USA > South Dakota > A brief history of South Dakota > Part 10
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).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11
That day at Marilao another South Dakotan won fame for a most valorous deed : Captain Clayton Van Houten. The bridge across the river had been almost destroyed, so that only the steel stringers remained. The enemy was as usual intrenched across the stream. The South Dakotans plunged into the river and with their guns held high above the water struggled across it. A squad of Nebraska soldiers came up with a mountain howitzer, which Colonel Frost desired to plant upon the further bank of the stream; so he sent Sergeant Major Beck to order the Nebraskans to bring it across. They hesi- tated to obey, as the only means of reaching the further shore was by the stringers of the broken bridge, and it seemed an impossible feat to carry the gun over so narrow a footing. Captain Van Houten appeared upon the ground at that moment, and, taking in the situation at a glance, he caught the heavy gun from its carriage, swung it to his shoulder, and directing the Nebraskans to follow with the carriage, he carried the howitzer across the river, unaided, on the single span of steel. From the strain of that exertion he never recovered, but died at his home in Worthing three years later.
The regiment continued in the campaign, being among
192
SOUTH DAKOTA
the first to enter Malolos and thence marching on to San Fernando, constantly harassed by the enemy and suffering much from sickness and the excessive heat. When they returned to Manila on June 10, General McArthur said, "The record of the South Dakota regiment in the Philippines has no equal in military history, so far as I know."
On August 12, 1899, the regiment embarked at Manila for home. It arrived in San Francisco in September, whither a large number of our prominent citizens had gone to welcome the boys back to the states. The regi- ment was mustered out at San Francisco. The citizens of South Dakota had provided transportation for the return of the men to their homes. They came by the northern route, and President Mckinley met them at Aberdeen on the morning of October 14. That was a day of universal rejoicing in South Dakota. All along the way from Aber- deen to Yankton celebrations were prepared, and the President so timed his journey as to be present at several of them. The fête terminated at Yankton that evening, where an immense multitude had assembled from all over the state, and President Mckinley there made one of his memorable addresses, in which he highly extolled the record which the regiment had made in the Philip- pines.
The total loss of the regiment during the war was: twenty-three killed in action; one drowned; thirty-two deaths from disease; sixty wounded.
In addition to this First Regiment South Dakota fur- nished five troops of cavalry, officially known as the Third
193
WAR WITH SPAIN AND IN THE PHILIPPINES
Regiment, United States Volunteer Cavalry, but promptly designated "Grigsby's Cowboys." They were under com- mand of Colonel Melvin Grigsby of Sioux Falls. Robert W. Stewart of Pierre was major; Otto L. Sues of Sioux Falls, adjutant; Ralph Parliman of Sioux Falls, quar-
termaster ; Rev. Galen S. Clevenger of Pierre, chap- lain. The regi- ment was ordered to Chickamauga, en route to Cuba, but the war closed before its services were required.
Mark W. Sheafe of Watertown was appointed a briga- dier general of COLONEL MELVIN GRIGSBY volunteers by the President, but did not get into active service by reason of the early close of the war.
In addition to these, many patriotic citizens of South Dakota, failing to find a place in the regular organiza- tions of the state, enlisted and rendered honorable service in other state organizations, both in Cuba and the Philip- pines.
SO. DAK. - 13
CHAPTER XXXI
THE UNEASY CAPITAL
THE first settlement, except for the fur trade, made within what is now South Dakota, at Sioux Falls in 1857, was established with the express purpose of making it the capital of Dakota territory. For four years, in fact, Sioux Falls was nominally the capital, though of course it was only by common consent and without any law in support of it.
When the territory was finally organized, in 1861, Governor Jayne established the temporary capital at Yankton and made his office there, and his choice was ratified by the first legislature, as we have learned in the story of the attempt to unseat Speaker Pinney. This location was very unsatisfactory to many of the people, particularly to those residing west of Yankton on the Missouri River; and in 1867 General Todd, who repre- sented Dakota in Congress for two terms, led in a hard fight in the legislature for the removal of the capital to Bon Homme. He succeeded in getting this bill through the house of representatives, but it was defeated in the council. In the session of 1880 an unavailing fight was made to remove the capital to Huron.
By this time a large population had come into central
194
.
195
THE UNEASY CAPITAL
and northern Dakota, and capital removal was much dis- cussed. The legislature of 1882 provided that the gov- ernor should appoint a capital commission, to consist of nine persons, who were to go out and locate the terri- torial capital at a point in the territory where they could do so upon the best terms. They were to secure not less than one hundred and sixty acres of land and a suffi- cient amount of money to build a creditable capitol. Many towns in both northern and southern Dakota com-
1 peted in this contest, but northern Dakota won the prize and the capital was located at Bismarck. Yankton, of course, gave up the capital reluctantly and made a hard fight for its retention. Southern Dakota was much more populous than northern Dakota, and had the larger delegation in the legislature; and the leaders were deter- mined to remove the territorial capital back into southern Dakota at the next session. Pierre, Huron, and Mitchell were leading candidates for the honor, and in each session of the legislature of the territory, except the last one, the matter was vigorously fought, but without success, be- cause the southern Dakota men could not all agree upon one town.
The question of the location of a temporary capital for the state of South Dakota was submitted to the people with the constitution of 1885; Huron and Pierre, Alex- andria and Chamberlain, were competing candidates. Huron was successful, and the session of the provisional legislature, which elected Colonel Moody and Judge Edgerton United States senators, was convened there in December of 1885.
196
SOUTH DAKOTA
The enabling act required that among other things the question of the location of the temporary seat of govern- ment should be again submitted to the people. This brought on a hard-fought contest in the summer of 1889, in which Pierre, Huron, Watertown, Sioux Falls, Mitchell, and Chamberlain were contestants. This time Pierre was successful, winning the temporary capital by a large plurality.
The permanent seat of government was, under the con- stitution, to be determined at the election of 1890. At this election only Pierre and Huron were candidates. A campaign of intense interest was fought, in which Pierre succeeded by a very large majority.
Nevertheless, there continued a feeling that the capital should be located elsewhere, and ambitious towns clam- ored for a resubmission of the question. In legislature after legislature the question came up on a proposition to amend the constitution so as to make Huron the capi- tal, but the promoters were unable to get the proposition submitted. Finally, in the legislature of 1901, a com- bination of all of the ambitious candidates and their friends was made, and it was agreed that a caucus should determine which town should be the candidate. Mitchell won in this caucus, and the attempt to secure the sub- mission of the constitutional amendment brought about a remarkable legislative filibuster, but again the propo- sition failed. At the session of 1903 the caucus plan was again tried, Mitchell again securing the caucus nomination ; and the resolutions submitting the constitutional amend- ment prevailed by a very large majority in both houses.
197
THE UNEASY CAPITAL
During the next two years a very picturesque campaign was fought. In the campaigns of 1889 and 1890 large sums of money had been expended, more or less corruptly, in influencing votes, and the effect upon the morals of the state was very bad. Both Pierre and Mitchell, in the campaign of 1904, undertook to avoid the corrupt
----
CARNEGIE LIBRARY, MITCHELL
use of money. The Northwestern Railroad Company was interested in the retention of the capital at Pierre; the Chicago, Milwaukee, and St. Paul Railway Company was equally interested in the removal of the capital to Mitchell. The campaign, therefore, became a fight be- tween the two railway systems.
Early in the season each railway began to carry to the city in which it was interested persons selected from the
198
SOUTH DAKOTA
several communities, who were presumed to have in- fluence with the voters, giving them free rides for the pur- pose of getting them interested in that city as the capital. These influential persons let it be known in their home communities that they had been thus favored, and their neighbors promptly applied for like favors, which could scarcely be refused. So it came about that long before the close of the campaign the railroad companies felt compelled to carry to these two cities every person who applied for the privilege. At least one hundred thousand persons were carried into each town. In the last weeks of the campaign many special trains daily, loaded with good-natured men, women, and children, were carried into Mitchell and Pierre. It was a great, continuous picnic, in which all of the people participated, and probably has not had an equal in American history.
The election resulted in the retention of the capital at Pierre, by about eighteen thousand majority. The legisla- ture of 1905 made provision for an appropriate capitol building at Pierre, and it is probable that the people of South Dakota are through with campaigns for the re- moval of the capital.
CHAPTER XXXII
THE GOVERNORS
DURING the old fur-trading days the burgeois, or man- aging officer of the American Fur Company, who resided at Fort Pierre, was the self-constituted chief executive offi- cer of the Dakota country. By common consent he had the powers not only of a governor, but of a magistrate as well, and he tried men for petty offenses, committed them to the guardhouse for punishment, or imposed other punish- ments upon them, and in the case of high crimes sent them in chains to St. Louis for trial. William Laidlaw was the man who, for the most part, exercised this func- tion for a long period of years.
When the Louisiana purchase was made, in 1803, jurisdiction over the northwest country was, for a time, conferred upon Indiana, and General William Henry Harrison was the governor. After Louisiana territory was organized, Captain Meriwether Lewis was for a time its governor, and after Louisiana territory became Missouri territory Captain William Clark held the same office. But of course these men had little governing to do in the Dakota country. This is true also of the governors, respectively, of Michigan, Wisconsin, Iowa, and Minne- sota, whose territorial limits included the east half of South Dakota at one time or another.
When the settlers organized at Sioux Falls in 1858,
199
200
SOUTH DAKOTA
immediately after the admission of Minnesota, Henry Masters, a lawyer, native of Maine, was made governor. He held the office until his death one year later, on the fifth day of September, 1859. No record is left of his executive acts. Samuel J. Albright was elected as Mas- ters's successor. Albright was a newspaper man and pro- moter; he was speaker of the House of Representatives and preferred that position to the governorship, and so declined to qualify as governor, and the legislature elected Judge W. W. Brookings to fill the vacancy. Both Masters and Brookings were governors only by common consent, as Congress had not yet organized the territory ; but Judge Brookings continued as the nominal governor of Dakota until the appointment of Governor William Jayne, by President Lincoln, in April, 1861.
Governor Brookings was a lawyer and a man of large ability. He came to Dakota with the Dubuque colony in the summer of 1857, and was soon made the general manager of the companies' interests. He was a man of great energy, and being misinformed that the Yankton Indians had. relinquished their lands to the government, he started in the winter of 1858, from Sioux Falls, to claim the town site at Yankton. When he started, the weather was warm, the snow had melted, the streams were swollen, and he soon became thoroughly wet. Before night, however, a terribly cold storm set in. He found himself freezing, and the nearest point for help was back at the settlement at Sioux Falls. He turned back with all haste, but before he reached the Falls he was very badly frozen, and it soon became evident that the only
.
ALBRIGHT
BROOKINGS
4
JAYNE
EDMUNDS
DAKOTA GOVERNORS
201
1
202
SOUTH DAKOTA
hope for his life lay in amputating his limbs. Among the settlers was a young physician, Dr. James L. Phillips, recently graduated, but he possessed no surgical instru- ments. He amputated the legs of Mr. Brookings with a common handsaw and butcher knife, and successfully nursed him back to health; and Brookings lived to become one of the most useful citizens of the territory. The first railroad in Dakota territory (1872), from the settlement at Yankton to Sioux City, was promoted and built by Judge Brookings. He was for four years a justice of the Dakota Supreme Court (1869-1873). His death occurred at Boston, in June, 1905.
Dr. William Jayne, the first legally appointed territorial governor (1861), was at that time a young physician at Springfield. He had attracted the attention of President Lincoln and was employed in his family. Jayne was am- bitious to get into politics, and Lincoln sent him out as governor of Dakota. His official conduct appears to have been wise and honest, but at the second election he de- termined to become a candidate for delegate to Congress, and made the campaign upon the Republican ticket against General J. B. S. Todd, the non-partisan candi- date. Jayne secured the certificate of election, but the conduct of his campaign was a territorial scandal, which must always reflect upon his good name. Todd contested Jayne's election and secured the seat. Jayne never came back to Dakota, but returned to Springfield.
Dr. Jayne was succeeded by Newton Edmunds (1863), a citizen of Yankton. Governor Edmunds was one of the wisest and most practical executives Dakota has had.
203
THE GOVERNORS
His administration occurred during the trying time of the War of the Outbreak, and he believed that negotia- tion and not gunpowder was demanded to settle the disturbance. He was strongly opposed by the military department, and not until he carried his views directly to President Lincoln, in the spring of 1865, was he able to get a respectful hearing. President Lincoln at once agreed to the views advanced by Governor Edmunds, and assisted in putting them forward. The result was the end of the war within a few months. When Governor Edmunds came into office, it was the practice to grant divorces by act of the legislature. He vetoed all divorce bills and put a stop to the scandalous practice. He had the utmost faith in Dakota, even in its darkest days, and did much to assist and encourage the settlers in building up homes, and establishing themselves in farming and stock growing.
Andrew J. Faulk, a Pennsylvanian, followed Governor Edmunds (1866), and held the office during the adminis- tration of President Andrew Johnson. He was a gentle- man of culture and great affability. There was little to demand a particular executive policy during his adminis- tration, but his conduct was marked by wisdom and honesty.
John A. Burbank, of Indiana, followed Governor Faulk (1869). He did not secure the general confidence and cooperation of the people. His administration cov- ered a troublous period during which General McCook, secretary of the territory, was killed, and very strong factional feeling prevailed throughout the territory.
204
SOUTH DAKOTA
John L. Pennington, of Alabama, was next appointed governor (1874). He was bluff, strong, and practical, and made a good executive. He died in 1900 at his Alabama home.
William A. Howard, of Michigan, was the next gov- ernor (1878). Howard was a very efficient, far-sighted, and capable man. He was advanced in years and hoped to make his administration of Dakota affairs the crowning act in a long and useful life. He impressed himself for good on most of the affairs and enterprises of the territory, but at the beginning of 1880 he died and George A. Hand, secretary, became acting governor for a period of six months, until the appointment of Nehemiah G. Ordway of New Hampshire, who served for four years, with small satisfaction to the people.
President Arthur selected Gilbert A. Pierce, of Illinois, to succeed Ordway (1884). Pierce was a veteran of the Civil War and a newspaper man, having been connected editorially with the Inter-Ocean from its foundation in 1872. He was a popular and conscientious governor, who did much in the interest of safe and conservative management during the period of the great Dakota' boom. He was afterward United States senator from North Dakota, and was appointed by President Harrison United States Minister to Spain. He died in Chicago in 1902.
Governor Pierce resigned as governor of Dakota ter- ritory in January, 1887, and was followed by Governor Louis K. Church, under appointment from President Cleveland. Church was the only Democrat who was
-
FAULK
BURBANK
PENNINGTON
HOWARD
DAKOTA GOVERNORS
205
206
SOUTH DAKOTA
governor of Dakota territory. He was appointed from New York, where he had been a member of the legisla- ture while President Cleveland was governor of that state, and where, in cooperation with Theodore Roose- velt, he had rendered much assistance in bringing about the legislative reforms of Cleveland's administration in New York. His position in Dakota was a trying one. The territory and the legislature were overwhelmingly Republican, and the Democratic party, too, was divided into two strong factions. Under these circumstances Governor Church's administration fell in troublous times. He was not tactful in getting along with his opponents, but his honesty and good intentions were never questioned. He died in Alaska in 1899.
Arthur C. Mellette, of Watertown, South Dakota, was the last governor of Dakota territory, having been ap- pointed to that position by President Harrison at the very beginning of his administration (1889). Mellette was a man of large ability and strict integrity. His administra- tion as governor of Dakota territory was very brief, as the territory was divided and both states admitted within a few months, and little devolved upon him but the exer- cise of great care in the separation of the affairs of North and South Dakota. He was elected the first governor of South Dakota, and his administration covered the first three years of the life of the young state. He was a stickler for economy in public affairs, believed in small salaries for public officials, and demanded the most rigid honesty in all of his appointees. The period of his administration was marked by the great drought of 1889-1890, which
ORDWAY
PIERCE
+
CHURCH
MELLETTE
DAKOTA GOVERNORS
207
208
SOUTH DAKOTA
brought so much hardship to the new settlers, and by the Messiah Indian War. In the establishment of the prece- dents which were to guide his successors in office, as well as in the general administration, he was wise and prudent. He died at Pittsburg, Kansas, in 1896, and his ashes repose in the cemetery at Watertown.
Charles H. Sheldon was the second state governor (1893). Mr. Sheldon was a farmer, residing at Pierpont in Day County. He was a public speaker of great ability and of very pleasing address. He was reelected in 1894 and died soon after the close of his second term.
Andrew E. Lee followed Governor Sheldon (1897). He was the only Populist to occupy the position. Gov- ernor Lee was a trained business man of strict integrity, and he tried to carry his business methods into the ad- ministration. He was governor during the Spanish War and rendered the state excellent service in providing for the equipment of the state's quota before it was mustered into the federal service.
Charles N. Herreid was elected governor in 1900. His administration fell in the pleasant years of great national prosperity in which South Dakota led. The state has known no better period, and the tact and wisdom of Gov- ernor Herreid contributed to that end.
Samuel H. Elrod succeeded Governor Herreid in 1905. He filled the office wisely and acceptably, and was fol- lowed in 1907 by Coe I. Crawford, during whose term many progressive laws were passed for the regulation of corporations and the prevention of corrupt practices in politics.
1
LEE
SHELDON
HERREID ELROD
SOUTH DAKOTA GOVERNORS SO. DAK. - 14 209
210
SOUTH DAKOTA
.
Robert S. Vessey suc- ceeded Governor Craw- ford in 1909, and Craw- ford was elected United States senator.
Each of the governors of South Dakota has been supported by an efficient corps of state officers, all of whom have made creditable official records, except William W. Taylor, state CRAWFORD treasurer in 1891-1895. At the end of his term he found himself about $150,000
short in his accounts, and upon the advice of a firm of Chicago attorneys, he carried away the remain- der of the state money, aggregating $367,000, in the belief that the state would compromise with him. Finding after sev- eral months that a com- promise could not be effected, he surrendered and served a term in the penitentiary.
V'ESSEY
CHAPTER XXXIII
THE UNITED STATES SENATORS
THE provisional legislature which met in Huron, tem- porary capital, under the constitution of 1885, elected Gideon C. Moody and Alonso J. Edgerton United States senators. They went to Washington and made applica- tion for admission to seats in the Senate. They were courteously given the privileges of the floor, but were not permitted to qualify. Upon the admission of the state, in 1890, Edgerton was made judge of the United States district court for the South Dakota district, and Moody and Richard F. Pettigrew were elected to the United States Senate.
In the choice of terms Judge Moody drew the short term, which expired the succeeding year. He therefore had little time to develop a senatorial policy. During his term the revision of the tariff, on the lines of the historic McKinley Bill, was the principal measure under consid- eration, and he supported the administration policy. Coming from a mining region, he favored the largest use of silver, and was active in support of the well- known Sherman Silver Act. Owing to the wave of popu- lism which struck South Dakota in 1890, he was not reëlected. He died w: 1/04
211
2.12
SOUTH DAKOTA
1
Senator Pettigrew served for twelve years, and, in addi- tion to securing a large amount of federal legislation and institutions for South Dakota, was distinguished in the Senate for his advocacy of the free coinage of silver and for his opposition to the annexation of the Hawaiian Islands.
The legislature of 1891 elected Rev. James H. Kyle, of Aberdeen, senator to succeed Judge Moody; Mr. Kyle was a man of fine educational attain- ments, but untrained in politics. He sup- ported the general poli- cies of the Democratic party in Congress, but was most distinguished for his work upon the committee upon edu- SENATOR GAMBLE cation, and as chair- man of the Joint Industrial Commission. He was re- elected in 1897 by a fusion of Populist and Republican votes and thereafter supported the general Republican policies. He was intensely interested in industrial- economic questions and was devoting much attention to the work of the Industrial Commission when his death occurred, July 1, 1901.
The legislature of 1901 elected Robert J. Gamble, of
213
UNITED STATES SENATORS
Yankton, to succeed Senator Pettigrew. Mr. Gamble is a lawyer of distinguished ability and had previously served two terms in Congress. In the Senate, where he has ably supported the national policies of his party, he has devoted his attention chiefly to the promotion of legislation of immediate interest to his constituents. My
Upon the death of Senator Kyle, Governor Herreid appointed Al- fred B. Kittredge, of Sioux Falls, to fill the unexpired term, and the next legislature elected Mr. Kittredge for a succeeding long term. Mr. Kittredge became a member of the committee on in- teroceanic canals, and at once became deeply interested in the matter SENATOR KITTREDGE of the construction of a canal connecting the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. He became convinced that the Isthmus route was more feas- ible than the Nicaragua, then the more popular one. The adoption of the former involved many abstruse legal propositions relating to the rights of the French company owning the Isthmus route, as well as the treaty rights of the parties with the Colombian government. Into the study of these questions he threw himself with great vigor,
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.