An illustrated history of the state of Montana, containing biographical mention of its pioneers and prominent citizens, Part 59

Author: Miller, Joaquin, 1837-1913. cn
Publication date: 1894
Publisher: Chicago, The Lewis pub. co.
Number of Pages: 1216

USA > Montana > An illustrated history of the state of Montana, containing biographical mention of its pioneers and prominent citizens > Part 59

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GEORGE F. COWAN, a prominent member of the Mon- tana bar, was born in Columbus, Ohio, February 10, 1842. His ancestors were Scotch-Irish people, were among the early settlers of Canada, and came from that country to New York in 1830. The father of our subject, Ira Cowan, was born in Canada, April 6, 1806, was married abont 1830, and immediately came to the United States. He worked at the shoemaker's trade in New York a few years, purchased property and worked at his trade at Worthington, Ohio, until the fall of 1846, and then located at Berlin, Green Lake county, Wisconsin. His death oc- curred at the latter place, at the age of seventy-six years. His wife is still living, aged eighty-three years. Mr. and Mrs. Cowan had eight children, six of whom grew to years of maturity, and four are now living.

George F., the third child in order of birth, went with his parents to Wisconsin when five years of age, and re- ceived his educatiou in the high schools of Berlin. He had been reading law six months when the Civil war broke out, and he responded to the first call of President Lincoln, enlisting April 22, 1861, in Company B, Fourth Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry. The company was stationed at Baltimore until February, 1862, and then went with General Butler in his expedition on the Gulf. Mr. Cowan's regiment was the first to enter New Orleans after its cap- ture. They were soon afterward transferred to the Fourth Wisconsin Cavalry, and took part in all the operations of Generals Butler and Banks in that department. While at Vicksburg a rebel ironclad came down the Yazoo river, passed the fleet, and landed at Vicksburg. Mr. Cowan's command went to Baton Rouge, where they were attacked by General Breckenridge with a force of men, but the fleet destroyed the ironclad and they repulsed Brecken- ridge. Their next campaign was on the Red River ex- po lition, first against Kirby Smith, and then at Port IIndson. General Gardiner sent 25,000 men to work

ners, reared churches, passed school laws and got ready for the first generation of little Mon- tanese.

This much for the foundation of social life, and we must now get back to the political be- ginning and growth of the sublime land.

H. L. Hosmer was named for Chief Justice; L. P. Williston, L. E. Munson, associates; E. B. Nealy, United States District Attorney; and S. M. Pinney, United States Marshal.

The first ordered election was on October 24, 1864, and resulted in the election of Samuel McLean as delegate to Congress, and a Dem- ocratic legislature, which met at Bannack in

against General Grant, but General Banks came down the river and took the port. Our subject's regiment had then become so reduced in numbers that the subject of this sketch, with others from his regimeut, were sent to Wisconsin on recruiting service. After recruiting a full company, Mr. Cowan returned to his regiment at Baton Rouge, immediately afterward went on the second Red River expedition, and his term of service then expired. He had served three years and three months, and was mustered out of service as a Sergeant.

Mr. Cowan remained at his home until the following spring, after which he made a safe journey across the plains to Montana, arriving in Helena in July, 1865. He followed mining in various localities uutil the fall of 1866; in 1867 received the appointment of Deputy United States Marshal; was afterward made Assistant Assessor of Internal Revenue; and in 1868 was succeeded iu that position by Walter Trumbull, the son of Senator Trum- bull, of Illinois. During that time our subject had con- tinued his law studies, and was appointed Clerk of the Conrt at Radersburgh, where he finished his law reading , In July, 1872, he was admitted to the bar, and is now the senior member of the law firm of Cowan & Parker, of Boulder. He is a lawyer of marked ability.

August 25, 1875, Mr. Cowan was united in marriage with Miss Emma J. Carpenter, a native of Wisconsin, and a daughter of Daniel D. Carpenter. After about two years of married life, a most thrilling experience occurred to them. In 1877 they went on an excursion to what is now Yellowstone Park, for the benefit of the wife's health. Their party consisted of Mr. and Mrs. Cowan, her brother and sister, and five gentlemen. They made the journey in safety, but while camped in the lower Geyser Basin early in the morning they were surprised and captured by Chief Joseph's band of Nez Perces In- dians. They were obliged to leave their wagon and car- riage, and ride their horses. After traveling about ten miles the Indians went into camp for dinner, a conncil was held, Mr. Cowan being spokesman for his party, and

HISTORY OF MONTANA.

December, and worked along to the end of the session with all the dignity supposed to attend the Solons of the oldest States. The election, it is needless to say, had been orderly, much more so than average elections in older political conn- tries. These men, here in the midst of savages, were mightily in earnest.

The first act of the infant legislature was the repeal of the statute laws of Idaho and the adoption of the English or common law till such times as a certificate of the laws of Mon- tana conld be made. It was made unlawful, at this first session, to carry concealed weapons, schools were considered, and the Historical So-

the chief told of a fight which they had had with the whites, in which many Indians were killed, and they were anxious for revenge. It was proposed that if the party would give up their horses, guns and ammunition, they would be set at liberty, and would be given some worn-out horses to ride. After traveling about half a mile seventy-five Indians overtook them, and they were com- manded to return. After going only a short distance, and while in the thick timber, the Indians began shooting at the party. Mr. Cowan was shot through the right thigh, dropped from his horse, and his wife spraug to his assist- ance. At that time an Indian pointed a large revolver at his head, but the wife placed herself between the hus- band and Indian, and while the latter was trying to push her aside another savage shot Mr. Cowan near the upper part of the forehead. He remained senseless until about dusk. After regaining consciousness he raised himself by the brauch of a fallen tree, and, seeing no one, sup- posed himself the only survivor of the party. At that time an Indian, who was sitting on his horse a short dis- tance from him, fired at him, the ball passing through his left hip. Mr. Cowan remained there until the following morning, and then crawled on his hands and knees from Friday until Wednesday, without food. After traveling about ten miles in that way, two of General Howard's scouts found him, gave him food, water and a soldier's overcoat, and laid him near the road where he would be found by Howard's command. He was found at noon on the following day, and the ball was extracted from his head. The wife now has the ball set in gold, as a souvenir of their miraculous escape. The latter, with her brother and sister, had been taken as prisoners by the Indians, but were liberated on the following day. She mourned her husband as dead for two weeks. Mr. Cowan has fully recovered from his wounds and the fear- ful mental and bodily suffering which he endured.

Mr. and Mrs. Cowan have three children, all born in Jefferson county, viz .: Charles Frederick, George F., Jr., and Ethel May.

ciety of Montana was incorporated. Fourteen towns, or cities, were also incorporated, namely : Alki (the Chinook for bye and bye). Ophir. North Ophir, Prickly Pear, Missoula, Marys- ville, Willow Creek, Junction City, Virginia City, Brandon, Beaver, Gallatin, East Gallatin, and Jefferson City.

The seal accepted represented an array of mountain peaks under the rising sun, a bison behind a pick, shovel and plow, and the motto was, "Gold and Silver," in Spanish. The seat of government was established at Virginia City, Alder Creek. This first legislature of Mon- tana was made up of seven members in the

Mr. Cowan votes with the Republican party, is a promi- nent member of the G. A. R. Post, is Past Commander of the J. B. MePherson Post, No. 13, and is Past Master of the A. O. U. W. Mr. and Mrs. Cowan are generous and social people, and are highly esteemed by a large circle of friends.

JUDGE FRANK P. STERLING, one of Helena's successful lawyers, was born in Elkhorn, Walworth county, Wiseon- sin, March 24, 1843, and is of Scotch descent. Ilis grand- father, Fphraim Sterling, came to America in 1780, and after a brief time spent in Pennsylvania he settled at Barre, Vermont. There his son, Henry Harrison Sterling, the father of Frank P., was born, January 11, 1813. Oc- tober 5, 1834, Henry Harrison Sterling was married to Miss Eliza Perrin, a native of New York. In 1837 they removed to Wisconsin, took claim to Government land in what was then a wiklerness, thirty-five miles west of Milwaukee, and there on the frontier developed a valu- able farm, on which they resided until 1866. That year he sold out and moved to Iowa, there engaged in mercan- tile pursuits, and in that State continued to reside up to the time of his death, which occurred August 7, 1878. in the sixty-fifth year of his age. Ilis wife died in Isis. in her fifty-fourth year. In their family of five sous and four daughters, Frank P. was the fifth born and is one of the six survivors.

Frank P. Sterling had just passed his freshman year in college when the great Civil war was inaugurated, and in answer to the President's call for volunteers he dropped his studies and enlisted as a private, September 13, 1861, in Company A, Tenth Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry. With his regiment he soon went to the front, their first lattle being that of Bowling Green, Kentucky. They served under General George H. Thomas, and partici pated in the first battle of Nashville and in the engage- ments that immediately followed, namely: Huntsville, Woodville, Paint Rock Bridge and Stevensville. They then returned to Nashville, and soon after the Union

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upper house and thirteen in the popular branch.

Some final confusion and a deal of future de- lay were caused, but no harm done by the body legislative ignoring that part of the organic act which required the first legislature to apportion anew the election districts and also to name the time and place of election and the time when the succeeding legislature should meet. By some chance they left all this just as the governor had fixed it when he called the election of this first body. But, as said before, no harm came of the year or so of delay. Montana had learned to govern herself. Some of the politicians fretted, but the miners would have been content if the next legislature had not met for years.

and Confederate armies began their great raee north- ward, each striving to reach Louisville, Kentucky, in ad- vanee of the other. The heat was won by the Union forces, and soon after the battles of Perryville and Crab Orchard occurred. In the first of these battles his regi- ment lost in killed and wounded 148 out of 496 men. These sanguinary contests were followed by the five days' fight at Stone River, after which in rapid sueeession occurred the battles of Chickamauga, Missionary Ridge, Burnt Pine, Peach-Tree Creek and Kenesaw Mountain. The 19th and 20th of September, 1863, are memorable as the days on which the bloody battle of Chickamauga was fought. In this engagement his regiment was entirely surrounded by Confederate troops. Their Colonel ordered his men to cut their way through the enemy's line, and with a rousing eheer the command was obeyed; but out of 468 men all except twenty-six were killed or captured. Three of those who eseaped were wounded, and Mr. Sterling was one of the three. He had received a shot through the hand. Being the senior offieer of the regi- ment, he took command, which he maintained for some time. At that time he was not twenty-one years old. He took part in all the engagements under Sherman in his march upon the heart of the Confederaey, and it was a common saying that "the bloody Tenth Wiseonsin lived on the line of battle." After their term of service ex- pired the regiment remained on duty thirty days longer, during that period taking part in the battles that occurred before Atlanta, they forming a part of the Union forces that in triumph entered the city of Atlanta. Mr. Sterling had been slightly wounded three times, had entered the service when a boy, and when he was mustered out it was with the rank of Sergeant Major.

Soon after his return home from the war Mr. Sterling began the study of law at Shellsburg, Iowa. On account of failing health in 1874, he removed to Montana and set- 1led at Helena. For a year he was engaged in contract- ing and building here, and after that took charge of the

According to the newspapers of the time, there was ill-will between the governor and this legislature of his own creation; but you can read between the lines that it was all of polit- ical growth, the Ohio governor being a little too eager, perhaps, to drag in the war that had been raging so fierce and so far away; while this leg- islative body, as all can see now, felt that the savage enemy at its own door, its churches, schools, dozens of things, demanded, in the name of common sense, their attention before the far-away war.

I edited a paper at Eugene and founded the one now at Canon City, Oregon, during those

lumber yards of A. M. Holter & Brother. In November, 1876, he was appointed by President Grant as receiver of public moneys in the Helena land office, and the follow- ing year was reappointed by President Hayes, serving in that capacity for the full term of four years. While in office he rendered faithful and diligent serviee and ac- quired a thorough knowledge of the laws relating to the publie lands, and upon his retiring from offiee he began the praetiee of law before the Interior Department. . That same year he was appointed Publie Administrator of Lewis and Clarke county, and in 1882 he was nomi- nated and elected Probate Judge, receiving the largest majority of any candidate on the Republican tieket. Be- fore the expiration of his term as Probate Judge he was admitted to the bar and licensed to practice in all the eonrts of Montana. He is still engaged in the praetiee of his profession.

It was only four days after his enlistment in the army that Mr. Sterling was married to Miss Florenee L. Rose- erans, a native of Beloit, Wisconsin, and a daughter of John Roseerans, who was born in Ohio and who after- ward became a resident of Wisconsin. Mr. and Mrs. Sterling have two sons. Fred J., the older, has for five years been a bookkeeper in the First National Bank of Helena: is married to Miss Fannie L. Fitz, of Minneapo- lis. Their other son, Harry HI., is assistant teller in the Union National Bank, Kansas City, Missouri.

Mr. Sterling has an enviable record in fraternal cireles. He is Past Commander of Woodsworth Post, No. 3, G. A. R .; Department Commander, P. M., I. O. O. F., of Montana; P. G., Excelsior Lodge, No. 5, I. O. O. F .; a member of Rocky Mountain Encampment, No. 5, I. O. O. F .; Morn- ing Star Lodge, No. 5, A. F. & A. M .: Royal Areh Chapter, No. 2, A. F. & A. M .; and in politics is a Republican. He has a comfortable home at No. 544 Fifth avenue in IIelena, where he resides with his family, and is ranked as one of Helena's most worthy and honored eitizens.

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HISTORY OF MONTANA.

times, and could not but take deep interest in the quarrel which came to me in my Idaho and Oregon exchanges with each mail, for I had known Montana and her men from the first; and I am convinced that this first legislature of Montana was far above the average, any- where. And this will be the verdict of time. This legislature, following the vile example of earlier Territories, notably Oregon, granted a divorce. The act receives mention merely on account of the fact that it was the first thing of the sort in Montana, and for along time the last.

The governor was also a good man and just, wishing the new land well; for he was no stranger there, as was his secretary, Meagher,

GENERAL HORATIO STOCKTON HOWELL, one of Ilelena's most prominent citizens, came to the Territory of Mon- tana in September, 1866, and has since been identified with its history.

He was born near Trenton, New Jersey, November 11, 1843. His ancestors came from Wales to this country and settled in New Jersey, where the llowells have resided for 250 years. Among them have been many profes- sional men, ministers, lawyers and doctors,-and in the affairs of the country they have taken promi- nent and active parts, being represented in the war for independence. General Howell's grandfather, William Howell, was born at Trenton, and had a family of five sons and one daughter. His son, Samuel, who was our subject's father, was also a native of Trenton, and first saw the light of day in the same house in which several generations of the family had been born, his birth of- enrring in 1812. He married Miss Harriet Cook, a native of Philadelphia, and they became the parents of five children, of whom only two are living, Horatio S. and Joshua, the latter a resident of the State of Delaware. Samuel Howell was a farmer and a Presbyterian, living himself an honest and upright life and rearing his ehil- dren in the strietest observance of the Sabbath and of the other commandments. His good wife died in 1849, he surviving her many years, his death occurring in 1881, in the sixty-ninth year of his age.

Horatio S. was their second child. He was educated at Woodbury, in the public and private schools, and began life for himself as clerk in a store, being engaged in clerking in 1861, when President Lincoln made his first call for volunteers to defend the old flag. He enlisted in Company F, Fourth Regiment of New Jersey Volunteer Infantry. He was in General Carney's brigade, and the following spring they moved out with the Army of the Potomac and fought the first battle at Gaines' Mills. He and a number of others were captured, and for six weeks he was in Libby Prison. On the 7th of August he was

but he had Meagher's weakness for preferring, though in a less degree, his party before his people. On his return to the States his secre- tary became acting governor.

But entirely too much importance has been attached to these and like men in all our early history on this continent. The important man and the useful man is the one who brings in a good breed of horses, cattle or sheep, turns a furrow or fights the savage at his door and saves his little ones. This, in a way. each member of that first legislature was doing or trying to do when the rupture came and the governor, who had labored to call Montana into existence, impatiently went away.

exchanged and returned to the army at Harrison's Land- ing. Ile was a participant in all the hard-fought battles and glorious successes of the Army of the Potomac up to the surrender of General Lee. He entered the service as a private, was rapidly promoted for meritorions service, and November 19, 1864, received from Governor Parker the commission of Captain. From that date C'aptain How- ell commanded his company to the elose of the war, in a manner most creditable to him and worthy of the great cause in which he had drawn his sword, and while many brave heroes fell by his side, he escaped uninjured.

After the war he spent a short time in Philadelphia, learning telegraphy, and in the summer of 1866 came to Helena, Montana, making the journey by the Powder river route and up the Yellowstone, in company with a party of young men. Ile first engaged in placer mining, but not meeting with big returns he gave it up and ac- cepted a position with the Wells-Fargo Express Com- pany, who were succeeded in 1879 in the express business by Gilmer, Salisbury & Co., proprietors of the mail and passenger transportation business. In 1880 General How- ell received the appointment of general superintendent of all their lines in Montana, in which position he served acceptably for five years, resigning in April, 1885, in order to accept the appointment of Receiver of Public Moneys for the United States Land Office, in which posi- tion he served with credit and honor until July 1, 1890. Since that date he has been engaged in the practice of land law, with office in the Power Block at llelena. He was one of the organizers of, and is a stockholder in, the Copper Bell Mining Company, having served as secretary of the company since its organization. He is also inter- ested in ranching in Montana, he and a partner owning a stock ranch of 1,000 acres in Madison county, on which they are raising horses and cattle.

Mr. Howell was married November 20, 1872, to Miss Margaret Conway, a native of lowa and a daughter of Robert Conway. They have two children, Imogene and Horatio R.

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l find it set down so continuously in the his- tories, letters* and books of travel about Mon- tana that her founders and first legislators were Confederates escaping from the draft, paroled prisoners and such, that it here becomes a plain duty to correct this ossified falsehood.

Now, in the first place, a man running away from danger would hardly have run to Montana -at this date, at least. In the second place, Montana was, as compared with the North, almost inaccessible from the heart of the South; and, I think, few sincere persons will now say that either a Northern man or a Southern man ever ran away from duty or danger as a rule.

All his life the subject of our sketch has been a reli. able adherent to the Democratic party. As such he was elected a member of the Legislative Assembly of the Ter- ritory in 1877, and in 1884 represented Madison county in the constitutional convention. He is now (1893) a mem- ber of the Board of Aldermen, from the Third ward of the city of Helena. For a number of years he has been an active and efficient member of the G. A. R., having

*My friend, Colonel McClure, founder of the Philadel- phia Times, the bosom friend of Lincoln and an excellent authority on almost anything but politics, attended this first legislature of Montana, and thus speaks of its mem- bers and work, in the New York Tribune of that period : "The Montana legislature met last week. The senate -or council, as it is called -- consists of seven, and the house of thirteen members. This county ( Madison ) elected the lone-star Republican legislator chosen in the entire Territory ; and he was ruled out. His majority was not disputed; but they decided that they did not need him, and vacated his place. Both branches are, therefore, unanimously Democratic as they call it East; but the name is not in favor with most of its adherents here. They would much prefer to rally under the name ' Con- federate,' and unfurl the flag that would truly symbolize their principles, but for the weak prejudices of their party friends in other northern portions of the Union, where things are called by diplomatic names Senator Davis, of this district, -an ex rebel officer and a paroled prisoner of war,-was chosen president of the first legis- lative tribunal of Montana by an unanimous vote. Sen- ator Watson, also of this district, contested the honor of the permanent presidency of the body ; but he had been a legislator in Pennsylvania (from Washington county), and his State had furnished 300,000 loyal soldiers, and none to the banners of crime : heuce he was not eligible. One of positive rebel proclivities was demanded, and easily obtained: and he succeeded two to one."

But concede, for the sake of a case, that they did run away equally, and that Montana was equally accessible to Northern knave or South- ern, what then? The North had the numbers in her favor,-two to run away in the North, to where there was one to run away in the South.

Come, let us look further than this for the complexion and spirit of this first legislature of Montana. Mountaineers, as far back as the morning of history, have ever been impatient of dictation and foreign domination. The Greeks, who met millions with hundreds at the pass between the hot springs and the sea, were

held nearly all the offices in the order. He is also a mem- ber of the Loyal Legion. In the early history of Vir- ginia City, before there was any law to authorize it, he formed a company of seventy five men to act as National Guards, and by them was elected Captain. He served as Captain of this company until it disbanded. In 1883 he received the appointment of Inspector General of the National Guards of Montana, with the rank of Brigadier General, which office he held for two and a half years until he resigned in 1885. In August, 1891, he received the appointment of Adjutant General of the State, and served until January 2, 1893, when he resigned to give place to the new State administration. He has always been very indefatigable iu behalf of the National Guards, has done much for their success and advancement, and has had the pleasure of seeing their growth from one company to twelve companies of well-drilled and thor- oughly equipped men, a credit to their State.

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An illustrated history of the state of Montana, containing biographical mention of its pioneers and prominent citizens, Part 59

Author: Miller, Joaquin, 1837-1913. cn Publication date: 1894 Publisher: Chicago, The Lewis pub. co. Number of Pages: 1216

Author: Miller, Joaquin, 1837-1913. cn
Publication date: 1894
Publisher: Chicago, The Lewis pub. co.
Number of Pages: 1216