Covington Murders, October 1860, Van Buren, Arkansas

VAN BUREN PRESS, Oct __, 1860

BRUTAL MURDER

WE ARE ENTAILED UPON TO CHRONICLE ONE OF THE WORST MURDERS THAT IT WAS EVER FOR US TO KNOW OF, AN "EYE-WITNESS" OF THE AFFAIR HAS GIVEN US THE FOLLOWING ACCOUNT:
     Mr. Duxmaw (?)--- Sir: I deem it a duty --- being an eye-witness --- to give you an outline of the dreadful affair that occurred last Saturday, the 13th of October, the terror of which will long remain in the minds of those who witnessed it, and one that will stain the reputation of our long peaceable city. And the blood of the murdered men will stain the streets and pavements of her terra firma for many days and weeks; it has been already four or five days since the horrible crime was committed, and the blood is still to be seen spread over the streets and pavements --- "The blood of murdered men shall rise." What horrid spectacle to see three mudered men lying in a pile --- two brothers and a son --- murdered by the villainous hands of two brothers who have always been a pest and terror to the whole country ever since they arrived at the age of 15 years, and who have already cost our county twelve or fifteen thousand, and who been running at large sometime without notice. But on Saturday I suppose they thought they would bring themselves into notice by killing three good citezens by the name of COVINGTON, it being a public day, and everybody was called out to muster, as it was the regular day appointed for that occassion. There was quite a large number of people in attendance, and the day passed off with peace and quiet up to the hour of the killing, which was about five O'clock in the evening, when the fight was commenced by one BENJAMIN EDWARDS, who draw a gun and shot JACKSON COVINGTON, and then ran upon him and knocked him in the head with his gun; but while he was accomplishing this horrible deed, his brother SILAS stabbed COVINGTON's son, who ran up to protect and save his father, but alas, he was too late. He was stabbed and killed by that notorious villain, SILAS EDWARDS, and then, after accomplishing that wilful deed, he ran up to where the young man's father lay, and thrust his large bowie knife into him three or four times, as though he was killing a wild beast of the forest. He then ran across and came into contact with RUFUS COVINGTON, who met him with hands only, and would, had there been no intereference from any other source, saved his life, but he was knocked in the head with rocks, by some two persons, but I do not know who, and then the said villain rose and stabbed him two or three times, killing him almost instantly. The two EDWARDS then made for their escape, but were pursued by our energetic officers and brought back and lodged in jail, where they will remain until the next term of Circut Court, when it is to be hoped they will be dealt with according to law.
     This, Sir, is about as an impartial view of the affair as I can give. Although an eye-witness, there were many things done that I could not correctly memorize, I therefore give this statement as near as I can without doing injustice to either party.            An Eye-witness

{Same paper as above - right under above story}
Van Buren, Oct. 15, 1860
     After the arrest of the muderers, an attempt was made by the excited populace to take from the officers and hang them without trial. But by the determined will and strenuous efforts of the officers having them in charge, they were got to jail. On Tuesday, the two EDWARDS were brought before JUSTICE HATTAWAY for examination under guard of twenty-five men to protect them. By advice of council, they waved an examination, and were ordered back to jail. On their way back, when within about forty yards of the jail, two brothers of the murdered men armed guns brought them all to a stand; the guards, seeing their determination to fire, gave way when one fired and brought them to the ground, and the other firing directly after. The younger EDWARDS was shot in the body and arm, the other through the thigh and arm; neither of them were mortally wounded, and up to our going to press are recovering slowly.
     Our advice to all parties interested is to let the law take its course. See if there not a remedy there; if not, it will then be time enough for the people to take the law into their own hands. We think there is a remedy, and we trust that no good citezen will give countance to any act that will bring disgrace upon our city, and place a stain upon our fair name, that time will never efface; but give to the officers of the county a cordial and ready support in the maintenance of law and order.

Oct 26, 1860
Benjamin Edwards that was committed to jail for shooting and killing in connection with his brother, the three Covingtons, and who was shot by other brothers of the murdered men, on the day of examination died from his wounds on Sunday night last.  He leaves a wife and infant child.  Silas Edwards is considered in no danger at all, his wounds being but slight.

Nov 30, 1860
Silas Edwards, charged with killing the Covingtons, has had an examination before R C Hattaway, ESQ. and committed fully for murder.


New Albany Daily Tribune
Tuesday, October 16, 1860, New Albany, Indiana
 A dispatch from Van Buren, Ark; dated the 13th says:—
After a regimental muster which was held here to-day, three men, named Ruftis and Jackson Covington, brothers, and Richard, a son ot the latter, were killed by two brothers named Silas and Ben Edwards. Several others were badly cut and otherwise injured on both sides. An old feud existed between the parties, but the Edwards', who have long been the terror of this part of the State, are the aggressors. While trying to make their escape they were overtaken a short distance from town by the constable and his posse and lodged in the jail.
   A large crowd nearly succeeded in taking the prisoners from the constable and hanging them upon the streets, and afterwards surrounded the jail for that purpose but were finally pacified.  The people are much excited and it is feared that the prisoners will yet be lynched. It is the most atrocious affair that ever was known here.

Found on Google Books:
History of Benton, Washington, Carroll, Madison, Crawford, Franklin, and Sebastian Counties, Arkansas: From the Earliest Time to the Present, Including a Department Devoted to the Preservation of Sundry Personal, Business, Professional and Private Records ; Besides a Valuable Fund of Notes, Original Observations, Etc., Etc (Livre numérique Google)
Higginson Book Company, 1889 - 1382 pages
p.515
On October 13, 1860, a muster day, Benjamin and Silas Edwards were the murderers of Jackson Covington and his son, and Rufus Covington, at Van Buren. It was some feudal trouble; Benjamin stabbed Jackson Covington, and Silas stabbed his son, and then made for Rufus and stabbed him, leaving the three dead bodies in a pile. The Edwards were imprisoned, and when brought out for trial, and witnesses not being ready, they were being taken out of the court-yard gate, the infuriated mob shot at them and killed one and wounded the other. He was imprisoned, but later on burned his way out of jail with a candle and escaped.

Questions: What was the feud? What happened to the families of Rufus and Jackson?  Where are the Covington brothers buried?

Famille LaBrune à Dubuque, l'Iowa, E.U.

Jean-Baptiste LaBrune était benjamin de, je crois, cinq enfants nés à Philip et Ann LaBrune.  De leur voyage de la France, je sais peu: une des enfants est née entre 1835 et 1840 en France et Jean-Baptiste est né à l'Ohio aprés le recensement en 1840 et dans 1850 la famille était arrivée, moins deux enfants, à Dubuque, Iowa, une destination populaire pour les immigrés français. (Avant la Vente de la Louisiane en 1803, la plupart de la territoire entre la rivière Mississippi et les montagnes Rocheuses appartenait (au moins en excluant les peuples indigènes) à la France, à l'exception de quelques années sous le contrôle de l'Espagne. Cette territoire était en plus grande partie ni développée ni explorée, donc la rivière Mississippi était la frontière d'une étendue sauvage, du point de vue des Etats-Unis. Beaucoup de trappeurs français se sont installés dans des lieux comme Dubuque le longue de la rivière d'où ils faisaient commerce de peaux avec l'Est.) Donc la famille LaBrune a quitté la France vers la fin des années 1830s, aurait pu voyager d'abord au Québec, et se cheminait vers les villes françaises à l'autre côté de la rivière Mississippi.  Il est possible que quelques uns des enfants avec eux ne soient pas leurs propres enfants (les noms des individus n'étaient pas enregistrés dans le recensement de 1840) ou qu'ils se soient mariés ou installés quelque part en route ou qu'ils aient péri. Je crois que les familles qui se déplacaient en migration vers l'ouest avaient tendance à s'installer quelque part pendant quelques années, puis continuer, donc il se peut que notre famille LaBrune est restée faire de la cultivation des années à l'Ohio avant de reprendre la route à Dubuque. Le fils aîné, George, s'est marié à Dubuque en 1846.  Peut-être il y est allé et puis a persuadé ses parents d'amener la famille là-bas. J'ai très peu d'information sur leur voyage.  En tout cas, en 1850 la famille était aux parages de Dubuque où elle est restée de nombreuses années. Ann est morte en 1868 et est enterrée dans le cimetière Catholique St. Joseph.  Lisez mon post antérieur sur Philip, mais il a disparu. Il est possible qu'il s'est déménagé à l'Ohio et s'est remarié après la mort d'Ann.

L'enfant aîné, George, s'est marié à Domathilde Breault à Dubuque en 1846. Elle est née à Montréal en 1826 et je suppose qu'elle avait un assez fort accent français parce que la plupart des traces écrites lui assignent les noms de Mathilda ou Martha ou Mary.  Ils ont élévé neuf enfants aux environs de Rickardsville: Mary (m. Peter Limoges), Celina (m. Casper Luchsinger), Josephine (m. John Liebold), Caroline (m. Amab Cousley), George Nicolas (m. Adeline Crevier), John B (resté célibataire), Joseph (m. Josephine Limoges, soeur cadette de Peter), Edmire (quelques fois dit Adeline m. Martin Cunningham), et Mathilda (m. John Schwind). Quelques uns des enfants se sont déménagés vers l'ouest à Sioux City et la Dakota Territory (Mary Limoges, Celina Luchsinger, George N. LaBrune, and Joseph LaBrune). Tôt dans leurs mariage, George et Martha étaient propriétaires d'une taverne sur la route des diligences qui traversait Rickardsville, mais tous les recensements disent qu'ils étaient fermiers.  George est mort en 1873.  Lorsque leur fille, Mathilda, s'est mariée en 1866, Martha est allée vivre avec elle à Dubuque. Martha est morte en 1914 et était enterrée à côté de George dans le cimetière St. Joseph à Rickardsville.

Trois des cings enfants dans la famille de Philip et Ann à l'Ohio ont disparu: un fils né en fin des années 1820s en France, Nicholas né vers 1831 en France (ce dernier était avec la famille dans le recensement de 1850 à l'Iowa, mais puis a disparu), et une fille née en fin des années 1830s en France.  Je continue à chercher des traces écrites d'eux.


Jean-Baptiste, le benjamin de la famille et le seul né aux E.U., s'est marié à Catherine Dooley, une voisine à Jefferson Township originaire de l'Irelande.  Jean-Baptiste a eu du succès comme fermier.  Ils ont élévé six enfants: John P (m. Elizabeth Rooney), Anastasia (m. James Hogan), Mary (morte à l'age de 19 ans), Daniel (resté célibataire), et Lydia (m. Frank Schirmer).  Trois autres enfants sont morts très jeunes: William (1 mois), Thomas (2 ans), et Josephine (3 ans).  Je crois que Lydia est née Lydia Maxwell, une voisine de la famille LaBrune, et était adoptée par eux après le décès de ses parents.  Anastasia s'est mariée à James Hogan à St. Louis, où ils ont élévé leur famille.  Le frère de Catherine Dooley LaBrune (mère d'Anastasia), William, était épicier prospère à St. Louis et sa femme était de la même famille que les Hogans.  Anastasia et James se sont fait leurs connaisances chez l'oncle William, sans doute. John, Daniel et Lydia sont restés aux environs de Dubuque.

LaBrune Update

I had a few LaBrunes floating around in my data that I've attached to our family.

Jean-Baptiste LaBrune was the youngest of, I believe, five children born to Philip and Ann LaBrune.  About their journey from their native France I know only that one of the children was born in the mid to late 1830s in France and Jean-Baptiste was born in Ohio after the 1840 census and that by 1850 the family, minus two of the kids, was in Dubuque, Iowa, a common destination for French immigrants. (Prior to the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, most of the land between the Mississippi River and the Rocky Mountains was French territory, though for a short time under Spanish control.  This land was largely undeveloped and unexplored, so the Mississippi River was the edge of wilderness, from the point of view of the United States.  There were many French trappers that settled in places like Dubuque along the Mississippi where they traded their pelts with the East.)  So the LaBrunes left France in the late 1830s, may have gone first to Quebec, and were making their way west to the French towns across the Mississippi.  Some of the kids with them may not have been their own (no names are given in the 1840 census) or may have married or settled somewhere along the way or may have perished.  My sense is that families that migrated west tended to settle in the east, then move on after a few years, so maybe they spent a few years farming in Ohio before deciding to move on to Dubuque.  The oldest son, George, married in Dubuque in 1846.  Perhaps he had gone ahead and persuaded his parents to bring the family.  There is very little information about their travel.  In any case, by 1850 they were in the Dubuque area where they remained for many years. Ann died in 1868 and is buried in St. Joseph's Catholic cemetery.  See my earlier post about Philip, but he disappeared.  It's possible he moved to Ohio and remarried after Ann's death.

Their oldest known child, George, married Domathilde Breault in Dubuque in 1846.  She was born in Montréal in 1826 and I assume she had a heavy French accent since most records name her Mathilda or Martha or Mary. They raised nine children in the Rickardsville area: Mary (m. Peter Limoges), Celina (m. Casper Luchsinger), Josephine (m. John Liebold), Caroline (m. Amab Cousley), George Nicolas (m. Adeline Crevier), John B (did not marry), Joseph (m. Josephine Limoges, younger sister to Peter), Edmire (aka Adeline m. Martin Cunningham), and Mathilda (m. John Schwind). Some of the kids moved west to the Sioux City area and to the nearby Dakota Territory (Mary Limoges, Celina Luchsinger, George N. LaBrune, and Joseph LaBrune). Early in their marriage, George and Martha operated a tavern on the stagecoach road through Rickardsville, but every census record lists George as a farmer. He passed away in 1873. When their daughter, Mathilda, married in 1886, Martha went to live with her in Dubuque, Martha passed away there in 1914 and was buried next to George at St. Joseph's Catholic cemetery in Rickardsville.

Three of the five children in Philip and Ann's family in Ohio disappeared: a son born in the late 1820s in France, Nicholas born in about 1831 in France, and a daughter born in the late 1830s in France.  I'm still looking for traces of them.

Jean-Baptiste, the youngest of the family and the only one born in the United States, married Catherine Dooley, an Irish-born neighbor in Jefferson township. Jean-Baptiste did well as a farmer there. They raised six children: John P (m. Elizabeth Rooney), Anastasia (m. James Hogan), Mary (died at the age of 19), Daniel, and Lydia (m. Frank Schirmer).  Three other children died as infants: William (1 month), Thomas (2 years), and Josephine (3 years).  We think that Lydia was born Lydia Maxwell, was a neighbor of the LaBrunes, and was adopted by them  after her parents passed away.  Anastasia married James Hogan in St. Louis, where they raised their family.  Catherine Dooley LaBrune's (Anastasia's mother) brother, William, was a successful grocer in St. Louis and was related to the Hogans.  Anastasia and James undoubtedly met at uncle William's house. John, Daniel and Lydia stayed in the Dubuque area.

Harriet Webber at St. Mary's College

Family history records note that Harriet Webber attended "St. Mary's College, Indiana".  I sent an inquiry to St. Mary's College in South Bend, Indiana, a sister school to the University of Notre Dame, from where Harriet's husband, John Cushing, graduated.  They found the above ledger for the school year 1904-05.  John graduated in 1906 and they married in September of that year.  The ledger reads:


Miss Harriet Webber, Cambridge, Nebraska p465

1904 Sept 28
To Entrance Fee 10.00     Board & Tuition 175.00     Piano 35.00                              220.00
" Harmony 10.00    Vocal 30.00     Dancing 5.00     Lectures & Concerts 5.00                50.00
" Library & Literary 2.00      P.M. afc 4.05     Rhetoric 1.20     Literature 1.25                 8.50
" Tablets .25     Ink .10     Veils 2.35   :   Extra Practice 20.00 :                                   22.70
" Art Embroidery 10.00    Arlo Bates 1.50     P.M. afc (a/c?) 93.80                              105.30
By Rhetoric 1.20     By Literature 1.25      By Cash 4.05      By Dft. (Oct. 5) 400.00                 406.50
By Dancing 5.00     By Absence 114.80     By Dft (April 6 -'05) 150.00                                   269.80

1905 Feb. 1
To Board & Tuition 175.00     Piano 35.00     Vocal 30.00     Ex. Pradisi 30.00           260.00
" Harmony 10.00    Library & Literary 2.00     Lectures & Concerts 5.00                       17.00
" Art Embroidery 10.00     T. Paper .25     Ink .10 :                                                   10.35
By P.M. ofc 17.55                                                                                                17.55

                                                                                                                                693.85   693.85


I'm looking for a history book to describe the school at this time.  I suspect that Harriet was not enrolled in a degree program.  Both she and John graduated from Cambridge High School in 1900.  I wonder where she was before and after the 1904-05 school year in South Bend?

Notes about ledger: Arlo Bates was a well known author and taught at MIT.  The credit for absence may mean that she withdrew before completing the year.

Photos of 1928 Party at Liberty Park, Sedalia, Kansas

Among the old photos I found recently were these from a party at Liberty Park in Sedalia, Missouri, for 4-year old Marie Donnelly.  The photos were labeled as shown.




















The children are: (1) Junior Klang (Archias), (2) Martha Jane Kenagy, (3) Martha Jane Jones, (4) Mary Margaret Cater, (5) Ruth Elaine Scruton, (6) Mary Lou Reid (McEmiry), (7) Betty Reid, (8) Genevieve Stanley, (9) Janet Stanley, (10) John Joe McGrath, (11 & 12) Charlotte & Mary Smith, (13) Mary McGrath and (seated on right end) Marie Donnelly.





















The children labeled in this second photo are: (1) Marie Donnelly, (2) Mary McGrath, (3) Martha Jane Kenagy, (4) Ruth Elaine Scruton, (5) Jimmie Keck, (6) Betty Trader, and (three standing, left to right) Eleanor Wormshoe, Mary Schrankler, and dorothy Bockelman.

In the 1930 census of Sedalia, I find Helen and Louise Donnelly (Marie's aunts), Arthur Klang, jr (parents Arthur and Elise Archias Klang), Martha Jones (parents Gilbert & Aphea), Mary M Cater (parents Fred & Alma), Elaine Scruton (13 yr old daughter ? of Ruth and Kelly), Mary Lou & Betty Reid (daughters of Joseph & Elizabeth), Genevieve & Janet Stanley (daughters of WP & Genevieve), John J & Mary McGrath (children of John & Katherine), Charlotte & Mary Smith (daughters of EA & Jeanne), James Keck (son of Oscar & Lydia), Betty Mae Trader (1940 census: daughter of Emmet & Dellamae) and Dorothy Bockelman (11 year old daughter of  Norman & Tropha).

Some Old St. Louis Photographs: Mr. & Mrs. Wm. Dooley

I came across some very old photographs recently.  Fortunately, two of them identified the subjects, relatives though not direct ancestors.  I'm trying to figure who these folks are.  All of the photos were taken in St. Louis, home of our Hogan ancestors and Dooley relatives.  Here's what I know so far.

 These first two are identified.  They are of Mr. and Mrs. William Dooley.  William Dooley was a successful grocer in St. Louis.  He immigrated in about 1850, and in 1863 married 25 year old Elizabeth Martin, also an Irish immigrant.  William Dooley was the brother of Catherine Dooley LaBrune, my great great grandmother.  Elizabeth Martin Dooley was the sister of Anastasia Martin Hogan, another great great grand-mother.  So they are not direct ancestors, but close relatives.

When were these photos taken?  Elizabeth died in 1881, so hers was taken earlier than that. Since they are no longer here to be offended by my guesses at their ages, my guess from the photos is that she was about 40 years old, and he 45.  From their dates of birth in 1838 and 1827, respectively, the photographs might have been taken in about 1878 and 1872.  Since the two photos are sequentially numbered, they were probably taken at the same time.

For more information, I googled  Scholten Photography in St. Louis and found two lists of historic photographers with helpful information. Early St. Louis Photographers lists photographers in St. Louis and their known dates of operation at given addresses. Their information places these photos between about 1863 and 1875. Langdon's List of 19th & Early 20th Century Photographers was not precise for these two photos.

Putting all of this information together, I'm guessing these photos were taken in about 1872, when Elizabeth and William were 34 and 45 years old, respectively.

Buchanans in Fort Covington

A previous post was about one of the Margaret Donnellys in our tree, a daughter of James and Mary A. Donnelly, originally in Waddington, New York, but then longtime residents of Burlington, Vermont.  Margaret's mother was Mary Buchanan, born in Fort Covington, Franklin co., New York.  I believe I found her family in the 1850 census in Fort Covington.  Her parents, John and Margaret, were both born in Ireland in about 1795.  From census and cemetery records, I've put a very sketchy story together until I can find more information.  Buchanan is a Scottish name, and almost all Buchanan's lived in northern Ireland, according to Matheson's surname study.  I believe I found John Buchanan buried in the Protestant Community Cemetery in Fort Covington, so the family was likely Episcopalian or Presbyterian.  It appears there were two sons born in the early '20s, and there may have been others that had moved out before I found the family in census records.  These children would have been born in Ireland or Canada. A daughter, Margaret, was born in New Brunswick in 1826, which may have been while the family was en route from Ireland to the United States.  The next child I know of, James, was born in New York in 1830.  Another son was born in the early 1830s, followed my Mary Buchanan (eventually Donnelly) in 1834.  Since Mary and James' daughters did not marry, and had no children, we are not directly related to anyone in this branch of the family.