Charles Walker and Delinda Thompson
Charles Walker Thompson was born 28 Nov 1848 in Jefferson, Louisa, Iowa, the son of John Wesley and Mary (Harpole). His father John Wesley Thompson was born 25 Jan 1824 in Ohio and died 10 Mar 1892 in Yarrow, Adair Co, Missouri. He was buried in the Mt Carmel Cemetery there. Charles' mother, Mary Harpole Thompson was born 13 June 1819 in Ohio, and died 15 Dec 1898 in Yarrow and was buried in the Mt Carmel Cemetery.
Children of John Wesley Thompson and Mary Harpole
1. Louisa Jane Thompson b-28 Mar 1844 in Ohio;
d-15 Mar 1889 in Yarrow; br-Mt Carmel Cemetery; m-John Newton Potes
2. Sarah Elizabeth Thompson b-5 Mar 1847 in Jefferson Iowa; d-28 Aug 1927 in
Bucklin, Linn, Missouri; mr-Mt Carmel Cemetery in Yarrow; m-Benjamin Franklin
Linder
3. Charles Walker Thompson b-28 Nov 1848 in Jefferson Iowa. m-Delinda Prentice
in 1871 in Montana
4. Levi Douglas Thompson b-20 Nov 1852 in Jefferson Iowa; d-29 Apr 1924 in Macon
Co Missouri; br-Mt Carmel Cemetery in Yarrow Missouri; m-Mary Martha
5. John Thompson b-1856 in Jefferson Iowa
6. Willard Thompson b-1858 in Liberty, Adair, Missouri
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During the Civil War Charles served in the Co B 19th Regiment, Kansas Cavalry during the Custer Indian Wars. Before the Indian unrest of 1868 in Oklahoma, Governor of Kansas, Samuel J. Crawford, resigned his position as Governor to assume command of the 19th Kansas Cavalry, which had 1,200 men on the regimental muster rolls. They mustered into service on October 20th, 1868 in Topeka, Kansas for a six-month duty tour.
After forming the regiment and completing their drills the now newly formed regiment had received their orders to saddle up, and depart Topeka, Kansas, for Fort Supply in Indian Territory. On the morning of November 5th, 1868 the Regiment began their trip Southward to Fort Supply where Custer and the 7th Cavalry was posted. On the 14th of November, the regiment was to find they had to cross the Arkansas River during a terrible severe winter snowstorm.
After crossing the nearly frozen Arkansas River they began their tracking of the hostiles. The snow being around 12 inches deep, made it very difficult for the men and their horses, to travel, so their travels were very slow. The soldiers of the 19th Kansas found they had no choise but too fight the Indians in the middle of a terrible winter. The U.S. army at this time found fighting in a winter storm not advisable and usually posted camp to winter out the storm, this was a new approach of fighting in the new Post Civil War Army but the 19th Kansas Cavalry slugged through the storm, hoping to meet up with Custer for the upcoming campaign.
Mean while at Fort Supply, General George Armstrong Custer was waiting for the 19th Kansas Cavalry to arrive so he could combine forces and attack Black Kettle’s Village. But Samuel J. Crawford and his Kansas Cavalry arrived at Fort Supply late; Crawford found that Custer and his 7th Cavalry had already gone. They had left the day before without them. Custer finding himself frustrated just couldn’t wait for the Kansas regiment any longer. He decided to give the order for his regiment to saddle up and leave without his reinforcements. (Sounds Familiar?) Custer soon found Black Kettles village at White Rock, so on November 27,1868, without any hesitation Custer ordered his 7th Cavalry to the attack. In doing so Custer was responsible for murder of 103 Cheyenne’s, including Black Kettle and his entire family. The 7th Cavalry escaped suffering twenty soldiers being killed while fourteen received various wounds. Major Joel H. Elliott and Captain Louis McLane Hamilton, (Grandson of Alexander Hamilton). At the time of Captain Louis McLane Hamilton’s death, was the youngest Captain in the U.S. Army. Major Joel H. Elliott is now at rest in the Officer’s Circle of Honor, in the National Cemetery at Fort Gibson, Oklahoma.
Custer had managed to narrowly escape this battle with a victory, let alone with his life, he had attacked in the early morning hours, while night still loomed, riding through Black Kettle’s camp shooting and cutting to pieces the sleeping Cheyenne people with their sabers. Having made his run through Black Kettles camp, Custer and the 7th Cavalry escaped in the early dawn hours of the 28th. Custer and the 7th were extremely lucky because Black Kettle’s Village was larger than Custer had thought, realizing this they retreated from the village. If he had not left when he did, he and the 7th Cavalry never would have shown up for the Great Indian Victory at Little Big Horn.
The Cheyenne were never able to recover from Custer’s attack on their village, so on December 24th, 1868, the Cheyenne along with other tribes surrendered to Custer’s regiments three weeks later. The 19th Kansas Cavalry never took part in Custer’s attack at White Rock, only because they showed up late due to the snowstorm, if they had the Cheyenne death total would have been greater. After rounding up the various tribes, in the Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas Territory, the 19th Kansas returned to Fort Hays, Kansas. There they were mustered out of service on April 18th, 1869.
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Delinda Prentice was born 6 May 1856 in Afton, Union, Iowa, the daughter of John Roland Harris Prentice and Maria L.
Children of Charles Walker Thompson and Delinda Prentice
1. Kit Carson Thompson b-2 Jan 1872 in Loeffler,
Adair, Missouri; d-26 Feb 1960 in Blackfoot Idaho; br-Grove City Cemetery;
m-Emma Jane Leigh in 1898
2. John Carmon Thompson b-1 Mar 1874 in Loeffler, Missouri; d-23 Mar 1934; br-Oak
Hill Cemetery in Cassville Missouri; m-Myrtle Rebecca Broyles in 1896
3. Charles Willard Thompson b-14 June 1876 in Loeffler; d-19 Oct 1903; br-Mt
Carmel Cemetery in Yarrow Missouri; m-Edna Grace Wells in 1904 in Crook Co
Wyoming
5. Etta Myrtle Thompson b-22 Jan 1880 in Kirksville Missouri; d-31 Oct 1962 in
Pomeroy Washington; br-Pomeroy City Cemetery; m-Cyrus Eaton Lincoln in 1898 in
Crook Co Wyoming
6. Estella Pearl Thompson b-18 Apr 1882 in Elmer, Macon, Missouri; d-4 Apr 1975
in Newcastle Wyoming; br-Mt Moriah Cemetery in Sundance Wyoming; m-Arthur C
Huskins
Minnie Thompson b-1891; d-1944 in Wyoming; br-Mt Pisgah Cemetery in Gillette
Wyoming
Cora Lou Thompson b-1899 in Sundance Crook Co Wyoming; d-1 Mar 1918 in Sundance;
br-Mt Moriah Cemetery in Sundance; m-Elmer Ellsworth Wells
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By 1900 Charles was in Montpelier working as a laborer on the railroad. He died 36 Jan 1934 and was buried in the Montpelier Cemetery. Delinda Prentice Thompson died 4 Dec 1944 in Wyoming and was buried in the Mt Pisgah Cemetery in Gillette Wyoming.
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Charles Walker Thompson 1934 Obituary