10.
A. Benton Moses and Joseph Miles
at Connell's Prairie.
Submitted by Gary Reese
"Obituary," Pioneer and Democrat, November
2, 1855.
On Wednesday, October 31,1855, Colonel A. Benton Moses, Aid de Camp to
Captain Maurice Maloney, Colonel of the Militia District composed of
Pierce and Sawamish counties and U.S. Surveyor of Customs for the Port
of Nesqually, District of Puget Sound. He was born in Charleston,
South Carolina.
The subject of this notice is well known to the citizens of our
Territory where he has resided since the fall of 1851, and during the
whole of that period he has been more or less in official
positions. He enlisted as a volunteer in the Mexican war, and
served with credit on both the lines of General Taylor and Scott and
was promoted to a 1st Lieutenancy.
He served creditably under Lt. Colonel, now U.S. Senator Weller,
in the battle of Monterey; then in the fight at Marin, and afterwards
on the other lines as Aid de camp to Brig. General Childs, U.S.A.
by whom he was highly esteemed.
He came to California in 1849 and while there went on an expedition to
Southern California against the Indians; and on his return to San
Francisco was a Deputy to Colonel Jack Hays, sheriff of San Francisco,
until the fall of 1851 when he accompanied his brother, the Collector
of Customs to Olympia, then Oregon.
That winter he was one of the volunteers to Queen Charlotte's
Island to rescue the crew and passengers of the American sloop
Georgians from captivity, on that Island. He afterwards held the
office of sheriff of Thurston County, which he resigned to accept the
office Surveyor of Nesqually.
He leaves a young widow, a mother, sisters to mourn his untimely sudden
end, and a numerous circle of friends. He was so generally known
in this community, that it is needless to give his
character¬istics. We may say that the regret at his loss, too
well betokens the regard of the many friends his frank, manly and
generous nature secured for him.
At the same time, and in the same treacherous surprise on the part of a
greatly larger force, Joseph Miles, Esq. a member of Capt. Hays
company of Puget Sound Mounted Volunteers, met his fate, by a bullet
shot through his neck, his body being found by Major Tidd some fifteen
paces from the spot where he had been seen alive.
At the time of his death, he held the office of Lieutenant Colonel of
the Militia of Thurston County and Justice of the Peace of Olympia, to
both which offices he had been elected by large majorities at the late
general election.
Lt. Col. Miles had lived in Olympia very nearly two years, and
was among the first to respond to the call of the Executive for
volunteers. At that time he with his brother, was engaged in the
erection of the Capitol. He was a good citizen and a useful man
in our community, and leaves a large circle of acquaintances and
friends to mourn his untimely loss.
To his brother, and his family at home we extend the assurance of our
sympathy in this bereavement. We can but remind them in these
melancholy occurrences, what tradition and education so potently teach
us all, that death in our country's service is holy martyrdom, that
there is no holier appeal to man's sympathies and regard, than to
pursue as our guide star that beautiful precept:
"Stand firm for your country, and become a man,
Honor'd and lov'd: It were a noble life,
To be found dead embracing her."
"Obituary," Pioneer and Democrat. November 2,1855
A. BENTON
MOSES.
Mrs. John G. Parker, "Pioneer reminiscences of Mrs. John G. Parker,"
Early History of Thurston County, Washington. compiled and edited by
Mrs. George E. Blankenship. Olympia, Washington, 1914.
p. 95-106.
"My cousin Sarah by this time was married to young A. Benton Moses and
was living in Olympia also. When the Indian war broke out Mr. Moses was
one of the first white men to lose his life by the Indians. He was
killed out on Connells Prairie while in company with a small body of
men who were going to join the volunteers. The others were obliged to
flee for their own lives and leave the poor Tad there on the prairie.
"He was wounded but not killed outright. When he fell from his horse he
begged his companions to save themselves and sent a loving message to
his young girl bride. A few days later Tom Prather and a small company
of men went out and brought the body back to Olympia.
"Never will I forget the tragedy of that funeral. Besides Mr. Moses
there were the bodies of Lieutenant McAllister and Col. Miles, who were
also killed at the same time. These bodies, placed in rude coffins,
were placed in one of the two wagons in the settlement. In the other
wagon rode Sarah. Mrs. Cock and myself, the men walking in a procession
behind the wagons.
"Our wagon Was without springs of any kind and such as are used to haul
dirt in. There were no seats and only some boards laid across the bed.
Several times these boards slipped off arid let the mourners down in
the bottom of the wagon bed.
"The day was dark and dreary and the road but little more than a rough
trail. It was a terrible experience. To do honor to the brave boys who
had lost their lives in the attempt to protect others, the citizens
decided that a military funeral was proper, so music must be included.
This consisted of a drum and fife. As we wended our way out to the
graveyard over and over again did this drum and fife sound out the
strains of, `The Girl I Left Behind Me.'
That was the only tune they could play and they did the best they
could, but I thought Sarah's heart would surely break. The graveyard
was the one out on the road leading to what is now Little Rock, near
Belmore. Here the three graves were made close to the road, side by
side.
And here soon after was laid the remains of Charles H. Mason, the first
Secretary of the Territory, a gallant young man of good family, who
died of fever when only 29 years of age. I think the Thurston County
Historical Society could do no better work than mark the last resting
place of these heroes of the Indian war.
Mrs. John G. Parker, "Pioneer reminiscences of Mrs. John G.
Parker," Early History of Thurston County, Washington. compiled
and edited by Mrs. George E. Blankenship. Olympia, Washington, 1914. p.
95-106.