Native American

This illustrious citizen of the Muskogee Tribe was born in that nation, on the Arkansas River, September 26, 1840. His father, Benj. E. Porter, of Norristown, Pennsylvania, was a white man of Irish descent. His mother was a daughter of Tartope Tustennuggee, Chief of the Okmulgees, while his grandmother was a sister to Samuel and Benjamin Perryman. General Porter is a grandnephew to R. W. Porter, ex-Governor of Pennsylvania. When ten years of age, Pleasant was sent to the Presbyterian Mission School at Tallahassee for five years, after which he engaged in farming until the outbreak of the war, when … Read more

The subject of this sketch was born March 1, 1848, in Natchitoches, Texas, and is son of Samuel Flournoy, originally from near Lexington, Kentucky, and at one time owner of a large plantation and a number of slaves. Samuel Flournoy organized a company in 1846 and went with Samuel Houston to the Mexican war. The subject of our sketch, D. H. Flournoy, was educated at a private school until the age of sixteen, when he joined the Confederacy, serving under Colonel Crump until the close of the war. On his return home he worked in the cattle business until 1871, … Read more

Born in 1861, the son of John Haynes, a full blood, of the Bear Clan, and Lucy Thompson, also a full-blood Creek, the subject of this sketch was sent to school in Shieldsville, and thence to Asberry Mission and Jackson, Tennessee, where, after two years’ study, he completed his education. On returning from college he went to clerk in the mercantile house of S. B. Severs, Okmulgee. In the spring of 1881 he entered the store of Mr. Parkinson, in the same town, and remained until the following year, when he was elected an officer in Captain Freeman’s Light Horse. … Read more

Born April 26, 1835, in Monroe County, Illinois, he is the eldest son of James B. Needles, of the State of Delaware, his mother being a Talbott, from Virginia. Thomas went to the public schools until eighteen years of age, when he entered his father’s mercantile establishment at Richview, Illinois, clerking with him until 1860, when he opened business on his own responsibility at Nashville, Illinois. In 1861 he was elected clerk of Washington County (same State), and held the office sixteen years, after which (in 1876) he was elected State Auditor for Illinois, and held the office four years, … Read more

The subject of this sketch was born June 13, 1837, and is the second son of Frederick Dunzy, of German and English descent, who came to Illinois in an early day, where Henry afterwards went to the neighborhood schools until he was sixteen years of age. After this, Henry commenced running an engine at Farmington, Missouri, at the Valley Ford Iron Works. There he remained for two years, when he took the position of engineer for Mr. Casey, retaining that office eighteen months. At the age of twenty-one he came to Arkansas, settling close to Fort Smith, where he assumed … Read more

The subject of this sketch was born September, 1843, in Lebanon County, East Tennessee, and is the eldest son of Dr. James P. Evans, of that State, a citizen of the Cherokee Nation and a leading physician and scholar, having contributed to the chief medical journals of the United States. His mother (a white woman), Miss Melville Noel, was a daughter of Dr. Noel, originally from Virginia. Walter was educated in Green County, Tennessee; Fayetteville, Arkansas; Springfield, Missouri, and Van Buren, Arkansas, until the spring of 1861, when he joined the Arkansas State Troops, in the Confederate service. Later he … Read more

Born in 1816, at Alabama, on the Tallapoosa River, he is the son of the once well known Sam Hawkins, who married Jane McIntosh, daughter of the great Creek Chief, General McIntosh, Sam Hawkins was captured the same day that his father-in-law was killed, and suffered martyrdom for the same cause. Sam’s brother Ben was wounded, but escaped, afterwards moving to Texas and settling among the Cherokees in that State, by whom he was afterwards murdered, it is said, at the instigation, or at least with the knowledge of, Governor Sam Houston, the Texas liberator. It is but justice to … Read more

The subject of this sketch was born at Fulton, Mo., October 1862, being the son of George F. Burdett, late of Lancaster, Ky., but at present practicing law in Clarksville, Texas. Joshua, after his mother’s death, was, at an early age, thrown much upon his own resources, as his father married a second time, and the young man, being of an independent disposition, undertook his own education and advancement. After a course of study at Fulton and St. Louis, Joshua entered the mercantile house of C. W. Samuels & Co. (his cousin), at Fulton, where he remained for five years. … Read more

The subject of this sketch was born in Fon du Lac, Wisconsin, April 20, 1848, and is the son of Cyrus W. Pasco and Marilla, daughter of William Dilts, of Ohio. Gilbert was educated at Fon du Lac, graduating at the High School, and commenced reading law with Charles Eldridge, of the same place. He finished his legal education under J. L. Lowe, of Washington, Kansas, after which he was elected County Clerk of Washington, Kansas, which office he held for four years. After practicing two years in that town, he moved to Sherman, Texas, in 1878 and there remained … Read more

The subject of this sketch was born in June 1843, at Van Buren, Arkansas, the eldest son of S. W. Williams, a lieutenant in the United States army. His mother was a grand-daughter of Cussine Barnett, of Euchee fame, one of the most prominent men of his day among that tribe, and part Scotch by blood. The subject of this sketch obtained his name from the trustee of the school which he attended, S. C. Brown, a prominent Indian, who took a great interest in Sam. After attending the neighborhood school for a short time, Sam went to the Tallahassee … Read more

The subject of this sketch was born March 10, 1840, at Morgantown, Tennessee, the sixth son of Sylvester Cobb. Samuel attended public school until seventeen or eighteen years of age, when the war broke out and he joined the Union army (Fifth Tennessee Infantry) as a private, gaining the captaincy of his company before the conclusion. After the war Samuel went to Webber’s Falls, Cherokee Nation, and for seventeen years sold goods in connection with his brother John and a Mr. Thomas Hutton. Selling out in 1885, Samuel and the latter gentleman embarked in cattle, and in 1890 built a … Read more

Robert Sherman Brown was born in Pennsylvania in 1864, the son of Robert Kennedy Brown and Nancy Jane Cook, of Pennsylvania, both of whom died when their son was a boy. Moving, while Robert was an infant, to a point thirty miles north-east of Okmulgee, they sent their boy to school at Parker’s Landing, Armstrong County, Pennsylvania, where he remained five years. On his return Robert went to work on a ranch in Texas, for twelve months, after which he returned to the Creek Nation, and, his parents being dead, he went to Thomas Perryman’s place, Broken Arrow (Perryman had … Read more

Martin R. Brown was born February, 1868, at Fort Gibson, second son of John L. Brown and Anna E. Schrimsher, daughter of Martin Schrimsher, a white man, intermarried with the Cherokees, and very prominent in the nation. Martin attended neighborhood school until 1879, after which he went to the male seminary at Tahlequah, and attended it for four sessions. In 1881 he commenced teaching school at Garfield and Fort Gibson, where he was engaged two years. For some time he had been studying pharmacy, and in 1883 opened a drug store at Fort Gibson, which he soon sold out, and … Read more

The subject of this sketch was born in March 1862, the second son of William Fisher, of Fishertown, a sketch of whose life will be found in this volume. Henry first attended a neighborhood school until he was fourteen years old, at which age he was so well advanced in his studies that when he went to Franklin High School, at Clinton, Missouri, he immediately went into the classes that contained many of the country teachers of that county. Remaining at Clinton for two years, he went from thence to Drury College, Springfield, Missouri, which college sends a number of … Read more

The subject of this sketch was born in April 1837, being the son of John Adams, mayor of St. Charles, Missouri, who died in 1868. John Adams was the youngest brother of Robert H. Adams, United States Senator, who died during senatorial service. H. W. Adams was first instructed by his father, a man of superior education, and after some years’ study joined his parent in agricultural pursuits. In 1855 he left home, and worked at the carpenter trade in Arkansas. In 1859 he moved to Skulliville, Choctaw Nation, and was soon appointed architect contractor for Fort Coffee and New … Read more

The subject of this sketch was born in March 1836, and is the son of Hermogene Lerblance, a Louisiana Frenchman, and Vicey Gentry, daughter of Elijah Gentry, a white man who married a full-blood Catawba Indian. The subject of this sketch moved from Alabama to the Creek Nation, with his parents, at the age of twelve, after which he attended the Asberry Mission Manual Labor School for a term of fifteen months. At the age of seventeen years he commenced learning the blacksmith trade, and while thus employed he married Miss Bosen, daughter of Amos Bosen, King of the Hitchetee … Read more

The deceased George W. Stidham was born in Alabama, November 17, 1817, son of Hopaychutke (which means white explorer). Hopaychutke was by birth Scotch-Irish, and came to the United States, settling in Alabama among the Creeks, while yet a young man. His adventurous disposition and love of travel is supposed to have suggested his characteristic title. George W., losing his father at the age of twelve years, and the opportunities for education being rather limited at the time, was not a college graduate, but, in spite of such disadvantages, he acquired great knowledge through his own industry and early contact … Read more

D. C. Murphy was born in Hickman County, Kentucky, the son of James Murphy, of Cork, Ireland. Mr. Murphy was educated at the county schools and soon after his father’s death commenced laboring on his mother’s farm, where he remained until fourteen years of age. The twelve months following he spent endeavoring to learn the printers’ trade in Hickman, Fulton County, Kentucky, but a certain wild vein in his nature conquered his disposition to learn the trade and he ran off without a farewell, wandering he cared not whither, and with no other object than the gratification of a love … Read more

Rev. David M. Allen was born April 25, 1840, at Denmark, Tennessee, second son of Rev. D. J. Allen, a prominent member of the Memphis conference; president of the Franklin Female College, Holly Springs, Mississippi; and pastor of the Asberry Church, Memphis, Tennessee. David’s mother was a Miss F. Alison, and was married to Rev. D. J. Allen at Marion Court, South Carolina. David attended public school until he was thirteen years of age, when he went to Florence University, Florence, Alabama, where he remained three years. He went to the Indian Territory in 1864, with General Maxey, and in … Read more

The subject of this sketch is the fourth son of the late Rev. Thomas Bertholf, the well-known Indian missionary, and Nancy Keys, daughter of Isaac Keys, of Tahlequah district. He attended public schools for some time, and completed his education at the national male seminary in 1856. After some five years spent on the farm, Isaac joined the Confederate service in 1862, under Stand Watie, and served in the battles of Cabin Creek, Bird Creek, Honey Springs and other lesser engagements. At the outbreak of the war, Rev. Thomas Berthold and Isaac’s mother refugeed close to the mouth of the … Read more