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Charles Mann
Rock Creek Township 1873: Charles Mann, 60.
Rock Creek Township 1874: Chas. Mann, 66; spouse, Elizabeth, 54.
Rock Creek Township 1875-76: Chas. Mann, 67; spouse, Elizabeth, 56.
Fairview Township 1882: C. Mann, 73; spouse, Elizabeth, 62.
P. O. Address: Little Dutch.
Background obtained by RKW many years ago...
Charles Mann was born December 28, 1808, in New Hampshire. He was one of eight children. At the age of fourteen, he left home due to a dispute with his step-mother, and went to sea as a cabin boy. He rose from cabin boy to Mate to Captain. During his 22 years at sea, he visited many places, including England, Ireland, Scotland, Spain, Portugal, France, and made fifteen trips to the West Indies. In 1844, he gave up the life of a seaman and came to live in New York state. There, he met and married Elizabeth Elcock. They had 5 children: Charles E., Lucy A., Emma Jane, Ida E., and Alice E.
In the summer of 1868, Charles Mann said goodbye to his family and went by horse team and wagon, hauling all their possessions, and started out for Kansas to take up a pre-emption claim on 160 acres, near Winfield, Kansas. (In later years a town was established and called Akron, Kansas.) He went by the way of Fort Scott, Kansas. where one of his horses died of a snake bite. At Fort Scott, he traded his remaining horse and two sets of harness for an ox team and harness. From there he traveled to Topeka, Kansas, where he met his wife, Elizabeth, and two daughters, Ida, 14 years old, and Alice, 13 years old.
They left Topeka late in the fall of 1868 for their homestead near Winfield, Kansas. They had to pass through a section of the State where a few weeks previously a number of emigrants had been killed and scalped by the Indians. Within twenty miles of their destination, one of the oxen gave out. Charles found an old log cabin, with a fire place and dirt floor, situated on a large ranch owned by a Mr. Quimby. He let them stay there to keep out of the blizzard that had started. Charles built a rough table and two beds which he nailed to the walls of the cabin. On the day before Christmas of 1868, Charles shot a twenty-four pound turkey and seventeen quail. The family had a good Christmas dinner. When sweeping the dirt floor of the cabin, the girls discovered two Indian graves. Due to the depth of the snow, the family could not leave the cabin until the snow melted. In February of 1869, when the snow was gone and the two oxen were in good shape, the family continued their journey to their homestead, which was located about eight miles north of Winfield, Kansas, and is now near the town of Akron, Kansas. The first thing Charles had to do was to build a log cabin, twelve feet by fourteen feet as required by law. Charles cut down the trees and trimmed them and the two girls, Ida and Alice, put chains around the logs and with the help of the two oxen, Buck and Berry, hauled them to the building site.
As soon as the cabin was completed and livable, Charles had to go away to find work to earn money for provisions, as they were nearly gone. As his son had not come with them, the two girls plowed fourteen acres of land and planted it to corn, pumpkins, watermelons, and various types of vegetables. There was plenty of rain and the crop was good. When the crop was ready to harvest, the Osage Chief, Big Strike Axe, and his son, Little Strike Axe, who weighed about 250 pounds, with Nupually [No-pa-walla] and Polatta and six other Indians came over the border from the Indian Territory, now the State of Oklahoma, and raided the garden, taking as much as they could carry. The squaws jumped from their horses and took all the eggs they could carry, some of the eggs the hens had been sitting on for two weeks. It was not safe to protest or resist. All that kept the Indians from being hostile was a troop of soldiers stationed at Winfield, which at that time consisted only of a trading post with a log cabin fortified against the Indians.
The family was sorry to learn that Mr. Quimby, who had let them stay in his log cabin during their first winter, was the head of an outlaw gang. Horses were stolen in the southern part of Kansas and hidden on his ranch to hold until the owners got tired of looking for them. The horses would then be driven to some place and sold. One persistent fellow who had been robbed of his team, tracked them to Mr. Quimby’s ranch. He notified the vigilantes and they raided the ranch and took Quimby and his helpers and hung them from the nearest trees.
In 1869 the son, Charles E. Mann, came to Akron, Kansas, and took up a homestead adjoining his parents’ farm. He married Clara J. Doud, sister of W. E. Doud.
On July 2, 1871, Emma Jane Mann, daughter of Charles and Elizabeth Mann, married Wesley E. Doud at Akron, Kansas.
The daughter of Charles Mann, Ida E. Mann, married Abe Steinberger on August 16, 1873 at Winfield, Kansas. Another daughter of Charles Mann, Alice Elizabeth Mann, married Levi A. Stump on April 1, 1877, at Winfield, Kansas.
Charles and Elizabeth lived on their farm until his death on December 24, 1891. He was buried in the Akron cemetery. After her husband’s death, Elizabeth Mann stayed with her daughters, Emma Jane Doud, and Ida Steinberger, until her death. She died June 20, 1910, and was buried at Akron Cemetery.
(NOTE: This is from the book “Ancestors of Hiram G. Lacey” by Garland Howard Lacey. Published in 1995.)
FROM THE NEWSPAPERS.
Winfield Courier, Thursday, August 21, 1873.
MARRIED. STEINBERGER - MANN. Married on Saturday evening, the 16th inst., in this city by Probate Judge Johnson, Mr. A. B. Steinberger to Miss Ida R. Mann.
Arkansas City Traveler, May 16, 1877.
MARRIAGE LICENSES. The following are the marriage licenses issued by the Probate Judge during the months of April and May. Levi Stump and Alice Mann.
Winfield Courier, February 12, 1880.
Last Saturday Curns & Manser sold three farms, two to gentlemen from Illinois, and one, the Charley Mann farm, to Mrs. Linticum, the lady who bought the Bliss property.
Winfield Courier, January 19, 1882.
We received a pleasant call from Mrs. A. B. Steinberger one day last week. She expressed herself well pleased with her Winfield home. She had many friends here in her school girl days who will remember her as Miss Ida Mann and are glad to have her back again after her six years residence at Howard.
[AKRON CORRESPONDENT: “AUDUBON.”]
Winfield Courier, April 19, 1883.
Mrs. Alice Stump, of Douglas, is visiting her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Mann, and his sister, Mrs. Lacey.
[CRYSTAL WEDDING: DR. & MRS. A. V. POLK.]
Winfield Courier, November 15, 1883.
After dinner, Prof. A. H. Limerick, in a beautiful and appropriate speech presented to Mr. and Mrs. Polk the following gifts.
Mr. and Mrs. Chas. Mann, a bread plate with the following words in gilt letters thereon: “Give us this day, our daily bread.”
The following letter was with the plate given by Mr. and Mrs. Mann.
To Mr. and Mrs. Polk:
DEAR FRIENDS: Allow us to present you with this small token of our regard, hoping you will not measure our esteem by the intrinsic value of the gift, for then we would feel humble indeed. We trust the happy recurrence of this—one of the most important events of your lives—may as the years roll on, bring you each year renewed happiness. And may your daily bread be like the “Widow’s cruis,” never diminish, and may all the good things of this life be poured on you with lavish hands. And may the bountiful Giver of all good endue you with the bread of life, that when the Master shall call He may say, “Well done, thou good and faithful servants.”
[AKRON CORRESPONDENT: “OLIVER.”]
Winfield Courier, April 17, 1884.
Oliver of Akron Observes.
That Mr. C. Mann represented the Presbyterian Church of this place with Rev. Graham, at Arkansas City last week.
[AKRON ITEMS. “PET.”]
Winfield Courier, Thursday, January 8, 1885.
Mr. and Mrs. C. Mann are off on a visit.
AKRON ITEMS “PET.”
Winfield Courier, Thursday, February 26, 1885.
Mr. and Mrs. C. Mann have returned to their home after their long absence with their daughters. Their friends are glad to see them back again. On their return they found their house had been broken into; nothing of any value had been taken, but everything was rummaged over.
AKRON ITEMS. “PET.”
Winfield Courier, Thursday, March 12, 1885.
Rev. Wesley preached his farewell sermon last Sabbath. The Presbyterian church elected a new set of officers last Sabbath. For elders: Mr. Mann, Mr. Pember, and Mr. Morton were elected for terms of three to five years. W. H. Huston, E. L. Wilson, Charles Huston, and T. S. Covert were elected trustees.
AKRON GLEANINGS. “DREAMER.”
Winfield Courier, Thursday, October 22, 1885.
Mr. Mann has been quite sick.
CHARLES E. (“CHARLIE”) MANN.
[Son of Charles and Elizabeth Mann.]
Charles E. Mann is somewhat of a mystery. The following facts came to light in studying the early newspapers....
In 1869 Charles E. Mann came to Akron, Kansas, and took up a homestead adjoining his parents’ farm.
I have often wondered if Charles E. Mann was the correspondent from Indian Territory in 1874-1875...
[CORRESPONDENCE FROM CHARLIE MANN - NEAR FT. SILL, I. T.]
Winfield Courier, November 19, 1874.
Surveyor’s Camp, Cache Creek, 25 Miles Northwest of Ft. Sill. November 5th, 1874.
Ed. Courier: Thinking a few words from this post might be of some interest to your readers, I thought I would write a little in regard to matters in general on this part of the frontier. The health of the party is good. There are twenty-six men of us in all. We are running west on latitude 35 north, and expect to run west to the Pan Handle if we are not molested by the Indians. We have had no trouble with them yet and see but few.
The Kiowas and Comanches are all out on the warpath, with the exception of a part of Kicking Bird’s band (Kiowas) which are at their agency and continue to draw rations.
General Davidson has about 170 of the “noble red men” under heavy guard at the post, Big Tree, Satanta, and White Horse among them, with about 1,400 ponies; the ponies are being shot according to orders at the rate of one hundred per day. General Davidson is out with an expedition against the Indians and on the 29th of October captured about 75 warriors, 100 squaws, and papooses, and 500 ponies.
I saw a scout on the 30th ult., just from the command. He said the expedition was within two day’s ride of 1,800 warriors, which they expected to take or kill at all hazards. Sheridan left this post on the 25th of last month for Camp Supply. He says the government has fooled with the Indians long enough, that he will make the white man and his property safe in this country, if he is let alone.
Nearly every stage ranche between this post and the Kansas line has been burned, and the occupants killed or run off. A greater part of the stock taken from the Indians rightfully belongs to Texans, as the Indians have been in the habit of raiding into Texas, and stealing stock for years, and the owners dare not follow them further than Red River, the boundary line between Texas and the Comanche and Kiowa reservations; if they did, the Peace Policy interfered, smoothed it over for poor Lo, and say they don’t believe the Indians will steal, and the same Indians drawing rations of the government twice a month.
How do the taxpayers that are a little tender-footed on the Indian question, like such proceedings. The two tribes above named have one of the best and largest reservations in the Indian Territory; plenty of good land for farming purposes; good water; plenty of timber; a much better chance to make a living than the average Southern Kansas settler; no taxes to pay; a good school at the Post for all that choose to go.
It is high time that they be compelled to come in on their reservations and stay there. Some will say that they don’t know how to farm it. The trouble is they don’t want to know. Their agent at this post has time and again built houses, fenced, and broke up small farms, furnished them with seed, instructed them in planting, furnished them with rations, and today they are all going to ruin, use the fence for firewood, stick up their lodges near the house, and let the ponies use the house for shade. Yours truly, CHARLIE MANN.
[COMMUNICATION FROM CHARLIE MANN - INDIAN TERRITORY.]
Winfield Courier, January 21, 1875.
Surveyor’s Camp, Elk Creek, Kiowa and Comanche Reservation,
Indian Territory, Dec. 31st, 1874.
Editor Courier: Dear Sir: Since writing my last I have made one more trip to Fort Sill with pack ponies, for provisions. Found everything quiet there. There are about 2,500 Kiowas and Comanches camped at the agency drawing rations. There were about 500 ponies that were taken from the Indians shot according to orders, and about fifteen hundred sold at auction. The greater part of these were bought by Texans at an average price of $5 per head. That will probably cripple the Indians on the warpath to some extent. It is generally supposed that the Indian war is about at a close; as near as I can learn there have been 16 Indians killed during the whole campaign, and nine of them were killed in a party by buffalo hunters at the Doby Wells, up on the Canadian, leaving 7 killed by the troops. The different commands have about all come in, on account of not being able to carry on a winter’s campaign. All of the Indians on the warpath have fled to the Guadalupe mountains for protection. The government is starting a supply camp about 150 miles west of Fort Sill, as the Fort is too far from the seat of war to haul supplies. As I write we are having another terrible sleet; everything is literally covered. Our stock are suffering for the want of grass that the sleet has covered. No more at present; I may write again at some future time. Yours truly,
CHARLIE MANN.
Charles E. Mann married Clara J. Mann, but we do not know when...
Cowley County Courant, March 9, 1882.
Died, in Augusta, Kansas, February 25th, 1882, Clara J. Mann, aged twenty-three years and seven months. The deceased was the wife of Charles E. Mann, one of Cowley County’s earliest settlers, and a sister to W. E. Doud, editor of the Eureka Republican, and formerly a citizen of Winfield.
[AKRON CORRESPONDENT: “AUDUBON.”]
Winfield Courier, May 24, 1883.
Charlie Mann is back from New Mexico, whether to stay or not I do not know.
[AKRON CORRESPONDENT: “AUDUBON.”]
Winfield Courier, June 28, 1883.
Charlie Mann started back to New Mexico a week ago Monday.
Evidently Charlie E. Mann did not return as there was no further information relative to his activities in the newspapers that I covered. MAW
