Nov. 3, 1900 Elizabeth Benjamin-1830 Obituary
OBITUARY
ELIZABETH GARNER BENJAMIN
Mrs. Elizabeth Garner Benjamin was born in Flint, North
Wales, Nov. 13, 1830. She was the
daughter of Joseph and Mary A. (Taylor) Garner,
an honored and well –to-do English family, then residing in Flint, several
relatives of which family have, at various times, held positions of importance
and distinction in England.
One
brother, Richard T. Garner of Stalder, California, survives her. She has no other near relatives except her
immediate family.
In
Flint, on the River Dee, was spent most of her childhood life, playing among
the ruins of historic Flint Castle and in the beautiful valleys and meadows
round about. The picturesque city of
Holywell not far distant overlooking the sea, nurtured and charmed her early
girlhood days. No lovelier spot to
temper and brighten one’s life during the years of growth and formation of
character, can be found. Here she was
educated, attending the best schools and seminaries. Growing into girlhood amid such surroundings
certainly had its influence in molding her character into the tender and loving
mother that she was.
Living
with her brother in Holywell until April, 1851, she then sailed for Boston to
meet Dr. John Benjamin to whom she was engaged to be married at the time. After over thirty days of both pleasant and
stormy weather at sea she landed on the New England coast.
She
was married June 5, 1851 to Dr. John Benjamin, then a practicing physician in
Boston who had, two years previously, sailed from England. The oldest daughter Annie and the eldest son
Robert G. were born while she as residing in Boston.
In
1855 the family moved to Rockford, Ill., where Dr. Benjamin enjoyed a
prosperous furniture business for a while but where nearly all was lost during
the financial panic of 1856-57. John
Franklin, the second son, was born there.
It was
decided to try the growing west and Minnesota was selected, Dr. Benjamin going
in advance to purchase land and erect buildings for the new home. Setting out the spring of 1858, Mrs. Benjamin
was met at Carver by Dr. Benjamin with ox teams to carry provisions, implements
and stores to the selected home. Mrs.
Benjamin then for the fist time experienced the hardships of such slow travel,
through mud and rain and over almost impassable pioneer roads.
In
nearly two weeks time they arrived at the claim north of the present village of
Hutchinson where a house paid for in advance was supposed to have been waiting
for them but was found, on arrival, not yet erected. After enduing all the privations incident to
the life of pioneers, their food borrowed by the more needy never to be
returned, they decided to rent their farm and build a house on the hill north
of Hutchinson so as to secure better educational advantages for the their
children.
This
house was vacated just in time, thanks to the warning of a friendly Indian,
(Good Charlie) to escape the cruelties of the Sioux, who were beginning to wage
war against the early settlers in the struggle known as the Indian
outbreak. This was the first house
destroyed in the village. A fitting
emblem of the Indian’s nature. In war,
their best friend, in peace, their worst enemy.
The
winter previous Mrs. Benjamin had often administered with her own hands to
these same Indians whom she could now see dancing around her burning home, clad
in her own garments, many greatly prized on account of having been brought from
her home across the water. Everything
was lost, burned or stolen.
After
passing through the siege in the stockade for several months and remaining in
the village of Hutchinson for a time, the homestead now known as “Fairy Glen”
was secured in the spring of 1864.
During this time the children, Louisa S. and Gridley W. were born, and
later, Elizabeth Olive, Albert Byron, Arthur E., and Winfred G. The rest of the time up to the present Mrs.
Benjamin spent in building up her home and caring for the needs of her family.
Source: Hutchinson
Leader - Nov 3, 1900
Oct. 10, 1928 John Benjamin-1823 Obituary
OBITUARY
DR. JOHN BENJAMIN
John Benjamin was born in England, Jan. 5, 1823 and was the
son of Robert and Sarah (Perry) Benjamin.
He was reared and educated in the land of his birth, and lived there
until April 22, 1849, when he embarked for the United States. He landed at Boston thirty days later, and
made his home in that city until his removal, in 1855, to Rockford, Winnebago
county, Ill. In 1857, leaving Rockford
and being joined at St. Paul by Rollis(?) Burnham and C. P. Kitteridge, he came
to the little village of Hutchinson and having built a house, brought his
family to the place and lived there until the fall of 1862. This place was about three miles north of the
townsite, near Patrick Fallons’ place, where they lived until the Indian
outbreak, theirs being the first house burned at that time. Shortly after the outbreak, he located at the
homestead, just east of town, where he lived until the end.
Dr. Benjamin was united in marriage, June 5, 1851, to Miss
Elisabeth T. Garner, a native of England, and the daughter of Joseph and Mary
A. (Taylor) Garner. By this union they
had nine children, as follows: Mrs. W. L McKenzie, Robert G., John R., and Mrs.
Louisa Cooke, all of this locality; Mrs. Howard Bacon of Roseland, La. and Arthur
E. and Winfred G. of Minneapolis; Gridley, who died through exposure during the
Indian trouble, and Albert Byron, who was drowned in the Hassan River above the
village, June 8, 1881.
The following is a tribute from the pen of that other
pioneer, W. W. Pendergast, who shared with his now deceased comrade the
hardships, privations, joys and sorrows of the past forty-five years in McLeod
County:
“Dr.
John Benjamin, one of out earliest settlers, a most widely known and highly
respected citizen, passed over to the “unseen shore” on Saturday last.
This
sad occurrence had been, for several years, anticipated with heavy hearts by
his loving family and numerous friends.
At the advanced age of eighty years he was the same tender father and
true-hearted gentleman which characterized his life during all the time he was
with us, although age and diseased incident to it had made great inroads not
only upon his physical system, but upon his mental powers, naturally of a high
order as well.
Dr.
Benjamin came to this town with his good wife-who was truly a help-meet-and
three children, in 1857, and has been a continuous resident during the
forty-five years that have elapsed. Only
three other settlers have lived here as long as he. Few have built up s strong a character. No one has reared a more honest, respectful
and intelligent family that his useful sons and daughters have proved
themselves to be, and who, for these many years, have done more than their
share in raising the community to a higher condition and adding to the good
name of the place which, by their exemplary lives they still continue to honor.
In
the Sioux massacre when Capt. Strout returned from his defeat at Acton, he
managed to save from vengeance of the conquering Indians twenty-three wounded
men whom he brought home with him to Hutchinson on the 3rd of
September, 1862, from the day before the attack was make upon our little
settlement. In this desperate extremity
Dr. Benjamin was turned to all as the most fitting person to take charge of the
rude building, which, from the exigency of the situation, had been extemporized
into a hospital. Glad to make himself
useful, he accepted the position, and by means of his good judgement and
medical skill, brought all his patients through without loss of life or limb. For this magnificent service he should have
received a good pension during the term of his natural life, but his only
reward was that of an approving conscience and the feeling that he had tried to
do his duty to the best of his ability.
How grandly he succeeded, everyone of the twenty-three whom, despite the
almost entire lack of conveniences, he so skillfully treated, as well as the
soldiers and citizens who composed the camp, would, if still in the land of the
living, most heartily testify.
Dr.
Benjamin was a thorough and consistent temperance man, never neglecting to
strike a sturdy blow for the good cause whenever opportunity offered. Education, too, found in him a true friend
and liberal supporter. No tax levied for
the benefit of our common schools was ever too large, provided only that the
funds so derived should be judiciously expended. He was a conscientious Christian gentleman,
imbued with the idea that practical goodness is the handmaid of pure religion,
and essential to a successful Christian life.
So while his faith shone bright his life was liberally sown with good
works.”
The funeral was held from the old homestead, just out of
town, Monday afternoon.
Source: Hutchinson Leader - Oct 10, 1902
Jan. 28, 1893 Hutchinson Leader Article About Death of Little Crow
From a Column by Well Clay
taken From the Hutchinson Leader
January 28, 1893
With
his arrow and his bow
The
Indian used to go
Hunting
in this region roundabout.
If
his family was to eat
He
had to furnish meat;
That
of course they couldn’t do without.
It
was a thousand miles or more
To
the nearest grocery store
Besides,
he didn’t have the cash,
So
they lived from year to year
On
the venison from the deer
In
every style from steak to hash.
Their
only change of dish
Was
now and then a fish
Of
some wild fowl from the air
One
of their regular habits
Was
to fricassee some rabbits
Which
they easily could snare.
When
first the white man came
It
was pretty much the same
Except
that then he had a gun.
In
the woods his daily chore
Was
to go hunting as before;
Just
as he had always done.
Now
as history will show
the
Red brother had to go
With
the coming of the plow
Tho
the Indians put up a fight-
Holding
they were in the right-
None
of them are here right now.
They
just drifted towards the west
When
they couldn’t stand the test
Hating
like the heck to go-
But
what were they do to
When
they saw that they were through
Now
their day is over long ago.
# #
# #
Many a page and volume has been written about the Indian
tribes that occupied this country a hundred years ago. Some make then out as savage friends, while
others said they did no more than could be expected of any one trying to fight
off interlopers who were trying to steal their lands. Some were good no doubt, just like white
brothers, and some were quite the opposite as historians so plainly set forth.
This
article is not to comment on the rights or wrongs of the question, but to
merely set forth how two different people saw things differently.
Last
week we had Dr. Benjamin’s
version. This week we print another
version as recollected by another pioneer, A. A. hopper. Mr. Hopper writes as follows:
“Dear
Sir:
I
find in the Leader of January 6, the statement made by my old neighbor, Dr.
John Benjamin, about what became of the remains of the great Indian chief,
Little Crow. You say your reporter found
his mind a "“veritable storehouse of interesting reminiscences.” Now, I imagine if Mr. Benjamin’s mind were as
clear as it was 30 years ago, he would not have talked just as he did. His mind may be all right, but his memory is
badly shaken, or he would not have told you that yarn about Andrew Hopper and
John Dewing being hired to dig up Little Crow’s body. If he writes any more
about what happened around Hutchinson n 1862-63, let him make some inquiry
among the old settlers before he uses my name.
I don’t claim to be a saint, but I hope I am no more of a sinner than my
neighbors.
I
will tell you the true story of the killing of Little Crow on July 3rd,
1863.
Old
Mr. Lamson and his son, Chauncy, started from Hutchinson for their farm to look
after their stock. At about 5 in the
afternoon, they saw two Indians picking raspberries. They had no horses with them. The Lamsons were close to them. The Indians were so busy in the berry patch
that they did not notice the white men till old Mr. Lamson fired his gun.
He
put a bullet into Little Crow just above the hip bone. Little Crow raised his gun, but Chauncy put a
bullet through his left breast that laid him out.
The
Lamsons then broke for the brush, one on one side of the road and one on the
other. They did not see each other again
until the next day in Hutchinson. Each thought the other was dead. When they separated, the father had the
powder horn, so Chauncy couldn’t load his gun, and thinking his father dead,
and being sure there were more Indians than the two, the boy started for town,
arriving there about sundown.
He
told his story and said his father was dead, but about sunrise the next morning
the old gent came in without a scratch on him.
His story is about as follows:
“When
Chauncy left me I was lying down in the brush, not over two rods from the
Indians. Young Crow put new moccasins on
his father’s feet, a block of wood under his head and laid him out in Indian
style. Then the young Indian left. I laid there till after dark, afraid to get
up. After listening a long time and
hearing nothing, I got u and started, and here I am – all sound but badly
scared.”
We
got a team as soon as we could and some armed men and went out after the dead
Indian. About 11 o’clock they got back
with the body. They stopped the wagon in
front of my shop and unhitched the horses and let it stand there so everyone in
town could see the body. No one in town
could identify it but Mr. Belden, who said it was Little Crow. But when Mr. Sumner said it was not, I should
have thought that after Mr. Benjamin had entertained and fed Little Crow and
five of his braves several weeks the winter before, he would have recognized
the body.
That
is what makes me think Mr. Benjamin’s memory is at fault. Mr. Benjamin and Mr. Sharp hauled the wagon
away and put the body in a hole and covered it with sand. Then one of our good Christians was not
satisfied to let the old Indian rest, but went and cut his head off and sent it
to St. Paul and sold it for ten dollars.
That man may think this is forgotten by the old settlers but it is not,
and that head was not cut off by any officer, but by a citizen of the town.
Along
the fore part of August as I was walking along by the river I saw Dr. Twitchell
and some of his men, about where the cemetery now stands, with their coats off
and sleeves rolled up. I saw in a minute
what was going on. They had the body of
Little Crow out of the grave and was stripping the flesh off the bones with
their hands and putting the bones in a box.
I went on about my business, but was dong some big thinking.
I
went up to the bridge, sat on a knoll and watched ‘till I saw them sink the box
in the river. I kept dark for four or
five days, but kept on thinking ‘till I got a plan thought out.
I
know that Dr. Twitchell and old Mr. Dewing were at loggerheads, so I went to
Mr. Dewing and asked him if he would help me come a drive on Twitchell. He was glad of the chance. About 10 o’clock that night he and Sam Dewing
and myself went down to the river and got the box out and run a rope around it
and carried it up the hill into the brush back of where Mr. Pendergast’s
buildings were. The next morning I went
over to Sumner’s store and got an empty candle box and we broke the other box
open and put the bones into it and put stones into the Twitchell’s box and left
it for him. Then the Dewing boys took the bones to lake Jennie and they were
left there, nobody any wiser, for several years, till Dr. Barber heard about
them and he made sort of trade with old Mr. Dewing and brought them to
Hutchinson, but there was not enough of them to fix up a skeleton. Here I leave Little Crow. But I can take Young Cro’s trail from where
he left his father’s body to where he was run in.”
--Andrew
A. Hopper,
St. Louis, MO.
Jan. 28, 1893
References
– W. W. Pendergast, David Sivright, David A. Adams, Oliver Pierce, Charles
Andrews, and many others if you want them.
Feb. 3, 1892 Sarah Louisa Benjamin Cook-1862 to Family
Roseland, La
Feb. 3, 1892
Dear Ones At Home,
I hope you are all well.
The sad work that death has done here makes us think more of the ones
that are dear to us. I have very little
time to write so will leave Olive to tell you all the news. My school takes up about all my time besides
the chores. I have nineteen scholars
and a very good school.
The hens are doing nicely.
Got one dozen eggs today. Have
been getting from eight to eleven for a long time. Have five little chicks & two hens sitting. Both cows are still dry but look for them to
be fresh in a few days when I expect to begin my milk account again if all goes
well.
Suppose you knew Howard has gone into the ladder business
with Mr. Liebourt. They seem to be doing
well. They expect to get off a carload
tomorrow. Yes, Howard’s foot is all
right. Anyway he says it never troubles
him. It is a little swollen but expect
it will stay so.
It is late & I am tired, so will say good night, hoping
to hear from you soon.
With much love,
Louisa
Feb. 3, 1892 Olive Benjamin Bacon-1864 to Family
Roseland, La
Feb. 3, 1864
Dear Ones At Home,
No doubt you have been worrying because of no letter from La. Fact is, we have such sad news to relate we
have not felt like writing. Mrs. Payson
was buried one week ago Sunday & today William Collins was buried. It all seems terrible and hard to realize,
but it is all too true. Mrs. Payson went
to New Orleans to visit friends and took a severe cold (you know she always had
asthma) and was ill four days when they sent for Mr. P. He went down Friday night – Saturday morning
she felt so much better she told him to go out and attend to what business he
had at hand. He had not been gone but a
little while when he was telephoned that she was dead. She had been chatting with Mrs. Farrell and
seemed to be so much better, but before they knew it she has ceased to
breathe. She was buried in Amite the
next day (Sunday). That stroke nearly
broke up the household, but they could have managed till the next Friday – William
had this stroke of paralysis. He has not
been at all well all summer and has worked very hard. One night he took a dose of calomel &
next morning took oil as usual, but it was the week we had such wet cold days,
just terrible. He went all all the time and had his feet
soaking wet & cold. The day of Mrs.
Payson’s funeral he told Howard his back ached dreadfully and his tongue felt
thick & stiff. He got no better so
went to the doctor who gave him medicine.
Friday night the paralysis began. By Saturday P.M. he could not speak
nor use his left side. Wesie & I
went down Saturday, then Howard & I went Sunday and stayed till 9:30
P.M. He was perfectly conscious and was glad
to have Howard there. He would make a
noise in his throat when he wanted anything & motion a little with his
right hand. Then Teresa (his wife) would
ask him till she found out what he wanted.
I was not able to go down Monday & yesterday was intending to go but
my head was aching so badly, called for a friend to go with me. She could not go so I did not get down till
this afternoon, about twenty minutes after the funeral had left the house. You may think what a shock it was to me for
we thought all the time that William would get better as he was young & the
paralysis came from the calomel, but the doctor said he had worked so hard he
did not have vitality enough to live through it. It is all so dreadful & his wife is
nearly heartbroken. She has a baby not
two months old.
Mr. Payson has been sick ever since Mrs. Payson’s death and
was not able to attend William’s funeral.
You know he had “softening of the brain” before coming south and the Dr’s
said it was liable to prove fatal with any great shock. I do not know what they will do yet. They have so many berries out, so much
planted for garden, and no one to attend to it. Someone says the laws of La. are such that
Mr. Payson’s relatives can step in & take all the property (as it was all
in her name) but I do not know how that is.
William worked like a slave & Teresa has worked very hard ever since
she has been there. She certainly ought
to have something for it all. It will
seem strange to you, father, now to come down here; you would miss J.W. Smith .
Mrs. Payson & William.
We are glad you are all comparatively well and hope you
will take good care of each other. It is too bad about that poor old man - let us know if you found him & what you
did with him , etc. So
sorry Winfred cannot go to school yet, but he is a dear faithful boy and we are
proud of such a brother. How pleased we were with Arthur’s “dog operations”. Hope he may always be as successful. He has quite
a number of patients but “no pay”. Frank’s
letter was very interesting also. Had a
letter from Annie last week. We’re
getting along nicely.
Did we tell you that Howard has gone into the “step ladder”
business with Mr. Liebout? They get a carload
of ladders off Friday if all goes well.
Not much news in the Herald for you is there?
We are all glad about the new bonnet & cloak, Mama –
specks you look awful pretty in them, don’t she Papa?
Love to all,
Howard & Olive
Feb. 3, 1891 Arthur E Benjamin-1868 to Sisters
Minneapolis
Feb. 3, 1891
My Dear Sisters,
I have just received a letter from home enclosing one
written by you, Olive, that great long one, the that kind we all like to get but
not to write, at least I don’t for the reason perhaps that I could not find enough
to say that would interest and entertain my correspondent.
Was very sorry to learn that you were so sick with La
Grippe, Louisa. I will send you a prescription which you can
get filled there to help your cough and send several injections to abay the Hygienic
Sans. Will not charge anything for the prescriptions. You know the usual price is 50 cents but would
fake enough medicine also for you if there was any way of getting it to
you. The prescriptions I will send on
separate blanks, one for a cough, another for an ordinary cold and still
another to prevent a cold when you feel one coming on. Of course you know that a good hot drink of
lemonade or brandy (take your choice) will relieve if not cure most any cold
and even the grippe if you go to bed at once after the stimulus or spiritus
fermenti and cover up so that you won’t take cold after sweating, and to be careful
not to get cold when getting up.
The winter here has been milder than ever known before, yet
I think that there has been more sickness than if had been cold, dry, and
plenty of snow. It has snowed more or
less for two or three days now and at present we have enough for fairly good
sleighing.
I must say your treatment for breaking up a fever is very
good. If Louisa does not like to take
Caster oil a 4 grain blue mass pill would be good and not so disagreeable.
I suppose I’ll receive the tax receipt for my taxes soon. If you have not yet sent it, send it and I’ll
send you the amt. of them. It is getting
dark so I’ll go to dinner and finish this after.
Feb 11, 1891
Began this letter, as you see, over a week ago but have not
finished it yet. Was not feeling very
well at the time so I waited until I should get the letter Louisa wrote.
I went home last Saturday evening and while there read your
last letter, Olive, which contained the good news that you were all nearly
well. Merton, Harry W., Elwin H., and
Hankenson, also Henry J. and Mr. Pendergast all went home the same night. I don’t know as I told you that I work the “con”
and get up for 50 cents each time – regular fare $1.77. Well, most of us “U” boys do the same and
Henry also and Mr. Pendergast too I think. That night there was a new conductor on and we
did not know what to do about it – did not suppose we could work him. We all scattered pretty well . Mr. P and Henry went in the caboose (guess
that’s the way to spell it). I stood on
its rear platform, Elwin and Hankenson
on the front of the passenger platform and Merton and Harry on the rear passenger
platform. And in that way we all
managed to get up for 50 cents each and came down for 50 cents. I was surprised when I got home to find no
snow on the ground. While here in Mpls
we had good sleighing. We had quite a
storm Sunday though but not nearly so much snowfall home as here in the city. I expected to take a sleigh ride with my
best girl when I got home but had to content myself with my own company.
Received a picture from Harry B. and Marion, also of Uncle’s
plantation, one of the house where Uncle is sitting on the stoop smoking, Aunty
nearby and Walter Lyda and Joseph also. The other was of the same group some distance
from the house near their beds of drying grapes. The
one of Marion shows her to be a grown up young lady whom I would not recognize
if I did not know whom it was.
I have finished dissecting and taken the examination. We took another examination Monday night;
only three questions. The doctor was a
little too full when he came in as will show from his writing, which I will
endeavor to ____ it was thus. ‘Twas too
bad for he was one of the best instructors in the faculty & a good ___man, but too much of the spiritus fermenti had
about him.
Louise, you must not think of going into the bakery or
chicken business. You need not worry
about making something or doing something for a living for you will always be
cared for, and I have a wish that you would come home and live with us when you
can be boss and our counselor and guardian.
You cannot and must not try the
bakery business for it is too hard work and you could not stand it. If you wish as we wish, come home, that is, if
Olive would let you go. Don’t worry about
the future for all will come out well in time.
Lovingly,
Arthur
PS – Robbie is going to come down some day to have a
tooth spliced that he broke in a contest with a shot of brandy. Ever so much obliged, Howard, for paying my taxes. Will be pleased to let it go on freight for the
store if you want it sent.
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