Brothers Three Dan, Wesley and Benjamin Franklin Donathan were brothers of Irish descent. They may or may not have been born in Ireland, but their parents were born there. The three brothers came to America from Germany, and it is said that they stowed away on a ship to get here. Wesley parted company with his brothers and it is thought that he went to Texas. Dan and Ben settled in Alabama. Ben married and all his children were born in Alabama, and he then moved on to Magazine, Ark. area. Dan stayed in Alabama as Sheriff of Franklin County and is said to have been killed in an arrest of some horse thieves. Ben was born in 1810 and was in his teens when the brothers came to America. Ben was a Cumberland Presbyterian Preacher, as well as a farmer and slave holder. Ben was killed on Sugar Creek, south east of Booneville, reportedly by 17 bushwhackers who jumped him and a son (Jerry), along with the son's family. Emma, Jerry's daughter said that they were moving Jerry's family to Texas to get them out of such a dangerous area. Jerry's wife, Mary, and a Negro housekeeper were with them, along with Jerry's baby, who was being carried by the housekeeper on a horse. Ben told the others to run and save themselves if they could, which they did. The bushwhackers caught the horses being ridden by Mary and the housekeeper, ordered Mary off her horse, and just knocked the housekeeper off hers, took the horses and left. They had killed Ben when they first rode up. Jerry is said to have killed all 17 men involved, carving a notch on his rifle for each one as he got them. It is not known just when Jerry did this, but Ben was buried by either his slaves or the women (we have different stories on this point), on a bluff overlooking the area where he was killed. The spot later became a cemetery. The Masonic Lodge placed a Masonic headstone over Ben's grave after the war. These were not the first Donathans in America, as we have found records of several earlier ones. One record found mentions one here in 1677. It is thought that these earlier Donathans were close relatives. Donathan Legends and Facts Why "legends and facts"? The great thing that adds flavor to history is the gathering of stories handed down from person to person without the benefit of written proof. Such stories are often "flavored" with fanciful additions in the telling, even though the basic story is true. Some of the legends that we will relate may therefore have questionable details, but we like to share them anyway. Following are a few word-of-mouth stories, and also some facts that came out of out last reunion. The Wonder of New Life-- It is told that Buck Donathan was riding through a certain area, when he heard a woman crying out in great distress. The anguished sounds were coming from a cabin nearby. Upon investigation, Buck discovered that the woman was in labor and was having an unusually difficult time in delivery. He assisted in delivering the child, as he had been somewhat experienced in such matters within his own family. After the child was born and everything apparently in order, he climbed aboard his horse and rode on. Such a happening was not unusual in this untamed country, but there was something unusual in this story after all. Buck was carrying a switch from a green tree when he rode up to the cabin. It seems that his horse was acting a little contrary and required a swat now and then. When Buck dismounted in front of the cabin, he stuck the switch into the ground and left it there. It was discovered later that the switch had taken root and by the time the newborn baby was grown, the switch had grown into a large tree.------Three of four "old timers" affirm this to be a true story. Being a Neighbor-- A man told of living in very hard circumstances on a worn-out farm northwest of Paden. He was a child at the time and nearly everyone was broke. His family had left the home farm to try to survive elsewhere, but had starved out and returned. The mother of the family was standing on the back porch, wondering how the children were to be fed and what was to become of them all. As she looked far off in the distance, she saw a small object moving. The distance was too great to make out what the object might be, but it was moving toward the house. As the object came nearer, she was able to make it out to be not one object, but two. Then she could see that it was a man leading a cow. When the man was closer, she saw that it was Buck Donathan. In that hour of extreme need, Buck brought a milk cow for the family to keep as long as the need existed. ---- In those days people cared for each other. Both Sides-Same War?? -- There is something that seems a little strange about the record of John Baptist Donathan in the Civil War. The National Archives records show that John enlisted in Gordon's Arkansas Cavalry on July 7, 1862. (Family tradition has him enlisting at a later date) His brothers were also in the service of the Confederacy. BUT-- I received a copy of a letter from Lily (Donathan) Rogers addressed to Mr. C. R. Flint from the House of Representatives U. S. Committee on Naval Affairs, Washington, D. C., which indicates that John served in the Kansas State Militia on the side of the Union. The letter was to acknowledge a request for federal pension. The pension was denied because the unit was never "properly federalized". How could John Baptist Donathan have ever been in a federal unit of any kind, whether a "State Militia" not "properly federalized" or not? Here is the apparent explanation. John was captured by the Union and placed in prison. Toward the end of the war Confederate soldiers were captured by the thousands. There were not enough facilities to imprison them all. Even earlier, prisoners of war were crowed into unsanitary, and otherwise completely inadequate facilities. Consequently, the Union adopted a policy of paroling large numbers of men under certain conditions. We must remember that the western frontier was not that far "west" at that time, and the Union was faced with maintaining the security of the frontier against Indian uprisings and other threats at the same time it was fighting the South. One condition of being released was to join one of the units for use in the west, but not against the Confederacy. Apparently this is what John did. He served in the Kansas Militia after being captured but never fought against his own people. (Incidently, John is supposed to have been captured twice, his first capture being another story)------Things are often not as they seem. Benjamin Franklin Donathan had a Sister -- Horace Bryan of Greenwood. Arkansas provided the following information. "Benjamin F. Donathan had an older sister, Rebecca, who died in Arkansas while they were looking for a place to settle. Her son, by her first husband, James Maynard was living with Ben Donathan at the time of the 1860 census. Her children by her second husband went back to Jackson County, Alabama with their father." Daniel Son of Benjamin Franklin Donathan Daniel was the oldest son of Benjamin Franklin Donathan. The 1850 Jackson county, Alabama census gives his age as 19 years. His wife, whose name was Arkadelphia, but was called Elfie, was the same age. He had three sons; James B. (Buck), Dan and Henry. He apparently had two or three daughters, but not much is known about them. He moved his family to the Magazine, Ark. area when his father did. The National Archives sent the following information from Civil War records. He was a pvt. in Capt. Gibson's Company, 2 Regiment, Arkansas Mounted Rifles, (This company subsequently became Company A, 2nd. Regiment, Arkansas Mounted Rifles.) He enlisted Oct. 1,1861 for a period of 12 months. He was enrolled at Camp Holloway by Col. McIntosh and the number of miles to the place of rendezvous traveled is given as 210 miles. The value of his horse was given as 90 dollars and equipment 10 dollars. On April 30,1862 he was reported absent sick, and on June muster roll was absent without leave. What the records do not show, is that Daniel had gone home to Magazine on leave to see about his family. His wife was about dead from some disease. While at home , he was jumped by three bushwhackers in his own yard, stood up against a tree and shot before the eyes of his 6 year old son, Buck. According to some of the old timers, Daniel's brother, Bill, killed two of the murderers and the third ran off to Texas. Elfie died soon after this and the children were taken in by relatives. When Buck was 13 years old, he ran away from his Uncle Jerry's home and went to Texas to find the surviving murderer of his father. He hunted for four years before he found his man and killed him. He is said to have walked up to him on a street, told the man who he was and what he was there for, and shot him down. Buck was turned loose after a hearing because the only witness was unable to pick him out among two others who had been dressed like Buck, down to the black hat he wore. Buck was seventeen now and married Sally Lang and lived in Texas until his first baby was born. The baby was born dead and Sally died in delivery. Buck then returned home and came to Indian Territory. He married Adeline Powell and lived near Porum. He was a neighbor to Belle Starr. Buck and Adeline had eight children; Mag (1880), Maude, Effie, Susie, Bob, Olen, Ike, and the eighth was born dead and unnamed. Adeline died in delivery. After the death of Adeline, Buck married Martha E. (Bashaw) Wood, widow of Jacob Zachary "Jake" Wood. Martha had three children by Jake; John Nathan (died as a child), Samantha Martha, and Iva Belle. Buck and Martha had nine children; Cecil Jacob (died 1904), Gordon N., James Henry, Marion Clarence (died 1910), Lillian R., Della N., David R. (died 1909), Edna E., and Oran W. Buck came to Whitefield to get rent permits for Indian land in 1891. Records of Choctaw Nation show he received permit number 337 for 1892 as a renter of Ben Foreman, and as a renter of Wm. S. Hall at Whitefield for the years 1898 and 1899. Buck later lived at Beardon and then between Paden and Prague. He cleared his land with a yoke of oxen named Tom and Jerry. Mattie and Buck are buried in the Paden cemetery. It is said that Martha helped prepare Belle Starr for burial after she was killed in 1889. She is supposed to have taken her turn "sitting with the corpse", it being customary for someone to sit with the body until the burial. "One Arm" or "Brierpatch" Henry, son of Daniel, was appointed special deputy U. S. Marshal at Whitefield in April, 1895 by U. S. Marshal J. J. McAlester of the U. S. court in the Indian Territory, Central Division, sitting at South McAlester, Indian Territory (Oklahoma Indian Territory by Ted Byron Hall) He lost his arm because of a gunshot wound. He accidently shot himself while pulling a shotgun out of his buggy in Fort Smith. He sold and repaired sewing machines part of the time while a deputy and later in life. At one time it served partly as cover when he was looking for someone. Dan, son of Daniel, enjoyed a mostly rural life. He at one time was farming some land belonging to an Indian named Tom Carnard. He had one of Buck's sons, Olen, doing some field work for him. Tom came by and started giving Olen a bad time over the way to do whatever Olen was doing and they got into a fight. No none was around to stop it and they fought for some time. Olen got Tom's thumb in his mouth and bit it off. Later, when they got to looking for the thumb, they couldn't find it. It is assumed that in the excitement Olen swallowed it! Daniel Webster Donathan, Jr. Daniel Webster Donathan. Jr. was born 14 September 1861 at Magazine, Logan County, AR. He came to Okmulgee County in 1897 and was one of the early settlers. He was a well known farmer and rancher. His parents were Daniel Webster Donathan and Arkadelphia Donathan "Elfia". They were both born in 1831 and both died in 1862. Daniel, Sr. served with Company A, Second Regt., Arkansas Mounted Rifle during the Civil War. He fought and survived at the Battle of Pea Ridge. While home on leave, because his wife was ill. he was jumped by three bushwhackers in his own yard, stood up against a tree and was shot before the eyes of his 6 year old son, Buck Donathan. This was on a hill east of Magazine, AR. Later the family had the tree cut down. His wife died a short time later. On November 1, 1864, Benjamin Franklin Donathan, (Dan's grandfather, b. 1810) was shot off his horse on Sugar Creek by 17 bushwhackers, a few miles Southeast of Booneville and Magazine, AR. He was helping his son Jerry Donathan move his family to Texas to get away from the killings. He was buried on a high bank of Sugar Creek at night by his wife Sarah Lloyd Donathan, (1810-1885), and two young daughters. The spot later became Blue Mountain Cemetery. The Masonic Lodge placed a Masonic headstone on his grave after the war. Dan, Jr. was raised by an uncle who took him to Texas, close to Brownwood, Brown County. Dan matured and married Josephine E. Wright "Josie". She was born in 1862 and died in 1894 in Texas. They were married 27 August 1883, north of Brownwood, near Blanket, TX. After the death of Josie, Dan joined the wagon train of families pushing further northeast from their home in Brownwood, TX. With him were his two daughters, Alma Noami Donathan, 6 years old, and Maggie Alice Donathan, 4 years old. Also on this wagon train was the Dr. and Mrs. James Howard family. They had a daughter by name of Lenora Florence Howard. Dan courted her and when they arrived at Golconda, Indian Territory, they were married on 9 September 1895. Florence was born February, 1877 and died December 21, 1907 and is buried in Throckmorton Cemetery at Natura, OK. The 1900 Census showed Dan, Jr. and family in Brown County, TX where he was visiting Alma and Maggie's grandparents, Dr. and Mrs. Thomas Wright. Alma Noami Donathan, b. 22 March 1888, Brownwood, Brown County, TX, d. 12"March 1916 at Okmulgee and is buried at Salt Creek Cemetery, Wilson Community, Okmulgee County. She married Charles Allen Reddell, 10 December 1903 at Henryetta, OK and they had 6 children: Golda Maud Reddell, (1904-1952); Ona May Reddell. b. 1905; George Reddell, (1907-1907); Carl Reddell "Buck" (1908-1961); Clifford Reddell "Kip" (1910-1952); Bonnie M. Reddell, b. 1912. Maggie Alice Donathan, b. 28 August 1890, Brownwood, TX, d. 27 November 1972 at San Rafael, CA. She married Henry Sullivan on 2 April 1911 at Okmulgee and they had 6 children: Voleta Sullivan, (1912-1969); Oras Sullivan, (1913-1969); Opan Sullivan, b. 1919; Oliver Sullivan, b. 1922; Billy Joe Sullivan, b. 1926; Josephine Sullivan, b. 1929. Daniel Webster and Florence lived in the Honey Creek, Sharp and Wilson Communities, the longest was at the Kissie Bird place, located 1 mile north and 1/4 west of Honey Creek School. While there a gas well was drilled on their place. This was the beginning of the big oil field on Jipsey Hill. Dan also worked in the oil fields and had a number of teams of horses hauling pipe and moving drilling rigs to other locations. He had horses for the children to ride to school. Dan always had some milk cows in the lot to milk and fed some hogs for winter meat. He had some beef cattle out on the range. Every body ran cattle up in the hills then, they would have roundup. take their cattle to dipping vats, also drove them to Schulter to load them out for sale at Kansas City or St. Louis. Daniel Webster, Jr. and Florence Howard Donathan had six children. (3) Julus Clarence Donathan. b. 6 February 1897, I.T., d. 22 December 1921, m. Olive Olsen in 1918 at Omaha. NE. They had one daughter, June Olive Donathan, b. 2 Nov. 1919. (4) Lames Lee Donathan, b. 22 July 1898, Okmulgee in a tent where First National Bank now stands on Main Street, d. 16 December 1967 at Ada. OK, m. Nannie Goin 6 December 1918 at Okmulgee. They had three daughters: Gladys Donathan, b. 1919; Nelma Lee Donathan, b. 1924; and Allene Donathan, b. 1927. (5) Buford Donathan, b. 1901, I.T., d. 1904 and is buried at Sharp Cemetery. (6) Lilac Cleo Donathan. b. 26 July 1905, Tater Hill, Tiger Flats, I. T., m. (1) Ernest Harrell, 6 December 1924, m. (2) Dan Williams in 1930. She had seven children: Billy Gene Harrell. b. 1925. Wanda Lee Harrell, b. 1928; Virgil, Williams, b. 1934; Shamarose Williams. b. 1936; Violet Williams. b. 1938; Margaret Ann Williams, b. 1941; and Brenda Kay Williams, b. 1944. (6) Violet Nancy Donathan. twin to Lilac, b. 26 July 1905, Tater Hill. Tiger Flats, I.T., m. Raymond A. Firestone on 6 November 1924. They had two boys; Bernard Firestone, b. 1926 and Jimmy Firestone, b. 1928. (7) Gladys Donathan, b. 24 December,1907, d. February, 1908, buried Sharp Cemetery next to her grandfather. Dr. James Howard and brother. Buford Donathan. Her mother died when she was born and they couldn't get any milk to agree with her. Dr. Howard began his practice in Stigler and later moved to Okmulgee County. Daniel Webster's third wife was, Martha Jane Brown, better known as "Aunt Mattie". They were married November 1908 at Natura. Mattie was burned to death when her clothing caught fire while they were living in the old Honey Creek School House building, which they had made into their home. Her clothing was put out from the snow on the ground. She vas born January 3, 1864 at Queen's Valley. I.T.. Oklahoma and died January 14, 1941 from the burns. The twins, Lilac and Violet were three years old when Dan and Aunt Mattie were married. She was a real mother to the children Dan Webster's 4th wife was Theresa Jane Blair and they lived in Preston, OK until he was placed in a nursing home. He died 24 September 1957 at Okmulgee at the age of 96 and is buried at Salt Creek Cemetery, Wilson Community, Okmulgee County by his wife Martha Jane Donathan (Aunt Mattie) by: Bonnie Reddell Idsardi