Dallas County, TX - Biographies - Colonel P.B. Hunt ************************************************************************ This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: Dorman Holub Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/copyright.htm ************************************************************************ John Henry Brown's History of Dallas County, 1892, pp. 488-491 Colonel P. B. HUNT, the efficient and popular United States Marshal for the Northern District of Texas, was born in Fayette county, Kentucky, October 11,1837. His parents were G. Drummond and Catherine A. (Burgess) Hunt. The former was born in New Jersey and in 1800, at the age of six, accompanied his parents to Kentucky, where he died March 1, 1889, aged ninety-five years. He was a farmer and stock-raiser by occupation, and imported some of the finest stallions to Kentucky, from which many of the beat animals trace their pedigrees. Besides this, he was, in a general way, engaged in other stock-raising, in all of which he was eminently successful. He was a model Kentucky farmer, conducting his business on scientific principles, and adopting the most modern and approved methods and facilities. Of natural ability, good education, thorough integrity, and a kindly disposition, coupled with a pleasing presence, he was a general favorite with his fellow men, and was greatly lamented at his demise. His noble wife died in 1843, at the age of thirty-two years, leaving a bereaved family and many friends to mourn her untimely taking away. She was a native of Kentucky, her family being from Maryland, where, on both maternal and paternal sides, they are connected with prominent and influential people, well known in the affairs of State and in society. She, herself, inherited many of the brilliant qualities for which her family were famous, possessing a ready wit, beauty, refinement and many accomplishments. Mr. and Mrs. Hunt had five children: George W., now a farmer in Young county, Texas; P. B., the subject of this sketch; Mary Dorsey, deceased in 1880, aged forty-five years, wife of Dr. Louis Craia, of Plainfield, New Jersey, also deceased, their children being William Drummond and George Hunt; Albert G., a resident of Lexington, Kentucky, who has served for sixteen years as Clerk of his county, being possessed of excellent business qualifications; he married Miss Mollie A. Craig, and they have five children, Kittie, Henrietta, Mary C., Drummond and Albert G. G. Drummond, the youngest brother, enlisted in the summer of 1861, in the late war, and was elected Adjatant of the Third Kentucky Infantry, of Federals. He served until November 23, 1863, when he was mortally wounded at the battle of Missionary Ridge, dying three days later. He was shot from his horse, while carrying the flag and leading the charge of his regiment, at a distance of twenty yards from Bragg's headquarters. He was a young man of great promise, and was educated at Princeton, New Jersey, and at Georgetown College, Kentucky. Dr. Campbell, in his funeral sermon, said be was Òvery brilliant, had a good mind, was a fine writer and would have made his mark as an author in the literary world.Ó He died at at the age of twenty-one years. Captain George W. Hunt, the eldest brother, was educated at Georgetown, Kentucky, studied law, and after admission to the bar practiced at Lexington until after the late war. During that struggle he was one of John Morgan's brigade adjutant generals. He is a wonderful historian, almost a Òwalking encyclopedia," is an apt scholar and greatly devoted to books. The subject of our sketch was educated in the common and high school of Lexington, Kentucky, and was reared to farm life. During the late war the family was equally divided on the national question, the father espousing the Union side, although not a soldier, while George W. and Albert joined the Confederate army, and the subject of this sketch and G. Drummond fought on the Federal side. Albert, a Lieutenant in Colonel Howard Smith's regiment, was captured and taken prisoner, while with Morgan on his raid through Ohio, but escaped from Camp Douglas, at Chicago, and returned to the Confederate service. Our subject was appointed Major of his regiment, in August, 1861, at Camp Dick Robinson, which was the first Union camp formed in Kentucky. This was organized by General Nelson, who bad authority from the Government to enlist five regiments, the Fourth Kentucky Infantry being one of the five. Mr. Hunt's first service was at the battle of Mills Springs, on January 19, 1862, while marching to Nashville, Tennessee. The Union forces, including the Fourth Kentucky 1nfantry, followed Morgan, and had a skirmish with him at Rolling Fork, Kentucky, December 29, 1862. Mr. Hunt participated in the battle of Chickamauga, September 19, 1863, where he was seriously wounded by being shot through the knee. Of all the physicians, one only refused to consent to the limb's amputation, and his judgment prevailing, it was saved, to render Mr. Hunt long and good service. Mr. Hunt was then appointed Lieutenant Colonel of his regiment, but in April, 1861, he resigned from the army on account of disability, and returned to his home, where he remained until the close of the war. He first engaged in the brokerage business; after which, in 1866, he conducted a cotton plantation in Mississippi. A year later be became cashier of the Internal Revenue office, at Lexington, Kentucky, and in 1874, was appointed, by President Grant, Supervisor of Internal Revenue for the States of Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana, which position he held until the office was abolished, in 1876. In 1878 President Hayes appointed him Indian Agent for the Kiowas, Comanches, Wichitas and Caddoes, which position extended six months into President Cleveland's administration. In April, 1892, General Harrison appointed him United States Marshal, which position the Colonel now holds. After leaving the Indian Agency, he retired to private life on his farm in Miller Bend, Young county, Texas, where he was identified with the best interests of the people, in the upbuilding and improvement of that locality. He resigned the position of cashier of the First National Bank of Graham, in the same county, to accept his present position. Colonel Hunt was married October 23, 1879, to Miss Margaret Scott Gallagher, a beautiful and accomplished lady of New Orleans, a daughter of Charles and Winnie (Scott ) Gallagher, well known and highly esteemed residents of the Crescent City. Her mother was a daughter of Matthew T. Scott, who was for many years the able president of the Northern Bank, of Lexington, Kentucky. Colonel and Mrs. Hunt have bad two children: Winnie, deceased in infancy, and G. Drummond, a youth of great promise. Both parents are members of the Church, to which they render much valued assistance. Colonel Hunt is an Episcopalian and Mrs. Hunt a Presbyterian. The Colonel is Past Commander of the Rossean Post, G.A.R., at Graham, Texas, and is a member of the Knights of Pythias. He cast his first vote for Bell and Everett, in 1860. Under President Lincoln he was appointed Major of the Fourth Kentucky Infantry, and the Colonel has served in some Government position under every succeeding president. This was in part owing to the influence of Senator Beek, of Kentucky, who was formerly overseer of the large estate of Colonel Hunt's father, and who, after attaining to his high position, gave the subject of our sketch the benefit of an enduring friendship. The Colonel was the first to suggest to the Government the idea of settling the Indiana on land in severalty, in its present form. This will be seen by his report of August 31, 1885, to the Commissioner of Indian Affairs, at Washington, which was published and laid before Congress that fall. Senator Dawes, Chairman of the Indian Senatorial Committee, acknowledged to Senator Beek, the Colonel's friend, that the Colonel's report contained much merit, and he, two years later, embodied those suggestions in the ÒDawes Bill," which advocated, among other things, the settlement of Indians on land in severalty, and the purchase of surplus lands by the Government for white settlers. In this way white people began settling up the Indian Territory in a legal and satisfactory manner. Another material service which he rendered to the Government was in 1875, when lie was ÒSupervisor of Internal Revenue." As it has long since been a matter of history, there is no hesitation in mentioning the fact, as it is found in the report to the House of Representatives of the Forty-fourth Congress, which report was drawn up by a committee, consisting of R.L. Gibson, Jo.C.S. Blackburn; A. E. Stevenson (now Democratic candidate for Vice-President, who stands deservedly high in the Colonel's estimation, on account of his probity and many sterling qualities of mind and heart); O.D. Conger; C.B. Darall and others. On receiving his appointment Colonel Hunt was approached and offered a very tempting bribe by the distillers of New Orleans, to let them have their own way in evading the. law. He, however, on his trip to Washington for instructions, asked and secured permission, carte blanche, from President Grant and Secretary Bristow, to do as his judgment dictated in enforcing the law and bringing the guilty parties to justice, the result of which was that, in thirteen days he, with his picked men, took charge of and closed all the distilleries in that locality. This occurred at the same time that the Government made a raid on the distilleries in St. Louis. Since then no attempt has been inade to manufacture whisky in New Orleans, for the reason that, owing to the climate, it could not be manufactured profitably, without stealing about one half of it. Colonel Hunt was one of the four who had the honor of being in the entire confidence of General Bristow in that gentleman's fight against the great whisky ring, which ring figured so conspicuously in 1875 and before. The Colonel's share in these duties was highly commended by the President and Secretary Bristow, as being eminently thorough and complete These facts are some slight index to the exalted probity and delicate sense of honor of the man; and it is doubtful whether any one could be found who could have received his appointments to the entire satisfaction of all parties, all party strife beinglost sight of in the contemplation of his grandeur of character.