Children of John and Mary (Dallam) Bigelow:
16312.7431 John, b 20 Sep 1884; d 29 Dec 1886;
16312.7432 Braxton, b 17 Jan 1887; d ___ 1917; killed in action near Loos, France; captain of the British Royal Engineers at the time.
16312.7433 Jennie "Jane" Poultney, b __ Dec 1888; d ______ ; m Thomas Ellett; daughter Joan (Jane) Braxton Ellett, b 1918; d ____ ; m William Hoffman Benjamin;( only John jr's daughter Jennie and grandaughter Joan Benjamin survived him in 1936). (see below)
16312.7434 Gladys, b ____ ; d _____ ;
(.../rod2005/johnjr2c.jpg)
Mary Braxton Bigelow
.....Another officer's wife who remained at Fort Davis rather
than travel
with the regiment was Mary Braxton Bigelow. Married in Baltimore in
1883
to Lieutenant John Bigelow, Jr., they were the parents of a young son
when
it was time to leave Fort Davis. Mary Bigelow, would take the train
once
her husband had set up their new quarters. Lieutenant Bigelow wrote:
"Mary
and little J. III will not go with me. Mary might, if she were alone
and
would enjoy it, I have no doubt. I do not like the prospect of her
having to travel alone with the baby, perhaps without a nurse."
Sources:
The Bigelow Society,The Bigelow Family Genealogy,Vol II pg. 492.
Howe, Bigelow Family of America; pg 450.
Kineman, Marcos, Frontier Cavalryman;
Lieutenant John Bigelow with The Buffalo Soldiers in Texas; pub 1998
(source of new photographs)
Forge sources below, On the Bloody Trail of Geronimo:
about John Jr's military career, Western Frontier, Military Life, a new
bride and family, life at Fort David, life at the Frontier with a
family etc.
Forge: The Bigelow Society Quarterly; Vol 27, No 2, Apr 1998, pg 27;
Forge: The Bigelow Society Quarterly; Vol
27, No 3, July
1998, pg 49;
Forge: The Bigelow Society Quarterly; Vol 27, No 4, Oct 1998,
pg 73;
From: < Mary_L_Williams@nps.gov >
Sent: Thursday, November 05, 2009 11:44 AM
Subject: Mary Braxton Dallam Bigelow
My name is Mary Williams and I am the historian at Fort Davis National
Historic Site. Fort Davis is an old frontier Indian Wars post in western
Texas. As you probably know John Bigelow served at the fort from
November
of 1884 until the 10th Cavalry transferred to Arizona in early April of
1885. One of our volunteers has become very interested in Bigelow's wife
Mary and wants to present a program on her to our visitors. We have some
information on her mostly from various publications including a segment
of
John Bigelow's journal that was edited by a former Fort Davis employee -
Douglas McChristian - and published under the title Garrison Tangles in
the
Friendless Tenth. We also have a number of photos of her that were
donated
to Fort Davis by Jane B. Stevenson in 1981. We are hoping, however, to
find additional information on Mary Bigelow to present a program on her
and
are hoping that you might be able to help us.
Any information you could provide or an source you could direct us to
will
be very much appreciated.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Mary L Williams
Historian
Fort Davis National Historic Site
P.O. Box 1379
101 Lt. Flipper Drive
Fort Davis, Texas 79734
Phone (FTM)
New Note 10/12/05:
I recently obtained a book called:
"Frontier Cavalryman
Lieutenant John Bigelow with
The Buffalo Soldiers in Texas"
The book was written by Marcos Kineman and
published in 1998. I first noticed the book on my recent visits to the
Bigelow Homestead in Malden-on-Hudson, NY. I was especially impressed
with the color picture above.
I will post the flyleaf info for now................ROD
In 1877, John Bigelow Jr. and seventy-five other
cadets graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point,
New York, after which he chronicled his experiences, observations,
opinions, and musings as a young Cavalry lieutenant in Texas. Sixty of
the new lieutenants, including Bigelow and seventeen others who were
assigned to black regiments called
Buffalo Soldiers, soon departed for the frontier where they were
scattered
over numerous small and often ramshackle posts and camps. Their work of
training
soldiers, exploring and patrolling wilderness areas, protecting the
mail,
travelers, and settlers, chasing and sporadically clashing with
unpacified
Indians, and enforcing federal laws and policies was usually arduous,
occasionally dangerous and seldom glorious. Yet the value of their
accomplishments was immense.
Upon reporting to Fort Duncan, a small post on the
Rio Grande, Bigelow became the commanding officer of Company B, 10th
Cavalry. Several weeks later a rash of Indian raids in the trans-Pecos
region led
to his company's transfer to Fort Stockton, where his principal duty
was
scouting for elusive marauders. He also became increasingly immersed in
courtsmartial as a prosecutor and court member, as well as a
witness in two officer cases, one of which rocked the entire Army, that
were tried in San Antonio.
In addition to providing a comprehensive view of
army life in the late 1870s, including the social practices and
prevailing Victorian customs, the author addresses the widespread
attitudes of the times toward the Buffalo Soldiers and how these views
changed when black and white soldiers fought side by side against
common foes.
Also portrayed are the results of sending poorly
prepared officers and men to fight in unconventional conflicts,
desertion-inciting conditions and practices, and how an obsolete
military justice system developed into a model of fairness far in
advance of its civilian counterparts. This informative, lively, and
entertaining narrative presents an enduring portrait of frontier army
life and the challenges confronting officers and soldiers alike in the
nation's relentless drive westward.
Note1:
Subject: Lt. Col. John Bigelow, Jr.
Date: Fri, 08 Sep 2000 11:00:31 +0000
From: Steve & Linda Wilson <
slwilson@ionet.net >
Dear Rod:
I have very much enjoyed the Bigelow Family website. I am
researching the military career of John Bigelow, Jr., the brother of
Poultney. Might you know, or could you direct me to someone who would,
if John's granddaughter, Jane Braxton Benjamin (Mrs. William Hoffman
Benjamin) is living? She was born in 1918 to John's daughter,
Jane Poultney Bigelow Ellett. Also,
might you know if Ric Dragon, curator of the Bigelow Homestead at
Malden-on-the-Hudson, has a new e-mail address? I used the one on
your website, and it was returned. I'd like to contact him
regarding Poultney and his family. I'd very much appreciate your kind
assistance in this. Sincerely,
Steve Wilson
1510 NW 49th St.
Lawton, OK 73505-3239
The following link are the Forge articles noted above and is in
three parts by Guy A. Bigelow:
John8a2.htm
<
rodbigelow@netzero.net > 
