Lincoln County, NC - John Robert Reinhardt ~~~~~~~~~~ ECROLOGIES JOHN ROBERT REINHARDT 1876-1949 John Robert Reinhardt, better known as J. R. Reinhardt, widely known resident, pioneer merchant and civil leader of Oktaha, Muskogee County, Oklahoma, died at his home on January 20, 1949 at the age of seventy-two years. Funeral services were conducted by the Reverends Max Holcomb and C.C. Williamson in the First Methodist Church in Oktaha January 22. Interment was in Memorial Park at Muskogee. His ancestors, German, Scotch and Irish, were real pioneers and active patriots against the royalists in the American Revolution. They migrated from Europe to escape from the restraint of conscience, settled in southwest North Carolina Colony, and their indignant souls were stirred to energetic action when civil oppression lifted its ugly head in the home of their adoption. Christian Reinhardt and his wife, Elizabeth Warlick, in colonial days lived on a farm one half mile north of what is now Lincolnton, Lincoln County, North Carolina. They were great grandparents of the subject of this article. This county was named after General Lincoln who defended Charleston in the Revolution. On this farm and around the Reinhardt home on June 20, 1780 the revolutionary battle of Ramsour’s Mill was fought between the Tories and the Whigs or Patriots. Ramsour’s Mill was on a creek about three hundred yards west of the Reinhardt house. Reinhardt and his neighbors learned that Lord Cornwallis, then encamped at Camden, South Carolina, planned to soon invade North Caroline to put down the rebellion there and to support the royalists. About 1,300 Tories assembled in camp about three hundred yards back of the Reinhardt home and Colonel Locke with about 400 Patriots decided to attack the Tories at sunrise on June 20th, and did attack. Locke pressed forward with his men and a severe battle followed. In two instances the parties were so close together that they beat each other with the butts of their guns. At first sound of firing Mrs. Reinhardt returned home, only to find the dead and wounded strewn on the ground around her house. The moans of the wounded mingled with the walls of the relatives of the dead who came to claim them. In this battle, neighbors, relatives and friends fought against each other and as the smoke would clear they would recognize each other. All were in civilian clothes and it was hard to distinguish the Whigs from the Tories. Such was the spirit of the times. In this fight Christian Reinhardt was a leader with Colonel Locke of the Whigs or Patriots. Later Cornwallis left Camden, S.C. taking his army into North Carolina on his way to Guilford Court House and en route camped four days at Ramsour’s Mill on the Reinhardt farm from January 24 to 28, 1781, then they marched to Beattle’s Ford. Michael Reinhardt was born at Lincolnton, N.C. in 1790, the son of Christian Reinhardt and Elizabeth Warlick. He was a Captain under General Andrew Jackson in the War of 1812, afterwards a member of the North Carolina State Senate 1827, 1828, 1836, and 1838, an extensive farmer and owner of a flour mill. In 1846 he moved to Marshall County, Mississippi and in 1855 settled in Prairie County, Arkansas. Mary Moore born in New York 1795, a teacher in a girl’s college at Rochester, New York, came south to teach school and married Michael Reinhardt at Lincolnton, North Carolina. Upon the death of Mary Moore, Michael Reinhardt married Maria Allyn, born at New London, Connecticut, 1790, who also came south to teach school at Lincolnton. Maria Allyn was a sister of Captain Francis I. Allyn, of New London, Connecticut, who at his expense brought to America in 1824 from La Harve, France, Le Marquis de Lafayette, his son. George Washington Lafayette and the secretary M. Auguste Lavasseur. The Lafayette and Captain Allyn were fond friends after. Michael Reinhardt and Mary Moore had the following children: Adolphus, Wallace, Daniel, Augustus Michael, and Lizzie. Michael Reinhardt and Marie Allyn had children: Maria and John D. Agustus Michael Reinhardt, the son of Michael Reinhardt and Mary Moore was bo0rn at Lincolnton, North Carolina in 1825, moved to Mississippi in 1846, and settle in Hickory Plains, Prairie County, Arkansas in 1845. He was a public surveyor, slave owner and farmed extensively. With the coming of the war, he heard the call of the South, entered the Confederate Army, became a Captain in Turnbull’s Batallion, under General Morgan and saw services at the battles of Lookout Mountain, Chickamauga and other points in Tennessee, Mississippi and Arkansas. Augustus M. Reinhardt married Mary Rebecca Harshaw at Hickory Plains and they had the following children: Annie Reinhardt Perkins of Hattlesburg, Mississippi; Henry Reinhardt of Wetumka, Oklahoma; Mamie Reinhardt Conway, a teacher in Draughon’s Business College, other colleges and Henry Kendall College at Muskogee, Indian Territory, now Tulsa University at Tulsa, Oklahoma: Emmett Reinhardt, merchant at Des Arc, Arkansas; Clara Reinhardt Brady, teacher of history at Henry Kendall College at Muskogee, Indian Territory, now Tulsa University; Sallie Reinhardt, a teacher in Indian schools in Indian Territory, Mattie R. Reid (Mrs. John Reid), Stillwater, Oklahoma; William Reinhardt, a land owner and cattle man of Hickory Plains, Arkansas; John Robert Reinhardt, of Oktaha, Oklahoma, the subject of this article. All are dead now except Clara R. Brady, living at El Paso, Texas. John Robert Reinhardt was born March 25, 1876, on his father’s plantation at Hickory Plains, Arkansas. On this farm he grew to manhood, learned the value of labor and hard work, attended the schools of that community, and like many men of his day his first position was as school teacher in a school not far from where he lived. On March 25, 1902 he married Cornelia Ellen Dunkum at the Dunkum home near Hickory Plains. As a small boy and a young man one of his running mates was Joseph T. Robinson, afterwards U.S. Senator and candidate for Vice President of the United States. In 1906, Mr. Reinhardt moved to Muskogee County, Oklahoma, and three years later settled in Oktaha, Oklahoma, where for many years he engaged in a mercantile business under the firm name of Oktaha Trading Company, a partnership composed of John C. Brady and F. E. Brady and himself. After some years he purchased the interest of his partners in the business and as sole owner conducted the business under the same name until his death on January 20, 1949. He owned and operated several farms in Muskogee County and engaged extensively in the cattle and livestock business. Following a true American tradition, his means at first small, his business was small, but under his sensible management his business expanded immensely so that at this death his landed estate was extensive and his name and store were favorably known and spoken of at home and far away. Mrs. Cornelia Ellen Reinhardt, his widow, and two charming daughters, Bida Reinhardt York and Rebecca Reinhardt Priest survive him. The widow and Mrs. York live in Muskogee, Oklahoma, and Mrs. Priest teaches school and lives in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. Mr. Reinhardt was Mayor of Oktaha, member of the School Board and Vice President of Muskogee County Taxpayers League for some years and otherwise never sough political favor. He preferred to discharge his obligations to his country rather by obeying that the making of its laws. His manners were frank and candid; and the more intimately he was known the better was he beloved. Long will he be remembered as a true man, a faithful friend and an upright citizen, conscientious in the discharge of all of his obligations and in the performance of his duties. He was a Steward in the Methodist Church and died as he had lived, a true Christian, placing firm faith in the promises of the scriptures. By William B. Moore, Muskogee, Oklahoma ______________________________________________________________________ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Garry Remington - gremington@beatitudescampus.org ______________________________________________________________________