Camp Leedy, Topeka, Kansas, Spanish American War

50 Wedding Anniversary

Manhattan Republic
Manhattan, Kansas · Wednesday, March 17, 1954

Obituary

Charles Allen and B.F. Palmer info from Sunset Cemetery Tour
Charles Allen
• Charles Bowker Allen (known as Charlie) was the son of Ashel (A-Sill) and Chestina Bowker Allen. The Ashel Allen family came to Kansas in 1854 as part of the New England Emigrant Aid Society colony that was going to Lawrence and points west. The family included 19 year old William F. 19 year old Charlie, 15 year old Henrietta, 9 year old Abbie, and 8 year old John. The Allens first settled on the Wildcat Creek in Riley County but shortly moved to a place one mile east of Manhattan on the north side of the Kansas River. (Today as you go out Highway 24 toward Wamego, on the right there is an old stone house. That is the stone house the Allen family built about 1870 to replace their original cabin.
• A-Sill had been a cloth finisher in New Hampshire and a rubber worker in the Boston area before coming to Kansas. He was something of an adventurer and had gone to California in 1849 and stayed for 2 years. He made some money there but was cheated by a bogus investment on his return. The Allens were ardent abolitionists and the financial loss, looking for new opportunities and their absolution sentiments may have influenced their coming to Kansas.
• Sons William, Charlie and John worked as farmers, stonemasons and ferrymen after arriving in Kansas. All three served in the Civil War. All three served in Company B of the Second Kansas Cavalry. John also joined the 11th Kansas Cavalry. All of the Allen boys participated in the battle of Wilson’s Creek in 1861.
• William wrote his parents about Wilsons Creek August 19, 1861. He said:
“You have no doubt heard of our march of 60 miles from Camp Sigle to Forsyth with about 1,000 men making the march in three days through rain over the roughest road I ever saw, wading streams that took us to the middle with our clothes on, and the latter part of the day charging the town driving out the three or four hundred Secessionists that were in it, killing seven taking one prisoner without losing a man. Next day we commenced our return, and a four day march of 60 miles found us encamped 12 miles west of Springfield at Camp Lyon. The first of August found us on another march of 30 miles in a southerly direction to attack a large body of rebels whom we found on the second day, we forming a line of battle and a body from 400 to 1,000 strong marching to attack us. After a few rounds from our artillery and a charge from 20 of our cavalry they retreated, losing over 100 killed and wounded. Our loss was but four killed and a small number wounded. Next day we made a march of four or five miles further on, coming in sight of a few cavalry pursued them to their headquarters, of which we took possession and our company went out on a skirmishing expedition of a mile further, where I got my first shot at a Success., with what effect I could not tell. Next day we started back for Springfield, which we reached the latter part of the third day. Here we remained until the 11th

inst., meanwhile being busily occupied, I barely getting time to wash two shirts, a pair of pants, and pair of socks.
William goes on to describe the rest of the action, including the death of General Lyon. He quoted General Sturgis as saying if he wanted to storm hell, he would take the 2nd Kansas with him. Their company had no one killed and only William was hit with a bullet. William was wounded just above the knee, as he described it “breaking off the skin a little and making it black and blue about the size of a dollar.”
• All three of the Allen boys survived the Civil War and returned to Manhattan.
• In 1864 Charlie married a woman named Emma in Leavenworth. Evidently she abandoned him and in 1869 he divorced her.
• Did she leave Charlie because of this drinking? I do not know but according to family stories, Charlie took up drinking in the Army. (Because he was a well-known stonemason, it makes me wonder if the was the stonemason who neglected to finish Julia Whitehorns marker, but who knows.) By 1873 he had met Emma Strasser and reputedly she promised to marry him if he quit drinking. They were married August 16, 1873.
• Emma and Charlie had three children: Gilbert born in 1874, Frank born in 1877 and Emma born in 1878. Two days after little Emma’s birth her mother died of milk fever. Charlie was left with three small children to take care of. His parents and his sister stepped in to help him.
• In 1888 Charlie married Minnie H. Palmer. Charlie was 58 and Minnie was 28 at the time of their marriage.
• Drink evidently continued to be a problem for Charlie because in the 1890’s he took the Keely Cure in Topeka. (I am not sure if the cure took, but he was a prominent member of the Keeley Club in Manhattan after he took the cure. Brother John A. Allen was a very active leader statewide in the prohibition movement, and I have always wondered if Brother Charlie’s problems gave him his interest.
• Minnie and Charlie had a daughter named Gertrude in 1889. Charlie built the family a house at 609 Moro and for a time his two sons, Gilbert and Frank lived with their father and stepmother. Gilbert was evidently a very even tempered young man and he managed to get along with his new stepmother, who was very strict. Frank was much more independent and he did not get along with Minnie, so by about age 12 Frank began working for area farmers for room and board. Frank quit school after the sixth grade.
• At Christmas in 1895, Gilbert Allen ate some Christmas turkey that had set out too long. The food poisoning caused a stomach hemorrhage and he died December 26, 1895. Step mother Minnie was overcome with grief believing she had killed Gilbert and the family feared she would also die. But she survived and eventually her relationship with Frank improved. Frank served in the Spanish American War and then returned to work on farms in the Manhattan area.

Frank’s son later wrote about Charlie’s death:
• One hot day in July 1899 Frank received word in the field where he was working to come immediately that his Father Charlie was gravely ill and with every hour that passed he was becoming worse. The Doctors gave him no hope for recovery. Frank thought that someone must be playing a very dirty trick on him for only that very morning he had spoken with his Father and Charlie had told him he had planned to drive some hogs to market. But when Frank entered his Father’s house in town, He knew it was no joke, for he found his step mother completely out of control with her tears, even worse that when Gilbert died suddenly. Frank learned what had taken place from the Doctor. It seems his father had indeed planned on taking hogs to market that day, in spite of the terrific, sweltering heat. While driving the hogs, Charles had become extremely warm, and to cool himself, he pumped some very cold water from the well and began to bathe in it. At first, it felt almost too cold for his warm body, but soon he became used to it and it felt relaxing. As he planned it was cooking him. But then he began to feel ill, and could hardly climb from the tub to his bed, where he began to shake violently with chills. Even though Minnie plied warm blankets on him, he could not stop shaking. When the Doctor was summoned, he explained to Minnie what happened. The cold well water combined with Charle’s overheated body caused (his temperature) to drop too rapidly and the sudden shock was too great. Before the day (July 23, 1899) was over, Charles Bowker Allen was dead.
• A.J. Pillsbury wrote about Charlie Allen:
“Charley Allen was another, kindly and good workman in stone, but now and again the craving came upon him like horsemen with chariots of fire and put all his good resolutions to rout. After my first absence for 12 years I saw him. He looked well and younger than I, although really much older. I went on East for a few weeks and on my return Charley Allen was not more. He had consumed too much ice water while at work in the heat of the day and it had killed him. What an irony in that fate!”
• Son Frank Allen went on to work for Riley County on their roads crew and Allen Road in Manhattan is named for him and his family.
Benjamin F. Palmer
• Charlie Allen’s father in law Benjamin F. Palmer (Minnie’s Dad) is buried right here.
• B.F. Palmer was born in 1830.
• Benjamin Franklin Palmer was in Manhattan by 1856 because he married Hannah Nifort here August 31 of that year.
• He served in Ohio 2nd Infantry. (I am not sure why with Ohio.) I think this group participated in the first battle at Bull Run, at Perryville, Stones River, Hoover’s Gap, Chickamauga, Chattanooga, Lookout Mountain, Missionary Ridge, Atlanta, and others. I am not totally sure how much of this action B.F. Palmer saw.

• By 1865 B.F. (who I think might have gone by “Franklin” and his wife Hannah, had two sons Hiram b. ca. 1858, and Mahlon b. ca. 1863 and daughter Minnie, b. ca. 1861. The family went on to have 4 more children, 2 sons and 2 daughters. He was a laborer or later a mechanic.
• In 1866 B.F. Palmer was serving as a Manhattan City Commissioner, but he was expelled from the Commission for coming to a Commission meeting drunk. I do not think he was active in politics after that.
• B.F. Palmer’s wife Hannah died in 1884 and he married Jane Payne. B.F. Palmer died January 22, 1891. Jane died in 1913.

Camp Leedy, Topeka, Kansas, Spanish American War