap, engaged in raising thoroughbred cattle and hogs and feeding for market until July, 1881, which month saw his advent in Miles City, Montana, as one of the pioneers of Custer county. The Northern Pacific Railroad, then being constructed, did not reach Miles City until the following Thanks- giving day. There he became actively engaged in the early development of the section, and in 1883, when the Eastern Montana Stock Growers' Association was or- ganized, he became its first president. Subsequently, in April, 1884, he became the first president of the Mon- tana Stock Growers' Association, the other officers be- ing: B. F. Potts, of Townsend, Montana, first vice- president ; William Harmon, of Miles City, Montana, second vice-president ; and R. B. Harrison, of Helena, Montana, secretary-treasurer. The executive committee of this organization was composed of prominent stock growers from every county in Montana and three mem- bers from Dakota territory. Theodore Roosevelt, then residing at Medora, was one of the committeemen repre- senting Dakota territory. Mr. Bryan engaged ex- tensively in stock growing, with ranches on Otter creek, and still holds his stock interests in Custer county, where in connection with his ranches he has also been engaged in the development and distribution of water for irrigation. He also engaged in the lumber business and building in Miles City for several years. In 1895 Mr. Bryan removed to Lemon Grove, San Diego county, California, where he has since resided, engaged in the growing of citrus fruits. Cattle raising in Sonora, Mexico, has also occupied a part of his attention. Since residing in California, he has been a member of the board of directors and a large part of the time president of the Lemon Grove Mutual Water Company, and at this time is vice-president of the Lemon Grove

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Fruit Growers' Association. He is a member, and has served on the directorate, of the Chamber of Commerce of San Diego. He has resided in pioneer settlements from boyhood almost to the present time, and the signal services he has rendered the various communities in which he has made his home cannot be overestimated.

Mr. Bryan entered the ranks of the Republican party upon attaining his majority, and was connected with that organization until the birth of the new Progressive party, with which he has since been identified. He was a delegate from Crawford county, Iowa, to the Re- publican state convention at Des Moines, in 1880, and in 1888 was a delegate from Custer county, Montana, to the state convention held at Livingston, Montana, supporting Harrison's nomination. At the fall election of 1882, in Custer county, county commissioners were elected by fraudulent returns from unsettled districts and by stuffing the ballot boxes. In March, 1883, the county was over $300,000 in debt, with nothing to show for this indebtedness except a small courthouse, costing perhaps one-third of that amount, and the in- debtedness rapidly increasing. A number of prominent citizens held mass meetings to discuss the financial con- dition of the county, but did not meet with success in providing a remedy for existing conditions. Mr. Bryan then solicited and obtained the signatures of fifty-two of the leading business men in the community to work together to bring about a better and more economical management of county affairs. This committee organ- ized immediately and pledged themselves to work to- gether for the purpose of securing an honest and law- ful administration of county affairs, and a sub-committee of four persons was immediately appointed, viz., Thomas H. Irvine, Judge Garlock, Benj. W. Ladd and Mr. Bryan, to go before the legislature for the purpose of having the fraudulently elected commissioners removed. In March, 1883, this sub-committee, with the assistance of Col. W. F. Sanders and Judge Blake, of Helena, went before the territorial legislature during the last three days of its session, and upon its representation suc- ceeded in having the board of commissioners of Custer county removed and an election ordered for the purpose of electing a new board. This success was due largely to the influence and efficient services of Colonel Sanders and Judge Blake, to whom Custer county owes a large debt of gratitude. A temporary board of commissioners was appointed by the legislature to serve until such election could be held, and consisted of William Van Gasken, George M. Miles and Mr. Bryan. This ap- pointed board removed the county treasurer and county clerk. At the election so ordered by the legislature, William Bullard, Charles W. Anderson and Mr. Bryan were chosen commissioners. By its economical admin- istration and by bonding the county for its indebtedness, this board, of which Mr. Bryan was chairman, brought its warrants up to par, where they have since remained, although at the time they took charge of affairs county warrants were selling at forty-five cents on the dollar.

Mr. Bryan was the oldest, and now the only one living. of five brothers who enlisted as volunteers in the Federal army in the War of the Rebellion. On April 21, 1861, Mr. Bryan enlisted at Rockford, Illinois, in Colonel Ellsworth's famous company of zouaves, at the call of President Lincoln for seventy-five thousand volunteers for three months' service. This company, commanded by Captain Nevius, was placed as Com- pany D, in the Eleventh Illinois Volunteers, William H. L. Wallace, colonel. It served along the lower Ohio river and at Birds Point, Missouri, under General Fremont, until August, 1861, at which time Mr. Bryan was mustered out on account of sickness and expira- tion of time. Having recovered his health during a year at home, he again enlisted, August 6, 1862, at Durand, Illinois, and was made third sergeant of the company, this being placed as Company H, in the Seventy-fourth Regiment, Illinois Volunteer Infantry,

at Rockford, Illinois, and mustered into the service at Camp Fuller, September 4, 1862. On account of the promotion of the captain of the company, Mr. Bryan was elected captain and took command of the company September 8, 1862, both of the lieutenants of the com- pany giving him their vote, and all of the enlisted men with the exception of the orderly sergeant. He was commissioned captain by Richard Yates, governor of the state of Illinois, March 2, 1863, to take effect from the 8th day of September, 1862, the issue of commission having been delayed on account of press of business in the adjutant general's office. On December 21, 1864, he was commissioned by Governor Yates, lieutenant colonel of the Seventy-fourth regiment, Illinois Volun- teer Infantry, with rank from August 3, 1864. On May 10, 1865, he was commissioned colonel of the same regi- ment, by Gov. Richard J. Oglesby, with rank from the same date. He was mustered out with the regiment, at Nashville, Tennessee, June 10, 1865, in accordance with instructions from the war department.

Captain Bryan served in all the battles in which the regiment engaged, except the battle of Franklin, at which time he was in the hospital at Nashville, Tennessee, for about two weeks, that being the only time he was ever absent from duty with his regiment. With the excep- tion stated above, the following is a list of battles in which he took part with the regiment: Perryville, Ken- tucky, October 8 and 9, 1862; Nolansville, Tennessee, December 26, 1862; Stone River, December 31, 1862 to January 3, 1863; Liberty Gap, Tennessee, June 26, 1863; Chickamauga, September 20, 21, 22, 23, 1863; Missionary Ridge, November 25, 1863; Tunnel Hill, May 7, 1864; Rocky Face Ridge, Georgia, May 9, 1864; Resacca, Georgia, May 14, 15, 1864; action at Calhoun, Georgia, May 17, 1864; Adairsville, Georgia, May 17, 1864 ; Dallas, Georgia, May 25 to June 5, 1864; Pine Mountain, Georgia, June 15, 1864; action at Lost Mountain. June 16, 1864; Kennesaw Mountain, Georgia, June 22 to June 27, 1864; Smyrna Camp Ground, Georgia, July 4, 1864; Peach Tree Creek, Georgia, July 20, 1864; Atlanta, July 27 to August 27, 1864; Jonesboro, Georgia, Sep- tember I, 1864; Lovejoy Station, Georgia, September 2 and 3, 1864; Springhill, Tennessee, November 29, 1864; Franklin, Tennessee, November 30, 1864; and Nash- ville, Tennessee, December 15 and 16, 1864. Besides the above battles, he was with the regiment in skirmishes at Lancaster, Kentucky, and in a great number in Ten- nessee and Georgia.

At the battle of Stone river, Captain Bryan was knocked down by a spent shell and his right hip badly bruised, but he remained with his company on duty. At Missionary Ridge, November 25, 1863, his regiment was in the charge up the hill to General Bragg's head- quarters. This charge was on double quick time across an open plain to the foot of the mountain where the Union forces captured the enemy's line of breastworks. The Confederate troops fled through the Federal lines towards Chattanooga, as did also those in the riflepits over which the Union troops charged, and were looked after by others than those in the charge. Arriving at this line of works at the foot of the hill, everybody being "winded," the Union troops piled against the works for protection from the enemy's fire until they could regain their breath. Beyond these works most of the timber had been cut off, so that there were many logs and stumps on the hillside between the two forces. Noticing this, Captain Bryan threw off his canteen and heavy cavalry overcoat and clambered through the troops and over the works to an oak log a short distance to the front. From that point he motioned with his sword to the color-bearer, who was a little to the right and still behind the works, to come for- ward, which he immediately did, followed by the troops, thus making the flag of the Seventy-fourth the first of the brigade to cross the captured works at the foot of the mountain. From this point on to the crest

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of the mountain, it was every man for himself, climb- ing the hill as rapidly as possible and taking shelter occasionally behind the logs and stumps. Wherever possible, the officers urged the men by word or motion to press forward. There was a continuous racket of musketry from both sides as well as artillery from the enemy. In this manner the Federals gained the crest of the hill and captured the enemy's works thereon, behind which the enemy's dead were found in consider- able numbers, most of them shot through the head. Here, too, the flag of the Seventy-fourth was in the lead in crossing the line of works, and was so reported in Colonel Marsh's report of the battle. This flag, a new silk banner presented to the regiment a few days before by the ladies of Rockford, received fifteen bullet holes during the charge. Color-bearer Charles E. Allen, of Company E, had not advanced far beyond the works at the foot of the hill when he was severely wounded ; then Alba Miller, of Company C, took the flag and car- ried it for quite a distance, when he was also severely wounded. Corporal Compton of Company D was next to take the flag, and carried it to within a short distance of the enemy's works at the top of the ridge, when he was shot down, mortally wounded. Fred Hensey, of Company I, then took the flag and had the honor of planting it on the hill within the enemy's works. In Colonel Marsh's report of this charge and battle, he complimented Captain Bryan on the part he had taken in it. At the time of the Missionary Ridge battle, the Seventy-fourth Regiment, Illinois Volunteers, was serving in the first brigade, second division of the fourth army corps. At this time the division was com- manded by Gen. Phil Sheridan. General Sheridan was the first general officer Captain Bryan saw after cross- ing the upper line of works. ' Captain Bacon of Com- pany G, Seventy-fourth, stepped up to the general and placing his hand on the general's leg (he being on horseback) asked, "What shall we do now, General?" The general replied: "Drive them to hell."

Two days after the battle of Missionary Ridge, the regiment marched to the relief of Burnside at Knox- ville, Tennessee. In this vicinity the regiment wintered and gathered supplies from the country, running flour mills, boating down the streams and hauling by wagon supplies to different points on the railroad. In this work Captain Bryan served as miller at two different mills, besides directing his company's operations in bringing in supplies of wheat, corn and bacon. On Fri- day of each week small grists were ground that were brought in by the settlers on horseback.

The regiment participated in many skirmishes and battles from Buzzards Roost, Georgia, to Atlanta, with considerable loss, although not so heavy as were the losses at Missionary Ridge and at Kenesaw Mountain, the latter on June 27, 1864. At the last-named battle the regiment sustained its greatest loss during the cam- paign. Lieut .- Col. James B. Kerr, commanding the regiment at that time, was severely wounded and died six days after in the enemy's camp. Adjutant Neiman was also wounded. Four of the seven captains who went into the charge were killed on the field, and Cap- tain Bryan, being the ranking captain left, took com- mand of the regiment and commanded it until mustered out at the close of the war.

The day before the fall of Atlanta, the regiment was engaged in tearing up railroad, and after heating the rails in the center by laying the ends on ties and build- ing fires under the center, wound them around tele- graph poles, trees and stumps until nearly nightfall, when the regiment began skirmishing and driving the enemy until it was so dark that the men fell over the guy ropes of the hospital tents in which the lights had been extinguished. It was so dark that one could hardly distinguish friend from foe. The regiment was on the picket line during the night and lost thirteen men, in- cluding Lieutenant Swift, taken prisoners by the enemy. Vol. II-21

One little incident occurred that night that is interesting, and will probably never be forgotten by Colonel Bryan.

Finding that the picket line had no connection on the left, Captain Bryan reported the fact to Colonel Updyke, commanding the brigade, who sent Captain Hatch of the Seventy-fourth regiment on duty at brigade headquarters to investigate and report. Captain Hatch and Captain Bryan started an investigation, and going out on a by-road to the left of the picket line and in front of the Forty-fourth Illinois Regiment, which was building earthworks by torchlight, Captain Bryan being in ad- vance of the captain, stepped up to a man standing by a tree with his bayoneted gun at right shoulder shift and asked him if he was a sentinel from the Forty- fourth. About this time he noticed two other men coming towards him and getting a glimmer of light from the torches at the earthworks, saw they belonged to the enemy. Dropping his steel scabbard sword, which he carried in his left hand, he grabbed the gun from the sentinel and demanded a surrender under threat that he would shoot. Captain Hatch had come up closer by this time and cried: "Shoot them, captain, shoot them if they don't surrender." They surrendered immediately and with the prisoners they retired to Colonel Russell's command, the Forty-fourth Illinois, and secured a guard. Captain Hatch accompanied them to head- quarters and reported the conditions on the left front, and soon a detail of men were sent to fill up the gap. These three men had been watching the construction of the earthworks by Colonel Russell, and had the ap- pearance of watching for stragglers, and it was probably their intention to take Captain Bryan prisoner. "When questioned by General Updyke," relates the colonel, "why three strong men surrendered to one man, they replied that I got the start of them."

From Atlanta, when General Sherman started on his march to the sea, the regiment moved with General Thomas' command north to protect the railroad from General Hood's forces, in order that further supplies might be carried by rail to General Sherman, and during this march a good portion of the time the troops lived from supplies gathered from the country. The battle of Franklin was one of the severest in which the regiment was engaged, but its loss not so great as in some of the other battles. With General Up- dyke's brigade, to which the Seventy-fourth belonged, in reserve a short distance back of the line behind a small rise of ground, they were somewhat protected until the enemy broke the Union line on the turnpike, at which time General Updyke's brigade charged the enemy and retook the works, fighting hand to hand.

Captain Bryan rejoined the regiment in the vicinity of Nashville, and at the battle of Nashville, which had been admirably planned by General Thomas and his officers, his regiment and that of the Eighty-eighth Illinois, both having been decimated by losses, the two regiments were thrown together under his command. At daylight on the morning of December 15, 1864, the Union army moved forward on to the works of the Confederates in front and made several charges, cap- turing their batteries and works and driving everything before them in the two days' battle. On the second day the enemy was driven to rout and the Federal troops followed closely on their heels and so rapidly that a portion of their field guns were dumped from bridges into Duck river as they fled. The northern army moved forward steadily and never hesitated on account of anything in front of it, but took batteries and lines of rifle pits and kept the enemy moving until they had crossed the Tennessee river. Up to this time the advance was almost continuously skirmishing with the enemy's rear guard. Much of the time the weather was severe and the ground frozen so hard that it would bear the weight of horses and vehicles. The men were scant of clothing and almost barefooted. From the

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A history of Montana, Volume II, Part 97

Author: Sanders, Helen Fitzgerald, 1883- Publication date: 1913 Publisher: Chicago : Lewis Publishing Co. Number of Pages: 1002

Author: Sanders, Helen Fitzgerald, 1883-
Publication date: 1913
Publisher: Chicago : Lewis Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 1002