William C Thompson Research

Date: 1835 to 1910
Location: Indian Territory, United States
Surnames/tags: Thompson Mount_Tabor Choctaw

This page was created to preserve the original profile for William C. Thompson. It was much too lengthy to serve the intended purpose of a WikiTree biography as a genealogical outline, yet the detail may be of interest to those who wish to thoroughly research the person and events.

Return to William Clyde Thompson Profile

---

CAPT. WILLIAM C. THOMPSON. One of the first settlers and the second merchant at Marlow was Capt. William C. Thompson, who during a long-and active life of nearly seventy years has been distinguished by varied and some very noteworthy activities. Material success has not been steadily in his favor, and when he came into the Chickasaw Nation, crossing Red river on November 25, 1887, he had experienced such vicissitudes on the Texas ranges that he was reduced to the necessity of beginning all over again. He lived about Ardmore for several years, without finding substantial gain, and on May 1, 1891, reached the town site of Marlow. With the help of his friend, Rube Hardy, he engaged in selling goods in a small building that stood about six hundred yards from his present residence. Times were good and conditions favorable, and he found himself moving toward prosperity. Business conditions demanded larger quarters, and he built a store room on Main street in which he conducted his business until 1895, when he sold out and engaged in other pursuits.

Captain Thompson has the distinction of being one of the oldest native residents of Oklahoma. He was born at old Fort Towson, in southeastern Indian Territory, February 6, 1839, of parents who had emigrated thither the year before from Mississippi, and who died the year following the father in August, and the mother in September. The parents were of Choctaw stock, mixed blood and the father was a "run-away boy" to Mississippi, probably from Texas. He was about twenty-five years old at death. His wife was Elizabeth, daughter of James Mangum. They had two children, William C. being the younger. Arthur J. was a Confederate soldier, enlisted from Covington County, Mississippi, and lost a leg near the old "gin house" at the battle of Franklin. After the war he served several years as a county official. He died at the mouth of Washita river in the Chickasaw Nation.

Both brothers had been taken to Mississippi after the death of their parents, and in Simpson County grew up on a farm, getting very little education in the meantime. Nine months' schooling would sum up William C.'s advantages. He was a young man when the war came on and responded to patriotism's call by enlisting in the Simpson Fencibles as a private. His first battle was Shiloh, and though he was wounded while charging the first fortifications there he was back with his command in two days and was elected captain of his company. At the fight at Fort Gibson in May, 1863, his skull was fractured by a shrapnel, and he was in the hospital for some time before able to rejoin his command. He then took part in the Atlanta campaign. At Peach Tree Creek his company (H), being detailed to support Cowman's battery, encountered a regiment of federals well posted, and without hesitation charged them with bayonets and captured forty-seven. He was also at Resaca and other conflicts during and before the siege of Atlanta, From Atlanta he accompanied Hood back to Tennessee, and at the battle of Franklin was shot in the thigh and captured. He was taken to the prison hospital at Nashville, and was not again on duty during the war. In the meantime he had received promotion to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel of a Mississippi regiment, formed by consolidation of the Sixth and Twentieth regiments.

While in prison Captain Thompson received remarkable proof of the fraternity of men, even when divided by the issues of war. When he was taken to the federal hospital he wore the Masonic emblem of the square and compass. A federal soldier gave him the fraternal recognition, and took charge of his personal possessions, including pocket knife, gold pen, the Masonic emblem and four thousand dollars in Confederate money. The superiority of the fraternal power over military rules was given proof in several ways during his confinement in the hospital. The prison fare consisted of a weak meat broth served twice a day in a cup. His fraternity brother smuggled in rations of cheese and crackers, concealing them in his sleeve, and the prisoner ate them with head covered to prevent detection and exposure of his friend. Through the same friendships Captain Thompson's brother, who was also a prisoner, was placed in the same ward, where he could benefit by similar attention from their Union friend. On one occasion a fire threatened to destroy the hospital and all its crippled inmates, but here again the federal soldier proved true to his friends and stood ready to carry them out of danger as soon as the fire should come too near. Finally, when ordered to another point to be exchanged, Captain Thompson had all his personal effects returned to him. In token of the sincere gratitude that he felt for his fraternity brother the Captain gave him the gold pen and the badge as mementos of their relations, and he parted from that splendid soldier of the Ninety-Second Indiana with pledges that no bonds of loyalty to country could restrain him from offering assistance to such a friend when in need.

From Nashville, Captain Thompson was sent to Camp Chase, Ohio, thence to Baltimore, and by boat to Richmond, where he was paroled a short time before the close of the war. He reached home June 1, 1865, and began preparations to move in order to be near family in Texas. With a yoke of steers and a wagon and his wardrobe in an old trunk, he made his way across the state of Louisiana to Dallas county, Texas, where he arrived in December, 1865. His educational training, gathered largely in the field of personal effort, made him competent, according to the standards of the time, to teach school, and he taught one term near Lancaster. He spent some time in Cherokee and Rusk counties, and in Trinity county began farming and stock raising. While in the latter county he was elected the second probate clerk of the county, and later to the office of probate judge, and on retiring from office continued his farming until May, 1878, when he moved into Palo Pinto county, which was then on the western border of Texas. In Parker county he was engaged for a time in merchandising: and milling, and it was in the dry years of 1886 and 1887, which were also a period of financial distress, that he suffered such serious business reverses as to be reduced almost to poverty. He encountered adversity with courage, however, and in the following year entered the Chickasaw Nation to begin all over again. Captain Thompson, being of Choctaw and Chickasaw stock, succeeded in 1905 in establishing his claim to being placed on the citizenship rolls, but in March, 1906, his name was stricken from the rolls by Secretary Hitchcock on the opinion rendered by Attorney General Bonaparte. Mr. Thompson then went to Washington and began suit in the court of the District of Columbia to compel the secretary to reinstate him, and on June 27th of that year judgment was rendered in his favor. He selected his land near the town of Marlow, and his time is now devoted to his real estate interests and to his duties as justice of the peace of Marlow township. His Democratic friends made him mayor of the town of Marlow in 1901, and whether in or out of office he is always ready to support in substantial manner anything that promotes the welfare of town, county or state. Captain Thompson was married in Trinity county, Texas, May 29, 1867, to Miss Sarah S. Estes, daughter of Thomas J. Estes, who came to Texas from Alabama in 1854. They have three children: Mrs. Mary M. McNees of Marlow; Arthur M., a leading merchant of Marlow; and William C., Jr., a farmer of Stephens county. Captain Thompson became a member of the Masonic fraternity at Mt. Olive, Mississippi, April 16, 1862.^[1]

W.C. Thompson's family was part of an Indian group known as the Mount Tabor Indian Community in east Texas. He along with his cousin John Thurston Thompson Jr, were elected by the family to represent the interests of those relocating to the Chickasaw Nation. His perseverance in fighting the decisions of Secretary Hitchcock resulted in more than 70 Texas Choctaws (Yowani) being admitted as Choctaw by Blood on the Dawes Roll.^[2]

Captain William Clyde Thompson was a Texas Choctaw leader who rallied against the Dawes Commission for Choctaw enrollment. He was born in 1839 near Fort Towson in the Choctaw Nation.

William C. Thompson was born on February 6, 1839 at Fort Towson, Choctaw Nation. He was the son of William Thompson, who was one-fourth Choctaw and one-eighth Chickasaw, and Elizabeth Jones Mangum who was also one-eighth Choctaw, the great granddaughter of Nashoba. His family were part of the Yowani Choctaws, originally from the village of Yowani Indians east of the Chickasawhay River near present day Shubuta, Clarke County, Mississippi. Many of the Yowani's moved west into Louisiana and Texas, taking on the customs of their neighbors, to the point that many scholars have included the Yowani Choctaws as a part of the Caddo Confederacy, while others became part of the leadership of the Koasati or Coushatta a former part of the Creek Confederacy. It was this same Choctaw group that were listed as part of the Cherokees and Twelve Associated Tribes, in the Treaty of Bowles Village between the tribes and the Republic of Texas, concluded on February 23, 1836.

William was descended paternally from Atahobia (c.1750-c.1824)a full blood Choctaw who was at one time the husband of Sally McCoy[3] a half blood Chickasaw and later wife of Chickasaw leader Major James Colbert (1768–1842). Atahobia was one, if not the primary leader of the Yowani's who moved into Texas following their petition of the Mexican government for permission to settle in the province in 1824. Prior to this, Atahobia was a signer of the Treaty of Doak's Stand in 1820, as one of the Chiefs and Headmen of the Choctaw.^[3]

Ella Brown sent the below in Mar 2008. Thanks! (and see below for her Feb 2010 addition)

William Candace Thompson--- -- married Sarah S Estes 29 May 1867 in Sumpter, Trinity County, Texas. She was b. 03 May 1838 in Georgia or Alabama and d. 07 Feb 1924 in Marlow, Oklahoma

William's life is well documented from census records and the sources listed below. He had moved from Mississippi to Texas about 1865 and he and Sarah had three children in Trinity County before they left in 1878 for other locations in Texas and Indian Territory. Their locations and length of stay is noted under the testimony of their daughter Mary Marie Thompson.

The Winburn Jones and William Thompson family connection is clearly shown in the record --- Office of the Assistant Attorney General Washington, D.C. March 3, 1905 - noted under James Jones b. 1760

Sources: 1. His reminiscences of his Civil War service compiled and edited by his grandnephew, William R. Thompson Jr. of Washington D.C in 1964-65: Civil War Times Illustrated Oct. 1964- Part 1-- William Candace Thompson From Shiloh to Port Gibson Pages 20-25 ( ** this battle was in Mississippi, not Fort Gibson in Indian Territory) -- and Civil War Times Illustrated Feb. 1965 Part II - The Thompson Memoirs- pages 40-44

2. Civil War Veterans Buried in Stephens County, Oklahoma by David Smith: Thompson, William Candace b.2/6/1839; d.10/6/1912. CSA 6th Mississippi Infantry Regiment, Co. H; Captain

3. [4] A History of The State of Oklahoma by Luther Hill-- 1908--page 239-242 Capt. William C. Thompson

4. History of Indian Territory by D.C. Gideon-1901 pg. 534-535-536 Captain W. C. Thompson

5. William C Thompson vs Choctaw Nation-Winburn Jones vs Choctaw Nation

William C Thompson and Winburn B Jones had both applied and been accepted for Citizenship in Indian Territory. They were never notified that they had been stricken from the rolls so they did not file an appeal by the required deadline. They were among many other Chickasaw and Choctaw families who found themselves in the same situation and also hired lawyers for different suits against the Chickasaw and Choctaw Nation. It was the result of the decision of the Supreme Court of John E Goldsy argued October 15, 16, 1908 and decided November 30, 1908 that caused a ripple effect of many of these families to be reinstated. William and Winburn were not related to the Goldsy family but they were reinstated because of the decision of this Supreme Court case and were notified on February 19, 1909.

Department of the Interior, Washington February 19, 1909 File-5-51 in the file of Winburn Jones The Commissioner to the Five Civilized Tribes, Muskogee, Oklahoma.

Sir: Pursuant to the policy adopted by the Department in its letter of January 19, 1909 (file 5-51), to prevent unnecessary litigation in all citizenship cases falling under the principles announced in the decision rendered by the Supreme Court of the United States November 30, 1908, in the case of John E. Goldsby v. James Rudolph Garfield, Secretary of the Interior, your are authorized and directed to erase the interlineations and notations purporting to cancel from the approved rolls in our custody of the following names of citizens by-blood and intermarriage of Choctaw Nations.

Family of Winburn Jones et all

Department of the Interior, Washington February 19, 1909 File-5-51 in the file of William C Thompson The Commissioner to the Five Civilized Tribes, Muskogee, Oklahoma.

Sir: Pursuant to the policy adopted by the Department in its letter of January 19, 1909 (file 5-51), to prevent unnecessary litigation in all citizenship cases falling under the principles announced in the decision rendered by the Supreme Court of the United States November 30, 1908, in the case of John E. Goldsby v. James Rudolph Garfield, Secretary of the Interior, your are authorized and directed to erase the interlineations and notations purporting to cancel from the approved rolls in our custody of the following names of citizens by-blood and intermarriage of Choctaw Nations. Family of William C Thompson et all

1. Mary Marie4 Thompson was born Mar 1868 in Trinity County, Texas, and died Aft. 1910. She married William G McNeese abt. 1890 in Indian Territory. He was born 1868 in Tennessee, and died Bef. 1910. Department of the Interior-Commission to the Five Civilized Tribes Muskogee, I.T. July 30, 1900 She states her name is Mary M McNeese 32 years old She states that her father is William C Thompson, Sr. and she lives in Marlow The question of place and length of residence was answered: She has lived in Indian Territory 12 years. She lived in Marlow seven years (now Stephens County, Okla.) Before Marlow-------- Wynnewood 3years (now Garvin County, Okla.) Before Wynnewood---Ardmore about 1 ½ years (now Carter County, Okla.) Before Ardmore-----Leon, Chickasaw Nation 6months (now Love County, Okla) Before Ardmore----Witt, Texas about 8 years (now Parker County, Texas) Before Witt, Texas----Pennington, Texas 10 years (Trinity County, Texas) How long did you live in Pennington---10 years- that is all my life You were born in Pennington Texas then?----Yes Sir.

Children of Mary Thompson and William McNeese are: 1.Harold Graham McNeese-- was born 15 Dec 1891 Wynnewood, now Garvin County, Oklahoma. 2. Marcellus Milwee McNeese was born 13 Feb 1903 Marlow, Indian Territory

2. Arthur Marcellus Thompson was born Jul 1869 in Trinity County, Texas, and died 1926 in Marlow, Stephens County, Oklahoma

3. William Candus Thompson was born 08 Nov 1875 in Trinity County, Texas, and died 13 Apr 1921 in Marlow, Stephens County, Okla.

Notes for William Candus Thompson: World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 Results His name is listed as William Candus Thompson and signed as William Candus Thompson He is listed on Indian records as William C Thompson, Jr. The spelling of middle name Candus is different from Candace of his father

In Feb 2010 Ella added more information:

· ID: I16994 : William Thompson b. 1811 in Miss. or Tenn. d. August 31, 1840 Ft Towson, I.T. married About 1836 in Simpson or Rankin County, Mississippi · ID: I16993 Elizabeth Mangum b. Abt. 1813 Miss. d. 01 Sep 1840 Ft. Towson I.T.

This information is included in the long and detailed file of William C Thompson vs Choctaw Nation.

The actual images of the Dawes records that are now on footnote.com.- through subscription.

They had 3 children.

· ID: I16995 : Arthur J. Thompson b. 1837 in Mississippi d. 1883 Colbert, I.T.

· ID: I16996 William Candace Thompson b. 6 FEB 1839 in Ft. Towson, Choctaw Nation, IT

Mary Thompson b. Jun 1840 Ft. Towson, I.T. d. 02 Sep 1840 Ft. Towson, Choctaw Nation I.T.

Dawes Packet under William C Thompson--1905

William C Thompson and other relatives who claim descent from Margaret McCoy, Ann Jones, Jim Jones, and William Thompson Sr.--application was given to Col Ward, U S agent, Choctaw agency and never recorded.

A History of The State of Oklahoma by Luther Hill--page 239-242

CAPT. WILLIAM C. THOMPSON He was born at old Fort Towson, in southeastern Indian Territory, February 6, 1839, of parents who had emigrated there the year before from Simpson county, Mississippi, and who died the year following the father in August, and the mother in September. The parents were of Choctaw stock, mixed blood and the father was a "run-away boy" to Mississippi, probably from Tennessee. He was about twenty-five years old at death. His wife was Elizabeth, daughter of James Mangum.

Land records: Mississippi State and Territorial Census Collection, 1792-1866 > 1837 > Simpson

William W Thompson Jan 20, 1837 1 male 21-47 1 female over 16

William Thompson Mississippi 6 Apr 1837 Choctaw Rankin 4-N 1-E 22

Hiram Jones Mississippi 10 Dec 1840 Choctaw Meridian Rankin County 4-N 3-E 34

"In all of the files of William C Thompson vs Choctaw Nation there is documentation of his grandparents Henry Thompson white man and Margaret McCoy ½ Choctaw 1/2 white, and there is no mention of Henry and Margaret's ancestors and no mention of Robeson County North Carolina.

William C Thompson is documented as William Candace Thompson:

"1. From Shiloh to Port Gibson and The Thompson Memoirs Part II William Candace Thompson: His reminiscences of his war service compiled and edited by his Grandnephew William Robert Thompson Jr. of Washington DC (This was Port Gibson in Mississippi-- not Fort Gibson Indian Territory )

"2. Wikipedia--, the free encyclopedia William Clyde Thompson : Mount Tabor Indian

A direct descendant of William Candace Thompson posted a correction of his name in the (talk) discussion of the article. "The Name on the article William Clyde Thompson is wrong, His name was William Candace Thompson. He was my wife's great grandfather and all our records, his Bible and personal papers all state Candace as his middle name."

William c Thompson vs Choctaw Nation and his children may be found on fold3.com. They were gone from Trinity County about 1878 and their travel can be found in the record of his daughter who married Wiliam G McNeese. Census records etc. show a conflict of the information you have given for the McNeese children. ^[4]

"I believe this does show that William Candace Thompson is the same person as William C Thompson in the Dawes records and he does belong to this family."^[5]

Contents 1 Event 2 Burial 3 Sources 3.1 Acknowledgments

Event

Tribe Choctaw-Chickasaw

Event: Dawes Roll Number Choctaw-15995 Event: Title (Facts Pg) Chief of the Choctaws of the Mount Tabor Indian Community 1872-1893 Event: Title (Facts Pg) Leader of the Texas Choctaws in the Chickasaw Nation 1893-1912 Event: Title (Facts Pg) AFT 1866 Circuit Judge Parker County, Texas after Civil War Event: Title (Facts Pg) ABT 1900 Mayor of Marlow, Pickens County, Chickasaw Nation (Stephens County, Oklahoma) before statehood Event: Enrollment 1896 Listed on Choctaw Census Roll of 1896 as a Choctaw living in the Chickasaw Nation

Burial

Marlow Cemetery

Marlow

Stephens County

Oklahoma^[6]

Sources

1. ↑ "A History of the State of Oklahoma" 1908 by Luther Hill
2. ↑ J. C. Thompson [1]
3. ↑ Wikipedia [2]
4. ↑ Ella Brown, op. cit., in Oct 2011
5. ↑ Stevens, Marshall, Mitchell, Washington and other Families by Pat M Stevens IV [3]
6. ↑ Find A Grave: Memorial #24128292

• FAMILY TIES by J. C. Thompson [5]
• Staff Writer. "Famous Native Americans in History". NativeAmericans.com. [6] Retrieved 2008-07-07.
• Charles Thompson. "William C. Thompson et al. vs. Choctaw Nation". Thompson-Choctaw Indian Descendants Association. [7] Retrieved 2008-07-07.
• The Handbook of Texas Online: Yowani Indians, Margery H. Krieger, [8]
• Republic of Texas Treaties; Treaty of Bowles Village February 23, 1836, Texas State Historical Society, Austin, Texas
• Some East Texas Native Families: Texas Cherokees and Associate Bands Genealogy Project: Rootsweb Global Search: Familyties [9]
• 1818 Partial Chickasaw annuity roll, listing Sally McCoy #22; K.M. Armstrong
• Texas by Terán By Manuel de Mier y Teran, Jack Jackson, John Wheat, Scooter Cheatham, Lynn Marshall
• United States-Choctaw Treaties: Treaty of Doaks Stand October 18, 1820, National Archives, Fort Worth, Texas
• Texas Indian Papers 1835-1845, Texas State Archives, Austin, Texas
• Treaty of Birds Fort September 29, 1843, Texas State Historical Society, Austin, Texas
• Cecil Lee Pinkston-Vinson interviews (verification of Chicken Trotter as the Indian name of Devireaux Jarett Bell) with Daisy Starr, Kilgore, Texas, August 22, 1967, Mack Starr September 14, 1967 and George M. Bell Sr. September 17, 1967. Summer of 1963 survey of memorial markers of Mount Tabor Indian Cemetery (Rusk County, Texas) by Roy and Cecil Vinson. Headstone of Jarrett Bell showed the name "Chief Chicken Trotter" at the bottom of stone. Note: stone was gone in 1967 survey and is noted as gone by George Morrison Bell Sr. in 1969 in his book Genealogy of Old and New Cherokee Families
• William C. Thompson and the Choctaw-Chickasaw Paper Chase by Dr. Douglas Hale, Oklahoma State University
• William C. Thompson, et al. vs. Choctaw Nation, MCR File 341, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Muskogee, Oklahoma;
• D.C. Gideon, Indian Territory.. .1901, pg. 534;
• William C. Thompson and the Choctaw-Chickasaw Paper Chase by Dr. Douglas Hale, Oklahoma State University;
• 1896 Choctaw Census; Department of the Interior, Office of Indian Affairs correspondence between A.C. Tonner, Acting Commissioner for the Dawes Commission, and the Secretary of the Interior, April 29, 1904;
• ref. Land 25846-1904-Oklahoma Historical Society;
• Choctaw Reinstatement list, correspondence from the Department of the Interior to the Commissioner of the Five Civilized Tribes, February 20, 1909
• Choctaw Dawes Roll # 15995 (reinstatement list)

Acknowledgments

Thank you to Scott Ledbetter for creating WikiTree profile Thompson-11711 through the import of Ledbetter01.ged on Jun 8, 2013. Click to the Changes page for the details of edits by Scott and others.