A standard history of Oklahoma; an authentic narrative of its development from the date of the first European exploration down to the present time, including accounts of the Indian tribes, both civilized and wild, of the cattle range, of the land openings and the achievements of the most recent period, Vol. V, Part 95

Author: Thoburn, Joseph B. (Joseph Bradfield), 1866-1941
Publication date: 1916
Publisher: Chicago, New York, The American Historical Society
Number of Pages: 644

USA > Oklahoma > A standard history of Oklahoma; an authentic narrative of its development from the date of the first European exploration down to the present time, including accounts of the Indian tribes, both civilized and wild, of the cattle range, of the land openings and the achievements of the most recent period, Vol. V > Part 95

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).

Freeman E. Miller was born in Fountain Coun Indiana, on the 19th of May, 1864, and is a son Louis W. and Amanda (Rynearson) Miller, both likew natives of Fountain County and representatives honored pioneer families of that section of the Hoos State. The father, now of patriarchal age, still resi. on his old homestead farm, and there the devoted w and mother was summoned to the life eternal on the : of October, 1911, at the age of seventy years, the s ject of this review being the only child. The boyhe days of Professor Miller were compassed by the nignant influences and discipline of the home farm, ad he continued to look upon the parental domicile as place of ultimate refuge and coutent until the time 4

Ridate

pres un majori to the kol Me Via this Trasm recutati mation he who og. H s by ve Tood ch bought Mand funds HEpy a kan con As a l fast mad htc in rich wer count month 0% costi

Legis fleeti de be Demo Blitozi if the the O

ele Ok retai been bist pract as 0 of th

bis

de P la

als

2081

HISTORY OF OKLAHOMA

his marriage, though he passed but irregular intervals at home after he had attained to the age of sixteen years. He acquired his preliminary education in the public schools of his native state and supplemented this by a full classical course in DePauw University, at Greencastle, Indiana, in which institution he was gradu- ated as a member of the class of 1887 and from which he received his degree of Bachelor of Arts, his alma mater conferring upon him in 1890 the degree of Master of Arts. He defrayed the major part of the expenses of his collegiate course through his service as a teacher in the district schools.

In the year of his graduation in DePauw University, Professor Miller, then a young man of twenty-three years, made his way to the Panhandle of Texas, and when Oklahoma Territory was thrown open to settlement he was one of the ambitious young men who cast in his lot with this new country. In 1890 he established his resi- dence at Stillwater, now the thriving judicial center of Payne County, and here he engaged in the practice of law, his preparation for this profession having been compassed while he was still in his native state, and his admission to the Indiana bar having been granted in 1886. He became one of the pioneer lawyers of Payne County and also a pioneer in the local newspaper field. He had practiced law in Indiana, where he had also been editor and publisher of a weekly paper at Veedersburg, one of the principal towns of his native county.

In 1894 the versatile young lawyer and journalist was elected to the chair of English in the newly established Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical College, and he retained this incumbency until 1898, his service having been most effective during this formative period in the a di atten be hi enfer f the 1 life bering ts' à Happ history of the college. Upon resigning his position as a member of the faculty of the college he resumed the practice of law, and in time he gained special prestige as one of the able and resourceful criminal lawyers of the territory. In 1900 he was elected representative of his district in the council or senate of the Territorial Legislature, and in 1902 he was a candidate for re- election, but was defeated by a small majority. In 1905 he became editor and publisher of the Stillwater Advance- Democrat, and in the following year he assumed the editorial charge of the Stillwater People's Progress, each of these weekly papers having gained high standing in the Oklahoma field of journalism under his administra- of th tion. In 1910 Professor Miller was the democratic can- didate for the office of judge of the District Court, but ir roya was unable to overcome the large and normal republican majority in the district. In 1915 he was again elected to the chair of English in the Oklahoma Agricultural Professd and Mechanical College, and he has entered upon his service klahout in this capacity with characteristic earnestness and enthu- Panam siasm, with matured powers and with specially high co, Ca reputation in the domain of literature, so that the iusti- poem tution gains to its faculty a most valuable member and cation. one whose benignant influence can not but be far reach- Counting. He is by nature buoyant and optimistic, and thus a son is by very birthright the apostle of contentment and h likemi good cheer. He recognizes the well-springs of human atives thought and motive, is kindly and tolerant in judgment e Hoosiland finds his chiefest pleasure in trying to make others il resid happy and contented-a higher mission than which no roted milman could ask.

on the & As a lawyer Professor Miller had charge of the legal s, the sulfight made in the territorial days to eliminate the liquor he boyhoftraffic in Payne County, and as a result of his efforts, by the which were ably supported by the temperance people of farm, atthe county, the desired end was achieved in the county ieile as six months before the territory cast its popular vote on the time he question of prohibition. It is pleasing to record that

many of the poetical productions of Professor Miller have been collected and issued in book form. In 1895 was published his volume of verses entitled "Oklahoma, and Other Poems; " in 1898 his "Songs from the South- west Country" was issued; and in 1906 was published a volume of his prose and verse, under the title of "Okla- homa Sunshine."

Professor Miller is affiliated with the Masonic frater- nity and is identified with the Oklahoma State Bar Association and the Oklahoma Newspaper Association. Both he and his wife hold membership in the Methodist Episcopal Church, as did also his first wife.

On the 22d of March, 1886, Professor Miller wedded Miss Estelle Shroyer, and she was called to eternal rest on the 24th of September, 1912, one child, Roy F., sur- viving her and remaining at the parental home, in Still- water. On the 2d of August, 1914, was solemnized the marriage of Professor Miller to Mrs. Ada M. Kelly, who is the gracious and popular chatelaine of their pleasant home in Stillwater.

COL. GEORGE W. LEWIS. Oklahoma can claim 110 pioneer citizen whose career has been one of more inter- esting order, whose genealogical history has touched more worthily and prominently the history of America, or whose personal popularity is more secure than Colonel Lewis, who has been one of the most honored and influ- ential citizens of Payne County since the year that Okla- homa Territory was thrown open to settlement and whose fine farmstead home lies contiguous to Stillwater, the county seat, his residence being one of the most modern and attractive in this section of the state and being worthy of its owner as well as a matter of pride to him and the community in general. The Lewis family was founded in America in the colonial era of our national history and representatives of the same have been found arrayed as gallant soldiers in every war in which the nation has been involved, Colonel Lewis himself having been a valiant soldier of the Union in the Civil war, and after its close having served with distinction as an officer of the State Militia of Kansas. As a pioneer of Kansas he participated in early Indian wars, and he was given the title and rank of colonel before he had attained to his legal majority. A broad-minded, loyal and honored citizen and representative pioneer, he is entitled to spe- cial consideration iu this history of the state of his adoption.

Col. George Washington Lewis was born in Yadkin County, North Carolina, on the 16th of April, 1846, and is a son of William and Catherine (Pinix) Lewis, the former a native of Virginia and the latter of North Carolina. William Lewis was about fifty-five years of age at the time of his death, when the subject of this review was a child of two years, and his widow passed the closing years of her life in Douglas County, Kansas, where her death occurred in 1886.

The founders of the Lewis family in America came from England in the colonial days and established their residence in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. Both the paternal and maternal grandfathers of Colonel Lewis were loyal soldiers of the Continental line in the war of the Revolution. His maternal grandfather, Capt. Overton Pinix, was a member of the military staff of General Washington, and after the close of the Revolu- tion he served many years on the bench of the Supreme Court of North Carolina. The father of Colonel Lewis was a soldier in the War of 1812, and his father, William Lewis, was an officer in a Virginia regiment in the war of the Revolution. He was with the patriot forces at Valley Forge and was present at the surrender of Lord Cornwallis.

Colonel Lewis is the youngest and only surviving mem-

e hen

ho . . H fir ck t to re t. 1

ty 10 die

2082

HISTORY OF OKLAHOMA

ber of a family of eleven children, and his father was a farmer and miller in North Carolina at the time of his death. Alexander D. Lewis, eldest brother of the subject of this review, was a captain in the United States army and as such participated in the Mexican war as a member of a cavalry regiment. He continned his service as a member of the United States army during the greater part of his adult life, and he died at Fort Scott, Kansas, in 1903, at a venerable age.

Col. George W. Lewis was a lad of about thirteen years when the family home was established at Iola, Allen County, Kansas, in 1859, two of his brothers, Irving G. and Albert C., having removed to that state in the preceding year and having platted the town site of Iola, the present county seat. Both of these brothers, as well as the brothers, William B., Columbus and George W., all enlisted from Kansas as Union soldiers in the Civil war, and all went forth as privates in the ranks. He whose name initiates this sketch was bnt fifteen years of age at the inception of the war, and he remained at home until his brothers had seen three years of military service in defense of the Union. When it became pos- sible for them to return home and assume the care of the widowed mother, George W. himself fonnd opportunity to give rein to his spirit of loyalty and patriotism. In 1864 he enlisted in Company K, Sixteenth Kansas Volun- teer Cavalry, all of his brothers likewise having been in the cavalry arm of the service, a fact which has left him to make the statement that a Lewis has invariably been too lazy to walk, this fact being fortified by the cavalry service given by Colonel Lewis and his brothers. His personal service was entirely with the Western army, in the region west of the Mississippi River, and he con- tinued in the ranks nntil the close of the war, when he received his honorable discharge, and, like his brothers, resumed active association with agricultural pursuits in Kansas. He took part in the Indian wars in Kansas in the late '60s, and in this connection participated in the fights with the forces of the celebrated Indian chief, Sitting Bull. He served about two years as senior major of Kansas volunteers in these conflicts with the Indians, and in the winter of 1866, when twenty years of age, he was elected colonel of the Twentieth Kansas Regiment of the State Militia, this election representing the unanimous vote of the regiment, and the young colonel having been a sturdy yonth of 175 pounds, which has represented his average weight in later years. Colonel Lewis gained wide and varied experience in connection with Indian warfare on the frontier, and traversed the western plains when buffalo were still to be seen in great numbers, he having killed a number of these animals within the period of his pioneer experiences. He was a member of the military forces that made the first exploration in the Powder River Country and traversed a considerable part of the Yellowstone National Park, as now constituted. Many incidents of these experiences were of interesting order, but he and his companions endured also numerons hard- ships and privations. On one occasion, when the com- mand was far from civilization, its stock of provisions was exhausted and it became necessary to kill the poorest of the mules to provide food, one of the party having made a mistake and killed the horse of one of the lieu- tenants, the meat from this animal having proved the most palatable of all, and the appreciation of the men having perhaps justified the questionable mistake that. sacrificed the horse.

Colonel Lewis became one of the representative agri- culturists and influential citizens of Allen County, Kan- sas, and for a time was engaged in the mercantile business at Iola. He continued his residence in that connty nntil 1889, when he came to Oklahoma and, on the 22d of April, participated in the historic opening of

the territory to settlement, the formal organization of the new territory having not been completed until the following year. At that time the colonel entered claim to his present homestead, which adjoins Stillwater on the west. His attractive residence commands an excel- lent view of the city and also of the grounds and build- ings of the Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical College. The colonel has been one of the most zealous and influ- ential factors in the development and upbuilding of his home connty and its judicial center, and his active co- operation has been given in every normal movement and enterprise making for civic and material progress. About fifty-one acres of his farm are platted into village lots and constitute the Lewis Addition to the City of Stillwater. Many of the lots have been sold and building operations have been carried forward to the point of making this one of the attractive residence sections of the county seat. In 1914 Colonel Lewis completed the erection of his present fine residence, which is a modern honse of ten rooms, with the most approved appointments and facilities, and the same is recognized as one of the finest residence properties in Payne Connty, even as it is known as a center of gracious hospitality.

Like all other male representatives of the family, Colonel Lewis has not deviated from the line of strict allegiance to the democratic party, and he has been called upon to serve in various local offices of public trust within the period of his residence in Oklahoma. He is at the present time chairman of the board of county commissioners of Payne County, and has been four times elected a member of this board, on which he has served since the year 1907, which marked the admis- sion of Oklahoma as one of the sovereign states of the Union. On one occasion he was the only democratic candidate elected in the county, and at another election he was one of the two democrats elected. In the terri- torial days he served as township trustee for a number of terms.

Since 1866 Colonel Lewis has held membership in the Baptist Church, and he and his wife are the only two persons who have maintained continuons membership in the church of this denomination at Stillwater from the time of its organization, in 1872, to the present time, he having contributed liberally to the erection of the present church edifice. His continued interest in his old com- rades of the Civil war is indicated by his affiliation with the Grand Army of the Republic. In influence and financial support no one citizen of Payne County did as much to obtain for Stillwater the Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical College as did Colonel Lewis, the city hav- ing voted bonds for $10,000 to secure this important state institution, and Colonel Lewis, though not a resident within the corporate limits of the city, having been glac to make liberal contribution to the cause, besides which he made two trips to the state capitol to further the interests of Stillwater before the Legislature at the time when the question of locating the college was under consideration.

In the year 1873 was solemnized the marriage o Colonel Lewis to Miss Vessa Moore, who was born in Franklin Connty, Kansas, on the 16th of February, 1856 her parents, Silas and Anna (Martin) Moore, havin; removed from Indiana to Kansas in 1854 and having bec numbered among the very early settlers of Frankli Connty, the remainder of their lives having been passe in the Sunflower State. In the concluding paragraph o this article is entered brief record concerning the children of Colonel and Mrs. Lewis: Capt. E. G., who is now representative business man in the City of Tulsa, wa educated in the Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanica College, where he was captain and drill master of th military organization of the institution, and he serve

ge. Fu-

ily, riet

of of the ern ots the t is

blie na.

een 1 be muis- the atie tion erri- iber

the

p in the e, he sent com- with and id as tural hay- rtant ident glad which the time Inder

re of rn in 1856 aring - beer im klin kassen ph of ildren

anica

serve

ent age of

SAPartles.

mas hm Bartles.

lis bim

dier

Okla

as a

stood

whos

New

Phoel

York

and:

prop

of a

is the

and

Mrs.

Jacob

The in the

of fif

The f

as fa

boat

west

Teache

young

gaged

Omalı

to a f

in cle

tame

Bomm

lad a

Ige a

the

bar

othe

Fille

the

and

beari

Wyar

farmi

They

2083

HISTORY OF OKLAHOMA

later as a captain in the Oklahoma National Guard. Amma is the wife of Frederick Fields and they reside in the State of Colorado. George H. is a successful farmer in the vicinity of Stillwater. Albert E. is president of the Liberty National Bank in the City of Tulsa, and is prominently identified also with oil development in the fields of that part of the state. Flossie B. is the wife of William L. Burleson, who is a member of the faculty of the University of Illinois, at Champaign. William L. is cashier of the Liberty National Bank at Tulsa. Myrtle I. is the wife of Stephen B. Johnson, who is a professor in the University of Arizona, at Tucson. Earl and Velma remain at the parental home; and Cecil died when about one year of age.

COL. JACOB H. BARTLES. The people of Oklahoma have been rarely called upon to mourn the loss of a distinguished citizen whose death occasioned as wide- spread sorrow as did that of Col. Jacob H. Bartles. It has been the privilege of but few men in this, or any other, community to become the center of as wide a circle of personal friends or to attach to themselves, by the indissoluble chains of affectionate esteem, so many men and women of widely varying fortune and social rank. The founder of both the cities of Bartles- ville and Dewey his unceasing labors, his great power of organization, his ability to instill into other men the great energy which he always himself possessed, and his great good judgment, foresight and acumen, won him the title of "An Empire Builder." As gallant sol- dier of the Civil war, as a pioneer of Kansas and Eastern Oklahoma, as a successful merchant and promoter, and as a useful and public-spirited citizen, Colonel Bartles stood as one of the most prominent figures of his day and locality, and in his death his community lost one whose place has not yet been filled.

Jacob H. Bartles was born at Chester, Morris County, New Jersey, June 11, 1842, a son of Joseph A. and Phoebe Helene Bartles. His father, a native of New York, put up the first telegraph wires in New York City, and subsequently moved to New Jersey, where, in Chester County, he was the owner of a farm that is now the property of Childs, the famous New York restaurateur, and from which come the supplies for the restaurants bearing his name. In 1857 Mr. Bartles removed to Wyandotte County, Kansas, where he was engaged in farming and stock raising, and also was the proprietor of a butcher business at Quindaro. There both he and Mrs. Bartles spent the remaining years of their lives. They were the parents of three children: Louise, who is the widow of Alfred Brown, of Chester, New Jersey, and now resides in New York City with her daughter, Mrs. Sadie Reynolds; Theodore, who is deceased; and Jacob H.

The early education of Jacob H. Bartles was secured in the public schools of his native place, and at the age of fifteen years started for the West with his parents. The family embarked on a steamer at Pittsburgh, coming as far as St. Louis, Missouri, where they took another boat for Quindaro, Kansas, the historic spot seven miles west of the present site of Kansas City, which they reached May 2, 1857. During the next three years young Bartles made that place his home, and was en- gaged in steamboating on the Missouri River, between Omaha and St. Louis, and at the end of that time moved to a farm 'near Quindaro, which he occupied and assisted in clearing of its heavy timber. When the Civil war came on, Jacob H. Bartles was found as one of his community 's patriotic sons, and in that memorable strife had a conspicuous part and one marked with zeal, cour- age and faithfulness from beginning to end. A record of

his activities in the war, as prepared by himself in 1896, is here given:

"In company with seventeen Wyandotte boys and Captain Veale, I went to Fort Leavenworth in the early part of June, 1861. We organized a company, with Veale as captain, and remained there about two weeks before they could arm us. Then we were ordered to Kansas City and south to Little Santa Fe, where we were compelled to put half the company on guard at a time. The second morning the old guard were ordered to discharge their arms, which were old Belgian muskets with the barrels cut off to make cavalry guns. When the guns were discharged all the men fell backwards as if shot by the enemy, and when they had fairly recov- ered and found out the cause of the disaster they gathered up their Belgian muskets, as also did the boys in camp, piled them all on a fire and burned them up.

"There we were, left without any arms whatever ex- cept a few sabres and Colt's revolvers. Captain Veale sent a message to the commanding officer at Fort Leaven- worth that if he wanted us to go further to send arms. In two weeks they sent us some Sharp's carbines and we carried them through the war. We went south next and were at the battles of Big Blue, Lone Jack, Dry Wood, Lincoln, West Point, Morristown, Osceola, two engage- ments at Eutonia, the Jim Lane expedition to Springfield, leaving Kansas City October 1st and returning Decem- ber 8th.

"On July 3, 1862, under the command of Col. Bill Wier, we captured a part of Stan Watie's regiment, in- cluding Colonel Adair in command. Camped at Wolf Creek, on the Military Road, July 4th, and on the 6th Colonel Ross came in and surrendered with 600 men. Returned to Fort Scott about August 13th and took a trip up through Missouri, through Spring River and Sarcoxie, which latter place we left October 3rd and traveled all night, routing the enemy on the 6th. We went to Bentonville on the 21st, and had a fight with Cooper's command at Maysville or Fort Wayne on the 22nd, taking four pieces of artillery; went on a scout to Cincinnati and Cane Hill, had a fight November 28th at the latter place, and camped at Rae's Mills on the 29th; moved the train and had a fight at Prairie Grove, December 6th; moved the train from Fayetteville back to Rae's Mills on the 9th, and started on the Van Buren expedition on the 27th. We next had a fight and routed the First Texas Regiment at Dripping Springs, on the 28th, running them to and through Van Buren. At Van Buren I climbed the flagstaff, hauled down the Confederate flag and hoisted our company 's 'Old Glory.'

"We next went on a scout down the Arkansas River on the 29th, but returned to Rae's Mills on the 31st; camped at Cross Hollow, January 12, 1863, camped on White River on the 20th, and swam the White River on the 24th with sabre, pistols and overcoat on. Returning to Fort Scott March 10, we camped at Rolla June 7, and July 1, 1863, came back to Fort Scott. On August 6th we camped at Fort Gibson, and on the 26th had a fight with Cooper's command at Perryville, then returning to the Arkansas River and camping at Fort Davis on the 21st. We next moved to Camp Smith and camped on the north bank of the Arkansas River, March 26, 1864, starting on the Camden expedition from that place. We formed a junction with Steele's command on the Little Missouri River, April 9, and this command formed a line of battle and skirmished with the Confederates on the following day. Our division and Steele's formed a line and laid on our arms during the day and night of the 11th and on the morning of the 12th the army was ordered forward in solid column, the Confederates re- treating and our army moving to the left. General

2084

HISTORY OF OKLAHOMA

Thayer's division had a fight in the rear with Price's division, driving the latter two miles. We marched all night on the 13th, camped at Camden on the 16th, sent out a foraging trip of 440 wagons on the 17th, the Confederates attacking and capturing the same and taking also our two 12-pound Howitzers, which were the pets of the regiment. On the 19th Steele sent out a train to Pine Bluff, of about 500 six-mule teams which were also captured by the Southerners. We then moved one mile northeast of Camden, where the enemy fired on our pickets on the 16th of April, and we then moved across Washita River, cut up eighty-three wagons, burned most of our camp equipment, and marched five miles on the 26th. On the 27th we marched thirteen miles and camped at Princeton, and on the 28th marched seventeen miles. The Confederates had fought with the rear guard on the 26th, and we then moved the train, artillery and cavalry across the Saline River on a rubber pontoon bridge, the infantry remaining on the west side. We had a hard fight with Kirby Smith and Price and drove them back with heavy loss, the Second Colored Infantry capturing two pieces of artillery. We moved five miles and secured something to eat, crossed at Jenkins Ferry April 30, 1864, moved thirty miles and buried the bal- ance of our train May 1st, reached Little Rock on the 3rd, crossed the Arkansas River at Little Rock on the 8th, and arrived at Fort Smith, May 17th. We then marched six miles south of that place and camped on the south side of Mazard's Prairie on the 29th, and had a review and went to a dance on the 9th of July. Gano's Confederates, about 1900 strong, attacked our camp of about 200 men on July 22nd at 7 o'clock, A. M., and killed abont thirteen of us, wounded twenty and took 125 prisoners, but my mule 'Chaney' (the best animal on earth) took me ont safe. We moved the camp to Fort Smith on the 27th and when the Confederates drove in onr pickets, the Sixth Kansas went ont with Colonel Judson in command and scrimmaged a little, the colonel getting hit in the leg with grape shot. We were then re- enforced by two pieces of Smith's battery and dis- mounted one of the Confederate guns, driving them out of the woods on the 31st. On October 13th we camped at Fort Gibson, and at Baxter Springs on the 21st, and marched up Cow Creek, where the enemy captured and burnt the train, on the 23rd. We reached Fort Scott on that same day, and two days later Generals Marma- duke and Cable were taken prisoners with 448 men from Price's army, twelve miles northeast of Fort Scott. We reached Kansas City October 13, 1864. I never lost a day's duty or took a dose of medicine, was never wounded, and was discharged in January, 1865. The above is merely an outline of the many incidents which occurred during the service of myself and comrades in the old Sixth Kansas Volunteer Cavalry."

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.

Author: Thoburn, Joseph B. (Joseph Bradfield), 1866-1941 Publication date: 1916 Publisher: Chicago, New York, The American Historical Society Number of Pages: 644

Author: Thoburn, Joseph B. (Joseph Bradfield), 1866-1941
Publication date: 1916
Publisher: Chicago, New York, The American Historical Society
Number of Pages: 644