Obit of Tucker, Henry Harrison - Kiowa County, Oklahoma

Submitted by:  meili416   <meili416@sbcglobal.net>   05 Nov 2006
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Here is the obituary of Henry Harrison Tucker, one of the famous Forsyth 
Scouts of Beecher Island, Colorado fame, a resident of Roosevelt, OK, 
buried at Hobart.

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The Oklahoman
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

March 7, 1908

Front Page #1

Father of Head of Uncle Sam Oil Company and of Local Newspaper Men.

Captain H. H. Tucker, Indian fighter, scout, hero of the battle of 
Arickaree river and one of the last survivors of that great fight, which 
was a rival of the Alamo, died at his home on a farm near Roosevelt, 
Oklahoma, a small town south of Hobart, at 2:30 o'clock yesterday 
afternoon of pneumonia.

News of his death was received in Oklahoma City last night by D.R., H.A. 
and W.L. Tucker, sons, proprietors of the Daily Pointer.

Captain Tucker was 67 years old and had been a resident of Oklahoma since 
the opening.  Aside from his children in this city, H.H. Tucker, head of 
the Uncle Sam Oil Company, is also a son.

Captain Tucker had a distinguished record as a soldier.  He was a member 
of the three-months' men of Ohio, serving as a private in Company G, 
Twentieth Ohio Volunteer Infantry.  He was wounded and discharged for 
disability from that company in 1862 and afterwards served as First 
Lieutenant in Company B, One Hundred and Forty Third Illinois Volunteers, 
and was mustered out of the service September 26, 1864.

After the war he went to Kansas.  In the fall of 1868, at the time of the 
great Indian raid, he was one of the fifty frontiersmen employed by 
General Forsyth under orders from General Sheridan.  They went in pursuit 
of the Indians and were surrounded by them on the Arickaree River.  There, 
for nine days, (Continued on page seven) the soldiers and the red men 
fought.  Relief came only after the soldiers rations had been exhausted 
and they were compelled to survive upon horse meat.  Tucker was shot 
through the arm by an arrow on the first day.  During the nine days he lay 
in the trench without medical attention, the surgeon having been killed by 
the first onslaught by the Indians.  He was then taken to Fort Wallace.

Early during the next Spring, before his arm had healed, notice of the 
approach of Indians was received.  Tucker went from Fort Harker down to 
Salina and got a horse and rode up the Saline River, warning the settlers 
of the approach of the red men.  When he arrived at the place where the 
Indians were, with his arm still in a sling, he alone charged on seven 
Indians and saved one family.  He organized the men for the defense, got a 
fresh horse, rode all night and brought the men to the front while the 
women and children were taken down the river.  He then rode to Fort Harker 
for the troops.  For forty eight hours he was in the saddle.  During this 
encounter he received a wound to the hand which rendered that useless.

The funeral will be conducted this afternoon.
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