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Notes for CHARLES HOLT WHITMIRE:
Excerpts from a statement by Garland Whitmire, nephew of Charles Whitmire, signed 10/14/1985;
"He [Garland's father, Jonathan] and [uncle] Charlie used to be quite ornery when they were young. He used to say Charlie was one of the best horse thieves in Indian Territory and he said Charlie wouldn't steal a horse if it didn't have a US Army brand on it. He had no use for the union army on account of the way they destroyed his fathers property during the Civil War. Dad told us children about one time Charlie was running from the posse and they cornered him in the cane breaks on the Arkansas River and had him surrounded. They made camp and was going to wait him out. Charlie told dad he sure thought they had him for sure this time. The posse was all out around the cane break and had left a big fat Negro cook in camp. Charlie said he crawled up a deer trail in sight of their camp and made some noise. The Negro grabbed a double barrel shot gun and came running down the trail. Charlie said he sat real quiet and when that Negro got real close, he shot him crosswise through the cheeks of his butt. When that Negro cook screamed and started running for the camp, the posse all made a dash to where the noise came from and that gave him a chance to go out the other side of the break and escape and he headed back to Indian Territory and home.
"Uncle Charlie always rode a stallion horse. No one could get near his horse or saddlebags. He trained them himself. His horse would stop when he came up to a low limb on a tree. Charlie would reach up with his gun barrel and feel the limb, then he would tell him it is OK. Then his horse would go on under it. Charlie's stomping grounds ranged from Oil Springs to Chewey and Scraper. Also to Westville, Stilwell, Sallisaw, Fort Glibson, Muskogee and Tahlequah. He stayed closer around Tahlequah and Stillwell than any other place. He knew every trail in the four counties. He would ride into a place, stay around a few days and leave. No one would ever know when he would show up or know when he was going to leave. He would tell dad he had to go to Fort Gibson or Sallisaw. He would saddle his horse and ride off. No one ever knew just when or where they were likely to see Uncle Charlie.
"Around 1885 or 1890, Charlie was being chased pretty well all over the Indian Territory by the US Marshals. Dad, being a justice of the peace, he got Charlie to stay hidden out until he made arrangements to get the charges dropped against him. The only was was if Charlie would become a deputy marshal. The Army dropped all the horse stealing charges against Uncle Charlie. Dad always said that was the cheapest way for the army to get him stopped from stealing US Government horses. He always had the best of horse flesh and had them trained like a house pet. No one could slip up on him in the woods. His horse would let him know if someone was nearby. His equipment at hand was a bedroll and a rain coat. A good saddle and two 45 colt six shooters and a double barrel shotgun. He was at home where ever night overtook him. He was never married that I know of. He was on the move to much. Dad always said he had taken his job too seriously and said he had become the judge, jury and executioner. Dad said Charlie never
arrested anyone that he knew about. He always said when Charlie was asked to go out after a bootlegger, they just disappeared and he couldn't find any trace of them. Charlie Whitmire died in December of 1940 on Jewel Whitmire's place on the Ross Swimmer road west of Westville, Oklahoma. I located his grave through Jewel in December of 1984. I placed a grave stone at his grave. He is buried in the Green Cemetery on the Ross Swimmer Road, west of Westville Oklahoma.
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