An illustrated history of the state of Montana, containing biographical mention of its pioneers and prominent citizens, Part 97

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 97

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

DANIEL BERRY, a Montana pioneer of 1864, and now a prominent farmer and stock-raiser, residing at Drum- mond, Granite county, Montana, is a native of the State of Maine, born November 7,' 1843.

Mr. Berry's ancestors came to America from England and settled in Maine about the year 1700, his great-grand- father, John Berry, being the progenitor of the family in the United States. Grandfather John Berry and his son John, father of our subject, were both born in the State of Maine, the latter in the year 1800. They resided in Somerset county. The mother of our subject, whose maiden name was Nancy Carr, was also a native of that county. They had fourteen children, of whom Daniel was the eighth born, and is one of the five who are still living. The father reached the advanced age of ninety- one years, and died at the old home place, while the mother passed away in her seventy-fourth year. Both were members of the Methodist Church, and their lives were characterized by honest industry and Christian graces.

Daniel Berry grew up on his father's farm, attended the district school in winter, and when he was fifteen he began to earn his own living, his first year away from home being spent in a tannery, at $26 per month. After this he worked at ship-carpentering three years. April 25, 1864, he started for Montana, traveling by rail to St. Joseph and there securing an ox-team outfit, with which

485

HISTORY OF MONTANA.

his enemies, but at the hands of his own peo- ple. For, gainsay it who will, as time goes for- ward he will grow taller, grander in the esti- mation of men, especially in the minds of imaginative red men, and it is very well for us all, especially the Indians, to know that his fol- lowing was not great in the end and that he was slain by his own people.

he continued the journey. He was one of a company of thirteen men who left St. Joseph on the 7th day of May. They were joined from time to time by other parties, and on the 16th of October landed at Virginia City. For a year and a half Mr. Berry worked at mining, at $6 per day. After that he went to Bear Gulch. There he was employed as a carpenter and builder one season, and then he bought a sawmill and made lumber for two years, finding a ready sale for his lumber at $100 per thousand feet. After this he came to his present location. Here he took claim to 160 acres of land and engaged in stock- raising and farming. His efforts were attended with success from the first, and as time passed by he was ena- bled to purchase adjoining land, and to-day he is the owner of a fine farm of 680 acres, well improved with good residence, other buildings, etc. He raises Short- horn cattle, keeping about 150 head, and has also given considerable attention to the raising of fine horses. He was the owner of " Mountain Chief," a Kentucky horse that was the sire of many fine grade horses in Montana.

Mr. Berry is also engaged in quartz mining, having an interest in the Magnet Mining Company, which owus a number of rich silver mines.

In 1882 Mr. Berry was married to Miss Alice Ransford, a native of Missouri. She was a most amiable and ac- complished woman, and was before her marriage a pop- ular and successful teacher. She died April 2, 1889, leav- ing two children, Oral J. and Warren.

For a number of years Mr. Berry was a Democrat, but his political views are now in harmony with those advo- cated by the Populists. For some years past he has filled the office of Justice of the Peace. Fraternally he is identified with the A. O. U. W.

GEORGE COCKRELL, a Montana pioneer of 1862, and for many years oue of the leading business men of Deer Lodge, was both in Dumfries, Virginia, May 1, 1838.

Some of Mr. Cockrell's ancestors came to this country from Scotland at an early day and settled in Virginia, the family having been residents of the Old Dominion for many years. There, in 1808, George H. Cockrell, the father of our subject, was born. He married Miss Eliza- beth Duffy, also a member of an old Virginia family, her people, however, being of Irish origin. The father was a merchant for many years; was well known and highly esteemed for his many sterling qualities, and after an active and useful life passed to his reward November 6, 1856. The mother died August 7, 1846, in the thirty-

" During the summer and fall of 1890 re- ports reaching this office from various sources showed that a growing excitement existed among the Indian tribes over the announcement of the advent of a so-called Indian Messiah or Christ, or Great Medicine Man of the North. The de- lusion finally became so widespread and well- defined as to be generally known as the ‘ Mes-

fourth hear of her age. The subject of our sketch had not yet emerged from his 'teens when he was left an orphan and thrown upon his own resources for a liveli- hood.

In 1857, the year succeeding his father's death, he went to St. Louis in search of employment, and thence up the Missouri river to Independence. At this time In- dependence was the terminusof the overland mail route and principal shipping point to New Mexico and Salt Lake, and outfitting place for large numbers of California aud Oregou immigrants. It was young Cockrell's inten- tion to make his way to California and try his fortunes in the gold mines. Colonel Magraw, who had been com - missioned to hunt out a shorter route to Oregon, was then making up his party, and to him Mr. Cockrell ap- plied for employment, but was refused because the Colonel said he was too young and delicate to stand the trip. He then engaged with an overland freighter (Jim Crow Childs) to drive a team to New Mexico. Mr. Cockrell followed teaming across the plains for five years, wintering near Fort Laramie, from 1857 to 1862. He accompanied the United States troops under Colonel Alexander to Fort Bridger in 1858, and in 1861 he was employed as messenger by the overland stage company under Division Agent Jack Slade, his route being from the crossing of South Platte (Julesburg) to Sweetwater, a distance of 300 miles. In the spring of 1862 he Indians became so hostile that the company was obliged to abandon that route, after which a new one further south was used.

About this time Mr. Cockrell and two companions started for the Salmon river mines in Idaho. They traveled the old abandoned stage road, at night occupying the deserted stage stations, where they found large quantities of mail matter, which had been left there by the stage company. At Sweetwater they fell in with a company from Pike's Peak, bound for the same destination, all continuing the journey together by way of Lander's cut-off. This company numbered about eighty, and had for a guide Tim Goodale, a veteran mountaineer. When they reached Snake river they made boats of their wagon beds, and they swam their horses and cattle across, and while crossing the river in this way, one of their party, a Mr. Post, was drowned. After crossing the Snake river they followed an old Mor- mon trail to Fort Lemhi. At the latter place another party joined them, their numbers being thus increased to

486

HISTORY OF MONTANA.

siah Craze.' Its origin is somewhat obscure, and its manifestations have varied slightly among different tribes. A few instances may be cited as representative.

" In June, 1890, through the War Depart- ment, came the account of a 'Cheyenne medi- cine man, Porcupine,' who claimed to have left

about 300; but here greater difficulties than had yet ap- peared presented themselves, there being no road or trail beyond Fort Lemhi. More than half of the com- pany turned back, hoping to find a better route, and here be it stated that they were the discoverers of gold at Bannack. About 150, however, had the courage to pro- ceed, Mr. Cockrell being one of the number. They abandoned their wagons and packed their effects on their oxen and mules, and thns they marked out their own path and surmounted every obstacle that presented itself, finally landing in safety at old Elk City, a newly- discovered mining camp. After working in nearly all of the new mining camps of Idaho and Oregon, with vary- ing success, we find him, in 1865, at Confederate Gulch, from which place he went on the "Sun river stampede," continuing in the mining business at Bear Gulch, Mon- tana; Leesburg, Idaho; and Cimarron, New Mexico, until 1868, when he gave it up to engage in merchandising along the route of the Union Pacific Railroad. He was at Bear river at the time of the riot at that place, and kept in advance of the road until it was completed.

In 1869 he turned his attention to freighting, and for the next ten years we find him transporting merchandise from Corinne, Utah, and Fort Benton, to the different towns and mining camps in the Territory.

After the completion of the Utah & Northern Rail- road, in 1879, he retired from the freighting business and located at Deer Lodge.

In 1884 he established himself in the farm implement, wagon, carriage and harness business, which he has since successfully conducted. He is thoroughly identi- fied with the best interests of his city, county and State, and is deservedly ranked among their leading and most substantial citizens.

Mr. Cockrell was married in 1874 to Miss Viola M. Lish, a native of Idaho. They have two children: Mary and Moncure.

Mr. Cockrell served most efficiently for four years as County Commissioner of Deer Lodge county, and it was during his term that the indebtedness of the county was reduced nearly $100,000. He is a member of the Masonic, Pythian and A. O. U. W. societies.

THE MERCHANTS & MINERS NATIONAL BANK, of Phil- lipsburg, Montana, was organized June 29, 1892, as a pri- vate bank, by Messrs. A. A. McDonald, F. J. Wilson, John S. Miller and C. II. Eshbaugh. It continued in business under that organization until the 4th of February, 1893, at which time it was reorganized as the Merchants & Miners National Bank of Phillipsburg.

his reservation in November, 1889, and to have traveled by command and under divine guid- ance in search of the Messiah to the Shoshone agency, Salt Lake City, and the Fort Hall Agency, and thence-with others who joined him at Fort Hall-to Walker River Reserva- tion, Nevada. There ' the Christ,' who was

The officers then elected were A. A. McDonald, presi- dent; William Weinstein, vice president; C. H. Eshbaugh, cashier. Only a few months had elapsed when Mr. Weinstein was killed in a runaway accident, and July 13, 1893, Mr. F. J. Wilson was made vice president to fill the vacancy caused by Mr. Weinstein's death.

The capital siock of the bank is $50,000. A general banking buisness is done and exchange is drawn upon all the prominent cities of the United States and Europe. The officers are men of the highest integrity and relia- bility, and the bank does its full share of the business of Phillipsburg and the surrounding country.

WILLIAM ALLEN HENSLEY, deceased, a Montana pio- neer of 1863, was born in Scott county, Kentucky, April 30, 1834, son of Lewis and Clarissa (Crawford) Hensley, both members of prominent old Virginia families and both natives of that State. Lewis IIensley was a Meth- odist minister. After his marriage he removed to Ken- tucky, where he continued in the ministry the rest of his life. He died there in the fifty-eighth year of his life. His good wife lived to be seventy-one. They had a fam- ily of nine children, William A. being the sixth born and one of the four who have joined their parents in the other world.

The subject of our sketch received his education in Williamstown College, in his native State, and, owing to the illness and death of his father, he left college three months before he would have graduated. He then taught school in Kentucky, and later followed the same profes- sion in different parts of Missouri. While in the latter State he turned his attention to stock business, having as his partner Martin J. Clark, and dealing in cattle, horses and mules, their operations being confined chiefly to Monroe county.

In 1863 he crossed the plains to Montana, making the journey with ox teams and being attacked on the way by hostile Indians, but completing the trip in safety and landing at Alder Gulch. He engaged in merchandising for a time, then turning his attention to mining there and at other points, the last place being at German Gulch, in Deer Lodge county. Being a mau of energy and ability, he prospered in all his undertakings. In 1869 he closed out his business at German Gulch for $5,000, and then purchased the farm which is now owned by his family, in Deer Lodge valley, six miles east of Anaconda. This farm comprises nine hundred and sixty acres, six hun- dred and forty of which are upland, the rest being rich meadow. He also invested in real estate in Butte City and built two fine brick blocks there, both of which the

487

HISTORY OF MONTANA.

scarred on wrist and face, told them of his cru- cifixion, taught them a certain dance, counseled love and kindness for each other, and foretold that the Indian dead were to be resurrected, the youth of the good people to be renewed, the earth enlarged, etc.

family still own; and they also have a nice brick resi- dence in Deer Lodge City.

Mr. Hensley died January 2, 1892, of paralysis, aged fifty-eight years. He was a man of sterling integrity and had a wide acquaintance throughout Montana, where he had resided for nearly three decades, and where he was as highly esteemed as he was well known.

Of his family, we record that he was married Novem- ber 10, 1868, to Miss Luvina Hancock, a native of Missouri and a daughter of Stephen K. Hancock, of that State, a descendant of one of the old Southern families. Her mother, nee Ivy Roberts, was a Kentuckian. Mr. and Mrs. Hensley had eight children, all born in Montana. One of their sons, George Emory, familiarly known as "Bee," died in Butte City when he was seventeen years old, being accidentally suffocated by gas in the hotel where he was stopping. He was a young man of bright promise, and his sudden death was a source of great be- reavement to his family and many friends. The surviv- ing children are as follows: Stephen K., William C., Claude M., Thomas HI., Oleta Edmonia, Edwin E. and Rossie Evelenia.

After the death of her husband, Mrs. Heusley bravely assumed the care of the business. She built a house on the farm and moved from Deer Lodge to it, in order to be near her sons and assist them in its management. Their principal crop is hay, which annually averages abont 500 tons, and which finds a ready market at Butte City and Anaconda.

Mrs. Hensley came to Montana in the spring of 1869. about a year after her marriage. She had been for some years very much troubled with asthma, but the bracing air of Montana proved a tonic, under which she speedly recovered, and she has since enjoyed excellent health. She is a member of the Methodist Church, and is a lady of culture and refinement, and she and her family have that genial hospitality which is always noticeable in the people of Southern ancestry.

HON. CHARLES H. LOUD, County Attorney of Custer county, residing at Miles City, is the most successful Prosecuting Attorney Custer county ever had. Few vio- lators of law escape just punishment under his adminis- tration. He is active, vigilant and well informed, both in his profession and as a general business man. Ambitious and enterprising as he is, he has a bright future before him. With a contiunance of industry and judicious busi- ness management in the future as in the past, both for- tune and honorable fame will be his reward.

Ile was born in the State of Massachusetts, in Novem- ber, 1858, a son of Cyrus and Betsy (Loud) Loud. Ilis

" From the Tongue River Agency in Mon- tana, came a report, made by the special agent in charge, dated August 20, 1890, that Porcu- pine, an Indian of that agency, had declared hinself to be the new Messiah, and had found a large following ready to believe in his doctrine.

father was a prominent business man, of Scotch ances- try, and his American ancestors were early settlers in New England. Charles was educated in the public aud high schools of Weymouth, Massachusetts. In 1876 he engaged in civil engineering, at the same time reading law. He entered the employ of the Northern Pacific Railroad Company as leveler with the engineer corps when that road was being coustructed, and rapidly pro- gressed, and was soon promoted assistant engineer, and later had charge of coustructing ten miles of the Park branch of the road. He was with the company nearly three years, until the spring of 1883, when, having ob- served the promising profits of the live-stock business in the then grassy plains of Montana, he returned to his native State and interested capital in forming a company to handle live-stock in Montana. He succeeded in organ- izing the Hereford Cattle Company, with a capital stock of $500,000, of which he was made manager, and has filled the responsible position ever since. Their range is fifty miles south of Miles City, where they now have about 4,000 head of cattle. Their loss in the winter of 1886-7 was abont seventy per cent.

Mr. Loud was admitted to the bar at Miles City, in Oc- tober, 1891, and has been appointed by Governor Rick- ards to the position of Judge Advocate General of the State, to rank as Captain on the Governor's staff. He was elected as a Republican to the Montana constitutional convention in 1889, and the same fall elected to the lower house of the General Assembly, to represent Custer county. He served with marked ability and satisfaction to his constituency for two years. He was elected County Attorney by the Republicans in 1892. Has served as a member of the executive committee of the Montana Stock Growers' Association for three years. Is a member of the Masonic fraternity at Miles City, aud has filled the Junior Warden's chair in his lodge.

He was married in December, 1886, to Miss Georgiana W. Burrell, daughter of Warren and Caroline W. (Hunt) Burrell, natives of Massachusetts. Her father was ex- tensively engaged in the tannery business in Alabama at the beginning of the Civil war. He and wife are mem- bers of the Presbyterian Church, and he is a Trustee of that society. They are prominent iu society.

THOMAS J. GALBRAITH, of the town of Boulder, Jeffer- son county, Montana, was born in Turbot township, North- umberland county, Pennsylvania, on the 3d of October, 1825. His parents were Scotch-Irish.

He received his education at the county schools and local academies and ended his academic education at the university at Lewisburg (now the Bucknell), Pennsyl-

488

HISTORY OF MONTANA.

Those who doubted were fearful lest their unbe- lief should call down upon them the curse of the ' Mighty Porcupine.' The order went forth that in order to please the Great Spirit a six days and nights' dance must be held every new moon, with the understanding that at the expi-

vania. He taught school and read law under the direc- tion of Hon. Joshua W. Comly, of Danville, Montour county, Pennsylvania, and was admitted to the bar in Sep- tember, 1852, and practiced the profession there until the spring of 1854, when he went West to the Territory of Minnesota.

At the election immediately after his admission to the bar he was elected County Surveyor, and soon was ap- pointed County Clerk of Montour county. In Minnesota he settled in Shakopee City, Scott county, and practiced his profession, and in the fall of 1855 was elected to the House of Representatives of the Territorial Legistature. In 1857 he was elected a member of the Constitutional Convention, whereof the Democrats and the Republicans each claimed to have a majority of the members. They all met in the room of the House of Representatives and temporarily organized by electing the subject of this sketch temporary chairman, and then the "split," the Democrats going into the Senate Chamber and the Repub- licans remaining. Each side organized permanently and claimed to be the Constitutional Convention, and pro- ceeded to frame a constitution, and remained in session some three months. Finally, after interviews and cousul- tations among the members of each side, it was thought wise and proper to have such action taken as would make it possible to formulate and submit one aud the same con- stitution to the people. To this end a resolution was prepared, providing for a joint committee of five members of each side, to formulate such constitution. Mr. Gal- braith was very active and efficient in these preliminary conferences, to bring about an agreement, and he intro- duced the said joint resolution into the Republican side, and it was adopted, and he was appointed chairman of the Republican five. The Democratic side also adopted said resolution, and appointed five, with ex-Governor Willis A. Gorman as chairman; and these teu men, after sessions lasting over two weeks, came to au agreement, and re- ported to each side what was ratified, signed, submitted adopted, and is now, with some amendments, the Consti- tution of the State of Minnesota.

In 1860 he was elected a member of the Senate of the State of Minnesota, and served in the session of 1861, be- ing chairman of the Committee on Federal Relations. In the spring of 1861 he was appointed, by President Lincoln, Ageut of the Sioux Indians of the Mississippi, and re- moved to Yellow Medicine or "Pajutazee," Minnesota, that being the head-quarters of said agency.

In August, 1862, immediately upon the news of the de- feat of General John Pope in Virginia, Agent Galbraith resolved to go to the war, and raised a company of re-

piration of a certain period the Great Spirit would restore the buffalo, elk, and other game, resurrect all dead Indians, endow his believers with perpetual youth, and perform many other wonders well calculated to inflame Indian super- stition. Dances, afterward known as 'ghost

cruits, and started with them to Fort Smelling, to be mus- tered in; and en route to St. Peter, Minnesota, was caught by a courier conveying the sad news that the Indians had broke out in rebellion, and were killing the people and devastating the country.

Ile immediately started back with the men and arrived at Fort Ridgely, to learn that the outbreak was simply ap- palling. Hundreds of fugitive people had sought the fort for refuge, a force for defense was improvised, and for some ten days the fort was besieged by the Indians. At length General Sibley, with a force of more than 1,000 men, raised the siege, aud brought a letter from them, from Major Galbraith's wife, informing him of the escape and safety of herself and the children. IIe had parted from them at Yellow Medicine on the 16th of August, and for eleven days had known nothing about their fate, but feared the worst. Shortly after Sibley's arrival, he sent a detachment of about sixty men as a burial party, up to Redwood, the scene of the original outbreak ou the 18th of August, whereof Major Galbraith was one. This party buried some 600 dead bodies, and that uight (September 2d) they camped at Birch Coolie, and at the dawn of the next day found themselves environed by a war party of some 700 Indians who besieged them, until about ten o'clock on the next day, when those who were living were relieved by Geueral Sibley. In this, known as the battle of Birch Coolie, twenty-three of the besieged party, were killed and about sixty wounded, some mortally. Major Galbraith was hit, severely, twice. After this he had to give up his intention of going South in order to look after the wreck of his agency business.

In 1863 he resumed the practice of his profession in St. Paul, Minnesota, and in 1868 he returned to Pennsylvania and attended his private affairs, and practiced his profes- sion, until 1879, when he took a trip to Idaho, aud since then he has remained in Idaho and Montana, settling per- meutly in Montana, in October, 1884, as a lawyer.

Upon the admission of Moutana as a State in 1889, he was elected to the office of District Judge of the Fifth Judicial District, composed of the counties of Beaver Head, Madison and Jefferson, and served until January 2, 1893, being the end of the term. In the fall of 1892 he was unanimously renominated, by the Republican con- vention, for the same place, but declined the nomination and resumed the practice. In public and private life he has been capable and honest, aud in his profession able and fair. He has many warm friends both in and outside of his profession.

He was married to Miss Henrietta Garrison, at Danville, Pennsylvania, on the 5th of April, 1855, and, at once re-

489

HISTORY OF MONTANA.

dances,' were enthusiastically attended, and the accompanying feasts were so associated hy stock- men with the disappearance of their cattle that very strained relations resulted between the rancher and the Indian, which at one time threatened serious trouble.

turned to Minnesota. To this union there were born eleven children, -- six boys and five girls. Three of the boys died in infancy: of the eight who survive, the oldest, Jacob G., graduated at West Point in the class of 1877, and is now serving as an officer in the First United States Cavalry at Fort Bayard, New Mexico: he is married. Thomas C. is a "drummer," or traveling salesman; and the youngest, Joshna Comly Galbraith, is reading the law in his father's office: they are both unmarried. Three of the danghters are married, and two are single, living with and keeping house for their father.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

An illustrated history of the state of Montana, containing biographical mention of its pioneers and prominent citizens, Part 97

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