Crawford-Pulaski County ArArchives Biographies..... DANLEY, Christopher Columbus 1818 - October 3, 1865 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ar/arfiles.html ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Bill BOGGESS bog417@gmail.com March 19, 2013, 2:31 pm Source: self Author: Bill BOGESS Christopher Columbus Danley was reported born about 1818 and one of many brothers, Benjamin Franklin Danley (1822-1877) in Missouri(ah), as found on Federal census of 1850, whose father, Col James Danley was an early pioneer of Missouri(ah) Territory, then to Territory of Arkansas' Pulaski county. James Danley, along with Emzy Wilson and John N Boyle organized Little Rock's Jockey Club and Race Track in 1834, which in 1837 was purchased by the government for the United States Arsenal grounds at request of governor Conway, sudden loss of the jockey club nearly causing a local riot. Their jockey club and race track was established a small distant northeast, with the original now, at 503 east 9th street where The MacArthur Museum of Arkansas Military History is located, http://users.aristotle.net/~russjohn/warriors/macpark.html , east of which in 1850's was built the first created institution of higher learning, St Johns' College of Arkansas (1850-1882). C C Danley appears in the records of the United States Military Academy (USMA) several different times as being accepted but failing to appear, once in 1837/8 as #57 with a Jefferson Davis #62 who likewise served in the Mexican war as an officer. Danley's name appeared on several USMA lists even following the Mexican war when sponsored by John Gaines, the Kentucky major, ranking officer, who was a prisoner escaping with Capt Danley and Maj Solon Borland Aug 1847 near Mexico city. C C Danley had became a Captain for the Mexican War with a company serving under Colonel Archibald Yell (1797?-1847), 2nd governor of Arkansas, and a friend, Major Dr Solon Borland, Esquire, (1811-1864) captured by the Mexican's, along with Borland the morning of 23rd Jan 1847 with other officers from Kentucky, Maj John Gaines (1795-1858), later governor of Oregon Territory, Capt Cassius Marcellus Clay (1810-1903) who later helped finance Abe Lincoln's trip into the White House, and a Lieutenant T J Churchill (1824-1905) .later Arkansas' 13th governor. On way south towards prison, they meet-up with Santa Anna (1794-1876) whom they had been scouting for, who assured them of good care & keeping in prison. C C, Solon and Gaines escaped prison on Solon's birthday, Aug 8th 1847, becoming Aide-de-Camps during final battles of the war around Mexico City. Danley, with Gen Quiltman at Chapaltepee where severely wounded, crippling him for life, cared for awhile by Solon Borland, not returning to Arkansas until 27 May 1848, then to a hero's welcoming and celebration. He later upset the long reigning Johnson "Family" controlling Arkansas since before1836 statehood, by being elected state auditor, Borland too had defeated the "Family" when elected as 4th U S Senator from Arkansas all of which displeased the Johnson's "Family" and their loyal followers. An incident in Oct 1851 at the Anthony House made national news when sent to the N Y Times by "Family" supporters, Lambert Reardon, former mayor of Little Rock and his cousin named Whitely, claiming Senator Solon Borland attempted to assassinate Whitely with assistance from three Danley brothers, the state auditor, the county sheriff and a boat captain. Margaret Deane Smith Ross coves this issue well in her 1969 book, pages 238, 265 & 283. The Family would stop at nothing to degrade Danley and Borland who had defeated them by popular votes. Danley purchased the Arkansas Gazette March 1853, Solon Borland buying half interest 15 Jun 1853 so under state leadership of Gen Albert Pike (1809-1891) of Arkansas, supported by Gen Sam Houston (1793-1863) of Texas plus 43 from the 1855 U S House of Representatives, supported the "No Nothing" party with their editorials. Borland sold his newspaper interest to Danley, 5 Apr 1856, his drugstore interest to Dr John J Almont (1821-1896), his home purchased in 1853 west of former Senator William Savin Fulton's (1795-1844) former "Rosewood", to Dr Weldon Edward Wright (1814-1883) in 1858, then moving family to Princeton, Dallas county, Arkansas. Danley in-turn sold some newspaper interest to William F Holtzman in 1858. Henry Massey Rector (1816-1899) defeated Richard (Dick) H Johnson (1826-1889), of the "Family" filling the four year slot as Arkansas' 6th governor, greatly displeasing the "Family". Rector, in 1861 ordered the Little Rock and the Fort Smith Arsenals be secured by the state's volunteer troops in 1861. The creation of "The Secession Convention" consisting of seventy, who meet May 6th and with a final tally was, 69 to 1 for state of Arkansas to secede from the union. This convention also cut the governors term in-half, to two years and created a Military Board to supersede the state militia system appointing Thomas C Hindman (1828-1868) to prepare its rules. The new Military Board was to consist of three members, being governor Rector as president and elected were C C Danley and Benjamin C Totten (born about 1810) as the other members. Danley continued at the newspaper, where they dropped word "Democrat" from its name and published it until his death, tuesday, 3 Oct 1865 in his office. Holtzman took charge, selling his interest to the William Edward Woodruff (1795- 1885) family, he had created the paper in 1819 and they also ended with Danley's share. C C Danley was a highly respected war hero, a public servant and a charitable human being, who spent much of his life in the Little Rock Arkansas area which so benefited, buried in Fairview cemetery of Crawford county, Arkansas. C C's brother, Benjamin Franklin, also served in the Mexican war, was elected sheriff of Pulaski county for term 1848-1852, served 1st as Captain of Company D in what was to become the 3rd Regiment Ark Cav CSA organized by Cololnel Dr Solon Borland, Esquire, later elected its Lt Col and placed in charge when Solon's illness disallowed his continued service, replaced when found he had less seniorority than another. Benjamin, along with Solon, recieved their honorable discharges 25 May 1862, he then appointed Provest Marshall back home, later serving in the state legleslature and as a General under Churchill, during the 1874 Brooks-Baxter war, buried in oldest Pulaski cemetery, the Palarm Bayou Pioneer cemetery. Burial: Fairview Cemetery Van Buren Crawford County Arkansas, USA File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ar/crawford/bios/danley31nbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/arfiles/ File size: 6.9 Kb