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1875 Construction of Telegraph Line from San Antonio to Fort McKavett

2014 July 21
by Jan Wilkinson

I just came across a wonderful piece of information about the history of the telegraph here in Texas. Written in the history book in 1922 by J. Marvin Hunter, Pioneer History of Bandera County Seventy-five Years of Intrepid History on page 90, there is a one page story titled Furnished Telegraph Posts.

In 1875 the United States Government constructed a telegraph line from San Antonio to Fort Mason and Fort McKavett, and on to Fort Concho. George Hay and Charles Schmidtke of Bandera took the contract to furnish posts for the line from San Antonio to Fort McKavett, a distance of 175 miles.

They received ninety-eight cents each for the posts delivered along the route. Schmidtke and Hay employed crews of choppers and put them in the cedar brakes of Bandera, Kerr, Gillespie, Mason and Menard counties, paying these hands from twenty-five cents to seventy-five cents per post for cutting them. The firm supplied more than 12,000 posts, twenty feet long and better than two inches at the top. It required more than six months time to cut the poles and place them on the right-of-way, where soldiers with government teams erected them. Mr. Hay says they cleared over $3,000 on the contract, and were not obliged to give bond, as the government often required.

Previous to getting this contract Schmidtke and Hay had purchased a great many cattle on credit, drove them up the trail to Kansas, and lost money on them, and the government contract for posts helped to put them on their feet once more.

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Andrew Jackson Harryman

2014 July 17
by Jan Wilkinson

My husband’s grandmother was Laura Forrest Harryman Bradford (1895-1988). Her parents were William Albert Harryman (1858-1944) and Margaret Bell Pate (1860-1955). W. A. Harryman’s father was Andrew Jackson Harryman.

Andrew Jackson Harryman was born 1 Mar 1834 in Cole Camp, Benton County, Missouri to Simpkin (Simkin) Harryman (1794-1853) and Elizabeth Nancy Proctor (1794-1874). Simpkin was the first born child of John Culport Harryman (1772-1853) and Mary Brown (1777-1853). John’s parents were David Harryman (1737-1840) and Maude Adams (1750-1797). Mary’s parents were Edward Brown (1734-1823) and Margaret Durbin (1736-1795) and she was the younger sister of Joshua Brown who is my 4th great grandfather. His grandson and my 2nd great grandfather was Joshua D. Brown, the first settler of Kerrville. Imagine my surprise to find the link to our families when doing genealogy research.

A. J. was a confederate soldier from 1863 to June 1865 in Captain A. C. Jones’ Company – Col. Santos Benevides, Regiment on the Rio Grande, Co. G, Calvary.

Andrew Jackson married his first wife Malinda Duren (1830-1866) in Benton County, Missouri on 28 Jan 1857. They had four children; the first were twins William Albert Harryman and sister Elizabeth Alminda “Eliza” Harryman born 30 Jan 1858 in Cole Camp, Benton County, Missouri. Their next two children were born in Goliad, Goliad County, Texas. On 6 Feb 1866, in Weesatchee, Goliad County, Texas, Malinda died at age 35 years 2 months and 22 days.

On 11 Aug 1867, in Goliad, Goliad County, Texas A. J. married Laura Randall Vance (1839-1880) and they had eight children all born in Goliad. Their third born was a set of twins in 1871, Martha and Mary. On 4 Apr 1880, Laura died in Goliad; possibly during childbirth.

On 3 Oct 1883, A. J. married Louisa Jane Finch (1849-1930) in Goliad. They had two more children, two sons born in El Paso, El Paso County, Texas.

 

Andrew Jackson Harryman and unidentified family members

 

Andrew Jackson Harryman; 1834-1914

Andrew Jackson died 21 October 1914 in Runge, Karnes County, Texas and buried in Kenedy, Karnes County, Texas. 

A. J. Harryman burial in Kenedy, Karnes County, Texas.

A. J. Harryman burial in Kenedy, Karnes County, Texas.

Headstone of A. J. Harryman 1834-1914

Headstone of A. J. Harryman 1834-1914

The Harryman generations had a long line of twins. Simpkin (Simkin Harriman) Harryman had twin sisters; his son Andrew Jackson Harryman had twin daughters and A. J.’s first born children were twins. Again, his second wife Laura Randall Vance and A. J. had eight children and their fourth born were twin girls.

Below is an early 1900 photo of an event in Bandera County, maybe a church revival or reunion. On the bottom right kneeling is Andrew Jackson Harryman holding a young boy on his lap.

Bandera Texas; unknown date. A. J. Harryman bottom right with child in lap

Notice this is one of the first “Photoshopped” photos with the two men placed onto the photo and a new photo taken and printed. This is a large cardboard backed photo that was folded and damaged.

A. J. Harryman had quite a history.

Menard Man Taught General Custer How to Shoot Deer

2014 June 19
by Jan Wilkinson

I recently came across this little article written by J. Marvin Hunter in Volume 6 Number 5, page 207, Frontier Times Magazine, February 1929. The heading reads; Published Monthly at Bandera, Texas Devoted to Frontier History, Border History, Border Tragedy and Pioneer Achievement.

When deer hunters flock to Southwest Texas there are related many startling tales of individual prowess with the gun. But an authentic claim that tops all others is advanced by John L. Menges, 78, a resident of Menard.

Menges taught General George A. Custer how to shoot deer and was with the famous Indian fighter when he brought down his first buck, a 12-pointer, while stationed in Texas.

Menges was a freighter, carrying provisions by ox-cart between towns and forts in West Texas. Custer was stationed at Fort Mason and Fort Concho to protect the settlers against Indians. Though a good rifle shot Custer complained that he was unable to kill a deer. Menges undertook to show him and succeeded.

Wild game was plentiful in that day, buffalo and deer, disappearing when cattle was brought in. Menges learned to read while driving an ox cart and killed his first deer at the age of 11. He shot it at 94 paces by moonlight, he says.

To the fact that he was sick the day Custer left this section, Menges attributes the fact that he is alive today. He had been invited to accompany Custer as a scout but was unable to go because of illness. Going into the far West, Custer was killed at the Battle of The Little Big Horn.

Menges’ father was a deserter from the Imperial German Army, who migrated to Texas and settled near where Gonzales now is. Menges has spent his entire life in the Southwest and boasts that he has never been lost. He was born November 30, 1851, at Fredericksburg, Texas.

While he admits that his aim is not as accurate as it was 60 years ago, he still can bring down a deer better than most hunters. He has a special hunting license from the state.

I found that John Ludalfh Menges was born 30 Nov 1852 in Fredericksburg, Gillespie, Texas and lived in Junction, Kimble, Texas and died 6 Feb 1941 in Odessa, Ector County, Texas and raised his family in Junction.  I find this to be quite a story and a way to share some photos of George Armstrong Custer (1839-1876). I did find this blog and reference to the books published by Custer.

In 1871 General Custer began to contribute articles on frontier life to the “Galaxy,” which were published in book-form under the title “My Life on the Plains” (New York, 1874). He was engaged on a series of “War Memoirs” for the “Galaxy” at the time of his death. He occasionally contributed articles on hunting to “Turf, Field, and Farm” and “Forest and Stream.” His life has been written by Frederick Whittaker (New York, 1878).  http://www.georgearmstrongcuster.com/


1859 ca. United States Military Academy Cadet George Armstrong “Autie” Custer

 

1859 Feb 17 West Point New York cadet George Armstrong Custer


1862 staff of Brigadier General Andrew Porter with George A. Custer reclining with a dog (hand-colored from slightlywarped.com)


1864 c Virginia, George A. Custer at his headquarters with dog at his feet by Brady & Co.


1864 General Custer and wife Libby photo by Mathew Brady Library of Congress

 

1865 Aug 8 Alexandria, Louisiana – Brevet Major-General George Armstrong Custer, US Army before leaving for Texas during Reconstruction



1874 George Armstrong Custer and wife Elizabeth Clift Bacon at Fort Abraham Lincoln Dakota Territory


1875c George Custer center with wife to his right and 7th Cavalry officers and wives near Fort Abraham Lincoln (from Facebook True West Magazine)

 

1875c George Custer was off climbing Harney Peak when his officers gathered for this drinking party during the Black Hills Expedition. Sitting in the front, by one of the guidons, is Fred Grant, son of President Ulysses S. Grant. ( True West Archives)

The fateful day of the Battle of Little Bighorn occurred on June 25, 1876. Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer, along with five companies of the 7th Cavalry attacked the village of the Lakota and Northern Cheyenne Indians along the Little Bighorn River in southeastern Montana and all the soldiers were killed.

 


Does anyone have a copy of the Rise and Fall of the Mission San Saba written in 1905?

2014 March 8
by Jan Wilkinson

I am trying to find a copy of a brochure written by John W. Hunter that was a souvenir for the Confederate Veterans’ reunion held in July 1905, at Menardville. Unsure how many were printed for this special event. It is filled with local history and would be quite something to read.  Here is more about it in the Texas Historical Association Quarterly.  Let me know if you have one!

 

Page 226, The Quarterly of the Texas State Historical Association, Volume 9, July 1905 – April, 1906

http://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101036/m1/230/?q=Menardville